Infusing Sustainability Principles into Technology Curriculum

1
Infusing Sustainability Principles into
Technology Curriculum

• 69th Annual Conference
• International Technology Education Association
• Mary Annette Rose
• March 16, 2007

2
Overview

• The promise and price of progress
• Key concepts and principles of sustainability
• Connections to technology content and standards
• Strategies for infusing sustainability concepts
  and principles

3
Resources for Sustainability

• Mary Annette Rose
• Ball State University
• arose_at_bsu.edu
• 765-285-5648
• http//arose.iweb.bsu.edu/sustainability.htm

4
Technological Promise Creativity, Intellect,
Ingenuity Conquer Problems
Discovery Invention Innovation Engineering
Design Problem Solving
5
Promise of the Science-Technology Enterprise

• Promise Development Progress
• Eliminate Toil
• Eradicate Disease
• Prosperity
• Increase Lifespan
• Move Faster
• High Security
• Instant Communication
• Increased Consumption
• MORE is MORE.

6
U.S. Measures of Progress1970-2002
Vehicle Miles Traveled
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2003).
Comparisons of growth areas and emissions. Latest
findings on national air quality 2002 status and
trends. 4. Retrieved March 10, 2004, from
http//www.epa.gov/airtrends/2002_airtrends_final.
pdf
7
Progress of the Science-Technology Enterprise
6.6 Billion in 2007
Ritchison, G. (n.d.). BIO 317 Conservation of
Wildlife Resources. Lecture Notes 3. Retrieved
August 18, 2006 from http//www.biology.eku.edu/R
ITCHISO/317notes3.html
8
Price of the Science-Technology Enterprise

• Price Impacts Consequences
• Risks to Human Health
• Endocrine Disruption
• Cancer
• Injury
• Poisoning
• Cognitive Impairment
• Urban sprawl
• Inequity
• Social Strife War

treeghugger.com (2005). Global warming
precautions must be taken now.Image. Retrieved
from http//www.treehugger.com/files/2005/01/repor
t_says_glo.php
9
Inequities of the Science-Technology Enterprise
10
Inequities of the Science-Technology Enterprise
Marland, G., T.A. Boden, and R. J. Andres. 2003.
"Global, Regional, and National CO2 Emissions."
In Trends A Compendium of Data on Global Change.
Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of
Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn., U.S.A. Retrieved from
http//www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/ImageGlobal_
Carbon_Emission_by_Type_png
11
Technological Activity Exceeds Natures
Regenerative Capacity

• Environmental Price
• Exhaustion of Resources
• Water
• Petroleum
• Forests
• Biodegradation
• Extinction
• Deforestation
• Ozone Depletion
• Acid Deposition
• Desertification
• Eutrophication

Ricoh .(2007). Pursuing the Ideal Society (Three
P's BalanceTM) Image. Retrieved from
http//www.ricoh.com/environment/management/earth.
html
12
Striking a Balance Between Technological
Activity and the Environment

• Changing the way we
• Design Engineer
• DfE DfR
• Benign Design
• Produce
• Reduce rate of extracting harvesting materials
• Increase efficiency
• Eliminate waste, emissions, toxics
• Consume Use
• Use local
• Reduce, Reuse
• Dispose
• Recover Reclaim
• Recycle, Rot Compost

Ricoh .(2007). Pursuing the Ideal Society (Three
P's BalanceTM) Image. Retrieved from
http//www.ricoh.com/environment/management/earth.
html
13
Sustainability is a A Global Movement to
Strike a Balance
Sustainability is the ability to achieve
continuing economic prosperity while protecting
the natural systems of the planet and providing a
high quality of life for its people. Achieving
sustainable solutions calls for stewardship, with
everyone taking responsibility for solving the
problems of today and tomorrow --individuals,
communities, businesses and governments are all
stewards of the environment . U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 2007
14
United Nations Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development (2005-2014)
15
Taxonomy of Sustainable Development Goals (Parris
Kates, 2003)
Parris, T.M., Kates, R.W. (2003).
Characterizing and measuring sustainable
development. Annual Review of Environmental
Resources, 28(13.1-13.28). Retrieved February 27,
2007, from http//www.isciences.com/assets/pdfs/AR
198-EG28-135b001-0285d.pdf
16
What is a sustainable civilization?

