1.4 Sustainability

1.4 SustainabilityMonday, October 26, 2015

Scott Lucas

Dwight School London, 2015

Assessment statements

Significant ideas

• SI1.4.1 All systems can be viewed through the lens of sustainability.

• SI1.4.2 Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

• SI1.4.3 Environmental indicators and ecological footprints can be used to assess sustainability.

• SI1.4.4 Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) play an important role in sustainable development.


Knowledge and understanding

• U1.4.1 Sustainability is the use and management of resources that allows full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use.

• U1.4.2 Natural capital is a term used for natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods or services.

• U1.4.3 Natural income is the yield obtained from natural resources.

• U1.4.4 Ecosystems may provide life-supporting services such as water replenishment, flood and erosion protection, and goods such as timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops.

• U1.4.5 Factors such as biodiversity, pollution, population or climate may be used quantitatively as environmental indicators of sustainability. These factors can be applied on a range of scales, from local to global. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) gave a scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide using environmental indicators, as well as the scientific basis for action to conserve and use them sustainably.


• U1.4.6 EIAs incorporate baseline studies before a development project is undertaken. They assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of the project, predicting and evaluating possible impacts and suggesting mitigation strategies for the project. They are usually followed by an audit and continued monitoring. Each country or region has different guidance on the use of EIAs. [There is no expectation to explore an EIA in depth, but rather to focus on the principles of their use.]

• U1.4.7 EIAs provide decision-makers with information in order to consider the environmental impact of a project. There is not necessarily a requirement to implement an EIA’s proposals, and many socio-economic factors may influence the decisions made.

• U1.4.8 Criticisms of EIAs include: the lack of a standard practice or training for practitioners, the lack of a clear definition of system boundaries and the lack of inclusion of indirect impacts.

• U1.4.9 An ecological footprint (EF) is the area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate at which they are being consumed by a given population. If the EF is greater than the area available to the population, this is an indication of unsustainability. [EFs can be used to give students a sense of their own impact at the start of the course and are addressed in more detail in topic 8.]


Applications and skills• S1.4.1 Explain the relationship between natural capital,

natural income and sustainability.• S1.4.2 Discuss the value of ecosystem services to a

society.• S1.4.3 Discuss how environmental indicators such as

MA can be used to evaluate theprogress of a project to increase sustainability.

• S1.4.4 Evaluate the use of EIAs.• S1.4.5 Explain the relationship between EFs and

sustainability.


International mindedness

• International summits and conferences aim to produce international tools (bodies, treaties, agreements) that address environmental issues.

• EIAs vary across national borders.

Vocabulary• Baseline study: measurement of conditions existing before

development project against which subsequent changes can be compared (adapted from Kubo et al.)

• Ecological footprint (EF): the area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate at which they are being consumed by a given population

• Environmental Impact Assessment: A systematic process to identify, predict and evaluate the environmental, social and economic impacts of a proposed development project in order to aid decision making

• Natural capital: natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods or services

• Natural income: a good or service produced by a natural capital resource that regenerates over time

• Sustainability: the use and management of resources that allow full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use

• Sustainable development: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

SI1.4.1 All systems can be viewed through the lens of sustainabilitySI1.4.2 Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without comprising the ability off future generations to meet their own needsU1.4.1 Sustainability is the use and management of resources that allows full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use

• Sustainability: the use and management of resources that allow full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use

• Living within the means of nature, on the “interest” (sustainable natural income)

• Finite amount of materials, any society that is depleting natural capital is unsustainable, most societies are using unsustainable; using the “interest” as well as the “capital”

• At some point we will run out and have to deal with the consequences

SI1.4.1 All systems can be viewed through the lens of sustainabilitySI1.4.2 Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without comprising the ability off future generations to meet their own needsU1.4.1 Sustainability is the use and management of resources that allows full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use

• According the UN, humanity has overshot its sustainable level

U1.4.2 Natural capital is a term used for natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods and servicesU1.4.3 Natural income is the yield obtained from natural resources

• Economists define capital as what is produced by factories, machines, etc; environmentalists define it as follows

• Natural capital: natural resources that can produce a sustainable natural income of goods or services

• Goods• Forest (natural capital) provides timber (natural income)• A shoal of fish or agricultural crop (natural capital) provides

food (natural income)

• Services (“The Five Capitals”)• Processes: Prevent erosion, regulates climate, etc• Sinks: absorb, neutralise or recycle wastes

• Natural income: a good or service produced by a natural capital resource that regenerates over time

• Natural capital (“The Five Capitals”)• In their extraction and use, substances taken from the

earth do not exceed the environment's capacity to disperse, absorb, recycle or otherwise neutralise their harmful effects (to humans and/or the environment)

• In their manufacture and use, artificial substances do not exceed the environment's capacity to disperse, absorb, recycle or otherwise neutralise their harmful effects (to humans and/or the environment)

• The capacity of the environment to provide ecological system integrity, biological diversity and productivity is protected or enhanced

S1.4.1 Explain the relationship between natural capital, natural income and sustainability.

