Essay - Analyzing the Sustainability Problem
Shelley2395
AnalyzingSustainabilityProblems11.pptxAnalyzing Sustainability Problems
SOS 320 Online
Problem-Solving Framework
Sustainable
Goal
Visioning
Complex
Problem
Assessment
Strategy
Design & Testing
I
II
III
What is the
problem?
What is the
goal?
How do we get
from here to there?
Identify
Analyze
✔
Robustly Analyzing Sustainability Problems We Need a Tool!
What are we doing?
Dissecting and clarifying the causal structures of sustainability problems
Identifying critical intervention points and systems relations
Without overwhelming the relevant stakeholders
A Tool for Problem Analysis
Functional (focus on people and what they do)
Systemic (good intentions don’t always work out) – Systems Thinking
Pragmatic (no paralysis-by-analysis)
A Tool for Analyzing Complex Problems
A Tool for Analyzing Complex Problems
Guiding Questions for Analyzing Effects
What is adversely affected (significantly)?
Who is negatively affected?
Key Features of Sustainability Problems
Significantly harmful over the long term
Urgent
Dispersed effects
Complex causes
Contested
A Tool for Analyzing Complex Problems
Guiding Questions
What activities lead to the adverse effects?
Who carries out these activities?
Key Features of Sustainability Problems
Significantly harmful over the long term
Urgent
Dispersed effects
Complex causes
Contested
Actions and Technologies
High technological throughput of modern societies
Hardly any everyday activities without sophisticated (high-end) technologies
Various adverse effects related to technologies (life cycle perspective) in exchange for convenience (e.g., mobile phone)
Link between technologies and large-scale infrastructures
A Tool for Analyzing Complex Problems
Guiding Questions
What are the beneficial effects of people’s activities?
Who benefits from these effects?
Key Features of Sustainability Problems
Significantly harmful over the long term
Urgent
Dispersed effects
Complex causes
Contested
A Tool for Analyzing Complex Problems
Guiding Questions
Why do people do what they do?
What motivates behavior?
Key Features of Sustainability Problems
Significantly harmful over the long term
Urgent
Dispersed effects
Complex causes
Contested
5 Standardized Types of Background Drivers
Motives
Assumptions
Rules
Capacities
Resources
External Factors
Assumptions
Drivers that guide us in what we do
Different assumptions are true for different people and display different levels of approval
Even if assumptions or beliefs are false, given certain true/false criteria, they might still guide us, or, more precisely, misguide us
Assumptions, beliefs, and knowledge vary across different individuals, age groups, social groups, nations, and cultures
It is more useful for analyzing sustainability problems to describe the existing assumptions, beliefs, and knowledge that drive actions, instead of pointing out a lack thereof
Rules
Regulate and incentivize us to do what we do
Rules are shared among collectives – Not as personal
Formal rules – Written in law or part of established codes
Informal rules – Norms shared in a collective
Etiquette, shared beliefs, common sense
Individual motives and collective rules can conflict
Social movements can result in change of rules
Capacities
Enables us to do what we do
Capacity in conjunction with assumptions and knowledge enables action
Types and levels of capacities vary significantly across different individuals, age groups, social groups, nations, and cultures
Levels of capacities can be differentiated from novice and intermediate to advanced levels
Through processes of collaboration, capacities can become collective
it is more useful for analyzing sustainability problems to describe the existing capabilities that drive activities, instead of pointing out a lack thereof
Resources
Allow us to do what we do
Can be allocated to individuals or collectives
Often shared
Prominent examples: money, property, natural resources, time, trust, social networks
External Factors/Forces
These encircle the entire tool
Force us to do what we do
Influence from the outside, with little options to respond
Examples: floods, droughts, heat
Human force: prostitution, child labor, military, working camps
Using the Tool for Analyzing Complex Problems
Natural Gas as an Energy Resource in Northern and Central California Tool for Analyzing Complex Problems
EffectsImmediate CausesRoot Causes Motives
- California needs energy. - Consumption was at 2.34 trillion cubic feet in 2014
for California alone. - Financial gain to be made by PG&E, third party power
plants, natural gas suppliers, and employees of these companies.
- Lack of cost to build new renewable energy infrastructure.
