Sustainable Development

Santa Barbara oil spill

• Santa Barbara oil spill occurred in January and
February 1969 in the Santa Barbara Channel,
near the city of Santa Barbara in Southern
California.
• Ranks third after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon
and 1989 Exxon Valdez spills.
• The source of the spill was a blow-out on
January 28, 1969, 6 miles (10 km) from the
coast on Union Oil's Platform
• Within a ten-day period, an estimated 80,000 to
100,000 barrels (13,000 to 16,000 m3) of crude
oil spilled into the Channel and onto the beaches
of Santa Barbara County in Southern California.
• The spill had a significant impact on marine life
in the Channel, killing an estimated 3,500 sea
birds, as well as marine animals.
• The public outrage engendered by the spill,
which received prominent media coverage in the
United States.
• Resulted in numerous pieces of environmental
legislation within the next several years,
legislation that forms the legal and regulatory
framework for the modern environmental
movement in the U.S
 Exxon Valdez oil
• Occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, March 24, 1989,
when Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker owned by Exxon
Shipping Company, bound for Long Beach, California,
struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef.
• Spilled 10.8 million US gallons (260,000 bbl) (or 37,000
metric tonnes) of crude oil over the next few days.
• It is considered to be one of the worst human-caused
environmental disasters.
• The Valdez spill is the second largest in US waters,in terms
of volume released.
• Prince William Sound's remote location, accessible only by
helicopter, plane, or boat, made government and industry
response efforts difficult and severely taxed existing
response plans.
• The region is a habitat for salmon, sea otters, seals and
seabirds. The oil, originally extracted at the Prudhoe Bay
Oil Field, eventually affected 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of
coastline, of which 200 miles (320 km) were heavily or
moderately oiled
 Deepwater Horizon oil spill
• Also referred to as the BP oil spill, oil leak, or oil disaster;
the Gulf of Mexico oil spill; and the Macondo blowout is an
industrial disaster that began on April 20, 2010, in the Gulf
of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect,
• Largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum
industry and estimated to be 8% to 31% larger in volume
than the previous largest.
• The U.S. Federal Government estimated the total
discharge at 4.9 million barrels (210 million US gal;
780,000 m3).
• After several failed efforts to contain the flow, the well was
declared sealed on September 19, 2010. Reports in early
2012 indicated that the well site was still leaking.
• The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is regarded as one of the
largest environmental disasters in American history.
• A massive response ensued to protect beaches, wetlands and
estuaries from the spreading oil utilizing skimmer ships, floating
booms, controlled burns and 1.84 million US gallons (7,000 m3) of oil
dispersant.
• months-long spill
• Adverse effects from the response and cleanup activities,
• Extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats and fishing and
tourism industries was reported.
• In Louisiana, 4,900,000 pounds (2,200 t) of oily material was removed
from the beaches in 2013, over double the amount collected in 2012.
• Oil cleanup crews worked four days a week on 55 miles (89 km) of
Louisiana shoreline throughout 2013.
• Oil continued to be found as far from the Macondo site as the waters
off the Florida Panhandle and Tampa Bay, where scientists said the oil
and dispersant mixture is embedded in the sand.
• In April 2013, it was reported that dolphins and other marine life
continued to die in record numbers with infant dolphins dying at six
times the normal rate.
• One study released in 2014 reported that tuna and amberjack that
were exposed to oil from the spill developed deformities of the heart
and other organs that would be expected to be fatal or at least life-
shortening and another study found that cardiotoxicity might have
been widespread in animal life exposed to the spill
Definition:
• "Sustainable development is development that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs" by
Brudtland Commission.

