THE SUSTAINABILITY DEVOTIONAL
Liz Lukken Professor Boylston Fall 2013
Introduction Daily devotionals have been used for many years to provide a clearer understanding of a topic and bring awareness and enlightenment to it’s reader. While most devotionals focus on spiritual growth, this devotional is dedicated to the concepts of sustainability, providing the reader with knowledge of the basic frameworks that encompass the topic. This devotional can be used on a day to day basis, or as a reference to the concepts being discussed. The Sustainability Devotional is comprised of ten daily readings in which the intent is to learn, encourage and stimulate the mind towards a more sustainable way of thinking and living. Each daily entry has four different fields of knowledge all pertaining to sustainability: Literature, Key Terms, Innovators in the field and Current Issues. Each daily entry also has a section titled “Tips2sustain.” This portion is dedicated to bringing awareness to the reader in ways in which sustainability can be woven into the fabric of everyday life. Several case studies are featured at the end of the ten day daily devotional. The case studies provide a clearer understanding of the concepts discussed. Below is a summary of the four fields : Key Terms— These terms were chosen in regards to the frequent use among sustainability professionals. They will provide a clearer understanding of the different fields being discussed. Literature— This section focuses on the main documents, writings, and journals published and produced that are best known in the field. By reading this section, you will gain a clearer understanding of the literature and hopefully wish to expand on further readings. Innovators— This section closely examines the individuals who have advocated, created, and redefined sustainability. These individuals are well respected in the sustainability community and are household names for environmentalists. Current Issues—The last section closely examines the current environmental plights the Earth currently faces. This section provides statistical and factual data to help the reader gain a clearer understanding of the severity of such issues. I hope you enjoy this read and find it useful towards your quest for a more sustainable future.
Table of Contents Day one......................................................................................................................4 Sustainability, Our Common Future, Club of Rome, Deforestation
Day two......................................................................................................................6 Eco-efficency, Agenda 21, Michael Braungart, Climate Change
Day three.....................................................................................................................8 Cradle to Cradle (term), Cradle to Cradle (book), William McDonough, Waste
Day four....................................................................................................................10 Biological Nutrients, Biomimicry (book), Janine Benyus, Decline in Biodiversity
Day five....................................................................................................................12 Technical Nutrients, Thinking in Systems, Donella Meadows, Pollution
Day six.....................................................................................................................14 Triple Bottom Line, Silent Spring, Rachael Carson, Toxic Chemicals in Air
Day seven..................................................................................................................16 Downcycling, Natural Capitalism, Paul Hawken, Energy
Day eight...................................................................................................................18 Upcycling, Limits to Growth, Ray Anderson, Ozone Depletion
Day nine...................................................................................................................20 Crude products, The Hidden Connections, Fritjof Capra, Overconsumption
Day ten.....................................................................................................................22
Biomimicry (term), Design for a Sustainable World, Buckminster Fuller, Population Growth
Case Study.................................................................................................................24 Biomimicry,Birds & Jets.
Case Study.................................................................................................................25 Biomimicry: Sharkskin Swimsuit
Table of Contents
Case Study.................................................................................................................28 Systems Traps: Tragedy of the Commons
Case Study.................................................................................................................29 Systems Traps: Drift to Low Performance
“We have a choice to make during our brief visit to this beautiful blue and green living planet: to hurt it or to help it.�
-Ray Anderson
Day Day one one KEY TERMS Sustainability “Involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources.” -Merriam Webster “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs.” -Our Common Future
LITERATURE
Our Common Future In 1987, The United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) released “Our Common Future,” commonly known as the “Brundtland Report.” The nearly 400 page document examines the
future environmental concerns threatening billions of individuals on a global scale. The document focuses on global challenges such as poverty, deforestation, global warming, and international inequality. As stated in the report, there are three overall goals listed in the report. They are as follows: 1. Re-examine the critical issues of environment and development and to formulate innovative, concrete, and realistic action proposals. 2. Strengthen international cooperation on environment and development and to assess and propose new forms of cooperation 3. Raise the level of understanding and commitment to action on the part of individuals, voluntary organizations, businesses, institutes, and governments.” With the implementation of the goals listed above, Our Common Future set the stage for future environmental feats such as Agenda 21 and the 1992 Earth Summit convention.
