Uncategorized – Global Environment & Society Academy

Disruption! Rethink the system

gesafacilitator — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 13:42:08 +0000

Susan McLaren, Senior Lecturer in Design & Technology, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh and Fleur Ruckley, Project Director, Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group

Disruption! Rethink the system

A circular economy is one where “the goods of today become the resources of tomorrow at yesterday’s prices”.

Economic Context: Scotland was the first nation to join Circular Economy 100. In August 2013, Environment Secretary, Richard Lochhead, issued the statement: “Scotland’s economy will benefit from moving to a more circular model of production and consumption. Our Zero Waste Plan is already delivering important actions to make better use of resources, and we can accelerate progress if we join together with others on a global level.” By 2016, the Scottish Government issued Making Things Last: A Circular Economy Strategy.

Using a Nature as Teacher where waste=food philosophy, the circular economy rests on three principles, each addressing several of the resource and system challenges. These are becoming increasingly more discussed and adopted, by large scale and SME businesses- aiming to disrupt ‘business as usual’ of the linear economy systems and encourage a rethinking of the status quo.

Principle 1: Preserve and enhance natural capital…by controlling finite stocks and balancing renewable resource flows.

Principle 2: Optimise resource yields…by circulating products, components, and materials at the highest utility at all times in both technical and biological cycles. This means designing for remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling to keep components and materials circulating in and contributing to the economy.

Principle 3: Foster system effectiveness..by revealing and designing out negative externalities.

Education Context: Many policies and publications* have nudged the core school curriculum (3-18years old) towards an overall aim to embed Sustainable Development Education in Scottish education. The most recent construct is Learning for Sustainability, LfS (One Planet School Group, 2012) which comprises sustainable development education, global citizenship and outdoor learning. The intention is that LfS in the curriculum helps to ‘nurture a generation of children and young people who know and value the natural world……. committed to the principles of social justice, human rights, global citizenship, democratic participation and living within the ecological limits of our planet.’ (One Planet Schools Implementation Group, 2016: 3). As a contributor to LfS, Circular Economy, through Cradle to Cradle, is incorporated in the school certificate course ’Design and Manufacture’ (SQA, 2013)

University of Edinburgh is working to identify how the principles of the Circular Economy can be embedded into Research, teaching, operations across the whole university (UoE,2016). The university SRS department have been leading the concept of the university as ‘A living Lab’ to progress thinking and actions related to sustainability and social responsibility in all aspects of the university.

Several Professional Institutes have embedded the requirement for education for sustainable development and / or Circular Economy in their professional accreditation processes.

Prompts to explore and cause pause to ponder

Principles:: Values:: Responsibilities:: Practices::

Preparation for the GESA Reading group, please choose from these 2 papers and / or 2 videos

Webster, K (2013) Missing the wood for the trees: systemic defects and the future of education for sustainable development Curriculum Journal 24:2, 295-315 http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1080/09585176.2013.802585

The circular economy. By Walter R. Stahel – Nature, 23 March 2016. http://www.nature.com/news/the-circular-economy-1.19594

and / or

Circular Economy: Thomas Rau at TEDxZwolle – ( approx. 20mins) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrb2v_f0ZYY

Rethinking Progress: The Circular Economy (3 mins 11 secs)

https://www.youtube.com/user/made2bemadeagain

Questions:

Are principles such as those of the Circular Economy (Nature as Teacher, Waste = Food, material cascades, made to be made again, regenerative manufacture, sharing economies, nature as capital, design for disassembly, cradle to cradle thinking, bio-nutrients/ technical nutrients and closed loop cycles) considered realistic and feasible concepts to encourage a wide scale rethinking of systems ?

What are the responsibilities of industry, commerce, business and enterprise in relation to ESD and Circular Economy principles? Who should / could take responsibility?

Should school aged young people be exposed to Circular Economy principles, the sharing economy, social enterprise and for-profit approaches, or is this something for those entering specialist education at higher levels of study? Should educators display their own ‘frame of mind’ and values in relation to issues of sustainability and sustainable development when working with young people? What should be taught? Who should be responsible for this? Why?

