Practical Sustainability Strategies. George P. Nassos

       Perceiving the nature of the unsustainable direction of business and society and the self-interest implicit in shifting to a sustainable direction

       Understanding the first-order principles for sustainability, that is, the four System Conditions

       Strategic visioning through “back-casting” from a desired sustainable future

       Identifying strategic steps to move the company from its current reality toward its desired vision

      He then applied the funnel effect to show how the supply and demand of environmental resources are converging. This impact on the environment can be best described as follows [3]:

Global society is currently unsustainable. Because we only have one planet Earth, and the laws of thermodynamics are such that matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, there are limits to how much we can grow—in terms of both sources (the resources we use) and sinks (the natural systems where we deposit our waste). We are currently surpassing those limits because on the one hand population, consumption, competitiveness, and pollution are systematically increasing, while on the other hand resources, purity, ecosystems, and social equity are systematically decreasing.

FIGURE 4.1 The funnel.

      A “whole systems” perspective is necessary in sustainable development, as the various problems (greenhouse gases, extreme poverty, deforestation, illiteracy, etc.) are inherently interrelated and complex.

The funnel (Fig. 4.1) metaphor is a way of thinking about the unsustainable path that global society is on, where our space for deciding on options is becoming narrower and narrower per capita. This is very different from the illusion that limits to growth are represented by a “cylinder” where isolated social and ecological impacts can be addressed and “solved” separately.

      The negative effects of society's unsustainable path can be described as “hitting the funnel walls.” Organizations (communities, businesses, project teams, etc.) can feel the impact of hitting the funnel walls in a variety of ways, including the following:

       Increased costs for resources and waste management

       Lost investment in projects that quickly become obsolete

       Stricter legislation

       Litigation

       Loss of market share to more cutting edge

       Insurance costs

       Consumer and shareholder activism

       Loss of good reputation

      Organizations that have an understanding of the funnel will be better able to act strategically, communicate more effectively to internal and external stakeholders, and lead the shift toward a sustainable society.

THE FOUR SYSTEM CONDITIONS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

In order to build this framework for sustainability, society must adopt the four system conditions in order to be ecologically sustainable. TNS summarizes the Four System Conditions in the following text: In order for a society to be sustainable, nature's functions and diversity are not systematically:

      1 Subject to increasing concentrations of substances extracted from the earth's crust.

      2 Subject to increasing concentrations of substances produced by society.

      3 Impoverished by overharvesting or other forms of ecosystem manipulation.

      4 Resources are used fairly and efficiently in order to meet basic human needs worldwide.

      System Condition 1—Substances from the Earth's Crust Must Not Systematically Increase in the Ecosphere

      This means that materials like fossil fuels, metals, minerals, and other natural resources must not be extracted from the earth at a faster rate than they are reentering or depositing into the earth's crust or even its atmosphere. A good example of violating this condition is the extraction of fossil fuels like oil or coal. When the fossil fuel is combusted, the carbon in the coal, for instance, is converted to carbon dioxide. For most of the human existence, the carbon dioxide emitted would eventually be reabsorbed by trees and other vegetation. The rate of emitting carbon dioxide was equal to the rate of absorption. Consequently, the carbon cycle was in balance and there was no violation of System Condition 1. The concentration of carbon dioxide was consistently about 280 ppm. However, we are now emitting carbon dioxide at a faster rate than it is being absorbed, thus causing an increase in the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere—exceeding 400 ppm. This cover of carbon dioxide is preventing the release of reflected sun rays back into the atmosphere, thus causing an increase in the temperature of the Earth—global warming, which is also known as climate change.

If this condition is not met, the concentrations of substances in the ecosphere will increase and eventually reach some limits beyond which it will be almost impossible to reverse. In the case of carbon dioxide, many scientists believe that it will be impossible to reverse, even if we stopped emitting carbon dioxide. In a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it stated that “changes in surface temperature, rainfall, and sea level are largely irreversible for more than a thousand years after carbon dioxide emissions are completely stopped.” In an interview with the lead author, Susan Solomon, she said, “People have imagined that if we stopped emitting carbon dioxide that the climate would be back to normal in 100 or 200 years. What we're showing here is that that's not right” [4].

      System Condition 2—Substances Produced by Society Must Not Systematically Increase in the Ecosphere

      This means that substances must not be produced at a faster rate than the rate at which they can be broken down and integrated back into nature or redeposited into the earth's crust. If this condition is not met, the concentration of substances in the ecosphere will continue to increase and eventually reach undesirable limits beyond which it will be difficult reverse. In most cases, this upper limit is not known.

      It is critical that we eliminate our contribution to the progressive buildup of chemicals and compounds produced by society such as dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). In addition to these very toxic chemicals, there are many other substances produced by society that are accumulating in nature and are detrimental to the environment.

      A very interesting example of the violation of System Condition 2 is that of ozone. The chemical name for ozone is tri-oxygen as it consists of three oxygen atoms as opposed to two atoms for the oxygen molecule. Electromagnetic radiation or the sparking from high voltage applications will cause the oxygen molecule in the air to disassociate into two oxygen atoms, and then each atom will combine with another oxygen molecule to form ozone. Devices that require high voltages and as a result produce ozone are arc welders, ionic air purifiers, laser printers, and photocopiers. Ozone is also created by precursors such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and various volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

      Ozone in the lower atmosphere is a pollutant and may cause respiratory problems. In the upper atmosphere, however, ozone is beneficial as it prevents potentially damaging electromagnetic radiation from reaching the earth's surface. Other man-made substances like chlorinated fluorocarbons (CFCs) break up in the atmosphere and the free chlorine or fluorine atoms become catalysts to break up the ozone molecule. This has caused the formation of an “ozone hole” in the atmosphere that allows electromagnetic radiation to reach the earth.