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Basic science toward sustainability
- 1. + Basic Science toward Sustainability
- 2. + Planetary Evolution • A scientific law is an evidence-based generalization that describes a basic rule about reality • For 4.5 billion years the physical law of nature have dictated the conditions of life
- 3. + What is a System? A set of interconnected parts whose behavior depend on the interaction of those parts
- 4. + Eco - System All the organism living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving (abiotic), physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water, rocks and sunlight • Life conditions • Support of activities • Absorb what not needed
- 5. + How does it work? • Sunlight • Closed loop • Mutualism • No waste • Recycle • Life fits to function • Interdependence • Diversity • Energy efficient • Complexity Preserve it & get inspired
- 6. + The laws of Thermodynamics
- 7. + What create order? • Create oxigen • Create structure Second source of life
- 8. + Ocean Circulation Salinity & Temperature Influence Density
- 9. + Wind Circulation
- 10. + Biosphere Interactions
- 11. + Foreign Chemical compounds Found in Mother’s milk
- 12. +
- 13. + Planet Boundaries
- 14. + Sustainable Society into Biosphere
Hinweis der Redaktion
- The Earth has been evolving continuously during more than 4.5 billion year but what has been a constant is the set of basic rules which define the conditions for life. While the latter is continuously adapting to changing circumstances (as extinctions, glaciations, etc.) during the different eras, the underneath mechanisms remain the same; understanding this underlying concepts is fundamental when the aim is to understand sustainability as science provides overall knowledge about the socio-ecological system. In particular we refer to physical law, as when it came to sustainability issues physical flow of energy and matter assume particular importance.
- The first important concept we need to bear in mind is the so called system thinking: a system is not just the sum of his part, but the bigger outcome (overall system behavior) risen from all the complex interactions between the components and between the components with the surroundings. Every part of the system is important, is meant to have a specific function for the system to work. If one of more parts suffer an alteration, the whole system is likely to be affected. The key mechanisms which define a certain behavior are called system principles. Principles are basic conditions that must be met to allow the system to maintain a certain state or trend. Here a first distinction need to be handled: principle is different from scientific law: even if both describe working conditions, the latter cannot be broken as represent an observed fixed rule to describe phenomena which applies in every circumstance while a principle refers to current situational conditions which explain a certain behavior. To clarify, consider the following example: even if the conditions on Earth have been changing continuously, gravitational mechanisms have always been working the same; the gravitation equation is a scientific law which (should)apply systematically in every context in the known universe (Newton) and it is not possible to be broken down(of course till another law is discovered, see Einstein, Relativity law). Instead we know for example that to keep a garden nice and healthy, every so often water must be provided. Water supply is a basic principle to achieve the desired outcome (nice and healthy garden). But the principle can be broken: we can decide to avoid giving water to the plants, but of course the final outcome will be different as the plants will die.Finally my points in this section are:If we are about to deal with a system (i.e. economic, society, etc.) the rules of the games must be clear and well known.If instead of a garden the system in consideration is the system Earth, are we aware of the principles and rules which allows the planet to be healthy and continue its evolution? And finally are we respecting this principles?
- The set of all ecosystems and their interactions make up the BIOSPHERE, which together with LITHOSPHERE, ATMOSPHERE, HYDROSPHERE AND CRIOSPHERE constitute the system Earth. As first of all ecosystems sustain our own life, we need to know how they work in order to keep them prosperous. Human prosperity is inextricably related to the well being of the ecosystems. Do not forget that, as we leave in the Biosphere, we are part of it. Society is a component of the Biosphere. - Graph
- In order to be able to fully enjoy eco-systems services for humanity we need to understand how they works to treasure and preserve them. Secondly, nature serve as inspiration: from the society and business point of view, nature is the most successful organization; its principles must be seen as guidelines, a model which drive actions and business practices.
- Energy and matter cannot be created nor destroyed. They just change form. The Earth is a closed system regarding matter, while it is a open system regarding energy: this means that matter can never leave Earth(amount remain constant), while we have a continuous flow of energy from the sun. In order to maintain balance the extra energy irradiated by the sun is dispersed back in the universe as heat. Actually we do not consume energy nor matter, we consume high concentration structure transforming it in less concentrated one. What we consume is exergy, the potential work embedded in a system to be used. Exergy decrease every transformation, every process which involve temperature change.Matter and energy tend to pass from an ordered state to a disordered(from order to chaos). The accumulation of the process is called entropy, which is continuously increasing. That means that if nothing intervene, high molecular structure tend to dissipate to a lower state. Fortunately concerning energy, even with continuous losses the constant solar irradiance balance the system.
- When it come to matter the only thing that can recreate structure(order) and combat entropy are plants. So deforestation is not just about climate change, is about life. Without plants human life is not possible, and the system Earth is due to collapse. With no plants on Earth, matter will turn into dust.
- Ocean circulation is generated by the differential in water density. The global circulation is called Thermohaline, which refers actual to Temperature (thermo) and salinity(haline). Denser water tends to sink: at the poles where temperatures are lower water tend do sink, displacing deep water which tend to go toward the equator and attracting superficial water(hotter) from the equator to the poles. In addition, when ice is forming it releases salt which is added to the rest of water, making it even more denser and heavy. This is why climate change can dramatically change global conditions.
- Wind Global Circulation depend on the compensation of pressure difference between two points. The energy coming from sun irradiance make air rise, producing a flow of air upwards, that in absence of superficial wind cause abundant precipitation(low pressure Area). As the rising air left space, this is filled by cooler air (westerlies) coming from high pressure areas.Global winds combine with local or superficial wind, created by the difference of T between land and ocean due to the slower response to heat which features the latter. Solar radiation make air hot in summer so an inland flow is generated (this is what cause the monsoon . In the winter occurs the opposite
- As said Earth is a closed system regarding matter but open about energy flows. Ecosystems in the Biosphere continuously interact with society to provide services. We insert into biosphere waste, matter that was sequestered in the lithosphere over millions of years, and in addition we create foreign chemical compounds which are not broken down in the system, but accumulate in tissues of animals and plants. Finally the most damage is given back to us, when this substances cause cancers and several other diseases.
- No comment!!!
- Waste and substances that don’t break down in nature.
- The study from Johan Rockström, director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre,suggests that three of these boundaries (climate change, biological diversity and nitrogen input to the biosphere) may already have been transgressed. In addition, it emphasizes that the boundaries are strongly connected — crossing one boundary may seriously threaten the ability to stay within safe levels of the others. This should drive decision making in our society.
- When driving decision making in our society we should consider what we take from the Earth’s crust; what our activities create; what we introduce into Biosphere; how we take care of human development.