Sustainable Development 1 Storyboard 3 basic types of indicators needed why indicators, why sustainability? what is my role as an engineer? what personal.
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Sustainable Development
1
Storyboard
3 basic types of indicators needed
why indicators, why sustainability?
what is my role as an engineer?
what personal development do I need?
thermodynamic realities
upstream design principles
redefine problem; look for human element
LCA & other tools
Sufficiency of human well-being for all
Sustainability of environmental integrity
Awareness of facts:Meadows/Daly framework for sustainable development indicators
Main point Sustainable development is a way of thinking that involves a) living within the thermodynamic limits of the natural system; b) Increasing the sufficiency of real human wealth for all.
Awareness of personal role:Mindset needed to engage in design for sustainable development
Awareness of strategies:Design strategies for sustainable development
What happens when expenses exceed income? Give examples of income, principle, and expenditures for economic, social and natural resources.
principle(economic, social
and natural resources)income
expenses ≤ income comfort, happiness, health
Using regenerated income, not principle
Increasing sufficiency of real human “well-being” for all
Sustainable Development
expenses
3
stockflowflow
ends
means
happiness, community, enlightenment
technology, wealth, natural capital
H. D
aly
, D. M
eado
ws
ends
means
happiness, community, enlightenment
technology, wealth, natural capital
I dedicate my professional knowledge and skill to the advancement and
betterment of human [health, happiness and fortune].
NSPE Engineer’s Creed, 1957
H. D
aly
, D. M
eado
ws
Sustainable Development
Engineer’s Creed
I dedicate my professional knowledge to the advancement and betterment of human welfare*. *welfare-health, happiness and fortune
Activity
Describe how preserving the environment is consistent with the “enhancement and betterment of human welfare” stated in the Engineer’s Creed. Alternative Activity
Draw a causal loop diagram that illustrates how preserving the environment is consistent with the “enhancement and betterment of human welfare” stated in the Engineer’s Creed.
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Engineer’s Creed (National Society of Professional Engineers, 1954)
Sustainable Development
Sustainability Health Safety The joy of living
Activity
How do each of the four areas fit within the role of the engineer as expressed in the Engineer’s Creed?
Alternative Activity
Draw a causal loop diagram showing how the four areas fit within the role of the engineer as expressed in the Engineer’s Creed?
Grand Challenges of Engineering
7
Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development
Classroom Activity
(2 minutes)
Discuss the above definition. What are needs of the present? What are needs of future generations? How those needs are met?
“Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own
needs”
(The World Commission on Environment and Development, United Nations,1987)
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Sustainable Development
Facts: The signs for needed change
9
Sustainable Development
Our Earth: A Closed Thermodynamic System
Activity (2 minutes)
Identify the sources and sinks for materials used in our economy, which sits wholly within a closed, thermodynamic system? Do the same for energy.
o Inventories inputs and outputs of product or process life cycle;
o Converts inventory to impact in categories (e.g. global warming, acidification, aquatic toxicity, human health);
o Applies value-based weighting of categories to compute a single impact number.
Activity (5 minutes)
What is more valuable, to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions, to prevent aquatic toxicity, or to protect human health?
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For more, see Chapter 7: Mihelcic and Zimmerman
Sustainable Development
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Strengths
Considers whole cycle,
Allows consideration of multiple criteria
Facilitates comparison
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Limitations
Costly
Imprecision of data
Hidden embedded
values
Sustainable Development
Innovation:
“We can’t solve problems at the same level of thinking used to create them.”
39
The Five I’s
Sustainable Development
The Five I’s: Inherency
1. Inherency of non-toxicity
Paul T. Anastas, Julie B. Zimmerman
Sustainable Development
2. Integration
The Five I’s: Integration
Sustainable Development
3. Interdisciplinarity
domain domain expand designexpand design
The Five I’s: Intedisciplinarity
Activity (10 minutes)
Trends indicate the world population will grow from 6.6 Billion to 9 Billion people by 2050. What would it take to reduce the impact in this scenario to half of what it is now?