It s the End of the World as We Know it and I feel Fine. And that s just the problem!

Transcription

1 It s the End of the World as We Know it and I feel Fine And that s just the problem!

2 Humanity at a Crossroads: Sustainability, Natural Resources, a World at its limits, and the Great Crisis of Our Generation An ominous warning brought to you by: Chris Staysniak

3 The Right Way Iroquois Nation- In every deliberation we must consider the impact on the seventh generation. Sustainability Progress for future generations

4 Our Way (The wrong one) 20th and 21st Centuries -Incredible Advances -Elevation of Standard of living -Exponential Economic Growth -Technological Improvements But at what cost?

5 Oh, not much, y know, just THE PLANET Built a world of today that is unsustainable, cannot be provided for in generations to come Exploitation of earth s resources Alienation from nature Ecological Credit -Progress Today,??? Tomorrow But now we live in a world at risk- mortgage the future of society This IS our greatest obstacle, everything else hinges on it

6 Aren t you being a tad dramatic, Chris? Four areas of environmental exploitation and unsustainable practices and how they can and will affect YOU. (Yes, you. You too, Nick) It all adds up. Deforestation Fishing Oil Water

7 Forests: Here today, toothpicks tomorrow! A Panama worth of trees every year 20% loss of wooded area in last century Rainforests will be gone at present rates in less than a century

8 What that means to you Oxygen Pharmaceuticals Climate Regulators -Creation of barren scrubland Erosion/flood deterrents But the world s forests just keep falling

9 Here fishy, fishy, fishy. World s fisheries are pushed to their limits -Expanded population, increased fish sales -Exploitation and depletion of world s fisheries now more efficiently than ever! -90% loss of large predatory fish -Already seeing collapse of fisheries, possibly beyond recovery, across the planet Exacerbated by pollution and deforestation

10 Then what happens? Ecosystem collapse- a web Environmental tipping point -Seas will then empty themselves quicker than we can. Loss of jobs Loss of food

11 But not a drop to drink - Water Water it s very important Increased demands Already strained water supplies -30 nation s facing freshwater scarcity -1 billion people lack adequate access to clean drinking water -A child every fifteen seconds

12 H2OH NO! Nile, Yellow, Colorado Rivers drying up Aral Sea, Lake Owen, Lake Chad Water tables and aquifers dropping worldwide -Ogallala aquifer under Great Plains states

13 I m thirsty just thinking about it Increased disease and mortality Droughts Resource Wars Decreased crop yields -Food shortages, famine -Increase in staple crop prices in global markets -Ogallala aquifer, fish depletion, deforestation making connections?

14 Why do we still use this stuff? Approaching peak oil 4-40 year estimate for increased oil pumping at current rates from current known reserves World energy consumption estimated to increase by 2030

15 Now for the bad news, again Cars Fuel Plastics Fertilizers Pesticides

16 What s your diagnosis? McKibben- another doubling of earth s population still in the works Water, oil, trees, fish, they all are interconnected. Nothing can collapse in a vacuum Poised over a slippery slop of unheralded disaster and retrogression of progress and civilization Societal disruption Once it begins, can we stop it?

17 Any words of advice, smartypants? Light bulbs and no plastic bags, is it good enough? Radical changes and reforms are needed at both local and national level ASAP Government mandates and massive education campaign and push toward sustainability to ensure critical mass is reached among masses before it is too late

18 It s time to change the way we think We all need to become environmentalists The environment is one thing we all have in common. Air, water, food, everyone likes those things! But of course, change starts with you! Reflect on your life, and what you consume, and ways you can start making choices for the seventh generation

19 What if this is all just hyperbole? This is the greatest obstacle our generation will face, and it must be met head-on without hesitation. Do you care to risk ecological destruction?.because I don t like those odds. It s the end of the world as we know it but maybe not anymore now that I don t feel so fine