The prestigious Centro Studi
Worldwatch Institute, 1974 since that day, was given the mission to provide so-called "decision makers" suggestions, ideas, suggestions to encourage the creation of an ecologically sustainable society has always tried to reconcile the actions promoted by governments with those of private sector companies and, last but not least, the actions of individuals.
Among his publications that has now achieved an international reputation is undoubtedly the
"State of the World , "a report once a year in which this research center based in Washington aims to analyze the state of our planet, precisely, and at the same time provide useful information to address major problems identified.
Since 1988 State of the World is also produced in the Italian edition, and among other things, at the Environmental
Library Friends of the Earth you can find them with the formula of the loan or consultation with all 23 editions so far published. The 2010 edition
which bears the subtitle "transform the culture of consumption " (Edizioni Ambiente, €. 24.00 pp. 380) is wholly focused on what's happening in our society to begin the necessary transformation of our culture and move from the consumer dimension to the sustainability of both the environmental and on that of social justice.
Gianfranco Bologna, Scientific Director of WWF Italy
, in his now customary introduction to the annual edition of the report reiterates some points of reflection on sustainability by environmentalists.
"
E 'can - he asks -
allow a lifestyle as the average of the inhabitants of rich countries, the entire current world population of 6.8 billion and planned for 2050, slightly more than 9 billion? The answer is clearly no, not possible. "
A demonstration of the thesis, G. Bologna takes an example for all, that's energy supply, a citizen of the United States today consumes energy as Europeans 2, 6 Chinese, 22 Indians and even 70 people in Kenya. Not to mention that in the coming decades will have access to energy other 2.5 billion people.
is clear that our society can not continue on this road. How do you remember
Christopher Flavin, president of the Worldwatch Institute: "Over the past fifty years
consumerism has emerged as the dominant culture ... has become one of the unstoppable engine of growth in demand for resources and waste production, the distinctive mark of our time ... and also helped to underpin the other forces that have allowed our civilization to grow beyond the limit of endurance of their ecological context. "
Today scientists remind us that human activities are affecting the environment in ways that go far beyond the simple emission of greenhouse gases; that is no longer possible to understand these changes with a simple cause-effect relationship that dominates our time culture, thus making it much more difficult to interpret and predict the actual consequences triggered.
no coincidence that the Nobel prize for chemistry Paul Crutzen
has defined our era geological
"Anthropocene " identifying with this term, the strong characterization of this was part of the human species.
Another finding reported in this report and in my opinion is significant on so-called material flow
. The extraction of global resources (biomass, minerals, metals and fossil fuels) has grown from 40 billion tonnes in 1980 to 60 billion in 2008 and forecasts speak to touch the 80 billion tonnes in 2020. The current world economy using something equivalent to the weight of 41,000 buildings like the Empire State Building a year (112 per day!).
The metabolism of human societies, is becoming, among other things, an increasingly significant field of research and at the base of the disciplines that deal with sustainability.
In this regard, and I say with some pride, the same Gianfranco Bologna sees great merit in the research initiated by the Friends of the Earth in just 80
on the concept of "environmental space" or of the "quantity
energy, resources renewable, land, water, timber and capacity to absorb pollution that can be used per capita, without causing environmental damage and without compromising future generations .
The unsustainability of current patterns of development is more clearly established by another indicator that we have already spoken on this blog:
the Ecological Footprint . It relates the impact of humanity with the amount of productive land and marine areas available to provide important ecosystem services and shows that, at present, humanity uses the resources and services 1.3 Terre. We're using that about a third more than the available capacity of the Earth.
I mention briefly some striking examples of the excess fuel that makes our way of life.
The bottled water industry between 2000 and 2008 has doubled its turnover reaching 60 billion dollars and over 240 billion gallons of water sold. Bottled water costs, compared to the aqueduct, from 240 to 10,000 times more, but this seems to be irrelevant for a given consumer. The
Fast-food industry in the U.S. alone is worth $ 120 billion with over 200,000 dining.
the beginning of the 20th century, the hamburger was despised and considered the "food of the poor." Today, the only McDonald's serves 58 million people a day.
In China alone the industry of so-called
products disposable (napkins and paper plates, napkins and wipes for the face) in 2008 had a turnover equivalent to U.S. $ 14.6 billion, an increase of ' 11% over the previous year.
In 2008 alone, overall, the statistics tell us that you have purchased 68 million vehicles, 85 million refrigerators, 297 million computers and 1.2 billion mobile phones.
The report also criticizes a fact that probably will discuss animal friends. It seems that the pet industry
reach a global turnover of more than $ 42 billion annually just in pet food. In 2005, the advertising sales for this sector has exceeded 300 million U.S. dollars. Also pets consume substantial resources. For example, two German shepherds in one year consumes more resources than an inhabitant of Bangladesh.
increased consumption, the higher extraction from the underground fossil fuel, minerals and metals, cut more trees and more cultivated land.
