A photograph of the decisive decade we are facing, the perfect storm of environmental, economic and growth crisis we are facing and some possible ways to help the transition from this old unsustainable system to a new world order sustained by a new approach of global prosperity, justice and sustainability.

1. Materialism
and
Environment
Arthur Lyon Dahl Ph.D.
European Bahá'í Business Forum (EBBF)‫‏‬
http://www.ebbf.org
and
International Environment Forum (IEF)‫‏‬
http://iefworld.org
Madrid, 3 December 2011

2. Present unsustainability
• Population will grow to 9 billion by 2050
• 20% of population uses 80% of resources
• Energy challenge / climate change threats
• Growing water shortages
• Loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Food production capacity at risk
• Extremes of wealth and poverty widening
• Financial system has imploded

3. The wealthy live unsustainable lifestyles

4. Ecological footprint
• Surface needed to supply the needs and absorb the
wastes of an individual, community, or country
• Global average 2.7 ha/person‫‏‬
• Spain 5.7 ha/person (biocapacity 1.3 ha/person)
• Resources available 2.1 ha/person
• We overshot the earth's capacity in 1975
http://www.globalfootprint.org/
http://www.ecologicalfootprint.org/
http://www.myfootprint.org

5. Globalization
is the logical next step in human evolution, but
• Economic globalization is driven by powerful
governments and multinational businesses for
their own benefit
• Social globalization is being strongly resisted
• Globalization of environmental problems
threatens future sustainability
• Globalization of information makes us aware

6. Planetary Boundaries
• Climate change
• Rate of biodiversity loss
• Nitrogen cycle and phosphorus cycle
• Stratospheric ozone depletion
• Ocean acidification
• Global freshwater use
• Change in land use
• Atmospheric aerosol loading
• Chemical pollution

7. Climate Change
Temperature increase last 50 years

8. What the models say
IPCC 2007

9. Arctic Sea Ice September
1982 and 2008

10. BIODIVERSITY
LOSS
- Extinction rate (species per million species per
year) preindustrial 0.1-1, boundary 10, actual
>100
- The annual cost of forest loss is $2-5 trillion
- There will soon be no natural ecosystems left,
requiring increasing human intervention to
maintain some biological diversity

11. Nitrogen Cycle
(part of a boundary with the phosphorus cycle)
• Amount of N2 removed from atmosphere for
human use (mt/yr): preindustrial 0; boundary
35; actual 121
• Burning fossil fuels produces nitrogen
oxides
• Nitrogen fertilizers come from
petrochemicals
• More than half the fixed nitrogen on the
planet now comes from human activities

12. Global Freshwater Use
By 2025, 1.8b people will live in regions
with absolute water scarcity, and 2/3 of
the world population could be subject to
water stress as climate change reduces
rainfall in these areas

13. Predicted changes in rainfall
from climate change
Percent change in precipitation 1900-1999 to 2000-2099
December-February and June-August
IPCC 2007

14. Forecasts of Peak Oil
(WBCSD, Vision 2050, 2010)

15. Double economic challenge
“On current trends, ...humanity will need twice as
much energy as it uses today within 35
years.... Produce too little energy, say the
economists, and there will be price hikes and a
financial crash unlike any the world has ever
known, with possible resource wars,
depression and famine. Produce the wrong
sort of energy, say the climate scientists, and
we will have more droughts, floods, rising seas
and worldwide economic disaster with
runaway global warming.
John Vidal in The Guardian Weekly, 9-15 February 2007, Energy supplement, p. 3
We shall probably do both at the same time

16. Population Growth Scenarios

17. Soil degradation

18. The coming soil crisis
• Since 1945, erosion has degraded 1.2
billion hectares, equal to China plus
India, 38% of global crop land
• Annual soil loss is 75 billion tonnes,
with 12 million ha abandoned, 1% of
total

19. Start of a Global Food Crisis
• Climate change, drought, floods, soil erosion,
overfishing are reducing food production
• With grain being diverted for biofuel, 800 m
motorists are competing with 2 bn poor
• There are 1 bn hungry people, increasing due
to higher food prices
• Food is being priced out of reach for the poor

20. Resource Depletion
Many key materials are being exhausted rapidly
(estimated years left: predicted/today's rate)‫‏‬
• Phosphorus (fertilizer) 142-345
• Copper (wire, coins, pipes) 40-60
• Hafnium, Indium (chips, LCDs) 5-15
• Platinum (catalysts, fuel cells) 15-360
• Silver (jewelry, catalysts) 15-30
• Tantalum (cellphones, cameras) 20-115
• Uranium (weapons, power stations) 30-60