• A stable economy that
• uses energy and
• material resources efficiently.
• Technologies are not
• harmful to the environment
• or to human health.

• Diverse, healthy ecosystems.

Political systems that are just and
equitable. Policies which control economic
activity.
17
United Nations Indicators of Sustainable
Development (2001)
Social Environmental
Education Employment Health/water supply/ sanitation Housing Welfare and quality of life Cultural heritage Poverty / Income distribution Crime Population Role of women Access to land and resources Community structure Equity / social exclusion Freshwater/groundwater Agriculture / secure food supply Urban Coastal Zone Marine environment/coral reef protection Fisheries Biodiversity/ biotechnology Sustainable forest management Air pollution and ozone depletion Global climate change/sea level rise Sustainable use of natural resources Sustainable tourism Restricted carrying capacity Land use change
Economic Institutional
Economic dependency/Indebtedness/ODA Energy Consumption and production patterns Waste management Transportation Mining Economic structure and development Trade Productivity Integrated decision-making Capacity building Science and technology Public awareness and information International conventions and cooperation Governance/role of civic society Institutional and legislative frameworks Disaster preparedness Public participation
Framework 4 Dimensions 15 Themes 28
Sub-themes 134 Indicators
Content
18
UN Indicators of Sustainable Development
Consumption and Production Patterns  

Sub-themes Indicators
Material Consumption Intensity of Material Use
  Energy Use Annual Energy Consumption per Capita
  Energy Use Share of Consumption of Renewable Energy Resources
  Energy Use Intensity of Energy Use
  Waste Generation and Management Generation of Industrial and Municipal Solid Waste
  Waste Generation and Management Generation of Hazardous Waste
  Waste Generation and Management Generation of Radioactive Waste
  Waste Generation and Management Waste Recycling and Reuse
Transportation Distance Traveled per Capita by Mode of Transport
United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development.
(2001). Indicators of sustainable development
Guidelines and methodologies. Retrieved from
http//www.un.org/esa/sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/
isdms2001/table_4.htm
19
If sustainability is about meeting current needs
without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs..

• what does sustainability mean for
• technology
• education ?

20
What are implications of sustainability for
Technology Education?

• Content
• Does TE curriculum include the study of
  sustainability concepts and principles?
• Do we address relevant current issues?
• Strategic Skills
• Does TE curriculum enhance students critical
  thinking, assessment, decision-making, and
  engineering skills as they relate to
  sustainability?
• Goals Values

21
Do we teach about the technical system without
attention to its human and environmental price?
Coal-Fired Electric Generating Plant
World Coal Institute. (2007). Coal and
electricity. Image. Retrieved from
http//www.worldcoal.org/pages/content/index.asp?
PageID108
22
Do we emphasize the price of extractive
industries to ecosystems?
Coal Mining Mountaintop Removal, near Kayford
Mountain, WV

• Destruction of habitat
• Forest
• Valley Fills
• Acid Mine Drainage
• Siltation
• Floods
• Displacement of forest-based industry

