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Environmental Systems and Problems

Environmental Systems and Problems. An Introduction. Environmental problems. Typical environmental problems: Air, water, soil pollution Noise and radiation Climate change, ozone hole Loss of habitat Extinction of species, loss of biodiversity Depletion of natural resources

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Environmental Systems and Problems

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  1. Environmental Systems and Problems An Introduction © K.Fedra 2003

  2. Environmental problems Typical environmental problems: • Air, water, soil pollution • Noise and radiation • Climate change, ozone hole • Loss of habitat • Extinction of species, loss of biodiversity • Depletion of natural resources • harvest >> sustainable yield © K.Fedra 2003

  3. Environmental problems • Too much • Not enough • At the wrong place • At the wrong time Problems of distribution of resources (clean air, water, land, biodiversity, …) leading to socio-economic inequities. © K.Fedra 2003

  4. Environmental problems result from the local or short-term optimization of resource management strategies, ignoring some externalities: The tragedy of the commons. All life degrades its environment. All living systems have self-regulatory capabilities. © K.Fedra 2003

  5. The tragedy of the commons G.Hardin, 1968 Consider a common pasture, shared by 100 farmers, each having one head of sheep, used at capacity and in equilibrium (sustainable yield). What happens if a farmer adds a second sheep ? © K.Fedra 2003

  6. The tragedy of the commons Now 101 sheep share 100 units of grazing resource, leading to suboptimal results: 100/101= 0.99 99 farmers loose 1% 1 farmer gains 98% Therefore, every rational farmer will want MORE SHEEP. What will happen ? © K.Fedra 2003

  7. ASSIGNEMENT: The tragedy of the commons: Find at least one good example ! Try to find a formal, mathematical description. Find the spatial component ! © K.Fedra 2003

  8. Environmental problems Increasing human population Increasing resource consumption • Energy • Materials • Space Increasing volumes of waste decreasing the quality of resources © K.Fedra 2003

  9. Environmental problems Three laws of ecology: • Everything is connected to everything else; • Everything must go somewhere; (the spatial dimension) • Nature knows best. Barry Commoner, 1971 The Closing Circle. © K.Fedra 2003

  10. Environmental problems Root problem: Uncoupling of feedback loops (to obtain local or short-term benefits) • Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin, 1968) • Social costs (Kapp, 1979) • Limits to Growth (Meadows et al., 1971) • Malthus (1830) © K.Fedra 2003

  11. Environmental problems IF: quantity or quality, spatial or temporal distribution of environmental resources do not match our needs or expectations: • Environment (objective reality) • Needs (objective-subjective reality) • Expectations (subjective reality) © K.Fedra 2003

  12. A short history Solon, Athens (6th century B.C.) Legislation to decentralize smelters to control air pollution and noise Vitruvius, Rome (75-26 B.C.) Describes relationship between urbanization and pollution Seneca, (61 A.D.) complains about bad air in Rome Corpus Iuris Civilis Justinianei (527-565): Aerem corrumpere non licet. © K.Fedra 2003

  13. A short history England, 1228: coal smoke is found to be detrimental to human health King Edward I, 1272: bans burning of low quality coal to clear the skies over London Transboundary air pollution, 15thcentury: openburning of biomass in England affects vineyards in France 1661 Charles II publishes a pamphlet on smoke and health, offering remedies © K.Fedra 2003

  14. A short history Industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries leads to more intense pollution: • London, 1873: 286 unexpected death from bronchitis • Meuse Valley, Belgium 1930: 60 died from smog • Similar smog events in Manchester, Salford, Dorona • London 1952: several thousand deaths (again in 1956, 59, 62 with hundreds dead) • Los Angeles 1940-50: photochemical smog • Recent EU studies: thousands of premature deaths in European cities due to poor air quality © K.Fedra 2003

  15. A short history Environmental movement • 1962 Silent Spring (Carson) DDT • 1971 US National Environmental Policy Act, EPA • 1972 Stockholm Conference, UNEP • 1992 UNCED Rio Conference, Agenda 21 • Kyoto protocol ....... ? © K.Fedra 2003

  16. A short history © K.Fedra 2003

  17. A short history © K.Fedra 2003

  18. ASSIGNEMENT: Environmental disasters: • Find a few • Design a structure for their description, including META data • Describe them with emphasis on their SPATIAL impacts. © K.Fedra 2003

  19. Regulatory response Laws and regulations: • Emission control (water, air) • Product standards (fuel, engines, BAT) • Permitting, zoning • Monetary instruments: • Taxes (waste tax, polluter pays) • Subsidies (for mitigation) © K.Fedra 2003

  20. Regulatory response Planning requirements: • Environmental impact assessment • Risk assessment Self-regulation: • ISO 14000, 9000 • EMAS, Eco-Audit • Responsible Care • Labeling (“biological” food) © K.Fedra 2003

  21. Environmental problems are inherently multi-disciplinary: • biology, ecology, toxicology • geography, geology, climatology • (geo)physics, chemistry • engineering, economics • psychology, sociology • law, political sciences © K.Fedra 2003

  22. Environmental Information Systems add to that: • applied mathematics, statistics • systems analysis, operations research • information technology © K.Fedra 2003

  23. Environmental problems • are complex (many elements and interactions) • dynamic (including delay, memory) • spatially distributed (1, 1.5, 2 and 3D) • non-linear (feedback, bifurcation, etc.) • involve large uncertainties in - the physical domain - the socio-economic domain • involve multiple actors and stake holders • are always multi-criteria, multi-objective © K.Fedra 2003

  24. Environmental problems • complex (many elements and interactions) • dynamic (including delay, memory) • spatially distributed (1, 1.5, 2 and 3D) • non-linear (feedback, bifurcation, etc.) • involve large uncertainties in - the physical domain - the socio-economic domain • involve multiple actors and stake holders • are always multi-criteria, multi-objective © K.Fedra 2003

