ESA

Question 1

What types of questions can be answered with ESA?

Answer 1

• Company or society focused questions such as how to act in an environmentally sustainable manner
• Product or production focused questions such as where things end up
• Infrastructure focused questions such as risks associated with building on a contaminated
site

Question 2

What do we need to consider to able to answer the questions? (With ESA)

Answer 2

The question should be defined in detail so that we are able to meet the goal of the study by answering the question.
• Perspective
• Use of result
• User of result
• Performer of study

Next, a decision on which tool to use has to be made. Then the scope of the study needs to be set.
• System modelling
• System boundaries

Question 3

What are the different systems?

Answer 3

1. Open system
   • Exchange of material, energy and information with surrounding environment
   • Feedback and control
2. Closed system
   • No exchange with surrounding environment
   • Approaches equilibrium and maximum entropy
3. Hard system
   • Simulations
   • Easy to quantify
   • Treats people as passive o Single optimal solution
4. Soft system
   • Cannot be easily quantified
   • Useful for understanding motivations, values and interactions o Does not provide quantified answers

Question 4

Different kinds of complexity

Answer 4

• Environmental system complexity
- Several spheres interacting

• Technical system complexity
- Complex artefacts with different parts o Complex production systems

• Social system complexity o Lots of actors
- Lots of values