Stockman, V. (2003). Mountaintop removal
operation near Kayford Mountain, WV. Retrieved
from Retrieved from http//www.ohvec.org/galleries
/mountaintop_removal/007/
23
Price of Electricity in terms of Emissions
Ambient Concentrations of Mercury
Technology Transfer Network, National Air Toxics
Assessment. (1996). 1996 Estimated County Median
Ambient Concentrations Mercury Compounds. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved March
10, 2004, from http//www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/nata/map
conc.html
24
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National
Fish and Wildlife Contamination Program. (2004).
National maps and graphics. Retrieved March 10,
2007, http//www.epa.gov/waterscience/presentation
s/fish-2004/
25
Price of Electricity in terms of ImpactsCoal
Combustion to Human Health (Mercury)
Environmental Protection Agency. (2007). How
mercury enters the environment. Image.
Available at http//www.epa.gov/mercury/exposure.h
tm1
26
Levels of Impacts Effects
Coal-Fired Electric Power Plant
NOx
CO2
Steam for Dry Kilns or Cogeneration
Hg
SOx
4th Order
Unexpected Undesired Distant
3rd Order
2nd Order
Unexpected Desired Distant
1st Order
Expected Undesired Immediate
Expected Desired Immediate
Hutchinson, J. Karsnitz, J.R.(1994). Design and
problem solving. Albany, NY Delmar Publishers,
Inc., p. 6-8 and Pearson Education. (n.d.). Acid
Deposition map. Image. Retrieved
http//faculty.uca.edu/johnc/AcidPrecipDist.gif
27
Sustainability PrinciplesProduct Stewardship

• "Product stewardship is a principle that directs
  all participants involved in the life cycle of a
  product to take shared responsibility for the
  impacts to human health and the natural
  environment that result from the production, use,
  and end-of-life management of the product.
• Product Stewardship Institute

28
Do you connect individual choices to the
technologies which impose an environmental price?
Shrimp Trawling in the Gulf of Mexico

• Bycatch
• 1 to 4
• For every pound of shrimp over four pounds of
  turtles, sharks, sponges, and skates are caught
  and drowned.

A double-rigged shrimp trawler. Image. National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Photo.
Retrieved March 10, 2007, from
http//www.photolib.noaa.gov/fish/fish0809.htm
29
Sustainability PrinciplesProduct Stewardship

• "Product stewardship is a principle that directs
  all participants involved in the life cycle of a
  product to take shared responsibility for the
  impacts to human health and the natural
  environment that result from the production, use,
  and end-of-life management of the product. The
  greater the ability of a party to influence the
  life cycle impacts of a product, the greater the
  degree of that partys responsibility.
• Product Stewardship Institute

30
Stewardship Greater Influence Greater
Responsibility
Brenegar, E.(2005). Technology Adoption Life
Cycle Image. Retrieved from http//edbrenegar.
typepad.com/leading_questions/technology_adoption_
life_cycle/
31
When we teach engineering, design, or problem
solving ...

• are we teaching
• for sustainability?

32
Engineering Design Process
Meldert Engineering. (2007). Design process.
Retrieved March 10, 2004, from http//www.meldert
.se/methods/img/design-process.jpg
33
Do we include requirements for biodegradable,
local, and renewable raw materials?

• Annually renewable raw materials (RRM)
• Corn, soy bean, switch grass
• Bio-degradable and compostable materials
• Capable of decomposition via primarily microbial
  processes
• Certification required in Europe
• European standard EN13432
• Local or Regional

34
Does it focus on closed-loop life cycles?
European-bioplstic.org (n.d.). Life-cycle
economy Image. Retrieved March 8, 2007, from
http//www.european-bioplastics.org/index.php?id1
49
35
Do we examine the embodied energy of processes?
The energy consumed by all of the processes
associated with the production of a building or
product, from the acquisition of natural
resources to product delivery.
Social science of energy Energy social
engineering. Retrieved from http//www.energy.kyo
to-u.ac.jp/syakai/socio_e/energy_social_engineerin
g.html
36
Does it focus on closed-loop life cycles?
European-bioplstic.org (n.d.). Life-cycle
economy Image. Retrieved March 8, 2007, from
http//www.european-bioplastics.org/index.php?id1
49
37
Design for R
The Packaging Council of New Zealand. (2003).
PAC-IT An Introduction into Packaging in New
Zealand. Teaching Resources. Available at
http//www.pac-it.org.nz/index.html
38
The Packaging Council of New Zealand (Inc) Unit
K 175 Harris Road Botany Downs - AucklandPO
Box 58899 Greenmount, Auckland
The Packaging Council of New Zealand. (2003).
PAC-IT An Introduction into Packaging in New
Zealand. Teaching Resources. Available at
http//www.pac-it.org.nz/index.html
39
Re-envision the Constraints and Evaluation of
Process

