Food & Energy: Sustainable & Renewable

Social

Ecological EconomicSustainable

Bearable

Viable

Equitable

Renewable

A resource is renewable if: It can be replenished by natural

processes at a rate equal to, or faster than, its rate of consumption

One must consider if: Energy resources are renewable? Agricultural resources are renewable? Water resources are renewable?

Sustainability

Sustainability is a much more difficult term to define and has many connotations

1987 Brundtland Commission* defined sustainability…“to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

*United Nations. 1987."Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development." General Assembly Resolution 42/187, 11 December 1987.

Sustainability

The 1987 Brundtland definition is often adapted for a variety of purposes

Sustainable development Sustainable agriculture Sustainable communities Sustainable energy

Three Pillars of Sustainability

Social

Ecological EconomicSustainable

Bearable

Viable

Equitable

The three pillars of sustainability are social, Ecological and economic.

Ecological Pillar

Management of human consumption Energy Water Food Materials and waste

Environmental management Air/atmosphere Water (freshwater & oceans) Land use

Economic Pillar

Address decoupling of environmental degradation and economic growth(avoid growth that depletes ecosystem services)

Account for value of ecosystem services

Recognize economic opportunity while integrating with ecological and social concerns

Social Pillar

Enable peace, security and social justice to decrease poverty, to allow for equitable resource allocation and to promote human rights and gender equality

Support human settlements to create self-reliant communities

Three Pillars of Sustainability

Earth

Life

Environment

Sustainability requires a holistic approach

Social

Ecological EconomicSustainable

SustainabilityQ: Must something be renewable to be considered “sustainable?” A: YES, if a resource is renewable, if it can be replenished at a rate equal to or greater than it is being used, then it is sustainable!Q: Must something be sustainable to be considered “renewable?” A: NO, renewable resources can be exploited, resulting in environmental degradationQ: Are all renewable resources sustainable? A: NO, for example: A large hydro dam may provide renewable power, but it might drastically alter the environment and displace human populations

Renewable and Sustainable Resources

Photos by B. Ballard

Renewable and Often Sustainable

Photos by P. Hofmeyer

Renewable and Rarely Sustainable

Large Hydro: Hoover Dam [Source: Wikimedia Commons, accessed 7/18/2013]

Irrigated & fertilized corn field [Source: Wikimedia Commons, accessed 7/18/2013]

Non-renewable and Not Sustainable

Coal extraction [Source: Wikimedia Commons, accessed 7/18/2013]

Slash-and-burn [Source: Wikimedia Commons, accessed 7/18/2013]

Sustainability

Are humans living sustainably?

In order to be sustainable, the Earth’s resources must first replenish themselves equal to our consumption rate

Sustainability Continuum

WindSolarWaste biofuels

Crop rotationNo tillNo fertilization

Micro hydroLow enthalpy geothermalDedicated bioenergy crops

Crop rotationSparing use of Fertilizers/pesticides

Large geothermalLarge HydroDedicated bioenergy crops

Monoculture farmingIntensive pesticidesIntensive herbicides

Natural GasNuclearCoal and Oil

Slash and burn agriculture

Most sustainable Least sustainable

Sustainability: What can you do?Two areas in which to improve the sustainability of your lifestyle:

Transportation: Reduce/eliminate fossil fuel use

Diet: Eat food produced locally

Sustainable Food ConsumptionThe mean distance for fruits and vegetables to get onto my dinner plate is 1,494 milesThis is not including imported fruits and vegetables like pineapples, artichokes, kiwis, mangoes, and so on.

Source: Leopold Center report “Food, Fuel, and Freeways: An Iowa perspective on how far food travels, fuel usage, and greenhouse gas emissions”, June 2001.

Buy local, eat local, plant a garden and support a local

farmer

Photos by B. Ballard