Why Do We Need Sustainable Development

108
Why do we need sustainable development? Piotr Skubala, University of Silesia, Department of Ecology, Katowice, Poland

Transcript of Why Do We Need Sustainable Development

Page 1: Why Do We Need Sustainable Development

Why do we needsustainable development?

Piotr Skubała, University of Silesia, Department of Ecology, Katowice, Poland

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I. What does sustainability mean ?

II. Do we take care of the Earth?

III. How is the degradation of the Earth in

scientists’ opinion?

IV. What are basic laws in nature?

V. When did environmental problems ariseand what were our countermeasures?

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IWhat does sustainability mean?

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“Sustainable development is developmentthat meets the needs and aspirations of thecurrent generation without compromisingthe ability to meet those of futuregenerations”

Sustainable development

Brundtland Commission (World Commission onEnvironment and Development - WCED)“Our common future” (1987)

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Brundtland Commission 1987

Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister in Norway (1981,1986-1989, i 1990-1996)

Sustainable development

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Society Environment

Economy

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Society Environment

Economy

Sustainabledevelopment

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Limitations to sustainable development:

Sustainable development

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Limitations to sustainable development:

- technology

- social organisation and economy

- resistance of Earth’s biosphere to degradation

- moral constraints!

Sustainable development

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“Sustainable development is developmentthat meets the needs and aspirations of thecurrent generation without compromisingthe ability to meet those of futuregenerations”

Sustainable development

Brundtland Commission (World Commission onEnvironment and Development - WCED)“Our common future” (1987)

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“Sustainable development is developmentthat meets the needs and aspirations of thecurrent generation without compromisingthe ability to meet those of futuregenerations”

Sustainable development

“basic needs” “wants” or “desires”

?

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“Some people suggest that we are now on thebrink of the third great revolution of humanrace: that following the Agricultural Revolutionand the Industrial Revolution there will now bethe Sustainability Revolution”

Mather and Chapman (1995)

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II Do we take care of the Earth?

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Planetary ecological clock

Every second the area of 5 footballfields of rainforest disappears.

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Planetary ecological clock

Every day 25 000 people die becauseof lack of water or its poisoning.

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Planetary ecological clock

Every day 550 thousand animals diein torture in scientific laboratories,

200 millions every year.

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Planetary ecological clock

Every day more arable soil disappearsthen is created during 1000 days.

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Planetary ecological clock

Every hour 60 new people suffer fromcancer in U.S.A.

The ozone hole is a cause.

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Planetary ecological clock

Every day 250 thousands of sulphur acidfall down as acid rain. It kills the life in

thousands of lakes and devastated millionhectares of forests.

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http://www.svl.dircon.co.uk/

Mediterranean Sea

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8500 species of plants and animalsare threatened by extinction.

http://demo.lutherproductions.com/bibletutor/level1/program/start/places/meditsea.htm

Mediterranean Sea

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Progressive drying out

http://www.grida.no/aral/aralsea/english/arsea/map2.htm

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India

http://www.amitkulkarni.info/pics/goa_2002/digital_image_pages/goa_images5.shtml

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India

65% territory of the country is degraded.

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Bangkok

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Gallery2004/Stickman2004-09.jpg

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Bangkok

60% of human population sufferfrom diseases caused by pollution.

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Gallery2004/Stickman2004-09.jpg

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Bangladesh

http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/c

ountry/bangladesh.html

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Bangladesh

http://www.virtualbangladesh.com/bd_tour.html

81% of country is degraded.

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Indonesia

http://www.worldonphoto.com/imagepages/2i43s.htm

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Indonesia

There are the highest number of threatenedmammal species (135) in the country.

http://www.worldonphoto.com/imagepages/1i37s.htm

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Pacific islands

http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcpacific.htm

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Most islands are threatened by flood.

http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcpacific.htm

Pacific islands

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Indian Ocean

http://www.aboveandbelow.net/FotoBelow/Sudan2000/Pagine/a-indiceSudan.htm

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10 millions km2 (equal the territory ofUSA) is covered by clouds of pollution.

http://www.aboveandbelow.net/FotoBelow/Sudan2000/Pagine/a-indiceSudan.htm

Indian Ocean

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Persian Gulf

http://www.aboveandbelow.net/FotoBelow/Sudan2000/Pagine/a-indiceSudan.htm

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1.2 millions of barrels of hydrocarbons get atPersian Gulf each year. Concentration of oil is3 times higher than in North Sea.

http://www.aboveandbelow.net/FotoBelow/Sudan2000/Pagine/cernia-coralli.htm

Persian Gulf

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Chad Lake

http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/lakes/lakes1/chad.html

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Since 1963 the surface of the lake isdiminished from 25 000 km2 do 9 000 km2.(progressive drying)

http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/lakes/lakes1/chad.html

Chad Lake

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Madagascar

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Madagascar

27% of animal species will extinct duringthe next decade.

