Sustainability Pictures X

Ten more for the  collection.     Breaking my rule of stand-alone images but these seemed quite evocative, even if they do take some explanation.

See also these variations on earlier approaches: Venn diagrams coming together and showing changing dominance of sectors in a static animation, and a nice systems loop.

 

179. Brown’s 15 elements of Ecovillage living

180. The Barometer of Sustainability (ICUN)

The Barometer of Sustainability is the only performance scale that measures human and ecosystem wellbeing together without submerging one in the other.  The Barometer’s key features are:
• Two axes, one for human wellbeing, the other for ecosystem wellbeing. This enables each set of indicators to be combined independently, keeping them separate to allow analysis of people-ecosystem interactions.
• The axis with the lower score overrides the other axis in the analysis. This prevents a high score for human wellbeing from offsetting a low score for ecosystem wellbeing, or vice versa. This approach reflects the view that people and the ecosystem are equally important and that sustainable development must improve and maintain the wellbeing of both.

181. ‘The Egg of Sustainability’ (Robert Prescott-Allen, in IUCN, 1995)

182. Red triangle/Green Circle (from SustainAbility Gearing Up).

These high friction worlds are represented by the red triangle: low levels of trust increase friction in the system, with different sectors fighting (or ‘scapegoating’) each other.

183.  Mapping environmental problems by management and revsersibility (UNEP Geo4)

184.  Global environmental outlook framework (UNEP Geo4)

Net gains in human well-being facilitated by the social and economic sectors have, however, been at the cost of growing environmental changes, and the  exacerbation of poverty for some groups of people

185. Shrinking Earth (UNEP Geo4)

186.  Sustainability Asymptogram (Onwueme and Borsari – Proquest link)

100 percent sustainability is a perfect state that is practically unattainable by anybody or any system.  No matter how good a person or system is, there is always a sustainability deficit that cannot be overcome, as entropy affects living systems and their physical habitats without exceptions.  This means that there is always room for improvement.  Different persons or systems are located at different levels on the curve, with larger or smaller sustainability deficits, but with deficits all the same.

187.  Meadows’ framework (after Daly). (Balaton Group)

I see the triangle as saying there’s no way human ends can be realized without healthy, functioning natural and economic systems

188.  Ecosphere as a mail sorter (Collins)

Imagine all of Earth’s chemistry as a mail sorter’s wall of letter slots in a post office, with the network of compartments extending toward infinity (see the bottom figure, next page). Each compartment represents a separate chemistry so that, for example, thousands of compartments are associated with stratospheric chemistry or with a human cell. An environmentally mobile persistent pollutant can move from compartment to compartment, sampling a large number and finding those compartments that it can perturb. Many perturbations may be inconsequential, but others can cause unforeseen catastrophes, such as the ozone hole or some of the manifestations of endocrine disruption. Most compartments remain unidentified and even for known compartments, the interactions of the pollutant with the compartment’s contents can usually not be foreseen, giving ample reason for scientific humility when considering the safety of persistent mobile compounds.

 

 

 

STENZ Tertiary Education Strategy submission

STENZ Submission on Tertiary Education Strategy:

1. Status and interest of submitter

This submission is presented on behalf of the Sustainability in Tertiary Education in New Zealand. STENZ is a working group dedicated to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) across all tertiary education in New Zealand. STENZ aims to provide a whole-of-sector approach to Education for Sustainability.  It is made up of people who have leadership roles in the tertiary education sector, across a variety of institutions and academic disciplines. They are committed to Education for Sustainability rather than any explicit political agenda.

2. Submission summary

In summary, this submission:

• Applauds the inclusion of sustainability in the vision, but argues that it must take an integrated approach to an integrated socio-ecological system; and

• Maintains that Education for Sustainability must be explicit in the directives and mechanisms.

3. Vision for tertiary education

The vision for tertiary education is well-aligned with sustainability and embraces key sustainability related concepts.  STENZ applauds this approach.

The opening line of TES describes the role of tertiary education:

High quality tertiary education is central to helping New Zealand achieve its economic, social and environmental goals, and meeting the development aspirations of Māori and Pasifika peoples.

The above role description does not explicitly mention sustainability, but it could be interpreted to do so because of its mention of the three dimensions of sustainability – economic, social and environmental.  These are central to virtually all definitions of sustainability.

Moreover, the focus on well-being – both personal and economic –is consistent with sustainable development as a process that may lead to sustainability.

Access to high-quality tertiary education enriches people’s lives, increases their employment opportunities and helps to build a productive skills base to drive economic growth.  Government wants relevant and efficient tertiary education provision that meets the needs of students, the labour market and the economy.

So, too, the over-arching education vision that stresses successful citizens, security and opportunity embraces concepts aligned to sustainability:

Government’s vision is for a world-leading education system that equips all New Zealanders with the knowledge, skills and values to be successful citizens in the 21st century.

A world-leading education system is an important first step towards a productive and growing economy that delivers greater prosperity, security and opportunity for all New Zealanders.

4. Focus in the remainder of the strategy

Unfortunately, in the remainder of the strategy, the integrated goals – economic, social and environmental – are split apart and considered separately, with an almost singular focus on the economic.

