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Unit 5, Lesson 10

Introduction

Unit 5: Environmental Solutions: Technical and Legislative Approaches – Lesson 10: Assessment and Technical Solutions

About Unit 5 and Lesson 10

In this lesson, we will consider several approaches for addressing environmental impact—Stabilization Wedges, Life Cycle Thinking (Assessment) and Green Economy (steady state).

The Stabilization Wedges framework provides a system for creating an integrated plan to curb carbon emissions using current technologies. This framework will give us the opportunity to bring together many of the concepts and technology options explored in this course.

Life Cycle Thinking is an holistic approach that considers the environmental (and social) impacts of products (and services) through all phases of the life cycle: raw products, manufacture, distribution, use/reuse/maintenance, and disposal. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology for quantifying the overall impact of a product on the environment. This methodology also builds on the earlier lessons from this course—the carbon cycle, energy sources, and the environmental outcomes of our energy usage.

In a green economy, the full costs of protecting the environment and appropriate conditions and treatment of workers must be considered. A no-growth steady state economy is an economy scaled to operate within ecological limits.

What will we learn in Lesson 10?

With the successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand and explain to others “stabilization wedges”;
  • recommend multi-faceted approaches for managing carbon emissions;
  • apply life cycle assessment principles to your everyday activities and decision making;
  • critically evaluate inherent assumptions in economic thinking relative to environmental impact and planetary limits.

What is due for Lesson 10?

The table below provides an overview of the requirements for Lesson 10. For details regarding the assignment, refer to the page(s) noted in the table.

Please refer to the Calendar in Canvas for specific time frames and due dates.

Lesson 10 Requirements
REQUIREMENT LOCATION SUBMITTED FOR GRADING?
Reading: (Stabilization Wedges):
  • "A Plan to Keep Carbon in Check," Scientific American
  • "Stabilization Wedges Introduction"

Page 2-4

No

Reading: (Life Cycle Thinking):
  • Read "A Brief History of Life-Cycle Assessment"
  • "Greening The Economy Through Life Cycle Thinking," (selected sections), UN and SETC
  • "Life-Cycle Assessment of Energy and Environmental Impacts of LED Lighting Products (Part I: Review of the Life-Cycle Energy Consumption of Incadescent, Compact Fluorescent, and LED Lamps)", (selected sections), DOE
  • Scan closely "The Lifecycle of a Jean"
Page 5 No
Reading: (Green Economy):
  • "Envisioning the Good Life" (selected sections), CASSE
Page 6 No
Lesson 10 Activity: Complete Lesson 10 Activity. (It's in Canvas, under Module 5) Page 6 Yes
Unit 5 Discussion Forum: "Envisioning a Sustainable World" (It's in Canvas, under Module 5) Page 7 Yes

Questions about EGEE 401?

If you have any questions, please post them to our Questions about EGEE 401? Discussion in Canvas. Use this Discussion for general questions about course content and administration. I will check it daily to respond. While you are there, feel free to post your own responses if you, too, are able to help out a classmate or have a related question.

 

Unit Intro & Stabilization Wedges

Unit 5 Introduction

In this last Unit (Environmental Solutions), we are going to consider approaches to addressing the challenges presented by the quandary of how to meet our energy "needs" while protecting our planet and the life it supports.

The Dean of our College (Earth and Mineral Sciences), Bill Easterling describes our College as a "world leader in generating the fundamental knowledge needed to develop novel solutions to challenges" such as "achieving energy security" and "sustaining a viable planetary life support system." (He identifies several others too. For full text see Meet the Dean [1])

NOTE: Dean Easterling is leaving Penn State and the College of Earth Mineral and Sciences has recently selected his replacement, Dr. Lee Kump, a paleoclimatologist specializing in atmosphere and ocean evolution, environmental biogeochemistry, and biogeochemical cycles. He co-authored the 2016 book, Dire Predictions: Understanding Climate Change, explaining the findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. For full story, see Penn State faculty member named College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Dean [2].

We've learned a lot about climate change challenges in this course. As we embark on this final unit, let me remind you of a few points underscoring the urgency and scale of the solutions needed:

  • 2016 was the warmest year on record. It is the third year in a row to set a new record for global average surface temperatures.
  • "The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 2.0 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degree Celsius) since the late-19th century, a change largely driven by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere."

