Sustainable%20Living

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Sustainable Living
A global and personal perspective
Think globally act neighborly
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Sustainability is.

• providing for the NEEDS of ALL people alive
  today, without jeopardizing future generations.
• and we know that.

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.we know that

• there is a difference between human wants and
  human needs.
• Gandhi said that the world could surely provide
  for the needs of the many but not the greed of
  the few.

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Okay, but Im a sinner..

• How do I know if something is sustainable?

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The Sustainability Triangle
Social Equity
The quest for sustainability
  Economic
Environmental
Vitality
Integrity
Perspective
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Sustainable Living..
So, what is the problem?
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World Population
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Two problems.

• Too many people
• Impact per person

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Ecological Footprint A measure of the load
imposed by a given population on nature, or the
land necessary to sustain resource consumption
and waste discharge.
Our Ecological Footprint, by M. Wackernagel and
W. Rees
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Water Shortages

• Major global problem areas

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And the big one!

• Humankind expends in one year an amount of fossil
  fuel that it took nature roughly a million years
  to produce.

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What do we do with all the stuff?
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What do the scientists say?

• 1972 Limits to Growth is published by
• D. Meadows et al.
• MIT systems modelers take a look at the future
  resulting in lots of debate

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World3 MIT Computer Model

• A computer model of the world including data on
• Population
• Food production
• Pollution
• Natural resource use
• Industrial growth

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The standard run

• What happens (according to World 3) if we just
  keep on keeping on.
• well, then.

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World 3 the standard run
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World 3 the standard run
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But what if resources double

• Well find more oil!

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The doubled resources run
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Other what ifs

• Increasingly effective pollution controls
• Increasing agricultural production/acre
• Effective soil erosion controls
• More efficient resource use (technology)
• All these help, by either delaying or softening
  the pain somewhat.

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Results of other what ifs..

• Possible scenarios

?
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What works?

• Three major changes make huge differences
• Two children per family and,
• Reasonable industrial output (stuff) or, enough
  is enough!
• We invest in new sustainable technologies.

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Well, then.
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Well, then.
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What do the scientists say now?

• 1972 Limits of Growth lots of debate!
• 2004 Limits to Growth 30 Years later
• The model is mostly correct, so far.
• And, we still have a choice!

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So, what do we need to do?

• Two children per family
• Enough is enough!
• Appropriate and efficient new sustainable
  technologies
• Is this possible?
• What prevents us from making the shift?

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maybe selfishness maybe greed maybe ??????
Well..
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One of the problems is the way we think about the
world!Our mental models
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• The problems that we have created cannot be
  solved at the level of thinking that created
  them.
• -Albert Einstein

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Why do we continue to make the same mistakes over
and over?

• The iceberg model of systemic relationships is
  a simple tool to understand root causes.
• Lets look deeper..

Events
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Systems thinking looks below events and patterns
of behavior
Events
Patterns of Behavior
Systemic Structure
Mental Models
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We need to look deeper than events.
Non-sustainable action Non-sustainable Pattern
Non-sustainable structures
____ Non-sustainable Mental Models
Events
Patterns of Behavior
Systemic Structure
Mental Models
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We need to look deeper than events.
Plastic water bottle that is used once
Convenience, non-responsibility Systems that
make plastic bottles cheap ____ The world is
organized as a linear throughput of material!
Events
Patterns of Behavior
Systemic Structure
Mental Models
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Heres a mental model...
The world is organized as a linear throughput
of material
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Water bottles that we use onceand will last for
a thousand years
Non-sustainable action
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Non-sustainable action
S
Non-sustainable Action
Non-sustainable Pattern
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Like lots of water bottles!
Non-sustainable patterns
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Create NS Structures
S
Non-sustainable Action
Non-sustainable Pattern
Non-sustainable Structures
S
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Non-sustainable structures
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Create NS Mental Models
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Non-sustainable Action
Non-sustainable Pattern
Non-sustainable Mental Models
Non-sustainable Structures
S
S
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Which creates a Reinforcing Feedback Loop
S
S
Non-sustainable Action
Non-sustainable Pattern
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Non-sustainable Mental Models
Non-sustainable Structures
S
S
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Feedback loops are powerful

• We know about vicious cycles
• You hit me. I hit you harder. You hit me
  harder. I hit you
• Hate breeds hurt - hurt breeds hatehate breeds
  hurt.
• I feel bad so I take something I feel better
  for a while, but then.. I feel bad, so.

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Reinforcing feedback loops are powerful

• But, with these loops, eventually

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Something always happens..
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Lets call it something to learn
Non-sustainable Action
Non-sustainable Pattern
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Non-sustainable Mental Models
Non-sustainable Structures
Something to Learn
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It is often painful!
Non-sustainable Action
Non-sustainable Pattern
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Pain and Confusion
Non-sustainable Mental Models
Non-sustainable Structures
Something to Learn
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We can get stuck here!
Defensive behavior
Non-sustainable Action
Non-sustainable Pattern
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Pain and Confusion
Non-sustainable Mental Models
Non-sustainable Structures
Something to Learn
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The way out is through acceptance followed by
wonder and awe.
Non-sustainable Action
Non-sustainable Pattern
Wonder and Awe
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Pain and Confusion
Non-sustainable Mental Models
Non-sustainable Structures
Something to Learn
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Wonder and awe allows us to try something new
Change
Non-sustainable Action
Non-sustainable Pattern
Wonder and Awe
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Pain and Confusion
Non-sustainable Mental Models
Non-sustainable Structures
Something to Learn
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A new reinforcing feedback loop
Sustainable Action
Sustainable Pattern
Wonder and Awe
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Sustainable Mental Models
Sustainable Structures
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We have a choice!

