Shari L. Boibeaux Curriculum Design in Sustainable Development. Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Engineering Lesson Plan: A Model for Future Teaching Modules. Master of Engineering Biological & Environmental Engineering Cornell University Department of Biological & Environmental Engineering Spring 2014 Table of Contents Introduction............................................................................................ 1 Lesson Overview ..................................................................................... 2 What is Industrial Ecology (IE)? ................................................................................. 2 Eco-Industrial Parks .................................................................................................... 3 Required Reading ........................................................................................................ 6 Required Videos .......................................................................................................... 7 Lesson Background Information .................................................................. 8 Riley Robb Biomass Generating Plant .......................................................................... 8 Living Machine Wastewater Plant ............................................................................... 9 Tilapia Farm And Aqua Center ................................................................................... 9 Ezra Goes Green Biotechnology Corporation ............................................................ 10 Cornell Tee Bar Manufacturing Plant ........................................................................ 10 Finn's Fish N'vegs Cafe and Education Center ........................................................... 10 Walking trails, flora, fauna, ponds ............................................................................. 10 Lesson Assignment ............................................................................... 11 Part I......................................................................................................................... 11 2 Part II ....................................................................................................................... 12 Part III ...................................................................................................................... 12 Grading Rubric ...................................................................................... 13 Discussion ............................................................................................ 18 Summary .............................................................................................. 21 Sample Completed Assignment ................................................................. 23 Shari L. Boibeaux Spring 2014 Master of Engineering Biological & Environmental Engineering Shari L. Boibeaux Curriculum Design in Sustainable Development. Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Engineering Lesson Plan: A Model for Future Teaching Modules. INTRODUCTION BEE 3299 Sustainable Development was first taught in about 1998 under the course number BEE 299 to about a dozen students. This year the course was capped at 350 students from all seven colleges with undergraduate programs. My adviser Professor Michael Walter has maintained the basic structure and vision for the course that was established by Professor Emeritus Norm Scott, he continues to update the course material and make significant modifications in the structure of the course. I resumed my graduate program by designing new curriculum for the BEE3299 course and updating existing course material for several lesson plans. I have served as a teaching assistant for the course which included chat sessions, office hours and student midterm and final design project consulting, along with grading of assignments. I am developing a teaching book for future teaching assistants as a deliverable product. Shari L. Boibeaux Curriculum Design in Sustainable Development. Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Engineering Lesson Plan: A Model for Future Teaching Modules. 1 Lesson Plan Developed by Shari L. Boibeaux LESSON OVERVIEW During the BEE3299 Sustainable Development course you’ve been introduced to concepts in Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services, Climate Change, Systems Thinking, Biodiversity, Energy Systems, Food Systems, Economic Systems and Life Cycle Assessment. These concepts are critical to the study of Industrial Ecology (IE) and Sustainable Engineering (SE). What is Industrial Ecology (IE)? Industrial Ecology is the study of material and energy flows through industrial systems. Industrial Ecology is an approach to the design of industrial products and processes that evaluates such activities through the dual perspectives of product competitiveness and environmental interactions. Industrial ecology is concerned with the shifting of industrial process from linear (open loop) systems, in which resources and capital investments move through the system to become waste, to a closed system where wastes become inputs for new processes. Sustainable engineering supports the design of industrial products and processes by taking