Industrial Ecology and Sustainability in Industrial Systems I

Catalog description

This course is the first of a two-course, four-credit sequence that will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of concepts and methodologies related to industrial ecology and sustainable industrial systems. In this course, students will be introduced to materials and common industrial systems and will explore the relationships between industry and environmental systems, including climate change. Social and economic dimensions of industrial sustainability will also be discussed. Students will then be introduced to fundamental concepts of industrial ecology, including industrial metabolism and the ecological metaphor. Aspects of sustainable engineering, risk assessment and risk management will also be discussed. The unit will also introduce students to the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The unit content will be directly linked to field trips to relevant industrial partners in the US.