ISSUES DEFORESTATION is the clearing of the Earth’s forests on a massive scale which damages quality of land as well as destroying ecosystems. Deforestation happens for a number of reasons including the production of illegal logging taking place in protected areas, fires as well as fuelwood harvesting. Facts: 11 million hectares of forests are destroyed each year. 80% of the earth’s species are located in the tropical rain forests. 1/4 of the Earth’s oxogen comes from the rain forests. If unsusustainable behavior continues, the rain forest will be completley destroyed in 100 years. Due to deforestation, trees are no longer capable of evaporating groundwater, this causes drier regions.
TRENDSETTERS Club of Rome This elite club was founded in 1968 by Aurelio Peccei and Alexander King and now has grown to tremendous feats. Consisting of politicians, industry leaders, and well respected individuals in the academia community, the Club of Rome focuses on the common wealth of a global humanity. The Club of Rome was publicly recognized in 1972 with it’s published book, “The Limits to Growth.” The book focused on the relationship between exponential growth and finite resources. As stated in the book “The Club of Rome; A global conscience: “The club’s worldview is based on
three things. First it has a global perspective in viewing different situations, with the awareness that there is an increasing interdependency of countries. Second it seeks for holistic solutions understanding the different interactions in contemporary problems. Finally, the club has a long-term perspective for solutions.”
Tips2Sustain
Buy a resuable water bottle! Last year, the U.S. alone used enough disposable water bottles to strech around the world 100 times!
Day two KEY TERMS Eco-Efficiency “Doing More with Less” -Cradle to Cradle Eco-Efficiency has been proposed as one of the main tools to promote a transformation from unsustainable development to one of sustainable development. -Cradle to Cradle “It is based on the concept of creating more goods and services while using fewer resources and creating less waste and pollution.” -Quantified eco-efficiency: (Vol. 22). Springer London.
LITERATURE
“Humanity stands at a defining moment in history.”
Agenda 21 In 1992, the United Nations published the 300 page document in an effort to engage the public towards a call to action for sustainable development. This extensive document is comprised of 4 sections. As stated in the book, the four sections are as follows: Section I: Social and Economic Dimensions is directed toward combatting poverty, especially in developing countries, changing consumption patterns, promoting health, achieving a more sustainable population. Section II: Conservation and Management of Resources for Development Includes atmospheric protection, combating deforestation, protecting fragile environments, conservation of biological diversity. Section III: Strengthening the Role of Major Groups includes the roles of children and youth, women,
NGOs, local authorities, business and industry, and workers; Section IV: Means of Implementation: implementation includes science, technology transfer, education, international institutions and financial mechanisms. Agenda 21 is an action plan for local, state, and federal levels. As stated in the preamble, “Humanity stands at a defining moment in history. We are confronted with a perpetuation of disparities between and within nations, a worsening of poverty, hunger, ill health and illiteracy, and the continuing deterioration of the ecosystems on which we depend for our well-being.”
ISSUES CLIMATE CHANGE is the “change in global climate patterns apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards, attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.” Over the past 20th Century, global temperatures have increased 1 degree celsius. 22% of the world’s carbon emissions comes from the United States. (the U.S. only makes up 5% of the population) Deforestation contributes to 15% of carbon emissions. Transportation accounts for 20% of the carbon emissions in the United States. Due to an increase in climate, diseases such as, malaria west nile virus and lyme diesease are occuring often.
TRENDSETTERS Michael Braungart A german chemist best known for his environmental advocacy programs as well as his co-authored book Cradle to Cradle, Braungart is that of influence in the sustainability community. Born in Germany, Braungart studied engineering in Darmstadt. Founder of the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA )international sector in Germany, Braungart has had a very successful career in leading innovation. Braungart’s ideas are fresh and innovative and have influenced many individuals as stated in his latest book, Cradle to Cradle, “The average lawn
is an interesting beast: people plant it, then douse it with artificial fertilizers and dangerous pesticides to make it grow and to keep it uniform-all so that they can hack and mow what they encouraged to grow. And woe to the small yellow flower that rears its head!”
