ENVS 238 - Exam 1
Temperature at core of the sun
15 million degrees Celsius
Distance travelled by light and heat from surface of sun to Earth
150 million km
Key to success
Partnerships
Energy from the sun
Sun gives out *electromagnetic radiation* and *sunlight* (visible light) as a part of it - Energy is created at the core of the sun due to "nuclear fusion" process - Heat arrives in the form of light, at visible wavelengths and infra-red wavelengths (not visible but feel it as heat)
Interdisicplinary
Sustainability as a practice area is considered *interdisciplinary* since solutions to problems can only be found by treating the world as a collection of *interconnected social, economic, and environmental systems*
Scientific aim of sustainability studies and research
Sustainability studies and research involve understanding the synergy among different systems and their components to solve the challenges or scarcity and variability The scientific aim is to: 1) Define problems and find practical solutions 2) Design innovative science and engineering pathways 3) Create new knowledge 4) Invent novel technologies 5) Develop predictive capabilities
Time for energy to travel from sun's core to its surface
More than 100,000 years
Global emissions by economic sector
*Electricity and Heat Production - 25%* *Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use - 24%* *Industry - 21%* *Transportation - 14%* *Other Energy - 10%* *Buildings - 6%* *Agriculture*: mostly from agriculture (cultivation of crops and livestock) and deforestation *Industry*: primarily involves fossil fuels burned on site at facilities for energy. This sector also includes emissions from chemical, metallurgical, and mineral transformation processes not associated with energy consumption and emissions from waste mgmt. activities *Transportation*: primarily involve fossil fuels burned for road, rail, air, and marine transportation. Almost all (95%) of the world's transportation energy comes from petroleum-based fuels, largely gasoline and diesel *Other Energy*: refers to all emissions from the energy sector which are not directly associated with electricity or heat production, such as fuel extraction, refining, processing, and transportation *Buildings*: emissions arise from onsite energy generation and burning fuels for heat in buildings or cooking homes
Most common and familiar systems
*FEW Nexus* - Food systems - Energy systems - Water systems All directly dependent on the natural environment for resources for basic survival *Important focus for sustainability studies: integration between the natural and built environments to provide for the growing demand for food, energy, and water
Challenges of melting permafrost
*Flooding* which poses a threat to sea level - Unearthing of several massive viruses that could be re-awakened if the permafrost that imprisons them dissolves
U.S. Navy's Planning Tool: No Regrets Actions vs. Bets
*NO REGRETS QUANDRANTS* Probability of occurrence could be low or high, but preparing for it is NOT costly. Benefits of doing something outweigh not doing anything - *Win-win* (mitigation): these actions are aimed at reducing the speed and severity of climate change. Companies tend to focus their climate efforts in the win-win quadrant, making (mostly minor) investments that reduce emissions, pay for themselves, and make the firm "look" socially responsible - *Profitabel hedging* (adaptation): very sure it will happen and prepare for it. Even if it does not, do not lose much at all. These actions are aimed at reducing the consequences of climate change *BETS QUADRANTS* Not so sure it will happen, probability of occurrence is low, but if it does happen, consequences are very sever. Preparing for it is very costly. - *Costly altruism* (mitigation): costly actions aimed at reducing speed and severity of climate change - *Strategic investment* (adaptation): costs actions aimed at adaptation to reduce the severe consequences of climate change *IMPORTANT* - Two decision options: 1) We will risk it and not take any action since its costly, or 2) We simply can't risk it so we will spend a lot of money to prevent it, and be fully prepared should it happen. But if it does not happen, we lose a lot of money - The U.S. Navy pursues initiatives in all four quadrants, realizing that it's often undesirable to pick just one. Businesses should consider doing more of the same [Upside: Prepared for everything, Downside: Very expensive to do it all]
PPM
*Parts per million*: A value that represents the part of a whole number in units of 1/1000000 (a dimensionless quantity) - One PPM is equal to 1/1000000 of the whole: 1 ppm = 1/1000000 = 0.0000001 = 1 x 10-6 - Concentration of CO2: The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere should be about 350 PPM. It passed 400 PPM - all because of our dependence on fossil fuels
