2. SPSF2022-1: Sustainability & Sustainable Development
Textbooks
Book 1. Sachs, J.D. (2015).
The Age of Sustainable Development, Columbia Uni Pr https://amzn.to/2Sz5N2Z
Chap. 1: Introduction to SD
- SD tries to make sense of the interactions of three complex systems: the world economy, the global society, and the Earth’s physical environment (p.2).
- The normative side of SD envisions four basic objectives of a good society: economic prosperity; social inclusion and cohesion; environmental sustainability; and good governance by major social actors, including governments and business (p.3).
- The definition of SD, Brundtland Comission (1987: 41)
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland Commission, 1987:41)
Five kinds of concerns about the distribution of WB:
1) extreme poverty
2) inequality
3) social mobility
4) discrimination
5) social cohesion (p.10)
What is BAU for SD?
Book 2. Mulligan, M. (2018).
An Introduction to Sustainability: Environmental, Social and Personal Perspectives, Routledge https://amzn.to/3wLgMcu
Data Activities
A. Life Expectancy (Group)
Graph life expectancy (y‐axis) versus income (x‐axis) in Gapminder http://www.gapminder.org/world. Select Japan and Somalia. Beginning at 1800, press “Play,” and trace out the change in life expectancy over the last two centuries. Make sure to select “trails” in order to draw the time series. Compare Japan and Somalia.
- What is the current life expectancy in Somalia?
- In what year was Japan's life expectancy last at Somalia's current level?
B. GDP growth and the rule of 70 (Group)
Go to the World Development Indicators (WDI) database (http://data.worldbank.org/indicator), and find the 2019 GDP growth rates for Brazil, China, Estonia, India, Japan, and Zambia. What is the approximate doubling time of each of those economies if the growth rate does not change over that time?
C. Income per capita and Gapminder (Class)
Go tohttp://www.gapminder.org/world. Graph “Total population” on the y‐axis versus “Income per person”(GDP/capita, PPP$ inflation‐adjusted) on the x‐axis.
- Play from 1800 to the current once. Next, try using a log scale for both axes. What changes? Do you think the graph is more or less readable when using a log scale? Explain why.
- Describe and comment on the evolution of population and income per capita in the following periods: From 1800 to 1850, from 1850 to 1900, from 1900 to 1960, from 1960 to 2000, and from 2000 to 2013.
Discussions:
Pick up one for a group discussion
- Providing precise examples, discuss whether there is an obvious relationship between economic growth and sustainable development.
- Why and how is technological change related to sustainable development? Is this good or bad? Provide precise examples.
- Discuss the potential trade‐offs and synergies that might exist in achieving sustainable development.
Key Concepts
Anthropocene
- Welcome to the Anthropocene
-
Oxford University Press
- "The era of the Anthropocene is the most recent period of planetary evolution where the human footprint has become so profound that it begins to change the course of evolution so much that it calls for humankind to learn how to act as stewards of a livable future for all. " (Kuenkel 2019 Loc: 8903) https://amzn.to/2PnF2u5
- Books about Anthropocene are increasing Google Ngram Viewer
Planetary Boundaries
- Planetary Boundaries: Let the environment guide our development | Johan Rockstrom
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University
Doughnut Economics
2. https://youtu.be/V2vN_fu-wns
3. https://youtu.be/SOKHWOMVMyo
4. https://youtu.be/mNUMkPltnnE
5. https://youtu.be/FqnFa0POTpM
6. https://youtu.be/XcgcMpgbNHA
7. https://youtu.be/5zkqGEaztRM
8. https://youtu.be/gxcez9kE19w
