Post on 28-Dec-2015
Sustainability
Class 2Class 2
Part 3Part 3
Definition: Sustainability
Ecosystem that maintains the same general Ecosystem that maintains the same general structure, processes, interrelationships, and structure, processes, interrelationships, and patterns after human usepatterns after human use
i.e. these factors (structure, composition, i.e. these factors (structure, composition, processes, etc,) are between the bounds of processes, etc,) are between the bounds of natural variationnatural variation
Ecosystem integrity (commonly referred to Ecosystem integrity (commonly referred to as “health”) maintainedas “health”) maintained
3 components of sustainability
Long term Long term Sustains ecosystem healtSustains ecosystem health (productivity and h (productivity and
biodiversity)biodiversity) Provides for needs of peopleProvides for needs of people
Sustainable development
Coined in the Bruntland Report to the U.N.Coined in the Bruntland Report to the U.N. Use of ecosystems maintains ecosystem Use of ecosystems maintains ecosystem
integrity and does not compromise integrity and does not compromise opportunities of future generationsopportunities of future generations
Has become a “buzz word”Has become a “buzz word”
Key to sustainability
Need to link ecosystems and social systemsNeed to link ecosystems and social systems Soil
Water
Air
Sun
People
Processes
Biota
Citizens
Governance
Businesses
Markets
Infrastructure
Technology
+
Social Institution & Ecosystem
Functions of ecosystems affected by social Functions of ecosystems affected by social institutionsinstitutions
E.g. property rights affect resource useE.g. property rights affect resource use Social institutions depend on cultural Social institutions depend on cultural
historyhistory James Bay Cree: communal property James Bay Cree: communal property Western culture: state laws Western culture: state laws
Social Institution & Ecosystem
Major changes in societal institutions or Major changes in societal institutions or ecosystems will affect bothecosystems will affect both
E.g. E.g. timber market changes will affect timber market changes will affect
employment and resource use employment and resource use Insect defoliation will affect tree growth, Insect defoliation will affect tree growth,
timber supply, employmenttimber supply, employment
Social Institution & Ecosystem
E.g.E.g. Fish processing technology will affect Fish processing technology will affect
harvest practices, productivity, marketharvest practices, productivity, market Climate/nutrients change will affect fish Climate/nutrients change will affect fish
population hence fish supply and marketspopulation hence fish supply and markets
Social Institution & Ecosystem
Sustainable industry must operate in a Sustainable industry must operate in a human constructed world human constructed world and alsoand also the the natural worldnatural world
Look for an explicit environmental Look for an explicit environmental statementstatement
Most human institutions are blind to the Most human institutions are blind to the environmentenvironment
Learning from nature
Ecosystems have Ecosystems have positivepositive and and negativenegative feed feed back systemsback systems
Population growth: positive feed back: Population growth: positive feed back: more individuals begat more!more individuals begat more!
Competition for scarce resources e.g. of Competition for scarce resources e.g. of negative feed back: prevents exponential negative feed back: prevents exponential growthgrowth
Positive and negative feed back
Late successional forest more flammableLate successional forest more flammable Early successional deciduous forest less Early successional deciduous forest less
flammableflammable Fire suppression: increase in late Fire suppression: increase in late
successional forestsuccessional forest
Learning from native people
James Bay Cree important hunters of James Bay Cree important hunters of animal populationsanimal populations
Have developed feed back systems to Have developed feed back systems to control harvestcontrol harvest
Beaver harvested where its food supply Beaver harvested where its food supply limitedlimited
Trap for 2-4 years then leave untrapped for Trap for 2-4 years then leave untrapped for 6-8 yrs 6-8 yrs
Examples of feed back responses in our culture Reduced population has often led to Reduced population has often led to
increased harvest pressure (many examples increased harvest pressure (many examples in fish industry in Canada (cod, fresh water in fish industry in Canada (cod, fresh water fish) and elsewhere (Peruvian anchovy)fish) and elsewhere (Peruvian anchovy)
Business in a free market based on Business in a free market based on consumer satisfaction biased towards consumer satisfaction biased towards positive feed back: more we sell more positive feed back: more we sell more profitable we are profitable we are
Examples of feed back responses in our culture Citizens create negative feed back systems Citizens create negative feed back systems
through regulations through regulations Consumers through choice create negative Consumers through choice create negative
feed back systems (e.g. certification)feed back systems (e.g. certification)
What do we need to implement sustainable development? Knowledge about ecosystem processesKnowledge about ecosystem processes Key features and ability to measure themKey features and ability to measure them Inventory of key featuresInventory of key features Monitoring programMonitoring program
How do we implement?
