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Understanding Sustainability: The Natural Step Framework Explained by Dan Wilson

In this presentation, Dan Wilson discusses the critical need for sustainability in our modern world. He highlights how adopting North American consumer lifestyles globally would necessitate four Earths. Wilson emphasizes the importance of planning within complex systems to achieve genuine sustainability, introducing The Natural Step framework. It is built on science-based principles that connect sustainability vision with actionable steps. He explains the natural cycles of materials and energy and the barriers preventing society from meeting its basic needs while ensuring that natural systems can function effectively and sustainably.

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Understanding Sustainability: The Natural Step Framework Explained by Dan Wilson

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Presentation Transcript

  1. The Natural Step Presentation by: Dan Wilson Whistler 2020

  2. Why Sustainability? If today’s entire world population enjoyed the same consumer lifestyles as North Americans, it would take four additional planets to accommodate everyone sustainably. Problem: Good Planets are hard to find…

  3. Confused about Sustainability? Smart Growth

  4. A Systems Approach Sustainability requires planning in complex systems Level 1 The Natural Step builds on a science-based understanding of society within nature Level 2 Four sustainability principles connect the vision of sustainability with the realm of effective action

  5. What can we agree on? Slow geological cycles - materials from the Earth’s crust Open System with respect to energy Closed System with respect to matter 1) Nothing disappears “Photosynthesis pays the bills” 2) Everything disperses Sustainability is about the ability of these cycles to run forever.

  6. How do we influence the cycles? 3 Barriers to people meeting their basic needs worldwide 4 Physically inhibit ability of nature to run cycles 1 2 Relatively large flows of materials from the Earth’s crust Introduce persistent compounds foreign to nature

  7. Natural Step System Conditions A sustainable society does not: Mine and disperse materials at a faster rate than they can be redeposited into the Earth’s crust; Produce substances and disperse them faster than they can be broken down by natural processes; if they can be broken down at all; Deplete or degrade resources at a faster rate than they are replenished (over-harvesting trees or fish) or by other forms of ecosystem manipulation (paving over fertile land or causing soil erosion); Create conditions that increasingly undermines peoples capacity to meet their needs.

  8. System Condition 1 Inefficient Use Efficient Use Dissipative Use Tight Technical Cycles Scarce metals Abundant metals Fossil Fuels Renewables Sequestration

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