8/2/2019 Wk 12 Discussion

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Spring 2012

ENVE4506 Application of Sustainability Principles and Environmental Regulation to Engineering PracticeJ. Perlinger

Wednesday, April 4th

Discussion, 1:05-1:55 pm

Objective: The objective of this discussion is to employ the type of systems thinking employed in green designto evaluate sustainable solutions to the problems of imaginary inhabitants of an imaginary island country, Tala

Island.

Description of the problem that the island inhabitants face:

The inhabitants of the country of the Tala Island initially were split equally, i.e., half of the inhabitants lived in

north, half lived in south. The halves are split both culturally and geographically (by a high mountain range,

which divides the country east-to-west, and by the Poongaza River, which runs adjacent to the mountain

range). The north had an aquifer to provide the inhabitants with water, but the south had rights to the river.Until 30 years ago, the two groups were approximately equally rich, but when a severe hurricane struck the

south island, many people were forced to move to the north.

The northern half of the country is more industrial and urban. It contains the capital city and coal reserves that

are mined for energy use in the north and for export to neighboring islands. The problem that the north has isthat as a result of the population increase following the hurricane, demand for aquifer water has increased, and

there are signs of contamination from a nearbylandfill. For the north, clean water is a growing concern.

The southern half of the country lost infrastructure from the hurricane 30 years ago, and therefore it has lower

economic status. However, it owns the rights to river, and therefore has plenty of fresh water. The south

operates on an agricultural economy and grows and exports rare melons. The problem that the south has is that

it relies on the north to meet its energy needs to improve its infrastructure.

Questions/Talking Points:

1. Draw causal loop diagrams for the inhabitants of the north and south, respectively, that demonstratethe unsustainable current situations of the two systems.

2. Consider the following technological solutions to the problems of the south and north, respectively.Which of these solutions does the group conclude will be most (a) effective (at solving the problem) in

the short-term and (b) sustainable in the long-term for the north and south, respectively? Why?

Consider the triple bottom line in your discussion.

a. North - desalination plant, water from river owned by South, rainwater harvesting, otherb. Southhydroelectric power, solar power, coal power from North, algae to biodiesel, wind

turbines, other

3. Draw causal loop diagrams for the inhabitants of the north and south, respectively, that demonstratethe sustainable future situations of the two systems that includes the technological solution you

selected in #2.

4. Discuss non-technological solutions to the problems of the north and south (e.g., increased tourism inthe south), or combinations of non-technological and technological solutions that might be more

successful than technological solutions only.

5. Discuss the effect of neighboring populations and exports to them on the problems of the north andsouth, respectively, as well as on the solutions to the respective problems. E.g., could the two halvesfind sustainable solutions with the neighboring populations to solve their respective problems?

6. Questions/talking points from Group Leader.

Acknowledgement: Kimberly Landick provided an earlier version of the problem statement and the

technological solution ideas as a part of a ENVE4506 sustainable engineering project in 2009.