Tips2Sustain
Unplug your electronics! Even when you’re not using them, it still pulls energy from the wall socket! (known as vampire energy use)
Day three KEY TERMS Cradle to Cradle “is a biomimetic approach to the design of products and systems. It models human industry on nature’s processes viewing materials as nutrients circulating in healthy, safe metabolisms. It suggests that industry must protect and enrich ecosystems and nature’s biological metabolism while also maintaining a safe, productive technical metabolism for the high-quality use and circulation of organic and technical nutrients.” -Cradle to Cradle “It is a holistic economic, industrial and social framework that seeks to create systems that are not only efficient but also essentially
LITERATURE
waste free.” -Hunter Lovins
Cradle to Cradle Written by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart, Cradle to Cradle examines the current plights facing the environment on a global scale. In the beginning of the book, a brief introduction is given
in regards to the Industrial Revolution stating that it is the cause of a cradle-to-grave model. As McDonough states, “resources are extracted, shaped into products, sold, then disposed in a grave of some kind.” The authors state that the decline in natural resources is human error in which consumers have a negative impact on the environment with bad habits in place. As stated in chapter two, “this devouring impulse in Western culture is comparable, they maintain, to a drug or alcohol addiction: “Recycling is an aspirin, alleviating a rather large collective hangover….overconsumption.” The best way to reduce any environmental impacts is not to recycle more, but to produce and dispose of less.” The authors then introduce the concept of “Waste Equals Food,” comparing current technical systems to that of nature stating that our technological processes should act more like nature where there is “no such thing as waste.”
ISSUES WASTE is defined as “to use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose.” Nearly 7 billion pounds of PVC are disgarded into U.S. landfills while only 18 million pounds of that ends up in a recycling center. In 2007, almost 3 million tons of electronics were discarded. 82% of those materials went into landfills. (some electronics contain carconegenic chemicals including mercury) “The barriers of all landfills will eventually break down and leak leachate into ground and surface water.” “In the South, only 30% of residents have curbside recycling. In the North, this number is 84%.The South also has the most landfill facilities; 726 landfill facilities compared to the North that has only 126.”
TRENDSETTERS William McDonough A notably famous architect, McDonough is an american icon in the environmental community. Best known for his co-authored book, Cradle to Cradle, McDonough has redefined the way industries and designers alike, produce, manufacture and design products. Creating the framework for “Cradle to Cradle,” McDonough states that the solution is to produce “a beneficial, regenerative force—one that seeks to create ecological footprints to delight in, not lament.” McDonough has been widely successful in advising major fortune 500 companies towards
a sustainable future by providing proper solutions. McDonough has worked with Interface, Nike, The Ford Motor Company and Herman Miler. McDonough has been the receipt of multiple awards and recognitions, including the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development. McDonough illustrates a deeper understanding of sustainability in his book, Cradle to Cradle, and states that “you can continue to be engaged in the strategy of tragedy, or you can design and implement a strategy of change.”
Tips2Sustain
The U.S. spends $1 billion dollars a year to dispose of food waste! Instead of throwing out food in fridge, visit www.lovefoodhatewaste. Simply type the ingredients in your kitchen into the menu bar, and reciepes appear!
Day four KEY TERMS Biological Nutrients “Useful to the biosphere biological Nutrients are organic materials that, once used, can be disposed of in any natural environment and decompose into the soil, providing food for small life forms without affecting the natural environment. This is dependent on the ecology of the region; for example, organic material from one country or landmass may be harmful to the ecology of another country or landmass.” -Cradle to Cradle
LITERATURE
Biomimicry Janine Benyus, described as a “biologist at the design table,” has redefined the way individuals view nature— something innovative and brilliant that has been around for 3.8 billion years.
