Over 10 billion. That is how many people are expected to inhabit the earth in 2080; over three billion more than our current population.

That dramatic growth in human impact will have far-reaching effects – increased pollution; a rise in catastrophic weather events like wildfires and floods; more species than ever being at risk of extinction, increased risk of large-scale disasters like pandemics and political conflict. Our planet is already straining under the weight of these and other issues. Add over three billion people to the mix and one thing is certain: we've got a problem on our hands. Things don’t look good. And turning them around won’t be easy. So what do we do? Give it a go? Pack up and go? Exploring diverging opinions is at the heart of a university education, and MacEwan University’s expert faculty have spent their careers researching issues that have implications for our planet and the people who call it home.

We asked faculty experts to share their perspectives on the future of the third rock from the sun. Could microbes help us clean things up? Will businesses embrace a circular economy? Can healthy populations make the best decisions? Can we all get along? Is this planet actually worth saving? These are their answers.

Environmental geochemistry: “Definitely”

The planet is definitely worth saving, says Dr. Janice Kenney. Humans? “The jury is still out.”

The assistant professor in the Department of Physical Sciences spends a lot of time studying the mess people make, on a microscopic level. Her current research looks at how microbes can interact with pollution and contaminants in water, helping to “grab” heavy metals and organic contaminants, and ultimately contribute to planetary and human health.

The potential of these tiny organisms doesn't end there, explains Dr. Kenney. Combined with oxygen, microbes can also break down organic contaminants, cleaning up oil spills. They can even clean inorganic water pollution. By changing the oxidation state of an element, like uranium (one major focus of Dr. Kenney’s research), microbes can change it to a reduced state that would precipitate and be removed as a mineral, making the water more safe.

Using microbes to clean water supplies has a number of possible benefits, says Dr. Kenney. They’re relatively low-cost and multiply exponentially as long as they have a food source. That makes them a game-changer when it comes to removing harmful elements and pollution from drinking water, ensuring everyone has access to potable water. Microbes could also influence the actions of big business.

“When it comes to companies that historically have been unwilling to clean up their own messes, having a cheaper option for them might actually help them to be more responsible in their mining or drilling processes."

Anthropology: “Yes, and…”

Saving the planet means fundamentally changing how we interact with it, according to Dr. Cynthia Zutter and her research assistant Ashley Stoltz.

“People share a relationship with the earth, the ground, with growing things, that’s important. Until you understand the world around you, until you take the time and engage with it, your relationship with the Earth will be very disconnected,” says the anthropology professor.

Creating those connections is the focus of the Green and Gold Garden, where Dr. Zutter has volunteered for years. The garden grows and sells fresh produce in Edmonton, using the proceeds to support women in Rwanda who are marginalized and disenfranchised.

Last summer, Dr. Zutter and Stoltz, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student, used the garden as the focus of their research into the perceived benefits of volunteering. Taking a community-focused ethnography approach, they compiled interviews from 12 volunteers about their experiences volunteering with the garden. 

In an article about their work published in Weather Matters, Stoltz summed up her feelings about the effects of gardens like these on the future of the planet: “When we grow food on a piece of land, feelings of appreciation and connection grow alongside it — and fostering these precious caring emotions in communities and populations may be the way we secure the future well-being of our planet.”

While Stoltz’s project has ended, Dr. Zutter is continuing her research at the Green and Gold Garden with Dr. Marielle Papin, looking at how the garden integrates diversity, inclusion and well-being.

Business: “No, but only if…” 

We're consuming 1.7 times more resources than what the planet can provide, and can regenerate, says Dr. Hadi Chapardar, assistant professor in the School of Business.

“Historically, the economy was formed with a ‘take, make, waste’ way of thinking, meaning that businesses would take natural resources and make things, and after the lifetime of the product, we would just put it into the landfill,” says Dr. Chapardar. The first step in shifting from that linear model to a circular one – which is the focus of his research – is figuring out how we can consume less, reuse materials, and recycle used materials to make them more sustainable.

Getting there would take time, money and cooperation. 

Developing the necessary collaboration between government, business and consumers to make such a drastic change, says Dr. Chapardar, takes time that the planet simply can’t afford. “The certainty of the problem has grown, the scientific evidence is very clear. It's also clear that technology can help, but it takes a lot of time to develop technology. And the motivation to accelerate this process is insufficient.”

For example, increasing sustainability also means increasing short-term costs. “When you have competitors who are not sustainable, you cannot spend the extra money on sustainability and be able to compete with your rivals. So we need a way to push all of the businesses and motivate all of the competitors to pursue this goal collectively.”

