Introduction to Sustainability for Teachers

1. Introduction to Sustainability for Teachers Dr. Defne Apuldefne.apul@utoledo.edu Department of Civil EngineeringUniversity of Toledo

2. Outline • Why do we care about sustainability • What is sustainability

5. Humans’ Impact on Earth: A Disaster is Brewing • Pollution • Climate change • Water supplies

6. Global Warming • What are the implications?

7. America’s Infrastructure Report Card A = ExceptionalB = GoodC = MediocreD = PoorF = Failing I = Incomplete http://www.asce.org/reportcard/2005/page.cfm?id=103

9. Are we heading to a disaster?

10. Biodiversity • Evolution of species and extinction of others is a natural process • Species present today represent 2-4 % of all species that have ever lived

11. Biodiversity • 4-6 million species on earth (Novotny et al. 2002. Nature 416: 841–844) • Between 2000-2050 • 1 species will be extinct every 44 minutes (low) • 1 species will be extinct every 9 minutes (high)

12. Humans have increased extinction rates by 1000 times

13. Indicators of Environmental Health • 50 % of 6,000 amphibian species threatened with extinction • 165 species already gone extinct • Habitat destruction, contaminants, climate change

14. Collapse of Civilizations Historical factors: • Deforestation and habitat destruction • Soil problems (erosion, salinization, and soil fertility losses) • Water management problems • Overfishing • Effects of introduced species on native species • Human population growth • Increased per-capita impact of people New factors: • Human-caused climate change • Buildup of toxic chemicals in the environment • Energy shortages

15. Paul Hawken, Blessed Unrest • if you look at the science that describes what is happening on earth today and aren't pessimistic, you don't have the current data. If you meet the people in this unnamed movement and aren't optimistic, you haven't got a heart

16. A Revolution Has Begun… • Similar intentions and objectives • Large and diverse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93He4cE95o4

18. Engineers play a crucial role in improving living standards throughout the world. As a result, engineers can have a significant impact on progress towards sustainable development World Federation of Engineering Organizations

19. Beginning of environmental movement… 1907-1964 Images are from www.rachelcarson.org

20. 1972: Finite Earth… • Computer modeling that predicted the overshoot • “We... believe that if a profound correction is not made soon, a crash of some sort is certain. And it will occur within the lifetimes of many who are alive today."

21. Global overshoot: humanity's demand on nature exceeds the biosphere's supply Demand versus World Biocapacity (www.footprintnetwork.org)

22. Defne Apul’s Ecological Footprint

23. History… • 1962: Silent Spring • 1972: Limits to growth • 1987: Our common future (Brundtland Commission report) • 1992: Earth Summit (Rio de Janeiro) • Agenda 21 • 2002: World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg) • Millenium development goals

24. Birth of Sustainability Brundtland (1987) Our Common Future “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” More than 350 published definitions

25. Federal Definition of Sustainability

26. Definition of Sustainability Three E’s: ecology/environment economy/employment equity/equality Economic Social Sustainability Environmental Equity: fairness Equality: access

27. Or should it be this model? • Stop and discuss within groups

29. Sustainability issues that will affect the next generation

30. Population

31. Ways of Dealing with Environmental Problems Taken from Davidson et al. (2007) available at: http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag/41/i14/html/071507viewpoint_davidson.html

32. Water Scarcity

34. US Government Accountability Office 2003 Survey Results (GAO – 03-514)

35. Energy and Climate Source: http://www.ipcc.ch

36. Toxic Chemicals • Traditional Contaminants • Metals (Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu), PCB, DDT, benzene

37. Road Runoff Sampling

38. New Findings… • Traditional Contaminants • Metals (Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu), PCB, DDT, benzene • Emerging Contaminants • Fire retardants (PBDE) • Hormones • Prescription and over-the counter therapeutic drugs • Fragrances • Cosmetics

40. Finite Resources

41. Companies getting on board with the sustainability revolution…

44. Triple Bottom Line At Companies

45. Buckeye Cable: Channel 204 DirectTV: Channel 286

46. Sustainability in Ohio

47. What Does All this Mean to Scientists and Engineers?

48. Traditional Sustainable • Chemistry • Math • Microbiology • Hydrology • Engineering design • Chemistry • Math • Microbiology • Hydrology • Ecology • Engineering design • Economics • Sociology • Politics • Technology • Business

49. We need to think in greater temporal and spatial scales Taken from Mihelcic et al. (2003)

50. Our designs should work with nature, not against nature Treatment wetlands Soil bioengineering Industrial ecology Restoration ecology Biomimicry: Asknature.org