T21-Ohio, a System Dynamics Approach to Policy Assessment for Sustainable Development: A Waste to Profit Case Study

Sustainability

Emrah Cimren¹  Andrea Bassi² 

[1] Center for Resilience, The Ohio State University, 211 Baker Systems, 1971 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; E-Mail:;Millennium Institute, 2111 Wilson Blvd, Suite 750, Arlington, VA 22201, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: system dynamics;    sustainable development;    waste reduction policies;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su2092814

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

A new system dynamics tool, T21-Ohio, was developed to support integrated and comprehensive development planning at the state level. Based on the Threshold 21 (T21) framework, T21-Ohio provides insights into the potential impacts of energy and environmental policies across a wide range of sectors, and reveals how different strategies interact with one another to achieve planned goals and objectives. This paper shows how T21-Ohio was used to model the broader social, economic and environmental impacts of “waste to profit” activities in Ohio, such as recycling, electricity generation from waste, and bio-fuel production. Three alternative scenarios were simulated to evaluate the impacts of biomass co-firing, government stimulus for solid waste recycling, and by-product synergy activities. The results of the three scenario analyses indicate significant potential for economic development and creation of jobs while reducing emissions and waste.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2010 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.