sustainable communities and the natural … communities and the natural step –a model for change...
TRANSCRIPT
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SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES AND THE
NATURAL STEP – A MODEL FOR
CHANGE
Catherine Neiswender, Winnebago County UW-Extension
4 March 2009
City of Oshkosh Sustainability Planning Committee
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WHY ARE WE
TALKING ABOUT
SUSTAINABILITY?
Our planet is in trouble
TNS Canada
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Population 2050
Oil consumption
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Ecological footprint
Growing Awareness
Supporting Sustainable Fiber Practices
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”ECO-BOUNTY” From ECO-FRUGAL to ECO-METERING,future profits will be green.
Need a new approach
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„Evolution‟ of sustainability
Pre 20th
century
Industrialization and scientific discovery
Recognition of our impacts and limits of nature
Necessary Revolution and Paradigm Change
Sustainability defined
“Meets the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
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Definition of Sustainability
“Sustainable development is…development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.”World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future, 1987
The Natural Step
Based on fundamental scientific
principles of indisputable relevance
The Natural Step is a framework that
helps us think about the impacts of a
communities‟ programs, projects and
facilities,
Framework that serves as a compass
to guide the community toward a just
and sustainable future.
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A Funnel
TNS Canada
ways we are unsustainable
We Dig Stuff UpWe create man-made chemicals
We break nature’s cyclesWe create societies where people can’t meet basic needs
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Slide credit: TNS Canada
Natural Step 4 System Conditions
In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to
systematically increasing…
◦ Concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth‟s
crust; (eg fossil-based emissions)
◦ Concentrations of substances produced by society (eg
CFCs, synthetic)
◦ Degradation by physical means (eg urban sprawl)
And that in society …
◦ people are not subject to conditions that systematically
undermine their capacity to meet their needs
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1. Use approaches that reduce dependence on
fossil fuels, underground metals, minerals.
Dảva Power Plant, Umea, fueled by the City’s own solid waste
Town of Övertorneå, virtually 100% free of fossil fuels in municipal operations since 2001
Photo credit: Umeå Energi
TNS conditions in practice
System Condition
Reduce dependence on fossil fuels, extracted underground metals and minerals
Examples of practices
Transit and pedestrian oriented development
Development heated and powered by renewable energy
Alternatively fueled municipal fleets
Incentives for organic agriculture that minimizes phosphorous and petrochemical fertilizers and herbicides
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Insert Oshkosh SC1 Example
2. Use approaches that reduce dependence upon
synthetic chemicals and other unnatural substances.
Eskilstuna’s non-toxic elementary school
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State & local governments reduce
school & other pesticide use
Madison, WI
Texas
New Jersey
West Virginia
Montgomery County, MD
Dade County, FL
Cleveland Heights, OH
San Francisco, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Photo Credit: James/Jane Jeffries, parents
An Eau Claire, WI playground
TNS conditions in practice
System Condition
Reduce dependence on chemicals and other manufactured substances that can accumulate in nature
Examples of practices
Healthy building design; green building; reduce or eliminate toxic building materials
Landscape design and park maintenance that uses alternatives to chemicals
Municipal purchasing that requires low or non-chemical product use
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Insert Oshkosh SC2 Example
GreenZone Eco-Business Park, Umeå
3. Use approaches that reduce encroachment upon nature.
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TNS conditions in practice
System Condition
Reduce dependence
on activities that harm
ecosystems
Examples of practices
Redevelopment of
existing sites and
buildings before new
ones are built
Preserve open space,
forest and habitat
Reduce water use;
recycle wash and
waste water
Insert Oshkosh SC3 Example
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4. Use approaches that meet human
needs fairly and efficiently.
