tren 1f90 introduction to sustainability. courses/tren1f90/ these notes available via the online...
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TREN 1F90TREN 1F90
Introduction to Introduction to SustainabilitySustainability
http://www.brocku.ca/tren/courses/tren1f90/
These notes available via the These notes available via the online course outline on online course outline on
Isaak / SakaiIsaak / Sakai
or (after lectures) at:or (after lectures) at:
TREN 1F90
Introduction to Sustainability
Definitions
– multi-, inter-, and trans- disciplinarity
– environment
– policy
– scale
– jurisdiction Elements of Sustainable Development
What do you answer if someone asks you,What do you answer if someone asks you,
– What is your major?
What do you answer if someone asks you,What do you answer if someone asks you,
– What is your major?– What are your career goals after university?
careercareergoalsgoals
academic academic majormajor
professional professional identityidentity
Normative Normative categories categories
doctordoctor mechanicmechanic
paramedicparamedic Normative Normative categories categories
linguisticslinguistics biologybiology
Normative Normative categories categories ““disciplines” disciplines”
Ivory tower academia
Ivory tower academia
Ivory tower academia
This network of disciplines shows how different areas in the large JSTOR collection of scholarly journals are connected. Thicker lines represent more back-and-forth journal citations; thinner lines indicate less communication. Original work by biologists Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West.
- Howard, Jennifer (2011) – Chronicle of Higher Education, 24 Sept 2011
Improvingcommunication
amongst disciplines:
Academic toacademic
Baron, Nancy. 2010. Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter. Island Press. 272 pp.
Improvingcommunication
amongst disciplines:
academics tothe public
Making thePOLICY
CONNECTION
disciplinarydisciplinary
MultiMultidisciplinarydisciplinary
InterInterdisciplinarydisciplinary
TransTransdisciplinarydisciplinary
- what are the differences?- what are the differences?
ReferenceReference: : Stefanovic, Ingrid. 1996. InterdisciplinarityStefanovic, Ingrid. 1996. Interdisciplinarity and Wholeness: Lessons from Eco-Research.and Wholeness: Lessons from Eco-Research. EnvironmentsEnvironments 23(3): 74-94. 23(3): 74-94.
Disciplinary:Disciplinary:
of or pertaining to a discrete branch of or pertaining to a discrete branch of learningof learning
knowledge within generally accepted knowledge within generally accepted boundariesboundaries
Disciplinary:Disciplinary:
often associated with discipline-specific often associated with discipline-specific vocabularies, methods, and assumptionsvocabularies, methods, and assumptions
Examples of disciplines: Examples of disciplines:
sociology, philosophy, biology, sociology, philosophy, biology, political science, chemistry, economics, political science, chemistry, economics, geography, mathematics...geography, mathematics...
MultiMultidisciplinary:disciplinary:
standard disciplinary approaches are applied to a common research question, problem or standard disciplinary approaches are applied to a common research question, problem or issueissue
insights achieved through an approach which is essentially insights achieved through an approach which is essentially additiveadditive rather than rather than integrative integrative
MultiMultidisciplinary:disciplinary:
a a spontaneous coalescence spontaneous coalescence of these different approaches is anticipatedof these different approaches is anticipated
arguably the approach which produces the most substantive research resultsarguably the approach which produces the most substantive research results
ISSUE
ISSUEdisciplinediscipline
discipline
discipline
dis
cip
line
dis
cip
line
discipline
discipline
dis
cip
line
dis
cip
line
discipline
discipline
discipline
discipline
disciplinediscipline
InterInterdisciplinary:disciplinary:
the the issue, problem, or concern issue, problem, or concern defines the disciplinary expertise which is brought to defines the disciplinary expertise which is brought to bear bear
……arguably the most effective policy-oriented problem-solving approacharguably the most effective policy-oriented problem-solving approach
InterInterdisciplinary:disciplinary:
a level of integration which involves more than an additive analysis of the disciplinary a level of integration which involves more than an additive analysis of the disciplinary perspectivesperspectives
insights are achieved through an approach which is explicitly insights are achieved through an approach which is explicitly integrative -> integrative -> an attempt is an attempt is
made beforehand to made beforehand to synthesizesynthesize across disciplinary boundaries across disciplinary boundaries
ISSUE
ISSUE
disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline ISSUE
disciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
sectorsector sectorsector ISSUE
sectorsector
sectorsector
sectorsector
sectorsector sectorsector
sectorsector
TransTransdisciplinary:disciplinary:
recognizes the interconnectedness of all aspects of reality and knowledge recognizes the interconnectedness of all aspects of reality and knowledge
Goal: distinctions amongst disciplines are eliminated completely Goal: distinctions amongst disciplines are eliminated completely
TransTransdisciplinary:disciplinary:
““an attempt to transcend the dynamics of a dialectical synthesis to grasp the total dynamics of reality as a an attempt to transcend the dynamics of a dialectical synthesis to grasp the total dynamics of reality as a whole”whole”
Examples of transdisciplinary endeavour:Examples of transdisciplinary endeavour:– general systems theorygeneral systems theory– phenomenologyphenomenology
disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline ISSUE
disciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline ISSUE
disciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline ISSUE
disciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
disciplinedisciplinedisciplinediscipline
disciplinediscipline
definitions, tools definitions, tools and frameworksand frameworks
en·vi·ron·ment en·vi·ron·ment [n][n]
1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by 1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surroundedwhich one is surrounded
2 a : the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic 2 a : the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival ultimately determine its form and survival
b : the aggregate of social and cultural conditions b : the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community.that influence the life of an individual or community.
- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2012
environmentenvironment [n] [n] the totality of the totality of
surrounding conditions.surrounding conditions.
environmentalenvironmentaleffectseffects
……are felt, and modified, in 3 main ways - are felt, and modified, in 3 main ways - through the flows of:through the flows of:
MATERIALSMATERIALS ENERGYENERGY
INFORMATIONINFORMATION -> -> fundamental ‘spheres of influence’ for fundamental ‘spheres of influence’ for
sustainabilitysustainability
policypolicy
……a course or general plan of action to be a course or general plan of action to be adopted by a government, party, person, adopted by a government, party, person, etc.etc.
- Concise Oxford Dictionary
policypolicy
……a selected, planned line of a selected, planned line of conduct in the light of which conduct in the light of which individual decisions are made and individual decisions are made and coordination achievedcoordination achieved
- Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary
ENVI conceptual toolsENVI conceptual tools
scalescale
- - an ordered series of an ordered series of graduated quantities, values, graduated quantities, values, degrees, etc.degrees, etc.
- - relative magnituderelative magnitude
- Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary
scalescalemay be:may be:
- - physical / geographicalphysical / geographical– ranking based upon size, dimension, ranking based upon size, dimension,
geographical subunit, etc.geographical subunit, etc.
- - ecologicalecological– individual, deme, community, populationindividual, deme, community, population
- - jurisdictionaljurisdictional– local, municipal, regional, federal, globallocal, municipal, regional, federal, global
scalescale
earthearth
continentcontinent
countrycountry
provinceprovince
regionregion
municipalitymunicipality
neighbourhoodneighbourhood
householdhousehold
individualindividual
United NationsUnited Nations
..
..
governmentsgovernments
..
..
ngos / community groupsngos / community groups
..
individualsindividuals
GLOBAL / MACROGLOBAL / MACRO
LOCAL / MICROLOCAL / MICRO
spatialspatial jurisdictional /jurisdictional /decision makingdecision making
jurisdictionjurisdiction- - the legal power to administer and the legal power to administer and
enforce the lawenforce the law
- the exercising of this power- the exercising of this power
- the region within which this power is - the region within which this power is valid, or in which a person or valid, or in which a person or agency has authorityagency has authority
- authority- authority - Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary
jurisdictionjurisdiction Tourism case study: Tourism case study:
Access and signage on the Access and signage on the Laura Secord Legacy TrailLaura Secord Legacy Trail
• Friends of Laura Secord communitygroup want to create a trail that approximates the 32 km walk taken by Laura Secord on 22 June 1813
jurisdictionjurisdiction Seek designation and Seek designation and
marking of a simple marking of a simple footpath on footpath on existingexisting trails trails or walkways from or walkways from Queenston to ThoroldQueenston to Thorold
jurisdictionjurisdiction
More than 25 jurisdictions involved:More than 25 jurisdictions involved:Town of NOTLTown of NOTLCity of Niagara FallsCity of Niagara FallsCity of St. CatharinesCity of St. CatharinesCity of ThoroldCity of ThoroldRegional Municipality of NiagaraRegional Municipality of NiagaraOntario Power GenerationOntario Power GenerationOntario Ministry of Transportation (QEW crossing)Ontario Ministry of Transportation (QEW crossing)Parks Ontario (Short Hills Provincial Park)Parks Ontario (Short Hills Provincial Park)Niagara Parks CommissionNiagara Parks CommissionBruce Trail Club Bruce Trail Club 11 private landowners along Bruce Trail11 private landowners along Bruce TrailSt. Lawrence Seaway Authority (canal bridge)St. Lawrence Seaway Authority (canal bridge)Stamford Volunteer Firemen’s AssociationStamford Volunteer Firemen’s AssociationBrock UniversityBrock UniversityNiagara CollegeNiagara College
jurisdictionjurisdiction
Jurisdictional agreements / permissions:Jurisdictional agreements / permissions:MTO (QEW crossing)MTO (QEW crossing)MNR / Parks Ontario (Env. impact assessment; MNR / Parks Ontario (Env. impact assessment; pedestrian bridge crossing on 12 Mile Creek)pedestrian bridge crossing on 12 Mile Creek)Fisheries and Oceans Canada (fish habitat impacts)Fisheries and Oceans Canada (fish habitat impacts)NPCA (watershed management concerns)NPCA (watershed management concerns)OPG / City of St. Catharines OPG / City of St. Catharines (liability and land access agreements)(liability and land access agreements)Niagara Regional Police (road crossings)Niagara Regional Police (road crossings)Niagara Parks Commission (road crossings, access)Niagara Parks Commission (road crossings, access)
jurisdictionjurisdiction
Signage:Signage:
Installation requires - Installation requires - – Approval of design and materialsApproval of design and materials– Permission for installation on land in Permission for installation on land in
different jurisdictionsdifferent jurisdictions– Permission from individual pole / Permission from individual pole /
post owner: hydro, phone, cable TV, post owner: hydro, phone, cable TV, municipal traffic poles, lighting polesmunicipal traffic poles, lighting poles
– Use of approved labour, or Use of approved labour, or appropriate tendering of contracts, appropriate tendering of contracts, for new pole installation and for new pole installation and mounting of signsmounting of signs
– Maintenance plan for futureMaintenance plan for future