21. Where is the Economy going?
• Origins in American consumer society living
beyond its means, accumulating debt
• Head of European Central Bank (Feb. 2009):
"We live in non-linear times: the classic economic
models and theories cannot be applied, and future
development cannot be foreseen."
• Derivatives over $500 trillion by 2008 (x4 5y),‫‏‬
$700 trillion in 2010; uncontrolled speculation
• European countries on brink of insolvency
• Debt can only be repaid if the growth rate is
higher than the interest rate

22. Accumulating economic, social
and environmental debt
• Financial crisis from excessive debt
• Governance failures; increasing poverty;
youth in revolt; insecurity
• UK Chief Scientist (19 March 2009): the
world faces a 'perfect storm' of problems
in 2030 as food, energy and water
shortages interact with climate change
to produce public unrest, cross-border
conflicts and mass migrations

23. This is a crisis of consumption
• The economy is driven by consumption. Much recent
consumption reflected increased borrowing and rising debt
levels (individual, corporate, government)
• Anything increasing consumption was good for the economy:
planned obsolescence, aggressive advertising and marketing,
encouraging addiction, carefully orchestrated changes in style
• Information technologies and media have globalized this and
created a generation of passive consumers
• Economists and politicians insist on growth (to avoid collapse)
• People expect constantly increasing purchasing power
• But returning to consumption-driven growth and respecting
planetary environmental limits are incompatible
International Environment Forum

24. Economic thinking is challenged
by the environmental crisis
- It can no longer insist that there is no limit to
nature's capacity to fulfil any demand made on it
- Attaching absolute value to growth, to acquisition, and
to the satisfaction of people's wants is no longer a
realistic guide to policy
- Economic decision-making tools cannot deal with the
fact that most of the major challenges are global
(based on The Prosperity of Humankind, Bahá'í International Community)

25. Scenarios
plausible futures
• Business as usual in a
materialistic society
ignoring the future
• Retreating to a fortress
world of old values
• Making a transition to
sustainability

26. Scenarios from World 3
(Meadows et al. (1992) Beyond the Limits)‫‏‬
Business as usual Transition 1995 Transition 2015

27. End of the growth paradigm
• Can we expect endless material growth
in a finite planetary system?
• Economic growth has depended on
population growth, the fossil energy
subsidy, resource discoveries and
technological innovation
• The first three all end within a few
decades

28. Denial, Depression or Action?
Do we have a choice?
Can we go and hide on a remote island?

29. At the root
of all this
is what could
be called an
ethical
deficit

30. Environmental
Sustainability
is fundamentally an
Ethical Challenge
egotism versus altruism
me first versus all together

31. The human environment
We cannot segregate the human heart from the
environment outside us and say that once one
of these is reformed everything will be
improved. Man is organic with the world. His
inner life moulds the environment and is itself
also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon
the other and every abiding change in the life
of man is the result of these mutual reactions.
(Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 17 February 1933, Compilation on Social and Economic Development, p. 4)

32. A self-centred materialism
• The early twentieth century materialistic
interpretation of reality has become the
dominant world faith in the direction of society
• Rational experimentation and discussion are
expected to solve all the issues of human
governance and development
• Dogmatic materialism has captured all
significant centres of power and information at
the global level, ensuring that no competing
voices can challenge projects of world wide
economic exploitation
(based on Universal House of Justice, One Common Faith, p. 3-5)‫‏‬

33. The unsustainable consumer culture
- Materialism's vision of human progress produced
today's consumer culture with its ephemeral goals
- For the small minority of people who can afford them,
the benefits it offers are immediate
- The breakdown of traditional morality has led to the
triumph of animal impulses and hedonism
- Selfishness has become a prized commercial
resource; falsehood reinvents itself as public
information; greed, lust, indolence, pride, violence are
broadly accepted and have social and economic value
- Yet it is a culture without meaning (UHJ, One Common Faith, p. 10)‫‏‬

34. Threat from materialism
Pervading all departments of life... is the crass materialism,
which lays excessive and ever-increasing emphasis on
material well-being, forgetful of those things of the spirit on
which alone a sure and stable foundation can be laid for
human society. It is this same cancerous materialism,
born originally in Europe, carried to excess in the North
American continent, contaminating the Asiatic peoples and
nations, spreading its ominous tentacles to the borders of
Africa, and now invading its very heart, which Baha'u'llah...
denounced in His Writings, comparing it to a devouring
flame and regarding it as the chief factor in precipitating
the dire ordeals and world-shaking crises that must
necessarily involve the burning of cities and the spread of
terror and consternation in the hearts of men.
Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 124-125