NASA, NOAA Data Show 2016 Warmest Year on Record Globally [3]

  • If we stay on the current path, driven by population growth and economic activities, global average temperatures could rise 6 to nearly 9 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 85 years.
  • To stay below a 3.6 F change (2C, and widely accepted "goal"), greenhouse gas emissions around the world need to fall by 40-70% in the next 35 years, and to zero within 85 years.
  • Between 1970 and 2010, 78% of the increase in greenhouse emissions has come from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes.

IPCC Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report, Summary for Policymakers [4]

Climate change is no longer a concern for "the grandchildren." Climate change is happening now, with serious thresholds predicted within our lifetimes.

What to do? Let's explore some ideas.

Stabilization Wedges

Stabilization Wedges is an innovative framework for using a portfolio of available technologies to curb and manage CO2 emissions.

Reading Assignment

Visit the Carbon Mitigation Initiative [5]

  • Under "Articles and Videos," read the Scientific American article "A Plan to Keep Carbon in Check"
  • Under "Introduction," read "Stabilization Wedges Introduction"

Okay, so what is a "wedge?" A wedge is a strategy. It is a way to reduce emissions by a total of 25 Gigatons over the next 50 years using existing technology that has already been commercialized.

diagram of a wedge.  See text version link in the caption.
Figure 10.1: What is a Wedge? (Text Version) [6]
Credit: Carbon Mitigation Institute [7]

Important Updates

In a very good follow up article, Wedges Reaffirmed [8], (Climate Central, September 2011), Socolow writes,

"The paper [referring to original work] is probably best known for having introduced the "stabilization wedges," a quantitative way to measure the level of effort associated with a mitigation strategy: a wedge of vehicle fuel efficiency, a wedge of wind power, and a wedge of avoided deforestation have the same effect on carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Filling the stabilization triangle required seven wedges. The wedge concept fosters parallel discussion of alternatives and encourages the design of a portfolio of responses. Each wedge is an immense activity. In talks about this work, I like to say that we decomposed a heroic challenge into a limited set of monumental tasks."

He goes on to say,

"Today, nine wedges are required to fill the stabilization triangle, instead of seven."

2013 Update:

The January 2013 issue of Science Magazine Vol. 339 no. 6116 pp. 128-129) includes an article, "Climate Study Highlights Wedge Issue [9]," which discusses a new report offering "a provocative update to the wedges saga" citing a paper published in Environmental Research Letters that calls for a more "audacious plan" where at least a whopping 19 wedges—and perhaps as many as 31—will be needed to stabilize and then phase out carbon pollution. These authors contend that "beyond the 2004 plan's emphasis on expanding the use of current technologies, 'fundamental and disruptive transformation of the global energy system' is needed to avoid devastating climate change."

The "Wedges" framework remains a relevant and thought-provoking method for looking at carbon mitigation strategies.

Life Cycle Thinking

Tshirt with Life-cycle of a tshirt written on it.  See link to text version in the caption for details.
Figure 10.2: T-shirt with Life-cycle of a t-shirt written on it. (Text Version [10])
Credit: Worldwatch Institute, Worldwatch Paper 166: Purchasing Power: Harnessing Institutional Procurement for People and the Planet, July 2003, www.worldwatch.org [11]

Reading Assignments

 

Read A Brief History of Life-Cycle Assessment [12]

Open Greening The Economy Through Life Cycle Thinking [13] and read Executive Summary (page 6) and Section 5.5 Trade-Offs and Unexpected Consequences--Avoiding the Pitfalls (pages 40-41)

What is a "tradeoff"? It is the a "balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time" or "giving up of one thing in return for another." (Merriam Webster dictionary [14]) For example, my hens would like to free range all the time, but would also like to stay alive! So, our tradeoff is that they stay in a closed coop overnight and when I'm away, but, when I am home and generally nearby they roam freely. Usually works, but last week I looked up to see Pearl in the mouth of a coyote running for the woods. Oh no!!! So sad, Pearl was my friend for nearly 6 years and layed beautiful blue-green eggs. Her last egg was waiting for me, still warm, in the coop. So, this was a tradeoff--she couldn't be outside AND perfectly safe. We gave up some safety, so that she could scratch, chase bugs and take dirt baths.

