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  2002 Earth Summit

    

Sustainability

A2

     Sustainable development: 'meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs' (Bruntland 1987)

Exercises

    
GG5 requires candidates to draw on connections between different aspects of geography represented in the WJEC specification.
  • Sustainable development is studied through four aspects, each developing from different parts of the specification.

A. Food supply

  • The balance between population and food supply at a global scale.

B. Water supply

  • The physical supply of water needs to be linked to human demand.

C. The natural environment

  • Human demands can affect a biome which requires sensitive management if irreversable damage is to be avoided.

D. The urban environment

  • The dynamic nature of urban populations leads to stresses on housing, transport and waste disposal within the urban environment and its periphery.
Green groups   Case studies   United Nations   Sustainablity and the UK   News   2002 Earth Summit

Exploring sustainability

What is sustainable development? http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/english/whatis.htm

Ecological Footprint Accounts One approach to measuring progress towards sustainability. Idea based on Matthias Wackernagel and William E Rees (1996) 'Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth' ecoprint

One World Search by topic or country. Lots of links to news stories, dispatches on current issues and campaigns. Oneworld.net is an internet community of 477 organisations. Partners include everything from long-established organisations such as the Red Cross and left wing/green magazines such as Red Pepper. OneWorld is dedicated to promoting human rights and sustainable development. http://www.oneworld.net/

aric provides world class research & education in atmospheric & sustainability issues to encourage responsible development. Hosted by Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University. Online fact sheets available on global warming & climate change, air quality & acid rain, ozone depletion, renewable energy and energy efficiency, transport issues, waste management and sustainable development. http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/ Sustainability Encyclopedia at http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/esd/menu.html

Worldwatch Institute Online Worldwatch is a nonprofit public policy research organization dedicated to informing policymakers and the public about emerging global problems and trends and the complex links between the world economy and its environmental support systems. Publisher of State of the World 2002. Useful press releases. http://www.worldwatch.org/

Developments The UK government DfID's magazine has devoted its summer 2002 edition to Sustainable Development to mark the Jo'burg summit (Issue 18, 2nd quarter). http://www.developments.org.uk

Sustainable Development International http://www.sustdev.org

5th World Network Resources and media services for individuals and communities interested in sustainable living, permaculture design, and indigenous culture. "The Americas' indigenous peoples view the 5th World as a world of harmony and unity that will emerge after the current 4th World of Separation comes to its natural end." Glossary feature. http://www.5thworld.net/

World Bank Challenge Interactive development education site. 'Build it' invites you to build a more sustainable future. http://www.worldbank.org/challenge/html/build_it.html Innovate is a quiz. http://www.worldbank.org/challenge/html/innovate.html

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United Nations sites environment http://www.unep.org/
  sustainable development http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev
  FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) http://www.fao.org
  IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) Mobilizes financial resources to raise food production and nutrition levels. http://www.ifad.org
  UNIDO (UN Industrial Development Organization) Promotes the industrial advancement of developing countries. http://www.unido.org
   
UN Sustainable Development Agenda 21 homepage. UN system-wide site on implementation of the Rio (1992) commitments. http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/index.html Scroll down the list or click on the map to get information on particular countries. http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countinf.htm For example Botswana Social aspects of sustainable development. http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/botswana/social.htm
Johannesburg Earth Summit 2002 - Rio+10: See below http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/
 

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Exercises

Unesco education modules exploring Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future offers a range of interesting materials. http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/
Understanding sustainable development. http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/theme_a/uncofrm_a.htm
Introduction http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/intro/uncofrm_0.htm
Values and attitudes. http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/theme_d/mod20/uncom20t02.htm
List of curriculum themes including food issues. http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/theme_c/uncofrm_c.htm

World Bank Dep Web Development Education Program (DEP) tools and resources to help teachers and students study and think about the complex social, economic and environmental issues of sustainable development. Full list of learning modules http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/english/modules/index.html Access to safe water exercise http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/english/modules/environm/water/

World Resources Institute Sustainable communities. US suggestions for student activities. http://www.wri.org/enved/suscom-acts.html