Assumptions - Natural Gas is the cleanest fossil fuel, so it must be clean. - Natural Gas is cheap. - Renewable energy is more expensive. - We needs to supply energy in this fashion to meet
demands.
Rules - Pacific Gas and Electric is the Sole Energy Supplier in
Northern and Central California. - If residents want to purchase energy directly from
a third party provider, they must enroll in a Direct Access program through PG&E.
- Permits need to be obtained on a regional level to have solar power panels installed.
Capacities - Existing Natural Gas infrastructure.
- Employees in different areas have already attained skills required in the running of natural gas production, transportation, combustion, and maintenance of facilities.
- In conjunction with the rule that PG&E has the sole energy monopoly in the area and the assumption that Natural Gas is clean, it gives them the capacity to continue using Natural Gas as their main resource for energy.
Resources - Natural Gas is available now. However, it is a fixed limited
resource. - Individual persons have the right to install solar panels (pending
permit). However, many lack the financial resources to install them.
- Previously, California had programs to have them installed and rebated. There is now a lack of these programs.
- Financial resources of the companies producing and creating energy with Natural Gas.
- Financial resources of those who purchase the energy made with Natural Gas.
- The land owned or rented for purposes of production, transportation, or combustion.
- The trust that the government has put in PG&E in allowing them to be the sole provider of energy to Northern and Central California.
External Factors - Northern and Central California style of living requires the
use of energy. Society requires it for a wide variety of products, homes, to even traffic lights.
Actions, Activities, & Behavior - The use of technologies drives the demand for
even more to be produced. - The use of energy in California is
rising. - Incentives (rebates) to install solar panels have
been revoked. - The attitude that Natural Gas is clean is
abundant with stakeholders, so the move to renewable energy is a slow process.
Technologies & Infrastructures - Technology and Infrastructures already exist
for using Natural Gas as an energy. - Technology for renewable resources exist.
- However, Infrastructures are a bit lacking. There would need to be more built to sustain energy demands.
- Technologies that we use every day, such as lighting our homes, personal computers, phones, and even traffic lights all require the use of energy.
Benefits - Financial benefits to all companies involved.
- No cost on setting up new renewable energies.
- Northern and Central Californians are supplied with energy.
- Helps met the energy needs. - Job Creation. - Creates less emissions than energy created
from coal.
Adverse Effects - Emits Carbon Dioxide and Methane during:
- Procurement - Transportation (Ex. Pipelines) - Combustion
- These are the two most damaging Greenhouse Gases.
- Greenhouse effect – Global Warming
- Hazardous pollutants released into the air and water. - Compromises human wellbeing.
- Respiratory symptoms - Cardiovascular disease - Cancer
- Water use. - Land and wildlife disturbances. - Earthquakes caused by certain extraction techniques.
Benefiting Stakeholders Pacific, Gas and Electric Company (Sole Energy Supplier to Public in Northern and Central California).
Negatively Affected Stakeholders Communities near Power Plants
Examples: - Oakland - Moss Landing
Causing Stakeholders State Government
- For giving PG&E a Monopoly on energy in Northern and Central California.
Negatively Affected Stakeholders
Communities Near Extraction Sites
Negatively Affected Stakeholders Communities Near Transportation
Sites Example: - Near Pipelines
Negatively Affected Stakeholders
The Entire Human Population due to Global Warming
Benefiting Stakeholders Third party power plants that
create energy for PG&E Example: - Dynergy
Benefiting Stakeholders Energy consumers in Northern
and Central California Example: - Myself included as I type this.
Benefiting Stakeholders
Suppliers of Natural Gas
Benefiting Stakeholders
Employees of all companies involved.
Causing Stakeholders Pacific Gas and Electric
- For continued use of Natural Gas to provide energy.
Causing Stakeholders
Suppliers of Natural Gas
Causing Stakeholders
Third Party Energy Suppliers
Causing Stakeholders
Energy Consumers in Northern and
Central California
Natural Gas as an Energy Resource in Northern and Central California
Tool for Analyzing Complex Problems
Effects
Immediate Causes
Root Causes
Motives
-California needs energy.
-Consumption was at 2.34 trillion cubic feet in 2014
for California alone.
-Financial gain to be made by PG&E, third party power
plants, natural gas suppliers, and employees of these
companies.
