Transcript as file - The Sustainability Trust

The Sustainability Trust
Sustainability,
Climate Change
and World Peace
The Sustainability Trust
Rotarians for Sustainability
and Carbon Reduction
The Sustainability Trust
is a Global Rotary Club project
The Sustainability Trust
- what it does .....
• Encourages 1.22 million Rotarians to learn about the
importance of Sustainability principles.
• Shares ideas on how to introduce these principles
into our own lives, our communities and our
humanitarian Rotary Club projects.
• Aims to link all 34,103 Rotary Clubs into an online
information network about the issues and solutions.
• Wants Rotary Clubs to reduce the impact of Climate
Change and prepare their communities for its
consequences.
www.TheSustainabilityTrust.org
• The Trust is a Charitable Foundation
• It was created with funding from 11 Clubs
(UK, USA, Canada, Australia, India, South Africa)
in 9 Rotary Districts on 5 continents.
• The Trustees are all Rotarians.
• Our slogan is “Rotarians for Sustainability
& Carbon Reduction”
Why Sustainability?
Is this Sustainable?
The human race is using the resources
of 1.4 planet Earths
By 2030 we will need the resources of
two planet Earths
What is Sustainability?
• Sustainability is "Meeting the needs of the present
generation without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs." (The Brundtland
Commission – 1987)
• We are destroying the planet’s ability to support its growing
population.
• ‘Sustainable Life-style’ should be our objective.
• It needs thought, investment and effort, but it doesn’t bring
sub-standard living
Sustainability – Example
‘Peak Oil’ is Approaching
Is this Sustainable?
Thousand barrels
daily
Source: International
Energy Agency (IEA)
The Damage done by Petrol:
Part of every litre we buy* • Funds a Dictatorship.
• Reduces Human Rights.
• Contributes to the next hurricane, by warming the
oceans.
• Makes the oceans more acidic, damaging fish &
coral.
• Adds to the misery of every refugee affected by
drought.
• Destroys part of the ecosystem our grandchildren
will need for survival.
• Possibly makes a donation to a terrorist
organisation.
*Source – Hot, Flat & Crowded, by Thomas Friedman
The Benefits of Solar Energy
• We have lived through the time of cheap - but
damaging - coal and oil
• Yet the Earth receives a massive supply of solar
energy. It’s just been difficult to utilise... so far
• We have a fusion reactor that has been burning
over 4 billion years. ... the Sun.
• It provides enough energy in one minute to
supply the world's energy needs for one year.
• "The amount of solar radiation striking the earth
over a three-day period is equivalent to the
energy stored in all fossil energy sources.*“
*www.altenergy.org
World Population is Growing
Is this line --- the ‘Climate
Wars’ Scenario?
World population from 1800 to 2100, based on UN 2004
projections (red, orange, green) and US Census Bureau
historical estimates (black).
Why Carbon Reduction?
• CO2 is a greenhouse gas emitted from burning fossil fuels
• It can insulate our planet in the upper atmosphere for up to 200
years
• We are warming the planet by burning fossil fuels so quickly
• We may be heating it beyond its ability to support 7bn-9bn
people
• The warmer climate and seas are creating volatile weather
patterns
• This is expected to lead to flooding and drought, food and water
shortages, starvation & disease.
• Our trustees believe that Rotarians should address this
challenge
And it’s started: The Weather is Changing
EVERYWHERE
Rotarians at recent RI Conventions all say –
“Yes, our climate is getting more unpredictable”
Australia
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Georgia, USA
Water Shortage Predictions 2020
Source = University of Kassel in Germany
The Sustainability Trust – Rotarians for Sustainability & Carbon Reduction
Water Shortage Predictions 2070
Source = University of Kassel in Germany
The Sustainability Trust – Rotarians for Sustainability & Carbon Reduction
Drought .. and Flooding
London 2100...?
Estimate by US National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado
The Sustainability Trust – Rotarians for Sustainability & Carbon Reduction
But there are Climate Contrarians.....