From these readings, we know that life cycle thinking is an holistic approach, considering products (and services) through all phases. Life cycle management provides a methodology for putting this approach into action. Life cycle tools are used to measure, monitor, and communicate the impacts of products and services, including social and environmental impacts. The whole idea is to put the relevant information "into people’s hands where and when they need it so that they can make good decisions--to protect the environment, improve the lives of the people who produce the goods, and safeguard the health of the people who use them."

One specific and very important tool is life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA is" a tool that can be used to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of a product, material, process, or activity." (EPA [15]) LCA addresses the cradle-to-grave environmental impacts of products, process or service, from raw material acquisition through manufacturing/production, use/reuse/maintenance, and finally disposal and waste management.

LCA can be used to compare the environmental impact of different options. Here's a classic: "The ongoing debate over disposable diapers versus washable diapers centers on the assertion that the disposable product is less desirable from an environmental perspective. It uses more natural resources to manufacture, and it takes up more room in landfill when discarded. On the other hand, the reusable diaper consumes energy, water and detergents every time it is cleaned for reuse. So what is the answer?" (Source: International Institute for Sustainable Development [16]) [17]

This is where LCA comes in. You'll remember we approached LCA earlier in our discussion of alternative fuels and the importance of taking into consideration all the environmental impacts, including those from land-use changes. The graphic above demonstrates the range of environmental impacts over the lifetime of something as simple as an everyday t-shirt!

In practice, however, LCA is anything but simple! It is a formal scientific methodology, the procedures of which are described in the ISO 14000 environmental management standards.

Reading Assignments

  • Download this report from the DOE: "Life-Cycle Assessment of Energy and Environmental Impacts of LED Lighting Products (Part I: Review of the Life-Cycle Energy Consumption of Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent, and LED Lamps) [18]. Read the following sections (more if you like, of course!).
    • Executive Summary (pages 1-3)
    • Life Cycle Assessment Background (pages 7-12)
    • Life-Cycle Energy Analysis (pages 18-19)
    • 4.1 Lamp Performance and Functional Unit (pages 19-21)
    • 4.5 Total Life Cycle Energy Consumption Results (page 36-38)
    • 5. Conclusion (page 40)

Another source you may find helpful (not required!): energy.gov FAQs [19] for more information on EISA 2007 and lighting choices.

Scan closely The Lifecycle of a Jean [20] Interesting, right?!

 

Green Economy and Growth?

The Life Cycle Thinking readings referred to a green economy based on the principle that "products and services should ultimately be to the benefit of the environment and society over their life cycle." In a green economy, the full costs of protecting the environment and appropriate conditions and treatment of workers must be considered.

There are many views of what a green economy may look like and the steps necessary to get us there. In the next lesson, we'll talk about policy and regulatory options for addressing the environmental challenges presented by our "need" for energy and the ability to "sustain a viable planetary life support system." Others have ideas that can be implemented – or at least practiced – just by exercising our personal freedoms in how we spend and invest. Here's one example illustrative of this emerging thinking.

Steady State Economy

According to earlier readings (Executive Summary) from the UNEP and SETAC, the roots of the problem are "the prevailing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production. Feeding, clothing, sheltering, and providing the other wants and needs of the global population exceeds the Earth’s available resources and carrying capacity."

I recently attended (Jan 2015) an annual conference of the National Council for Science and the Environment Conference [21] on Energy and Climate Change. With two days of esteemed international panelists, the single biggest applause came when a speaker said: "The answer is simply to consume less." (The second biggest applause was for an equally fundamental remark. Asked by an audience member, "What is the most important thing we can be doing?," the speaker replied, "Walk the talk.")

Clearly, there is a connection between consumption and environmental peril. And, the thing is, excessive consumption isn't making us healthier or happier either. Time magazine (March 13, 2015) featured a story, "Here’s Proof Buying More Stuff Actually Makes You Miserable [22]." (Not required reading, but I hope you will!)

More and more of us are believing that a solution for many societal, environmental, and even personal, ills is to consume less. But wait, everything we read and much of what we study presupposes that economic growth is good. It is always good. In fact, economic growth is necessary if things are to stay okay. But is it?

The metric we use to measure the size of an economy is Gross Domestic Product (GDP). When it goes up, the economy has grown and markets generally respond positively to the news. We know that GDP is the "monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period." (Investopedia [23])

We are not the first, however, to question the unquestionable goodness of economic growth for growth's sake. In a famous speech in 1968, Robert F. Kennedy asked us to reconsider our "surrender" to economic growth. Here's an excerpt,

Too much and for too long, we seemed to have surrendered personal excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things.

