CIVL401 Introduction to Capstone Project. Introduction to sustainability: Environmental, Economical and Social Impacts

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1 CIVL401 Introduction to Capstone Project Introduction to Sustainability Environmental, Economical and Social Impacts By Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murude Celikag What is Sustainability Do we need to intervene to protect the environment? reduce the social cost? reduce the vulnerability from human society? Sustainability is the discussion of how to make human life safer with economic systems lasting longer and having less impact on ecological systems. 1

2 Other Definitions for Sustainability The ability to maintain balance of a certain process or state in any system An investment in a system of human living Capability of being maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage Being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged Sustainability is related to the quality of life in a community whether the economic, social and environmental systems that make up the community are providing a healthy, productive and meaningful life for all community residents, present and future Other Definitions for Sustainability The definition of sustainability by the Brundtland Commission is to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs 2

3 Introduction Industrial revolution progressed in early 20 th century There was an increase in the human consumption of resources There was a need to look closely into the matter of Ecology. In 1930s economists began the development of a non renewable resources management model (Hotelling s rule) sustainability of economic prosperity in non renewable sources. The initial investigation on sustainability was aimed at approving Ecology as a general scientific discipline. Many vital concepts were discovered by scientists during these investigations. These concepts included: the inter connectedness of all living systems in a single living planetary system, The biosphere the importance of natural cycles (water, nutrients and other chemicals, materials, waste) the passage of energy through tropical levels of living systems. 3

4 What is Ecology Ecology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. Ecology is also the study of ecosystems. Ecosystems describe the web or network of relations among organisms at different scales of organization. People and buildings are as intrinsically infused with nature as bees and their hives are with honey. Unfortunately the effects of our building industry are far less sweet. Unlike bees, whose produce is nourishing, the process of constructing and operating buildings often creates environmental outcomes that are not. Due to the non ecological structure of the building industry and the historical lack of environmental awareness of many building professionals, the way buildings, built environments and the process of building have been created, has played a major role in the decline in Earth s ecological health [1]. [1] Building Ecology, First Principles For A Sustainable Built Environment by Peter Graham 4

5 Ecosystems are life supporting systems [1]. Building that can be sustained by ecosystems is urgently required. The intention of this presentation is to provide a way of extending the understanding of building from mere regard for the structure and material to include all of the natural systems with which all building is interdependent [1] Building Ecology, First Principles For A Sustainable Built Environment by Peter Graham It also extends the concept of the building professional from one who helps make a structure to one who builds a system of relationships between ecosystems and human systems. In essence, this presentation is aimed at introducing building professional to a systems approach to thinking about building for people new to the field of ecologically sustainable building. Building Ecology, First Principles For A Sustainable Built Environment by Peter Graham 5

6 A Brief History After the World War II and the great depression in 1950s caused an Environmental movement in the developed world. It was stated that there were environmental costs associated with the many material benefits that were now being enjoyed. During the energy crises in 1973 and 1979, environmental problems grew into a global scale. Dependency on a nonrenewable resource focused attention on the sustainable development in the global community At the same time President Carter called on Americans to Conserve energy, Eliminate waste. To live sustainably, the Earth's resources must be used at a rate at which they can be replenished. 6

7 The population growth and individual consumption both being more than doubled since 1960s. This made people to realize the importance of recycling and using renewable energy. In 1980's and 90's construction of the first large scale solar and wind power plants took place This followed by increase in public awareness of sustainability issues, implementation of small scale sustainability projects from local and state governments in developing countries. Since the 1980s the idea of human sustainability has become increasingly associated with the integration of economic, social and environmental spheres. In recent years the word sustainability has been associated to how long human ecological systems can be expected to be usefully productive. 7

8 In the past human societies have died out, sometimes as a result of their own growth and its associated impacts on ecological support systems. Modern industrial society, which continues to grow in an intricately huge scale, in part reflects this issue. The suggested preference would be for systems to be productive indefinitely which is to be sustainable. Coconino Community College Arizona State stated that sustainable development would be the development of environmentally friendly, economic and safe systems that last indefinitely. A part of this statement relates to sustainability of natural ecosystems life cycles and described as other than mankind. But the greatest emphasis has been on human life and manmade problems, such as climate change, or the progressive depletion of fossil fuel reserves by humans. 8

9 Sustainability includes environmental economic social concerns for achieving a long lasting development of the society. Sustainability of Construction comprises the major health and environmental aspects related to the life cycles of all types of buildings. A building life cycle includes Production Use and deconstruction The underlying activities Material and energy flows All generate an inevitable influence on the planet good and bad. 9

10 Most environmental and economic issues can be affected by the choices made by you and your colleagues working within the construction processes. The social concerns are here mainly left to the politicians, planners and architects. The construction sector is a core economy in many countries which employs about 7% of the Europeans and comprises annual businesses of more than 1000 billion in Europe, answering to almost 10% of GDP. Construction means welfare, security for individuals and businesses, growth, investments for the future. The use of the buildings and all construction related activities generate more than 40% of all CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions use about 40% of the produced energy consume more than 40% of the material resources used in the society 10

11 These estimations might differ slightly among European countries. The global governmental intention, except the US, is to reduce the CO2 emissions by an average 5% over the next 5 years some experts claim that the reduction must be 50% over 50 years in order to avoid large scale climate changes. Operational Energy: is the usage of energy during the building s service state. It is one of the most important sustainability issues for the construction sector. Energy primarily affects the environment due to the production and distribution of electricity and water for heating and cooling. The thermal performance and overall energy efficiency have an effect on the economical and environmental performance of the building and thereby it s competitiveness. Basic criteria for thermal performance and indoor air quality are set in National Building Regulations. 11

