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Creating One Planet Cities for the 21st Century:
It starts with Conversations
Think City, Kuala Lumpur25 October 2018
Dr. Trevor Hancock
Retired Professor and Senior Scholar
School of Public Health and Social Policy
University of Victoria
Outline1. Healthy Cities 1.0
2. Welcome to the Anthropocene
3. The ecological determinants of health and Planetary Health
4. One Planet Living
5. Responsible economic development
6. People, Planet and Participation: The Kuching Statement
7. Healthy Cities 2.0 – Integrating One Planet Living at the local level
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Don’t worry . . . . . be happy
The PPT will be available via the Think City website
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It all began in Lundu . . .
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1. Healthy Cities 1.0
2 Key Healthy City Questions
1. What is a healthy town?
2. How do we get one?
But before that, what does it mean to be
healthy?
Have you ever been healthy?
What does that feel like, how would you describe it?
WHO definition
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social
wellbeing
Health is a very broad idea
Wellbeing
Quality of life
A high level of human development
Achieving full human potential
Think back over the past few years . . . Is there an example of a city, town or village you have been in that –anywhere in the world – that when you think back now, you would say – that is an example of a healthy community
Definition
“A healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential.”
Hancock & Duhl, 1986
11 parameters of a Healthy City/Town
1. A clean,safe,high quality physical environment (including housing quality).
2. An ecosystem which is stable now and sustainable in the long term.
3. A strong, mutually-supportive and non-exploitative community.
Healthy Towns approach Community involvement
The bedrock
Political commitment
Local government is a key player
Intersectoral partnerships
It takes a whole community . . .
Healthy public policy
Creates the conditions for health
Build on capacity
Look at
assets
strengths
resources
Not
deficits
weaknesses
needs
John McKnight
How does local government improve health?
Public works
Housing
Parks
Education
Transportation
Police, fire
Social services
Public health
Health services
Sanitation, clean water
Shelter
Recreation, nature
Knowledge and skills
Mobility, safety
Safety
Support
Protection, prevention
Treatment and care
But we are facing something new
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11 parameters of a Healthy City/Town
1. A clean,safe,high quality physical environment (including housing quality).
2. An ecosystem which is stable now and sustainable in the long term.
3. A strong, mutually-supportive and non-exploitative community.
2. Welcome to the Anthropocene
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The Anthropocene
Our efforts to subdue nature have been so successful that the time in which we now live has been called the Anthropocene - it will show up in the geologic record
Welcome to the Anthropocene!
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Geologic signatures of the Anthropocene
Minerals
Pure aluminum
Tungsten carbide
Glass
Plastic
Concrete
Chemicals
CO2
Nitrogen fertilisers
POPs
Radioactive particles
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Layers containing
Plus changes in fossil assemblages• Humans – 1/3 of mass of all land
vertebrates • Domesticated species – 2/3• Wild species - <5%
Key aspects of the Anthropocene
Climate change
Ocean acidification
Ozone layer depletion
Resource depletion
Pollution
Ecotoxicity
Species extinctions
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.
It is the both the scale and
the rapidity of change
that matters
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Global Ecological Footprint, 1961 - 2012
30Source: WWF Living Planet Report 2016 (p 75) /Global Footprint Network, 2016
Steffen et al, 2015
Novel entities =
POPs, heavy metals,
nano-particles etc
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Crossing Planetary Boundaries
• Genetic diversity = extinctions per million species-years (E/MSY)
• Functional diversity = Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII)
Then latest IPCC Report (Oct 2018)
“Estimates of the global emissions outcome of current nationally stated mitigation ambitions as submitted under the Paris Agreement would . . . not limit global warming to 1.5°C, even if supplemented by very challenging increases in the scale and ambition of emissions reductions after 2030”
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Trends from 1750 to 2010 in indicators for the structure and functioning of the Earth System
Note 1950
Steffen et al, 2015
The Great Acceleration
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The ‘Anthropos’ in the Anthropocene:
Human driving forces and impacts
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The IPAT Equation: Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology
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Societal &
human forces
driving
change,1900 –
2011
The Great Acceleration
The driversTrends from 1750 to 2010 in globally aggregated indicators for socio-economic development
Note 1950
Steffen et al, 2015 36
My life in the Anthropocene
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I was born in 1948. From then to approx 2010/2012
Earth System trends
CO2 + 26%
Methane +59.5%
Global surface temperature
anomaly (0C) v 1961-1990 + 0.471 v
- 0.036
Ozone loss (2012) • Peak loss (1994)
50.8% 66.9%
Ocean H ion +18%
Marine fish capture + 4.6 x
Nitrogen flux to coast 4.26 x
Tropical forest loss (compared to 1% in 1700)
27.66% v15.65%
Agricultural land % of total (0.08% in 1750)
0.38% v 0.31%
Terrestrial biosphere
degradation (2.8% in 1700)
28.6% (2000) v
14% (1950)
Socio-economic trends
Population 2.73 x
Real GDP (2005 US$) 11.1 x
Urban population 4.74 x
Primary energy use 5.14 x
Fertilizer consumption 14.4 x
Large dams 5.85 x
Water use 3.28 x
Paper production 5.38 x
Transportation (vehicle #s) 7.23
Telecommunications (billion landlines and subscriptions)
> 9,000 x
International tourism arrivals
37 x
But what does this have to do with
health?
