Well-being Of Future Generations Research Articles

A global database of plant services for humankind.

Humanity faces the challenge of conserving the attributes of biodiversity that may be essential to secure human wellbeing. Among all the organisms that are beneficial to humans, plants stand out as the most important providers of natural resources. Therefore, identifying plant uses is critical to preserve the beneficial potential of biodiversity and to promote basic and applied research on the relationship between plants and humans. However, much of this information is often uncritical, contradictory, of dubious value or simply not readily accessible to the great majority of scientists and policy makers. Here, we compiled a genus-level dataset of plant-use records for all accepted vascular plant taxa (13489 genera) using the information gathered in the 4th Edition of Mabberley's plant-book, the most comprehensive global review of plant classification and their uses published to date. From 1974 to 2017 all the information was systematically gathered, evaluated, and synthesized by David Mabberley, who reviewed over 1000 botanical sources including modern Floras, monographs, periodicals, handbooks, and authoritative websites. Plant uses were arranged across 28 standard categories of use following the Economic Botany Data Collection Standard guidelines, which resulted in a binary classification of 9478 plant-use records pertaining human and animal nutrition, materials, fuels, medicine, poisons, social and environmental uses. Of all the taxa included in the dataset, 33% were assigned to at least one category of use, the most common being "ornamental" (26%), "medicine" (16%), "human food" (13%) and "timber" (8%). In addition to a readily available binary matrix for quantitative analyses, we provide a control text matrix that links the former to the description of the uses in Mabberley's plant-book. We hope this dataset will serve to establish synergies between scientists and policy makers interested in plant-human interactions and to move towards the complete compilation and classification of the nature's contributions to people upon which the wellbeing of future generations may depend.

Review of nutritional guidelines "Nutrition First" for adolescent, pregravid and postpartum periods by International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics

Nutrition during adolescence, pregravid and postpartum is a major public health challenge, as it affects not only the health of adolescents and women, but also the health of future generations. Therefore, the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics' guidelines aim to address a number of nutritional concerns for adolescents and young women before, during and after pregnancy. Health care providers should think about nutrition first, with a focus on optimizing the nutrition and health of adolescents and mothers from the pre-conception period. This approach will help to achieve significant positive results in ensuring the health of women and their children, as well as in ensuring the health, life expectancy and well-being of future generations. The main findings on the use of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are presented. It is known that the number of calories required for the development of a child during pregnancy does not increase significantly, while the requirements for vitamins and minerals increase significantly. Therefore, pregnant women should focus on increasing their micronutrient intake and try to limit their intake of empty calorie foods.

Studies on geothermal energy utilization: a review

Sustainable development requires the use of sustainable energy systems. Energy use will increase worldwide, and geothermal energy consumption for both electricity generation and heating will also increase significantly. Sustainable use of geothermal energy means that it is produced and used outdoors, which is compatible with the well-being of future generations and the environment. This paper provides a review of the links between the development of geothermal energy used in HVAC systems and sustainable development, as well as a review of the sustainability assessment frameworks currently available.

Valuation and Appreciation of Biodiversity: The “Maintenance of Options” Provided by the Variety of Life

“Nature’s contributions to people” (NCP) is an important expansion beyond the standard ecosystem services framework, particularly as a pathway to better address global/regional biodiversity values. NCP18, “maintenance of options,” refers broadly to the capacity of ecosystems, habitats, species, or genotypes to keep options open to support a good quality of life. “Biodiversity,” interpreted as living variation, is an important, but under-appreciated, aspect of “maintenance of options.” IPBES refers to “the “option values of biodiversity,” that is, the value of maintaining living variation in order to provide possible future uses and benefits.” IPBES assessments include biodiversity option value, and use phylogenetic diversity (PD) as an indicator of change in status of NCP18. At the same time, IPBES notes the need for greater appreciation of option values of biodiversity. Popular ecosystem services framings forget the long history of consideration of these global benefits of biotic diversity to humanity, and their normative links. Popular ecological definitions mean that many current valuations of “biodiversity” neglect the benefits of biodiversity-as-variety. Economic valuations of “biodiversity” typically have focused on ecosystem aspects, not variety; related ecosystems framings value “biodiversity” with a focus on those critical elements relating to functioning of ecosystems. Greater appreciation of biodiversity option value and NCP18 may depend on clearer messaging from academia, better highlighting of the link between biodiversity and intergenerational justice, and greater communication of stories of past surprising discoveries of benefits from species that highlight biodiversity as an ongoing source of future benefits. An important pathway for better appreciation of insurance and investment benefits of variety is to understand and communicate the reasons why we value these benefits from variety. Biodiversity-as-variety is valued because we care about the welfare of future generations.