12 Construction need much material input, both virgin resources and recycled material. Materials primarily affect the environment through the refining processes from raw materials to building components and also by transports. Virgin natural resources are not infinite and recycling leads, in most cases, to improved environmental performance. The construction sector generates huge amounts of waste (>1100 kg per capita annually in EU25) and the demands on improved recycling are increasing. Therefore, in many countries the sustainability focus is on recyclability. Sustainable construction can in many cases be achieved by knowing before doing. By life time thinking, efficient use of durable and recyclable materials and by careful construction using the best suitable components as intended sustainability improvements can be reached. 12

13 THE INTERACTION OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDING ON SOCIETY, ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMY OF NORTH CYPRUS Extracted from the publication of Afsharghotli, A and Celikag, M, The Interaction Of Sustainable Buılding On Society, Environment And Economy Of North Cyprus, International Symposium Steel Structures: Culture & Sustainability 2010, September 2010, Istanbul, Turkey The Interaction Of Sustainable Buılding On Society, Environment And Economy Of North Cyprus Introduction Sustainable buildings will contribute towards achieving; the reduction of global warming causes and the dangerous environmental impacts stability of economic growth fluctuations positive impact on economy, environment and social safety through recyclability of structural materials. more efficient use of resources increase in prosperity in a reasonable and more balanced way across the globe. 13

14 The Interaction Of Sustainable Buılding On Society, Environment And Economy Of North Cyprus Introduction Building Construction Market one of the most important driving force for North Cyprus economy Construction Boom in North Cyprus which lead to Excessive use of natural resources Increase in construction waste Dust pollution Increase in the prosperity of people Positive impact on the countries economy 14

15 The Interaction Of Sustainable Buılding On Society, Environment And Economy Of North Cyprus North Cyprus Area = 3354 km 2, Official population = 300,000 7 % annual average growth rate is projected for the next three years as a result of public sector reform, social security reform and similar transformation projects. The environmental, economical and social fundamentals are currently facing with numerous hazards as summarized below. Demolition generated from construction related activities Most of the building materials are not recycled, become the land fill materials. Methods of electricity generation and its limitations. Levels of dangerous gases (SO 2,CO,NO 2 ) in urban areas % Population growth rate 0.031% from 1996 to This is not sustainable and it is expected to gradually decrease in the long run. The municipal waste generation is approximately 400 kg per capita perday. The Interaction Of Sustainable Buılding On Society, Environment And Economy Of North Cyprus North Cyprus Overall waste generation in Northern part of Cyprus (kg per capita) (Master Plan on Solid Waste Management in the Turkish Cypriot Community). Waste generation type Average generation of waste kg /capita per year Percentage generation of waste Household waste Commercial waste Municipal waste Construction/demolition Green waste Industrial waste Total 1,

16 The Interaction Of Sustainable Buılding On Society, Environment And Economy Of North Cyprus Impacts of Building Construction Majority of Buildings in North Cyprus have RC frames. They use large amounts of materials from virgin sources. Initially, raw materials affect the environment through transportation and the refining processes until they become building components. Virgin natural resources are limited and recycling is one of the options to enhance environmental performance in many cases. Sustainability of building construction is faced with the major health and environmental aspects relating to the life cycles of all types of buildings. Therefore, almost everybody gets involved in major factors of sustainable development within their life. The Interaction Of Sustainable Buılding On Society, Environment And Economy Of North Cyprus Impacts of Building Construction (continued) 1. Economy: Statistical Information by European Construction Industry Federation disclosed that 1000 billion invested into construction activity in Health and safety: Any continuous activity to reduce risks, hazards and unsafe developments should be implemented in human spaces occupied, especially in buildings. Safety with regard to hazards can constitute a significant liability for property owners and developers. 3. Sick building syndrome: Poor quality living space is responsible for health problems and this has been recognized by the World Health Organization (W.H.O) for some 15 years. WHO estimates that worldwide, 30 percent of offices, hotels, institutions and industrial premises have the syndrome 16

17 The Interaction Of Sustainable Buılding On Society, Environment And Economy Of North Cyprus Impacts of Building Construction (continued) 4. Environment: The construction and operation of buildings utilize 40 % of the total produced energy, more than 40 % of material resources 16% of total water withdrawals and at the end generate more than 40 % of all CO 2 emission. Correspondingly construction activity impacts heavily on the landscape, toxic runoff into water courses, cause of air pollution, loss of forests and agricultural land as well. 17

18 The Interaction Of Sustainable Buılding On Society, Environment And Economy Of North Cyprus Definition of Sustainable Building Investigation regarding sustainable development in building profession leads to the following four phases and their specific subsection. Buildings that satisfy most of these four areas and their sub sections are named as sustainable buildings. 1. Sustainable design to express the limitation of our natural resources, energy consumption, material selection and environmental impacts. 2. Sustainable construction for increased efficiency concerning time, cost, material and resources through the material properties. 3. Sustainable utilization is the third phase which covers the design of buildings for long life, minimum of operational burdens and environmental impacts. 4. Sustainable end of life. Principally this involves minimizing pollution and waste and ensuring that materials are recovered, reused and recycled. 18