Achieving Sustainability: Dome It Challenge Scenario Cards
What might it be like to live under a dome with nothing coming in and nothing going out?Copyright 2013 Caryssa Joustra, University of South Florida
Student teams find solutions to hypothetical challenge scenarios that require them to sustainably manage both resources and wastes. They begin by creating a card representing themselves and the resources (inputs) they need and wastes (outputs) they produce. Then they incorporate additional cards for food and energy components and associated necessary resources and waste products. They draw connections between outputs that provide inputs for other needs, and explore the problem of using linear solutions in resource-limited environments. Then students incorporate cards based on biorecycling technologies, such as algae photobioreactors and anaerobic digesters in order to make circular connections. Finally, the student teams present their complete biorecycling engineering solutions to their scenarios—in poster format—by connecting outputs to inputs, and showing the cycles of how wastes become resources.
Sustainability is important in all engineering disciplines in order to efficiently maintain products and services. This activity implements environmental engineering technologies that enable sustainable food growth, energy production and waste management. Students mirror the real-world work of engineers by collaborating together in design teams to consider limitations and find solutions to challenges.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Match resource inputs and "waste" outputs to create recycling loops, thereby turning wastes into resources.
- Map energy, water and nutrient flows within and between biorecycling systems.
- Map relationships between food waste and food production.
- Explain the difference between a sustainable (circular) and non-sustainable (linear) practice.