Engineering: Ancient Water Management systems
*ROMAN AQUEDUCT* *PERSIAN EMPIRE*
Examples of links between water scarcity and regional unsustainability
*SYRIA* - Drought and water shortages in Syria likely contributed to the unrest in Syria *INDIA* - India too is facing regional disputes
Resilience
*Sustainability or survival over the long term requires some level of in-built resilience, and a capacity to withstand crises* - For all specifies to sustain themselves over the long term, to survive and to thrive, they have to be able to overcome many different crises, including climate change risks - For humans, one of the top risks to peace and economic security of nations is climate change, which can negatively impact many different basic critical dimensions of our lives - FEWHS
Innovations in water systems
*TERRACES* - Earthen structures that intercept runoff on moderate to steep slopes - They transform long slopes into a series of shorter slopes, reducing the rate of runoff and allowing soil particles to settle out - The resulting cleaner water is then carried off the field in a non-erosive manner *RAISED FARMING* - Third technique used by the ancient Mayans - Swamps were converted into plots of land surrounded by water connections where fish swim and provide fertilizer from the droppings *DRIP IRRIGATION* *VERTICAL FARMS*
Silos
*Working across silos* is important for successful project execution. Everyone's contribution, input and opinion, and experiences in any field, can be highly valuable and important, depending on the needs of the project
U.S. Greenhouse gas emissions in 2016 (Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere)
- *Carbon dioxide: 81%* - *Methane: 10%* - *Nitrous Oxide: 6%* - *Fluorinated Gases: 3%* (Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Fluorinated Gases are emitted in smaller quantities, but because they are potent greenhouse gases, they are sometimes referred to as High Global Warming Potential gases - High GWP gasses)
Concepts around which sustainability evolves
- *Kindness*: empathy for the coming generations and needs of others - *Smart and strong*: "still standing" and "resilience through adaptation" - *Clean*: mitigation and elimination of harmful ideas and actions - *Social justice*: equity of water, food, health and shelter for all *Save the earth,* surround yourself with beauty and nature
Impact of climate change on U.S. Navy's services Climate change as a global threat multiplier is decreasing the Navy's capacity to deliver services
- As sea levels rise and weather patterns become more severe, the risk of damage to the domestic and global network of bases and ports on which it depends to maintain fleet readiness will also increase --> climate change may impair the capacity of the navy to deliver its services *Solution:* Navy must book resilience of: 1) its infrastructure 2) its supply chains that provide critical energy and material support to its bases and fleet
Problems anticipated: acquisition & supply chain
- Changing operational parameters for current and planned weapons and equipment - Reduced availability of or access to the materials, resources, and industrial infrastructure needed to manufacture the Department's weapon systems and supplies - Interrupted shipment - Alterations in storage - Reduced or changed availability and access to food and water sources to support personnel
Water stress in the U.S., China, and India
- China and India together have close to a third of the world's population - These global economic superpowers face water risks of their own - High water stress in all three countries are projected to remain roughly constant through 2040
Businesses must plan based on the same manifestations of climate change for which the Department of Defense is planning. In designing solutions, businesses need to:
- Consider what sorts of products and services will be more valuable, or less, in a climate-altered world - Must identify the new geographic scope over which they can or must be active - Design and operate the information and control systems that will allow them to integrate the new imperatives with the old - Understand the demands that climate change will impose on their ability to lead the men and women in their organizations
Three dimensions of sustainability
- Economic sustainability - Social sustainability - Environmental sustainability
Elimination, Mitigation, and Adaptation
- Elimination: remove all root causes - Mitigation: reduce root causes - Adaptation: accept the current state and prepare for the worst Taking responsibility for non-sustainable behavior involves all three to deal with climate change and other issues