• We can find our way out of these loops through
• pain and confusion - and eventually we will!
• or.
• We can choose to create sustainable reinforcing
  feedback loops through
• voluntary small actions
• and
• 2. changes in mental models.

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We can begin either with action or mental models
Change this
Non-sustainable Action
Non-sustainable Pattern
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Non-sustainable Mental Models
Non-sustainable Structures
Or This
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Because thoughts create actions create thoughts
create..
actions
thoughts
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Heres the good news!

• We can choose to create a new world through
  sustainable reinforcing feedback loops...
• But how?

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Virtuous feedback loops can be just as powerful
as the vicious ones

• Through small actions, like
• Adding worms to your compost
• Smiling
• Holding the door open for someone
• Changing a light bulb
• Making salt (April 6, 1930)

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Spirals of change begin with small acts
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Change a light, save the world!
SMALL acts can begin a journey toward.
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..big shifts in consciousness..
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Can small ideas or actions cause big effects?

• Well, how about a single word, like.

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• Yawn

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Spirals of change
Cycles of hope
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Whats this got to do with me?

• Well the truth is, you and I choose to live in a
  way that will eventually result in collapse.

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We are the problem.

• I belong to the 20 percent of the worlds
  population that uses 67 of the planets
  resources and generates 75 percent of its
  pollution and waste.
• Barbara
  Kingsolver
• Small Wonder

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But what can I do?
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Choose your own action
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Lets start with food.- Eat local foods- Take
kitchen wastes to a compost- Make a worm compost
in your kitchen (or dorm room)- Recycle and
reuse what you can- Join a CSA (a what?)
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Community Supported AgSomewhere near you, Im
sure is a farmer who desperately needs your
support..
From Small Wonder
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It takes a village.
Community Supported Agriculture
(www.buylocalfood.com)
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Food.The average food item set before a U.S.
consumer traveled 1300 miles to get
there.Transporting 5 calories worth of
strawberry from California to New York costs 435
calories of fossil fuel.
So, what do I do?
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Grow a garden!

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using ecological principles
PLNTSOIL 398 P Permaculture Class - Summer
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Chickens in my backyard?

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Start small.
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The unheated hoop house
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Bees are very busy
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And while you are a student ?- Demand local
foods in the dining halls- Dont take more than
you can eat- Avoid fast foods and.- Join a
student garden.
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What else could I do?

• Change a light bulb
• Turn off the water when you brush your teeth
• Return the packaging to the store
• Turn off the lights when you leave the room
• Ride a bike or walk
• Learn to listen
• Join the Great Turning!

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Okay, so what else?

• Well, why not do one simple thing?
• Like.

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Compact Fluorescents save energy
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Turn off the computer!
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Fair Trade Coffee
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What about hemp?
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Plastic Bag Drier
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Waste Food
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Worms in the basement
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The worms love it here
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And even here.
.the dorm room model
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The new worm condo
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And outdoor compost too
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Compost collection in my office
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And wood heat
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Energy Efficient Appliances
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Use the sun to dry your clothes
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Returning the milk bottles
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The big decision!
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Spirals of change begin with small acts
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Sustainable Living

• Joanna Macy invites us all to join in the great
  turning.

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Do I really care?
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The surveys say we care!We say we care about
family, people, nature, and good food butwe
eat fast food and toss out the wrapper.
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Lack of sanity is Saying one thing and doing
anotherWhen our core values are inconsistent
with our daily actions we are no longer sane.
- I know..
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Who will lead the way?

• Politicians?
• Corporate leaders?
• People!

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Who thinks and acts in sustainable time frames?
Who will lead the way?
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Time horizon for thinking and planning

• Corporate Leaders
• 3 months
• Politicians
• 2 - 4 years
• Child born in 1980
• 75 years

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But, Im only one person.
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And ..
I am awesome
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• Perhaps.
• it is not necessary
• to do great things.

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• ..just small things
• with great love.
• Mother Teresa

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Barbara Kingsolver wrote in Small Wonder

• Our revolution will have dancing and excellent
  food!

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To learn more.. join us!

HONORS 397I Leadership for Social Change -
Winter PLSOILIN 265 Sustainable Ag
Fall PLSOILIN 285 Sustainable Living
Spring PLSOILIN 298G GardenShare year
round PLSOILIN 397S Dialogue on Ag
Issues PLSOILIN 389P Permaculture -
Summer PLSOILIN 597S Ag Systems Thinking
Spring
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Please call me to chat. jgerber_at_psis.umass.edu

• http//people.umass.edu/jgerber/