Human Needs In a Community
Clean air, water, food
Shelter, warmth, light
Means of livelihood
Health & safety
Mobility
Equal treatment
Community
connections: people,
nature, sense of place
Participation in
decision-making
Peaceful enjoyment
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Manfred Max-Neef:
Fundamental Human Needs
Subsistence
ProtectionAffection Understanding
Leisure
Participation Creativity
Identity Freedom
Transcendence
• Poverties of needs
• Poverties of needs generate pathologies
•Needs vs. satisfiers
• Deprivation & potential
Philadelphia Water Dept. CSA Community-
Supported Agriculture Cooperative
Somerton Tanks Farm, Philadelphia
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TNS conditions in practice
System Condition
Meet the hierarchy of present and future human needs fairly and efficiently
Examples of practices
Develop affordable housing
Locally based business and food production
Use waste as a resource
Participatory community planning and decision making
Fair and efficient delivery of social programs
Insert Oshkosh SC4 Example
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TNS conditions in practice
4 conditions – 4 questions
Does my decision:
◦ Reduce dependence on fossil fuels, extracted metals and minerals?
◦ Reduce dependence on chemicals and other manufactured substances that can accumulate in nature?
◦ Reduce dependence on activities that harm eco-systems?
◦ Meet the hierarchy of present and future needs fairly and efficiently?
Practice
What condition is primarily met when:
You buy Fair Trade coffee?
You buy Organically Grown Coffee?
You buy Shade Grown Coffee?
Coffee is transported from South America to us?
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Practice
What condition is primarily met when:
◦ Smart Growth strategies reduce urban sprawl?
◦ Communities purchase green energy?
◦ Plastics are recycled into new products?
◦ Mountain Equipment Co-op evaluates workplace
conditions for safety and provides health care?
◦ Metal office furniture is recycled
◦ Fish are caught at a limit that does not exceed the
amount of fish replenished on an annual basis?
◦ You copy on both sides of a sheet of paper?
Four System Conditions
4 Sustainability
Objectives
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Implications for communities
Restricted options:
Increased operational costs
(energy, waste disposal,
water treatment etc)
Increased demand for social
services
Regulations and compliance
challenges
Public health issues
Loss of cultural uniqueness
Declining:ResourcesEcosystem
Increasing:Population
Demand for ResourcesWaste Products
Business Story – NIKE
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Community Story - Whistler, CA
Getting Started
Bottom-up, participatory approach
fire souls
Leading from side
Low hanging fruit
Commitment
Institutionalizing
learn, learn, learn – awareness raising
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Wisconsin‟s Eco-municipalities
City of Washburn- 7/2005 (1st
in US)
City of Ashland-9/05
City of Madison-12/05
Douglas County-5/06
V. Johnson Creek -8/06
T. Bayfield-10/06
C. Marshfield-2/07
City/County of LaCrosse-3/07
City of Manitowoc-9/07
City of Neenah-2007
Over 70 municipalities in Sweden
7 local governments in Canada
Adopted in 11 countries
Process: Backcasting
...looking ’back’ to the
present and designing
strategic, step-wise
actions...current
reality
time
TNS Canada
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Backcasting from
Sustainability Principles
...looking ’back’ to the
present and designing
strategic, step-wise
solutions...current
reality
time
TNS Canada
Backcasting
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Generic Planning Framework
“D” Step
Right direction?
Flexible Platform?
Return on
investment?
time
TNS Canada
Culture Change
Success occurs one action and one
person at a time
We need to create an environment that
empowers individual innovation
This will change how we deliver services.
This is not a new program; it is integrated
into everything we do and every decision
we make.
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City of Oshkosh approach to
sustainability planning
Steering committee and EE Board
2009 plans
Community visioning
Awareness raising
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
SUSTAINABILITY AND
LEADERSHIP
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Peter Senge
Bob Willard
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Leadership Qualities
Systems Thinkers – see the bigger picture
Asking powerful questions
Forward Looking/Visionary
Learning Organizations
Passion
Relational Intelligence – connectedness
Shift away from negative to “What is Possible?”
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Resources and learning options
Toward a Sustainable Community: A Toolkit for
Local Government
The Natural Step for Communities book (Study
Circles)
Eco-municipality Network
ECOS-Fox Valley
UW Resources
TNS E-learning course
Catherine Neiswender
UW-Extension Winnebago County
625 E County RD Y,
Oshkosh, WI 54901
Thank You