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Other education sites

Council for Environmental Education http://www.cee.org.uk/
Citizenship education http://www.citizenship-global.org.uk/
Institute for Citizenship http://www.citizen.org.uk/education.html
Worldaware http://www.worldaware.org.uk/

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Case studies

World Business Council for Sustainable Development Good for case study material. http://www.wbcsd.com/

Jo'burg Summit Directory of websites with sustainable development case studies. http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/sustainable_dev/case_studies.html

Colby College Summaries of actual attempts to pursue sustainable development created by students at Colby College. Referenced for those who wish to look up the original sources. http://www.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/cases.html

Trickle Up Success stories in sustainable development from around the world. http://www.trickleup.org/storiesframe.html

Good News India Positive news stories you won't get anywhere else. Includes examples of sustainable development projects. http://www.goodnewsindia.com/

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News

Cartoonweb Topical visuals from all points of view. http://www.cartoonweb.com

The Earth Times is published by the not-for-profit Earth Times Foundation. The print edition was founded by American journalists in the run-up to the 1991 Earth Summit as an independent, nonpartisan newspaper that focuses on the environment, economic development, population, gender issues, and human rights. http://www.earthtimes.org/

Planet Ark is Reuter's news service dedicated to environmental issues. News archive which you can search on an issue by issue basis. Will e-mail you a daily bulletin (on request). www.planetark.org/index.cfm

Environment News Service From the Lycos network. Also will e-mail you their daily news digest.http://ens.lycos.com/

Africa 2000 http://www.africa2000.com/

Americas Minneapolis-based campaigning Latin America site. Excellent country and/or topic based 'lens' allows you to link to news stories (eg NY Times, Amnesty Int, Info Brazil). http://www.americas.org/

The Ecologist Links on various topics from ecologist magazine. http://www.theecologist.org/links.html

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Sustainability and the UK see also Environment UK
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology http://www.ceh-nerc.ac.uk
Sustainable Development Commission http://www.sd-commission.gov.uk/index/index.htm
Think global - act local! Don't forget that local authorities are at the forefront! Durham County Council's site is more useful than most for this topic. Click on environment for regeneration of settlements, sustainable development, biodiversity action plan, nature conservation and the local Agenda 21. http://www.durham.gov.uk
 

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Green groups  
Friends of the Earth http://www.foe.org.uk
Greenpeace http://www.greenpeace.org
Envirolink http://www.envirolink.org
Green channel http://www.greenchannel.com
WWF (World wide fund for nature) http://www.wwf-uk.org

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2002 Earth Summit
Johannesburg Summit - Rio+10: The World Summit on Sustainable Development will be a gathering 26th August to 4th September 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa of world governments, concerned citizens, United Nations agencies, multilateral financial institutions and other major actors to assess global change since the Rio Earth Summit held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 1992 (itself held on the 20th anniversary of the first international Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 1972). Under discussion will be important global environmental problems, for example, all kinds of pollution, climate change, the depletion of the ozone layer, the usage and management of ocean and fresh water resources, excessive deforestation, desertification and land degradation, hazardous waste, and depleting biological diversity. http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/

Case studies links - sustainable development in action

Stakeholder Forum is an international multi-stakeholder organisation - a network and forum on sustainable development which has promoted outcomes from the first Earth Summit in 1992 and is now working on preparations for Earth Summit 2002. Site includes a news digest. http://www.earthsummit2002.org/

Stakeholders wish list
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Portal to the Johannesburg Summit 2002. http://www.iisd.ca/wssd/portal.html
Greenpeace has created a special summit website with a summary of what has happened since the last one. Either link from Greenpeace's homepage or go direct. http://archive.greenpeace.org/earthsummit/
Newspapers and news agencies will have articles linked to the summit (before, during and after). Most have a search facility. The BBC, Planet Ark and The Guardian are likely to carry in-depth coverage. In the News
Disposable Planet Summit-related site from BBC News BBC news disposable planet
BBCi Nature Earth summit site with environmental bias. BBC nature summit site
Friends of the Earth Link to press releases (media centre). http://www.foei.org/media/wssd.html
 

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