The whole system design paradigm

Whole system design incorporates sustainable design – design and development of systems to achieve: Consume natural resources within capacity for them to be regenerated Do not release/produce hazardous/polluting substances Avoid contributing to irreversible impacts on ecosystem Provide useful and socially acceptable benefits long term Cost-effective and produce reasonable rate of Continue Reading

Importance for sustainability 

There is a good quote from the EPA website which can be accessed directly from here http://www.epa.org/sustainability/basic info.htm Sustainability – issue of concerns about social, environmental and economic consequences of rapid population growth, economic growth and resulting consumption of natural resources. Growth has been spurred by reductionist approach to development Continue Reading

Systems are important 

The events reported on daily are parts of larger trends which are indicators of underlaying system structures. With that in mind, we are then able to manage, and live within, a world full of complex systems. Systems & sustainability A systems view becomes more important as we produce viable ways Continue Reading

Systems Introduction 

Two approaches to systems understanding are: Reductionist- breaking problems into smaller pieces, and Holistic – the idea that the whole is more than merely the sum of its parts Systems thinking Process of understanding systems requires us to think in a systems manner Ability to think in terms of whole Continue Reading