TREN 1F90 Introduction to Sustainability

courses/tren1f90/ These notes available via the online course outline on Isaak / Sakai or (after lectures) at:

TREN 1F90 Introduction to Sustainability u u Definitions – –multi-, inter-, and trans- disciplinarity – –environment – –policy – –scale – –jurisdiction u u Elements of Sustainable Development

What do you answer if someone asks you, – – What is your major?

What do you answer if someone asks you, – –What is your major? – –What are your career goals after university?

career goals academic major professional identity Normativecategories

doctor lawyer police officer mechanic paramedic Normativecategories

linguistics psychology mathematics biology sociology Normativecategories “disciplines”

Ivory tower academia

This network of disciplines shows how different areas in the large JSTOR collection of scholarly journals are connected. Thicker lines represent more back-and-forth journal citations; thinner lines indicate less communication. Original work by biologists Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West. - Howard, Jennifer (2011) – Chronicle of Higher Education, 24 Sept 2011 Improving communication amongst disciplines: Academic to academic

Baron, Nancy Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter. Island Press. 272 pp. Improving communication amongst disciplines: academics to the public

Making the POLICY CONNECTION

disciplinary disciplinary Multidisciplinary Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary - what are the differences? Reference: Stefanovic, Ingrid Interdisciplinarity and Wholeness: Lessons from Eco-Research. and Wholeness: Lessons from Eco-Research. Environments 23(3): Environments 23(3):

Disciplinary: u of or pertaining to a discrete branch of learning u knowledge within generally accepted boundaries

Disciplinary: u often associated with discipline-specific vocabularies, methods, and assumptions u Examples of disciplines: sociology, philosophy, biology, political science, chemistry, economics, geography, mathematics... sociology, philosophy, biology, political science, chemistry, economics, geography, mathematics...

Multidisciplinary: u standard disciplinary approaches are applied to a common research question, problem or issue u insights achieved through an approach which is essentially additive rather than integrative

Multidisciplinary: u a spontaneous coalescence of these different approaches is anticipated u arguably the approach which produces the most substantive research results

ISSUE

discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline

Interdisciplinary: u the issue, problem, or concern defines the disciplinary expertise which is brought to bear …arguably the most effective policy- oriented problem-solving approach

Interdisciplinary: u a level of integration which involves more than an additive analysis of the disciplinary perspectives u insights are achieved through an approach which is explicitly integrative -> an attempt is made beforehand to synthesize across disciplinary boundaries

ISSUE

disciplinediscipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline

sector sector ISSUE sector sector

Transdisciplinary: u recognizes the interconnectedness of all aspects of reality and knowledge u Goal: distinctions amongst disciplines are eliminated completely

Transdisciplinary: u “an attempt to transcend the dynamics of a dialectical synthesis to grasp the total dynamics of reality as a whole” u Examples of transdisciplinary endeavour: –general systems theory –phenomenology

disciplinediscipline ISSUE discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline disciplinediscipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline discipline

definitions, tools and frameworks

en·vi·ron·ment [n] 1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded 1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded 2 a : the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival 2 a : the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival b : the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community. b : the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community. - Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2012

environment [n] the totality of surrounding conditions. [n] the totality of surrounding conditions.

environmental effects … are felt, and modified, in 3 main ways - through the flows of: … are felt, and modified, in 3 main ways - through the flows of: MATERIALS MATERIALS ENERGY ENERGY INFORMATION INFORMATION -> fundamental ‘spheres of influence’ for sustainability -> fundamental ‘spheres of influence’ for sustainability

policy … a course or general plan of action to be adopted by a government, party, person, etc. … a course or general plan of action to be adopted by a government, party, person, etc. - Concise Oxford Dictionary

policy …a selected, planned line of conduct in the light of which individual decisions are made and coordination achieved …a selected, planned line of conduct in the light of which individual decisions are made and coordination achieved - Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

ENVI conceptual tools

scale - an ordered series of graduated quantities, values, degrees, etc. - relative magnitude - Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

scale may be: - physical / geographical - physical / geographical –ranking based upon size, dimension, geographical subunit, etc. - ecological - ecological –individual, deme, community, population - jurisdictional - jurisdictional –local, municipal, regional, federal, global

scale earthcontinentcountryprovinceregionmunicipalityneighbourhoodhouseholdindividual United Nations..governments.. ngos / community groups. individuals individuals GLOBAL / MACRO LOCAL / MICRO spatial jurisdictional / decision making jurisdictional / decision making

jurisdiction - the legal power to administer and enforce the law - the exercising of this power - the region within which this power is valid, or in which a person or agency has authority - authority - Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary

jurisdiction Tourism case study: Access and signage on the Laura Secord Legacy Trail Tourism case study: Access and signage on the Laura Secord Legacy Trail Friends of Laura Secord community group want to create a trail that approximates the 32 km walk taken by Laura Secord on 22 June 1813

jurisdiction u Seek designation and marking of a simple footpath on existing trails or walkways from Queenston to Thorold

jurisdiction More than 25 jurisdictions involved: u Town of NOTL u City of Niagara Falls u City of St. Catharines u City of Thorold u Regional Municipality of Niagara u Ontario Power Generation u Ontario Ministry of Transportation (QEW crossing) u Parks Ontario (Short Hills Provincial Park) u Niagara Parks Commission u Bruce Trail Club u 11 private landowners along Bruce Trail u St. Lawrence Seaway Authority (canal bridge) u Stamford Volunteer Firemen’s Association u Brock University u Niagara College

jurisdiction Jurisdictional agreements / permissions: u MTO (QEW crossing) u MNR / Parks Ontario (Env. impact assessment; pedestrian bridge crossing on 12 Mile Creek) u Fisheries and Oceans Canada (fish habitat impacts) u NPCA (watershed management concerns) u OPG / City of St. Catharines (liability and land access agreements) u Niagara Regional Police (road crossings) u Niagara Parks Commission (road crossings, access)

jurisdiction Signage: Installation requires - –Approval of design and materials –Permission for installation on land in different jurisdictions –Permission from individual pole / post owner: hydro, phone, cable TV, municipal traffic poles, lighting poles –Use of approved labour, or appropriate tendering of contracts, for new pole installation and mounting of signs –Maintenance plan for future