• Natural income is a good or service produced by a natural capital (natural resource) that regenerates over time

• As long as we allow for full natural replacement of the resources exploited and full recovery of the ecosystems affected by their extraction and use it is considered sustainable

• Simply put, as long as the harvest of natural income doesn’t cut into the natural capital it is sustainable

Wackernagel and Rees

Why don’t things change?

• Inertia: resistance to change because it seems too difficult

• Due to “tragedy of the commons” (4.3)• Individuals act in their own self-interest to destroy a resource

for all• Ex. over-fishing international waters ruins it for all• Ex. Vehicle pollution results in more CO2, nitrogen oxides, etc

in atmosphere which affects all• Ex. Hunting an endangered species will cause extinction but

feeds your starving family

• Hard to value environmental services; how do you assign economic value to soil, water, clean air, biodiversity (or valuate the loss of biodiversity)

S1.4.2 Discuss the value of ecosystem services to a societyU1.4.4 Ecosystems may provide life-supporting services such as water replenishment, flood and erosion protection and goods such as timber, fisheries and agricultural crops

SI1.4.3 Environmental indicators and ecological footprints can be used to assess sustainability

• Can use lots of different indicators, ecological and socio-economic; including air quality, water poverty, GDP per capita, life expectancy, gender parity, etc.

• Smaller scale = more accurate; also need a global overview though

U1.4.5 Factors such as biodiversity, pollution, population or climate may be used quantitatively as environmental indicators of sustainability. These factors can be applied on a range of scales from local to global. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment gave a scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide using environmental indicators, as well as the scientific basis for action to conserve and use them sustainably.

• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) started 2001 by the UN looks at how ecosystems have changed over the last decade

• Also predicts future changes

• Four-year study released in 2005…

U1.4.5 Factors such as biodiversity, pollution, population or climate may be used quantitatively as environmental indicators of sustainability. These factors can be applied on a range of scales from local to global. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment gave a scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide using environmental indicators, as well as the scientific basis for action to conserve and use them sustainably.S1.4.3 Discuss how environmental indicators can be used to evaluate the progress of a project to increase sustainability, eg. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

U1.4.9 An ecological footprint (EF) is the area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate at which they are being consume by a given population. Where the EF is greater than the area available to the population, this is an indication of unsustainability.

• Ecological footprint (EF): the area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate at which they are being consumed by a given population

• Allows direct comparison between LEDCs and MEDCs

• Shows sustainable (footprint smaller than country –under carrying capacity) vs

• Unsustainable lifestyles (footprint bigger than country – exceeds carrying capacity)

U1.4.9 An ecological footprint (EF) is the area of land and water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate at which they are being consume by a given population. Where the EF is greater than the area available to the population, this is an indication of unsustainability.

• Global ecological footprint

S1.4.5 Explain the relationship between ecological footprint (EF) and sustainability• Large ecological footprint shows unsustainable

lifestyle (exceeds carrying capacity)

• Small ecological footprint shows a more sustainable lifestyle (under carrying capacity)

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)

• What is an EIA?• A systematic process to identify, predict and evaluate the

environmental, social and economic impacts of a proposed development project in order to aid decision making.

• Where did EIAs come from?• In 1969, the US Federal government passed the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

• NEPA made a priority for Federal agencies to consider the natural environment in any land use planning.

• Within 20 years of NEPA becoming law in the US many other countries had also included EIAs as part of their planning policy.

SI1.4.4 Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) play an important role in sustainable development

• EIAs are prepared before large development projects proceed ex. golf course, dams, quarries, port developments, road networks

• Need to be non-technical so people can understand what it says

• Weighs advantages and disadvantages of the project and alternatives

• Predicts possible impacts on habitats, species and ecosystems

• Part of the EIA is establishing how the abiotic and biotic community would change due to the project

• Helps developer decide if the project should go ahead with, terminate, or modify the current plan

U1.4.6 Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) incorporate baseline studies before a development project is undertaken. They assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of the project. They are usually followed by an audit and continued monitoring. Each country of region has different guidance on the use of EIAs.

EIA Components

1. Scoping: baseline study (identifying impacts)

2. Predicting: scale of potential impacts

3. Mitigation: limiting the effect of impacts to acceptable limits

4. Monitoring: change during and after the development.


1. Scoping/baseline study tries to (adapted form Kubo et al.)

• Assess present environmental quality

• Identify key environmental factors, which may influence project design (site lay-out, etc);

• Quantify possible changes to the microclimate, biodiversity, scenic and amenity value

• Identify environmentally significant factors that could prevent project development.

