sustainability the main value of environmental science

SUSTAINABILITY

The main value of environmental science

What is Environmental Science?

• Environmental science does not consist of just the sciences used to study the environment--biology, chemistry, geology, hydrology, and meteorology--and the scientific method, but also of the values used to make decisions from the information that science provides.

Values and Sustainability

• Values consist of what individuals and societies believe to be important and what should be encouraged, whether its profit, comfort, efficiency, or sustainability.

• One of the key values from an environmental perspective is sustainability.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is an attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future.

Another perspective on sustainability

• Economy is dependent on society, which is in turn dependent on the environment.  Without an environment, there is no society.  Without a society, there is no economy.

What is sustainable development?

• Sustainable development is "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

What are the areas in which sustainability is an issue?

• Agriculture

• Energy

• Fisheries

• Forestry

• Minerals and metals

• Tourism

• Water use

Sustainable tourism?Yes.

What is sustainable agriculture?

Sustainable agricultural practices• Organic farming--sustainable agricultural

practices that do not include artificial chemical inputs.

• Soil husbandry--the practice of sustaining and enhancing the quality of agricultural soils to maximize yields, control pests, and guard against drought.

• Stubble mulching--the practice of leaving crop residues in the ground following harvesting.

• Sustainable agriculture consists of agricultural and livestock practices that maintain environmental balance in the face of intensive agriculture.

Sustainability in Business

• The Triple Bottom Line:PeoplePlanetProfit

Stonyfield Farms is in business to:

• Provide the very highest-quality, best-tasting, all-natural, and certified organic products.

• Educate consumers and producers about the value of protecting the environment and supporting family farmers and sustainable farming methods.

• Serve as a model that environmentally and socially responsible businesses can be profitable.

• Provide a healthful, productive, and enjoyable workplace for all employees, with opportunities to gain new skills and advance career goals.

• Recognize our obligations to stockholders and lenders by providing an excellent return on their investment.

Ford on Sustainability• “Mobility: Our goal is to make mobility

affordable in every sense of the word – economically, environmentally and socially.”

• “Climate Change: Ford has developed a comprehensive, science-based global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

• “Human Rights: We believe that people are most likely to excel in an environment that aims for excellence.”

• “Ford is steadfastly focused on creating a strong business that builds great products that contribute to a better world.”

Sustainability at OCC

SUSTAINABILITY•Healthy EnvironmentChange it through action: reusable bags, green cleaning agents, paperless meetings•Social JusticeEncourage student engagement and activism for equity and inclusion•Strong EconomiesSupport fair trade practices and local businesses

Sustainability at OCC

1.Smoke Free: OCC is now a smoke-free college

2.Green Planet Water: Our cafeterias and vending machines now offer non-petrochemical-based water bottles from Green Planet

3.Recycling: We now have new recycle bins on each campus in several locations

4.Green Cleaning Agents: Over the last three years our facilities and maintenance departments have been working toward changing over to green cleaning agents for use in our janitorial processes. Most of our facilities also have new hand dryers instead of paper towel.

5.Carbon Footprint Monitoring: Our carbon footprint is 15,000 tons of CO2 from electricity/year and 11,545 tons of CO2 from natural gas/year.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy

• Both renewable and sustainable sources generate energy in ways that do not deplete the Earth's natural resources.

• However, sustainable sources do not cause significant environmental externalities.

What is an environmental externality?

• An environmental externality is a harmful environmental, economic, or social cost not accounted for in the price of goods and services.

Renewable Sources of Energy

• Hydroelectric

• Geothermal

• Biomass

• Solar

• Wind

Sustainable Energy

Barriers to achieving sustainability • Population growth and rising expectations.• Technology--existing technologies may not be

able to produce sustainable outcomes at reasonable costs, so progress may have to wait until new technologies are invented or existing technologies become more affordable.

• Poverty (Figure 1-12 on page 17).• Environmental externalities not computed in

prices of nonrenewable technologies.• Change resistance--people not convinced of

need for change in lifestyles and infrastructure.

Sustainability is a balancing act

Sustainability at OCC• DID YOU KNOW

• that every trash receptacle on campus is 100% recycled? OCC has contracted with Capital Environmental  & Recycling, a state-licensed recycling center to keep recyclable waste out of our landfills.

• Here’s how it works:

• Step 1 - Both sorted and commingled waste is picked up from OCC on a daily basis.

• Step 2 - The waste is then taken to a recycling facility where the materials are dumped onto the floor for separation.

• Step 3 - Materials are hand-sorted on the conveyors. Trash continues on to the landfill, and the recyclables are sorted  and baled.

• Step 4 - The cardboard and paper bales are transported to their final destination in order to be manufactured into a secondary material. This process saves landfill space, water, trees, oil, energy, and ultimately, money in your pocket.