Environmentally Sustainable Communities

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Environmentally Sustainable Communities

• By
• Meghan Dunmire )o

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Environmentally Sustainable Community
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Sustainability

• is the radical changes needed to reduce our
  excessive consumption so millions of people
  elsewhere have the essentials of food, clean
  water, and shelter that we take for granted, and
  so the biosphere can continue to support a rich
  diversity of life-forms, including humans -
  Sustainable Community Roundtable, 1995

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Sustainability Verses Starhawks1 North

• a healthy and diverse ecological system that
  continually provides life-sustaining functions
  and other resources for humans and all other
  species.
• - Sustainable Community Roundtable, 1995

• Trees and gardens everywhere
• Water Conservation
• Compost
• Recycle
• Food
• Greenhouses

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Sustainability Verses Starhawks2 North

• a social foundation that provides for the
  health of all community members, respects
  cultural diversity, is unbiased in its actions,
  and considers the needs of future generations.
• - Sustainable Community Roundtable, 1995

• Council of individuals
• Decisions made by Council Consensus
• Honor ancestors
• Diversity
• Enough food and water
• Health care for everyone
• Immediate and future generations considered

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Sustainability Verses Starhawks3 North

• a healthy and diverse economy that adapts to
  change, provides long-term security to residents,
  and recognizes social and economical links
• - Sustainable Community Roundtable, 1995

• Four Sacred Things Earth, Air, Fire, and Water
• Calorie credits
• Stipend of Credits

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Ecological Footprint

• 8.8 billion hectares of land are ecologically
  productive cropland, pasture, and forest.
• Same consumptive patterns we would need at least
  3 planets to live sustainability.
• Fair Earth-Share per person is 1.5 hectare or 3.7
  acres
• Average American needs 12.2 acres to support his
  or her lifestyle.- Mathis Wackernagel and
  William Rees 1996

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Natures Limit

• Carrying Capacity
• Overshoot
• Collapse or crash

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Trade

• Is the exchange of one thing for another.
• Increases the Environmental Footprint
• Affect Carrying Capacity?
• Technology has assisted with trade and distance

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Technologyhas gotten us this far - will it get
us through the future?

• Leads to efficiency improvements, resource
  substitution and other innovations that are
  currently unimaginable.
• Increases Carrying Capacity - resource use
• Quality of Life
• Also encourages population growth

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Technology Availablein Starhawks North

• Reevaluated every tool and device and process
• Computer and Net
• Solar and wind power
• Printed Books
• Transportation

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Environmentally Sustainable Communities Today

• The Amish
• Floyd, Virginia
• Olympia, Washington

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• it is not possible to say how many people the
  Earth can support. Furthermore, any calculated
  estimate of the carrying capacity of the Earth
  may be challenged and will certainly be
  ignored- Bartlett 1998

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Conclusion

• This we know All things are connected like
  the blood that unites us. We did not weave the
  web of life, we are merely a strand in it.
  Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves-
  Chief Seattle

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Special Thanks )o

• Parents, Friends,
• and Professors
• Senior Synthesis Committee
• Dr. David Johnson-Chemistry
• Dr. Susan Mead-Sociology
• Dr. Bob Pohlad-Biology
• Rick Williams- Agriculture