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Computational Sustainability Tools Illuminating the Triple Value Model
Citation:
Lefew, W., R. Conolly, C. Tan, S. Edwards, L. Jackson, AND R. Araujo. Computational Sustainability Tools Illuminating the Triple Value Model. Presented at Society of Toxicology CCT Meeting, May 08 - 11, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
To be presented in poster session at SOT CCT conference at EPA-RTP, May 5-11, 2012
Description:
The National Research Council (NRC) report Sustainability and the U.S. EPA recommends development of a "sustainability toolbox" to address challenges associated with implementing sustainability at the EPA. The three pillars of sustainability - industrial, social, and environmental(Fiksel et al.,2011) - together represent a complex, dynamical system having multiple feedbacks and feed forward interactions that are determinants of how the overall system behaves. In support of the NRC recommendation, we have proposed development of a systems modeling and visualization capability that will facilitate sustainability assessment. The tool will provide a user-friendly interface guiding input of the system description, including key interactions among system components across the three pillars. In this poster, we present an embodiment of this design using an example involving the distribution and supply of city water, water bottles, and their impact on the environment as a result of social choices. While this model is for illustrative purposes only, it demonstrates the sort of dynamic representations that can be useful when analyzing and discussing sustainability in the context of complex systems. This example also displays global trends, desirable regimes, and emergent behaviors in a way that technical individuals from a variety of disciplines will be able to interpret. This is an abstract or a proposed presentation and does not necessarily reflect EPA policy. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.