Sustainability

1
Sustainability

• "We have a responsibility to sustain - if not
  enhance - our natural environment and our
  nation's economy for future generations."-Steve
  Johnson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental
  Protection Agency

2
Sustainability Principles

• Dealing transparently and systemically with risk,
  uncertainty and irreversibility.
• Ensuring appropriate valuation, appreciation and
  restoration of nature.
• Integration of environmental, social, human and
  economic goals in policies and activities.
• Equal opportunity and community
  participation/Sustainable community.
• Conservation of biodiversity and ecological
  integrity.
• Ensuring inter-generational equity.
• Recognizing the global integration of localities.
  
• A commitment to best practice.
• No net loss of human capital or natural capital.
• The principle of continuous improvement.
• The need for good governance.

3
Precautionay Principle

• The precautionary principle is a moral and
  political principle which states that if an
  action or policy might cause severe or
  irreversible harm to the public, in the absence
  of a scientific consensus that harm would not
  ensue, the burden of proof falls on those who
  would advocate taking the action.

4
Ecosystem Goods and Services

• Healthy ecosystems carry out a diverse array of
  processes that provide both goods and services to
  humanity. Here, goods refer to items given
  monetary value in the marketplace, whereas the
  services from ecosystems are valued, but are
  rarely bought or sold.
• (Modified from Ehrlich and Ehrlich 1991,
  Lubchenco et al. 1993, and Richardson 1994)

5
Index Card

• Name 5 Ecosystem Goods Or Services
• How much is each worth ()?

6
Ecosystem Processes

• Maintenance of energy flux, dissipation, climate
  modulation
• Maintenance of hydrologic flux, hydrologic cycle,
  water quality
• Biological productivity, plant pollination
• Maintenance of biogeochernical cycling, storage,
  mineral-gaseous cycles, water-air quality
• Decomposition, weathering, soil
  development-stability, soil quality
• Maintenance of biological diversity
• Absorbing, buffering, diluting, detoxifying
  pollutants-xenobiotics

7
Ecosystem Goods

• Food
• Construction materials
• Medicinal plants
• Wild genes for domestic plants and animals
• Tourism and recreation

8
Ecosystem Services

• Maintaining hydrological cycles
• Regulating climate
• Cleansing water and air
• Maintaining the gaseous composition of the
  atmosphere
• Pollinating crops and other important plants
• Generating and maintaining soils
• Storing and cycling essential nutrients
• Absorbing and detoxifying pollutants
• Providing beauty, inspiration, and recreation

9
What can you do to live a more sustainable
lifestyle

• List 5 things you would be willing to do
• Which will have the most impact?