How should/could the Circular Economy manifest in practice? What needs to be in place to engage society (rich and poor, diverse cultures and communities), encourage innovation, inform and develop practice disrupt and rethink current systems?

Principles:: Values:: Responsibilities:: Practices::

Further links and readings can be made available for follow up for interested readers.

Check out the Disruptive Innovation Festival 7^th Nov- 25^th Nov 2016

https://www.thinkdif.co/

Welcome to the Global Environment and Society Academy 2016-2017

gesafacilitator — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 12:20:43 +0000

Who are we?

The Global Environment and Society Academy (GESA) is a network of experts collaborating to develop innovative solutions for the world’s most challenging problems.

Led by Professor Dave Reay and Professor Elizabeth Bomberg GESA operates as one of four University of Edinburgh Academies, including Global Health, Global Justice and Global Development. The Academies were developed to find innovative solutions by bringing together experts from many different academic fields. An interdisciplinary network, we have faculty and student members with teaching responsibilities and research interests in environment and society from across Geosciences, Informatics, Law, Art, Landscape Architecture, Business and Education.

What do we do?

We tackle the nasty issues! We do this creatively, we collaborate, we look through many lenses as we set out to tackle global environmental challenges. This approach of multidisciplinary collaboration means we develop and encourage collegiality across the University and beyond; an approach that builds a vibrant Global community of talented people at the forefront of addressing environmental issues.

What can GESA do for you?

Whether you are continuing from Undergraduate study or returning to full time study, this will be an intense year of study and personal and academic development. Of course you’ll have your MSc programme group but wouldn’t it be good to have a place where you can meet Postgraduates from other disciplines, explore the multiple perspectives and work together?

Through our GESA Masters Network, we encourage and develop just that kind of collegiality across the University and beyond. We have a very active community. Some of the events you can attend as a GESA member include Reading Groups where you can hear the views of our expert speakers and meet our PhD Facilitators who come from a range of disciplines.

We host events that look at developing your research ideas, often putting you in touch with the right people to advise on topics. We can offer help with presentations skills, networking, employability skills, internships or work -based projects, particularly those with an interdisciplinary focus. As our network extends we find that many of these post-Masters opportunities are supported by a GESA alumni network that continues to build lifelong connections

While you are here with us in Edinburgh we are really interested in helping develop your projects and we can sometimes provide funding for these. Since taking up my post in 2014 I’ve been helping some of our Masters Network students with their GESA supported projects such as Sustainability Jam’s, conferences, seminars and field trips. I’ve also enjoyed working to provide seminars, Reading groups and public engagment Keynote speeches from some of the most prominent and respected experts within their fields.

What can you do for GESA?

Bring your enthusiasm, bring your discussions, bring your ideas and projects. Turn up, take part, make lifelong connections and really get the most out of this year. This is your Academy; it is what you make it.

Best of luck for this exciting year ahead, please do get in touch, I’m looking forward to our year ahead.

Rachel

Rachel Chisholm

Academic Facilitator for GESA

‘Brexit’ and Combating Climate Change in Scotland

gesafacilitator — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 11:17:31 +0000

By Joanna Wright

MSc Carbon Management 2015-2016

[Source: http://www.voxeurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/4931129-brexit-would-put-europe-stake]

The front page of The Economist this week (February 27^th-March 4^th2016) proclaims “Brexit: Bad for Britain, Europe and the West”. Turn tothe Leader on page 9 and it is argued that not only would Brexit be damaging to the UK’s economy and security, it would also have wider European and global ramifications that “go beyond economics”. Whilst examples of these wider impacts are given, the article makes no reference to Brexit and climate change. There is, however, considerable debate, elsewhere.

Carbon Brief is a UK-based website currently tracking the opinions of key players in energy and climate change, in addition to other influential views that reference these topics in relation to the 23^rd June vote. As of 27^th February 2016, the tracker had twenty entries; four ‘leavers’ and sixteen arguing that Britain should stay in the EU. Whilst the quotes from leavers focus on the perceived damage to the UK from EU energy policies, if challenged with regard to action on climate change, they may perhaps choose to focus on the fact that (in theory) the Climate Change Act 2008 commits the UK to reducing greenhouse gas emissions irrespective of EU membership status.