• Decision Point for Sustainability
• Reject Design
• Accept Design

• Parameters for Sustainability
• DfE Design for the Environment
• DfR Design for reuse disassembly, recovery,
  recycling
• Benign by design" principles, eliminate waste,
  emissions, and toxics
• Select renewable, biodegradable materials with
  LOW embodied energy
• Maximize natural energy and energy efficiency
• Minimize life cycle impacts

• Assessment for Sustainability
• Impact identification
• Environment
• Society
• Impact measurement or forecasting
• List of alternative options
• Evaluation of options

Meldert Engineering. (2007). Design process.
Retrieved March 10, 2004, from http//www.meldert.
se/methods/img/design-process.jpg
40
When we teach about technology are we teaching
students to ...

• assess
• technological
  
• decisions?

41
Students will develop abilities to assess the
impact of products and systems. (STL 13, ITEA,
2000)

• (K-2) A. Collect information about everyday
  products and systems by asking questions.
• B. Determine if the human use of a product or
  system creates positive or negative results.
• (3-5) C. Compare contrast, and classify
  collected information in order to identify
  patterns.
• D. Investigate and assess the influence of a
  specific technology on the individual, family,
  community, and environment.
• E. Examine the trade-offs of using a product or
  system and decide when it could be used.
• (6-8) F. Design and use instruments to gather
  data.
• G. Use data collected to analyze and interpret
  trends in order to identify the positive or
  negative effects of a technology.
• H. Identify trends and monitor potential
  consequences of technological development.
• I. Interpret and evaluate the accuracy of the
  information obtained and determine if it is
  useful.
• (9-12) J. Collect information and evaluate its
  quality.
• K. Synthesize data, analyze trends, and draw
  conclusions regarding the effect of technology on
  the individual, society, and the environment.
• L. Use assessment techniques, such as trend
  analysis and experimentation to make decisions
  about the future development of technology.
• M. Design forecasting techniques to evaluate the
  results of altering natural systems.

International Technology Education Association,
Technology for All Americans Project. (2000).
Standards for technological literacy Content
for the study of technology. Reston, Virginia
Author. Available from http//www.iteaconnect.org
/TAA/PDFs/xstnd.pdf
42
Levels of Technology Assessment
International
National
Organizational
Personal
Scientific Formal
Informal
Informs Policy
Informs Adoption
43
The Packaging Council of New Zealand (Inc) Unit
K 175 Harris Road Botany Downs - AucklandPO
Box 58899 Greenmount, Auckland
The Packaging Council of New Zealand. (2003).
PAC-IT An Introduction into Packaging in New
Zealand. Teaching Resources. Available at
http//www.pac-it.org.nz/index.html
44
Technology Assessment

• Students should
• STEP 1 Identify an Issue or Problem
• STEP 2 Identify the Impacts
• STEP 3 Identify the Options
• STEP 4 Develop Arguments for the Options
• STEP 5 Evaluate the Options

Hutchinson, J. Karsnitz, J.R.(1994). Design and
problem solving. Albany, NY Delmar Publishers,
Inc., p. 16.
45
Issue National Movement to Replace Incandescent
Lamps with CFLs

• Walmarts goal is to enable its 100 million
  customers to replace one bulb with a CFL
• Keep 22 billion lbs of coal from burning at power
  plants
• Keep 45 billion lbs of GHG from being emitted
• Equate to removing 700,000 cars worth of
  greenhouse gases from the air
• Keep 700 million incandescent light bulbs from
  landfills

Walmart.com. (2007). Change a light. Change the
world. Walmart. Image and text. Retrieved from
http//walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/naviga
te.do?catg685
46
Efficiency
Power(W) Output(lm) Efficiency(lm/W)
15 100 6.7
25 200 8.0
34 350 10.3
40 500 12.5
52 700 13.5
55 800 14.5
60 850 14.2
67 1000 15.0
70 1100 15.7
75 1200 16.0
90 1450 16.1
95 1600 16.8
100 1700 17.0

• Watt (W)
• is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one
  joule per second.
• Lumen (lm)
• is the SI unit of luminous flux.