35. Moderation in Material Civilization
The civilization, so often vaunted by
the learned exponents of arts and
sciences, will, if allowed to overleap
the bounds of moderation, bring great
evil upon men.... The day is
approaching when its flame will
devour the cities...
Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892)

36. The search for a cure
That materialistic ideals have, in the light of
experience, failed to satisfy the needs of
mankind calls for an honest acknowledgement
that a fresh effort must now be made to find the
solutions to the agonizing problems of the
planet.
(Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, I, p. 8)

37. Looking for a new purpose
Loss of faith in the certainties of materialism
and the progressive globalizing of human
experience reinforce one another in the
longing they inspire for understanding about
the purpose of existence.
(Universal House of Justice, One Common Faith, p. 13)‫‏‬

38. Welcome to the new
sustainability paradigm
• balance
• optimal size
• subsidiarity
• efficiency
• de-materialization
• closed systems

39. HOW DOES NATURE DO IT?
Sustainability in the
coral reef ecosystem:
• Efficient solar energy and materials capture by
generating large surface area
• Efficient energy transfers within system,
symbioses
• Little waste, effective recycling
• High complexity and integration
• Maximizes total productivity, not just most
productive

40. Cooperation and
Reciprocity
Cooperation and reciprocity are
essential properties of all natural
and human systems, increasing in
more highly evolved and complex
systems

41. THE ROLE OF SPIRITUAL
PRINCIPLE
There are spiritual principles, or what
some call human values, by which
solutions can be found for every social
problem.... Leaders of governments and
all in authority would be well served in
their efforts to solve problems if they
would first seek to identify the principles
involved and then be guided by them.
(Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace) ‫‏‬

42. The environment is
a global challenge
Acceptance of the oneness of
mankind is the first fundamental
prerequisite for the reorganization and
administration of the world as one
country, the home of humankind.
(Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, p. 13-14)

43. JUSTICE
It is unjust to sacrifice the well-being of
most people -- and even of the planet
itself -- to the advantages which
technological breakthroughs can make
available to privileged minorities
(based on Baha'i International Community, Prosperity of Humankind)

44. Sustainability – an ethical concept
- We are trustees or stewards of the planet's
resources and biodiversity. We must:
- ensure sustainability and equity of resource use
into distant future
- consider the environmental consequences of
development activities
- temper our actions with moderation and humility
- value nature in more than economic terms
- understand the natural world and its role in
humanity's collective development both material and
spiritual
(based on Bahá'í International Community, Valuing Spirituality in Development. 1998)‫‏‬

45. Environmental sustainability
a fundamental responsibility
• Sustainable environmental
management is not a discretionary
commitment we can weigh against
other competing interests
• It is a fundamental responsibility that
must be shouldered, a pre-requisite for
spiritual development as well as our
physical survival.
(based on Bahá'í International Community, Valuing Spirituality in Development. A concept paper written for the World Faiths and Development
Dialogue, Lambeth Palace, London, 18-19 February 1998)‫‏‬

46. The true purpose of economics
Economics has ignored humanity's broader
social and spiritual needs, resulting in:
- Corrosive materialism among the wealthy
- Persistent poverty for masses of the world's
peoples
Economic systems should give the peoples
and institutions of the world the means to
achieve the real purpose of development: the
cultivation of the limitless potentialities in
human consciousness.
(adapted from Bahá'í International Community, Valuing Spirituality in Development, 1998)‫‏‬

47. We need new economic models that
- further a dynamic, just and thriving social
order
- are strongly altruistic and cooperative in
nature
- provide meaningful employment
- help to eradicate poverty in the world
(Bahá'í International Community, Valuing Spirituality in Development)
They should give the right signals for
challenges like climate change,
sustainability and the development of
human potential (not just GDP)‫‏‬

48. Spiritual traditions have always taught
Contentment – moderate lifestyles
...be content with little, and be freed from
all inordinate desire.
(Bahá'u'lláh)
What does this imply for the consumer society?