Public Policies of Welfare State and Child Poverty in the European Union

Combating child poverty is desirable to ensure equality of opportunities across children, as well as fostering the sustainability of the societal well-being for future generations. This paper focuses on the study of child poverty in the 28 Member States of the European Union over the period 2008–2018. We analyse the relationship between child poverty and government social expenditure by controlling it with tax structure (ratio direct taxes over indirect taxes), economic growth and socio-demographic characteristics. For that, we rely on panel data methodology. This paper has verified that the effectiveness of the government social spending programmes to reduce child poverty also depends on the progressiveness of the country’s tax structure. Government spending on health and education programmes could be more effective in reducing child poverty in Member States with less progressive tax structure, provided they reached the average level of public spending for the whole of the European Union. By contrast, a positive relationship between child poverty and government social protection spending regardless of the tax structure of countries was found. In this case, the underlying forces that lead to less effectiveness of social protection programmes are also stronger in the less progressive Member States.

Evaluating the environmental impact of the Welsh national childhood oral health improvement programme, Designed to Smile.

Designed to Smile (D2S) is a national oral health improvement programme, aimed to reduce the prevalence of dental caries in young children in Wales. D2S has a responsibility to consider the environmental impact of the service it provides and demonstrate adherence to the sustainable development principle legislated within the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act. To review the environmental impact of D2S by estimating the carbon footprint of the programme and identify carbon hotspots for future targeted action. Process mapping identified the steps to deliver the supervised toothbrushing and fluoride varnish elements of D2S. Annual estimates of business travel mileage, financial spend on procurement, total number of plastic consumables and waste disposal were made. An online survey enabled calculation of staff commuting behaviour. These contributors were converted to carbon emissions using established carbon conversion factors. The annual carbon footprint of D2S was estimated at 388 tonnes of CO²e (tCO²e) with 31% attributed to staff travel, 23% to business travel and 46% to procurement. An estimated 1 million plastic items were distributed. By promoting good oral care and preventing the need for future carbon intensive restorative dental treatments, D2S exemplifies a sustainable model of healthcare. Adopting reduce, reuse, recycle principles for plastic consumables and introducing sustainable procurement procedures could lead to further decarbonisation and reduction in plastic waste.

A not so myopic axiomatization of discounting

This article builds an axiomatization of inter-temporal trade-offs that takes an explicit account of the distant future. The focus is on separable representations and the approach is completed following a decision-theory index based approach that is applied to utility streams understood as the well-being of future generations. The introduction of some new axioms is herein shown to lead to the emergence of two distinct orders that respectively relate to the distant future and close future components of some utility stream. This enlightens the limits of the commonly used fat tail intensity requisites for the evaluation of utility streams. These are replaced by an axiomatic approach to myopia degrees.

