501
Possible computational approaches and challenges for taking this analysis from the
product (micro-) scale to the city (meso-) scale are illustrated in Sect. 16.5.
An important distinction should be noted about energy usage as a sustainability
criterion. While it is typical to consider energy as the element being optimized in
efficiency models, it is often the energy byproduct (such as air and wastewater emissions including lead and mercury) that is the most critical to control for the safety
and health of a community. Due to the non-linear relationship between energy consumption and emissions, there is no assurance that limitations on energy consumption afford specific reductions in energy emissions. The actual source of electricity
(fossil fuel or nuclear or renewable resource) being consumed at any time and location in producing a product is not transparent to the consumer—even if the number
of kilowatt-hours of energy associated with the production of a consumer good is
known—such that even those products requiring lower energy to produce may have
greater negative environmental impact if produced using polluting technologies.
New data analytics technologies are bringing such transparencies to the market, as
discussed further in Chap. 22, making SSCM increasingly practicable.
An important consideration in SSCM is the need for democratic decisionmaking, which requires transparent and accessible communication of technical
information to elected officials, civil society groups, the public, and the development of governance approaches that include collaboration between experts and
ordinary citizens.
18.3.3 Approaches to Sustainable FEW Supply in Cities
Given the variety in geographical location, age, population, and socio-economic
development of cities, the demands for FEW supplies in different cities vary dramatically. To meet various demands, different FEW supply approaches are necessary. In this section, different types of FEW supplies will be discussed: centralized
versus decentralized/local systems, and separated versus integrated systems.
18.3.3.1 Centralized Versus Decentralized FEW Supply Systems
Characterized by a profound process of industrialization and globalization, today,
FEW supplies are primarily provided through centralized systems, especially in
developed markets, such as industrial agriculture, centralized animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and large water treatment and energy generation facilities (heavy
infrastructure). While on an individual facility level, centralization results in intensification and specialization of production and may result in more efficient operations, the reliance of centralized systems on uniform industrially produced external
inputs and nonrenewable resources, and the related social and environmental costs
of resource extraction and industrial production and distribution, raise questions
about the sustainability of centralized systems (heavy footprint).
18 Cities at the Nexus
Possible computational approaches and challenges for taking this analysis from the
product (micro-) scale to the city (meso-) scale are illustrated in Sect. 16.5.
An important distinction should be noted about energy usage as a sustainability
criterion. While it is typical to consider energy as the element being optimized in
efficiency models, it is often the energy byproduct (such as air and wastewater emissions including lead and mercury) that is the most critical to control for the safety
and health of a community. Due to the non-linear relationship between energy consumption and emissions, there is no assurance that limitations on energy consumption afford specific reductions in energy emissions. The actual source of electricity
(fossil fuel or nuclear or renewable resource) being consumed at any time and location in producing a product is not transparent to the consumer—even if the number
of kilowatt-hours of energy associated with the production of a consumer good is
known—such that even those products requiring lower energy to produce may have
greater negative environmental impact if produced using polluting technologies.
New data analytics technologies are bringing such transparencies to the market, as
discussed further in Chap. 22, making SSCM increasingly practicable.
An important consideration in SSCM is the need for democratic decisionmaking, which requires transparent and accessible communication of technical
information to elected officials, civil society groups, the public, and the development of governance approaches that include collaboration between experts and
ordinary citizens.
18.3.3 Approaches to Sustainable FEW Supply in Cities
Given the variety in geographical location, age, population, and socio-economic
development of cities, the demands for FEW supplies in different cities vary dramatically. To meet various demands, different FEW supply approaches are necessary. In this section, different types of FEW supplies will be discussed: centralized
versus decentralized/local systems, and separated versus integrated systems.
18.3.3.1 Centralized Versus Decentralized FEW Supply Systems
Characterized by a profound process of industrialization and globalization, today,
FEW supplies are primarily provided through centralized systems, especially in
developed markets, such as industrial agriculture, centralized animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and large water treatment and energy generation facilities (heavy
infrastructure). While on an individual facility level, centralization results in intensification and specialization of production and may result in more efficient operations, the reliance of centralized systems on uniform industrially produced external
inputs and nonrenewable resources, and the related social and environmental costs
of resource extraction and industrial production and distribution, raise questions
about the sustainability of centralized systems (heavy footprint).
18 Cities at the Nexus