Linking greenhouse gas effects to global warming to climate change risks
- Excessive global warming is happening because there are more greenhouse gas molecules like CO2 than ever before that are trapping more heat in the atmosphere close to the surface of the earth than ever before --> The atmosphere is clogged with gases that retain heat *Natural greenhouse effect is out of balance since human activity has substantially increased CO2 and other "heat retaining gases" or "greenhouse gases" ratios in the atmosphere, and the average surface temperate of the earth has increased, causing the entire globe to warm up and causing the climate to change*
Examples of on sustainable planning of cities (cities cannot handle flooding)
- Flooded stadiums in *China* - Flooding from tropical rains in *Mumbai* - Hurricane Sandy and *New York*
Water stress in desert civilizations
- Ground water depletion was being overused in desert civilizations which eventually led to their demise (Question: was the problem lack of engineering skills or lack of resource management skills? - Current example: Libya
Link between unsustainable human behavior and climate change
- Humans are increasingly influencing the climate and the earth's temperature by burning fossil fuels, cutting down rainforests and farming livestock. This adds enormous amounts of greenhouse gases to those naturally occurring in the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect and global warming - Many systems and activities in the dependent built environments - energy systems, transportation systems, manufacturing systems, telecommunication systems, etc. - not only use excessive natural resources, they are also responsible for air, water, and land pollution, making the earth unsustainable for future generations
Understanding climate change effects and risks
- Impact on coastal areas - Droughts: Surface temperates of oceans have gone up and changed weather patterns - California forests: Beetles killing trees due to drought and drying trees - Colorado forest fires
Water stress by country vs. Predicted water stress by country
- Increased demand from people, farms, and companies - Combined effects of rising temperature in critical regions and shifting precipitation patterns
Problems anticipated: built & natural infrastructure
- Increased inundation, erosion, and flooding damage - Changing building heating and cooling demand - Disruption to and competition for reliable energy and freshwater supplies - Damage from thawing permafrost and sea ice in Alaska and the Arctic region - Increased ecosystem, wetland, sensitive species, and non-native invasive species management challenges - Increased maintenance requirements for runways on roads to remain operable during extreme hot days - Changed disease vector distribution, increasing complexity and cost of ongoing disease management efforts
Global risks of highest concern (2016) Short term: next 18 months
- Large-scale involuntary migration - State collapse or crisis - Interstate conflict - Unemployment or underemployment - Failure of national governance
Other facts about U.S. Navy
- Operates on the front lines of climate change - Manages tens of billions of dollars of assets on every continent and on every ocean - Assets are in the form of ships, submarines, aircraft, naval bases, and the technology that links everything together - Takes many years to design and build assets that have decades of useful life
17 Sustainable Development Goals
- Part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit on September 25th, 2015 - Involved 193 member states - A collection of *17 broad goals* that are interrelated and a total of *169 targets/subtotals* *1. No Poverty* *2. Zero Hunger* *3. Good Health and Well-Being* *4. Quality Education* *5. Gender equality* 6. Clean Water and Sanitation 7. Affordable and clean energy 8. Decent work and economic growth 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure 10. Reduced Inequalities 11. Sustainable cities and communities 12. Responsible consumption and production 13. Climate action 14. Life Below water 15. Life on Land 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions 17. Partnerships for the goals
Three different sectors practicing sustainability
- Public - Private - Social
How do you reduce the rate of warming?
- Reduce the rate of warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions - Reduce our dependency on fossil fuels *Action plan*: Reduce the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted that are responsible for the warming of the atmosphere which in turn will reduce the heat retained by the atmosphere
How does a greenhouse stay warm?
