1. Moving Toward
Sustainable Prosperity
Sustainable Growth
Ashley Tarleton, Michelle Dacey, Liam Rafferty,
Logan Cooney & Littleton Kirkpatrick

3. Outline
Moving Toward Sustainable Transport
From Light Green to Sustainable Buildings
Growing a Sustainable Future

4. “In this now universal contamination of the
environment, chemicals are the sinister
and little-recognized partners of radiation
in changing the very nature of the world-
the very nature of life.”
-Rachel Carson, “Obligation to Endure”

5. How Chapters Fit Together
Moving towards a
sustainable future
through agriculture,
buildings and
transportation.
All aspects include reducing pollution and being
more efficient with our resources.

6. Vandana Shiva talks
about the World
Future Council
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbnfJl9ULa8
A woman we are now all familiar with from our
readings and the “FLOW” film talks about the
issues concerning agriculture, sustainable water
use, sustainable cities, sustainable food systems,
and sustainable energy.

7. Relation to Our Course
Associated directly with course goals:
-knowing issues about sustainability as it relates to
the ecological features
-analyzing and evaluating ecological issues
-understanding sustainability, environmental
education, and ecological literacy

8. Chapter 4 – Moving Toward
Sustainable Transport
There is an increasing need to progress
towards demonstrating the viability and
potential to sustainable transport strategies
to meet the growing economies while
reducing costs and harm to the
environment.
Transportation gives people access to jobs,
markets and schools
Agenda 21 – an international action plan on
sustainable development that includes language
to support sustainable transport

9. The Problem

Today there are nearly 800 million cars on the
worlds roads

Expected to increase to 2-3 billion by 2050

Bulk of this growth occurring in developing countries

Rio Earth Summit 1992

International Action Plan for Sustainable Development

No commitments, targets, other forms of transport
were created

Most transport investments are geared toward
unsustainable forms or transport: high capacity
highways

10. The Problem Cont.

Unsustainable transport systems create heath
hazards

Increased risk of diseases related to airborne pollution

Congestion in cities and on highways

Forces people to spend more time in traffic

Wastes fuel

Increases the cost of transporting goods

More than 1.2 million people are killed each year
on the worlds roads

90% of these deaths occur in developing countries

12. The Problem Cont.

Transportation systems get worse as a country
becomes more prosperous

Massive growth in demand for transportation
systems in the next 20 years

Growth increases the air pollutants

80% of harmful air pollutants in developing
countries are caused by transportation

13. Global Transport Energy Use
Has grown 2-2.5
percent a year since
1970 and is forecast
to grow even quicker.
For every vehicle on
the roads today there
will be 3-4 for every
one by 2050
If trend continues will lead to catastrophic climate
change and impose health and environmental costs

14. The Problem Cont.

Unsustainable transportation systems also
harm the environment

Transportation is the fastest growing source of
global emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions are expected to
increase 250% by 2050

Carbon dioxide emissions are expected to
increase 300% by 2050

These increases are primarily in the
developing world

15. Moving Forward

International Agreements have all failed to
create sustainable transportation systems

1992 Rio conference

1997 Kyoto Protocol

2000 Millennium Development Goals

“Bottom-up Approach”

Nations create their own sustainability goals and
commitments

Financing comes from industrialized countries

16. Moving Forward Cont.

Sustainability Paradigm

Avoid unnecessary trips with smarter planning,
congestion pricing, and telecommunications

Shift trips to more sustainable modes with

sound, incentives, information, and investments

Improve vehicle efficiency with cleaner fuels,
better operated networks, and vehicle technology
that is better adapted to individual environments

17. Looking Ahead

If managed, sustainable transport can meet the
growing demand

Urban development and transportation should be
planned and adapted

International agreements need to contain specific
sustainability goals and targets

Public transportation needs to be utilized in urban
and city settings

decrease congestion

meet the needs of the growing population

19. Looking Ahead Cont.
Agenda 21 suggests “efficient and cost effective
approaches such as integrated land use and
transportation planning, high occupancy public
transport, safe cycleways and footpaths,
international information exchange and
reevaluation of present consumption and
production patterns.”