-Lack of cost to build new renewable energy
infrastructure.
Assumptions
-Natural Gas is the cleanest fossil fuel, so it must be clean.
-Natural Gas is cheap.
-Renewable energy is more expensive.
-We needs to supply energy in this fashion to meet
demands.
Rules
-Pacific Gas and Electric is the Sole Energy Supplier in
Northern and Central California.
-If residents want to purchase energy directly from
a third party provider, they must enroll in a Direct
Access program through PG&E.
-Permits need to be obtained on a regional level to have
solar power panels installed.
Capacities
-Existing Natural Gas infrastructure.
-Employees in different areas have already
attained skills required in the running of natural
gas production, transportation, combustion, and
maintenance of facilities.
-In conjunction with the rule that PG&E has the sole energy
monopoly in the area and the assumption that Natural Gas
is clean, it gives them the capacity to continue using
Natural Gas as their main resource for energy.
Resources
-Natural Gas is available now. However, it is a fixed limited
resource.
-Individual persons have the right to install solar panels (pending
permit). However, many lack the financial resources to install
them.
-Previously, California had programs to have them
installed and rebated. There is now a lack of these
programs.
-Financial resources of the companies producing and creating
energy with Natural Gas.
-Financial resources of those who purchase the energy made with
Natural Gas.
-The land owned or rented for purposes of production,
transportation, or combustion.
-The trust that the government has put in PG&E in allowing them
to be the sole provider of energy to Northern and Central
California.
External Factors
-Northern and Central California style of living requires the
use of energy. Society requires it for a wide variety of
products, homes, to even traffic lights.
Actions, Activities, & Behavior
-The use of technologies drives the demand for
even more to be produced.
-The use of energy in California is
rising.
-Incentives (rebates) to install solar panels have
been revoked.
-The attitude that Natural Gas is clean is
abundant with stakeholders, so the move to
renewable energy is a slow process.
Technologies & Infrastructures
-Technology and Infrastructures already exist
for using Natural Gas as an energy.
-Technology for renewable resources exist.
-However, Infrastructures are a bit
lacking. There would need to be more
built to sustain energy demands.
-Technologies that we use every day, such as
lighting our homes, personal computers,
phones, and even traffic lights all require the
use of energy.
Benefits
-Financial benefits to all companies involved.
-No cost on setting up new renewable
energies.
-Northern and Central Californians are
supplied with energy.
-Helps met the energy needs.
-Job Creation.
-Creates less emissions than energy created
from coal.
Adverse Effects
-Emits Carbon Dioxide and Methane during:
-Procurement
-Transportation (Ex. Pipelines)
-Combustion
-These are the two most damaging
Greenhouse Gases.
-Greenhouse effect –Global
Warming
-Hazardous pollutants released into the air and water.
-Compromises human wellbeing.
-Respiratory symptoms
-Cardiovascular disease
-Cancer
-Water use.
-Land and wildlife disturbances.
-Earthquakes caused by certain extraction techniques.
Benefiting Stakeholders
Pacific, Gas and Electric Company
(Sole Energy Supplier to Public in
Northern and Central California).
Negatively Affected Stakeholders
Communities near Power Plants
Examples:
-Oakland
-Moss Landing
Causing Stakeholders
State Government
-For giving PG&E a
Monopoly on energy in
Northern and Central
California.
Negatively Affected
Stakeholders
Communities Near
Extraction Sites
Negatively Affected Stakeholders
Communities Near Transportation
Sites
Example:
-Near Pipelines
Negatively Affected
Stakeholders
The Entire Human
Population due to
Global Warming
Benefiting Stakeholders
Third party power plants that
create energy for PG&E
Example:
-Dynergy
Benefiting Stakeholders
Energy consumers in Northern
and Central California
Example:
-Myself included as I type this.
Benefiting
Stakeholders
Suppliers of Natural
Gas
Benefiting
Stakeholders
Employees of all
companies involved.
Causing Stakeholders
Pacific Gas and Electric
-For continued use of
Natural Gas to provide
energy.
Causing
Stakeholders
Suppliers of Natural
Gas
Causing
Stakeholders
Third Party Energy
Suppliers
Causing
Stakeholders
Energy Consumers
in Northern and
Central California