- The sun radiates energy, sunlight shines in, warms the air inside, and keeps the plants warm - The energy from the sun is absorbed, then radiated back by the ground as heat energy - This heat energy is trapped inside the greenhouse. During the daylight hours, it gets warmer and warmer inside a greenhouse, and it stays pretty warm at night as well
Global risks of highest concern (2016) Long term: next 10 years
- Water crises - Failure of climate-change mitigation and adaption - Extreme weather events - Food crises - Profound social instability
Water cycle (recycling of water)
- Water falls from atmosphere as snow, hail, or rain onto land & ocean - Sun's heat provides energy to evaporate water from Earth's surface water (oceans, lakes, etc.) [Plants also lose water to the air in a process called transpiration] - Water vapor eventually condenses, forming tiny droplets in clouds - When the clouds meet cool air, precipitation in the form or rain, sleet, or snow is triggered and water returns to the land or sea [Some precipitation soaks into the ground, some of the underground water is trapped between rock or layers - this is called groundwater, but most of the water flows downhill as runoff, eventually returning to the sea]
Facts about water
- Water is the most important resource on Earth - Everything humans do involves water & we use a lot of it - 71% of our planet is covered by water - People can't see most of it because it is seawater, frozen at the poles, or deep underground - Fixed amount of water on Earth and in its atmosphere - More than 99% of Earth's water is unusable by humans and many other living things - 700,000 million people do not have access to enough clean water. In 10 years, the number is expected to explode to 1.8 billion - Water issues are also women's and girls' issues - Matt Damon & WaterEquity: "Charity alone cannot match the scale of the crisis"
Top 10 greenhouse gas emitters
1) *China* 2) *United States* 3) *European Union* 4) *India* 5) Russian Federation 6) Indonesia 7) Brazil 8) Japan 9) Canada 10) Mexico
Two types of water scarcity
1) *Economic scarcity*: clean and safe water is expensive, and time-consuming to obtain 2) *Physical scarcity*: even if there is money to buy it, there isn't enough water for all as supplies are limited
7 Factors and solutions that contribute to water security include
1) Bio/Physical, Chemical 2) Technological and Scientific 3) Infrastructural 4) Institutional 5) Political 6) Social 7) Financial
Two problems that navy needs to address both simultaneously
1) Climate change is expected to *increase the demand for the navy's military and humanitarian services* (strategic planning necessary to cover increased risk) 2) Climate change *may impair the capacity of the navy to deliver its services* (expect hurdles in plan execution; so strategically plan for more resiliency)
Water security risk (Root causes can be found in 4 factors that include)
1) Demand 2) Supply 3) Infrastructure 4) Governance
Other examples of complications encountered by the Navy
1) Flash flooding and mudslides in Hawaii, home to the Navy's Pacific Fleet 2) Intensified droughts in California, where the navy has more than $40 billion in assets
Rising temperatures are leading to:
1) Higher sea levels 2) Changing precipitation patterns 3) Heavier downpours 4) Droughts 5) More frequent and severe extreme weather events
Lessons from the military for different organizations
1) Motivating and leading others 2) Defining strategic goals 3) Coordinating individuals' activities to accomplish collective objectives 4) Setting priorities and managing trade-offs 5) Creating resilient organizations in the face of change
Stress factors in FEW systems (Tension or pressure created from demanding circumstances)
1) Population increases 2) Urbanization 3) Land use change 4) Climate variability 5) Resource distribution
7 Uniformed services
1) United States Army 2) United States Marine Corps 3) United States Navy 4) United States Air Force 5) United States Coast Guard 6) United States Public Health Services Commissioned Corp 7) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commission Officer Corps
Water crises around the world in regions are mainly due to 5 reasons
1) Unmet subsistence needs 2) Groundwater depletion 3) Ecological destruction 4) Drought-driven conflicts 5) Inequitable resource allocation to elite groups
Time for energy in form of light and heat to travel from surface of sun to Earth
8 minutes 20 seconds or exactly 500 seconds
Estimate of global water distribution: Ocean, Seas & Bays
96.54%
World Economic Forum
A Swiss nonprofit organization (recognized as an international body), which holds yearly meetings at the end of January in Davos, bringing together some 2,5000 top business leader, international political leaders, economists, and journalists for up to 4 days to discuss most pressing issues facing the world - *Mission*: "Committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas
Desalination
A complicated process involving the removal of dissolved salts from water to produce freshwater for domestic or municipal purposes from seawater or brackish water - Also called "desalinization" and "desalting" - Ex. Israel and Saudi Arabia
Electromagnetic radiation
A form of energy that is all around us and takes many forms, such as radio waves, microwaves, X-rays, and gamma rays. Sunlight is also a form of EM energy, but visible light is only a small portion of the EM spectrum, which contains a broad range of electromagnetic wavelengths - The spectrum of radiation received one earth from the sun includes infrared, visible and ultraviolet radiation *- Once in Earth's atmosphere, clouds and the surface absorb the solar energy. The ground heats up and re-emits energy as long wave radiation in the form of invisible infrared rays or heat energy*
What is a greenhouse?
