THE SHIFT TOWARDS RENEWABLE ENERGY
Instructions:-
This assessment is designed to apply the knowledge and skills developed by students in evaluating the role of systems thinking in global and local sustainability challenges. The topic for your paper is:
‘Systems thinking is critical in developing solutions to sustainability challenges.’
To what extent do you agree with this statement, and why? Draw on the following wicked problems to illustrate your answer:
- Shifting to more renewable sources of energy
Purpose and aims:
This assessment is designed to apply the knowledge and skills developed by the students in evaluating the role of systems thinking in global and local sustainability challenges. The topic for your paper is:
‘Systems thinking is critical in developing solutions to sustainability challenges.’
To what extent do you agree with this statement, and why? Draw on the following wicked problems to illustrate your answer:
o Shifting to more renewable sources of energy
How to write a Research Essay
1. Finding, reading and selecting your sources
At a minimum, this essay will reference 5 sources identified by the student, in addition to the subject readings (10-15 references in total). Your references should primarily include academic journals and books.
2. Writing the Introduction
In the introduction you will need to do the following things:
- Present relevant background to the topic and its significance
- Introduce your ‘wicked problem’
- Define terms or concepts when necessary
- Explain the aim/purpose of the essay
- Reveal your plan of organization for the essay
3. Writing the Body
- Build your essay around points you want to make (i.e., don’t let your sources organize your paper)
- Integrate your sources into your discussion
- Be critical, and where relevant present two sides of an argument
- Give examples where relevant
- Summarize, analyse, explain, and evaluate published work rather than merely reporting it
- Make sure you have answered the topic question – to what extent do you agree with the statement?
4. Writing the Conclusion
- If the argument or point of your paper is complex, you may need to summarize the argument for your reader.
- If prior to your conclusion you have not yet explained the significance of your findings or if you are proceeding inductively, use the end of your paper to add your points up, to explain their significance.
- Move from a detailed to a general level of consideration that returns the topic to the context provided by the introduction.
5. Revising the Final Draft
- Check overall organization: logical flow of introduction, coherence and depth of discussion in body, effectiveness of conclusion.
- Paragraph level concerns: topic sentences, sequence of ideas within paragraphs, use of details to support generalizations, summary sentences where necessary, use of transitions within and between paragraphs.
- Sentence level concerns: sentence structure, word choices, punctuation, spelling.
Source: Adapted from The writing centre at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Reference List and sources:
Students are required to reference at least 3 types of resources in the essay:
- Minimum of 6 journal articles (students are required to use scholarly and peer-reviewed articles) and textbooks.
- Newspaper/Magazine articles
- Company/NGO Websites
A total of 10-15 references are expected for the essay.
Solution
THE SHIFT TOWARDS RENEWABLE ENERGY
Abstract
This paper seeks to establish the relevance of system thinking approach in dealing with complex societal problems. According to Easterbrook (2014), systems’ thinking differs in comparison with traditional thinking in that it focuses on the interrelationships that subsist between the different components of the system. The author seeks to establish the relevance of system thinking to the ‘wicked’ problem of moving towards renewable energy. The world is grappling with energy challenges such as the trend towards an exhaustion of the non-renewable energy, as well as the environmental impact of some traditional energy sources especially with regard to greenhouse gas emissions. This situation is alarming, although traditional approaches have been unable to find a lasting Solution to this problem. In this article, the author seeks to establish whether system thinking approach can be used to solve sustainability challenges, especially with regard to the global switch towards renewable energy solutions.
Introduction
The issue of energy and especially the transition to renewable energy sources can be classified as a wicked problem. Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber in their 1973 groundbreaking work defined wicked problems as those with very high degrees of uncertainty, social complexity and risk, so much so that, they do not have clear solutions, understanding or formulation (Australian Government, 2007) Such problems, as Pandey& Kumar, 2016, observes, cannot possibly be solved through traditional approached that are analytical in nature, justifying the words of Albert Einstein thus,
“The problems we have created in the world today will not be solved by the level of thinking that created them’’
In order to solve these problems, Arnoldand and Wade (2015) proposes a higher level of thinking and a more holistic approach, which consider all the intervening factors and stakeholders, the systematic thinking problem-solving approach. A system is defined as a set of parts that must work harmoniously towards a given common goal. System thinking, unlike conventional problem-solving approaches, focuses on the individual parts, roles and interrelationship between those parts in producing a solution to wicked problems. This paper will discuss the applicability and efficacy of systems thinking in dealing with the wicked problem of shifting to more renewable sources of energy. Renewable energy sources present a wicked problem in that there are no formal decision rules, results to unintended consequences, is unique, has no clear explanation and finally, it’s a symptom of another problem. This ticks most of the characteristics of a wicked problem according to Rittel and Webber (1973). The paper supports the argument that systems’ thinking presents a useful platform for dealing with wicked problems. It will, however, highlight the counterarguments against systems thinking as a solution to wicked problems.