While he isn't too pessimistic, Dr. Chapardar doesn't see that we have much choice when it comes to figuring out a way to save Earth – unless we can find another pleasant place to go. The search for a new location, he adds, will hopefully take no more than a few thousand years. Until then, even if we only care about human beings and no other living creatures on Earth, we have no choice but to save the planet.

Nursing: “Absolutely”

“We benefit from the planet as human beings, but we have reached a point where we take that for granted,” says Mona Haimour. “So saving and protecting it is not an option, it is a commitment we must all take on."

Recognizing the interconnectedness between the determinants of health and health outcomes from systems thinking and sustainability is crucial for nursing education and practice. Good health contributes to economic growth and social well-being, says Haimour. Having a healthier population with a good state of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being ensures better education, and high productivity. Sustainability can be achieved by generations working together to help create sustainable products and innovation for a healthy planet, says the assistant professor in nursing, who is specializing in sustainability, innovation and health equity.

Nurses have always assessed their patients’ environments, and Haimour says that turning their view to the planet is simply expanding that consideration and analysis to the natural systems and ecosystems. As part of her work in the Faculty of Nursing, she is leading curriculum changes that will include a focus on the planet and sustainability, among other priorities.

“In the new curriculum, we are intentional about having planetary health and sustainability – rooted in Indigenous Peoples’ ways of knowing and doing – as one of the frameworks that guides our philosophy and everything that students learn during their program of study. It's about developing a growth mindset and curiosity, where the student will examine human health and well-being through complexity and systems thinking; enabling them to synthesize situations and develop the capacity to innovate and create solutions that are socially and ecologically oriented and aimed toward achieving health equity, which is the focus of my research and teaching,” says Haimour.

Expanding on service learning and community partnerships is essential for nursing students to contribute to saving and having a healthy planet and achieving health equity, she says. Developing a green curriculum is the goal.

Saving the planet requires that we address complex global issues including gender inequality, climate change, food insecurity and poverty, as all are interdependent and interconnected and have impact on the health and well-being of the planet. 

Human services and early learning: “For sure”

While our physical environment might immediately leap to mind when we think of our planet’s sustainability, social equity and impact are also key components, says Dr. Maria Di Stasio.

How microsystems at home and school affect self-motivation and well-being in socially and gender-diverse groups is the focus of her research. “If we don't help students feel included in school, that has repercussions on their motivation, their learning and their overall well being as contributing citizens of society,” says the assistant professor in the Department of Human Services and Early Learning at MacEwan. 

Excluding a portion of the population that could help contribute to the bigger global aspect of sustainability has big implications. 

“Protecting the rights of individuals of sexual and gender diversity is an important part of sustainable growth,” she explains.

Creating policies to protect and provide that support for minorities will have positive outcomes in their personal, academic and professional lives. That kind of inclusivity generates more opportunities for everyone within a community. To have a community that bonds, she explains, we need to focus on individuals. “From a self-determination perspective, we have basic psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness and competence that must be fulfilled. If we don't have the practices or the spaces in our community to do just that, we are likely not  contributing to individuals’ well-being.” 

For Dr. Di Stasio, saving the planet means doing the work to promote inclusivity, so we can do better as a community. 

“We want our population to be rich and diverse, and inclusive practices are an important part of having a healthy population.”

Communications: “Of course”

In Dr. Lucille Mazo’s BCSC 204: Sustainability Communication course, students look at the Seventh Generation Principle – an Indigenous way of knowing that means that whatever we do right now will affect seven generations beyond us. 

“It reminds us that what we do here and now is not just what we feel and what we know to be, but that what we do affects everything for generations,” says the associate professor of communications. 

The impact post-secondary students can have on sustainability is the focus of one arm of Dr. Mazo’s research. In a study published in the Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications, she and her co-author Dr. Iain Macpherson discussed effective ways for post-secondary institutions to communicate sustainability practices and initiatives within the campus community and beyond.

Working with students, faculty, administrators and staff at Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine and MacEwan, Dr. Mazo asked about awareness of sustainability initiatives and effectiveness of communication strategies on specific campuses. She used the information to develop a strategic communication model for sustainable initiatives that can be applied across institutions.

One of MacEwan’s key sustainability communications tools was created by Dr. Mazo. Earth Common Journal is an annual student publication focused on sustainability and environmentalism. As editor-in-chief, she says the journal gives the university the ability to invite students across campus to express their important views.

“Students share what they’ve learned in business and ecological studies, psychology, and in communication – and their viewpoints on sustainable practices, the purpose of sustainability and the reasons why we need to save the planet.”