A house made of glass - it has glass walls and a glass roof - People grow fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other plants in them, because greenhouse stays warm inside (even at night and during winter)
Department of Defense predictions for mid-century world
Admirals in the Department of Defense knows that the mid-century world is likely to be: *1) Warmer than today's world* *2) With higher sea levels* *3) New precipitation patterns* and *4) More frequent and severe extreme weather events* which will imperil and destabilize many regions domestically and abroad
The Paris Agreement
Also known as the Paris Climate Accord or Paris Climate Agreement, it i an agreement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions: *Mitigation, Adaptation, and Finance* starting in year 2020 - *$100 billion* has been committed to financing such climate action in developing countries, creating new opportunities for sustainable innovation, and collaboration - 195 members had signed the agreement, 154 had ratified it. The Paris Agreement has united 195 countries in a binding agreement to *limit global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius*
Climate change and its effect on Alaska
Although there is currently no naval base in Alaska, several thousand sailors are attached to various units in the state. In Alaska, the DoD is being forced to rebuild and relocate roads, buildings, and airfields as the permafrost mets, and it might eventually have to relocate some of its bases
Understanding global warming
Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases act like a blanket, absorbing heat emitted by the art and preventing it from escaping into outer space. The net effect is the heating of earth's atmosphere and surface or warming of the globe *Warming of the earth/globe by greenhouse gasses is not new, nor is it necessarily bad for us. The important point is that 16 of the 17 warmest years in the 136-year record all have occurred since 2001*
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of certain chemical reactions (e.g. manufacture of cement). Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (or "sequestered") when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle
Increased flooding at naval facilities at *Norfolk, Virginia*
Climate change complicates the navy's ability to delivery its services, and will affect the military's built and natural infrastructure and its supply chain operations - Sea levels are rising at the Norfolk base an inch every six years - more than double the global average rate - Tidal flooding is expected to increase and low-lying areas could be underwater 10% of the time
Impact of climate change on U.S. Navy's services Climate change as a global threat multiplier is increasing the demand for Navy's services
Climate change is expected: 1) To increase demand for navy's military and humanitarian services 2) To alter the mix and frequency of demand for navy's various services 3) To expand the geographic scope of the navy's mission to: (a) drought-prone regions experiencing heightened disputes over water rights, (b) coastal areas facing mass migration, (c) the Arctic where melting sea ice clears the way for new shipping lanes and mineral extraction is increasing, leading to new opportunities for conflict
Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)
Commits world leaders to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women
United Nations
Consists of *193 sovereign states* and have equal representation in the UN General Assembly
Sustainable development
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (from published report "Our Common Future") Two key concepts: - Be realistic about ALL people's needs *The concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given* - Do not be greedy (since resources are limited and population will grow from 7 to 9 billion) *The idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs*
Water scarcity
Either the lack of enough water (quantity) or lack of access to safe water (quality)
