Sustainability

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Environmental Science Unit

What is sustainability?• Preserving natural

resources for future generations.

• Do well by doing right-a new way of thinking and pursuing innovation.

• No negative environmental impact is felt as a result of your (business) existence.

Being a steward of the Earth…

Can you major in sustainability in college?

• Yes! Right here in Berea.

• Link to BW web-site

• There is a greater demand by consumers for companies that are:

• Good stewards of people

• Good stewards of community,

• Good stewards of the environment & profits.

Salmon Runs in Northwest U.S.

LIVE.EAT.SHOP.SPAWN.

• The runs were degraded over time due to unsustainable development of riverfronts, vineyards,farms,etc.

• Salmon populations declined.

• Now products are labeled “Salmon Safe” bc there was a demand by the public to protect the salmon runs.

Teach about riparian zones here:

Sustainable Requirements• You have to understand how

things work in nature, how they are connected – a systems approach.

• This requires planning!• EX: Grindstone Elementary-

A LEED Silver Building!

What If We Continue The Way We Have Always Produced Goods?

Ideas:

Maybe We Can learn fromDr. Seuss’s- The Lorax (1971)

• In The Lorax- deforestation and devastation remain once all of the resource trees are removed for consumption without planning for their replacement.

Read The LoraxPass out book, play tape

1. What species became extinct in the story?  Why? 

2.  What else was affected by the loss of the trees?  Why and How?  

3.  What is the natural resource? 

4.  What are the waste by products? 

5.  What could they have done to protect the species in the story?

Our Planet Can’t Keep Up

• The planet is not capable of supporting, among all peoples of the globe, the level of materialism & consumption common in the U.S. today.

• Proof? *Increasing costs *social unrest *higher demands *dwindling resources*potential loss of complex ecosystems

(degradation)

Consumption Consumption

• The average American buys 53 times as many products as someone in China and one American's consumption of resources is equavalent to that of 35 Indians.

Materialism/Consumption…Like What?

• Clothes-• iPODs-• Unsustainable Coffee production-• Cheap chicken/meat/shrimp/fish-• Bottled water-• Shoes/purses-• Make-up• Fossil Fuels-Why Cheap?- discussion here….

Can We Become ASubsistent Society?

• Where we produce just enough food to feed oneself and family members.

• Having the “basic” needs met (nothing over): food, shelter.

• Do most Americans exist in a subsistence lifestyle or not? Discuss here.

Becoming a Sustainable Shopper…

• First reduce consumption…do you really NEED this or that?

• Where is product made? Consider distance, fossil fuel use, environmental degradation, labor laws.

• Buy recycled when possible.• Re-Use shopping bags, plastic containers,

anything!• All of this does take some research.

What is your global/carbon footprint?

• Identify one item you are wearing.Item - _____________________

• Where was it made?Made in ___________________

• Go to that place on the World Map.• Travel its approx. route from “birthing place” to your home.• What means of transportation was most likely used?

_____________________________• Approximate the distance in miles __________.• 20lbs. Of Carbon Dioxide are produced from 1 gallon of

gasoline. Approx. how much carbon dioxide was emitted into the air for JUST your product’s travels.

• Product Travel = ______________ carbon dioxide

Trace Your Journey on The Map Below:

I conducted some research on “stuff” I have…here we go…

Cell Phones & Gorilla Habitat?How is this connected?

• A metallic ore called coltan, found in the core of cell phones is mined out of the republic of Congo

• This has resulted in the destruction of critical gorilla habitat, (which of course also affects the

entire ecosystem in which they live.)

Mountain Gorillas & Cropland & Pure Human Ignorance

• Read Article Click Here

Orangutans & Make-Up? How is this connected?

• Orangutans on the verge of extinction because forests are being clear-cut and burned to make way for lucrative palm oil plantations.

• Palm oil used in the following products:

So What Can You Do? Listen & Learn.

The Story of Electronics Video Clip

Take a few notes ( 10 facts) on your PowerPoint.

10 Facts about Our System:

• What does “designed for the dump” mean?

• What is externalized costs?

• What is e-waste?

Waste as Art?

Chris Jordan- my favorite artist!

Conclusion

• Every product--every T-shirt, every SUV, every child's toy--has a global footprint defined by the resources and energy used to make it.

• Try to reduce your footprint.

What You Need To Know• What is sustainability?• What are the 3 processes (components) take hold when

considering a sustainable lifestyle/business?• Provide 3 examples of sustainable products.• What is the “lesson” we must learn from The Lorax by

Dr. Seuss?• Can our planet keep up indefinitely with our current

consumption rates? Explain.• How are gorilla habitats & cell phones connected?• How is make-up & orangutan habitat connected?• What can you do as a consumer to become a more

sustainable shopper?• List three facts from “The Story of Stuff” video-clip that

surprised you. (e-waste, externalized cost)