Transcript taking action now - Richmond School District

TAKING ACTION NOW
Eric Thorleifson,
Manager of Facilities,
School District No. 38
(Richmond)
Overview
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Where we come from
Megatrends: the world in 50 years:
climate change, resource depletion,
extinction of species.
Canadian record
Environmental Sustainability
Solutions are local and global
Some History
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Earth is about 4.5 billion years old
Life has been evolving for the past 4 billion
years
First land plants 500 million years ago
Homo sapiens arrived 100,000 years ago
Oil was discovered 100 years ago
The World in 2050 :
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Human population now about 6 billion and
trending to 9 billion.
Massive human encroachment on natural
environments world wide.
Species extinction trending to the loss of 50% of
plant and animal species on the planet.
Non-renewable resources like oil and natural
gas will be essentially used up.
Global warming and climate change will have
increased average temperatures between 2 and
5 C.
What’s Happening?
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Global warming and climate change caused
primarily by man made increases in green
house gases (GHG’s)
Species extinctions caused by human
encroachment on natural environments on a
massive scale AND
Spread of species by human means, “invasive
species”
Massive and unsustainable consumption of
resources
Some facts and figures:
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The “Hockey
Stick” graphtemperature
variations
from “normal”
over the past
2000 years.
More detail:
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This graphs
shows
temperature
changes
over the last
150 years.
Non-renewable resource picture
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Energy
supplies
will need
to change
drastically
Sea Levels
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One scenario
pictured at
right- new
shorelines as a
result of a
possible 7
meter sea level
rise over the
next 100
years.
Is this REALITY?
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YES, the scientific debate on AGW is mostly
over, (the debate in news media is not over).
(see graphic from AR4)
Temperatures are rising faster than predicted by
climate models in some areas
Ice is melting in Greenland and Antarctica faster
than expected.
Oil production is peaking.
Biologists refer to the “Holocene Extinction
Event.”
World Gross Domestic Product
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A measure of
the industrial
output of the
world, rising
strongly. Good,
right?
A traditional
measure of
“success”
120,000
100,000
80,000
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
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WORLD GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
1990
2001
2010
2015
YEAR
2020
2025
World “Living Planet Index”
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measures
trends in
populations of
wild species,
shows 40%
decline since
1970.
World Ecological Footprint
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A measure of
environmental
sustainability, it
measures our
demand on
natural
resources,
where 1.0 is
sustainable.
Canadian Footprint
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22 tonnes GHG per capita vs 10 to 12 in
Europe
Highest energy use per capita in the
world, along with USA and Australia
See footprint graphic from Living Planet
Report 2006
George Monbiot says we’re disgusting
Taking Action on a Global scale:
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The Kyoto Accord:
Acknowledges major climate problems that need
to be dealt with by all nations.
Sets voluntary goals for emission reductions.
Failed to sign up big emitters like US and
Australia (“the Tragedy of the Commons”)
Gives a “free ride” to emerging economies like
India and China.
BUT, better than nothing.
Canada’s Kyoto commitments
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Kyoto target is 567 MT by
2012.
Current production is 730
MT.
We’re not going to make
it.
“Canada’s New
Government” is
backsliding on the
commitment to Kyoto
RSB is taking action:
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Major Energy and Natural Resource
conservation initiative to reduce our output
of GHG’s, and save money.
Richmond Sustainability Action Team
3R Project- Reduce, Re-use, Recycle
Environmental Sustainability
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The District’s environmental sustainability
activities provide opportunities to increase
student knowledge of and concern for the
environment, and encourage a positive change
in student behaviour in regards to acting
responsibly towards the environment. These
activities support the idea of students as global
citizens by helping students to develop life-long
habits to contribute to the classroom, the school,
and the community”.
Sustainability Initiatives
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Multi-part series of workshops
School teams make project proposals
District provides funding
Wrap-up session Green Gala for reporting
out
Data collection is essential part of process
Sustainability Network
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Informal network of students, parents,
teachers, administrators, members of the
community. Open to everyone.
Meet regularly to discuss sustainability
and environmental issues and solutions
Richmond Student Sustainability
Action Team
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OTC Outreach 2005
Idle Free
Campaign
2006
Sustainability workshops
Garbology 101
Eco-fest
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McRoberts Secondary School, in
conjunction with Board office staff
An Earth Day Celebration, RSB style
3 R PROJECT
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Reduce, re-use, recycle
Recycling pilot project with City of
Richmond. Emy Lai is the sponsor
Lots of ways to reduce
Lots of ways to re-use
Educational component will be developed
to complement the program
What can you do?
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Think long term!
Re-consider core values!
Think Globally, act Locally!
Education is the key!
Questions?
Final word:
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Edward O. Wilson
Had people taken the alert signals seriously, as intelligent people
must, this 1992 book [The Diversity of Life] would have set the basis
for a new level of discussions on the environment and the current
ongoing worldwide biotic holocaust exterminating species at the rate
of one every 20 minutes. People might be working on solutions by
now instead of still wallowing in ignorance. The facts are clearly and
well laid out. The evidence is presented, the theories and data
explained at length, at a reasonable cost in paperback (or free from
the public lending library). Eight years later people are still
presenting in public flawed paradigms (perhaps deliberately) to
excuse their gluttonous behaviour which is crushing the planetary
life-support systems.
Sources, further reading:
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Edward O. Wilson, “The Future of Life”, Vintage Books, 2002
Ronald Wright, “A Short History of Progress”, CBC Massey Lecture
Series, Anansi Press, 2004
Jared Diamond, “Collapse”, Penguin Books, 2006
World Wildlife Fund, Living Planet Report 2004
John Grace, “The Kyoto Accord and some implications for
Canadians”, John Grace,Department of Chemical and Biological
Engineering, UBC, 2004
RL Evans, “Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future”, CERC, UBC
BC Ministry of Education, “Social Responsibility, A Framework”,
2001.
School District No. 38 (Richmond), various documents.
Wikipedia.org various documents