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Incandescent light bulb.
Retrieved October 2, 2006, from
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescent_light_bu
lb
47
Efficient AlternativeCompact Fluorescents (CFL)
luminous flux(light output) Electricity Consumption Electricity Consumption
luminous flux(light output) Incandescent Compactfluorescent
200 lm 25 W 5-6 W
450 lm 40 W 8 W
600-700 lm 60 W 1113 W
950 lm 75 W 1820 W
1200 lm 100 W 20-25 W
1600 lm 125 W 26-30 W
1900 lm 150 W 35-42 W
U.S. D.O.E. Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy. (2005).How compact fluorescents compare
with incandescents. http//www.eere.energy.gov/co
nsumer/your_home/lighting_daylighting/index.cfm/my
topic12060
48
Mercury Emissions by Coal-Fired Power Plant
Lamp
Incandescent 13.6 mg Hg
Compact Fluorescent 3.3 mg 5 mg 8.3 mg Hg
CFL contains 5mg Hg
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Energy
Star. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions
Information on Proper Disposal of Compact
Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs). Environmental
Protection Agency. Retrieved February 27, 2007,
from http//www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promot
ions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

49
Impact of Walmarts 100 Million CFL Goal
100 Million Consumers

• What impact will an increased demand for mercury
  have upon the environment?
• What are the consequences of multiple mercury
  sources in U.S. homes?
• How will the collection and reclamation of this
  toxic element add to mercury pollution?
• Which lamp is more environmentally-responsible?

50
Do we examine embodied energy of materials and
products?
Assembly PER Embodiedenergy MJ/m2 PER Embodiedenergy MJ/m2
Walls Walls Walls
Timber frame, timber weatherboard,plasterboard lining Timber frame, timber weatherboard,plasterboard lining 188
Timber frame, clay brick veneer,plasterboard lining Timber frame, clay brick veneer,plasterboard lining 561
Timber frame, aluminium weatherboard,plasterboard lining Timber frame, aluminium weatherboard,plasterboard lining 403
Steel frame, clay brick veneer,plasterboard lining Steel frame, clay brick veneer,plasterboard lining 604
Double clay brick, plasterboard lined Double clay brick, plasterboard lined 906
Cement stabilised rammed earth Cement stabilised rammed earth 376
Milne, G. (2005). Technical Manual Design for
Lifestyle and the Future. Commonwealth of
Australia. Retrieved March 10, 2007, from
http//www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/fs
31.htm
51
Do we examine the environmental impacts of
structures?
Levin, H. (1997) Systematic Evaluation and
Assessment of Building Environmental Performance
(SEABEP), Paper presented at "Buildings and
Environment", Paris, 9-12 June, 1997. Retrieved
from http//www.wbdg.org/design/env_sustainability
.php?renv_fenestration_doors-i
52
Do we examine trends such as urban sprawl?
Baltimore, Maryland 1972-1992

• A reconstruction of the growth of Baltimore,
  Maryland, over the last 200 years. The U.S.
  Geological Survey used historical records as well
  as Landsat satellite data to create this
  sequence. Courtesy USGS.

Barry, P.L (n.d.). Urban Sprawl the Big Picture.
Science_at_NASA. Retrieved March 10, 2007, from
http//science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/11oct_spra
wl.htm
53
Do we challenge students to harness alternative
energy?
54
Do we challenge TE students to teach others about
alternative energy?
Andrew teaches 2nd graders How to harness solar
energy
55
What are implications of sustainability for
Technology Education?