STENZ sees this separation as contrary to a robust consideration of the integrated nature of the economic, social and ecological system that supports human life and that human life is inescapably part of.  Focussing on these dimensions in isolation will not lead to successful global citizens.  STENZ’s thinking is in line with that promulgated by the UN Millennium Development Goals, the World Commission on Environment and Development 1987 (Brundtland Report), The Rio Earth Summit 1992, Agenda 21, and, of course, the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD).

5. Explicit expectation of teaching and learning for every student

The strategy rightly points out the impact of education; it is the biggest lever we have for transforming New Zealand into a more prosperous society which promotes well-being, as noted in the TES vision.

Accordingly, the tertiary education system needs to prepare learners who are capable of meeting future global challenges/changes.  In other words, we need to produce graduates who can operate as sustainable practitioners in their particular fields.  STENZ suggests a focus on the sustainable practitioner would reflect goals already included in the draft TES but it needs to be made explicit.

Sustainability is an explicit goal of research (noted below).   Sustainability should also be explicit in teaching (rather than only implicit in “meet labour market demands”, and “world-class skills and knowledge”) and to complement the existing focus on productivity.

This expectation for research should be complemented by similar statements for teaching and learning (as offered in 5.1):

research…create and share new knowledge that contributes to New Zealand’s economic and social development, and environmental management

5.1 Recommended expectation for all institutions: Produce graduates who each think and act as sustainable practitioners for the benefit of New Zealand’s integrated economic and social development, and environmental management system.

While research is clearly important, the more direct return on government investment in education is manifest in the skills, values and behaviours of our graduates.  Including the above expectation in the TES will motivate institutions to ensure that graduates have the capability to embed sustainability principles, values and practices in their lifestyle and profession.

The prosperous future of New Zealand relies on people from every discipline, hence it is important that we move to an “every graduate” approach to sustainability.  This means that every student is educated to be able to see through a sustainable lens.

6. Recognition of eco-literacy as a core capability

In the achievement of a prosperous New Zealand, eco-literacy is a core capability, much like literacy and numeracy and with similar productivity benefits that are essential for a natural resource based economy.

6.1 Recommendation: Add ecoliteracy to statements describing expectations of core capabilities.

7. Integrated curricula

As a society we have to learn to live in a complex world of interdependent systems with high uncertainties and multiple legitimate interests.  These complex and evolving systems require a new way of thinking about risk, uncertainty, ambiguity and ignorance.  They require that we can think simultaneously of drivers and impacts of our actions across scales and barriers of space, time, culture, species and disciplinary boundaries.  This means our graduates need skills in:

• Systems thinking
• Understanding the connected nature of our socio-ecological and economic system
• Global citizenship
• Critical and creative thinking
• Pragmatics of change management

Sustainability should not be seen as an extra subject and should not be confused with green, or with education about the environment.   Instead it provides a context for learning within and across disciplines.  STENZ considers a focus on sustainability will result in improved completion rates as it provides a hook to link academic subjects to the real world.    This relevance will improve the work-ready nature of graduates.   STENZ applauds moves to promote collaborative work and direct relevance to industry and suggests Education for Sustainability as a proven powerful vehicle for its achievement.

8. Promotion of  interdisciplinary study and research

With a discipline-based panel structure, the Performance-Based Research Fund is not good at supporting interdisciplinary research such as sustainability.

8.1 Recommendation:  Add an action plan (to “We will look at whether the Performance-Based Research Fund is working well for all parts of the sector”) to look at ”’how PBRF could better support interdisciplinary initiatives”’.

Associate Prof Samuel Mann on behalf of Sustainability in Tertiary Education in New Zealand.

Otago Polytechnic

smann@tekotago.ac.nz

STENZ is a pivotal initiative within the NZDESD programme of activities.   STENZ is supported by SANZ and the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO.

 

Almost 350

Including sleep, there’s 15 hours until we have to be coherent and on show for 350.  Student projects are rapidly emerging and getting hurried testing (hopefully not too hurried!).

If you’re in Dunedin, come and see us at the Spring Festival.  (more Flickr images).

 

Challenge for anyone who uses a computer

Here’s a challenge to give to folks who start quoting the environmental friendliness of their latest computer.    All new computers and especially laptops come with claims of “green” and most laptop users are pretty smug about their energy use.

This map shows the sources of the components of a typical laptop.  It’s a Sourcemap representation of  PCMag’s What’s inside your laptop.

So here’s the challenge:  click though to the map and see if you can find a source component that isn’t described somewhere as being linked to unsustainable practices.    Pick any of the parts and source area eg “Cobalt Congo”.   Put that phrase in your favorite search engine and see what you find.    For some you don’t have to look very hard,  for others you can speed the search by adding key search phrases such as environmental degradation, human rights injustice, war, pollution and so on.

Let me know if you find a genuinely sustainable component.   I bet you can’t.

 

Need to mobilise submissions for sustainability in higher education (NZ)

The draft Tertiary Education Strategy is out for consultation.      It gives direction to NZ’s tertiary education for the next five years.   The draft is weak on sustainability: it’s alluded to in the higher level statements but missing in the directions for teaching and learning.   As it stands,  institutions will not see sustainability as an imperative, instead they’ll be driven entirely by productivity.

