Sustainable Development Task 3.

What is Sustainable Development?  The term "sustainable development" emerged from the 1987 report of the UN's World Commission on Environment and Development  The term has no legal definition. It means simply "...to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,"

Population: In the next 10 years about 800 million people will be added to the global population.

Food Food production will have to nearly double to meet the demands of this growth

Cities : At the beginning of the last century, only one in 10 people lived in cities. Now it's close to 50% - and it's still rising.

Pollution: Half the world's urban residents are exposed to potentially harmful amounts of sulphur dioxide, ozone and particulate matter in "smogs".

Biodiversity: Every year thousands of species become extinct due to human activity and the loss of natural habitat.

Forestry: Logging and land conversion to accommodate human demand has shrunk the world's forests by half.

Wetlands: Urban and industrial development claimed half the world's wetlands in the 20th Century

Water: Within 25 years, half the world's population could have trouble finding enough fresh water for drinking and irrigation.

Refugees: By 2025, the number of refugees fleeing floods and natural disasters could quadruple to 100 million.

Energy: For global development to be both fair and sustainable, the rich world may need to cut energy and resource use by 90% by 2050.

Transport: In the last 20 years there has been a two-thirds increase in global household energy use, road vehicle fleets have doubled, and air traffic has quadrupled.

Waste: As population, consumption and wealth increase, so does the quantity of waste we produce. The rich countries of the OECD produce an annual total of almost two tonnes of waste for every person.

Facts  It would take 1.2 Earths to regenerate resources at the rate we're using them.  It would take 1.2 Earths to regenerate resources at the rate we're using them.  Humans started to exceed nature's ability to regenerate from the mid-1980s onwards.  Humans started to exceed nature's ability to regenerate from the mid-1980s onwards.  In 1961 humans were using 70% of the capacity of the global biosphere. By 1999, that had risen to 120%.

What can you do to address the problems of Sustainability?  Fairtrade : anything with a Fairtrade label ensures that those who produce the goods are given enough money to sustain production, invest in development and support their families and the community. Buy products with this label and you help sustain poorer communities.  Organic food – reduction in pesticides, not only better for you but also better for the environment  Recycling – avoid putting waste in land fill sites which causes pollution, most things can be recycled and turned into new products. E.g. putting paper in a recycling bin means that it can be turned back into paper and fewer trees need to be cut down, 9 plastic bottles will make a fleece!.  Saving water – water meters mean that the more you use the more you pay ensuring that the additional money can go back into sustainable development. Simple things to do, turn off the tap when your brushing your teeth.

What is being done to try and address Sustainable Development  Generating Energy : wind power and solar power can be used in homes to reduce our reliance on gas and electricity.  Travel – going on holiday by plane ensures that we help poorer countries through tourism but the pollution from planes is massive. Planting more trees can help counteract these and additional money on flights would enable this to happen. This is called Carbon Ofsetting.

What is Deeside College Doing?  Aiming to achieve Flintshire Fair trade status in the current academic year  Aiming to increase awareness of fair trade through active involvement in fair trade fortnight, notice boards, information leaflets etc  Involved in an energy saving trial for vending machines  Encouraging recycling in café 6 and café talk and refectory areas  College prospectus & some leaflet on 70% recycled paper

What is Deeside College Doing? Measuring our environmental impact Reducing that impact:- Automatic lighting controls New heating boilers Use of solar energy Reducing waste & recycling Use of recycled materials Training staff & students Advising and supporting the local community

Task  In groups identify the following:  1. What do you do which is having a negative affect on the environment?  2. What do you do which is having a positive affect on the environment?  3. What would you class as the 3 most important things you need to change?  4. What could Deeside College do to improve sustainability?