The book Biomimicry, published in 1997, examines complex systems of nature in an attempt to bring awareness to the ecological success of such systems and integrate them into everyday design and processes. Some examples of biomimicry include, the the strength of spider silk, intricacy of seashells and the efficient and effortless movement of whales fines that has inspired the creation of wind turbines. Benyus describes biomimicry as having the potential to change the way we grow food, make materials, harness energy, heal ourselves, store information, and conduct business.” As Benyus states in her book, “There are three types of biomimicry - one is copying form and shape, another is copying a process, like photosynthesis in a leaf, and the third is mimicking at an ecosystem’s level, like building a nature-inspired city.”
ISSUES DECLINE IN BIODIVERSITY is caused by “land use changes, pollution, changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, changes in the nitrogen cycle and acid rain.” Currently, the U.S. is spending nearly $8 billion dollars to restore the Florida Everglades. The current decline in biodiversity is not only affecting the quality of life for ecosystems but also the quality of life for individuals encompasing psycological and emotional effects from the absence of lakes, mountains, certain wildlife and beaches. 4% of freshwater species will be extinct in North America.
TRENDSETTERS Janine Benyus Born in New Jersey, Janine Benyus is an american science writer and consultant and author of the critically acclaimed book, Biomimicry. Benyus graduated from Rutgers University in natural resources. Her efforts and success in protecting wild life paid off as she co founded the Biomimicry Guild—helping and encouraging individuals to learn from nature in designing products and materials. Benyus is an acclaimed key note speaker in regards to biomimicry and has been featured in a TedTalks seminar based on her concepts. As stated by Benyus, “Biologically inspired
materials could revolutionize materials science. People looking at spider silk and abalone shells are looking for new ways to make materials better, cheaper, and with less toxic byproducts.”
Tips2Sustain
Take your favorite coffee mug to a cafe! Over 14 billion cups of coffee are disposed of annually--just in the U.S. alone!
Day five KEY TERMS Technical Nutrients “Technical nutrients are those materials that cannot be broken down in the natural environment, but are essential to industry. Technical nutrients are kept within a closed loop cycle, separate from biological nutrients (biodegradable materials that can be safely returned to the Earth). These two nutrient flows must be kept separate in a “cradle to cradle” system where a product is truly “re-cycled” -Cradle to Cradle “Useful to the technosphere, Above: Alloys, example of technical nutrient being cycled back into a technical cycle the systems of industrial processes” -Cradle to Cradle
LITERATURE
Thinking in Systems Thinking In Systems, written by Donella Meadows, closely examines the current flagrant plights plaguing the future of the world. Meadows examines the topical environmental issues at stake, proving the current method of thinking
in systems to be unreliable and doomed for failure. Meadows approach to forestall such problems is expanded on in Chapter 5 of her book, titled System Traps & Opportunities. Meadows defines system traps in which there are a “lack of firm boundaries, that surprise us and are found in just about any system. Boundaries are problem-dependent, evanescent, and messy; they are also necessary for organization and clarity. Being less surprised by complex systems is mainly a matter of learning to expect, appreciate, and use the world’s complexity.” Meadows elaborates in greater detail of system traps and how they can relate to everyday issues many individuals are faced with.
ISSUES POLLUTION is “one of the biggest global killers, affecting over 100 million people. That’s comparable to global diseases like malaria and HIV.” “1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water.” “14 billion pounds of garbage are dumped into the ocean every year. Most of it is plastic.” “People who live in places with high levels of air pollutants have a 20% higher risk of death from lung cancer than people who live in less-polluted areas.” “Americans make up an estimated 5% of the world’s population. However, the U.S. produces an estimated 30% of the world’s waste and uses 25% of the world’s resources.” “Each year 1.2 trillion gallons of sewage, stormwater, and industrial waste are dumped into U.S. water.”
TRENDSETTERS Donella Meadows Born in Illinios in 1941, Meadows is known as one of the fundamental advocates towards sustainability. Author, professor and scientist, Meadows has influced many individuals over the years with several published books, including, “Systems Thinking.” Meadows is famously quoted saying “People don’t need enormous cars; they need admiration and respect. They don’t need a constant stream of new clothes; they need to feel that others consider them to be attractive, and they need excitement and variety and beauty. People don’t need electronic entertainment; they
need something interesting to occupy their minds and emotions. And so forth. Trying to fill real but nonmaterial needs-for identity, community, self-esteem, challenge, love, joy-with material things is to set up an unquenchable appetite for false solutions to never-satisfied longings. A society that allows itself to admit and articulate its nonmaterial human needs, and to find nonmaterial ways to satisfy them, world require much lower material and energy throughputs and would provide much higher levels of human fulfillment.”
