1 / 13

Linking Methodologies to Theories in Sustainability Science Lennart Olsson & Barry Ness LUCSUS – Lund University Ce

Linking Methodologies to Theories in Sustainability Science Lennart Olsson & Barry Ness LUCSUS – Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, Sweden. www.lucsus.lu.se. World View. From science to society. Scientific understanding. Goals . Strategies. Implementation. Deliberately.

finian
Download Presentation

Linking Methodologies to Theories in Sustainability Science Lennart Olsson & Barry Ness LUCSUS – Lund University Ce

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Linking Methodologies to Theories in Sustainability Science Lennart Olsson & Barry Ness LUCSUS – Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, Sweden www.lucsus.lu.se

  2. World View

  3. From science to society Scientific understanding Goals Strategies Implementation

  4. Deliberately By accident

  5. What is Sustainability Science? A science that studies and contributes to sustainability transitions. • A science that explores two voids: • between natural and social science • between science and the workings of society A science that seeks new solutions to wicked problems. A science that seeks syntheses rather than specialisations.

  6. The dominating belief underpinning science: the piecemeal study of the real world.

  7. social works social geography gender studies informatics genetics media and communication innovation studies environmental engineering economic history sociology psychiatry electronics water resources eng. philosophy public health biology theology archeology nutrition nuclear physics quarternary geology epidemiology history physical geography orthopedics atomic physics limnology linguistics psychology business adm. social anthropology fluid mechanics literature economics geophysics human ecology ecology pedagogics mathematics ethnology sociology of law radiophysics micro biology law arts business law political science chemical engineering chemistry economic geography statistics

  8. Natural science doesn’t question its ontology Social science constantly questions its ontology Example 1. Water is an economic good. Water is a bio-physical entity (H2O) that can exist in three forms – solid, liquid, and gas. It can be studied objectively. Water-flows in nature are driven by gravity and thermodynamics. Water is primarily a source of conflict Water is primarily a source of co-operation Water-flows in society are driven by power relationships

  9. Natural science doesn’t question its ontology Social science constantly questions its ontology Example 2. Carbon is a bio-physical entity. In the form of CO2, it contributes to global warming. The cycling of CO2 can be studied by quantitative and objective methods The cycling of carbon is embedded in almost all human activities. This cycling is determined by economic, political and social drivers.

  10. Fig. 5. Global C cycle showing fossil C stock, CO2 emissions, and fate of CO2 in the 1990s. Carbon stocks are in units of Pg C; annual flows and changes in atmospheric CO2 are in PgC per year. Net annual absorption by terrestrial and ocean sinks is only roughly known (House et al., 2003; Houghton, 2003); values shown are from IPCC (2001a). Other sources include: IPCC (2000), Sundquist (1993) and Rogner (2000). Janzen H.H.: 2005: Carbon cycling in earth systems—a soil science perspective. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

  11. Retrospective Forecasting Sustainability assessment Indicators/ indices Product related assessments Integrated assessment Non-Integrated Life Cycle Assessment Conceptual Modelling Environmental Pressure Indicators Product material flow analysis System Dynamics UNCSD 58 Material Intensity Analysis Multi-Criteria Analysis Regional flow assessments Substance Flow Analysis Risk Analysis Input-Output Energy Analysis Product energy analysis Uncertainty Analysis Regional Emergy Analysis Process Energy Analysis Vulnerability Analysis Regional Exergy Analysis Emergy Analysis Cost Benefit Analysis Economy-wide Material Flow Analysis Exergy Analysis Impact assessment Integrated Life cycle costing Environmental Impact Assessment Sustainable National Income Full Life Cycle Accounting Strategic Environmental Assessment Genuine Progress Indicator and ISEW Life Cycle Cost Assessment EU Sustainability Impact Assessment Adjusted Net Savings (Genuine Savings) Ecological Footprint Wellbeing Index Environmental Sustainability Index Human Development Index Assessment focus Ness, B., Urbel-Piirsalu, E., Anderberg, S., Olsson, L., 2007: Categorising tools for sustainability assessment. Ecological Economics. Vol 60, pp 498-508

  12. Sustainability science needs to bridge these scientific gaps! • Within universities • Between universities • Across world regions … and contribute to social change towards sustainability transitions! www.lucsus.lu.se

More Related