environmental and sustainability issues into account during the life cycle of the design, to provide for future generations as well as our own. In some ways, Sustainable Engineering may be thought of as the operational arm of industrial ecology: first use the methodologies of industrial ecology, such as life cycle assessment, materials flow accounting, product and process matrix analysis to determine relevant social and environmental considerations, then use sustainable engineering methods to integrate that knowledge into process, product and infrastructure design and life cycle management. Industrial ecologists are concerned with exploring the impacts that industrial development has on environmental quality, with use of the planet’s supply of natural resources and with the problems of waste disposal in a field of research that combines aspects of sociology, the environment, economy and technology. Natural ecosystems provide a metaphor for understanding how different parts of an industrial system interact with one another. In an ecosystem, the wastes of a species may be the resource for another species. To be sustainable and in similar symbiotic fashion, the outputs of an 2 industry could be the inputs for another industry, thus reducing use of raw materials, pollution, and saving on waste treatment. Eco-Industrial Parks Eco-industrial parks, or EIPs, aim to increase business success while reducing pollution and waste by better design and mirroring natural systems," explains Ed Cohen-Rosenthal, director of the Cornell Work and Environment Initiative. "Individual enterprises can organize into complex interconnected systems where the physical design and management of systems can be realized by increasing resiliency, flexibility and resource conservation. In the end, this improves business and the environment." Eco-industrial parks are emerging as the primary arena for testing and implementing industrial ecology. Similar in some respects to standard industrial parks, eco-industrial parks are designed to allow firms to share infrastructure as a strategy for enhancing production and minimizing costs. The distinguishing feature of eco-industrial parks is their use of ecological design to foster collaboration among firms in managing environmental and energy issues. In an eco-industrial park setting, company production patterns, as well as overall park maintenance, work together to follow the principles of natural systems through cycling of resources, working within the constraints of local and global ecosystems, and optimizing energy use. Eco-industrial parks offer firms the opportunity to cooperatively enhance both economic and environmental performance through increased efficiency, waste minimization, innovation and technology development, access to new markets, strategic planning, and attraction of financing and investment. A working example of industrial ecology can be found in Kalundborg, a small industrial zone 120 km west of Copenhagen, DA. http://www.iisd.org/business/viewcasestudy.aspx?id=77 Linkages of byproducts and waste heat can be found between core participants including a large coal-fired power station, an oil refinery, a pharmaceuticals plant, a plasterboard manufacturer, and the municipality of Kalundborg, which distributes water, electricity and district heating to around 20,000 people. Over the past 20 years, several companies have developed an "industrial ecosystem" where little is wasted. Key to this is an oil refinery, which provides sulfur to a neighboring chemical plant, heat to greenhouses and cooling water to an electric power station. That station in turn feeds steam to a pharmaceutical plant, heat to fish farms and fly ash to a road builder. Leading researchers and publishers in the field, Indigo Development, defines the eco-industrial concept as follows: 3 "An eco-industrial park is a community of manufacturing and service businesses located together on a common property. Member businesses seek enhanced environmental, economic, and social performance through collaboration in managing environmental and resource issues. By working together, the community of businesses seeks a collective benefit that is greater than the sum of individual benefits each company would realize by only optimizing its individual performance. The goal of an EIP is to improve the economic performance of the participating companies while minimizing their environmental impacts. Components of this approach include green design of park infrastructure and plants; cleaner production, pollution prevention; energy efficiency; and intercompany partnering. An EIP also seeks benefits for neighboring communities to assure that the net impact of its development is positive." Indigo Development. Eco-Industrial Parks (EIP). Available at: http://www.indigodev.com/Ecoparks.html. Accessed 4-14-2014. 