• “Month XYZ was very cold, so it isn’t
happening”
• We mustn’t confuse Weather with Climate
• Just because it’s cold here, doesn’t mean it’s
cold everywhere
• 2010 was one of the planet’s warmest years
on record
• 8 of the last 10 years have been the warmest
on record for planet Earth
“The climate is always changing. This is
nothing to do with humans”
• 0.75’C rise in a century cannot be explained by
natural causes
• Previous (natural) changes were far more gradual
• The natural Greenhouse Gas Effect keeps Earth 30’C
warmer.
• However, we are increasing the greenhouse effect by
burning huge quantities of fossil fuels very quickly
• Our rapidly warming planet is happening too fast
for nature to adjust
“The scale of the problem is overstated:
there is no need for action.”
• 350ppm is many leading scientists’ view on safe
upper limit for CO2
• It’s now at 390ppm and rising at approx 2ppm
per annum
• Science is becoming clear: Global Warming
is happening faster than ever - and humans
are responsible.
Sources - The Royal Society information database, ‘Climate Wars’ and 350.org
Warming is expected to accelerate
Stephen Salter, Emeritus Professor of Engineering Design,
University of Edinburgh .....
• ‘A reasonable judgement gives a 40 per cent chance that the
Arctic sea-ice area will decline significantly ..... in 2011....
• ‘Since ice reflects sunlight and water absorbs sunlight, should
the ice area decline then the Arctic will warm in late summer.
• ‘The result will be that the greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide
and methane - will be released into the atmosphere ....
• .... leading to further warming and a runaway greenhouse event
• .... and ultimately .... the collapse of civilization’.
‘Deadly peril of loss of sea ice’ - The Independent newspaper
Saturday, 12 February 2011
If the Contrarians are wrong, it will
be too late to prevent a catastrophe
• Global warming leads to disease, starvation,
food and water shortages, flooding & drought.
• These are expected to lead to conflict and wars
• Are we going to make our own planet
uninhabitable for all but a tiny population?
• Are we going to create ‘Climate Wars’ for
future generations?
Sources - The Royal Society information database, ‘Climate Wars’
and 350.org
‘Climate Wars’
• Is The Perfect Storm heading our way?
• Is this a challenge for Rotary Clubs?
• Have we thought about ANY aspect of this?
• Have we prepared ourselves and our
communities?
• Let’s look at the consequences of these
changes …
Carbon Dioxide Timeline
Source = ‘Climate Wars’, by Gwynne Dyer, Oneworld Press
• For all of human history, our atmosphere contained 275 parts
per million of carbon dioxide.
• 1980's - Planet passed 350ppm (the safe target to maintain
equilibrium?)
• 2013 - Expect to pass 400ppm
• 2030 - Expect to pass 450ppm
• 2035 - 480ppm carbon. Killer heatwaves strike Europe, US
Midwest and Southeast.
– Oceanic ability to absorb carbon down by 70%, Greenland
glaciers sliding rapidly into the sea.
– Mankind's main job has become 'planetory maintenance
engineering'
The Situation in 2045
• 2.8'C higher global average temp (2'C is viewed as
absolute limit to avoid runaway feedback system)
• China suffers mass starvation due to collapse of
major river systems through drought.
• European Union collapses due to inability to
absorb more refugees from southern nations.
• Northern European countries close all borders.
• Italy over-run with refugees from Africa and
becoming a failed state.
Source = ‘Climate Wars’, by Gwynne Dyer
2045 - Civilisation Starts to Disintegrate
• Uganda's population reached 110m by 2030 but fallen back to
30m due to severe malnutrition.
• Wall between Mexico and USA still holding, but severe unrest in
US over shoot to kill policy.
• USA and Canada just coping to maintain a shadow of former
lifestyles, with food and water scarce.
• Methane being released in huge quantities from melting
permafrost in Arctic
• Northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh swept by famine and
anarchy due to collapse of glacier-fed Indus, Ganges and
Brahmaputra rivers.
• Nuclear war potential over Himalayas water rights.
Source = ‘Climate Wars’, by Gwynne Dyer
When we’re asked - what Rotarians did to
prevent this catastrophe facing planet Earth .....
Used with
permission of
The Observer
newspaper,
London
What will we tell them?
So what are Rotarians Doing?
• Many things all over the world......