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3. The ecological determinants of health and Planetary Health
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The ecological determinants of health
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Air
Water
Food (soils, fisheries etc.)
Materials
Fuel
Pollinators
Nutrient cycling
Waste decomposition
UV protection
A stable climate
The web of life
We are rapidly and massively undermining ALL of the fundamental ecological determinants
of health
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The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005
“At the heart of this assessment is a stark warning. Human activity is putting such strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted.”
Board of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005
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Mortgaging the health of future generations
“we have been mortgaging the health of future generations to realise economic and development gains in the present. By unsustainably exploiting nature’s resources, human civilisation has flourished but now risks substantial health effects from the degradation of nature’s life support systems in the future.”
Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on Planetary Health
We need an eco-social approach
Planetary health is “the interdependent vitality of all natural and anthropogenic ecosystems”
(Canmore Declaration, 2018)
In other words, we need to take an eco-social approach to our problems
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Ecosocial Model for Public Health Action
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Canadian Public Health
Association, 2015
“Ecosystems sustain societies that create economies. It doesnot work the other way round.”
WWF Living Planet Report 2014
We call this One Planet Living –and among other
things it requires a very different economy
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4. One Planet Living
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In Canada we act as if we had this . . .
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test
test
test
test
and Malaysia acts as if it had this . . .
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. . . when we actually have this
Malaysia’s Ecological Footprint in perspective
Footprints (number of planets)
Global 1.7
Low income countries 0.7
Lower-middle income countries 0.8
Upper-middle income countries 2.1
Malaysia 2.6
High income countries 3.6
53Source: Global Footprint Network - National Footprint Accounts, 2018 Edition (Data year 2014) Available at http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/
So we have to find a way to live together within the constraints of this
one small planet, which means . . .
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. . . an 80% reduction in Canada’s footprint
. . . a 60% reduction in
Malaysia’s footprint . . .
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. . . while at the same time meeting basic needs and ensuring high levels of human
and social development and good health for all
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5. Responsible economic development
“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results
it gets”Institute for Healthcare Improvement
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Doubling times5% growth: Doubling time = 14 years
Over a 70 year life span, increase = 32 x
6% growth: Doubling time = approx 12 years
Over a 72 year life span, increase = 64 x
Madman or economist?
“Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite
world is either a madman or an economist”
Kenneth Boulding
Co-founder of General Systems Theory
At one time President of the American Economic Association, the Society for General Systems Research, and the American
Association for the Advancement of Science
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Our current economic system seems to be perfectly designed to
harm the planet, harm some aspects of human and social development and create high levels of
inequality
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Our economy is not fit for purpose in the
21st century
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A steady state economy
“an economy where resource use is stabilized within environmental limits, and the goal of increasing GDP is replaced by the goal of improving human well-being. It’s an economy where the goal is better lives, not more stuff.”
Key policies include conserve natural resources stabilize population reduce inequality fix the financial system, create jobs, and change the way we measure progress.
Dietz and O’Neill, 2012 – Enough Is Enough
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"To meet all people's needs within the means of the living planet, rich countries must overcome their dependency on GDP growth and develop economies that are regenerative and distributive by design”.
Kate Raworth, Doughnut Economics
Doughnut economics: “Thriving in balance”
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6. People, Planet and Participation:
The Kuching Statement on Healthy, Just and Sustainable Urban
Development
People, planet and participation
People: People’s physical, mental and social
wellbeing is the core business of cities. . . .
successful cities put the focus on quality of life.