Our Gross National Product [ ] counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities. It counts Whitman’s rifle and Speck’s knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.

Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Robert F. Kennedy Speeches, Remarks at the University of Kansas, March 18, 1968 [24].)

In 2015, Pope Francis published a 184-page encyclical [25], where he "called for a radical transformation of politics, economics and individual lifestyles to confront environmental degradation and climate change, blending a biting critique of consumerism and irresponsible development with a plea for swift and unified global action." (NY Times [26]) On consumerism, writing,

  • "Obsession with a consumerist lifestyle, above all when few people are capable of maintaining it, can only lead to violence and mutual destruction." (Chapter Six Ecological Education and Spirituality, I. Towards a New Lifestyle, para 204)
  • "Less is more. A constant flood of new consumer goods can baffle the heart and prevent us from cherishing each thing and each moment." (Chapter Six Ecological Education and Spirituality, IV. Joy and Peace, para 222)

Reading Assignment

Visit the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy [27] (CASSE)

A steady state economy is an economy with stable (or mildly fluctuating) size. It isn't growing. To be sustainable, a steady state economy is sized within ecological limits. An economy can reach a steady state after a period of growth or after a period of downsizing or degrowth.

Under "Discover"

  • Read Envisioning the Good Life. Click through on Consumption and Energy.

And, of course, more if you like!

 

Lesson 10 Activity

Complete the Lesson 10 Activity. (It's in CANVAS, under Modules, Unit 5.)

Unless noted otherwise, correct answers come directly from the content of this lesson and assigned readings.

The Activity consists of a variety questions of different types, which may include true/false, multiple choice, multiple select, fill in the blank, ordering, and short answer. The point value varies and is indicated for each. Some questions are graded automatically, and some are manually graded.

The quiz is not timed, but does close at 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on the due date as shown in CANVAS.

Questions that are "manually graded" will be scored based on the correctness and quality of your answers. Thinking is good! Try to make your answers as orderly and clear as possible. Short is good, as long as you fully answer the question. Help me understand what you are thinking, and include data where relevant.

Numbers must ALWAYS be accompanied by units of measure (not "300" but "300 kW").

Proofread and spell check your work.

Discussion Forum

Unit 5 Discussion Forum: "Envisioning a Sustainable World"

Let's start with this quote from Donella Meadows, making an important albeit blunt point:

"Environmentalists have failed perhaps more than any other set of advocates to project vision. Most people associate environmentalism with restriction, prohibition, regulation, and sacrifice. Though it is rarely articulated directly, the most widely shared picture of a sustainable world is one of tight and probably centralized control, low material standard of living, and no fun." She invites the reader to envision a "sustainable world as one that would be wonderful to live in."

Her obituary [28], February 2001, read in part:

Donella H. Meadows, 59, a pioneering environmental scientist and writer, died Tuesday in New Hampshire after a 2-week battle with bacterial meningitis. She was best known to the world as the lead author of the international bestselling book, The Limits to Growth, published in 1972. The book, which reported on a study of long-term global trends in population, economics, and the environment, sold millions of copies and was translated into 28 languages. She was also the lead author of the twenty-year follow-up study, Beyond the Limits (1992), with original co-authors Dennis Meadows and Jorgen Randers.

Professor Meadows, known as "Dana" to friends and colleagues, was a leading voice in what has become known as the "sustainability movement," an international effort to reverse damaging trends in the environment, economy, and social systems. Her work is widely recognized as a formative influence on hundreds of other academic studies, government policy initiatives, and international agreements.

Dana Meadows was also a devoted teacher of environmental systems, ethics, and journalism to her students at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where she taught for 29 years. In addition to her many original contributions to systems theory and global trend analysis, she managed a small farm and was a vibrant member of her local community. Genuinely unconcerned with her international fame, she often referred to herself simply as "a farmer and a writer."

The article goes on to describe Meadows' lifetime of contributions to the field of sustainability, including founding the Sustainability Institute [29] (now called the Donella Meadows Institute) in 1997, which she described as a "think-do-tank."

Let's step back and entertain Donella Meadows' invitation to envision a "sustainable world that would be wonderful to live in."

Activity

Read this paper, in full, Envisioning a Sustainable World [30], written for the International Society for Ecological Economics, 1994. Take the time to read (or watch) it all. Link to full transcript is below video.