4 Figure 1. Kalundborg, Denmark Industrial Eco-System 5 Much of industrial ecology research focuses on the following areas: 1. Material and energy flow studies, industrial metabolism 2. Dematerialization and decarbonization 3. Technological change and the environment 4. Life-cycle planning, design, assessment 5. Eco-design 6. Product stewardship 7. Eco-industrial parks using industrial symbiosis 8. Product-oriented environmental policy 9. Eco-efficiency REQUIRED READINGS • Industrial Ecology on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_ecology • Kalundborg Denmark Study; International Institute for Sustainable Development • Cleantech Park, Singapore’s first eco-business park. (Read all of About JTC, under Real Estate Solutions read CleanTech Park, Jurong Island and Small Footprint Factories. Under Industries, read Clean Technology. Under Innovations read Sustainability Development.) • Gateway Hi-Tech Eco Industrial Park, Archway Partnership, Georgia, USA • Indigo Development 'Environmental think-tank' that has pioneered EIPS. (Read the sections at top of home page on Industrial Ecology and EIPs.) • Boy Scouts Sustainability Tree House, Summit Bechtel Reserve, West Virginia, USA • Bioindustrial Ecology - Rejeski- 2013 Journal of Industrial Ecology Vol 17 issue 1 page 2-4. 6 REQUIRED VIDEOS Yale University’s Center for Industrial Ecology. These two exciting videos are long, but you can browse through them for about 20 minutes after the introductions finish at 4:35. 1. Industrial Ecology as a Source for Competitive Advantage. Forwarding Recycled Fashion in America SustainU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-eD7ZhCXJk Responsible and innovative materials. You understand the importance of conserving our limited resources. SustainU is a pioneer in recycled fabrics, using post-industrial cottons and post-consumer polyester to make its incredibly comfortable and durable fabrics. These innovations enable SustainU to save millions of gallons of water, petroleum, agrochemicals and CO2 emissions. Business model: (a) everything must be made in America, (b) all clothing must be made from 100% recycled materials (not simply partially-recycled materials), and (c) manufactured in places where people need the work. Inspiring presentation by founder Chris Yura of SustainU. 2. Industrial Ecology as a Source of Competitive Advantage Design for Environment and Life Cycle Assessment http://vimeo.com/64180599 Important Aspects in the Mercedes-Benz Business Strategy. This is long, but has great material on LCA and Environmental Design for Industrial Ecology. 7 LESSON BACKGROUND INFORMATION Big Red Eco-Industrial Park (BREP) (Ithaca, New York) The Big Red Eco-industrial Park will be a sustainable project on Cornell grounds emerging from discussions between citizens, city officials and Cornell University, who recognize the potential of an eco-industrial park as a model of sustainable development. The vision for the Big Red Eco-Industrial Park is the synergy of Green-thinking energy, commercial, manufacturing, industrial, agricultural, biotech, and recreation partners. Big Red Eco-Industrial Partners: Riley Robb Biomass Generating Plant Living Machine Wastewater Plant Tilapia Farm And Aqua Center Ezra Goes Green Biotechnology Company Cornell Tee Bar Manufacturing Plant Finn's Fish N'Vegs Cafe and Education Center Walking trails, flora, fauna, ponds Riley Robb Biomass Generating Plant The Riley Robb Biomass Generating Plant will take an innovative step in renewable energy production with a biomass gasification project. The biomass gasification process has the potential to generate electricity more efficiently and at a lower cost by converting biofuel from partner businesses, such as Ezra Goes Green biotechnology firm and Cornell Tee Bar, wood byproducts, or other organic materials into a gaseous, energy-intensive fuel source. "Waste" heat (steam), a by-product from burning renewable bio-mass fuel technologies at the Riley Robb Plant is to be utilized by residents of the EIP. Ideal tenants are those who can then utilize the 8 low-grade heat produced at the Riley Robb Plant to complete the energy-waste-energy cycle through a symbiotic closed loop. Living Machine Wastewater Treatment Plant The Living Machine Wastewater Treatment Plant is to be located in and beside a greenhouse. Living Machine Technology blends cutting-edge science and engineering with plants and beneficial bacteria to efficiently treat and reuse wastewater, providing lasting water solutions for the BREP. Based on the principles of wetland ecology, the process cleans water, making an energy-efficient system to meet high quality reuse standards. Water enters a series of tanks, which are filled with a textile material and covered with vegetation supported on racks and aerated with bubble diffusers, providing the oxygen required for treatment. The roots of the vegetation provide ideal surfaces for attached microbial populations’ growth, while the vegetation itself serves as habitat for beneficial insects and organisms that graze on microbial biomass. A layer of light-weight expanded shale aggregate is placed on top of the racks, creating a natural bio-filter, colonized with bacteria that remove any residual odor compounds. The Living Machine utilizes living plants to complete the chemical conversion to turn liquid organic waste from the food industry into viable products such as fertilizer and fish food. Tilapia Farm and Aquaculture Center Receiving its water from the Living Machine, an aquacenter grows healthy tilapia and hydroponic plants while serving as an open classroom for the community and educational institutions. In addition to water, the Tilapia farm receives fish food composed of nutrients extracted by the Living Machine Wastewater Treatment Plant. 