A programme Rotarians can all be proud of -
Rotary International Peace Scholars
These are the people who will face the Climate Change challenges
ShelterBox
Rotart Club of Helston - Lizard, Cornwall
A wonderful project – dealing with the consequences
We want to deal with the causes
Sustainability Trust Programmes ......
• Encouraging & Supporting Sustainable Club Projects
• Theme of 2010-11 RI President Ray Klinginsmith,
Rotary Club of Kirksville, Missouri –
• ‘Building
Sustainable
Communities and Bridging Continents’
• The Trust seeks Sustainability ideas from Clubs ...
• Here are some examples .....
Mission Valley Club, San Diego, CA
http://understandingclimatechange.org/
Fresno Club, CA - Solar Cookers South Africa 2010
Coordinated by the Trust & led by R.C. Fresno, California
& R.C. Kirstenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa
Lorna Milligan, RC Fresno
training team
Demonstrating the finished
products
Making the cookers from local materials
D.1220 Project - Sustainable Homes in
D.3150, India
FROM THIS........
District 1220
aims to build
the homes.
The
Sustainability
Trust aims to
make them
sustainable
homes
Sheffield Rotary Club, Yorkshire
Selling Ecotek Products - Energy and cost saving devices for your
home or office at discount prices
Donating to the Trust for each one sold.
Combined TV, VCR, DVD, etc, powered off with one click
A different version does the same for computers, printers etc
Energy Wizard £24.32 from
Amazon.
£19 from the
Trust. 10%
electricity
saving
Standby Saver
Rochdale Rotary Club, England
‘The Babylon Project’
Continuous plastic planting material for low-water and poor
soil cultivation
www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/sites/rotary-club-of-rochdale/vertical-growbag-scheme
Winner of
Rodney
Huggins RIBI
Environmental
Project
Award 2010
Perth Rotary Club, Australia
‘Days of Change’ carbon reduction pledges
‘Your Green Future’
D. 1100 R.C’s Of Cheltenham, Cheltenham Sunrise, Cheltenham
Cleeve Vale, North Cotswolds & Gloucester Seven
How Can This Club Get Involved?
What’s locally relevant for you?
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle advice to residents?
• Tree-planting locally?
• Environmental Preservation Projects Locally?
• School Sustainable Project? www.eco-schools.org/
• String shopping bag Trust program? (USA imports
500m gals p.a. of oil to make shopping bags. UK has
reduced bag use by nearly 50%, but still much to do)
• Energy Reduction Project locally? (Ecotek products)
• Help establish renewable energy projects, locally (or
internationally for humanitarian benefits)
• And there are thousands of other ideas to
consider... Check out our website. Ask us for advice.
World Peace
• World Peace depends on tackling these
challenges
• Rotarians can - and should - take a lead.
• We won’t be able to fill ShelterBoxes fast
enough to cope with all the disasters.
• Unless we start NOW to make a difference
www.TheSustainabilityTrust.org
The Trust has ....
• World-wide reach through 600+ Rotary Clubs
• Some very enthusiastic individual members
• The ability to act as a project catalyst
How you can help....
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Link your Club to the Trust (website RED button)
Become a Sustaining Member Club ($100 annually)
Provide Ambassadors to spread the word in your District
Create New Project Ideas, shared on the website
Encourage Rotarians to offset their flight emissions (and
other unavoidable carbon emissions) to support a Rotary
Club project at www.TheSustainabilityTrust.org
The People who deal with Peace have no
doubts about the dangers:
• Professor Paul Rogers, retired Professor of Peace
Studies at the University of Bradford – May 2008:
• “Examined from the perspective of conflict and conflict
resolution, there is no doubt the effects of climate
change, especially on the poorer parts of the world, are
likely to be the most important issues for the next two
decades.
• ‘If we do not prevent the excesses of climate change, we
will be bequeathing to our children a world of severe
insecurity, if not chaos, and it will be our generation that
will be blamed.
Sustainability and Carbon Reduction
... to emphasise the importance .....
This is the biggest
challenge our
world faces
And this is the largest type available, to stress how we feel...!
And finally....
What is the 5th Test in the Four-Way Test?
Is it SUSTAINABLE?
The Sustainability Trust
www.TheSustainabilityTrust.org
Rotarians for Sustainability
and Carbon Reduction
The Sustainability Trust
is a Global Rotary Club project