Microplastic Sustainability Health Environment Marine

BRIEF OPENING PARAGRAPH:

Our sustainability challenge surrounds the issues that stem from ineffective mitigation of stormwater. Through this, there is an increased risk of flooding, as stormwater runoff is directly released into rivers. This unregulated runoff creates social, economic, and environmental issues. The increased chance of floods creates social issues such as property damage to homes, destruction of crops and livestock, and severe mental trauma to those affected. The environment is also impacted by this issue, as improper stormwater mitigation creates an increase in temperature through the Urban Heated Island Effect. Finally, this challenge raises several economic issues, as funds for repairing damages may become limited through repeated flood damage, with property value will plummeting as a result. Our model will present the challenge of ineffective stormwater mitigation, and the social, economic, and environmental issues that occur as a result.

BRIEF CLOSING PARAGRAPH:

Through our model, the issues of improper mitigation of runoff have been presented. It is clear that without regulation, stormwater runoff can be detrimental to our society, economy, and our environment. Living in an area that rains often, such as Greater Vancouver, this issue is extremely relevant, as we are directly impacted by unregulated runoff. When running a simulation of our model on InsightMaker, groundwater is shown to increase initially, and then quickly plateaus. This is because groundwater is not infinite, and if this problem continues to persist, we will eventually run out of drinkable water. It is important that we raise awareness to this issue, and that we understand its impacts from societal, economic, and environmental perspectives.

SEPARATE PAGE FOR A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MODEL AND THE ISSUES EXPLAINED IN DETAIL:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11-Md0b_tNKTJMsKvJmUB2U3A-S9YERFpcXZSmZ4JPco/edit?usp=sharing

Systems Sustainability

Environment Sustainability Society Economy

Carbon

Sustainability

Sustainability

HANDY Model of Societal Collapse from Ecological Economics Paper see also D Cunha's model at IM-15085

Environment Inequality Economics Sustainability Sociology

Sustainability

HANDY Model of Societal Collapse from Ecological Economics Paper see also D Cunha's model at IM-15085

Environment Inequality Economics Sustainability Sociology

Sustainability

Sustainability

HANDY Model of Societal Collapse from Ecological Economics Paper see also D Cunha's model at IM-15085

Environment Inequality Economics Sustainability Sociology

Rainfall is posing a dangerous threat to high-precipitation cities such as Vancouver. In natural, forested conditions, 10-20 mm of the rainfall that occurs is intercepted by the lush, vegetative canopy of trees and plants, as it is eventually soaked into the ground before stormwater runoff is generated. This contrasts heavily with unnatural, urbanized areas, where runoff can be generated from as little as 2 mm of precipitation! In an average month in Vancouver, 240 mm of precipitation may fall in 30 days. This equates to an average of 8 mm of precipitation a day. As our climate continues to warm, the frequency and the intensity of our rainfall will only increase. By the year 2050, Vancouver is expected to experience a 5% increase in the volume of rain that occurs over the winter months, alternatively experiencing a 19% decrease in the amount of rainfall throughout the summer months. On Vancouver’s wettest days, extreme rainfall events are expected to intensify by 63%. Our snowpack  is expected to decrease by 53%, as our city’s snow will melt due to the increased temperatures. This will result in surface water flooding, sewer backups, and sewage overflow. Currently, Vancouver’s only approach to solving this issue is spending money to fix and replace the damages that are generated from this unmitigated stormwater runoff. The city of Vancouver has allocated $29.5 million towards Sewer Main replacement. The amount of runoff that is generated from our urbanized city is not only harming the environment, but the economy as well. What could possibly be a better solution than spending money to fix all of these damages runoff is creating? Green Infrastructure! By implementing green infrastructure, this issue is combated in a holistic manner. Through thoughtfully designed living roofs, swales, rain gardens, permeable paving, and rain barrels, we are able to mitigate this stormwater runoff in an effective way that supports our environment, economy, and our society.