We have until 6th November to send submissions to tertiary.strategy@minedu.govt.nz.    Please write something yourself and prompt your organisations to include sustainability in their submission (folks are usually grateful for help, so send some words for them to use).

Here’s the draft of my submission (any thoughts gratefully received):

1      Key messages:

1. Applaud the inclusion of sustainability in the vision, but that it must take an integrated approach to an integrated socio-ecological system
2. Education for Sustainability must be explicit in the directives and mechanisms
3. Polytechnics must be supported in the delivery of applied degrees.

2      Justification

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Tertiary Education Strategy.

The Tertiary Education Strategy is New Zealand’s chance to deliver on the promise of the United Nations Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014).

The opening line of TES describes the role of tertiary education

High quality tertiary education is central to helping New Zealand achieve its economic, social and environmental goals, and meeting the development aspirations of Māori and Pasifika peoples.

The “Vision for tertiary education” does not explicitly mention sustainability, but it could be interpreted to do so:

Access to high-quality tertiary education enriches people’s lives, increases their employment opportunities and helps to build a productive skills base to drive economic growth.  Government wants relevant and efficient tertiary education provision that meets the needs of students, the labour market and the economy.

So too the Over-arching education vision (1.1).  Successful citizens, world leading, security and opportunity are all concepts conducive to sustainability:

Government’s vision is for a world-leading education system that equips all New Zealanders with the knowledge, skills and values to be successful citizens in the 21st century.

A world-leading education system is an important first step towards a productive and growing economy that delivers greater prosperity, security and opportunity for all New Zealanders.

An integration of the “economic, social and environmental goals” can be considered a in a sustainable future.   Unfortunately, from then on, these integrated goals are split apart and considered separately, with an almost singular focus on the economic.  This is contrary to a robust consideration of an integrated socio-economic system and will not lead to successful global citizens.

The strategy rightly points out the impact of education, it is the biggest lever we have for transforming NZ to a more prosperous society in the long term.  I would like to see the use of this lever go beyond a focus on productivity for personal and societal benefit to include a wider role, that of the sustainable practitioner.

The tertiary education system needs to prepare learners who are capable of meeting future global challenges/changes.   I suggest a focus on the sustainable practitioner would reflect goals already included in the draft TES but it needs to be made explicit.   The expectation for research:

“research…create and share new knowledge that contributes to New Zealand’s economic and social development, and environmental management”.

should be complemented by similar statements for teaching and learning:

Produce graduates who will think and act as sustainable practitioners for the benefit of New Zealand’s integrated economic and social development, and environmental management system.

While research is clearly important, the far bigger levers we have are the skills, values and behaviours of our graduates.  This will ensure graduates have the capability to embed sustainability principles, values and practices in their lifestyle and profession.

The prosperous future of New Zealand relies on people from every discipline, hence it is important that we move to an “every graduate” approach to sustainability.  This means that every student should be able to see through a sustainable lens.

As a society we have to learn to live in a complex world of interdependent systems with high uncertainties and multiple legitimate interests.  These complex and evolving systems require a new way of thinking about risk, uncertainty, ambiguity and ignorance (Stagl 2007).  These systems require that we can think simultaneously of drivers and impacts of our actions across scales and barriers of space, time, culture, species and disciplinary boundaries.  This means our graduates need skills in:

-          Systems thinking

-          An understanding of the connected nature of our socio-ecological system

-          Critical and creative thinking

-          Ability to act as change agent

-          Understanding of ethics

-          Sense of participation and action

Sustainability should not be seen as an extra subject and should not be confused with green, or with education about the environment.   Nor should it in any way be seen as anti-business.  Instead it provides a context for learning within and about the student’s discipline.   I believe a focus on sustainability will result in improved completion rates as it provides a hook to link academic subjects to the real world.    This relevance will improve the work-ready nature of graduates.    I applaud moves to promote collaborative work and direct relevance to industry and suggest Education for Sustainability as a proven powerful vehicle for achieving this.

3      Recommendations

3.1    Add education for Sustainability as an expectation for all graduates:

Sustainability is an explicit goal of research.   Sustainability should also be explicit in teaching (rather than only implicit in “meet labour market demands”, and “world-class skills and knowledge”) and to complement the existing focus on productivity.

Produce graduates who will think and act as  sustainable practitioners for the benefit of New Zealand’s integrated economic and social development, and environmental management system.

3.2    Add sustainable practice as a core capability

Acting as a sustainable practitioner is core capability, much like literacy and numeracy (indeed “Eco-literacy” is an often used short hand) and with similar productivity benefits.

• continuing to assist adult learners to gain the literacy, language, numeracy, information literacy and ecoliteracy skills for higher level study or skilled employment

3.3    Promote interdisciplinary study and research

With a discipline-based panel structure, the Performance-Based Research Fund is not good at supporting interdisciplinary research such as sustainability.

Add an action plan (to “We will look at whether the Performance-Based Research Fund is working well for all parts of the sector”) to look at how it could better support interdisciplinary initiatives.