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Sustainable Systems: Introduction Jerald L. Schnoor Dept. Civil and Environmental Engineering Center for Global Regio

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Sustainable Systems: Introduction Jerald L. Schnoor Dept. Civil and Environmental Engineering Center for Global Regio

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    1. Sustainable Systems: Introduction Jerald L. Schnoor Dept. Civil and Environmental Engineering Center for Global & Regional Environmental Research

    3. Iowa students and UNA delegates to COP15, Copenhagen

    4. 15th Conference of the Parties Treaty meeting to prevent our dangerous interference with climate: By 2100, ½ all plants & animal species extinct ½ all people with water shortages More severe storms, floods 0.8-2.0 m sea level rise 700 million environmental refugees Coral reefs gone

    5. Sustainable Development: A Definition Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Brundtland Commission (1987) Our Common Future Intergenerational equity A creative process and systems perspective whereby we improve manufacturing, services, and the environment A long-term viewpoint where natural capital is valued highly and substitution and innovation are encouraged

    6. So What’s Not Sustainable???

    7. Unsustainability – The Problem Climate change Storms, Droughts, Sea Level Rise, Water Availability The drivers: Population and Consumption growth Species Extinctions (loss of biodiversity, habitat, invasive species) Land Use Change Forests clearing, Urban Sprawl, Bioenergy Crops expansion Mining of nonrenewable resources. For example, use of fossil fuels, not so much because we are running out of fossil fuels any time soon, but because of severe environmental constraints: CO2 and GHGs accumulating in the atmosphere Air Pollution (ozone, particulate matter, smog) Social stability… too much poverty in the face of excess

    11. Sustainability Principles (adapted from Herman Daly, A Steady State Economy) Sustainability requires that one does not use renewable resources at a faster rate than their sustainable yield (renewables: solar, wind, biomass, forests, fish…) Sustainability requires that one does not use non-renewable resources faster than the rate of substitution for that resource Sustainability requires that you do not exceed the assimilative capacity (natural self purification capacity) of the earth and that pollutants do not accumulate for future generations

    12. Tools for Analysis of Sustainability Materials balances and materials audits (dematerialization) Energy audits (energy efficiency) Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) Economic Analyses Payback period Cost-benefit analysis Green accounting and life cycle accounting Ecosystem services Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14,000) Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Risk Assessments

    13. Precautionary Principle “In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.” Precautionary Principle, United Nations Rio Earth Summit Declaration (1992) (If we live as if it matters and it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. If we live as if it doesn’t matter, and it matters, then it matters.)

    14. Ecological Footprint A measure of human demand on the planet’s biologically productive land and sea area… First discussed by William Rees in 1992 and his student Mathis Wackernagel in PhD dissertation in 1994 at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada (see Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, Wackernagel and Rees, 1996, New Society Publishers) Average biologically productive area per person worldwide is 1.8 global hectares (gha) per capita (conversion: 2.47 acres per hectare) U.S. ecological footprint is 9.6 gha/capita (23.7 acres/capita) U.K. ‘s footprint is 5.45 gha/capita China’s footprint is 1.6 gha/capita Standards have been set by Global Footprint Network www.footprintstandards.org

    15. Ecological Footprint (in global hectares/capita) is based on home energy use, transportation, housing materials, goods and services consumed

    16. Ecological Footprint calculation includes biologically productive land and marine areas required to produce the resources people consume – Take the quiz at www.myfootprint.org

    17. Ecological Footprint by country vs. human development index rank

    18. Triple Bottom Line – Elkington (1997) In the future, successful companies will be the ones that follow the triple bottom line: Economy (profitability) Social (jobs, culture, equity, human rights) Environment (human and ecological health)

    19. Joseph Schumpeter’s (1911) “Creative Destruction” and Jobs Schumpeter’s Theory of Economic Development consists of entrepreneurs replacing the old system with something new and better, which creates growth and jobs Jobs are created by innovation following demographic trends (e.g., baby boomers need health care and financial services) Jobs are created for new industries and products (smart phones, HD, wireless, etc.) Good jobs promote dignity and well-being Renewable energy (e.g., wind) Health care innovations

    20. New and Old Views? Elkington (1997) Old View -- Global Consumer Me More Materialism Quantity Greed Short-term Rights Sustainable View -- World Citizen We Enough Holism Quality Need Long-Term Responsibilities

    21. Sustainable Economics Old View: $ Bottom Line $ Capital $ Assets Downsizing Exclusive Shareholders Growth Deregulation New View: Triple Bottom Line Social/Natural Capital Intellectual Assets Innovation Inclusive Stakeholders Sustainability Reregulation

    22. Conclusions Sustainability seeks new solutions to today’s problems through energy efficiency and conservation, pollution prevention, use of renewable resources, market mechanisms, and international cooperation A good environment and a good economy can go hand-in-hand, but we must consume less and design products better (smarter) To prevent global climate change, we will need to transition from the fossil fuel age during the early part of the 21st century Sustainability and the tools for its analysis are the subject of this class including the proper metrics to measure environmental performance: Materials and energy balances Pollution Prevention, Recycle/Reuse/Remanufacture Life Cycle Assessment Green Design, Design for the Environment

    23. Class Projects It’s up to you! Be creative. Not another design project – you are to implement a plan to make a system actually become more sustainable! Propose a project in the general areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, greenhouse gas reductions, market mechanisms, low impact development, green buildings, sustainable agriculture Examples of past projects: Composting waste food from Hillcrest Residence Hall Energy audit for IATL and SC and changes in their operations for savings Energy posters for each building on campus (Currier/Stanley residence hall challenge Hybrid and flex fuel vehicles in the motor vehicle fleet Lighting assessment on campus Jessup Hall (safety and energy efficiency) Biomass gasification and catalysis for power production on campus Campus wide recycling in residence halls and buildings Capturing gas at a hog lot Analysis of wind power for UI wind turbine Sustainable systems for C.R. airport (porous pavement and bioretention areas) Green roof retrofit for the UI Stanley Hydraulics Lab Embedded energy remodeling of UI canoe house Bike system for campus transportation

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