Tips2Sustain
Turn off the lights in your house when not using them. “You can save over ½ million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions every year by turning off your lights for an hour per day.”
Day six KEY TERMS Triple Bottom Line “The concept of a triple bottom line (abbreviated as TBL or 3BL, adds two more “bottom lines; social and environmental concerns. The three together are often paraphrased as Profit, People, Planet, or referred to as ‘the three pillars.’ ” -Goethe-Institute, March 2008.
LITERATURE
Silent Spring Written by Rachael Carson in 1962, Silent Spring set the stage for modern day environmental issues. Carson sheds light on the noxious fumes caused by DDT, a once popular agricultural pesti-
cide used as far back as the Nineteenth Century. Carson discusses the drastic decline in bird life to corroborate her claims that DDT is in fact a virulent chemical. In her book, Carson states, “It is ironic to think that man might determine his own future by something so seemingly trivial as the choice of an insect spray.” The title of the book, Silent Spring is a metaphor for the spring in which birds are no longer heard due to the rapid decline of life from pesticides. In 1972, the government banned the use of DDT brought about by the awareness Carson conveyed to so many individuals and politicians through her book.
ISSUES TOXIC CHEMICALS IN AIR “Transportation sources such as cars, trucks, buses, ships and trains account for 90% of the cancer risk associated with air pollution.” “Health impacts from diesel pollution exposure, such as premature death, heart disease, asthma and bronchitis, cost some $22 billion statewide in 2004.” “Even if you don’t smoke cigarettes, your lungs or heart may be similarly damaged simply from exposure to ozone and particulate matter.” “While children only make up 10% of the world’s population, over 40% of the global burden of disease falls on them. More than 3 million children under age five die annually from environmental factors.”
TRENDSETTERS Rachael Carson Studying aquatic biology, Carson is most notably known for her published work Silent Spring. Published in 1962, Carson began her career bringing awareness to the conservation of the environment and bringing environmental concerns to individuals nationwide. During Carson’s career, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions to the governmental ban of DDT in the seventies. Carson states, “To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath
of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of years, to see the running of the old eels and the young shad to the sea, is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be.”
Tips2Sustain
Make sure to not speed when driving! “Reducing your speed to 55 mph from 65 mph may increase your fuel efficiency by as much as 15 percent.”
Day seven KEY TERMS Downcycling “Most recycling is actually downcycling; it reduces the quality of a material over time. Downcycling can actually increase contamination of the biosphere.” -Cradle to Cradle “Downcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of lesser quality and reduced functionality. Downcycling aims to prevent wasting potentially useful materials, reduce consumption of fresh raw materials, energy usage, Above: white paper is downcycled into cardboard and cannot be used to create more quality paper, thus it is downcycled. air pollution and water pollution. Its goals are also lowering greenhouse gas emissions (though re-use of LITERATURE tainted toxic chemicals for other purposes can have the create a sustainable future. In chapter one, opposite effect) as comThe Next Industrial Revolution, the reader is pared to virgin production. introduced to the concept of natural capitalA clear of example of downism, defined as, “the critical interdependency cycling is plastic recycling, between the production and use of huwhich turns the material man-made capital and the maintenance and into lower grade plastics.” supply of natural capital.” The authors then -Thornton Kay, Salvo in introduce the four types of capital needed Germany to sustain a functional economy in current
Natural Capitalism Written by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins, Natural Capitalism introduces the concept of a leading-edge Industrial Revolution in which business corporations and the natural environment converge to
day society: human capital, financial capital, manufactured capital and natural capital. The authors state that over the past thirty years, the earth’s natural resources have disappeared due to human overconsumption. Hawken and Lovins further discuss the importance of natural capital and how it is difficult to put a monetary value on such an important commodity.