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Seychelles

http://www.sey.net/

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85% of coral-reef was degradedduring one year (1997-1998) .

http://www.sey.net/isl_mahe.htm

Seychelles

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Great Lakes

http://www.great-lakes.net/gis/

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43 threatened zones

http://www.great-lakes.net/gis/

Great Lakes

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Mexico

http://www.lumika.org/mexico/natural_scenes/2.htm

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5 000 people die due to pollution each year.Concentration of ozone is 10 times higherthan natural.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mexico/a011.html

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Mexico Gulf

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Since 1997 surface equal to the territory ofNew Jersey (20 195 km2) has lacked oxygen.

http://www.gulfofmexicofoundation.com/

Mexico Gulf

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Caribbean

http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/index.html

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30% of coral-reef is threatened. The numberof endemic species diminished by 1.7% eachyear.

http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/index.html

Caribbean

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Brazil

http://www.josecaldas.fot.br/engl/project/muriqui/

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Brazil

15 millions hectares of rainforest was cutbetween 1988-1997.

http://www.josecaldas.fot.br/engl/project/canastra/

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Rio de Janeiro

http://www.copacabana.com/images/srj08.jpg

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Rio de Janeiro

4 millions of inhabitants live in settlements ofextreme poverty.

http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sergiok/brasil/paodeacucar.gif

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Argentina

http://www.lostworldarts.com/south_america/new_page_83.htm

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Argentina

62% of the country is degraded. Over 50% ofmammal and bird species are threatened.

http://www.mountainlight.com/gallery.latin/aa0407pic.html

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Greenland

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37 000 km3 of the glacier melts each year(Belgium + Luxembourg)

http://mytrip.dk/esider/ebsider/image704.html

Greenland

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Antarctica

http://www.mountainlight.com/gallery.antarctic/aa0841pic.html

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In September 2000 the ozone holereached extreme size (28 300 000 ha).

http://www.mountainlight.com/gallery.antarctic/aa0828pic.html

Antarctica

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Based on materials from United Nations. Prepared by WorldWildlife Fund.

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IIIHow is the degradation of theEarth in scientists’ opinion?

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Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)

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Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)

Called for by UN Secretary General in 2000

Largest assessment ever undertaken

of the health of ecosystems

Prepared by 1360 experts from 95 countries

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ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES

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Approximately 60% (15 out of 24) of the

ecosystem services are being degraded orused unsustainably

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)

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ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

Mathis Wackernagel* & William Rees

„Our Ecological Footprint. Reducing HumanImpact on the Earth” (1996)

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EF is a measure of how much biologically

productive land and water area an individual, acity, a country, a region, or humanity uses toproduce the resources it consumes and toabsorb the waste it generates.

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

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„Ecological footprint”

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Biocapacity = 1.8 ha/person

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Average ecological footprint =

2.2 ha/person

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EUROPE 2005. The Ecological FootprintReport of European Union

GLOBAL FOOTPRINT NETWORK; WWF

2003 – humanity’s Ecological Footprint exceeded

the Earth’s biocapacity by over 20%

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

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REDEFINING PROGRESS

[Californian Institute works with a broad array ofpartners to shift the economy and public policy

towards sustainabiliyty

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT OF NATIONS

2005 UPDATE (March 2006)

World's Ecological Footprint Exceeds Biocapacity by

Nearly 40%

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50 000 – 150 000 species / year

140 – 416 species / day

Loss of Species Diversity

6 - 17 species / hour

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Paul R. i Anne H. Ehrlich (1981)

The ecosystem rivet hypothesis

Loss of Species Diversity

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http://www.samoloty.ow.pl/str003l1.htm

Paul R. i Anne H. Ehrlich (1981)

The ecosystem rivet hypothesis

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IV What are basic laws in nature?

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BASIC ECOLOGICAL LAWS

(American biologist)

Barry Commoner

„The Closing Circle” (1971)

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Laws of Ecology

Barry Commoner (1971)

1. Everything is Connected to Everything Else

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“...there are no separate individualbeings. All creatures are, to someextent, connected with others anddepend on them”Lewis Thomas [Dowd 1991]

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Laws of Ecology

Barry Commoner (1971)

1. Everything is Connected to Everything Else

2. Everything Must Go Somewhere

3. Nature Knows Best

4. There is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

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This is us, Earth. We realize it sooner or later,

but there is no getting around it. If we do notlearn to live in harmony with the food chains,with the ecosystems, then gradually they willcome out of balance, and then they will die. Itis all a cycle and we are in it; we cannot

escape.