System thinking approach in dealing with sustainability changes
The utility of the systems approach in dealing with sustainability challenges stems from its approach to seeing things from a macroscopic range as opposed to the shorter picture. According to Aronson, it’s a multidisciplinary ‘‘framework for seeing interrelationships rather than things, for seeing patterns of change rather than static snapshots’’. This means that systematic thinking frames problems in terms of behavioral patterns over a period of time, rather than focusing on specific events. Systematic thinkers strive to look at things from a macroscopic point of view, which sees beyond the issues and details to the context of the intervening relationships (Kim, 2012). While it’s widely used in governments, industry, and academia, systems approach still has criticisms.It’s often assumed that it’s too ‘fundamentalistic’ and mechanical in its approach to business problems, besides that its overdependence on models while lacking in actual tangible solutions to corporate problems (Pandey& Kumar,2016). However, as noted in the following section of this paper, systems’ thinking presents a great opportunity for policymakers and business owners to solve wicked problems and other sustainability challenges.
The renewable energy problem
As the global population has significantly grown and the global economy expanded over the last few decades, human claim and demands on the environment have increased exponentially. The demands being made on the earth exceed the capacity on a continuous basis, which in essence strains the global natural resources. For instance, the world is witnessing sustained deforestation with little effort to replenish forest cover, overgrazing, overpumping aquifers which lead to drying of rivers (Giampietro and Mayumi, 2013). We are depleting our non-renewable sources of fossil fuels and polluting the environment with carbon dioxide, faster than the world can absorb it which leads to increased atmospheric carbon levels and global warming.
The resulting global threat, climate change- doesn’t seem to get the deserved attention, particularly from the United States, with the incumbent president once opining that such climate change is a ‘hoax created by the Chinese’, although his country contributes almost a quarter of the global greenhouse gas emissions. As a consequence, climate change will lead to global warming, intense heat waves, lower crop yields, rising seas and destructive storms.To ward off this disaster, we must design systems thinking approaches that include more efficient transport systems, increase building efficiency standards, automobile and appliances, and develop and promote the adoption of green energy technology.
Application of system thinking to deal with problem of the shift towards renewable energy
According to Olaniyi (2014), energy is a complex problem that comprises of many interrelated and interlinked parts, with its challenges and opportunities requiring a completely different paradigm of thinking and innovation. The challenge with energy is that it forms such an integral part of our lives that we can’t practically live without it, yet it’s mostly sourced from finite fossil fuel supplies. The problem tends towards acute as demand continues to increase against a constant and relatively scarce supply, coupled with the economic, social and environmental consequences of burning conventional fossil fuels. For instance, according to the international panel on climate change (Tejedaa, and Ferreiraa, 2014), the combustion of fossil fuels in domestic and industrial processes has accounted for approximately 78% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the last three decades.
The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions particularly being tackled from many quarters, in areas such as adoption of clean energy, innovative transportation systems, tracking of the carbon cycle. Businesses also have a significant role to play in shifting the dynamics in greenhouse gas emissions. While they may not have full control over the whole energy system, they can individually make a difference, starting with the optimization of energy use and the adoption of clean energy technology, a process born out of systems thinking.
In an energy context, system thinking means the in-depth analysis of everything that relates to energy, beginning from the economy, infrastructure, extraction, transportation etc. It also includes energy impacts such as pollution, climate change, and greenhouse gas emissions as well as people dynamics such as human health, poverty alleviation, and population growth. These parts, once put together, form the energy landscape and therefore underscore the importance of looking at the interactions and interrelationships of the individual parts in energy train and their associated impacts and risks.
Systems thinking, in this context involves seeing the big picture, understanding the parts of the system, identifying the causality cycles and understanding how system structures relate to observed behavior.It promotes a multi-perspective approach to problems related to the energy domain.
Looking at the big picture
When we think of the energy that we consume as businesses or individuals, we might not understand that the consumption of energy is not limited to what we use, but rather happens in a larger context in areas such as economics, geology, population dynamics, geography, environmental and societal needs and human health. Merely thinking about individual energy consumption may not adequately factor in social and environmental externalities that arise by such usages as noted above. If we make a connection between environmental and societal wellbeing and energy use, we may start to pay more attention to the energy choices that we make and probably change our behaviors.
Identifying and understanding the circular and complex cause and effect relationships
The energy ecosystem comprises of mining and drilling costs and exploration costs that impact on nonrenewable sources. Burning of fossil fuels in order to generate energy has a significant contribution to social and environmental impact among other externalities. This not only results in huge monetary costs but also reduces the quality of life in the ecosystems.