• Content
• Does TE curriculum include the study of
  sustainability concepts and principles?
• Do we address relevant current issues?
• Strategic Skills
• Does TE curriculum enhance students critical
  thinking, assessment, and decision-making skills
  as they relate to sustainability?
• Goals Values

56
GOALS of TE Scientific and Technological
Literacy (STL)
understanding sustainable development
The Association for Science. (1999). UNESCO
Resource Kit. Science Technology Education
Science for the 21st Century. Retrieved March
10, 2007, from http//portal.unesco.org/education/
GOALS
57
Summary

• The promise and price of progress
• Impetus to infuse sustainability
• Key concepts and principles of sustainability
• Connections to technology content and standards
• Strategies for infusing sustainability concepts
  and principles

58
Technology Education for Sustainability

• Life-Cycle Analysis
• Technology Assessment
• Impact analysis across sectors
• Design for Sustainability
• Alternative Energy

59
Can growth be sustained?
A lily pad is placed in a pond. Each day
thereafter the pad and all its descendants
double. On the 30th day the pond is covered
completely by lily pads, which can grow no more.
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
On which day was the pond half full and half
empty?
60
The 29th Day
Continuous growth consumes all resources
necessary for life within the pond.
61
Is the earth our pond?
What is the carrying capacity of the earth?
62
Resources for Sustainability

• Mary Annette Rose
• Ball State University
• arose_at_bsu.edu
• 765-285-5648
• http//arose.iweb.bsu.edu/sustainability.htm

63
What are we teaching in technology education?
Lipson, C. (2007). Computer-wrench Image.
Retrieved from http//charleslipson.com/Images/Co
mputer-wrench.jpg
64
SustainabilityKey Concepts Principles

• Systemic Nature Systems are interrelated and
  interconnected, therefore human activities
  inevitably impact other systems in unexpected
  ways.
• Equity and social justice Access to the elements
  required for survival on this planet is an innate
  human right. All humans, including those
  generations to come, are entitled to clean air,
  water, land, housing, food, and health services.
• Pollution and Toxics Pollution and the
  production of toxics degrades human and
  environmental health, therefore the production of
  waste, pollution, and toxics should be eliminated
  or controlled.
• Precautionary Principle Technological
  innovations creates threats and risks to human
  health and the environment, precautionary
  measures should be taken even if some cause and
  effect relationships are not fully established
  scientifically. The proponent of a technological
  innovation should bear the burden of proof for
  presenting evidence of harmlessness. If this is
  not forthcoming, then a "no action policy should
  be adopted.
• Stewardship All businesses, industries,
  governments, NGOs, individuals have important
  responsibilities for the integrity of
  life-supporting systems.
• Maintain the integrity of systems
• Consume and use responsibly
• Protect and restore ecosystems
• Protect human health, vulnerable populations, and
  communities

65
SustainabilityKey Concepts Principles
Energy Efficiency Energy Intensity is the
amount of energy consumed per unit of service or
activity. Embodied energy may be reduced by
designing durable, adaptable products and
buildings which are made from local, renewable
materials. Embodied Energy Embodied energy is
the total primary energy consumed during the life
time of a product, ideally the boundaries would
be set from the extraction of raw materials (inc
fuels) to the end of the products lifetime
(including energy from manufacturing, transport,
energy to manufacture capital equipment, heating
lighting of factory...etc), this boundary
condition is known as Cradle to Grave (Jones,
2007). Environmental Burden Renewability
Production activities should minimize the use of
materials which do not regenerate at the same
rate at which they are consumed, including from
fossil fuels, minerals, long-lived plants, and
declining populations of animals.
66
Analysis of the ITEAs Standards for
Technological Literacy (2000)

• Sustain (N14), Sustainable (N2),
  Sustainability (N2)
• Technology sustains (N5)
• Society Yet, I spite of this dependence, U.S.
  society is largely ignorant of the history and
  fundamental nature of the technology that
  sustains it (p. v).
• Human life Questions about how medical
  technologies should be used to sustain life and
  the related costs must be considered (STL 4, p.
  63).
• Sustaining resources, materials and energy (N8)
• Resources can also be examined from a global
  perspective by exploring the sustainability of
  the Earths resources (STL 2, p. 41).
• In addition, they should consider the
  sustainability and disposability of the resources
  in the final product (STL 11, p. 123).

GOALS
67

• Barbara Tuckman, The March of Folly.
• Garret Hardin, Science or Nature. The Tradgedy of
  the Commons.