Green and Energy Efficient Technology ACE 411
Promises & Limits of Sustainability/National Programs 2
The Theme Natural capital and resources are being rapidly destroyed and depleted The human race cannot sustain its growth and behavior Result: Changed patterns or destruction 3
Main Points Our current resource consumption and destruction of natural systems is unsustainable. Humankind can live sustainably if and only if it controls its population, lives within nature’s resources, and extensively protects natural systems. 4
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Human Impacts on Natural Systems Depletion Destruction Appropriation Modification Pollution and Toxification 6
Critical Environmental Problems Loss of Biodiversity Polluted Air and Water Destruction of Productive Ecosystems Loss of Productive Soil Greenhouse Warming Ozone Depletion Summary: Loss of Critical Natural Capital 7
8 Correlation CO 2 and Temperature
9 Contributions to Global Warming GasPercent Contribution Carbon Dioxide50 Methane19 CFC’s17 Tropospheric Ozone 8 Nitrous Oxide 4
10 Contributions to Global Warming GasPercent Contribution Carbon Dioxide50 Methane19 CFC’s17 Tropospheric Ozone 8 Nitrous Oxide 4
Some Remedies Precycling: Design for the Environment (DFE) For the built environment: Design for deconstruction Design products for disassembly Use recyclable materials Shift the economics in favor of cyclic systems Increase costs of disposal Increase taxes for pollution Increase penalties for damage to natural systems 11
Carrying Capacity & Ecological Footprint Carrying Capacity...the maximum population that can be sustained in a habitat without the degradation of the life-support system. 12
13 Ecological Footprint Ecological Footprint (EF) is the quantity of land needed to support a person, population, activity, or and economy. The available land per person to produce the required goods and services and assimilate their waste is about 1.5 hectares. Americans are using 3x their ‘Earth Share.’
Some Remedies Precycling: Design for the Environment (DFE) For the built environment: Design for deconstruction Design products for disassembly Use recyclable materials Shift the economics in favor of cyclic systems Increase costs of disposal Increase taxes for pollution Increase penalties for damage to natural systems 14
15 Ford Synergy 2010
16 Daimler-Benz Fuel Cell Car
17 PV Roof
18 Wind Energy
19 Low Head Hydro
20 True Character N E S
21 The Systems Natural (N)Social (S)Economic (E)
URBAN SPRAWLS a situation in which large stores, groups of houses, etc., are built in an area around a city that formerly had few people living in it 22