Sustainability

Principles and Practice

Chapter 1

What Is Sustainability?
Presented by:

Amir Bahadori

Ryerson University

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

 Agenda

• Introduction; Ice breaking

• course schedule and evaluation method
• Quiz (Group Activity)
• Video : Sustainability definition
• Chapter 1, What is Sustainability

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

2
Introduction

• Introduce yourself:
 Name
 Academic Background
 How long have been in Canada
 Current working status
 Something interesting about yourself

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

3
Green Economy Bridging Program: Class Schedule for CKSS 100 and Research Workshop
November 9 – December 11, 2015

Weeks Class Date Time Duration Instructor Classroom

Week 1 CKSS 100: Monday, November 9, 2015 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori
(Sustainability Tuesday, November 10 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori
Management One) - Wednesday, November 11 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori
39 Hrs

Week 2 Monday, November 16 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori

Tuesday, November 17 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori
Wednesday, November 18 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori

Week 3 Monday, November 23 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori

Tuesday, November 24 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori
Wednesday, November 25 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori

Week 4 Monday, November 30 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs

Tuesday, December 1 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori
Wednesday, December 2 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori

Week 5 Monday, December 7 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 3 hrs Amir Bahadori

End of CKSS 100

CKSS 105: Research Friday, December 11 TBA 3 hrs Saeed Nejatian

Workshop - 3 Hrs

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

METHOD AND SCHEDULE OF STUDENT EVALUATION:

Guidelines for assignments will be posted and found in the Blackboard

online learning management system.

 10% - Class presence and group project (Topics focusing on

Economic, Social and Environmental issues of our society.)
 25 % - Active Participation and interaction in project group activities,
Individual contribution (current news, articles, global events &
activities or other course related topics)
 20% - Individual/panel in-class presentation as part of Capstone
project preparation: Pre-approved topics from the course materials:
• In-class you will give a 10 minute Oral Presentation on the given
topic. Or,
• Project Assignment
 45% - Final Exam
_____________
100%

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

5
 In-class Group Practice

• What is Sustainability? (A definition)

• Name some of the sustainability buzzwords.

• What are some of the Social, Environmental, and

Economical Challenges?

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

6
Videos

• Simple definition of sustainability:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5r4loXPyx8
• Sustainability Definition: Scientific and Simple:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beidaN3SNdA

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

7
Chapter Topics

• What is sustainability?

• Challenges and responses

• Sustainability as a discipline

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

Sustainability – definitions

• Able to continue for a long time

• Needs of each member of the biosphere are met
without compromising ability of future generations
to meet their needs

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

Fundamental concepts

Systems

Sustainability

Triple
bottom
line Natural
capital

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

Systems
• Interconnected parts
• Whole greater than sum of its parts

U.S. Global Change Research Program

© 2014 Margaret Robertson
Systems

• Closed loops –
no waste
• Networks and
connections
• Diversity

National Park Service

• Constant flows

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

Natural capital
• Plants, animals, soil, water, air
• Ecosystem services
• Planetary “savings account”

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

© 2014 Margaret Robertson
Triple bottom line

Three pillars of
sustainability
are connected Equity

Environment Economy

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

Triple bottom line

Alternative
model Environment

Equity

Economy

Economy as wholly owned

subsidiary of environment
© 2014 Margaret Robertson
 Challenges Responses

Extinction • Individual contributions 

cumulative solutions
Population
• Regenerative era
Overshoot • Better quality of life

Pollution

Climate change

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

What is a discipline?

• Coherent body of knowledge

• Criteria for defining new knowledge
• Education programs
• Community of scholars
• Professional literature with peer review

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

Sustainability as a discipline

• Still forming
• Interdisciplinary

Sustainability
Knowledge
and Skills

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

Preparing to work in the field

• Broadest education possible

• Become a Renaissance man or woman
(change agent)
• Practice lifelong learning

• Develop critical thinking skills

• Learn to work with people

© 2014 Margaret Robertson

Chapter Summary
• What is sustainability?
• Persists over the long term
• Involves systems
• Includes triple bottom line

• Challenges and responses

• Planetary situation is dire
• Pieces of solutions can be seen
• Sustainability as a discipline
• Interdisciplinary field still forming
• Practitioners need broad education, critical thinking skills,
people skills

© 2014 Margaret Robertson