49. Voluntary simplicity
Take from this world only to the
measure of your needs, and forego
that which exceedeth them.
(Bahá'u'lláh, Súriy-i-Mulúk §19, in The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 193. Haifa, Bahá'í World
Centre, 2002)‫‏‬

50. Ethical Governance
• The present systems of governance are
characterized by competitive and conflictual
expressions of power, which must be replaced by
the unifying and mutualistic exercise of power
• Justice and equity are the only means by which
unity can be maintained on an interdependent
planet
• A concern for justice and equity is the
indispensable compass in collective decision-
making, in achieving unity of thought and
action, and in engaging lasting commitment and
support for implementation
• Effective international governance must support
mutual empowerment of all countries, including

51. Globalization Requires World Order
A world federal system, ruling the
whole earth and exercising
unchallengeable authority over its
unimaginably vast resources,...
liberated from the curse of war and its
miseries, and bent on the exploitation of
all the available sources of energy on
the surface of the planet,... such is the
goal towards which humanity, impelled
by the unifying forces of life, is moving.
(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 203-204)‫‏‬

52. Living within environmental
limits is possible
To maintain the planet's ecological balance, we must:
- base the economy on renewable energy and
resources (agriculture, forests, fisheries, bio-
industries), closed materials cycles and integrated
product life-cycles
- reduce human impacts to a level appropriate to the
vulnerability and resilience of the systems
- restore damaged systems to the level necessary to
maintain natural and human ecosystem services
- allow population growth and development only to the
extent that system improvements extend the carrying
capacity of the planetary system

53. What can individuals do?
There are many things that individuals can do to live
more sustainably within environmental limits. We
can:
– re-examine our values,
– educate ourselves to the issues,
– change our way of thinking to be more
integrated, systemic and long-term,
– look outward with more solidarity, and
– live lightly on the earth, being content with little.

54. What can individuals do?
There are many practical applications of principles of
sustainability in daily life.
Water can be economized in washing, bathing,
laundry, and gardening, and efforts made to
reduce pollution.
Energy can be economized or used more efficiently
in heating, cooling, cooking, lighting and
appliances.

55. What can individuals do?
The need for transport can be reduced, and motor
vehicles replaced by public transport, bicycles, or
walking.
Food offers many choices of lifestyle: fast food or
organic, meat or vegetarian, local or fair trade,
nutritional balance, risks of contamination with
pesticides/hormones/antibiotics, and the possible
presence of genetically-modified organisms.

56. What can individuals do?
Clothing can be made of natural fibres, with possible
agricultural impacts, or synthetic fibres that are
persistent and non-renewable.
In our role as consumers, we can consider issues of
socially-responsible manufacture, changing styles
or using things until they wear out, and the
desirability of making choices based on brand
names and fashions.

57. What can individuals do?
Housing can be looked at for location, materials,
health impacts, energy efficiency, and social
effects.
There are sustainable dimensions of recreation,
tourism and entertainment, such as their impact on
the natural environment, effects of transport, and
ecotourism.
The aesthetic aspects of the environment cannot be
ignored, such as beauty, natural versus man-
made, and respecting cultural diversity.

58. Environmental sustainability
requires fundamental change
We are in the middle of a major transformation in society
The past is not a good predictor of the future
Change is inevitable, and the rate of change is accelerating,
requiring adaptive management
Globalization cannot be stopped, but it can be transformed
Institution building for international governance will continue
We can consciously work for change, or wait for catastrophe
to force us to change
There will be new forms of wealth creation and business
Creativity and innovation will be increasingly necessary for
success
Values and ethics will be fundamental to social and economic
transformation

59. The goal:
an organically
united world

60. The environmental crisis can only be
resolved by transforming our
materialistic society
The years ahead will be difficult,
but there is reason for hope

61. Sources for recent activities
http://iefworld.org
CSD-15 side event on The Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change
http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/featured/the-ethical-dimensions-
of-climate-change and http://iefworld.org/activities.htm
International Environment Forum 10th Conference (Oxford University,
Sept. 2006) on Science, Faith and Global Warming (http://
iefworld.org/conf10.htm)‫‏‬
11th Conference (Ottawa, Oct. 2007) on Framing a Human Response
to Climate Change (http://iefworld.org/conf11.htm)‫‏‬
12th Conference (Netherlands, Sept. 2008) on Sustainability or
Growth? (http://iefworld.org/conf12.htm)‫‏‬
13th Conference (Washington, D.C., August 2009) on Environments
(http://iefworld.org/conf13.htm)‫‏‬
14th Conference (Brighton, U.K., December 2010) on Making the
Invisible Visible (http://iefworld.org/conf14.html)
Climate change page: http://iefworld.org/climate.htm
International Environment Forum