20. Principles for Transport in Urban
Life (Box 4.2)
-Walk: Develop neighborhood that promote
walking
-Cycle: Make cycle networks and secure cycle
parking a priority
-Connect: Create dense networks of streets and
paths
-Transit: Support high quality transit
-Mix: Plan for mixed uses
-Compact: Create dense regions with short
commutes
-Shift: Increase mobility by regulating parking and
road use

21. Chapter 10 – From Light Green to
Sustainable Buildings

We live in the, “Built Environment”

Construction accounts for 1/3 of resources consumed
globally

12% of all fresh water usage

25-40% of produced energy used by construction
 Accounts for 30-40% of CO2 emissions and solid waste

22. 
In 2030, 1.4 billion more people will live in cities rather
than rural areas

Soon there will be more construction on the planet
than ever before causing long term impacts

Even though it’s impact is minimal, “Green building” is
becoming popular

Alternative energy sources (Solar ad public
transportation)

24. Policies at Work: Sticks, Carrots,
and Tambourines

Land use and building acts and codes are
“Sticks”

Policies can control, motivate, or call for attention
via regulations and incentives

Most regulation acts and codes only formulate
mandatory requirements and minimum standards

25. It should mandate “Prescriptive Regulation”:

Ideal Solution

Expected Performance (Ex: how long a building
has to resist fire before collapse)

Prohibiting specific materials (asbestos, illegal
timber, etc.)

26. “Carrots” are incentives to motivate companies to
go beyond the bare minimum requirements

Subsidies

Green mortgages

Direct public investment

Taxation policies

27. 
“Tambourines” are tools that raise awareness to
sustainable buildings

Informs people of the best traditional and
contemporary solutions

Ex: Newsletters, websites, and publicity
campaigns

Car-Free days organized by cities

28. In Search of a Best Policy

Specific policies are the cheapest and most
efficient ways to achieve sustainable construction

Must include measurable and attainable goals

Sustainable Infrastructure – Sustainable Building
Alliance

29. Six core indicators presented to SBA
 GHG Emissions – CO2eq

Primary Energy

Water

Wastes (Hazardous, Nonhazardous, Inert and Nuclear)

Thermal Comfort
 Indoor Air Quality (CO in ppm and Formaldehyde in
2
micrograms per cubic meter)

These points cover main aspects of resources and
emissions but it not complete list

The main goal is complete, sustainable use of resources
and restriction of emissions

30. Chapter 13 – Growing a Sustainable
Future
The state of agriculture today

Conventional agriculture-a dominant way of thinking
about agriculture.
Examples: increasing water abstraction, only a
handful of high-yielding crop varieties, and
using petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides

In 2011, 1 in 7 individuals worldwide was chronically
undernourished.

The global food system is both contrition to degradation
of the natural resource base and being squeezed by
competing demands.

32. The key role of small-scale producers
in a sustainable food system

Changes are required across the whole food
system, including critical shifts in large-scale
production.

Almost 2 billion people are fed by produce from
the 500 million farms in developing countries.

80% of hungry people live in rural areas

Supporting small-scale food producers can build
sustainability and resilience to climate shocks.

35. The importance of addressing
gender inequalities

In Africa, women conduct 60% of the harvesting
and marketing activities, 80% of storage and
transport, 90% of hoeing and weeding, and 100%
of processing of basic foods.

If woman had the same level of access as men,
their farm output would increase by 20-30% and
global hunger would decline by 12-17%
(according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization).

36. The need for better access

Although land and water rights are often tied,
access to water resources is essential in its own
right.

Community-based integrated water resource
management can help communities keep water
use within ecological limits

While access to resources is critical, knowledge
and information can increase productivity

37. Moving forward

Without government intervention to direct a more
rapid transition, markets and the vested interests
that govern them will not lead us toward a
sustainable agriculture future.

There is no perfect blueprint for sustainable
agriculture globally

Several practical approaches exist

38. Analysis
With the focus on increasing the quantity and
quality of investment in small-scale food
production, applying a gender lens to
investments, and addressing issues of access
alongside intentional cultivation of a more agro-
ecological approach to farming, we could indeed
grow a food system that achieves food security
while sustaining Earth’s systems and
maintaining ecosystem diversity.

39. Alternative Solutions

Plant a garden.

Drive a hybrid vehicle.

Use public transportation.

Buy local grown produce and local raised meat
products.

Use Energy Star appliances.

Improve your home’s insulation.

Purchase a high-efficiency AC unit.

Use a solar power system for you pool.

40. Want To Know More?
http://www.nahbgreen.org/-Describes US standards and measures for
green construction.
http://www.earthtimes.org/encyclopaedia/environmental-issues/sustainable-tra
-Gives an overview of sustainable transportation and alternative fuel
methods.
http://foodalliance.org/-Has resources for consumer, farmers
http://www.umb.edu/serc/-University of Mass. Website has research on
environmental sustainability.
http://www.itssd.org/-Institute for Trade, Standards, and Sustainable
Development, organization that promotes and implements a positive
paradigm of sustainable development.
http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/-Global non-profit founded in
1988.
http://www.breeam.org/-Design and assessment methods for sustainable
building.
http://www.echonet.org/-Non-profit organization that researches
sustainable solutions to world hunger.

41. Conclusion
It is important to understand all aspects of
sustainability to make an impact. As a global
community we are all responsible to use
sustainable practices in order to preserve and
protect our environment.