On page 6, the section Envisioning a Sustainable World, begins: "So I invite you to join with me in building that vision. What kind of sustainable world do you WANT to live in? Do your best to imagine not just the absence of problems but the presence of blessings. Our rational minds tell us that a sustainable world has to be one in which renewable resources are used no faster than they regenerate; in which pollution is emitted no faster than it can be recycled or rendered harmless; in which population is at least stable, maybe decreasing; in which prices internalize all real costs; in which there is no hunger or poverty; in which there is true, enduring democracy. But what else? What else do YOU want, for yourself, your children, your grandchildren?" The section goes on to describe how to envision and more questions you may want to ask yourself.

This is your assignment: envision a sustainable world that would be wonderful to live in. This is not easy to do and will take daring and imagination on your part. Go for it! Dream on and be inspired by the ideas of others. Don't argue for limitations and don't morph into implementation planning. Use this forum to build a vision, your vision, of a sustainable world that would be wonderful to live in.

Post your work in the Discussion, "Envisioning a Sustainable World" You'll find it in in Canvas, in the Unit 5 module. Please follow full instructions there.

Please see Canvas calendar for due date of your FIRST posting and date when discussion ends (graded participation ends, all replies must be in).

  • Describe your vision in an initial posting. (I'm curious to see who will go first on this one!!)
  • Read the postings of others and respond to at least one. Follow up on any postings made to your comment. For this assignment, it is especially important to feed off of the ideas of others – to invigorate and stimulate one another!

Grading criteria

You will be graded on the quality of your participation. Be interesting and interested! You may comment, of course, aspects of the Donella Meadows article, but don't let these threads sidetrack you. Your graded participation will be on postings related to your vision. Please see Syllabus for full Discussion Forum grading criteria.

Summary and Final Tasks

Summary

In this lesson, you have learned about several approaches for addressing environmental impact: Stabilization Wedges, Life Cycle Thinking (Assessment), and Green Economy (steady state).

Reminder—Complete all of the lesson tasks!

You have finished Lesson 10. Double-check the list of requirements on the Lesson 10 Overview page to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed there before beginning the next lesson.


Source URL: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee401/content/p10.html

Links
[1] http://www.ems.psu.edu/easterling
[2] http://news.psu.edu/story/469488/2017/05/24/administration/penn-state-faculty-member-named-college-earth-and-mineral
[3] https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-noaa-data-show-2016-warmest-year-on-record-globally
[4] http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/AR5_SYR_FINAL_SPM.pdf
[5] http://cmi.princeton.edu/wedges/
[6] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee401/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee401/files/image/lesson10/Wedge_LD.html
[7] http://cmi.princeton.edu/wedges/slides.php
[8] http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/wedges-reaffirmed/
[9] http://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6116/128
[10] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee401/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee401/files/image/lesson10/T-Shirt%20life%20cycle_LD.html
[11] http://www.worldwatch.org
[12] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee401/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee401/files/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20Life-Cycle%20Assessment.pdf
[13] http://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2012_LCI_10_years_28.3.13.pdf
[14] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-off
[15] https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/design-environment-life-cycle-assessments
[16] http://www.iisd.org/business/tools/systems_lca.aspx
[17] http://www.bsdglobal.com/tools/systems_lca.asp
[18] http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/2012_LED_Lifecycle_Report.pdf
[19] http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/frequently-asked-questions-lighting-choices-save-you-money#energyindependence
[20] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee401/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee401/files/Full-LCA-Results-Deck-FINAL.pdf
[21] http://www.energyandclimatechange.org/files/325401_325500/325478/acs-climate-paper.pdf
[22] http://time.com/22257/heres-proof-buying-more-stuff-actually-makes-you-miserable/
[23] http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gdp.asp
[24] http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Research-Aids/Ready-Reference/RFK-Speeches/Remarks-of-Robert-F-Kennedy-at-the-University-of-Kansas-March-18-1968.aspx
[25] http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
[26] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/19/world/europe/pope-francis-in-sweeping-encyclical-calls-for-swift-action-on-climate-change.html?_r=0
[27] http://steadystate.org/
[28] http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/22/us/donella-meadows-59-author-and-advocate-for-environment.html
[29] http://www.donellameadows.org/
[30] http://www.donellameadows.org/donella-meadows-legacy/envisioning-a-sustainable-world/