Sustainability Flashcards
(23 cards)
Linear economy
take (virgin materials)
make (with fossil fuel energy)
dispose (to landfill or incineration)
Circular Economy
obtain reused/recycled materials, make products with renewable energy, construct products that are easy to deconstruct, identify and reuse so that they can continue in the circular economy
Principles of the Circular Economy
1 Cycling of materials
2 Use of renewable energy
3 Human activities should support ecosystems
4 the separation of biological and technical materials
5 Diverse systems are more resistant to change
6 Systems should be connected so that waste is viewed as a resource
7 Products should be designed for end of life
Sustainability and dynamic equilibria
Sustainability can be achieved by protecting dynamic equilibria and keeping things in balance. This includes the sustainable management of natural cycles such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, water etc
Sustainable management of the carbon cycle
afforestation, renewable energy, CCS carbon capture and storage, conservation of carbon stores, reduced cattle ranching, reduced waste to landfill, improved energy efficiency of processes and appliances
Sustainable management of the nitrogen cycle
Reduced use of synthetic fertilisers (Haber cycle), use of organic fertilisers, planting legumes, aeration of soils to encourage nitrifying bacteria, control of NOx, use of catalytic converters, management of biological waste and its breakdown.
Sustainable management of the phosphorus cycle
management of biological waste and its breakdown, the use of phosphate free detergents, improved mining practices (of phosphate rocks)
Sustainable management of the water cycle
reduced water pollution, reduced over abstraction, water treatment, afforestation, natural filters eg reed beds, targeted irrigation (drip), rainwater harvesting, water meters, xeriscaping, dual water collection and treatment for grey water and sewage
Sustainability and feedback mechanisms
positive feedback mechanisms are mostly unsustainable and make things worse, negative feedback mechanisms are usually sustainable and reduce negative actions.
Positive feedback mechanisms
secondary actions increase the effect of the primary action, positive feedback supports unsustainability and tends to make things worse
Examples of positive feedback
1 Increase temperature, melting ice, reduced albedo, incresed absorbtion of solar radiation, further increase in temperature.
2 Increase in temperature, melting ice and permafrost, release of methane, further increase in temperature
3 Increased temperature, incresed drought and wild fires, release of CO2, increase in temperature
Negative feedback mechanisms
secondary actions cancel out or decrease the effect of the primary action, negative feedback supports sustainability and tends to maintain established equilibria or cancel out the initial action
Examples of negative feedback
1 Increased temperature, increase rate of photosynthesis, increased removal of CO2 from apmosphere, reduced temperature
2 Incresed temperature and evapouration, increased desertification, increased albedo, reduced temperature.
3 Increased temperature, increased evaporation and cloud formation, increased albedo, decreased temperature
Tipping points and new equilibria
positive feedback often culminates in reaching a tipping point, where the change is irreversible, therefore new equilibria are established which may be damaging to existing life
Diverse systems
diverse systems are more resistant to change and are more able to withstand changes in abiotic and biotic conditions, this is because there are more interconnections between different cycles and systems. Human systems that replicate this model are more resilient and sustainable. Example, polyculture rather than monoculture, multi trophic aquaculture rather than single species, integrated manufacture rather than stand alone manufacture.
Cradle to cradle design (C2C)
The concept of designing items such that all the materials used can be reused or disposed of without leaving toxic or harmful wastes. The concept is based on the natural systems that recycle elements without depleting resources or causing harmful wastes to build up.
Ecological footprint
A method of assessing the sustainability of lifestyles by estimating the biologically productive area needed to provide the resources and services needed by an individual or group. Calculation includes land for food production, forest resource, marine resources, energy/carbon, built up land and is calculated as global hectares
Earth overshoot day
used to highlight that the total earth population is using more resources than is sustainable or that can naturally be replenished. The day is when all resources for that year are used and any further resource use is unsustainable. Earth overshoot day in 2025 is 5th June.
Biocapacity
A measure of the biological productivity of an area. An area with lots of forest and marine waters will have a high biocapacity.
Living Planet Index
a WWF measure of the state of the planet’s ecosystems. It compares the populations of over 3700 terrestrial, freshwater and marine vertebrate species.
Sustainable housing
renewable energy source, earth shelters, rammed earth, grass roofs, passive solar design, sun rooms, thick walls, double/triple grazing, low energy and water use appliances, smart meters, recycled materials, natural materials, onsite natural water treatment
Sustainable communities
sustainable housing plus shared resources such as food production, car share schemes, shared district heating schemes, reuse projects
Sustainable business
integrated manufacture, circular economy, shared spaces, renewable energy, waste viewed as a resource, energy and water efficiency