Robert Baden-Powell [Dowd 1991]

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VWhen did environmental problems ariseand what were our countermeasures?

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Emerging of environmental problems

in the 1950s

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Time

Sp

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pro

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Local problems

Regional problems

Global problemsVisi

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wast

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Invisi

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1950-s 1970-s 1990-s

Development of environmental problems from 1950s to today

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Diluting the waste

Environmental problems and countermeasures

Dilution as solution to pollution

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Diluting the waste

„End of pipe”solutions

Recycling the waste

Clean production

Sustainable cyclic society

Environmental problems and countermeasures

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“Each of us must accept totalresponsibility for the earth’s survival. Weare the curators of life on earth, standingat the crossroads of time”

Helen Caldicott(Australian physician, environmental activist)

http://library.thinkquest.org/26026/People/helen_caldicott.html

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WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“We should require a substantiallynew manner of thinking if humanityis to survive”

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

a. John Paul IIb. Dalaj Lamac. Albert Einstein

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“We should require a substantiallynew manner of thinking if humanityis to survive”

a. John Paul IIb. Dalaj Lamac. Albert Einstein

http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafika:Albert_Einstein_1947.jpg

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“Our fate depends not only on that,what we do for ourselves, but also onthat, what we do for Gaia as a whole”

a. Vaclav Havelb. Tony Blair c. Gerhard Schroeder

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“Our fate depends not only on that,what we do for ourselves, but also onthat, what we do for Gaia as a whole”

a. Vaclav Havelb. Tony Blair c. Gerhard Schroeder

http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafika:Havel.jpg

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“The earth does not belong to man;man belongs to the earth. This weknow. All things are connected like theblood which unites one family. Allthings are connected “

a. Chief Seattle (Suquamish chief, North America)b. John Paul IIc. Dalaj Lama

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“The earth does not belong to man; man

belongs to the earth. This we know. All

things are connected like the blood which

unites one family. All things are connected “

a. Chief Seattle

(Suquamish chief, NorthAmerica)b. John Paul IIc. Dalaj Lama

http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/chiefsea.html

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“Ask the animals, and they shall teachyou; the birds of the air, and they shallinstruct you. Speak to the Earth and itshall teach you”

a. Saint Francisb. Bible

c. Sitting Bull (Indian Lakota)

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“Ask the animals, and they shall teachyou; the birds of the air, and they shallinstruct you. Speak to the Earth and itshall teach you”

a. Saint Francisb. Biblec. Sitting Bull (Indian Lakota)

http://www.silk.net/RelEd/graph/bible.gif

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“The XXI century will be the age ofecology or it will not be at all”

a. Al Gore (former vice-president of USA)b. Henryk Skolimowski (Polish philosopher)c. Paul Singer (founder of the philosophy of animal rights)

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“The XXI century will be the age ofecology or it will not be at all”

a. Al. Gore)

b. Henryk Skolimowski(Polish philosopher)c. Paul Singer

http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henryk_Skolimowski

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“In our every deliberation, we mustconsider the impact of our decisionson the next seven generations”

a. Brundland Commission

b. Iroquois Indiansc. Constitution of the U.S.A.

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“In our every deliberation, we mustconsider the impact of our decisionson the next seven generations”

a. Brundland Commission

b. Iroquois Indiansc. Constitution of theU.S.A.

http://www.crystalinks.com/iroquois.html

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“Ecology is my religion today. I livesurrounded by nature and fight withinconsiderate consumption”

a. Tom Cruiseb. Sylvester Stallonec. Robert Redford

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“Ecology is my religion today. I live

surrounded by nature and fight with

inconsiderate consumption”

a. Tom Cruise

b. Sylvester Stallone c. Robert Redford

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000602/

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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“Before I flew I was already aware of how smalland vulnerable our planet is; but only when I sawit from space, in all its ineffable beauty andfragility, did I realize that humankind’s mosturgent task is to cherish and preserve it for futuregenerations”

a. Sigmund Jahn (German astronaut)

b. Mirosław Hermaszewski (Polish astronaut)c. Neil Armstrong (American astronaut)

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

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http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/cosmonauts/english/volynov_boris.htm

WHO SAID THIS ABOUT NATURE?

a. Sigmund Jahn (German astronaut)

b. Mirosław Hermaszewski (Polish astronaut)c. Neil Armstrong (American astronaut)

“Before I flew I was already aware of how smalland vulnerable our planet is; but only when I sawit from space, in all its ineffable beauty andfragility, did I realize that humankind’s mosturgent task is to cherish and preserve it for futuregenerations”

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THANK YOU

Why do we need sustainable development?

Piotr Skubała, University of Silesia, Department of Ecology, Katowice, Poland