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European Engineering Combined With Traditional Workmanship Building on the Brightest Ideas Around Glass 905.849.0266 w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER Fr id ay , O ct ob er 2 2, 2 01 0 1 4 By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The path to global sustainability is like a fun- nel, said Dr. Karl-Henrik Rob, founder of The Natural Step. That is because the deeper down the path of destruction we go, the narrower the funnel will become where it is more difficult for us to save the planet and eventually it will become impossible. Rob was speaking before a gathering of more than 200 people at Sheridan College and many more watching live via web streaming Monday afternoon. Though hes educated in medicine, hes become a global leader on the issue of sustainability. The event was also Sheridans sustainability initiative kick off. Despite the funnel continuously narrowing, there is still time to act. However the path to sus- tainability is a global issue that is best approached by everyone, he said. Rob said everyone must be on board in working towards a sustainable future. He likened the issue to that of a medical team treating a cancer patient. He said the person in his example a woman needs a pathologist to pro- vide an exact diagnosis, a radiologist to administer a treat- ment, a nurse, a surgeon, a physiotherapist and a social worker to mobilize a support group. Not one of those professional groups can cure her alone. We need each other, he said. He said it is the same thing with the imaginary funnel and that everyone needs to be involved. He said even gas companies, which are seen as pollution causers, must be on board, because it is they who have the structure to deliver energy, clean or otherwise. Also he mentioned that by excluding certain groups, one is making enemies of them. We are threatening each other by saying what you do is bad, what you do is good, he said. He calls sustainability a dynamic challenge meaning that things are getting worse and worse and the status quo can- not continue. He added the farther down the funnel we go, the more expensive it will become to repair the damage done. Rob said everyone will be affected, including economically from the poor to the rich. The longer we wait to act, the greater the costs will become for us to survive, he said. He said the world is losing forests and eco systems that are keeping us alive. Everyone is aware of it, so why dont we act more viciously, do something about this threatening funnel? In order to get out of the funnel, he said a strategy must be created. Rob provided his Natural Step organiza- tions strategy as an example, but said there are others as well that are effec- tive. It is an ABCD strategy that can be done by something such as an organi- zation. A refers to awareness and vision- ing, which identifies sustainability in an organizations whole-system and envisions what sustainability will look like. B is for baseline mapping, which examines the organizations activities that go against sustainability princi- ples. C stands for creative solutions, which is the brainstorming of potential solutions to the issues identified dur- ing the baseline mapping process. And lastly D is for decide on prior- ities, during which process the organi- zation will prioritize the list from the above process that it can act on. Rob said it doesnt matter what course of action groups or organiza- tions take towards sustainability as long as they follow the robust princi- ples outlines in the strategy. For exam- ple, he said places with lots of sun can benefit from solar photovoltaic tech- nologies more and windy places can benefit more from wind turbine tech- nologies. Rob said educational institu- tions, such as Sheridan College, must be humble in their beginnings towards sustainable efforts. He said when a col- lege or university does something pro- active towards sustainability, it will gain reputation, not the other way around. Once the reputation grows, the partners will come on board and the money with them, which will lead to further advancements, resulting in greater reputation and the cycle will go on. Rob said a school must educate its students so they continue those principles when they graduate. He said sustainability can be included in exist- ing programs, without changing the curriculum, but by introducing those sustainability principles into the teach- ing method. Rob has worked with interna- tional corporations such as Ikea and McDonalds to help them pioneer sus- tainable solutions. He won the Green Cross Award for international leader- ship and the Blue Planet Prize, which is considered as the Nobel Prize of eco- logical sustainability. Sheridan is currently working on a sustainability strategic plan that will involve various initiatives around the many pockets of the institution. Status quo no longer sustainable says activist ERIC RIEHL/ OAKVILLE BEAVER SUSTAINABLE: Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert, founder of The Natural Step, discusses climate change and sus- tainable development at Sheridan College on Monday.