• It contains two key concepts:

– the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the
world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and

– the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and

social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and
future needs.
Objectives:
Critical objectives for environment and development
policies that follow from the concept of sustainable
development include:

– reviving growth;
– changing the quality of growth;
– meeting essential needs for jobs, food, energy, water, and
sanitation;
– ensuring a sustainable level of population;
– conserving and enhancing the resource base:
– reorienting technology and managing risk; and
– merging environment and economics in decision making.
History of Sustainable Development
• Both terms derive from “sustained yield”
• It is a translation of the German term “nachhaltiger Ertrag”
dating from 1713.
• The concept of sustainability is of a balance between
resource consumption and reproduction, was applied to
forestry already in the 12th to 16th century.
• Even in 400 BC, Aristotle referred to a Greek concept of
household economics i.e. to be self-sustaining at least to a
certain extent and could not just be consumption oriented.
• It was used by Club of Rome, in 1972 as a part of the
publication of Limits to Growth, a report that described a
particular state in which the global population would achieve
balance or equilibrium.
History of Sustainable Development
• In 1983, The World Commission on Environment and
Development (WCED) re-examined environmental and
development problems around the world and formulate
realistic proposals to address them.
• In the 1987 Bruntland Report’s publication of “Our Common
Future”, which established a suggested path for sustainable
development on a global level and served to bring the concept
of sustainability into the foreground on an international level.
• Begins with the US government’s National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969.
• Environment was promoted by the President's Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ). The law was enacted on
January 1, 1970
• This act came largely in response to the 1969 Santa Barbara
oil spill.
History of Sustainable Development
• Also the product of greater societal attention to the
consequences of industrial pollution,
• Awareness which promoted by the 1962 publication of Silent
Spring by Rachael Carson.
• Highway revolts in US
• Push towards great concern for the environment, arrived
– Clean Water Act,
– Water Quality Act,
– Push to ban DDT, and
– Institution of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
History of Sustainable Development
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened its doors
in 1970, promoting protection of the environment through
research, standard-setting, and monitoring.
• The goals of the EPA concerned both human health as well as
natural resource protection.
• First Conference on the Human Environment was held at
Stockholm, Sweden, US in 1972 .
• This brought the industrialized and developing nations together to
delineate the ‘rights’ of the human family to a healthy and
productive environment
• A series of such meetings followed, on the
rights of people to adequate food,
to sound housing,
to safe water,
to access to means of family planning.
Earth Summit
• The United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio de
Janeiro Earth Summit , Rio Summit, Rio Conference,
and Earth Summit was a major United Nations
conference held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June
1992.

• In 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable

Development was also held in Rio, and is also commonly
called Rio+20 or Rio Earth Summit 2012. It was held
from 13 to 22 June.
Earth Summit
• An agenda called Agenda 21 was adopted, which “recognized each
nation’s right to pursue social and economic progress and assigned
to States the responsibility of adopting a model of sustainable
development".
– 172 governments participated
– The issues addressed included:-
systematic scrutiny of patterns of production — particularly the
production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline, or
poisonous waste including radioactive chemicals
alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil fuels
which delegates linked to global climate change
new reliance on public transportation systems in order to reduce
vehicle emissions, congestion in cities and the health problems
caused by polluted air and smoke
the growing usage and limited supply of water
Kyoto Protocol
• Another international protocol designed to guide the
international community towards sustainable development.

• Its goal was to reduce the emissions of its signatories, with

more emphasis placed on those developed countries which
were responsible for most of the air pollution and its
subsequent consequences.

• There are currently 192 parties

Kyoto Protocol
• 1992 -The UN Conference on the Environment and
Development is held in Rio de Janeiro. It results in the
Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) among
other agreements.
• 1995 - Parties to the UNFCCC meet in Berlin to outline
specific targets on emissions.
• 1997- In December the parties conclude the Kyoto Protocol
in Kyoto, Japan, in which they agree to the broad outlines of
emissions targets.
• 2002 - Russia and Canada ratify the Kyoto Protocol to the
UNFCCC bringing the treaty into effect on February 16, 2005.
• 2011- Canada became the first signatory to announce its
withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol.
• 2012 - On December 31, 2012, the first commitment period
under the Protocol expired.
The Paris Climate Deal:
• In December 2015, nearly every country in the world agreed
to the first global pact aimed at reducing emissions of planet-
warming greenhouse gases.
• A total of 196 nations committed to the climate deal in 2015
and had a deadline of April 21, 2017, to officially sign on to
the agreement.
• Salient Points of Paris Climate Deal
– Limiting the rise in temperature to 2 degrees
– reducing greenhouse gas emissions
– To help developing countries switch from fossil fuels to
greener sources of energy
– The US president has called climate change a hoax, and he
pledged during the campaign to “cancel” the Paris deal.
The Paris Climate Deal:
• While Americans make up just over 4 percent of the
world’s population, they are responsible for almost a third
of the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

• China emits more carbon into the atmosphere today, but

the United States has a long head start on burning coal,
oil and natural gas

• The United States will join Nicaragua and Syria as the

only countries that are not a part of the Paris agreement.

