EE80S.F07.Sustainability 1

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 2

Calculate the Sustainability of Photovoltaics vs. Natural Gas

(cont.)

• How much improvement in photovoltaics is possible in the near term and in long term?

• Can our actions today in the use of photovoltaics affect future developments/discoveries in the field?

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 3

Prediction of future technologies

• Microelectronics1,000,0001,000,000

100,000100,000

10,00010,000

1,0001,000

1010

100100

11

1 Billion 1 Billion TransistorsTransistors

808680868028680286

i386i386i486i486

PentiumPentium®®

KK

PentiumPentium®® II II

’’7575 ’’8080 ’’8585 ’’9090 ’’9595 ’’0000 ’’0505 ’’1010

PentiumPentium®® III IIIPentiumPentium®® 4 4

’’1515

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 4

Prediction of future technologies• Airplanes

Sustainability: Global Production, Consumption

& Waste

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 6

Step in process Factory farming Farmer’s market Rural pickup

Raising chicken      

Energy      

Water      

Drugs      

Food      

Waste disposal      

Processing chicken      

Energy      

Water      

Waste      

Shipping/travel (250 mi. RT truck) (5 mile RT) (20 mile RT)

Gasoline/diesel      

Cooling en route      

Total      

  Energy      

  Water      

Household energy use  1 gallon equivalent

Restaurant energy use  1 gallon

Retail energy use  1 gallon

Pre consumer Transport  varies

Note: All quantities should be estimated in pounds & gallons

Processing & Packaging  varies

Transport to Processor  1 gallon

Growing Farm energy  varies

Growing Farm Supplies  varies

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 7

What is What is “sustainability?”“sustainability?”

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 8

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 9

List some elements of sustainability

• •

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 10

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts: the concept of "needs", in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and the future needs. (Brundtland Commission, 1987).

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 11

Report of the World Summit onSustainable DevelopmentJohannesburg, South Africa, 26 August-4 September 2002

These efforts will also promote the integration of the three components of sustainable development--economic development, social development and environmental Protection--as interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars. Poverty eradication, changing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are overarching objectives of, and essential requirements for, sustainable development.

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 12

“Key Sustainability Principles”

(Carew & Mitchell, 2001)

• Ethical principles– Fairness: equity, justice, access, includion– Responsibility: assessment, evaluation, fairness– Awareness: understanding, critical thinking

• Interdependence principles– Systems thinking: interrelationship of parts– Uncertainty & complexity: variation & change– Impacts: effects & distribution of actions– Limits & elasticity: finiteness, diversity

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 13

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 14

Must inputs must balance outputs?

This is difficult to accomplish

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 15

Critical questions

• “Balance” over what period of time?• “Balance over what space?• Does distribution matter to sustainability?• Are all plants and animals to be protected?• Can substitutes replace depleted

resources?• What if we must consume more now in

order to consume less in the future?• Can economic growth be sustainable?• Must the rich transfer goods to the poor?

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 16

Consider the basic functioning of human groups

• Why do we form social groups?• What do these groups offer?• What must they do to survive?• What kinds of activities support this?• What kinds of actions undermine

this?• Can we sketch out the process?

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 17

Survival & society

Production of essential needs

Reproduction of social practices

Consumption for sustenance

WastesDump ‘em

Recycle ‘em

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 18

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 19

  Norway USA Germany Portugal Mexico Philip-pines

Cambo-dia

Electricity (kwh/cap)

23,830 12,977 6,605 3,532 1,754 502 20

Paper used MT/1000 people

94.8 136.8 85.8 36.9 9.4 5.2 0.1

Hazardous waste (1991-

94) 500,000 213,620,000

9,100,000

-- -- -- --

Daily supply of fat/cap (grams)

136.8 140.5 144.9 130.9 85.8 47.8 32.6

Comparative consumption

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 20

 Subsistence:

MexicoSocial: Portugal

Luxury: United States

GNP per capita (1997)

$3,700 $11,010 $29,080

Municipal waste pc not available 350 kg 720 kg

Energy use pc (oil equiv.)

1,525 kg 1,928 kg 8,051 kg

GDP output/kg oil equiv.

$2.10 $5.60 $3.40

CO2 emissions pc (1996)

3.7 metric tons 4.7 metric tons19.7 metric

tons

 US Consumption Luxury level Social level Difference

GNP (1997) $8.26 trillion $3.13 trillion $5.13 trillion less

Municipal waste 205.4 billion kg. 99.4 billion kg. 105 billion kg. less

Energy use (oil equiv.)

2,288 trillion kg.

548 billion kg. 1.74 trillion kg.

CO2 emissions (1996)

5.59 billion MT1.33 billion MT 4.26 billion MT

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 21

What is to be done?

Technological

Institutional

Activism

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 22

Who decides?

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 23

How are decisions to be made?

EE80S.F07.Sustainability 24

Who pays?