However, the ‘remainers’ are more vocal on this, with some interesting examples of cross-party consensus. For example, Caroline Lucas, the Green Party MP, is quoted as saying “Of course it is the treatment of catastrophic climate change which hangs over everything else we’re doing to protect our environment….If we join forces with other countries, strengthening the EU-wide rules on carbon emissions that are already in place, then we have a chance of keeping future generations safe”. Ed Miliband, MP and former leader of The Labour Party argues that “We are two per cent of global emissions, the EU is 20 per cent of global emissions. Let us not fall for the myth that somehow we will be more influential and more powerful outside the European Union”.

Whilst the arguments of those campaigning to stay in the EU are compelling, there is an interesting twist when considering the potential implications of Brexit for the continued unity of the UK. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, has warned recently that a vote to leave the EU against Scotland’s wishes would “almost certainly” trigger another Independence referendum. Writing in The Guardian, Martin Kettle is right to point out that even if Britain leaves the EU, there are many hurdles facing any renewed bid for Scottish Independence. These include the fact that it is only the UK parliament that has the power to call a second referendum and whether or not it would be possible to retain the pound and not commit to the euro and the strict borrowing limits that go with eurozone membership. However, it is interesting to consider what Brexit, and a successful subsequent campaign for Scottish Independence, might mean for climate change policy and action in Scotland.

Scotland has failed, so far, to meet its annual climate change targets. Whilst the aspirational nature of the targets can still be applauded and progress reporting has been affected by changes in baseline data reporting, measures introduced by the Conservative government, since election in May 2015, including the ending of subsidies for onshore wind, are arguably exacerbating the challenge of achieving an annual target, which would hopefully provide an encouraging and motivating success story.

The Scottish Government has a target to deliver the equivalent of at least 100% of gross electricity consumption from renewables by 2020, with a significant expansion in onshore wind arguably an easy and early win in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland. Representing the Scottish renewable energy industry, Scottish Renewables undertook an analysis in 2015 and concluded that Scotland will fall short of its 2020 target by 13 percent, unless new price guarantee contracts are awarded to onshore and offshore wind projects. Speaking only last month, Nicola Sturgeon described the UK government’s cuts to renewable energy subsidies as “an absolute, total disgrace”.

In the short term, and subject to funding (a significant challenge even prior to the recent drop in oil revenues), Independence would enable the Scottish Government to override these decisions and to provide a greater level of support to renewable energy projects in Scotland. However, looking longer term, beyond Scotland, and at the more challenging aspects of climate change mitigation, including the significant need for technological innovation, we are arguably ‘better together’ (Scotland in the UK and the UK in the EU). To quote Julia Slingo, the Met Office’s Chief Scientist “The more we can be integrated in how we view what our science needs and our policy needs and our understanding of the risks that we face from climate change, the better our response will be”.

Key Information Sources

The real danger of Brexithttp://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21693584-leaving-eu-would-hurt-britainand-would-also-deal-terrible-blow-west-real-danger

http://www.carbonbrief.org/eu-referendum-opinion-tracker-energy-and-climate-change

The Climate Change Act 2008http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/27/contents

Oral Statement by Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on ending subsidies for onshore wind, 22 June 2015https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/statement-on-ending-subsidies-for-onshore-wind

2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland – Update 2015, Scottish Government http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0048/00485407.pdf

The Scottish Greenhouse Gas Emissions Annual Target 2013, Scottish Government, 2015 http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0048/00487828.pdf

Update on Scotland’s 2020 Renewable Electricity Target, Scottish Renewables, November 2015https://www.scottishrenewables.com/media/filer_public/97/53/9753d54b-72ac-4867-a474-347c636b94b0/sr_briefing_-_update_on_scotlands_2020_renewables_targets.pdf

Promoting Technological Innovation to Address Climate Change, OECD,http://www.oecd.org/env/cc/49076220.pdf

Edinburgh Sustainability Jam 2015

gesafacilitator — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 14:58:42 +0000

Can you solve a global issue in 48 hours?

