In scientific terms we can look to the laws of thermodynamics to determine what sustainability actually means.

• The Zeroth law states that if two bodies are each in thermal equilibrium with a third body then they must be in equilibrium with each other.
  1. If A = B and B = C then A = C

1. The first law states that energy can not be created or destroyed but only transformed from one form to another.
   
   
2. The second law introduces the concept of entropy; that all systems will eventually move towards equilibrium.
   
   
3. The third law states that the entropy of a closed system will approach a constant value as the temperature of that system approaches absolute zero.
   1. This means that as a system approaches absolute zero it becomes more difficult to extract more energy from it.

Quite literally everything.

If we want to build sustainable living environments we must understand how energy moves so that we can use it in the most productive ways possible.

Sustainability has been stated in many ways over the years.

A commonly used definition of sustainability is from the UN World Commission on World Development and Environment "sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

How we see it is that we use smart energy concepts to minimise our impact and maximise our output. Doing this through the concept of reducing waste, reusing what we can and recycling the rest.

Sources:

• UCLA (2024). What is Sustainability? [online] UCLA Sustainability. Available at: https://www.sustain.ucla.edu/what-is-sustainability/.

According to the UN Environment Program

"Sustainable Lifestyles are considered as ways of living, social behaviors and choices, that minimize environmental degradation (use of natural resources, CO2 emissions, waste and pollution) while supporting equitable socio-economic development and better quality of life for all."

We see this as the ability to make the most out of the resources we have access to and minimising the negative impact we have on our ability to continue doing so in the future. It is purely a self-serving approach.

Sources:

• UN Environment (2017). Sustainable lifestyles. [online] UNEP - UN Environment Programme. Available at: https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/sustainable-lifestyles.

If we look back at the laws of thermodynamics:

We see that we can't create or destroy energy we can only transform it from one form to another.

We also know that all energy systems will always move towards equilibrium.

The aim should be to get the highest return from the lowest investment. This means looking at the methods and techniques that minimise the rate of entropy.

In simple terms this means using renewable energy sources. The reason for this is that nature provides an abundance of energy sources, each have varying rates of entropy. Some such as wind, solar, hydro and geothermal power have far lower rates of entropy than resources such as the burning of fossil fuels and nuclear energy. 

The reason for doing this seems to be quite clear, its in the name, sustainable and renewable. It is a logical and far better pursuit to use sources of energy that do not have a detrimental impact on our ability to survive as a species.

The rate of entropy we experience as a species is far higher than the rate of entropy of natural energy sources such as wind, solar, hydro and geothermal.

Also the rate of entropy associated with the burning of fossil fuels and poorly designed nuclear fuel processes will accelerate the deterioration of the human species.

There are a number of reasons why fossil fuels are a poor long term choice as a source of fuel. 

Fossil fuels store energy that can be utilised to produce the ever increasing power needs of humanity as civilisation continues to grow.

However to access the energy stored in these resources it is necessary to use a process of combustion.

1. Combustion results in an irreversible chemical process, leaving the original fuel source no longer usable.
2. Fossil fuels have a limited supply so the more we burn the less we have available for the future. Eventually these fuel sources will run out.
3. The combustion process not only depletes the original fuel source but it also results in chemical processes that are harmful to both human beings and the environment in which we live.
4. The rate at which industrial processes worldwide are burning fossil fuels is so great that the natural environment of our planet is changing in ways that is becoming inhospitable to life as we know it.

 

Climate change is a natural process that has occurred repeatedly throughout Earths history.

It refers to significant, long-term shifts in global or regional weather patterns and temperatures.

However since the industrial revolution in the late 18th Century human activity has become the primary driving force behind climate change on Earth.

The following is a list of the things that climate change refers to:

Temperature Changes:

• Fluctuations in average temperatures over time
• Changes in extreme temperature events
• Variations in seasonal temperature patterns
• Shifts in day/night temperature differences

Precipitation Patterns:

• Changes in rainfall amounts and distribution
• Shifts in snowfall patterns
• Alterations in monsoon cycles
• Changes in frequency of droughts and floods

Ocean Changes:

• Variations in sea surface temperatures
• Changes in ocean current patterns
• Shifts in sea level
• Alterations in ocean chemistry

Atmospheric Changes:

• Shifts in wind patterns
• Changes in storm frequency and intensity
• Alterations in atmospheric pressure systems
• Variations in humidity levels

Ice and Snow Coverage:

• Changes in glacial extent
• Variations in seasonal snow cover
• Shifts in sea ice patterns
• Changes in permafrost conditions

Ecosystem Impacts:

• Shifts in vegetation patterns
• Changes in growing seasons
• Alterations in species distribution
• Modifications to habitat zones

These changes occur over various timescales, from decades to millennia, and are measured through direct observations, historical records, and geological evidence like ice cores, tree rings, and sediment layers.