Re-placing “Place” in Internationalised Higher Education: Reflections from Aotearoa New Zealand

Aotearoa New Zealand is a small, island nation located on the rim of Oceania. Since colonisation by British settlers in the mid-1800s, the internationalisation of higher education (HE) in Aotearoa New Zealand has reflected shifting notions of nationhood – from an extension of Great Britain, to a (separate) bicultural nation, to a player in the global knowledge economy. Since the late 1980s, internationalisation policy has reflected the primacy of market concerns; the internationalisation of HE has been imagined primarily as a means to attract export revenue and human capital to Aotearoa New Zealand, and to increase brand recognition. However, internationalisation, as the movement of people and knowledge between places, can also be seen as pre-dating the development of nations, particularly in the Oceania context.Within mātauranga Māori, or Māori (indigenous) epistemological traditions, place is central to identity. To be human is to be part of something bigger than oneself; care for the land is care both for ancestors and the wellbeing of future generations. In this paper, we (re)consider internationalised HE in light of three questions that are central to mātauranga Māori: “Who am I? What is this world that I exist in? What am I to do?” (Royal, 2012, p. 35). After tracing the connections between internationalisation, colonisation, and nationhood in Aotearoa New Zealand,we consider how attention to Māori place-based epistemologies and values drawn from mātauranga Māori might challenge, stretch and ground contemporary internationalisation policies and practices in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Other-Regarding Preferences and Social Norms in the Intergenerational Transfer of Renewable Resources when the Agent has Present-Biased Preferences

The paper analyzes the effects of present-biased preferences on the transfer of resources to future generations in the framework of renewable resource harvesting. The paper assumes that the current generation has other-regarding motivations for future generations, expressed through the adherence to spontaneous other-regarding preferences or social norms. Because the short-sighted behavior imposed by the “dictatorship of the present” can cause a reduction in the well-being of future generations, despite the existence of social preferences, the model presented in this study demonstrates that if the social preferences are also expressed through social norms that prescribe no reevaluation of the harvesting decisions, a mitigation of the effect of present bias on intergenerational equity can occur. In this paper, the model presented shows the properties that a social norm should have to avoid the intergenerational inequality that can be derived from present-biased preferences in intergenerational renewable resource management. Additionally, the model defines the necessary and sufficient conditions such that the implementation of the social norm can neutralize the effect of present-biased preferences, guaranteeing the optimal harvesting path defined at the beginning.

Historical Evolution of the Conceptual Practice Sustainability Terminology

The article aims to analyze, in a formal historical approach, the conceptual evolution of sustainability terminology, which initially has an essentially ecological interaction, but begins to incorporate social values in its definition when establishing relation with the welfare of future generations. As a result, international society coined the term "sustainable development," which presupposes a preventive action, with practices of governmental regulations associated with initiatives that involve economic growth, social equity and global environmental conservation.

Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Intergenerational Responsibility

Humans shape the behavior of artificially intelligent algorithms. One mechanism is the training these systems receive through the passive observation of human behavior and the data we constantly generate. In a laboratory experiment with a sequence of dictator games, we let participants' choices train an algorithm. Thereby, they create an externality on future decision making of an intelligent system that affects future participants. We test how information on training artificial intelligence affects the prosociality and selfishness of human behavior. We find that making individuals aware of the consequences of their training on the well-being of future generations changes behavior, but only when individuals bear the risk of being harmed themselves by future algorithmic choices. Only in that case, the externality of artificially intelligence training induces a significantly higher share of egalitarian decisions in the present.

Sustainable urban development: the impact of an asphalt plant on the quality of atmospheric air

The development of industry, the use of various chemicals in technological processes, the large emissions of industrial enterprises, the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in agriculture have caused environmental pollution with harmful substances. Environmental protection is now becoming one of the economic problems and is an extremely urgent task of humanity. The purpose of this article is to present the main results of the study and analysis of atmospheric air pollution by the asphalt plant, which is located almost in the center of Yekaterinburg; to investigate the compliance of the existing hazard class of the enterprise, which increases its production volumes, to correct the size and location of the sanitary protection zone of the plant, taking into account the wind rose, and to try to propose a number of measures to reduce the negative impact of the plants in this industry. In considering the impact of anthropogenic activities on nature, attention should be paid to the concept of sustainable development, which carries principles based on the satisfaction of human needs, with a focus on caring for the well-being of future generations. If we consider the issue from the perspective of this concept, then the asphalt plant, in order to prevent possible environmental damage, should invest material and money to further minimize the amount of pollutants.

