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Soundbites
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"We will eliminate the need for raw material and banish all waste"
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Edward Burtysnky
Oxford Tire Pile #1, Hamilton, Ontario, 1997
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Quotes
"1 billion people live below the poverty line, 2 billion lack safe water, 3.1 billion lack sanitation."
"Around 20% of the world’s population is in the developed world, but they are responsible for 80% of commercial energy use, 75% of timber consumption, 50% of fish and grain consumption 40% fresh water consumption."
(Sustainable Design Award, 2004)
"The way we use the planet is unsustainable. Large numbers of the world's population go hungry and don’t have clean water. The way we burn fossil fuels is adding to climate change we are depleting all sorts of resources and polluting our environment in a variety of ways.
"Climate change is expected to lead to the spread of deserts, an increase in very large storms increased winter rainfall in coastal areas (including the whole of Britain). It will also lead to changing habitats and landscapes everywhere and rising sea levels, which will flood low-lying areas, where millions of people live and where we grow huge amounts of the world's food."
(ITDG, 2003)
The Countdown
"By 2050, at current consumption rates, we will need:
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8.5 planets, to absorb our carbon dioxide |
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6 planets worth of steel |
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3.5 planets to sustain cement supply |
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3.5 planets to sustain timber demand."
(Sustainable Design Award, 2004)
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"Sustainability is not about keeping things as they are – things are not OK now for many people. Sustainability is about ensuring access to energy, healthy food, clean air and water for everyone on the planet both now and in the future. It is about improving the world and then trying to keep it OK for everyone."
(ITDG, 2003)
"Resources are extracted, shaped into products, sold and eventually disposed of in a ’grave’ of some kind, usually a landfill or incinerator. You are probably familiar with the end of this process because you, the customer, are responsible for dealing with its detritus. Think about it: you may be referred to as a consumer, but there is very little that you actually consume – some food, some liquids. Everything else is designed for you to throw away when you are finished with it. But where is ’away’? Of course, ’away’ does not really exist. ’Away’ has gone away."
(McDonough and Braungart, 2002)
"Social responsibility means ensuring that other people’s quality of life and human rights are not compromised to fulfil our expectations and demands – e.g. buying products and food which has been fairly traded, and manufactured in good conditions."
(ITDG, 2003)
"Environmental responsibility means ensuring that our actions and lifestyles do not have such a negative impact on the environment that the planet’s resources are being used at unsustainable rates – e.g. reducing our energy usage and developing renewable energy sources so that we reduce our use of fossil fuels, or choosing materials and methods which cause as little pollution as possible."
(ITDG, 2003)
"Economic responsibility means ensuring that there is an economic benefit both to the region from which the purchase came and to the region in which it is marketed. Is the process fair economically to everyone involved? Is anyone being exploited? (This is of course also a social issue). Can production be done at a price that people can afford?"
(ITDG, 2003)
"A sustainable world would have to be one where the whole of the world’s population:
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had enough healthy food |
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had a clean water supply |
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had adequate homes to live in |
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were free from the threats of poverty, violence, racism or discrimination |
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lived in a clean, safe environment |
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had access to good health services and education |
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could find beauty and fun around them and where this could continue indefinitely. |
In order to achieve this, we would have to burn less fossil fuel in the industrialised world, consume more locally produced goods and stop using destructive chemicals in farming and industry. We need to ensure that everyone has an equal share of resources and seek out more fair-traded products. Above all, we must consume less useless products."
(ITDG, 2003)
Sustainability is about :
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"humans’ ability to learn, adapt and survive in changing circumstances" |
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"ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and in the future. It involves the bringing together of social, environmental and economic issues into one over–arching objective" |
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"treating the Earth as though we intend to stay" |
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"living on Earth’s income rather than eroding its capital" |
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"the interaction and interdependence of society, economy and environment; the needs of both present and future generations; the local and global implications of lifestyle choices" |
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"changing the world so that we provide for the needs of everyone on the planet, now and future generations, without destroying the environment".
(ITDG, 2003)
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Facts
"There are an estimated 45 million mobile phones in circulation at present in the UK and over 300 million across Europe."
(http://www.fonebak.com/learn/facts.html, 20 Feb 05)
"Approximately 77% of the population have at least one mobile phone."
(http://www.fonebak.com/learn/facts.html, 20 Feb 05)
"In the UK, the average consumer replaces his/her mobile phone every 18 months and it is estimated that some 15 million mobile phones are replaced each year in the UK alone."
(http://www.fonebak.com/learn/facts.html, 20 Feb 05)
"It is estimated that some 105 million phones are replaced across Europe every year."
(http://www.fonebak.com/learn/facts.html, 20 Feb 05)
"If you placed 105 million phones one in front of the other, they would travel 14,700 kilometres, which would go from Cairo to Capetown and back again!"
(http://www.fonebak.com/learn/facts.html, 20 Feb 05)
"If you placed 105 million phones one in front of the other they would travel from London to Paris almost 43 times."
(http://www.fonebak.com/learn/facts.html, 20 Feb 05)
"105 million phones, standing one on top of another, would be 342 times higher than Mount Everest."
(http://www.fonebak.com/learn/facts.html, 20 Feb 05)
"The people of Europe consume three times their share of the world's resources, compared with an equal share for everyone."
(ITDG, 2003)
"Recycling 1kg of aluminium saves 8kg of bauxite, 4kg of chemical products and 14kw of electricity."
(ITDG, 2003)
"Over six million electrical items are thrown away every year in the UK. It is estimated that over half of them are still working or could easily be repaired."
(ITDG, 2003)
"There are well over 1 billion mobile phones in circulation in the world."
(http://www.fonebak.com/learn/facts.html, 20 Feb 05)
"Through Fonebak, the 3.5 million phones that have been collected have diverted some 1,750 tonnes of potentially harmful landfill."
(Fonebak, 2005)
"Almost 90% of all office printing and copier cartridges can be reused or recycled."
(World Land Trust, 2005)
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