As you can see through our model, implementing Green Infrastructure offers a solution to the issue of unmitigated storm water in Vancouver. This Green Infrastructure is engineered by landscape architects and hydrological engineers, and is able to adapt to a system specific to our regional conditions to ensure that the water runoff mimics the natural landscape of the land before our urban infrastructure ruined it. In our model under “Economic Trends,” there is an initial delay and drop in property value, which is due to a period of trial and error during the installation of Green Infrastructure. Investment in Green Infrastructure will increase, leading to the rise of property values. Moreover, in the “Environmental” section of our model, we initially see a decrease in our volume of unpolluted, drinkable groundwater. This occurs during the transition phase as Green Infrastructure is becoming implemented into our buildings and landscapes. Eventually, the amount of drinkable groundwater stabilizes and balances off. Furthermore, in our model under “Trends for Green Homes effect on UHI and Snowmelt/Snowpacks,” it is evident that as more homes are built with Green Infrastructure, the Urban Heated Island effect decreases, as the airflow is better regulated, leading to a cooler average temperature throughout the area. This allows for maintenance of our mountainous snowpacks, and thus decreasing the amount of runoff that is generated from snowmelt. Finally, our society is impacted by this solution of Green Infrastructure, as our population will be happy with the ample amount of accessible, clean drinking water that this solution provides them. Morale will increase as homes are no longer at risk of water damage due to flash floods, and environmental awareness will rise, along with motivation and drive towards creating a more sustainable and holistic lifestyle.

Systems Sustainability

Environment Sustainability Society Economy

•Wet Period Case –30 years of historical wet period on record (1974-2004)-including wettest years on record 1974-1983. –Represents the wet period case –Corresponds to wet cycle of AMO

Environment Sustainability Aquifer

Sustainability

This model incorporates several options in examining fisheries dynamics and fisheries employment. The two most important aspects are the choice between I)managing based on setting fixed quota versus setting fixed effort , and ii) using the 'scientific advice' for quota setting  versus allowing 'political influence' on quota setting (the assumption here is that you have good estimates of recruitment and stock assessments that form the basis of 'scientific advice' and then 'political influnce' that desires increased quota beyond the scientific advice).

Fishery Management Population Sustainability

Sustainability

•Dry Period Case – 25 years of historical dry period on record (1947-1973)-including drought of record (1947-1956) –Represents the dry period case –Future dry cycle includes dry cycle of AMO and overlay of IPCC climate change predictions 

Environment Sustainability Aquifer

Module 3 Assignment 8

Sustainability

Microplastic Sustainability Health Environment Marine

This model simulates the growth of carp in an aquaculture pond, both with respect to production and environmental effects.

 Carp are mainly cultivated in Asia and Europe, and contribute to the world food supply.

Aquaculture currently produces sixty million tonnes of fish and shellfish every year. In 2011, aquaculture production overtook wild fisheries for human consumption.

This paradigm shift last occurred in the Neolithic period, ten thousand years ago, when agriculture displaced hunter-gatherers as a source of human food.

Aquaculture is here to stay, and wild fish capture (fishing) will never again exceed cultivation.

Recreational fishing will remain a human activity, just as hunting still is, after ten thousand years - but it won't be a major source of food from the seas.

The best way to preserve wild fish is not to fish them.

Environment Aquaculture Finfish Sustainability

Classwork

Environmental Sustainability Classwork

HANDY Model of Societal Collapse from Ecological Economics Paper see also D Cunha's model at IM-15085

Environment Inequality Economics Sustainability Sociology

This model simulates the growth of carp in an aquaculture pond, both with respect to production and environmental effects.

Both the anabolism and fasting catabolism functions contain elements of allometry, through the m and n exponents that reduce the ration per unit body weight as the animal grows bigger.

The 'S' term provides a growth adjustment with respect to the number of fish, so implicitly adds competition (for food, oxygen, space, etc).

 Carp are mainly cultivated in Asia and Europe, and contribute to the world food supply.

Aquaculture currently produces sixty million tonnes of fish and shellfish every year. In 2011, aquaculture production overtook wild fisheries for human consumption.

This paradigm shift last occurred in the Neolithic period, ten thousand years ago, when agriculture displaced hunter-gatherers as a source of human food.

Aquaculture is here to stay, and wild fish capture (fishing) will never again exceed cultivation.

Recreational fishing will remain a human activity, just as hunting still is, after ten thousand years - but it won't be a major source of food from the seas.

The best way to preserve wild fish is not to fish them.

Environment Aquaculture Finfish Sustainability