Ethics and Ethics and ConsumerismConsumerism

Patricia MackeyPatricia Mackey

Sustainable Northern IrelandSustainable Northern Ireland

For classroom use only

Why Why sustainability sustainability

mattersmatters

“To enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs & to enjoy a better

quality of life…

…without compromising the quality of life of future generations”

What is Sustainable Development?What is Sustainable Development?

Securing the Future, Securing the Future, UK's Sustainable Development Strategy,UK's Sustainable Development Strategy,

HM Government 2005HM Government 2005

Why sustainability matters: Why sustainability matters: living within environmental limitsliving within environmental limits

Population increase from 6 to 9 bn

Consumption per head increases 4 - 6x

Clean air & water, Stable climate

Viable forests & fisheries, Biodiversity

Source: The Natural Step

Beyond the environment: Beyond the environment: the triple bottom linethe triple bottom line

CLIMATE

BIODIVERSITY

& RESOURCES

WASTEWATER

SHORTAGES

POLLUTION

Living within environmental limits:Ensure natural resources to

support life remain unimpairedEMPLOYMENT

LABOUR

RIGHTS

HEALTH

Ensuring a strong, healthy & just

society:Meet diverse needs of all;

promote wellbeing, inclusion & equal

opportunity

GROWTH &

REGENERATION Achieving a sustainable economy:

Strong, stable, efficient & fair

Principles of Sustainable

Development

Principles of Sustainable

Development

Global Global ChallengesChallenges

Climate Change: Why it’s happeningClimate Change: Why it’s happening Without heat trapping Without heat trapping

“Greenhouse gases” Earth “Greenhouse gases” Earth would be 25C coolerwould be 25C cooler

Human activity is increasing Human activity is increasing levels of greenhouse gases in levels of greenhouse gases in atmosphereatmosphere CO2 has increased from 280 CO2 has increased from 280

to 380 ppmto 380 ppm Rising between 2 and 3 Rising between 2 and 3

ppm/yearppm/year Main source is fossil fuel Main source is fossil fuel

combustion for energy and combustion for energy and transporttransport

Average surface warming of 1 Average surface warming of 1 to 6C expectedto 6C expected

What’s at stake: projected global What’s at stake: projected global risksrisks

Monbiot: 90% cut by 2030

Tyndall: 90% cut by 2050

UK Gov: 60% cut by 2050

1oC• Rice yields fall 15%• Increasing extreme weather events • Indian Ocean coral dies• 400m extra in water stress• 5m extra in hunger • 18% species loss• Greenland icecap melts

2oC• 97% coral reefs bleach• Arctic summer sea ice melts• 2.3-3bn water shortage • 200m more at risk from malaria • Ecosystem collapse >2oC

• Major city flood risk• >50% species loss• “Runaway” climate change - Forest die-back - Permafrost melt - Carbon release from soils• Human cost?

Pollution: damaging health and the environmentPollution: damaging health and the environment

““UK air pollution more dangerous UK air pollution more dangerous than Chernobyll”than Chernobyll” 24,000 premature deaths per year 24,000 premature deaths per year

((Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution) Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution)

Over 100,000 man-made chemicals Over 100,000 man-made chemicals existexist Only 3,500 have been adequately Only 3,500 have been adequately

tested for health and environmental tested for health and environmental impactsimpacts

Over 300 man-made chemicals can Over 300 man-made chemicals can

be found inbe found in the average European’s the average European’s bloodblood

With globalisation, Europe is With globalisation, Europe is exporting its pollution overseasexporting its pollution overseas

Upstream prevention is

cheaper than downstream clean up

Waste: our throwaway economyWaste: our throwaway economy

10,000 kgraw

materialsManufacture

1000 kgfinished product

6 months100 kg

long-termdurables

EXTRACT CONVERT USE DISCARD

10 x10 x

Consumption should not be an end in itself: need to rethink value and efficiency

Biodiversity: the sixth extinctionBiodiversity: the sixth extinction Up to 50% of species could be Up to 50% of species could be

wiped out by climate changewiped out by climate change Widespread decline in wildlife Widespread decline in wildlife

populationspopulations Habitat destruction and loss of Habitat destruction and loss of

wildernesswilderness Over-harvesting of timber, Over-harvesting of timber,

fisheriesfisheries Falling fertility from pollutionFalling fertility from pollution Invasion of alien speciesInvasion of alien species

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Poverty: an ever widening gapPoverty: an ever widening gap

