Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Reducing land degradation and the alienation of productive land for urban

purposes

Earth Surface PROcesses, Material use and Urban Development-the ERSPROMUD project for the International Union of Geological Sciences (IGS) and the Scientific Committee for Problems in the Environment (SCOPE)

Land as a finite resource pressurised by growth (for cities, for food, for fuels)

Coping strategies (urban design, land remediation, resource management)

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Urban metabolism: material flows and loops

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Multiple demand for land due to urbanisation and industrialisation

Urban per capita living space 9.6 m²Urban per capita living space 44m²

500,000 ha derelict land from coal mining which is increasing by 35,000 ha per annum

67,600 ha derelict land from former mine workings is not yet reclaimed (0.52% of all land in England

Urban growth averages 4.32 m³ per capita per annum

Urban growth averages 1.17 m³ per capita per annum

475,500 ha green land is being built on each year

6,700 ha green land is built on each year

3.7% of land is urbanised (this is the same as England in 1830)

10.4% of land is urbanised (this will rise to 11.9% by 2016

China

Land area 9,596,961 km²

Population 1,321.85 million

England

Land area 129,652 km²

Population 50.7 million

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Mineral extraction induced geomorphic change

• Limestone extraction in NW England in 100 years creates the same geomorphic change as natural processes in 10,000 years

• Land previously used for mineral workings is permanently degraded

• Artisanal and informal mining impact on agricultural land

• Chemical time-bombs pollute land and water

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Land transformed by urban expansion: new wetlands near Swindon, England

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Land transformed. Limestone extraction in the Peak District 1945-1999

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Limestone extraction- Tunstead Quarry, Derbyshire, England

(Pit 3km²; Production 10 Mt p.a.; Reserves 260 Mt)

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

The historical legacy of mineral extraction. Land degraded by sate mining in Wales

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Hidden land use: overburden and mine wasteTotal global material movements (89% of global) (2002)

3.71 2,138950,0000.000010.0025Gold ores- Au content

5.453,1385.23.06903Iron ores-

Fe content

7.284,1894500.059Copper ores-

Cu content

24.6514,1861.3652.8510,431Building stone & aggregates

15.999,2049.94.71930Coal, Brown and lignite

32.0518,4444.8719.193,787Coal, Hard

% world total

material moved

Total material moved

Mt

Multiplier% world mineral

production

Mineral production

Mt

Commodity

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Contaminated land stocks. Derelict and disused land in Great Manchester 2001

Greater Manchester = 1290 km².

Derelict and disused land, including land still used for waste disposal in Greater Manchester, = 72 km²

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Remediating contaminated land

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Land degraded by artisanal mining: rural brick production near Chenai, India

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Efficient land-use is a key factor in meeting global demands for both food and fuel.

Biodiesel (rape seed, palm oil) has a high land use demand because of its limited energy efficiency.

Ethanol (corn and sugar cane) has a fairly high land use demand because of its limited energy efficiency

Marginal land can be used for short rotation coppice (willow/poplar and wattle/eucalyptus) for biomass and jatropha for biodiesel

In many developing countries, efforts to increase land productivity will be crucial if biofuels are to avoid competing with the use of land for food staples.

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Land for food production Global agriculturally productive land

Wheat price increased from Euro 90 per Ton in 2006 to Euro 235 per ton in 2008

Cultivated land in China decreased by 331,000 ha in 2003.

0.529.32030 (est.)

0.608.02020 (est.)

0.756.62007

0.835.51994

Ha per capitaPopulation (billion)

Year

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

UN Special Rapporteur, Jean Ziegler, submitted in accordance with General

Assembly resolution 61/163.20 August 2007

• Gravely concerned that biofuels will bring hunger in their wake.

• The rush to convert food, e.g. such as maize, wheat, sugar and palm oil, into fuels is a recipe for disaster.

• Serious risks of creating a battle between food and fuel that will leave the poor in developing countries at the mercy of rapidly rising prices for food, land and water.

• Instead of using food crops, biofuels should be made from non-food plants and agricultural wastes, reducing competition for food, land and water.

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

The bio-fuel debate

Opportunities:• Decrease in fossil fuel use• Productive use of marginal land and agricultural

residues Threats• Competition for land for food when global food

production fell from 2.6 billion tons in 1994 to under 2 billion tons in 2006

• UK renewable fuel obligation of 5% will require 20% of UK arable land and ethanol will replace 30% of the US corn crop by 2010

Conclusion• Sensible use of land only in areas with food

surpluses, and without impacting the environment

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

High and low density urban expansion on to agricultural land: Beijing, China

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Estimating the pattern of demolitionExtended Demolishion Rate of High Density Building (%)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1849 1896 1908 1932 1953 1972 1980 1990 2004 2010 2020

1830-18491850-18961897-19081909-19321933-19531954-19721973-19801981-19901991-2004

High Density ResidentialAverage of life span: 84 years

Extended Demolishion Rate of Middle / Low Density Building (%)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1849 1896 1908 1932 1953 1972 1980 1990 2004 2010 2020

1830-18491850-18961897-19081909-19321933-19531954-19721973-19801981-19901991-2004

Middle / Low Density Residential

Average of life span: 101 years

Extended Demolishion Rate of Factory Building (%)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1849 1896 1908 1932 1953 1972 1980 1990 2004 2010 2020

1830-18491850-18961897-19081909-19321933-19531954-19721973-19801981-19901991-2004

Factory

Average of life span: 67 years

Extended Demolishion Rate of All Buildings (%)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1849 1896 1908 1932 1953 1972 1980 1990 2004 2010 2020

1830-18491850-18961897-19081909-19321933-19531954-19721973-19801981-19901991-2004

All Buildings

Average of life span: 81 years

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Construction materials from industrial waste

• Colliery spoil and coal ash• Pulverised fuel ash and incinerator bottom ash• Oil shale waste• China clay waste• Slate waste• Glass• Paper sludge• Tyres• Foundry sand• Dredged silts

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Recycling: demolition waste to graded aggregates

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Conclusions: challenges

• Equitable land and resource use to provide the entire population with adequate shelter, fuel, food and water

• Global food demand, projected to rise by 50% by 2030, will increase prices- and encourage risky cultivation of marginal land

• Full-filing the material aspirations of the entire population

• Technological fixes will not be able to help many in the developing world for a long time

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Conclusions: actions

• Control urban sprawl• Encourage ‘local’ food production and urban

agriculture- maintain the urban nitrogen cycle and use waste to provide energy and enhance soils

• Reduce meat consumption to sustain land for food

• Remediate contaminated and degraded land• Recycle: “there is no such thing as waste-

there are only experienced resources”

Nigel Lawson, University of ManchesterEconomic De-growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris 18-19 April 2008

Final thoughts

• The most accepted politico/economic model depends on growth in consumption.

• Consumption requires resources

• Growth in population and resource use puts land under stress

Thank you for listening and I hope you can provide some answers.