That was the challenge for 45 participants in the Edinburgh Sustainability Jam this year.

In the face of dwindling natural resources, increased socioeconomic pressures and environmental degradation come motivated individuals ready to tackle these issues. This year’s Edinburgh Sustainability Jam fostered collaboration to find solutions to these rising problems. A theme sparked the imagination of participants.

The task was to concieve ideas to address issues in sustainability, around which they formed teams. Expert mentors advised each team in order to guide their ideas and ground them in reality. They were (1) Edible Cutlery (2) Socioeconomic improvement of refugee camp (3) Urban Development in South Africa (4) Food waste reduction app (5) Intergenerational and community education

At the end of the programme, teams presented their projects to peers, observers and a panel of judges – Lesley McAra (Assistant Principal, Community Relations; Andy Kerr, Director ECCI; George Tarvit, Climate Change and Sustainability Manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful). The judges provided positive feedback on the ideas and urged each team to take their ideas forward. The judges, mentors and observers were impressed and supportive of the innovative educational models explored during the Jam. And though the Jam comes to an end after three intensive days, the teams will continue to be supported to progress their ideas further.

The Jam was also an opportunity for participants to utilise their latent creativity and apply what their theoretical learning into practice. Theoretical and research provides the power of knowledge but not the wisdom to apply it. It was about providing a judgement-free and nourishing environment to foster everyone’s creativity as well as character and skills development. The Jam supplies brimming minds with the opportunity necessary to stimulate the imagination. In essence, it was a demonstration of what organisational models are possible, and their potential to address the sustainability issues of our time.

The Edinburgh Sustainability Jam project is being led by Net Impact Edinburgh (a student group) and supported by the Global Environment and Society Academy (GESA), Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability (SRS), Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI), and Innovative Learning Week (ILW). For further information please contactnetimpactedinburgh@gmail.com. The online photo album can be accessed through: http://on.fb.me/1klONYN

Written by Morgane Pérez-Huet; edited by Hassan Waheed

Towards Commercial Seabed Mining – Sustainable or Sacrilege?

gesafacilitator — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:05:31 +0000

Dr James Harrison

The presence of minerals on the deep seabed was first discovered by the HMS Challenger expedition in 1873. Polymetallic nodules and other seabed resources (polymetallic sulphides and crusts) offer abundant supplies of valuable minerals, including manganese, cobalt, copper, gold, silver and several so-called rare earth elements.

Despite our knowledge of this (literal) goldmine at the bottom of the oceans, it was not possible to exploit these riches for almost 100 years due to their inaccessibility. Yet, the profits to be gained from mineral mining on the ocean floor have meant that millions of dollars have been invested in developing the technology to conduct deep seabed mining on a commercial scale. In the last few years, mining companies have announced technological breakthroughs and it is widely anticipated that deep seabed mining will become a reality within the next decade.

This development has a number of potential benefits. Firstly, it addresses concerns about the growing scarcity of many valuable minerals required for manufacturing items that are in increasing demand in modern society, particularly communications and computing equipment, as well as renewable energy technologies (components of wind turbines, solar panels and energy-saving light bulbs). There are also potential broader benefits of deep seabed mining. The legal regime for the regulation of deep seabed mining beyond national jurisdiction, contained in the 1982 United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea, declares that the mineral resources of the deep seabed are the “common heritage of mankind”. Thus, the profits to be obtained from seabed mining are to be equitably distributed amongst the international community, taking into particular consideration the interests and needs of developing countries.

Yet, not everyone is thrilled at the prospect of deep seabed mining. Critics point out that we know very little about the marine environment on the ocean floor and therefore we should proceed with caution before authorizing commercial activities. It has been suggested that deep seabed mining poses unacceptable risks, including direct damage to vulnerable deep seabed ecosystems, as well as noise, light and other forms of pollution from mining activities. As a result, groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have called for a moratorium on deep seabed mining. They argue that a precautionary approach[1] is required and this activity should not be permitted to commence until independently verified research has been conducted in order to demonstrate that ecosystems will not suffer long-term negative impacts.