  25. Environmental problems Complexity the quality or state of being complex.... (comprising a multitude of objects) hard to separate, solve, or analyze complexus, L.: the embrace complector Gr.: to intertwine, braid,include, encompass © K.Fedra 2003

  26. Environmental problems Complexity measures: • the number of interacting components of a system, • the number of different types of components, • the number of different types of interaction. © K.Fedra 2003

  27. Environmental problems • are complex (many elements and interactions) • dynamic (including delay, memory) • spatially distributed (1, 1.5, 2 and 3D) • non-linear (feedback, bifurcation, etc.) • involve large uncertainties in - the physical domain - the socio-economic domain • involve multiple actors and stake holders • are always multi-criteria, multi-objective © K.Fedra 2003

  28. Environmental problems Dynamics range from the very short-term (photochemical reactions, seconds) to daily and annual cycles, political (typically 4 to 6 years), economic and technological cycles (10 to 50 years) to the very long-term (climate change, groundwater systems, decades to centuries, geological time scales) © K.Fedra 2003

  29. Environmental problems • are complex (many elements and interactions) • dynamic (including delay, memory) • spatially distributed (1, 1.5, 2 and 3D) • non-linear (feedback, bifurcation, etc.) • involve large uncertainties in - the physical domain - the socio-economic domain • involve multiple actors and stake holders • are always multi-criteria, multi-objective © K.Fedra 2003

  30. Environmental problems Spatial dimensions: almost all environmental problems are spatially distributed: • 1 D river systems • 1.5 D networks (water, transportation) • 2 D land cover, vegetation, vertically integrated 3D systems (groundwater) • 3 D atmosphere, water (lakes, groundwater, oceans) © K.Fedra 2003

  31. Environmental problems Spatial scales range from • local scale: river segment, pond, park, local aquifer, street canyon ( ha, km2) • medium scale: cities, provinces, river basins, large ecosystems (102 - 104 km2) • regional (multi-national): deforestation, desertification, acid rain, biodiversity • global: greenhouse gases, climate change © K.Fedra 2003

  32. Environmental problems • Universal: they happen everywhere, such as urban air pollution, waste management, water pollution, etc. • Global: they have a truly global scale and dimension, such as climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, trade in endangered species or tropical hardwood © K.Fedra 2003

  33. Environmental problems • are complex (many elements and interactions) • dynamic (including delay, memory) • spatially distributed (1, 1.5, 2 and 3D) • non-linear (feedback, bifurcation, etc.) • involve large uncertainties in - the physical domain - the socio-economic domain • involve multiple actors and stake holders • are always multi-criteria, multi-objective © K.Fedra 2003

  34. Environmental problems Non-linearity a relationship that is not strictly proportional. Y = rxlinear (straight line) f(x) = ax+b Y = rx (a-x)non-linear (curve) f(x) = ax2 + bx + c © K.Fedra 2003

  35. Environmental problems Non-linearity a relationship that is not of constant proportionality: it changes with the state of the system (processes and parameters affect each other). Example: constant price per unit price depends on the number of units © K.Fedra 2003

  36. Environmental problems • are complex (many elements and interactions) • dynamic (including delay, memory) • spatially distributed (1, 1.5, 2 and 3D) • non-linear (feedback, bifurcation, etc.) • involve large uncertainties in - the physical domain - the socio-economic domain • involve multiple actors and stake holders • are always multi-criteria, multi-objective © K.Fedra 2003

  37. Environmental problems Uncertainty in the physical domain • measurement uncertainty, sampling • lack of synoptic data with sufficient spatial coverage • lack of direct measurements (proxies) • incomplete understanding of processes © K.Fedra 2003

  38. Environmental problems Uncertainty in the socio-economic domain • multiple criteria, conflicting objectives • perceptions, believes, fears • psychometric or sociometric measurements • plural rationalities • hidden agenda © K.Fedra 2003

  39. Environmental problems • are complex (many elements and interactions) • dynamic (including delay, memory) • spatially distributed (1, 1.5, 2 and 3D) • non-linear (feedback, bifurcation, etc.) • involve large uncertainties in - the physical domain - the socio-economic domain • multiple actors and stake holders • are always multi-criteria, multi-objective © K.Fedra 2003

  40. Environmental problems • Multiple actors: • researchers and analysts • planners and managers • policy and decision makers • industry and work force • general public: • consumers (market) • concerned citizen (voters) © K.Fedra 2003

  41. Environmental problems multiple actors (Agenda 21): • governments, NGOs • planners and decision makers • private sector, industry • trade unions • universities, academic community • indigenous people • land users (farmers, pastoralists) • women (primary educators) © K.Fedra 2003

  42. Environmental problems • are complex (many elements and interactions) • dynamic (including delay, memory) • spatially distributed (1, 1.5, 2 and 3D) • non-linear (feedback, bifurcation, etc.) • involve large uncertainties in - the physical domain - the socio-economic domain • involve multiple actors and stake holders • are always multi-criteria, multi-objective © K.Fedra 2003

  43. Environmental problems multiple criteria: • economic criteria (costs) • environmental criteria • standards (measurements) • perceptions (believes, fears) • political criteria (equity) • regulatory criteria (constraints) • technological criteria (constraints) © K.Fedra 2003

  44. Environmental problems multiple objectives: • maximize economic benefits • minimize environmental costs • maximize environmental benefits • minimize economic costs • maintain equity: • between social groups • between regions and countries • between generations © K.Fedra 2003

  45. Environmental problems • Complex • Dynamic • Non-linear • Spatially distributed © K.Fedra 2003

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