20% of world survives on less than $2 per day

UK average high street coffee price

$2

The goal: One planet livingThe goal: One planet living Ecological footprint = Ecological footprint =

equivalent area of land required equivalent area of land required to meet an individual’s needsto meet an individual’s needs Food, fibre, waste, energy, spaceFood, fibre, waste, energy, space Measured in “Global hectares per Measured in “Global hectares per

capita” (gha)capita” (gha)

“Equal sustainable share” =

“Global average footprint” =

“UK average” =

1.8 gha

5.6 gha

2.2 gha

The Ethical Footprint of a Beef BurgerThe Ethical Footprint of a Beef Burger

Beef cattle eat crops (1300Kg grains Beef cattle eat crops (1300Kg grains and 7200Kg roughages)and 7200Kg roughages)

Crops grown abroad e.g. Soya in Crops grown abroad e.g. Soya in South America, where rainforests South America, where rainforests have been cleared to make roomhave been cleared to make room

Animals may also have grazed on Animals may also have grazed on land of cleared rainforestsland of cleared rainforests

May be labelled ‘British’ or ‘Irish’ but May be labelled ‘British’ or ‘Irish’ but only a proportion of the processing only a proportion of the processing may actually be done heremay actually be done here

We are consuming ‘other people’s We are consuming ‘other people’s water’ and using ‘other people’s land’water’ and using ‘other people’s land’

Beef and dairy cattle produce Beef and dairy cattle produce methane and other greenhouse methane and other greenhouse gasesgases

15,500 litres of water

per Kg of beef

Group ExerciseGroup Exercise Work as groupsWork as groups Think of the last pair of jeans you Think of the last pair of jeans you

bought?bought? What information did you use to What information did you use to

make a decision on what pair you make a decision on what pair you eventually bought?eventually bought?

Identify impacts of jeansIdentify impacts of jeans Social, environmental and economicSocial, environmental and economic

How can we as consumers make How can we as consumers make a difference?a difference?

30mins

These jeans, arrived at Gap, Belfast, a few days ago in These jeans, arrived at Gap, Belfast, a few days ago in a container that came from Lee Cooper's warehouse at a container that came from Lee Cooper's warehouse at Staple's Corner, just at the bottom of the M1 in north Staple's Corner, just at the bottom of the M1 in north London. London.

There they had the Gap label attached to them before There they had the Gap label attached to them before being packaged up and posted off in plenty of time for being packaged up and posted off in plenty of time for the weekend rush. the weekend rush.

Before that, they came through the Channel tunnel on a Before that, they came through the Channel tunnel on a lorry from a similar warehouse in Amiens, France and, lorry from a similar warehouse in Amiens, France and,

Before that, by boat and train from Tunis in Tunisia. Before that, by boat and train from Tunis in Tunisia. From Ras Jebel, to be more precise, a good hour's From Ras Jebel, to be more precise, a good hour's drive north of the city through flat Mediterranean drive north of the city through flat Mediterranean farmland where the fields are fat with artichokes and the farmland where the fields are fat with artichokes and the pencil cypresses sway in a surprisingly chilly spring pencil cypresses sway in a surprisingly chilly spring breeze.”breeze.”

The mileage in a pair of jeans…The mileage in a pair of jeans…

The Jeans workshopThe Jeans workshop It takes about 1.6 meters of denim fabric, several

hundred meters of sewing thread, 6 rivets, 1 or 5 jeans buttons, 4 labels (usually imitation leather), and optionally a zipper to make a pair of jeans. An average jeans factory can make about 2,500 pair of jeans per day.

A stonewash for 150 pairs of jeans takes 150 kilos of pumice stone and more than 750 liters of water. Depending on how faded the look will have to be, they will be washed somewhere between 30 minutes and 6 hours.

The Components of a pair of jeansThe Components of a pair of jeans

Denim spun in Milan

Synthetic dye manufactured in Germany

Pumice to stonewash the jeans from a volcano in

Turkey

Cotton for the denim grown in

Benin, West Africa

Copper for the zip and rivets mined and smelted in

Tsumeb, Namibia

Manufactured in a factory in Tunisia

Thread made in

Lisnaskea

Sold in ….

Ethical Consumerism: Making the Right ChoicesEthical Consumerism: Making the Right Choices Ethical consumerism is about how you

choose to spend your money and what sort of goods you choose to buy.

What you spend your money on affects other people and the environment.

Ethical consumers buy things from companies that act ethically. These companies try not to harm the environment or society.

•Trade affects the economies of other countries and groups within society positively and negatively.

•Does our prosperity and happiness come at a cost to others?

•Trade affects the economies of other countries and groups within society positively and negatively.

•Does our prosperity and happiness come at a cost to others?