Sustainable Design, Engineering, and Innovation The Islamic University of Gaza Faculty of Engineering Civil Engineering Department Environmental Engineering (ECIV 4324) Instructor: Prof. Abdelmajid Nassar W1 - 2018 Sustainable Design, Engineering, and Innovation

Contents Background: Evolution from Environmental Protection to Sustainability The Path Forward: Operationalizing Sustainability Engineering for Sustainability Measuring Sustainability

Background: Evolution from Environmental Protection to Sustainability In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, establishing the case that there may be reason to be concerned about the impacts of pesticides and environmental pollution on natural systems and human health Through a shared societal value and a growing environmental social movement, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in 1972

Background: Evolution from Environmental Protection to Sustainability The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency of the U.S. federal government that was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress The EPA has many tools to protect human health and the environment, including partnerships, educational programs, and grants. However, the most significant tool is writing regulations , which are mandatory requirements that can be relevant to individuals, businesses, state or local governments, nonprofit organizations, or others.

Background: Evolution from Environmental Protection to Sustainability The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. EPA ’s purpose is to ensure that : All Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn, and work; National efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information environmental protection is an integral consideration in U.S . Policies Concerning natural resources , human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these fact ors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy;

Background: Evolution from Environmental Protection to Sustainability The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. EPA ’s purpose is to ensure that : All parts of society— communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local, and tribal governments—have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks; Environmental protection contributes to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable, and economically productive

Tragedy of the Commons The Tragedy of the Commons describes the relationship where individuals or organizations consume shared resources ( e.g., air, freshwater; fish from the ocean) and then return their wastes back into the shared resource (e.g., air, land). In this way, the individual or organization receives all of the benefit of the shared resource but distributes the cost across any one who also uses that resource. The tragedy arises when each individual or organization fails to recognize that every individual and organization is acting in the same way. It is this logic that has led to the current situation in ocean fisheries, the Amazon rain forest, and global climate change. In each case, the consumptive behavior of a few has led to a significant impact on the many and the destruction of the integrity of the shared resource.

There are often considered to be two broad classes of efforts The Path Forward: Operationalizing Sustainability Given the many definitions of sustainability and the complexity of a systems perspective to include the linkages and feedback between the environment, economy, and society, there are ongoing effort s to move from discussions to operationally applying a sustainability framework to organizational and engineering activities. There are often considered to be two broad classes of efforts to opeationalize sustainability: top-down and bottom-up.

The Path Forward: Operationalizing Sustainability That is, one strategy involves high-level decision-makers initiating activities and establishing organizational structures and incentives to push sustainability into the organization from the top. In the other strategy, people throughout the organization are motivated to pursue their functions in a more sustainable manner and drive sustainability into the organization through grassroots initiatives and self-initiated activities.

LIFE CYCLE THINKING Life cycle thinking supports recognizing and understanding how both consuming products and engaging in activities impact the environment from a holistic perspective

Class Discussion How should decisions be made concerning these types of trade-offs (i.e., mercury use for carbon reduction)? Is this a societal decision? Should these decisions be made by companies alone or with public comment? At what scale—local, national, international? How do we systematically weight one potential impact for a potential benefit?

Life cycle thinking supports the goal of improving the overall environmental performance of an engineering design and not simply improving a single stage or endpoint while shifting burdens elsewhere in the life cycle What is the purpose of the LCA? Why is the assessment being conducted? How will the results be used, and by whom? What materials, processes, or products are to be considered? Do specific issues need to be addressed? How broadly will alternative options be defined? What issues or concerns will the study address?

SYSTEMS THINKING Beyond tracking the physical inputs and outputs to a system, systems thinking considers component parts of a system as having added characteristics or features when functioning within a system rather than in isolation This suggests that systems should be viewed in a holistic manner. Systems as a whole can be better understood when the linkages and interactions between components are considered in addition to understanding the individual components

Class Discussion Are biofuels sustainable? From a life cycle and systems perspective, biofuels may make sense from a carbon perspective, but what other endpoints may be critically important to their successful implementation? Can these tools help to evaluate the impacts of biofuels on food availability and pricing?

Engineering for Sustainability Engineers, in particular, have a unique role to play in the Path Forward to a sustainable future. This is because they have a direct effect on the design and development of pro ducts, processes, and systems , as well as on natural systems through material selection, project sitting, and the end-of- life management of chemicals, materials, and products. Engineers play a significant and vital role in nearly all aspects of our lives . They pro vide basic service s such as water, sanitation, mobility, energy , food, health care, and shelter, in addition to advances such a s real-time Communications and space exploration

Engineering for Sustainability The implementation of all of these engineering achievements can lead to benefits as well as problems in terms of the environment, economy, and society Engineers must develop and implement solutions with an understanding of the potential benefits and impacts over the lifetime of the design

FRAMEWORKS FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Measuring Sustainability An indicator , in general , is something that points to an issue or condition. Its purpose is to show you how well a system is working. If there is a problem, an indicator can help you determine what direction to take to address the issue . Indicators are as varied as the types of systems they monitor.

Measuring Sustainability An example of an indicator is the gas gauge in your car. The gas gauge shows you how much gasoline is left in your car. If the gauge shows that the tank is almost empty, you know it is time to fill up Another example of an indicator is a midterm report card. It shows a student and instructor whether they are doing well enough to go to the next grade or whether extra help is needed. Both of these indicators provide information to help prevent or solve problems, hopefully before they become too severe.