intro to sustainability midterm

sustainability vs sustainable development

sustainability is a long term goal people hope to achieve whereas sustainable development is the direction and process by which the goal is achieved

planetary boundaries

Limits between which global systems must operate to prevent abrupt and irreversible environmental change

9 of them

6 have been transgressed since 2009

common pool resources

goods that are available to everyone, such as open ocean fisheries; it is difficult to exclude anyone from using the common pool, but one user's consumption reduces the amount available for others

tragedy of commons

finite

history of common pool resources

Garrett Hardin

if left to our own devices we would exhaust all the resources available for our own consumption

private sector/organization

for profit businesses, designed to make profits, Quercus

public sector/organizations

state level organizations and agencies, local/state/federal, DMV/FEMA/NJEA

plural sector/organizations

NPO/NGOs

social enterprise; where profit is allowed but money made needs to be returned back into community which is being served/mission statement

rutgers, professional associations

bruntland report/our common future

sustainable development is development that means the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

guiding principles for sustainable development

reignite environmental concerns into political sphere

bruntland report/our common future examples

enormous poverty in the south interesting with non sustainable patterns of consumption and production in the global north intersecting with critical global environmental problems.

Climate Action plan at Rutgers

-net zero GHG emissions no later then 2050

-climate positive, just and equitable, sustainable

8 groups to support

carbon neutrality by 2040 becoming carbon negative

core values: climate justice, civic responsibility, actionable scholarships

solar canopies, electrified fleet

SDGs

17 goals

framework for interconnection

aspirational

more cut out for western world

transnational sustainability

planetary boundaries

commerce and trade

international climate policy

hyperlocal sustainability

place (community and watershed)

regenerative and relocalized economies

community networks and collaborations

Spirit of Green

Nordhaus

framework of policy

tech isn't moving fast enough

private companies are wasting time

carbon ax to offset externality

up to governments

public policy intervention is indispensable

scope and limits of green accounting

society of organizations

wage dependency, bureaucracy and externalized social costs (unemployment, income inequality, air and water quality)

Anglo-American capitalism

free market economy

lower barriers to trade

more innovation

weaker social safety net

invisible hand

nordic/scandanavian capitalism

mixed market

welfare apitalism

social support programs

high regulations

preserve peace within wage and labor

investments in society like education

state sponsored capitalism

one government acts as a large corporation

consumer surplus extracted and put back into production

corporate social responsibility

the notion that corporations are expected to go above and beyond following the law and making a profit

care about benefitting society and contributing positively to societies welfare

ethical business descis

stakeholder theory

ethical theory stating that social responsibility is paying attention to the interest of every affected stakeholder in every aspect of a firm's operation

interrelatedness of 3 dimensions: economic, legal and ethical

watershed

an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.

lower rarity is 14th most polluted watershed

"ridge between mountains"

circular economy

regenerative resources, minimizing waste creation, rutgers

donut economics

The Doughnut consists of two concentric rings: a social foundation, to ensure that no one is left falling short on life's essentials, and an ecological ceiling, to ensure that humanity does not collectively overshoot the planetary boundaries that protect Earth's life-supporting systems.

Raworth

inner circle is safe and just / safe and humane

our impact on environment and environments impact on us

triple bottom line

profit people planet

companies should commit to equal prioritization of profit and welfare of society and economy

3 e's

systems

interdependent set of relationships between constituents and entity

a combination of centralized and decentralized is a perfect system

Kate Raworth

donut economics

safe and just space within inner circle

Elinor Ostrom

economist

sharing a resource with clear defined rules, sanctions and punishments can be both sustainable and economical

tragedy of commons can be prevented

Johan Rockstrom

key architect of planetary boundaries

9 boundaries which if coursed can lead to irreversible planetary change

6 have been transgressed since 2009

Charles Perrow

how technologies impact organizations complexities and risk

natural accidents: are inevitable because of complexity within systems

Thomas Piketty

His recent book Capital in the Twenty-First Century analyzes trends in income inequality. Argues for a progressive global tax on wealth (i.e. a tax whose marginal rate rises as wealth rises).

bigger rations= increased inequality

Yanis Varoufakis

A Greek economist who served as finance minister from January to July 2015, when he resigned after a national referendum rejected a bailout deal from European creditors.

believes that every society which prioritizes GDP is in trouble

believes capitalism isn't working

what is an economic framework for sustainability?

Donut economics is one of the economic frameworks for sustainability because it focuses on the balance between human needs, represented by the inner circle, and planetary boundaries, represented by the outer circle. By focusing on these two aspects, and the future generations which this balance would impact, donut economics is a good framework for sustainability.

why might watersheds and watershed management be an important tool for thinking about sustainability?

Watersheds and watershed management are an important tool for thinking about sustainability because they involve many different aspects of the environment, are ways the community, NGOs and businesses can work together to focus on the 3 Es and also are a source of community and cultural values to be preserved for the future generation. By being a key part of all of these aspects, watersheds allow communities alike to think about their consequences and how the future may be different if sustainability is not prioritized.

why are planetary boundaries an important concept for thinking about sustainability

Planetary boundaries are an important concept for thinking about sustainability because they provide thresholds for resource use which informs us what resrouces we need to conserve and prioritize as well as educating us about how resrouces are finite and the consequences of resource overuse actually do come to fruition.

different business strategies for circular economy

global supply chains which reuse materials:

RPO- retain product ownership, business is responsibly for collection and disposal at the end of the products useful life

PLE-product life extension, design products for longer lide

DFR- focuses on the recovery of product and manufacturing materials over the course of the product lifestyle