Between 1950 and 2005 metal production is six-fold increase, consumption of oil has increased eight-fold and that of natural gas to fourteen.
To change this situation is why we have a real cultural revolution whose elements already in place in many societies around the world are making proposals set out in this book, by authors of diverse cultures and backgrounds.
2010 State of the World stops to analyze what is happening in the various fronts of human endeavor to move our models of socio-economic development.
The text begins with the
suggest a strategic reassessment of the role of religious organizations . They could be of primary importance in development of sustainability and discourage consumption. Today 86% of the world's population claims to belong to an organized religion. The moral authority represented by these organizations might actually play a role in spreading the culture of sustainability. Other
considered strategic role and in which I am personally involved is education. Every aspect of school education
should be oriented towards sustainability. Habits, values \u200b\u200band preferences are formed mainly in childhood and throughout life in general education can have great influence on the formation of an individual. The Report is specifically mentioned as an example uplifting experience "pioneer" of countries like Italy and Scotland in the field of school canteens
where much is being done both in the quality of food (promotion of organic food) and in the supply (abandonment of disposable in favor of reusable tools) that ultimately good practices (promotion of recycling).
education may therefore be a crucial tool to address all issues relevant to sustainable development.
But equally crucial will be the role of the
and the world of work in general. In this section, the text focuses particularly on the better distribution of working hours according to the term "work less, work all" but also "to work less to have more free hours in the day you can devote to family and leisure" . The analysis in this chapter seeks to demonstrate how in fact the obsession with the greatest economic gain to sacrifice work-forces a greater number of hours each day without actually turn into real benefits in terms of quality of life. This is indeed the argument made also by the philosophers of the so-called "decline happy, "another theme previously addressed on these pages. And similarly crucial
can and should be the role of institutions
be in the forefront of this change in perspective of eco-compatibility. In particular, authorities, governments and administrations can exert a decisive influence through
tool called "choice editing ", a mechanism already used in many communities is used to control the choices of citizens through laws, penalties, tax incentives and other control in order to make sustainable options no longer an option, but the obvious solution and obvious. Is cited in this respect a multitude of examples from
ban plastic bags (in Ireland has introduced a specific tax), the gradual withdrawal from the market
incandescent bulbs ,
to removal from the shelves of supermarkets at eye level of those foods high in fat
disadvantage for the purchase, the system
energy certification of buildings.
An example that particularly struck me is that achieved in Perth, Australia, and named
TravelSmart. The system is based on the interaction of individuals through contact directed by letter, by telephone interview or home interview during which you provide the person the most useful information possible in order to allow them a viable alternative to private car for travel between envisaging ' other benefits which may be obtained not only in economic terms and for the community but also for their physical health in giving up the car. The initial experiment involved about 200,000 families and among other things, allowed the administration to Perth to be able to start construction of a new railway line with over 90% of the vote in favor of the project from the citizens.
State of the World also devotes a chapter to the role of the media
.
The means of mass communication, as portraying the lifestyle of the people, that transmit social norms shape the behavior and then act as a marketing vehicle for disseminating news and information, confirming a powerful tool in shaping the culture. E 'possible to use these means is to spread a cultural model of consumerism is to counter it by promoting sustainability. Although today the vast majority of the media food to the first aspect, globally, it is working to change this trend. Given the prominent role of marketing in stimulating consumption will strategic use it to promote sustainable behavior. The examples are not lacking, just think of such campaigns to discourage smoking, rather than those to practice safe sex, wear seat belts, lower consumption of alcohol.
addition to the mass media also
the arts can make a valuable contribution: are examples in the field of visual arts, music and film. In this respect, the beautiful cover of the American State of the World 2010 gives
"Gyre" the work of Chris Jordan
recreation of the famous woodblock prints of the artist Japanese
K. Hokusai ,
"The Great Wave of Kanagawa" , however, realized through the use of well 2.4 million pieces of plastic.
I found particularly interesting the analysis and the distinction made on narrative film and documentary. The cinema in general is rightly recognized as a powerful tool that can contribute to the understanding that individuals have of the world and their place in it. The documentary, however, generally can only engage an audience already sensitive to a particular issue and therefore exhibits a limited potential in the spirit of cultural transformation that is intended to promote. In the film narrative is more easy to involve an audience emotionally even alien to some issues because the virtuous action is not made from fall but is somehow "normalized" by the action of the characters on the screen. E 'at the bottom, the latter, the logic that we have tried to follow the completion of our documentary film
"Do not throw away" very sensitive on the issue of reducing the production of household waste.
The book naturally contains plenty of other ideas that time and space are forced to leave out but which I hope will be scrutinized carefully by those who will have the goodness to engage in reading what I consider a very useful tool for stimulating thinking and acting, before it is too late.
Michele Salvadori