9 Ezra Goes Green Biotechnology Company Ezra Goes Green, a synthetic biotechnology firm utilizing blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), sun and CO2 to produce a biofuel which can be used at the Riley Robb Generating Plant (see the Bio-industrial Ecology article by David Rejeski). Cornell Tee Bar Manufacturing Plant Cornell Tee Bar manufacturing plant will produce the fabrics for Cornell tee shirts from recycled fibers and plastics. The community will donate the materials to be recycled into tees (see SustainU video). Finn's Fish n'Vegs Cafe and Education Center Finn's Fish n'Vegs cafe will be located inside a Sustainable tree house, serving locally grown organic agricultural products and tilapia from the living machine and aquacenter in the Big Red Eco Park (see the Boy Scouts tree house example). Walking Trails, Flora, Fauna, and Ponds Recreational use of the extensive grounds will be facilitated with the addition of trails for hiking and plantings of local species to support native plants and animals. 10 LESSON ASSIGNMENT Part I Prepare an approximately 1000 word document on the Big Red Eco-Park. In this document, discuss 5 of the following 10 EIP goals in individually labeled sections. When possible, discuss the interrelationships between partner firms, community and management of the BREP in the context of industrial ecology and sustainable engineering, while considering industrial goals for enhancing production and minimizing costs: (20 points) • Preservation of biodiversity • Sustainable transportation to/from/within BREP • Byproduct exchanges • Optimizing energy use with best energy practices • Water & waste treatment • Shared infrastructure (buildings, grounds) and overall park management • Greening of products manufactured by tenants • Involvement of local community • Knowledge/sharing information initiatives • Collaboration among firms in managing environmental and energy issues 11 Part II Create an image for your document that shows the BREP businesses (Riley Robb Generating Plant, Ezra Goes Green Biotechnology Plant, Cornell Tee Bar, Finn's Cafe in Tree House, and the Living Machine), within the grounds of the eco-park. Include arrows to show by-product exchanges between the BREP partners. See Readings on CleanTech Park in Singapore, Kalundborg in Denmark and Gateway Hi-Tech EIP in Georgia, USA, as examples of working Eco-Parks. (20 points) Part III Be creative and add two or more additional partners that you think would enhance the cooperative industrial ecology at the Big Red Eco-Park. Show the shared resources and community areas as you did in part II. (10 points) 12 LESSON GRADING RUBRIC Part I Students will write about 5 of 10 possible topics, in the discussion students should include interrelationships between partners, community and BREP management when relevant. Responses given in rubric below are examples that could be used. Student answers can vary. As long as they make intelligent remarks and include material from the industrial ecology and sustainable engineering lesson plan, the readings and the videos, they should get points. 4 points possible each, for the chosen 5 responses. 20 points total. Part II Drawing of the Big Red Eco-industrial Park. By-product exchange connections shown in diagram. They should be neat and legible with a good effort at showing at least some basic energy, water and fuel by-product exchanges. 20 points. Part III Two additional tenants were added to the BREP. These two partners are added the drawing, with byproduct exchanges included. 10 points. 13 a. Preservation of Biodiversity- Big Red Eco-Industrial Park should be based on the principle of low environmental impact, assured through careful planning of infrastructures, services and production cycles. Mitigation of environmental impacts of human impacts will allow ecoindustrial park companies to pursue economic development, while preventing and controlling environmental pollution. The least impact to ecosystems will contribute to sustaining the local biodiversity. Native plants and water sources can be added, to artificially restore a more natural biodiversity and ecosystem where habitat was removed during construction of companies and roads in and out of the BREP. b. Sustainable Transportation to/from/within the BREP: People’s needs and desires for access to jobs, commerce, recreation, culture and home are accommodated using a minimum of resources. Applying principles of sustainability to transportation will reduce pollution generated by gasoline-powered engines, noise, traffic congestion, land devaluation, urban sprawl, economic segregation and injury to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, the costs of commuting, shipping, housing and goods also will be reduced. Public transit will go to BREP. Within BREP, Foot traffic will be encouraged on green nature paths with outdoor furniture. Bicycle paths and locking stations will be situated in the park. Energy efficient transportation should be designed and provided across the BREP. Businesses will use more environmentally friendly shipping methods. c. Byproduct Exchanges- Eco Industrial Park participants exchange materials and energy for mutual benefit, on the basis