Current State of Affairs

Positive:

• We find ourselves in a transitional phase, where we are aware of the problems and working towards finding solutions, keeping in mind that the next generation must not be compromised as a result of depletion of resources and the like.
• Environmental interest and awareness has been rekindled, stimulated by the World Summit on Sustainable Development that was held in 2002.
• Globalization has created a global community based on shared values. Having said that, more people want to be heard, a greater number of demonstrations show that citizens across the globe are demanding environmental standards worldwide and their government counterparts are having to listen.
• Air pollutant emissions have declined or stabilized in most industrialized countries, as a result of policies that have been put in place to enforce the use of non-emission creating machines.
• Alternative energy is being researched and experiments are taking place in order to alleviate and/or eliminate the threat of total consumption.
  

Negative:
Excerpt taken from: Science Matters
February 27, 2004
www.davidsuzuki.org
Nothing simple about nature
By David Suzuki
"We have to remember that nature does not behave in a simple, linear fashion. Our natural systems have, over millions of years, developed complex systems of checks and balances. Humanity is now powerful enough to meddle with those systems and the results are unpredictable. That's something to keep in mind when we consider climate change, genetically modified food and other emerging scientific issues. We have to be cautious. And we can't assume we know how things will turn out, because with nature, the answer is rarely simple."

Environmental issues are many:

1. Climate Change that is affecting water levels, glacier retreat etc.
~The IPCC states “There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming
observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities” (IPCC 2001)
2. Natural Resources Management with emphasis on oil production, electricity, and fresh water reserves: shortages, conservation, costs
3. Waste Disposal/Management continues to create problems even with the many recycling initiatives in place. Landfills are filling up fast and incinerators are not “environmentally friendly”; the politics are endless
4. Air Quality affects both human health and ecosystems. Air pollution is said to be responsible for nearly 5% of the global burden of disease, not to mention, how it creates acid precipitation.

Interesting:

• Evidence found in early 2001 showed that climate change was getting stronger, that warming was happening faster, and that the consequences of such occurrences looked more severe than first predicted.
• Only in Europe is the per capita consumption of fossil fuels falling.
• Nearly half of the world’s population (47%) lives in urban areas (a figure that is expected to grow by two percent per year after the year 2000). “The accumulation of people, their consumption patterns, travel behaviour, and their urban economic activities have a large impact on the environment in terms of resource consumption and waste discharges”
• The use of wheat to create ethanol - a high-octane alcohol produced by fermenting the sugar from grain starch - has caught on as an alternate fuel. Government grants of millions of dollars for new ethanol plants are being distributed to spur continued interest in this venture which started in central Saskatchewan.

Blasts from the Past

• During the Industrial Revolution, the environment suffered from neglect and genuine ignorance of the effects industrialization and modernization was having on the environment; the greatest concerns were to mass produce and maximize profits
• At the end of the 1960's, the voice of environmental concern began to be heard; however, these concerns stemmed primarily from the more developed Western nations.
• The environmental movement began in the early 1970's as a result of a myriad of occurrences: the UN Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm that took place in 1972 - the event that turned the environment into a major issue at the international level, the images projected from outer space that depicted the depletion of the ozone layer during exploration by the U.S., and the World Climate Conference in 1979 that concluded that emissions could have a long-term effect on climate leading to global warming. It was at this time that concern for the environment and awareness of the factors effecting the quality of the environment became apparent
• Global government support i.e., funding, research, was not available. Many government officials from the more underdeveloped countries felt their efforts had to be channelled into relieving the growing poverty levels of their people.
• In mid to late 1980's, the wave of “environmentalism” began to sweep the nation, and has since become part and parcel of government spending, always surfacing as a prominent political issue during political campaigns and budget allowance. Growing concerns about the ozone layer depletion and global warming gained great attention in the 80's.
• The 1990's were characterized by the search for increased understanding of the concept and significance of sustainable development, which was accompanied by the trend of globalization of trade and technology.

Future World

Sustainable Development ~ projects like VISION 2020-go green where old properties are redeveloped and harbourfronts are cleaned (sustainability is not just about sustaining the quality of life but improving it: Hamilton, Ontario and Portland, Oregon are excellent case studies

How will the quality of the environment be regulated in order to ensure availability but maintain a sustainable community?
How will a sustainable community be created to meet the needs of the growing urban population and maintain the ever-delicate balance of human interaction and the environment?

Climate Change
-water levels are dropping drastically
-Greenhouse effect continues to affect future vegetation/agriculture
-ozone depletion is on the rise; however, at a more controlled level
-Glacier retreat in the North

What can be done to control these natural changes? Do you think “Solutions are in our nature” (David Suzuki)?

Natural Resources Management
-issues concerning oil production, usage, shortages, and ultimately high cost
-reforestration/deforestration
-energy consumption and conservation...specifically electricity
-fresh water reserves

Conservation: how will it be done to ensure availability but sustainability? What are the future “alternatives” that can possibly solve this problem?

Waste Disposal/Management
-landfill sites vs. incinerators
-recycling initiatives
-several political issues concerning waste management ex. Toronto-Detroit-Oakville problem

How should waste management look in the future? And what responsibility should there be placed on the various levels of government, as well as the population?

Overview

• The environment has always been critical to life but there is always a concern over how the balance between human life and the environment can be achieved.
• What will the “environment” look like in the future? What will the main issues be as you perceive them?
• How should we live in the world? What kind of human interaction should there be with our environment?
• How will the debate between ‘conservation’ versus ‘preservation’ be resolved?
• Who is ultimately responsible for the conditions in which we live? What role will the government (municipal, provincial, federal) and the general population play in the maintenance of the environment?
  

1. Start by reading about the past, present and future by following the above links to Blasts from the Past, Current State of Affairs, and Future World.
   
   
2. You can then explore
   External Links for the Environment
   
   http://www.unep.org/geo/geo3/english/index.htm http://www.eeon.org/main.html
   http://davidsuzuki.org
   http://www.iscvt.org
   www.hamiltonwaterfront.8m.com
   http://www.vision2020.hamilton-went.on.ca/
   http://www.ducksunlimited.ca
   http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/onetonne/
   Canadian Geographic (May/June 2004)
   ~”Gas from grain: the politics of fueling ethanol at the pump”
   Canadian Geographic (May/June 2004)
   ~”High and Dry: What’s draining the Great Lakes”
   ~”Salt of the Earth: Will the rapidly shifting composition of the Atlantic Ocean lead to more serious climate changes?”
   www.futurist.com
   http://www.unep.org/geo/geo3/english/index.htm
   
3. Finally, Participate in Pre-NEXUS Discussions.

Refine your ideas and clarify your perceptions via discussions with your peers. You can access and participate in discussions via the NEXUS.eBoard.com conference site (student password = nexus).

* At NEXUS, you and your peers will further refine and publish your ideas.