What matters in the implementation of sustainable development policies? Findings from the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, 2015

ABSTRACT This paper examines the implementation of the unique and pioneering latest Welsh Government sustainable development legislation: the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, 2015. The paper is the first empirical analysis of this legislation, based on 16 semi-structured interviews and 89 documents. The analysis explores sustainable development policy implementation by analysing and critiquing the Act and provides a wider understanding of the key factors influencing local implementation of national Sustainable Development policies, focussing on the local level to understand how different practices emerge in different places.

Future Design as a Metacognitive Intervention for Presentism

Many serious problems occur due to conflicts between the interests of the present generation and the welfare of future generations, and thus, the actions of the preset generation may be a consequence of presentism. Drawing on the theoretical framework of metacognition, the present study investigates how presentism can be overcome through future design interventions that incorporate an imaginary future generation setting. Four workshop participants were interviewed, and transcripts of the interviews were made. There were two major findings. First, we identified narratives in the responses of participants that suggest that metacognition was active during the workshops concerning the two cognitions governed by present and future selves. Second, the narratives identified above were classified into two categories, and the two corresponding roles of metacognition were identified: the monitoring and controlling function and the harmonizing function. The former is essential for the acquisition of identity as a future person; the latter is essential for reconciling this future identity with the identity of the person in the present. The present study proposes that future design is a tool that can be used to intervene in the metacognition of individuals concerning how one chooses a temporal reference point from which to view the past, present, and future of society rather than a tool to naively motivate individuals to care for future generations.

A ‘futures’ approach towards the wellbeing of future generations in Wales and beyond

Abstract 'Futures' is a way of thinking about future uncertainty. It is not about predicting the future but is about developing alternative futures or scenarios and using them to inform how best to move towards the preferred future. This approach has been explored and applied to Wales, the UK, which has the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. This Act has been globally recognised as a unique sustainable development legislation, putting Wales at the forefront of creating a different future for generations to come. Whilst most public bodies have always had responsibilities in delivering a range of services to support health and wellbeing, one of the key innovative requirements of the Act is the focus on the 'future', which by definition requires new and different approaches. This in turn means new tools, new skills and a new and different mind-set in which planners, commissioners, policy makers and service providers need to take a long-term view to addressing health and well-being. The presentation will explore the various approaches, methods and tools for 'futures' thinking and how this innovative agenda is progressing in Wales.

Sustainability, Territories and Circular Economy

The asymmetry in combining ethics, economic efficiency, intra-generational and inter-generational equity, which characterizes the current governance of the three fundamental functions of the planet's economic systems, is at the origin of the segmented approach to well-being in territories, that is, the inability to be able to satisfy the various demands of the Company without "outsourcing the costs of the scarcity" of capital stocks, generating inequalities and jeopardizing the well-being of future generations. In other words, without being able to pursue an integrated approach to well-being and its sustainability. In this context, the awareness of firms and families of having to adopt new deci-sion-making models, focused on the circular economy, and capable of directing Territories towards a "Circular Economic System" becomes central.

Discounting Beyond Death

How do people value the welfare of future generations? This question is of special importance now that future generations’ welfare is at stake because of expected climate change. This paper looks into people’s preferences regarding intergenerational distribution of welfare. It replicates research on the discounting of life saving and uses a new question that aims to measure the valuation of future generations’ standard of life. Data is obtained from an online questionnaire (N = 138) and shows values for the discount factors that indicate decreasing valuation of future welfare. Heterogeneity is observed in distributions between one’s descendants and between future generations in general. This might be explained by the superiority of either kinship-related or ethical motives that would differ for both sorts. Obtained discount factors possibly reflect decreasing connectedness to generations over time, until the point where such generations are considered strangers and no further discounting takes place. The effect of major life events such as grandparenthood also fit this explanatory framework. Changes in demographic factors could therefore translate to changes in intergenerational discounting. Exact predictions of these and other relationships should be confirmed by further research.