• The earliest effective date of withdrawal for the U.S. is

November 2020
Complications and Criticisms
• Environmental - developed countries have long
benefitted from unsustainable practices and are now
imposing their new-found sustainable values upon
developing countries, for whom this transition is much
more difficult and costly

• Economic - Neoliberal economics

• Confusions over Terminology - “green” future ??

Sustainable Development Can be achieved by:
• Solar Energy - completely free, available in limitless supply,
pollution free
• Wind Energy - heavy construction cost, requires suitable
location, meant to service more than individual.
• Crop Rotation - “the successive planting of different crops on
the same land to improve soil fertility and help control insects
and diseases.” - it is chemical-free, maximize the growth
potential of land, also preventing disease and insects in the
soil. .
• Efficient Water Fixtures - Replacing current construction
practices and supporting the installation of efficient shower
heads, toilets and other water appliances
• Green Space - include parks and other areas where plants
and wildlife are encouraged to thrive.
Examples
1. Viladamat Town Hall (Spain)
The Problem:
A Girona-based village with a population of 440 – had an innovative
project for the local town hall - to improve its energy efficiency with a
self-consumption solar installation.
A local engineering firm determined that 12 solar photovoltaic (PV)
modules would be required to fully power the town hall with a total
cost of 15000 euros.
The Solution:
The residents of Viladamat were engaged in this clean energy
project.
If locals understood “the why”, be more motivated to invest and see
the positive impact in their own land.
The crowdlending platform was designed specifically for positive
impact.
The ensure future energy savings and show concise economic
gains for the community.
The Results:
Instant funding - The project secured the full capital needed, with
the contributions of 22 local residents
Energy efficiency- The solar PV panels enabled to decrease yearly
consumption by 20%.
Budget savings- The town council save up to 1000 euros per
year.
Reduce carbon emissions- The community halll decrease its CO2
emissions by 2.5 Tonnes per year.
Crowdlending milestone- Viladamat is the first municipality in
Spain to use crowdlending to finance a self-consumption solar
installation
2. Wind Farm in Seigny (France)

The Problem
The Municipal Council of Seigny was looking to
contribute to national and local sustainable development
goals. Recognizing need for clean energy projects, the
Council made a choice in favour of the wind farm project
on its territory.
A feasibility study determined the surface area to
establish the wind farm. The study established that 100
000 € was required to complete the wind Farm.
The Solution
If the wind farm is the land’s energy, the primary
stakeholders are its local residents.
The Results
Five wind turbines installed - Each with a unit
power of 2.2 MW. Their clean energy
production is estimated at 30 million kWh,
enough for the electricity consumption of 17
300 residents.
Reduce carbon emissions - The wind farm
avoid releasing 8 760 tonnes of CO2 per year.
High Annual Interest Rate - Local residents of
Seigny who invested can expect a subsidised
annual rate of 6%.
Many Investors - More than 283 people
contributed to this sustainable development.
In total, 102 310 € was raised
Goals
Effects of Population Growth
• Population reduces the Rate of Capital Formation
• Large Population creates the Problem of Unemployment
• Population and Vicious Circle in Poverty
• Generation of Waste
• Land Degradation
• Threat to Biodiversity
• Strain on Forests
• Climatic Change
• Urbanization
• Industrialisation
• Productivity
Countries that belch out the most CO2
per capita
• Qatar - 35.73 tonnes
• Curacao - 30.43
• Latvia - 22.94
• Bahrain - 21.8
• United Arab Emirates - 19.31
• Trinidad and Tobago - 17.15
• Malaysia - 16.57
• Saudi Arabia - 16.4
• Guatemala - 16.25
• United States - 16.22
Countries that belch out the least CO2
per capita
• Denmark - 0.06 tonnes
• Finland - 0.09
• Nigeria - 0.1
• Estonia - 0.11
• South Sudan - 0.13
• Myanmar - 0.14
• Tanzania - 0.2
• Zambia - 0.2
• Netherlands - 0.21
• Togo - 0.24