that by-products from one business can be used as low-cost inputs by the others. There are many examples in this assignment, for example: treated wastewater from an industrial park partner like the Living Machine is used as cooling water by the power station. Meanwhile industrial park partners purchase 'waste' process steam from the power 14 station for their operations. Surplus heat from the power station is used for warming homes in the surrounding area, as well as in the local fish farm. d. Optimizing Energy Use with best energy practices: BREP partners should have a special focus on alternative energy sources of cellulosic ethanol, wind, solar power, biomass power from Riley Robb Plant, biofuels from Ezra Goe’s Green Biotechnology plant. Maximize energy efficiency through facility design or rehabilitation, co-generation (the capture and use of otherwise wasted heat from the electrical generating process), and energy cascading (the use of residual heat in liquids or steam from a primary process to provide heating or cooling to a later process: steam from a power plant, for example, is used in a district heating system); Achieve higher efficiency through inter-plant energy flows; and Use renewable sources extensively. e. Water and Waste treatment- Ensure maximum re-use and recycling of materials among BREP businesses; reduce toxic materials risks through integrated site-level waste treatment; and Link the BREP to companies in the surrounding region as consumers and generators of usable byproducts via resource exchanges and recycling networks. f. Shared Infrastructure (buildings, grounds) and overall Park Management- Green Infrastructure design and operation principles should be used. Sites should be chosen to minimize ecosystem disruption, material and energy inputs should be renewable, recycled material should be used, material and energy outputs should be as nonhazardous as possible, maintenance and refurbishment must be facilitated. Water, power, transportation, telecommunications, green buildings and societal infrastructures must be in place. g. Greening of Products and Operations by Tenant- BREP partner companies should have a special focus on the alternative energy sources of cellulosic ethanol, wind and solar power. BREP partners should institute a process of evaluating raw materials and their impact on a 15 human and environmental level, employ environmental specialists who work with manufacturers, to design green products and tend to carbon emissions and chemical recycling. Providing green products, energy efficient products and natural organic products for a healthy living environment. h. Involvement of Local Community- (EIPs) cooperate with each other and their local community to efficiently share resources (information, by-products, wastes, materials, water, energy, infrastructure, and natural habitat), leading to economic and environmental gains for the participating businesses and the surrounding community. Business derives cost savings and new revenues; shared services; reduced regulatory burden; and increased competitiveness. The community enjoys a cleaner, healthier environment; business and job development; an attraction for recruitment; and an end to conflict between the economy and the environment. Local Government receives increased tax revenues; reduced enforcement burden; reduced costs of environmental and health damage; and reduced demand on municipal infrastructure. i. Knowledge/Sharing Information initiatives- Employees and the general public can be educated about Sustainable Development at BREP where there are several knowledge/sharing information initiatives in place. The Living Machine provides an outdoor learning area. Water treatment and reuse can be seen as it occurs, to provide a clear solution to the overconsumption of freshwater today. As in a natural process, water is used and reused in diverse ways, continuously cycling through nature’s cleansing process. The Living Machine system seamlessly blends the latest in science, technology and engineering with nature’s proven processes to reuse our most valuable resource. Visitors can experientially tour the Sustainability Tree House, designed to school them on energy and water conservation using a fun installation. 16 j. Collaboration among Firms and Management in Environmental and Energy issues- BREP businesses should reduce greenhouse effects, CO2 emissions, presence of toxic elements, consumption of non-renewable resources, exploitation of natural resources, depletion of biodiversity, soil contamination, water and air pollution, noise and electromagnetic pollution. BREP Management: Standard park services, recruitment, maintenance functions. Maintain mix of companies to best use each-others' by-products; Support improvement in environmental performance for companies and park as a whole; Operate information system that supports inter-company communications, informs members of local environmental conditions, provides feedback on performance. New construction or rehabilitation of buildings- follows best environmental practices in materials selection and building technology, includes recycling or reuse of materials and consideration of lifecycle environmental implications of materials and technologies. Part II (20 points) See example below and attached PowerPoint slide of possible drawings. Part III (10points) For Graders Only Attached Files: BEE3299 EIP slide.pptx (1.486 MB) Graders, click on this PowerPoint slide as an example for the drawing required in Part II and Part III of the assignment. 