Taking the long view: the development of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act

BackgroundThe Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, 2015 (WFG Act), aims to change the ways of working in Wales to be sustainable for the future. Goals within the WFG Act include ‘a healthier Wales’, ‘a more equal Wales’ and ‘a more prosperous Wales’. Reviewing key factors that led to Wales enacting this ground-breaking legislation is worthwhile for other legislatures around the world that may wish to create policy for future generations. We suggest that the drive of individual politicians, events at the time and recent history were the most critical issues in developing a more nuanced piece of legislation – the WFG Act.MethodsTen interviews were conducted with those involved in the development of the WFG Act. Relevant documents were identified through systematic literature reviews and discussion with interviewees. Initial outcomes were tested against policy analysis frameworks, and Kingdon’s Multiple Stream Analysis was selected.ResultsKey ‘policy entrepreneurs’ were found to be important, along with growing evidence of the problems of climate change and recommendations for sustainable development in Wales. The importance of context and capitalising on global and local events by policy actors was significant. A supportive environment, including the third sector, community groups, cross-party backing, committed civil servants and a change of ministers helped with momentum.DiscussionPolicy-makers did not work directly with historians on developing the WFG Act. However, recent history was included with collaboration of the Wales Audit Office, who had evaluated the Welsh Government’s implementation of the duty to promote sustainable development. Sustainable, future-generation policies of other nations were also used to help shape the WFG Act. Kingdon’s Multiple Stream Analysis is a useful theory to interpret the timing and impact of this policy change.ConclusionsThe problem of climate change, suitable policy solutions, political support, timing and, most importantly, policy entrepreneurs were all significant in the development of the WFG Act. Due to multiple factors, policy-makers in Wales have legislated for the long term, placing sustainability and the well-being of present and future generations at the heart of public services and government.

Why achieving gender equality is of fundamental importance to improve the health and well-being of future generations: a DOHaD perspective.

Despite progress in gender equality, women continue to be disadvantaged compared with men. Worldwide, women are more often confronted with poverty, violence, and mental health problems, and they have less access to food and education. All these factors do not only affect women themselves, but also have a negative impact on the child's early environment and impair its early development, thereby reducing the health and well-being of future generations. Framing gender equality as a women's issue fails to highlight the importance of gender equality for the health and well-being of the next generation. As a scientific community investigating early human development and health, we have failed to fully recognize and underscore the importance of gender equality in achieving the best possible start for every child. If women and men had equal rights and opportunities, their children would be more likely to reach their full potential which would improve the health and well-being of future generations. Our studies and interventions have not fully taken into account the complexity of gender inequality and women's disadvantaged positions in society. We need better insight into the complex adaptive interactions between various societal and human factors contributing to gender inequality and find approaches that take this complexity into account. If we want DOHaD science to have societal impact, we should strive beyond gender equality for gender equity and help women achieve equal rights and opportunities. We need to work with public health professionals, human rights activists, and policymakers to gauge the importance of gender equality. After all, gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but also a necessary foundation for healthier future generations.

Adaptation, Transformation, and Development

It is widely accepted that we must adapt to climate change. But we sit on the edge of radical, unprecedented, and rapid anthropogenic environmental changes that are driven by many factors in addition to greenhouse gas emissions. In this way, we occupy a unique and precarious position in the history of our species. Many basic conditions of life on Earth are changing at an alarming rate and thus we should begin to transform and broaden our thinking about adaptation. The conceptual history of climate adaptation intersects with conceptions of human development and sustainability, which provides a framework for adaptation in how we think about human flourishing and, subsequently, what it is to be human in the Anthropocene. If sustainability is about maintaining human welfare across generations but we acknowledge that climate change may undercut our ability to deliver as much and as good total or natural capital to subsequent generations, we have a residual duty to otherwise positively affect the welfare of future generations. A subjective, preference-based conception of human welfare is compared to an objective, capabilities-based approach and, while some adaptive preferences are unavoidable, embracing an objective theory of human flourishing provides a superior approach for meeting the residual duty we have to future generations by beginning the process of adapting our conception of human natural goodness, or what it is to be a good human being.