ISSUES ENERGY: “In the U.S., the major energy sources are petroleum oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewable energy. Electricity is a secondary energy that is generated from these energy forms.” “In 2011, the U.S. used 97.5 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of energy. Petroleum, natural gas, and coal were the most used sources, respectively.” “Nuclear energy played little to no role in electricity generation 50 years ago, but in 2011, provided more than 20 percent of the energy used to generate America’s electricity.” “In the U.S., electricity plants use more than 900 million short tons of coal to produce 40 percent of America’s electricity every year.”
TRENDSETTERS Paul Hawken Most famously noted for his published work regarding the environmental impact of commerce on living ecological systems, is one of the leading faces in sustainability. Best known as an entrepreneur, environmentalist and philanthropist, Hawken has abetted thousands of individuals to lead a more sustainable lifestyle and has been recognized worldwide for such contributions.An accomplished author, founder of several companies and organizations, and an acclaimed keynote speaker, Hawken has made tremendous strides in the sustainability community with his zeal
and devotion towards the triple bottom line. Fortune Magazine named Hawken “the original hippie entrepreneur, who occupies a unique niche in the American landscape, combining bottom-line business credentials with credibly among environmentalists and social critics.” Hawken’s success is apparent in the realm of sustainability and his contributions to the environment have redesigned the way many individuals, CEOS, and corporations view social equity, economics and the ecological environment.
Tips2Sustain
When you can, buy products in bulk! “Packaging makes up a third of all garbage tossed in the U.S.”
Day eight KEY TERMS Upcylcing “the opposite of downcycling, which is the other half of the recycling process. It is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value. -Environmental Protection Agency
Above: worn out suitcase upcycled as a chair.
LITERATURE
Limits to Growth Published in 1972, Limits to Growth was funded by the Club of Rome and written by Donella Meadows, Dennis Meadows, Jorgen Randers, and William Behrens. The book focuses on five key elements: Industrialization, pollution,
food production, population and depletion of resources. By focusing on the five key elements, the authors made some startling predictions stating that there would be an “overshoot and collapse” worldwide due to rapid population growth thus leading to depletion of natural resources. “People don’t need enormous cars; they need admiration and respect. They don’t need a constant stream of new clothes; they need to feel that others consider them to be attractive, and they need excitement and variety and beauty. People don’t need electronic entertainment; they need something interesting to occupy their minds and emotions.”
ISSUES OZONE DEPLETION “Incinerators are a major source of 210 different dioxin compounds, plus mercury, cadmium, nitrous oxide, hydrogen chloride, sulfuric acid, fluorides, and particulate matter small enough to lodge permanently in the lungs.” “In 2007, the EPA acknowledged that despite recent tightening of emission standards for waste incineration power plants, the waste-to-energy process still “create significant emissions, including trace amounts of hazardous air pollutants.” “About 90 percent of CFCs currently in the atmosphere were emitted by industrialized countries in the Northern Hemisphere, including the United States and Europe.”
Above: factory incinerator
TRENDSETTERS Ray Anderson Founder and chairman of Interface, Inc., Ray Anderson was a pioneer in the sustainability field focusing on environmental issues plagued by large corporations. During the early nineties, Anderson read The Ecology of Commerce, written by Paul Hawken. Deeply moved, Anderson stated “In 1994, at age sixty and in my company’s twenty-second year, I steered Interface on a new course—one designed to reduce our environmental footprint while increasing our profits. I wanted Interface, a company so oil-intensive you could think of it as an extension of the
petrochemical industry, to be the first enterprise in history to become truly sustainable—to shut down the smokestacks, close off its effluent pipes, to do no harm to the environment and take nothing not easily renewed by the earth. Believe me when I say the goal is one enormous challenge.” Anderson’s tremendous goal has since come to fruition as Anderson has received dozens of accomplished awards throughout his career including, Time Magazine’s “Hero of the Environment” and also Forbes Magazine “Entrepreneur of the Year in 1996.”
Tips2Sustain
When washing your clothes, wash with cold water! “Washing your clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot saves 500 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.”
