RESOURCES
Below are some resources you may find useful in getting a broader picture of the concepts of sustainability and systems thinking. These are difficult concepts to grasp and require time and lifelong education and discussion. Some resources such as Natural Capitalism are more technical while others are more social and economic in scope.
EWB-USA
Central page for Engineers Without Borders USA. Contains information about other chapters and projects.
EWB-CU
University of Colorado at Boulder was the first student chapter of EWB. They have many good resources from past projects.
Institute for Appropriate Technology
Contains tutorials on many categorized technologies.
Village Earth
Sustainability Resources
Next Step Minnesota Sustainability Network
Short tutorial on the general philosophy of sustainability.
Sustainable Village
Materials and Parts for sustainable projects in developing countries.
Road map to Natural Capitalism
A Harvard Business Review summary of the book "Natural Capitalism" written by Amory Lovins and Paul Hawken that explains some aspects of systems thinking through a few case studies. The entire book can be downloaded free from the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Total Corporate Responsibility
A nice summary article on total corporate responsibility (TCR) written by Frank Dixon originally published in Ethical Corporation Magazine, December 2003. The article describes some aspects of sustainability as it pertains to the social and environmental responsibilities of companies.
Globalization Explained
A series of articles written by the International Society of Ecology and Culture giving a nice three part synopsis of the effects of globalization in economic terms and how local solutions are a more sustainable direction.
Natural Capitalism
Natural Capitalism is a broad overview of examples and strategies to create a more sustainable business model. Chapter 2 and 6 have some good engineering case studies of systems thinking. A summary article of the book is posted above. The entire book can be downloaded free from the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature
Biomimicry is a revolutionary new science that analyzes nature's best ideas -- spider silk and prairie grass, sea shells and brain cells -- and adapts them for human use. Science writer and lecturer Janine Benyus takes us into the lab and out in the field with the maverick researchers who are applying nature's ingenious solutions to the problem of human survival: stirring vats of proteins to unleash their signaling power in computers; analyzing how spiders manufacture a waterproof fiber five times stronger than steel; studying how electrons in a leaf cell convert sunlight to fuel in trillionths of a second; discovering miracle drugs by observing what animals eat -- and much more.
The Web of Life: A New Understanding of Living Systems
In his international bestsellers The Tao of Physics and The Turning Point, Fritjof Capra juxtaposed physics and mysticism to define a new vision of reality. In The Web of Life, he takes yet another giant step forward, describing the interrelationships and interdependence of psychological, biological, physical, social, and cultural phenomena -- "the web of life". A brilliant synthesis of such recent scientific break-throughs as the theory of complexity, Gaia theory, chaos theory, and more, this is cutting-edge science that offers an extraordinary new foundation for ways of thinking about and responding to the universe at our feet.
Factor Four: Doubling Wealth, Halving Resource Use
Since the industrial revolution progress has meant an increase in labour productivity. Factor Four describes a new form of progress, resource productivity, one which meets the overriding imperative for the future: sustainability. It shows how at least four times as much wealth can be extracted from the resources we use. As the authors put it, the book is about doing more with less, but this is not the same as doing less, doing worse or doing without.
The Complete Appropriate Technology Sourcebooks
The Complete Appropriate Technology Sourcebook By Ken Darrow and Mike Saxenian