Chapter 19: Planning for a Sustainable Future Big Question: How Can We Plan, and Achieve, a Sustainable Environment?

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington The Ideal Sustainable Environment

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington The Process of Planning a Future Environmental planning occurs at every level:house, city, county, state, nation. All societies have usually tried to plan their use of land and resources. Our society has formal planning processes for land use. Environmental planning and review are closely related to how land is used.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Environmental Planning in a Democracy In a democracy, environmental planning leads to a tug-of-war. In planning, we need to achieve a balance. Who speaks for nature? Who legally represents the environment?

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington In Planning a Nation’s Landscapes, How Big Should Wildlands Be? Some argue that nature can be saved only by thinking big. The Wildlands Project argues that big predators are keys to ecosystems and require large home ranges. One proposal is to reclaim American prairie, removing towns and cities.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington The Wildlands Project The Wildlands Project has created a major controversy. A fundamental threat to American democracy? Good or bad science?

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Our Need for Nature in an Increasingly Urban Environment Modern humans first appeared in the Pleistocene era. Before the rise of civilization, our ancestors had to use all of their human senses to survive. Our world is becoming increasingly urban. Fewer people have much direct contact with nature.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington The Need for Nature in Cities Recent studies verify our need for nature in cities. Trees also help to protect us from air pollution and heat. How much contact with nature do we need?

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington The City Park Parks have become more and more important in cities. Frederick Law Olmsted designed Central Park in New York

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Olmsted's Influence in Seattle Olmsted’s parks were naturalistic, an example of “design with nature.” See the Friends of Seattle's Olmstead Parks Web site. For a list of Seattle boulevards he designed, influenced, or recommended, see the Seattle Parks and Recreation's "Park History – Olmstead Parks" Web page.Friends of Seattle's Olmstead ParksPark History – Olmstead Parks

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Garden Cities A system of countryside and urban landscapes with cities surrounded by greenbelts.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington The Ecological Capital of Brazil: How a City Transformed Itself Population increased to 1.5 million from 300,000 in 1950.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Curitiba By 1970, Curitiba was well on the way to becoming an example of environmental degradation and social decay. The city turned itself from an urban disaster into a model of planning and sustainability by 1995.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Curitiba's Transit System The public transportation system was a key factor. More than 1.3 million passengers ride buses each day.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Recycling in Curtiba Recycling solved Curitiba’s serious garbage problem. The city planned affordable housing and attractive parks.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Regional Planning: The Tennessee Valley Authority There was a time in the 20th century when large-scale environmental planning by the federal government was seen as a social good. The TVA was a successful experiment in regional environmental planning. It was responsible for promoting economic growth and social well-being across seven states suffering from exploitation of timber and petroleum, and severe poverty.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Environment and Law: A Horse, a Gun, and a Plan U.S. law has always emphasized individual rights--nearly unlimited discretion to use one’s own property however one wished. But an individual’s behavior can’t infringe on the rights of others. Another common-law doctrine is that of public trust: grants and limits governmental authority over certain natural areas such as navigable waterways.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Three Stages in the History of Federal Legislation Pertaining to Land and Natural Resources In the first stage, the goal was to convert public lands to private uses. For example, Homestead Act of 1862 Rights-of-way to railroad companies The second stage saw the beginning of protection for public lands.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Creating Parks Congress made Yosemite Valley a California state park in 1864, and created Yellowstone National Park in 1872.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington The Third Stage In the third stage, Congress enacted laws about the environment Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 1946 National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) in 1969

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Legal and Extralegal Processes In the 1980s, a new type of “radical” environmentalism arose: sit-ins, and sabotage (ecotage). Civil disobedience and ecotage make groups like the Sierra Club look like moderates. They have been successful in defending the environment in some instances. See the Wikipedia article on the Earth Liberation Front.Wikipedia article on the Earth Liberation Front

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Mediation Environmentalists are now relying more on the law, such as the Endangered Species Act. Some first seek peaceful ways to avoid the cost and delay of litigation, such as mediation. In some states, mediation is required by law.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Mediation versus Litigation The proposed hydroelectric project at Storm King Mountain illustrates mediation’s advantages over litigation.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington International Environmental Law and Diplomacy Some issues of concern to many nations are addressed by a collection of policies, agreements, and treaties loosely called international environmental law. Successful agreements include the Montreal Protocol of 1987 to reduce air pollutants that destroy stratospheric ozone

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington Protection by International Law Antarctica is one place where international law protects the environment.

Lesson 19 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington The Challenge to Students of the Environment To continue to work toward environmental and social justice for all the people in the world. To enhance the development of sustainability; to minimize local, regional, and global environmental degradation. To develop and support international agreements to control global warming and pollutants.

Chapter 19: Planning for a Sustainable Future This is the last slide of the last lesson. Again, please if there are any questions