Citizens through their governmentsCitizens through their governments Consumers through their choicesConsumers through their choices
Regulatory
Punitive regulations (e.g. fine for Punitive regulations (e.g. fine for contravention)contravention)
Incentive based regulations (e.g. lower tax Incentive based regulations (e.g. lower tax for meeting or surpassing standard)for meeting or surpassing standard)
Punitive regulations
Most commonMost common Forest, fishing, hunting, pollution control Forest, fishing, hunting, pollution control
laws, etc.laws, etc. Must be enforceableMust be enforceable Must have support of important Must have support of important
stakeholdersstakeholders Must be impervious to corruptionMust be impervious to corruption
Incentive based regulations
Less commonLess common Create market to trade when standards Create market to trade when standards
surpassedsurpassed E.g. E.g.
set limit for S0set limit for S0x x emissionsemissions
Emissions lower, sell surplus to those Emissions lower, sell surplus to those that did not meet themthat did not meet them
Incentive based regulations
Suitable for pollution abatementSuitable for pollution abatement Require sophisticated monitoring and Require sophisticated monitoring and
enforcement systemsenforcement systems Useful when abatement technology not Useful when abatement technology not
available (creates conditions to develop available (creates conditions to develop innovations)innovations)
Consumer choice
Consumer purchase (independent source of Consumer purchase (independent source of reliable information and an activist reliable information and an activist consumer)consumer)
Certification (simplifies information)Certification (simplifies information) Conservation concessionsConservation concessions
Certification
Green labellingGreen labelling Began in 1977 with introduction of Blue Began in 1977 with introduction of Blue
Angel program in W. Germany to reduce Angel program in W. Germany to reduce anxiety on environmental impact of anxiety on environmental impact of products they purchasedproducts they purchased
ExamplesExamples Organic food, timber, shade coffee, tunaOrganic food, timber, shade coffee, tuna
Certification
Usually done by third partyUsually done by third party Provide market based incentives as a Provide market based incentives as a
reward for better practicereward for better practice Incentive to:Incentive to:
Increase or maintain market shareIncrease or maintain market share Assess new marketsAssess new markets Command price premiumCommand price premium
Certification
Competing certification systems confusingCompeting certification systems confusing Not always perceived as transparentNot always perceived as transparent Useful where governments are Useful where governments are
weak/corruptweak/corrupt Timber certification began due to lack of Timber certification began due to lack of
action by tropical timber supply countriesaction by tropical timber supply countries
Limits to certification Green consumerism works when you have Green consumerism works when you have
an activist consumeran activist consumer Still large markets for non certified productsStill large markets for non certified products Poor do not have the luxury of choicePoor do not have the luxury of choice
80% of wood in Africa used as fuel80% of wood in Africa used as fuel Almost all timber in Madagascar used Almost all timber in Madagascar used
locallylocally Coffee & cocoa production sometimes lead Coffee & cocoa production sometimes lead
to gluts = low price to producerto gluts = low price to producer
Conservation concessions
Bid on lands auctioned for loggingBid on lands auctioned for logging People forgo logging, bid price used locally People forgo logging, bid price used locally
to develop eco-tourism or extraction to develop eco-tourism or extraction compatible with local needs and forest compatible with local needs and forest integrityintegrity
Uses international Uses international willingness to paywillingness to pay for for conservationconservation
Conservation concessions
New, so not commonNew, so not common Useful in high diversity locationsUseful in high diversity locations Require changes in local lawsRequire changes in local laws Require education of local people as well as Require education of local people as well as
international communityinternational community Requires good monitoring systems and Requires good monitoring systems and
annual payment schemeannual payment scheme
Conservation concessions
E.g.E.g. GuatemalaGuatemala 2 million ha Maya Biosphere Reserve2 million ha Maya Biosphere Reserve Includes exploitation zoneIncludes exploitation zone Threats: logging and agricultural invasionThreats: logging and agricultural invasion Concession of 75k ha within multi use Concession of 75k ha within multi use
area to link protected zonesarea to link protected zones
Certification case example:Tuna
Question:can one country promote Question:can one country promote conservation without negative effects on conservation without negative effects on other countries (Tuna/Dolphins/USA)other countries (Tuna/Dolphins/USA)
Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972)Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972) Broad support in USABroad support in USA One goal was to reduce incidental killOne goal was to reduce incidental kill
Tuna/Dolphins/USA
Controversy over dolphin kill by tuna fishers Controversy over dolphin kill by tuna fishers Tuna netted in purse seine netsTuna netted in purse seine nets Dolphins swim above tunaDolphins swim above tuna Fishers track dolphins to net tunaFishers track dolphins to net tuna US fishers had to follow new standardsUS fishers had to follow new standards Other countries not following standardsOther countries not following standards MMPA amended 1984 to allow US to embargo MMPA amended 1984 to allow US to embargo
catch from countries not following rules and catch from countries not following rules and trying to sell in UStrying to sell in US
Tuna/Dolphins/USA
Led to challenges by sanctioned nations to WTOLed to challenges by sanctioned nations to WTO A nation could not impose trade barriers when A nation could not impose trade barriers when
these nations did not have any part in developing these nations did not have any part in developing themthem
WTO agreed with sanctioned nations WTO agreed with sanctioned nations Is one reason for protests against WTOIs one reason for protests against WTO US has started to develop multi-nation agreementsUS has started to develop multi-nation agreements Cannot develop laws without consideration of Cannot develop laws without consideration of
other nationsother nations