Day nine KEY TERMS Crude Products “From our perspective, products that are not designed particularly for human and ecological health are unintelligent and inelegant.” -Cradle to Cradle “For example, the average mass-produced piece of polyester clothing and a typical water bottle both contain antimony, a toxic heavy metal known to cause cancer.” -Cradle to Cradle Above:Image of a “crude” product.
LITERATURE a new culture.” Capra discusses how the expansion of globalization brought several organizations together such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). Capra defines the WTO as an unsustainable organization fueled by “free-trade” and led by corporate leaders and politicians. Aimed at providing an increase in economic expansion, the actions of the WTO created a multitude of problems such as social disintegration.
The Hidden Connections Written by Fritjof Capra, author of The Tao of Physics, Capra examines the new emergence of globalization. Defined as “a world shaped by new technologies, new social structures, a new economy and
“to develop a conceptual framework that integrates the biological, cognitive, and social dimensions of life; a framework that enables us to adopt a systemic approach to some of the critical issues of our time”.
ISSUES OVERCONSUMPTION “12% of the world’s people living in North America and Western Europe account for 60% of the world consumption while the one-third living in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa account for less than 4%.” “The richest 20% in the world account for 86% of overconsumption.” “The poorest which is 20%, only account for only 1.3%.”
TRENDSETTERS Fritjof Capra A well known physicist, Capra is recognized for his innovative systems theory thinking. Capra was born in Austria and later studied particle physics at the University of Paris. Soon after, Capra moved to the University of California, Berkeley, and began his career in writing and converging particle physics and systems thinking. Capra is the author of numerous books including, The Tao of Physics, The Turning Point, and The Hidden Connections. Founder of the Center for Ecoliteracy at University of California, Berkeley, the nonprofit organization. Capra stated that,
“What I am trying to do is to present a unified scientific view of life; that is, a view integrating life’s biological, cognitive, and social dimensions. I have had many discussions with social scientists, cognitive scientists, physicists and biologist who question that task, who said that this would not be possible. They ask, why do I believe that I can do that?” “Our work is based on systems thinking, leadership dynamics, and how young people learn. We recognize nature as our teacher and that sustainability is a community practice.The Center for Ecoliteracy is a nonprofit that advances ecological education in K–12 schools.
Tips2Sustain
Don’t let the water run when brushing your teeth or washing your hands. This simple task can save 4 gallons of water a minute!
Day ten KEY TERMS Biomimicry “is a new discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an example. I think of it as “innovation inspired by nature..” -Biomimicry Institute “The conscious emulation of life’s genius is a survival strategy for the human race, a path to a sustainable future. The more our world functions like the natural world, the more likely we are to endure on this home that is ours.” -Biomimicry Institute
Above: example of biomimicry used to create velcro. “Invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral in 1941 after he removed burrs from his dog and decided to take a closer look at how they worked. The small hooks found at the end of the burr needles inspired him to create the now ubiquitous Velcro.”
LITERATURE
“Designers have become a dangerous breed.”
Design for a Sustainable World This article focuses on the current method of designing and how it is deemed unintelligible and unsustainable. As stated in the opening paragraph, “industrial design has put murder on a mass-production basis. By designing criminally unsafe automobiles that kill or maim nearly one million people around the world each year, by creating whole new species of permanent garbage to clutter up the landscape, and by choosing materials and processes that pollute the air we breathe, designers have become a dangerous breed.” This article focuses on issues that some individuals and designers would choose to avoid, however, the author gives innovative solutions to current plights in hopes to forestall such problems that may arise in the
future. Buckminster Fuller is introduced as a designer who challenged the design difficulty so many individuals face. “He began to propose new products to challenge the traditional practices of the American building industry as well as the constraints of the Detroit automakers. Fuller was an out of the box thinker who set the stage for innovative design. The author then states that in order to move forward, “a broad framework proposed by Fuller, which will help explore the possible relations of design to a number of proposals and actions that are currently emerging within the culture of sustainability.”