• Identify sensitive issues or areas requiring mitigation or compensation;

• Provide input data to impact prediction models; and

• Provide baseline data against which the results of future monitoring programs can be compared.


Baseline looks at• Environmental

• Ecology• Habitat type and

abundance – total area of each type

• Species list – flora and fauna

• Species diversity• List of endangered

species• Geology

• Land use – type and coverage

• Soil – quality, fertility, pH

• Hydrology – volume, discharge, flows, water quality

• Social• Human populations

present• Noise• Traffic• Visual appearance• Health

• Economic• Cost• Benefit • Jobs created


2. Predicting: possible impacts on habitats, species and ecosystems

3. Mitigation

• May lead to changes in the development to avoid negative environmental impacts

• Limit the potential environmental impact associated with the development

4. Monitoring: change during and after the development

U1.4.7 EIAs provide decision makers with information in order to consider the environmental impact of a project. There is not necessarily a requirement to implement an EIA’s proposals and many socio-economic factors may influence the decisions made.

S1.4.4 Evaluate the use of EIAsU1.4.8 Criticisms of EIAs include the lack of a standard practice or training for practitioners, the lack of a clear definition of system boundaries and the lack of inclusion of indirect impacts.

EIA Weaknesses

• Difficult to collect a full data set; how big an area (boundaries of the system)? how many variables?

• EIA may be limited by the quality of the baseline study

• Often focuses on biophysical issues (often a fault of poor terms of reference)

• Hard to quantify the costs of damaging the environment

• Hard to identify indirect impacts

• Expensive; easily hundreds of millions

• Where environment, social and economic aspects are addressed, they are not always addressed in an integrated way – EIA reports tend to present them as separate chapters

• EIA is a prediction; speculative due to complexity of natural systems and uncertainty about feedback mechanisms

• This makes environmental decisions more difficult

S1.4.4 Evaluate the use of EIAsU1.4.8 Criticisms of EIAs include the lack of a standard practice or training for practitioners, the lack of a clear definition of system boundaries and the lack of inclusion of indirect impacts.

EIA Benefits

• EIAs at least provide some analysis to change the development plans to reduce the impact

• Argued that any improvements to the development outweighs the uncertainty of EIAs

• EIAs improve long-term viability of many projects

• Offers alternative projects which may have more positive outcomes

• EIAs provide an opportunity to learn from experience of similar projects and avoid the (often high) costs of subsequently mitigating unforeseen negative and damaging impacts.

• Depends who does the EIA and if they have any involvement with company

• Certain countries often ignore the EIA findings or prioritize economic concerns

Practice question: Outline the components of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and justify your personal viewpoint on the value of EIAs in the environmental decision making process. Refer to a specific EIA in your answer. (7 marks)

Practice question: Outline the components of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and justify your personal viewpoint on the value of EIAs in the environmental decision making process. Refer to a specific EIA in your answer. (7 marks)

EIA requires the production/evaluation of a baseline study;analysis of baseline study and development character used to predict environmental impact of development;EIA also addresses mitigation of potential environmental impact associated with development;EIA is therefore one important tool that may be used to inform environmental decision-making;EIA may lead to changes in the development-avoiding negative environmental impact;EIA may be limited by quality of baseline study;in certain countries the findings of the EIA are often ignored/take second place to economic concerns;environmental impact prediction is speculative due to the complexity of natural systems and the uncertainty of feedback mechanisms thus making environmental decisions more difficult;Responses do not need to reflect a balance of values but the personalviewpoint must be fully justified.

7 max Award [5 max] if no reference is made to a specific EIA.

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Works Cited

• International Baccalaureate Organization. Diploma Programme Environmental systems and societies guide. The Hague: IB Publishing Ltd, Feb. 2015. PDF.

• Kubo, B. M., J. O. Were, and G. N. Wetang’ula. "Environmental Baseline Studies for Geothermal Developments." (2009): n. pag. National Energy Authority. Orkustonfnun, 22 Nov. 2009. Web. 15 Aug. 2015. <http://www.os.is/gogn/unu-gtp-sc/UNU-GTP-SC-10-0108a.pdf>.

• Rutherford, Jill. Environmental Systems and Societies. Oxford: OUP, 2015. Print.

• "The Five Capitals." Forum for the Future. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. <https://www.forumforthefuture.org/project/five-capitals/overview>.

• Wackernagel, Mathis, and William Rees. Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society, 1996. Print.

1.4 Sustainability

Education

Transcript of 1.4 Sustainability