TREN 1F90TREN 1F90

Introduction to Introduction to SustainabilitySustainability

http://www.brocku.ca/tren/courses/tren1f90/

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TREN 1F90

Introduction to Sustainability

Definitions

– multi-, inter-, and trans- disciplinarity

– environment

– policy

– scale

– jurisdiction Elements of Sustainable Development

What do you answer if someone asks you,What do you answer if someone asks you,

– What is your major?

What do you answer if someone asks you,What do you answer if someone asks you,

– What is your major?– What are your career goals after university?

careercareergoalsgoals

academic academic majormajor

professional professional identityidentity

Normative Normative categories categories

doctordoctor mechanicmechanic

paramedicparamedic Normative Normative categories categories

linguisticslinguistics biologybiology

Normative Normative categories categories ““disciplines” disciplines”

Ivory tower academia

Ivory tower academia

Ivory tower academia

This network of disciplines shows how different areas in the large JSTOR collection of scholarly journals are connected. Thicker lines represent more back-and-forth journal citations; thinner lines indicate less communication. Original work by biologists Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West.

- Howard, Jennifer (2011) – Chronicle of Higher Education, 24 Sept 2011

Improvingcommunication

amongst disciplines:

Academic toacademic

Baron, Nancy. 2010. Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter. Island Press. 272 pp.

Improvingcommunication

amongst disciplines:

academics tothe public

Making thePOLICY

CONNECTION

disciplinarydisciplinary

MultiMultidisciplinarydisciplinary

InterInterdisciplinarydisciplinary

TransTransdisciplinarydisciplinary

- what are the differences?- what are the differences?

ReferenceReference: : Stefanovic, Ingrid. 1996. InterdisciplinarityStefanovic, Ingrid. 1996. Interdisciplinarity and Wholeness: Lessons from Eco-Research.and Wholeness: Lessons from Eco-Research. EnvironmentsEnvironments 23(3): 74-94. 23(3): 74-94.

Disciplinary:Disciplinary:

of or pertaining to a discrete branch of or pertaining to a discrete branch of learningof learning

knowledge within generally accepted knowledge within generally accepted boundariesboundaries

Disciplinary:Disciplinary:

often associated with discipline-specific often associated with discipline-specific vocabularies, methods, and assumptionsvocabularies, methods, and assumptions

Examples of disciplines: Examples of disciplines:

sociology, philosophy, biology, sociology, philosophy, biology, political science, chemistry, economics, political science, chemistry, economics, geography, mathematics...geography, mathematics...

MultiMultidisciplinary:disciplinary:

standard disciplinary approaches are applied to a common research question, problem or standard disciplinary approaches are applied to a common research question, problem or issueissue

insights achieved through an approach which is essentially insights achieved through an approach which is essentially additiveadditive rather than rather than integrative integrative

MultiMultidisciplinary:disciplinary:

a a spontaneous coalescence spontaneous coalescence of these different approaches is anticipatedof these different approaches is anticipated

arguably the approach which produces the most substantive research resultsarguably the approach which produces the most substantive research results

ISSUE

ISSUEdisciplinediscipline

discipline

discipline

dis

cip

line

dis

cip

line

discipline

discipline

dis

cip

line

dis

cip

line

discipline

discipline

discipline

discipline

disciplinediscipline

InterInterdisciplinary:disciplinary:

the the issue, problem, or concern issue, problem, or concern defines the disciplinary expertise which is brought to defines the disciplinary expertise which is brought to bear bear

……arguably the most effective policy-oriented problem-solving approacharguably the most effective policy-oriented problem-solving approach

InterInterdisciplinary:disciplinary:

a level of integration which involves more than an additive analysis of the disciplinary a level of integration which involves more than an additive analysis of the disciplinary perspectivesperspectives

insights are achieved through an approach which is explicitly insights are achieved through an approach which is explicitly integrative -> integrative -> an attempt is an attempt is

made beforehand to made beforehand to synthesizesynthesize across disciplinary boundaries across disciplinary boundaries

ISSUE

ISSUE

disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline ISSUE

disciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

sectorsector sectorsector ISSUE

sectorsector

sectorsector

sectorsector

sectorsector sectorsector

sectorsector

TransTransdisciplinary:disciplinary:

recognizes the interconnectedness of all aspects of reality and knowledge recognizes the interconnectedness of all aspects of reality and knowledge

Goal: distinctions amongst disciplines are eliminated completely Goal: distinctions amongst disciplines are eliminated completely

TransTransdisciplinary:disciplinary:

““an attempt to transcend the dynamics of a dialectical synthesis to grasp the total dynamics of reality as a an attempt to transcend the dynamics of a dialectical synthesis to grasp the total dynamics of reality as a whole”whole”

Examples of transdisciplinary endeavour:Examples of transdisciplinary endeavour:– general systems theorygeneral systems theory– phenomenologyphenomenology

disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline ISSUE

disciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline ISSUE

disciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline ISSUE

disciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline

disciplinediscipline

definitions, tools definitions, tools and frameworksand frameworks

en·vi·ron·ment en·vi·ron·ment [n][n]

1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by 1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surroundedwhich one is surrounded

2 a : the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic 2 a : the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival ultimately determine its form and survival

b : the aggregate of social and cultural conditions b : the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community.that influence the life of an individual or community.

- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2012

environmentenvironment [n] [n] the totality of the totality of

surrounding conditions.surrounding conditions.

environmentalenvironmentaleffectseffects

……are felt, and modified, in 3 main ways - are felt, and modified, in 3 main ways - through the flows of:through the flows of:

MATERIALSMATERIALS ENERGYENERGY

INFORMATIONINFORMATION -> -> fundamental ‘spheres of influence’ for fundamental ‘spheres of influence’ for

sustainabilitysustainability

policypolicy

……a course or general plan of action to be a course or general plan of action to be adopted by a government, party, person, adopted by a government, party, person, etc.etc.

- Concise Oxford Dictionary

policypolicy

……a selected, planned line of a selected, planned line of conduct in the light of which conduct in the light of which individual decisions are made and individual decisions are made and coordination achievedcoordination achieved

- Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

ENVI conceptual toolsENVI conceptual tools

scalescale

- - an ordered series of an ordered series of graduated quantities, values, graduated quantities, values, degrees, etc.degrees, etc.

- - relative magnituderelative magnitude

- Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

scalescalemay be:may be:

- - physical / geographicalphysical / geographical– ranking based upon size, dimension, ranking based upon size, dimension,

geographical subunit, etc.geographical subunit, etc.

- - ecologicalecological– individual, deme, community, populationindividual, deme, community, population

- - jurisdictionaljurisdictional– local, municipal, regional, federal, globallocal, municipal, regional, federal, global

scalescale

earthearth

continentcontinent

countrycountry

provinceprovince

regionregion

municipalitymunicipality

neighbourhoodneighbourhood

householdhousehold

individualindividual

United NationsUnited Nations

..

..

governmentsgovernments

..

..

ngos / community groupsngos / community groups

..

individualsindividuals

GLOBAL / MACROGLOBAL / MACRO

LOCAL / MICROLOCAL / MICRO

spatialspatial jurisdictional /jurisdictional /decision makingdecision making

jurisdictionjurisdiction- - the legal power to administer and the legal power to administer and

enforce the lawenforce the law

- the exercising of this power- the exercising of this power

- the region within which this power is - the region within which this power is valid, or in which a person or valid, or in which a person or agency has authorityagency has authority

- authority- authority - Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

jurisdictionjurisdiction Tourism case study: Tourism case study:

Access and signage on the Access and signage on the Laura Secord Legacy TrailLaura Secord Legacy Trail

• Friends of Laura Secord communitygroup want to create a trail that approximates the 32 km walk taken by Laura Secord on 22 June 1813

jurisdictionjurisdiction Seek designation and Seek designation and

marking of a simple marking of a simple footpath on footpath on existingexisting trails trails or walkways from or walkways from Queenston to ThoroldQueenston to Thorold

jurisdictionjurisdiction

More than 25 jurisdictions involved:More than 25 jurisdictions involved:Town of NOTLTown of NOTLCity of Niagara FallsCity of Niagara FallsCity of St. CatharinesCity of St. CatharinesCity of ThoroldCity of ThoroldRegional Municipality of NiagaraRegional Municipality of NiagaraOntario Power GenerationOntario Power GenerationOntario Ministry of Transportation (QEW crossing)Ontario Ministry of Transportation (QEW crossing)Parks Ontario (Short Hills Provincial Park)Parks Ontario (Short Hills Provincial Park)Niagara Parks CommissionNiagara Parks CommissionBruce Trail Club Bruce Trail Club 11 private landowners along Bruce Trail11 private landowners along Bruce TrailSt. Lawrence Seaway Authority (canal bridge)St. Lawrence Seaway Authority (canal bridge)Stamford Volunteer Firemen’s AssociationStamford Volunteer Firemen’s AssociationBrock UniversityBrock UniversityNiagara CollegeNiagara College

jurisdictionjurisdiction

Jurisdictional agreements / permissions:Jurisdictional agreements / permissions:MTO (QEW crossing)MTO (QEW crossing)MNR / Parks Ontario (Env. impact assessment; MNR / Parks Ontario (Env. impact assessment; pedestrian bridge crossing on 12 Mile Creek)pedestrian bridge crossing on 12 Mile Creek)Fisheries and Oceans Canada (fish habitat impacts)Fisheries and Oceans Canada (fish habitat impacts)NPCA (watershed management concerns)NPCA (watershed management concerns)OPG / City of St. Catharines OPG / City of St. Catharines (liability and land access agreements)(liability and land access agreements)Niagara Regional Police (road crossings)Niagara Regional Police (road crossings)Niagara Parks Commission (road crossings, access)Niagara Parks Commission (road crossings, access)

jurisdictionjurisdiction

Signage:Signage:

Installation requires - Installation requires - – Approval of design and materialsApproval of design and materials– Permission for installation on land in Permission for installation on land in

different jurisdictionsdifferent jurisdictions– Permission from individual pole / Permission from individual pole /

post owner: hydro, phone, cable TV, post owner: hydro, phone, cable TV, municipal traffic poles, lighting polesmunicipal traffic poles, lighting poles

– Use of approved labour, or Use of approved labour, or appropriate tendering of contracts, appropriate tendering of contracts, for new pole installation and for new pole installation and mounting of signsmounting of signs

– Maintenance plan for futureMaintenance plan for future