ISSUES POPULATION GROWTH “There are now over 7 billion people living on earth.” “Approximately 4.7 billion people live in low and middle-low income economies. In contrast, 65 high-income countries have a combined population of about 1 billion less than one-sixth of the world’s population.” “There are currently more than 6 billion people living on earth, and experts predict the world population will reach 9 billion people in the next 50 years. Incredibly, while the world population has doubled since 1950, the world economy has quintupled, placing greater strain and demand on the worlds fixed supply of resources.” “The world population is growing by about 0.8 percent, or almost 80 million people, per year.”
TRENDSETTERS Buckminster Fuller Best known as “Bucky,” Buckminster Fuller is one of the most innovative architects of the 21st century. Born in Massachusetts, Fuller studied at Harvard University. Pictured to the left, Fuller is standing next to his most famously designed building, the geodesic dome. Fuller lead the way for sustainability and was very active in sustainable design. Fuller coined the term, “ephemeralization,” essentially meaning doing more with less (eco-efficency).
Tips2Sustain
Turn it off: “If all the world’s 1 billion PC’s were powered down for just one night – it would save enough energy to light up New York City’s Empire State Building – inside and out – for more than 30 years.”
Case Study Biomimcry
Birds & Jets “Birds have been able to boost the distance they’re able to fly by more than 70 percent though the use of the V-shape. Scientists have discovered that when a flocks takes on the familiar V-formation, when one bird flaps its wings it creates a small updraft that lifts the bird behind. As each bird passes, they add their own energy to the stroke helping all the birds maintain flight. By rotating their order through the stack, they spread out the exertion.” -Mother Natue Network
Professors at Stanford University believe this could be a possible approach to commercial air travel. By utilizing this formation, there would be a tremendous increase in fuel savings.
Above: birds flying in flock together in a V-like shape to create a small updraft.
Below: Group of fighter jets in formation.
Case Study Biomimcry
Sharkskin Inspired Swimsuit “Seen under an electron microscope, sharkskin is made up of countless overlapping scales called dermal denticles (or “little skin teeth”). The denticles have grooves running down their length in alignment with water flow. These grooves disrupt the formation of eddies, or turbulent swirls of slower water, making the water pass by faster. The rough shape also discourages parasitic growth such as algae and barnacles.” -Mother Natue Network
Scientists discovered how to create the dermal denticles into the swimsuits. This swimsuit gained worldwide recognition when Olympic winner, Michael phelps wore it during the 2008 summer olympics.
Below: Sharkskin inspired swimsuit
Case Studies Tragedy of the commons
Discussed in Donella Meadows book, Thinking In systems, Tragedy of the commons is discused as a systems trap in which there is a depletion of shared resources due to the incapability of not thinking ahead in regard to future consequences.
Ecologist Garrett Hardin describes a situation in which tragedy of the commons is present: “Picture a pasture open to all. It is to be expected that each herdsman will try to keep as many cattle as possible on the commons. Explicitly or implicitly, more or less consciously, he asks, “What is the utility to me of adding one more animal to my herd..?” Since the herdsman receives all the proceeds from the sale of the additional animal, the positive utility is nearly +1...Since, however, the effects of overgrazing are shared by all, the negative utility for any particular decision making herdsman is only a fraction of -1. The rational herdsman concludes that the only sensible course for him to
pursue is to add another animal to his herd. And another; and another...But this is the conclusion reached by each and every rational herdsman sharing a commons. Therein is the tragedy. Each is locked into a system that compels him to increase his herd without limit-in a world that is limited. Ruin is the destination toward which all, rush, each pursuing his own best interest.”
Case Study Drift to Low Performance “Allowing performance standards to be influenced by past performance, especially if there is a negative bias in percieving past performance, sets up reinforcing feedback loop of eroding goals that sets a system drifting toward low performance.” -Donella Meadows, Thinking in Systems
An example of this would be the recent increase in the closing of hundreds of beaches across the nation. In 2011, over 1,400 were closed in the United States during the peak summer season. This was due in part to drift to low performance. The beaches were being closed because of pollution and trash that lined the shores. However, instead of having volunteers or organizations clean up the mess, the local government simply closed the beaches to solve the problem. By not having a clean up crew pick up the trash, the local government is “allowing performance standards to be influenced by past performance.”
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