Look for ways to make the system work better
Behavioral patterns that are found in an energy system interaction may be helpful in trying to explain the system as well as the solutions available. Changing interaction patterns between the system parts may the first step towards solving larger energy problems. If systematic solutions are found, the result may be a secure, clean and safe energy, which benefits the environment, economy and society as a whole.
Systems thinking in renewable energy
The transition from traditional fossils fuels poses a significant societal challenge, including businesses and industries of various size since energy use cannot be treated as an independent issue since there are many consequences for its use. This is due to the fact that there are many interlinked parts such as the economic growth that happens at the expense of climate change. The continuous pursuit of singular economic goals results to the continuing pursuit of limited and narrow objectives and performance indicators, which leaves the illusion of progress when in essence the system may be headed to collapse (Center for sustainable energy).
Through approaches like systems thinking, energy systems can be looked at from their leverage points. Systems’ thinking presents the opportunity to generate feedback loops, create a general flexible system of alternative technologies, practices, and innovation. The most effective leverage point is anchored on the premise the systems thinking takes into account variations in goals and realities.
Since energy effects have worldwide consequences, societies, nations, and businesses must embrace systems thinking in considering the expansive reach and externalities related to energy sources and use. This, consequently, fuels a transformational mode of thinking and change which will at the end lead to a paradigm shift towards new, green and renewable sources of energy.
Recommendation
In the above discussion, the author has noted the increasing significance of systematic thinking in solving wicked problems as well as in dealing with sustainability challenges. Due to the increasing number of global wicked problems, there is a need for systematic thinking approach to be involved in the design and implementation of higher education programs (Gregory and Miller, 2014). This will enable students to see and appreciate the complexity of sustainability challenges from a pluralistic view. While in this paper we have dwelt mostly with the shift towards renewable energy as a wicked problem, it’s important to note that sustainability challenges are not limited to energy issues. The world is experiencing a host of many other sustainability challenges such as climate change, refugee crisis, terrorism etc. The teaching of system thinking concepts will help students and future leaders in dealing with these challenges in a more holistic manner.
Conclusion
Following the discussion above, it can be concluded that systems’ thinking is a very useful tool in handling sustainability challenges. Since it is proven that the traditional problem-solving approaches would be ineffective in tackling wicked problems and especially the shift towards renewable energy, the energy problem and its impact on the environment has continued to grow at a rapid pace. Nations, societies and policy makers need to put effort towards the development of various objectives in the application of systems thinking in dealing with the problem of shifting towards renewable energy.
References
Pandey, A Kumar, A (2016) System Thinking Approach to Deal with Sustainability Challenges. Proceedings of International Conference on Science, Technology, Humanities and Business Management, 29-30 July 2016, Bangkok
Arnoldand, R.D , and Wade, J.P (2015) A Definition of Systems Thinking: A Systems Approach, Procedia Computer Science, Volume 44, pp. 669-678, 2015
Aronson, D Overview of Systems Thinking, [Online] Available at www.thinking.net/Systems_Thinking/Overvie wSTarticle.pdf
Australian Government (2007) Tackling Wicked Problems: A Public Policy Perspective, Australian Public Service Commission
Easterbrook, S (2014) From Computational Thinking to Systems Thinking: A conceptual toolkit for sustainability computing, Proceedings of Conference on Information &Communication Technologies for Sustainability (ICT4S’2014), Stockholm, Sweden, 24-27 August 2014
Gregory, A and Miller, S (2014) Using Systems Thinking to Educate for Sustainability in a Business School, Systems, Volume 2, pp. 313-327, 2014
Kim, S (2012) Can Systems Thinking Actually Solve Sustainability Challenges? Part 1, The Diagnosis, [Online] Available at: http://erb.umich.edu/erbperspective/2012 /06/04/systems-thinking-part-1/
Laszlo,K.C Dimensions of System Thinking [Online] Available at: http://archive.syntonyquest.org/elcTree/resour cesPDFs/Systems_Thinking.pdf
Giampietro, M and Mayumi , K (2013) Complex Systems Thinking and Renewable Energy Systems.
Olaniyi, T.K (2014) System Thinking-System Dynamics for Sustainable Energy Planning in the Developing Economy. Journal of advancement in engineering and technology. retrieved from: http://scienceq.org/Uploaded/Editorial/1176002473.pdf
Tejedaa, J, and Ferreiraa, S (2014) Applying Systems Thinking to Analyze Wind Energy Sustainability. Conference on Systems Engineering Research Center for sustainable energy: Systems Thinking for Efficient Energy Planning. https://www.cse.org.uk/projects/view/1244