Even the International Seabed Authority, which is responsible for overseeing the deep seabed mining regime beyond national jurisdiction, has admitted that seabed mining will cause “inevitable environmental damage.” Yet, a precautionary approach to deep seabed mining does not necessarily entail a full-scale moratorium until there is evidence that no harm will be caused. The international regime for deep seabed mining beyond national jurisdiction already requires mining companies to conduct environmental impact assessment and continuous monitoring of mining operations. Moreover, the International Seabed Authority is empowered to oversee the activities of commercial mining companies and to step in if serious damage is caused to the marine environment. The International Seabed Authority has also provisionally established nine protected areas in the central Pacific where no mining will be allowed to take place and it can require mining companies to establish additional “preservation references zones” within their mining areas. Supporters of the commercial seabed mining argue that these measures are sufficient to prevent the type of long-term negative impacts that worry environmental campaigners. Furthermore, such an approach is arguably in accordance with the concept of sustainable development, which requires a balance between economic development and environmental protection, ensuring that resources can be exploited for the benefit of both present and future generations.[2]

Discussion Questions

Is sustainable development a useful concept for managing seabed resources?
In what circumstances should environmental protection take priority over economic development?
What is meant by the precautionary approach in the context of seabed mining? Who should bear the burden of demonstrating that the environmental risks of an activity are acceptable or not?
Who should be responsible for monitoring the effects of seabed mining on the environment?
How much of the seabed should be designated as a protected area and who should decide?

Indicative Readings:

International Seabed Authority, Environmental Management Needs for Exploration and Exploitation of Deep Sea Minerals, ISA Technical Study No. 10 (2012) 29-33, available at:

http://www.isa.org.jm/files/documents/EN/Pubs/TS10/TS10-Final.pdf

Greenpeace International, Deep Seabed Mining: An Urgent Wake-up Call to Protect our Oceans (July 2013) 3-16, available at:

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/oceans/2013/Deep-Seabed-Mining.pdf

Dr James Harrison is Lecturer in International Law in the School of Law at the University of Edinburgh and he has research interests in International Law of the Sea and International Environmental Law. He has written widely on these subjects, including Making the Law of the Sea: A Case Study in the Development of International Law (Cambridge University Pr

[1] Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development on the precautionary approach says that “where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.”

[2] The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”; The World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future (Oxford University Press, 1987) 43.

MASTERS NETWORK – Global Environment & Society Academy Welcomes You!

gesafacilitator — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 12:44:45 +0000

Who are we?

The Global Environment and Society Academy (GESA) is a network of experts collaborating to develop innovative solutions for the world’s most challenging problems.

Led by Professor Dave Reay and Dr Elizabeth Bomberg GESA operates as one of four University of Edinburgh Academies, including Global Health, Global Justice and Global Development. The Academies were developed to find innovative solutions by bringing together experts from many different academic fields. We have faculty and student members across Geosciences, Informatics, Law, Art, Landscape Architecture, Business and Education, with teaching responsibilities and research interests in environment and society.

What do we do?

What can GESA do for you?

While you are here with us in Edinburgh we are really interested in helping develop your projects and we can sometimes provide funding for these. Since taking up my post in June I’ve been helping some of our Masters Network students with their GESA supported projects such as our online discussion platform where students can develop ideas, share and discuss news items or write blogs. Another student project is the GESA Legacy Forest, which hopes to offer the chance for every GESA student to plant a tree when they graduate, truly an initiative in the GESA spirit.

I’ve also enjoyed working to provide seminars, photography competitions and Keynote speeches from some of the most prominent and respected experts within their fields.

What can you do for GESA?

Best of luck for this exciting year ahead, please do get in touch, I’m looking forward to our year ahead.

Rachel

Rachel Chisholm

Academic Facilitator for GESA

global-environment-society@ed.ac.uk