The Funnel Metaphor

The current situation on Earth can be viewed as a funnel with ever diminishing room to maneuver. Life-support systems for our continued existence on the planet––those providing clean air, clean water, and food – are in decline. At the same time, the global population and global demand for these resources are both increasing.

Many of our current practices and activities are leading us to "hit the wall" of this funnel. Using the funnel metaphor, the goal is to make choices over time that avoidi the constraints of the ‘walls’ by moving toward sustainable ways of living, and ultimately to restoration of the natural system.

What are some signs that the funnel walls are, in fact, narrowing?

•  The population on our planet has more than doubled in recent years, and the human population will grow from 6.1 billion to 9 billion by 2050 = increased demand
• Underground aquifers are being depleted for 480 people = decreased supply
• 15 of 24 global ecosystems are in dramatic decline = decreased supply
• Global emissions of carbon dioxide has quadrupled since the 1940s = decreased supply
• Nearly half of the world’s old growth forests are gone = decreased supply
• Municipal waste grew by 30% in developed nations since 1975 = increased demand
• 75 percent of the major marine fish stocks are being fished at or beyond their biological limit = decreased supply

Yet sustainability is not only about the environment. The uneven pace and impacts of global development contributes to many of the factors noted above. Currently, within the entire global population:

• Almost 50% live on less than $2 per day
• 41% lack access to basic sanitation
• 17% are unable to read
• 13% suffer from malnutrition
• 2% have a college education

In this context, can we really afford not to work towards increased sustainability?

Source: Population Connection (www.populationconnection.org)