Engaging Students and the Research Community in Sustainability Challenges One academic’s view: Pamela Matson Stanford University School of Earth Sciences & The Woods Institute for the Environment

What does “sustainability” mean?

Nature Earth Biodiversity Ecosystems Life Support Ecosystem Services Resources Environment Community Cultures Groups Places What Is To Be Sustained? People Child Survival Life Expectancy Education Equity Equal Opportunity Economy Wealth Productive Sectors Consumption Society Institutions Social Capital States Regions For How Long? 25 years “Now and in the future” Forever Linked By Only Mostly But And Or Figure 1.1 Sustainable development: common concerns, differing emphases. Sustainability can be a confused and contested term…

The Business World is comfortable with: The three legged stool 3E’s Triple Bottom Line

Many different definitions, but most have in common an attention to both people and their environment, and the well-being of future generations as well as the well-being of people today

The most critical goal of the 21st Century: Meeting the needs of people today and in the future Sustaining the life support systems of the planet NRC Our Common Journey

1 – 2 billion persons are… illiterate adults without adequate shelter without access to safe water or sanitation without access to electricity undernourished 7,000,000,000 Social needs are not being met

- Air Pollution - Climate change - Acidification of the oceans - ~50% land surface has been converted - Biodiversity loss 100+ times faster - 60% of ecosystem services in decline - Water and soil resources limitations - Nitrogen over-enrichment - Mineral resource limitations 7,000,000,000 Life support systems are degraded

Meeting the needs of people today Sustaining atmosphere, water, climate and ecosystems

Meeting the needs of people today Sustaining atmosphere, water, climate and ecosystems

food energy water education Air quality Water quality, quantity Climate change Species loss Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems

Meeting the needs of people today Sustaining atmosphere, water, climate and ecosystems

What will it take for a transition to sustainability? - new knowledge, tools and approaches - knowledge linked to action - educated leaders and the public

What will it take for a transition to sustainability? - new knowledge, tools and approaches - knowledge linked to action - educated leaders and the public - hope, inspiration, and motivation - the will to change and to ‘walk the walk’ - leadership by corporations, citizens, governments, non-profits, universities ( and a stable human population….)

What will it take for a transition to sustainability? - new knowledge, tools and approaches

Areas for Action Water-- -CitiesUrban Challenge -Industry Energy BiodiversityLiving ResourcesSpecies & Ecosystems Agriculture Food Security HealthHuman Population Population Kofi Annan, 2002 WSSD:An Achievable agenda NAS-BSD, 1999 Our Common Journey WCED, 1987 Our Common Future

Areas for Action Water-- -CitiesUrban Challenge -Industry Energy BiodiversityLiving ResourcesSpecies & Ecosystems Agriculture Food Security HealthHuman Population Population Kofi Annan, 2002 WSSD:An Achievable agenda NAS-BSD, 1999 Our Common Journey WCED, 1987 Our Common Future

energy supply is the source of most – indoor and outdoor air pollution – hydrocarbon and trace-metal pollution of soil and ground water – oil added by humans to the seas – carbon dioxide emissions, leading to climate change Environmentally…

In research, education, and business, a focus on Energy Alternatives Solar Wind Water Ocean sources Nuclear Geothermal Biofuels Fuel switching (to natural gas) Carbon capture and storage

food energy water education Air qualit y Water Quality, quantity Climate change Species loss Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems An energy focus, but not a sustainability focus?

food energy water education Air quality Water Quality, quantity Climate change Species loss Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems

food energy water education Air quality Water Quality, quantity Climate change Species, ecosystem loss Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems

food energy water education Air quality Water Quality, quantity Climate change Species, ecosystem loss Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems The nexus of energy, food, water, climate, etc

Energy alternatives in the context of human needs and life support systems Solar Wind Water Ocean sources Nuclear Geothermal Biofuels ….. GHG and Climate Change Food production and security Biodiversity Ecosystem services Water resources Other pollutants Trade and security Equity and justice Governance and institutions GHG and Climate Change Food production and security Biodiversity Ecosystem services Water resources Other pollutants Trade and security Equity and justice Governance and institutions

Areas for Action Water-- -CitiesUrban Challenge -Industry Energy BiodiversityLiving ResourcesSpecies & Ecosystems Agriculture Food Security HealthHuman Population Population Kofi Annan, 2002 WSSD:An Achievable agenda NAS-BSD, 1999 Our Common Journey WCED, 1987 Our Common Future

food energy water shelter Air quality Water Quality, quantity Climate change Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems Biodiversity Species loss A conservation focus, but not a sustainability focus

food energy water shelter Air quality Water Quality, quantity Climate change Biodiversity Species loss Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems

food energy water shelter Air quality Water Quality, quantity Climate change Biodiversity Species loss Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems

An ecosystem services perspective Seafood Food Crops & Livestock Forest Products Energy Crops Carbon storage Provision of Water Fire Prevention Flood Control Sedimentation Control Pest Control Pollination Spiritual Values Educational Values Inspiration Aesthetic Values Social Relations Sense of Place Recreation Tourism Options: e.g., Biodiversity

Areas for Action Meeting Needs and Protecting Life Support Systems Water-- -CitiesUrban Challenge -Industry Energy BiodiversityLiving ResourcesSpecies & Ecosystems Agriculture Food Security HealthHuman Population Population Kofi Annan, 2002 WSSD:An Achievable agenda NAS-BSD, 1999 Our Common Journey WCED, 1987 Our Common Future

food energy water shelter Air quality Water Quality, quantity Climate change Biodiversity Species loss Focus at the intersection of human needs and life support systems Version 1 Program focused on the Nexus: Integrating multi-disciplinary knowledge and perspectives to understand and develop viable solutions for people and the environment

Earth Systems Program Stanford’s interdisciplinary major in environment and sustainability created in 1992 to provide a new type of education in problem solving for environment and resource challenges 2012: 175 majors and 56 co-terminal masters Tracks: - Biosphere - Oceans - Agriculture/land systems - Energy - Anthrosphere - Climate Engages: 54 Faculty / 17 Departments / 6 Schools, School of Earth Sciences is “home”

What will it take for a transition to sustainability? - new knowledge, tools and approaches

Version 2 Key sustainability issues (cross-cutting, relevant no matter what nexus) Understanding production-consumption relationships Analyzing and managing synergies and tradeoffs between human well-being and the environment Maximizing resilience and reducing vulnerability of coupled human-environment systems Identifying tipping points and thresholds Understanding and improving governance systems Improving models of human-environment systems Designing effective decision support systems Monitoring progress toward sustainability Encouraging innovation Clark and Levin 2010, Kates et al 2001

Version 3 Sustainability Impact = P x C/P x I/C Population Consumption per capita Impact per consumption Robert Kates, after Holdren and Ehrlich

Sustainability Impact = P x C/P x I/C Population Consumption per capita Impact per consumption

“Guess how many people this jar can hold before something really bad happens. Hint: don’t guess wrong.”

Source: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects, The 2008 Revision. World Population Growth Is Almost Entirely Concentrated in the World's Poorer Countries… and it is slowing. World Population (in Billions):

Total Fertility Rate (~kids per family) 1950: : 2.5 (ranges from )

Population Growth is slowing and a stable population is within sight! But: - fertility rates could drop further and “momentum” could be slowed Health care, reduced infant mortality rates, family planning, education and employment opportunities for women make a difference….

Consumption per person - levels of consumption needs to increase in the less developed world, but how much is enough? - can it decrease in the developed world? Sustainability Impact = P x C/P x I/C

Understanding consumer decision-making requires the combination of ethics, economics, history, psychology, sociology, anthropology… What does it take to satisfy and satiate?

Sustainability Impact = P x C/P x I/C Impact per consumption Lots of progress and lots of opportunity “ the new industrial revolution”

Version 3 Maybe useful for a course, probably not a program!! Sustainability Impact = P x C/P x I/C Population Consumption per capita Impact per consumption Kates, after Holdren and Ehrlich

What other versions??

A Transition to Sustainability? What will it take?

What will it take for a transition to sustainability? - new knowledge, tools and approaches

Sustainability Science Focus on interactions in the human-environment system (or human-technology-environment interactions) Focus is on development and use of fundamental knowledge not just for understanding but for problem solving Usually interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary Often place-based; attention to scale and cross-scale interactions

Quest for Fundamental understanding ?

What will it take for a transition to sustainability? - new knowledge, tools and approaches - linking knowledge to action

How can we most effectively link knowledge with decision making for sustainability??

The “pipeline” model of knowledge and technology transfer rarely works…. Knowledge producers Knowledge users

Reject the “pipeline” model of knowledge and technology transfer Knowledge producers Knowledge Users -Promote multi-directional, on-going information flow and dialogue - Promote collaborative production of trusted knowledge, involve stakeholders in its creation Clark, Matson, Lebel, Gallopin, et al For students, service learning, in university operations and beyond, is one way to engage

What will it take for a transition to sustainability? - new knowledge, tools and approaches - linking knowledge to action - educating leaders and the public

What will it take for a transition to sustainability? - new knowledge, tools and approaches - linking knowledge to action - educating leaders and the public We’re here to learn from each other!

What will it take for a transition to sustainability? - new knowledge, tools and approaches - linking knowledge to action - educating leaders and the public - hope, inspiration, and motivation - the will to change and to ‘walk the walk’ - leadership by corporations, citizens, governments, non-profits, universities ( and a stable human population….)

IMAGINE!