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Electrical Transmission Systems and Smart Grids pp 239–270Cite as

Energy and Water Interdependence, and Their Implications for Urban Areas

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Abstract

There are many definitions for sustainability. Mathis Wackernagel, creator of the ecological footprint concept, defined sustainability as “securing people’s quality of life within the means of nature”. The United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission) defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” . Throughout this report, sustainability will be defined as the development of the anthroposphere within the means of nature.

This chapter was originally published as part of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology edited by Robert A. Meyers. DOI:10.1007/978-1-4419-0851-3.

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Abbreviations

Anthroposphere:

That part of the environment that is developed or adapted by humans.

Life cycle assessment (LCA):

Analysis of the impact of a product or service through all the stages of its life including raw resource acquisition, material processing, fabrication, assembly, transportation, operation, disposal, recycling, repurposing, or reusing.

Low-impact development (LID):

A way of managing stormwater runoff through decentralized water systems, such as green roofs and rainwater harvesting.

Material flow analysis (MFA):

Analysis of how resources move through the industrial, consumer, and ecological sectors.

Resilience:

The ability for a structure to maintain its fitness and function in response to indigenous and exogenous stressors; it is characterized by four measures:

Rapidity. A measure of the capacity to contain losses or prevent further degradation in a timely manner.

Redundancy. A measure of the inherent substitutability.

Resourcefulness. A measure of the capacity to mobilize resources to restore functionality in the event of disruption.

Robustness. An ability of the system to withstand a given level of stress and/or demand.

Sustainability:

The development of an anthrosphere that exists within the means of nature. Sustainability requires that humans use no more resources than nature can renewably provide and generate only wastes that nature can assimilate in a timely manner and without overwhelming natural cycles.

Urban heat-island effect:

The phenomenon where the temperature in a developed area with a high concentration of buildings, roads, and other physical infrastructure is significantly higher than in the surrounding undeveloped areas.

Urban sustainability:

An assessment of the long-term viability of a place considering the physical infrastructure (such as water, sewer, transportation, and buildings), socioeconomic issues (such as human well-being, health, wealth, safety, and security), and natural environment (such as resources, wildlife, and ecosystem health).

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, High Tower Chair, and Georgia Research Alliance for their financial supports.

Funding for this research was provided by the US NSF grant 0836046: EFRI – RESIN Project: Sustainable Infrastructures for Energy and Water Supply (SINEWS). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the supporting organizations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Engineering, Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Liz Minne

  2. Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems and the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Arka Pandit, Hyunju Jeong, Jean -Ann James, Zhongming Lu & Michael Chang

  3. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    John C. Crittenden

  4. School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Miroslav M. Begovic & Insu Kim

  5. School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

    Ming Xu

  6. Center for Geographic Information Systems and the School of City and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Steve French & Muthukumar Subrahmanyam

  7. School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Douglas Noonan, Marilyn A. Brown & Jess Chandler

  8. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Yongsheng Chen & Reginald Desroches

  9. Golisano Institute of Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA

    Eric Williams

  10. George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Bert Bras

  11. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Georgia, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Ke Li

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  1. Liz Minne
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liz Minne .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Schoole of Electrical and Computer, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332-0250, Georgia, USA

    Miroslav M. Begovic

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Minne, L. et al. (2013). Energy and Water Interdependence, and Their Implications for Urban Areas. In: Begovic, M. (eds) Electrical Transmission Systems and Smart Grids. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5830-2_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5830-2_8

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