14: Sustainable futures Flashcards
Six paths to a more sustainable future
- Intentional future orientation
- Systems thinking
- Study and accept local planetary boundaries
- Change what we measure and measure what we value
- Decouple the economy and deprioritize growth
- Address global inequity
Why do we need future orientation?
Future generations don’t exist yet and rely on others to stand up for their interests
Intentionality is required to develop effective institutions to address long term sustainability
What did Elinor Ostrom demonstrate in terms of community management?
Privatization based on Garret Hardin’s beliefs led to decline in quality of resources
Showed that small communities of people had locally evolved management institutions that reflected both local social and ecological systems
Slides 8-11
Africa example
Linear thinking of rent control? Reality?
Rent is too high -> cap rent -> problem solved
Reality is that rent cap reduces maintenance of property, discourages new construction, etc
What is a wicked problem
Complex and challenging problems
When you try to implement one solution it creates more problems
e.g. houselessness
Name some planetary boundaries
- Climate change
- Stratospheric ozone depletion
- Ocean acidification
- Freshwater use
Example of the flaws in GDP’s measuring system
If I chop down a forest, burn most of it and sell a single toothpick for $0.01, that counts as a net gain to GDP of $0.01
Alternatives to GDP
- Genuine progress indicator
- New Zealand’s ‘Wellbeing budget’
- Un Sustainable development goals (SDGs)
What is the issue with using GPI or wellbeing budget instead of GDP
There are subjective elements (plus path dependency w/ GDP)
Name some UN SDGs
- No poverty
- Zero hunger
- Quality education
- Good health
- Gender equality
Hard part of SDGs? What is being done?
Measuring them
Have been working to develop the global indicator framework
What are social enterprises
Cooperatives, nonprofits, etc
Organizations with goals beyond profit
Slide 38
Global inequity