17 DISCUSSION While teaching BEE3299 Sustainable Development, I was impressed by students who commented during chat sessions that this course has changed their behaviors and their lives. They wrote that they no longer think that their part doesn’t matter, if every one of us pitches in together we can really change our world. The students are more conscious of how much water they use, how much waste they produce, what kind of energy they should choose, what form of transportation they should take- preferring foot or bike when possible. We all feel better when we are doing our part as humans on this planet. I appreciate that Sustainable Development is filled with students from 7 colleges at Cornell, with majors in subjects from music, natural resources, communications, economics, food sciences, engineering, agriculture, English, architecture, biology, foreign languages, sociology and more. This course was offered at a level that could be accessed by all, but it was not at all trivial for more technical students. BEE3299 drew upon previous lessons as it progressed, I pulled information from Lessons 1 through 9 to create the lesson on Industrial Ecology & Sustainable Engineering. There were new and challenging topics each week for each student that required reading and studyingtopics about Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services, Climate Change, Systems Thinking, Biodiversity, Energy Systems, Life Cycle Analysis, Economics, Food Systems, Industrial Ecology and Ecological Footprints. It is amazing that such a broad group of students could become educated on these important topics and choose to live their lives in a more sustainable manner. This is the way the world is heading. Today I picked up a newspaper at Walter Reed Military Medical Center, to find an article on a 3-day training that was held to gain knowledge about commercial building sustainability 18 practices with a focus on energy management and efficiency. Walter Reed claims they are Building Sustainability, as a Key Goal of Training. They expect to save $500,000 per year once all corrective measures are completed. I am inspired after studying, teaching, and writing lesson plans for BEE3299 Sustainable Development. I hope to continue editing and rewriting additional lesson plans, as this becomes necessary when technology and scientific methods advance. I edited a few lesson plans as the class progressed that can be included the next time the course is taught. I thoroughly edited several grading rubrics that needed updating. More importantly, I feel like I found an area that really excites me. Sustainable development is an emerging field, and the appointment of Thomas Graedel at Yale in 1997 established the first professor of industrial ecology. Sustainable Development, Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Engineering are the fields in which I hope to earn a living. I have unbridled enthusiasm to further advancements in these fields where there is so much opportunity for a Biological and Environmental engineer with years of experience, an ability to apply knowledge of math and science to solve engineering problems, an ability to conduct experiments and analyze data, an ability to design a component to meet desired needs, an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams, an ability to communicate effectively, a broad education to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context, an understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities, a knowledge of contemporary issues, a need to engage in lifelong learning. I am a mature person who has developed leadership skills. I’m ready to work hard in this field where I can create sustainable solutions in the context of a complex natural environment and feel fulfilled. 19 SUMMARY Upon completion of my course work and design project, I feel I have gained each of the following abilities: 1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering. 2. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as as to analyze and interpret data. 3. An ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs. 4. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams. 5. An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems. 6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. 7. An ability to communicate effectively. 8. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context. 9. A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning. 10. A knowledge of contemporary issues. 11. An ability to use the techniques, skills & modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice. 12. An ability to create sustainable solutions in the context of a complex natural environment. 20 21 Cornell Tee Bar Fabric Recycling Plant energy Riley Robb BioMass Plant Finn’s Fish n’Veg Cafe Tree House Educational Center & Cafe Ezra Goes Green Biotech Center Living Machine Walking trails, flora, fauna, ponds Recycled H2O 22 Agricultural Waste energy Tilapia Farm & Aquaculture biofuel Waste H2O Fish & Vegetables