Improving Sustainability

Sustainable Engineering + Design

Issue in Engineering

Unsustainable Infrastructure and Development

Unsustainable Planning

Unsustainable Designs made by Engineers to Produce Energy

Unsustainable Technology

Solutions

Creation of Newer, Sustainable Technology

Use this technology to build sustainable structures and products

Produce Energy in Sustainable Ways

Sustainable Planning Designs

Peatlands and Fire

Climate Issues Pertaining to Topic

Peatland Wildfires

'Zombie' fires in the Arctic forming - fires that survive beneath the snow during the winter season, emerging during the Spring.

Fires in the Boreal (100-120 yr return intervals), hazards in the Spring

Smouldering Fires - fires that consume peat, are long lasting, slow moving, and require little oxygen to survive, making them difficult to detect

Agriculture: slash/burn: vegetation on surface is burned for the purposes of clearing the area to grow plants and crops, making for issues where land is limited such as in Europe. This results in peatland being drained, thereby changing the carbon balance, lowering the surface completely and making it a big risk for smouldering fires

Horticulture: peat being extracted for mining/harvesting purposs, proving to be problematic seeing as peat is a sink for approximately 1/3 of the world's soil carbon. in order to mend restore the area, the process is lengthy and costly

Forestry: growing tress and some crops on peatland soils is ideal, but in doing this, the water table must be drained first, which is done by digging trenches.

Draining Peatlands: 10x the carbon loss, resulting in hundreds of years of carbon sequestration and smoke, posing as health hazards to human beings

Measures Taken

Reducing fire potential in peatlands with the use of sphagnum - a fire-resistant moss.

Recovering of Keystone species, such as Cotton Grass

Moss layer transfers

Reducing the severity of carbon emissions

Climate Change and Mental Health

issues Pertaining to Topic

ECO Anxiety - a new area being studied, ECO Depression, ECO Grief, and ECO Anger

Shorter life spans

Eating Disorders

PTSD

Disability

Pandemic Outbreaks - a consequence of climate change as many outbreaks of diseases originate from animals. it is deforestation that connects humans to wild animals, starting this process of infection

Hurricanes becoming more likely, and more severe

Hurricane Katrina, a CAT 5 Hurricane

1,800 deaths, $125b in damage as of late August, 2005. With a study conducted, it was found that there was an increase in mental health disorders - 6% pre hurricane, 11% post hurricane, with PTSD being the most common disorder

Force people to relocate, leads to agricultural degradation, coastal flooding

Spikes in temperature

Spikes in temperature in June and May lead to higher suicide rates

Measures taken

IPCC (created to legislators with scientific assessments on climate change, its impacts, the risks it poses, as well as ways to mitigate it, reducing spikes in temperatures

Therapy

Circular Economies

Issues Pertaining to the Subject

Everyday items being designed in ways that result in waste (i.e. sole uses)

Waste from single use items (i.e. smartphones) polluting earth

Use Metals from Smartphones for other products

Measures Taken

Emphasis on producing less waste

Produce items that are 'circular' - items that can be used for more than one purpose

Industrial Symbiosis

Produce products that are biodegradeable

Recycle waste to use for future products

Establishing Closed-Loop Circles (greener business models)

Use Less Plastic

Geological Perspectives

Natural Drivers of Climatic Changes in Earth's History

Volcanic Activity

Earth's Orbital Moon

Humans have altered the global environment so much, that we have become a geological force

CO2 Emissions and Weathering Impacts

Utilized to date geological events/structures

Macrofossils

Microfossils

Climate Change, Data, and the Sustainability of Science

IPCC Report

Graphing Data

Graphing Data: Hockey Stick

Determining specific trends in temperature increases/decreases

Graphing Data: Keeling Curve

Determining rates of CO2 emissions

Utilizing weather networks to establish trends

Climate Reearch and Local Experiences - Himalayas

Issues Pertaining to Matter

CO2 Emissions Rising

Glaciers in the Himalayas Melting

Climate Refugees Created

Villages/Towns losing water

Roads being impacted, putting them out of use

Measures taken

Meterological Stations made

Observations made

Interviews Conducted

Photovoice

Participatory Mapping

New Government Policies Designed to Limit Pollution

Climate Storytelling

Telling Stories on Climate Change

Using these stories to spread awareness, be more sustainable in development and in individual action

Stories on Social Justice

Human Beings as Consumers

Unsustainable Acts as a Result

An Industry Perspective

Issues

Corporations and Organizations not being sustainable

Pollution resulting as an issue

Solutions on the Matter

Using the UNs Sustainable Development Goals

Creating Businesses that are more aligned with the SDGs

Utilizing the 4 pillars of Responsibility

Creating businesses that emit less CO2

Referencing the 10 princiiples of UNs Global Impact

Indigenous Knowledge

Issues Pertaining to the Subject

Colonial Activity

Tourism, polluting islands

Conflicts Arising

Unsustainable Designs and Infrastructure. Industrializing

Not respecting Indigenous Territory

Economic Gain

Species becoming endangered

Reparations on the Matter

Designing projects that are more sustainable

Respecting Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives

Installing this knowledge in governments

Interdisc Approaches

Interdisc

Interconnected Model

Multidisc

Additive Model

Pros of the Approach

Opens up Critical Thinking

Openness to Learning

Approach is Possibility Based

Sustainability in Peru

Peruvian Climate Issues:

Water Security Issues for Population

Droughts

Agricultural impact

Flooding

Mining industry harming water for drinking

Melting of Glaciers

Result of Moraine forming

Rio Santa Basin

Landslides

Acidification of Ocean

Comparison to America

Climate change resulting in Flooding

Melting of Snowpacks, raising sea levels

Environment History

Issues on Subject

Geopolitical and Political Issues Arising

Economic Issues Arising, Impacting the Environment

Measures Taken

Utilization of New, Sustainable Technology

Modernized Science