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste
Methane (CH4)
Emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emission also result from livestock and other agricultural practices and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills
Fluorinated gases
Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that are emitted from a variety of industrial processes. Fluorinated gases are sometimes used as substitutes for stratospheric ozone-depleting substances
Conceptualizing systems and finding solutions by understanding processes
In the inter-disciplinary field of sustainable development, systems are broad conceptualizations. The incorporate various processes: 1) Natural geological, biological, physical and chemical processes 2) Physical processess 3) Production/business processes 4) Social/behavioral, political, civic and legal processes 5) IT/Cyber-components
Civic innovation
Innovation for the "greater good" that helps everyone in a community
Examples of complications encountered by international bases
International bases are also likely to be severely affected by storm surges and higher sea levels: 1) *Yokosuka base in Tokyo Bay*, which serves as headquarters of the Seventh Fleet 2) *The Diego Garcia facility in the Indian Ocean*, which serves as a critical logistics hub for operations in the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Southern Europe
The Global Seed Vault (Doomsday Vault)
Melting permafrost also poses a threat to facilities in the Arctic Circle like "The Global Seed Vault," which stores seeds for every known crop on the planet. Melted ice water recently flooded the vault, but ultimately the water was kept away from the seeds
Two main types of environments
NATURAL VS. BUILT *Natural environment = independent* (if we leave it alone, it will survive without us) - Ecological sustainability *Built environment = dependent* (we have to manage it; cannot survive without constant management - Corporate environment: enterprise/company/corporate/business sustainability - Rural & urban environment: small towns, large cities infrastructure - Universities , schools, think tanks: educational/academic/institutional sustainability - Civic/gov't environment
Freshwater scarcity
One of the century's most pressing challenges. According to Stanford's Global Freshwater Initiative Studies, water system crises are typically derived from: (1) *unsustainability* - a decline in water stock or ecosystem function that could result in a long-term steep decline in future human wellbeing; (2) *vulnerability* - high variability in water resource availability combined with inadequate coping capacity, leading to temporary drops in human wellbeing (3) *chronic scarcity* - persistent inadequate access and hence low conditions of human wellbeing
Sustainability and FEWHS Nexus
Overcoming climate change risks means sustaining and surviving over a long period of time, individually and as a species - becoming strong and resilient, taking care of the earth's resources for us and for future generations; using resources like food, water, and energy carefully, leaving enough for all - taking care of the natural and the built environments Goals as global citizens: - *Eliminating food insecurity* - *Eliminating energy insecurity* - *Eliminating water insecurity* - *Eliminating health insecurity* - *Eliminating shelter insecurity*
Permafrost
Permafrost is a combination of ice, soil, plants, and other materials that stays frozen all year round, even as layers on the very top thaw out seasonally. The U.S. Geological Survey compared it to a "stone" that soaks up carbon and nutrients - Burried underground in much of Alaska is a layer of soil that stays frozen all the time, called permafrost. Near the Arctic Circle, over cold winters, the ground is frozen sometimes as deep as 2,000 feet. The short summer sun typically can't warm the earth deep enough to reach that frozen ground *until recently*
What is the greenhouse effect?