Planet: People cannot thrive without the Earth’s
support systems or the biodiversity of natural
ecosystems.
Participation: In order to put people and the planet
at the heart of governance, healthy, just and
sustainable cities engage fully with their citizens
and community organizations.
The Kuching Statement
7. Healthy Cities 2.0 –Integrating One Planet Living at the local level
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Healthy Cities 2.0
. . . healthy cities must be sustainable cities too.
Not a new idea
Its in the Ottawa Charter
Its in the definition of Healthy Cities
See my key articles up to 2000
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Bioregional Annual Review, 2015 -16
10 principles of One Planet Living
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Bioregional A UK –based entrepreneurial charity, which
aims to invent and deliver practical solutions for sustainability.
We want to see thriving regional economies where we meet more of our needs from local, renewable and waste resources, enabling people to live happy, healthy lives within the natural limits of the planet, leaving space for wildlife and wilderness.
We call this One Planet Living.
https://www.bioregional.com/about-us/
Happily, there are many health co-benefits . . .
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Equity and local economy
• Countries with greater equity have better social and health outcomes (“Spirit Level")
• Local economy creates local jobs and wealth
Culture and community
• Strengthens social connections, sense of community, belonging
Land and nature
• Safety from low pollution, adequate and properly planned city
• Nature contact has significant physical and mental health benefits
Sustainable water
• Adequate supply of clean water andgood sanitation are fundamental to health
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Local and sustainable food
• Less obesity, improved nutrition, esp from a low-meat diet
Travel and transport
• Reduced air pollution, fewer injuries, increased physical activity, strengthens social connections
Materials and products
• Cleaner, greener products, reduced costs, reduced wastes
Zero waste • Reduced pollution, reduced waste disposal
Zero carbon energy
• Clean air, reduced global warming
Achieving One Planet Living –
A local example
Conversations for a One Planet Region, Victoria BC
81Learn – Discuss – Imagine – Design – Create
82Seattle
Vancouver
Greater Victoria Region• Capital of British Columbia• 350,000 population• 13 municipalities
Local ecological footprint = 2 – 3 planets
83Source: Moore and Hallsworth, 2018
Main contributors:Carbon and cropland
84Source: Moore and Hallsworth, 2018
85Source: One Planet Saanich Team, 2018
Suggested key steps: Target approx 1.5 gha/person
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Suggested change EF reduction, gha/person
Eliminate fossil fuel emissions in buildings
0.41
Convert half of gasoline private vehicles to electric
0.18
Reduce purchase of non-food consumables by 30%
0.15
Reduce meat and dairy by 25% 0.12
Purchase 25% less food 0.11
TOTAL 0.97
Source: Moore and Hallsworth, 2018
Conversations for a One Planet Region
Vision•The Greater Victoria Region achieves social and ecological sustainability, with a high quality of life and a long life in good health for all its citizens, while reducing its ecological footprint to be equivalent to one planet’s worth of bio-capacity.
Mission•The Mission of The Conversations is to establish and maintain community-wide conversations on One Planet living and a One Planet Region. https://creativelyunited.org/one-planet-region/
Learn – Discuss – Imagine – Design – Create 87
Getting to a One Planet Region
First we need to talk and learn about it
Then we need to imagine it
Then we need to design and build it
Physical, social, economic and cultural change
And throughout, we need to measure how we are doing
Learn – Discuss – Imagine – Design – Create 88
Participation for people and planet
Expand and deepen the Conversations
Webcast them for simultaneous conversations in other parts of our region
Community charettes
Engage people in co-designing their neighbourhood as a One Planet community
People for a One Planet region
Train people in each municipality to speak at Council to support plans and proposals that help us create a One Planet Region – and oppose those that do not
Conference + trade show + Community showcase + Film Fest 89
One Planet SaanichA year-long project that brings together municipalities, organisations, businesses, schools and community groups in
Canada (Saanich)
Denmark (Elsinore)
South Africa (Durban)
Tarusa (Russia)
the UK (Oxfordshire)
to make our cities better places to live!
Uses Bioregional’s One Planet Living framework
Stakeholders will prepare a One Planet Action Plan for their
own organisation
https://www.oneplanetsaanich.org/
But ultimately its not a science and technology
problem
It’s a social, economic, political, cultural, ideological, philosophical, ethical and spiritual problem.
So we need philosophers, artists, writers, video and film-makers, faith communities
Contact
Dr. Trevor Hancock
Website:
https://trevorhancock.org
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