Sustainability 12-6

History of Sustainability

*Annnnnnnnnnnd hes rambling*

Thomas Malthus 1766-1834

Looked at population growth vs. agricultural development and saw a problem

John Muir Sierra Club founded 1892

Conservation vs. Preservation

Instrumental Intrinsic Nature has a value of its own
Raw materials Muir
Ecosystem services
Aesthetic value
Human-centric
Pinchot

Rachel Carson Silent Spring published 1962

Garrett Hardin The Tragedy of the Commons 1968

ALSO IN 1968 Earthrise from Apollo 8 (photograph)

The First Earth Day!!! 1970

The Club of Rome, Limits to Growth 1972

Clean Water Act 1972

Lester Brown:
Building a Sustainable Society 1981
Who Will Feed China? 1995
Plan B 2003

The World Commission Environment and Development (Bruntland Commission)

1987
Our Common Future

Andrew Savitz & Karl Weber

The Triple Bottom Line 2006
Learning from the past, Grounded in the present, Looking to the future

Present How do we make decisions and act today?

Need robust decision making system
Democratic, inclusive, transparent
Respecting science fact-based
Awareness of triple bottom line
Systems thinking

Systems Thinking
Long-term view
Appreciate complexity
Be aware of unintended consequences
Identify leverage points
Identify stakeholders
Avoid groupthink

Facts Matter
Respect complexity
Agree on scientific approach
Work towards consensus
Everyone is entitles to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own
facts. Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Linear Change vs. Non-Linear Change

Exponential change
Tipping point