Simply a natural phenomenon in which greenhouse gas molecules like CO2 and water vapor act like a blanket around the earth and trap the heat that radiates from earth back to space. The trapped heat keeps the atmosphere close to the earth's surface warm, and allowing life to thrive on Earth --> It causes warming of the globe *- The right amount of warming is good for us and is important for our survival on earth and for life on earth to exist*
Navy's coastal infrastructure and supply chains
The Navy's coastal infrastructure and the supply chains are the most vulnerable: - They furnish energy and materials to its bases and fleet, all of which are essential to mission readiness - Most of the navy's land-based assets - shipyards, bases, and other installations - are on seacoasts - Its 111,000 buildings and structures on bases and other installations, located on 2.2. million acres around the world, would cost $220 billion to replace
Strategic planning by U.S. Navy
The Navy: 1) Needs to understand now what sorts of missions it may be required to perform in 10, 20, or 30 years 2) Needs to understand now what assets and infrastructure it will need to carry out those missions 3) Needs to plan now for a different world than today - a world that will exist at that point in time 4) Needs to create different "what-if" scenarios for different conditions
Tujunga Project
The Tujunga aquifer provides a local source of water for Los Angeles. An expansion of a major aquifer recharge facility in the LA area has added momentum to California's move toward sustainable water supplies Tujunga project is intended to: - Increase city's local water supply - Reduce its dependence on imported water - Help city of LA meet its "sustainable city" goal - Will increase storm water capture 150,000 acre-feet per year by 2035
U.S. Navy
The U.S. Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the U.S. Armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States
Water security
The capacity of a population to *safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water* for sustaining livelihoods human well-being and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability Water security is the gossamer that links together the web of: 1) food 2) energy 3) climate 4) economic growth 5) human security challenges that the work economy faces over the next two decades (Gossamer: a fine, filmy substance consisting of cobwebs spun by small spiders, which is seen especially in autumn) Water security involves: 1) sustainable use and protection of water systems 2) the protection against water related hazards (floods and droughts) 3) sustainable development of water resources 4) safeguarding of (access to) water functions 5) services for humans and the environment
Goal of sustainability
The goal of sustainability is the *satisfaction of basic and social economic needs*, both present and future, and the *responsible use of natural resources, all while maintaining or improving the well-being of the natural environment* on which all life depends
Basilica Cistern
The largest underground water storage - several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Instabul, Turkey
The Quadrennial Defense Review (2014)
The pressures caused by climate change will influence resource competition while placing additional burdens on economies, societies, and governance institutions around the world. These effects are threat multipliers that will aggravate stressors abroad such as poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions - conditions that can enable terrorists activity and other forms of violence - *Stressors are stimuli or conditions* that elicit or extract or cause a response (ex.: poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions) - *The response is called as "stress" or "strain" or pressure (ex. terrorist activity or other violence) - Climate change is considered a threat multiplier* which means that it may intensify other threats to national security by aggravating stressors *Simply put: Stressors cause stress. Threat multipliers make the situation worse*
What has changed in the last 100 or so years that this issue of global warming has become important?
The rate at which the average temperate of the earth is increasing *The rate of global warming is the real issue*
Water stress in the Middle East
The region, already arguably the *least water-secure in the world*, draws heavily upon groundwater and desalinated sea water, and faces exceptional water-related challenges for the foreseeable future. *Water stress should not be ignored, since it affects innocent people most at the lowest end of the economic scale impacting migration patterns and political stability and resource management of nations* - 14 of the 33 likely most water stressed countries in 2040 are in the Middle East - *9 countries are considered extremely highly stressed with a score of 5.0 out of 5.0: Bahrain, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Lebanon*
Economic sustainability
To *design businesses* such that they do not destroy the natural environment in the pursuit of profit, and provide *equitable opportunities* for all
Environmental sustainability
To *make sure that the natural environment can bear the burden of increasing demands*, now and in the future, globally and locally, from both society and businesses
Social sustainability
To *use and protect environmental resources* while *engaging in viable commerce* for our livelihoods, and not overuse natural resources to satisfy our needs
Systems thinking
To find practical solutions, it is important to incorporate *"systems thinking,"* which means *understanding the larger picture and the "interconnectedness"* of the various components of every system, natural or man-made
Objectives of the U.S. Navy
U.S. Navy's fundamental objectives are to maintain, train, and equip combat-ready Naval forces which are capable of: 1) Deterring aggression 2) Winning wars 3) Maintaining freedom of the seas
Storm surge
Water from the ocean that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the wind sailing around the hurricane. This advancing surge combines with normal tides and can increase the water level by 30 feet or more
Watershed
Water travels over land through watersheds. Wherever we are on Earth, unless we are in the ocean, we are in a watershed - even in a desert A watershed is the land area from which surface runoff drains into a stream channel, lake, ocean, or other body of water - Both surface and (under) ground water flow to the lowest elevation in its watershed