Intense wide ranging and highly credible scientific study has shown evidence that human beings are having a direct impact on the climate of our planet.

This is referred to as anthropogenic climate change or anthropogenic global warming.

It should be noted that scientists by their very nature are constantly competing with each other. They are constantly working to prove their own hypothesis (ideas) and to also disprove the ideas and results of other scientists.

For a scientist to have their hypotheses proven and accepted by the global scientific community is the highest pursuit of all true scientists. It comes with great prestige and the ability to more readily obtain funding for their work.

A study by Cook et al "Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the scientific literature" of the abstracts from almost 12,000 peer reviewed climate papers published between 1991 and 2011 found that 97.1% of the studies found that human beings were having a negative impact on global climate.

 

Sources:

• Cook, J., Nuccitelli, D., Green, S.A., Richardson, M., Winkler, B., Painting, R., Way, R., Jacobs, P. and Skuce, A. (2013). Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the scientific literature. Environmental Research Letters, [online] 8(2), p.024024. doi:https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024024.

1. Average global temperature has increased by 1˚C since 1800.
2. The ocean is getting warmer with the top 100 meters increasing on average by 0.33˚C since 1969.
3. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in size.
4. Glaciers across the world have decreased in size.
5. Satelite imagery shows that average snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has progressively decreased since the 1970's and the snow is melting earlier each year.
6. Global sea levels have risen by 20 centimetres since the beginning of the 20th century. The level increase in the first 2 decades of the 21st century is nearly double that of the rise in the 20th century and is increasing a small amount each year.
7. The size and mass of the arctic ice sheet has decreased progressively since the mid 20th century.
8. The numbers of extreme events have been increasing around the world. Since 1950 in the United States alone:
   • Record high temperature events have increased.
   • Record low temperature events have decreased 
9. Ocean acidification has been increasing since the industrial revolution. This has increased by approximately 30%. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide and has absorbed 20-30% of the anthropogenic (human made) carbon dioxide emissions over the last several decades.

Sources:

NASA (2024). Evidence. [online] science.nasa.gov. Available at: https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/evidence/.

‌NASA provides its references for these facts

According to NASA the modern thermometer was invented in 1654 and modern global temperature records began being collected and recorded in 1880.

"When scientists focus on climate from before the past 100-150 years, they use records from physical, chemical, and biological materials preserved within the geologic record" Source.

As we can see the question of how do scientists study climate change is one that covers a broad range of disciplines.

1. Photographic and video evidence. Since photographic technology was invented it has become increasingly more detailed.
   1. Using satellite imagery
   2. Using historical photographs and video to show changes in environments
2. Core samples from glaciers and ice caps. As snow and ice form in layers over periods of time they trap and encase evidence of events that occurred at the time the ice formed.
3. Studying the rings in trees enables scientists to determine the age of the tree but also the conditions the tree was exposed to during the period the ring formed.
4. Studying sediments beneath lakes and oceans and also in mountains and all land masses. Over extended periods the sediments like the ice in a glazier captures evidence of the conditions that existed at the time the layer formed.
5. Coral reefs are easily impacted by rises and falls in water temperature as well as exposure to pollution and run off. They are also impacted by the pH balance of the water.
6. Sensor readings. Satellites, ocean buoys, ground stations, weather stations, deep sea ocean sensors and any number of other pieces of sensitive electronic equipment are constantly recording the conditions they are exposed to. This equipment is more and more being attached to general commercial and consumer products. The data is stored catalogued and analysed repeatedly as new data is added to it.

Sources:

• NOAA (2018). How Can Corals Teach Us About Climate? [online] National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Available at: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/how-can-corals-teach-us-about-climate.‌

• scied.ucar.edu. (n.d.). Researching Climate Change | UCAR Center for Science Education. [online] Available at: https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/how-climate-works/researching-climate-change.

• science.nasa.gov. (n.d.). What types of data do scientists use to study climate? - NASA Science. [online] Available at: https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/faq/what-kinds-of-data-do-scientists-use-to-study-climate/.

The process of critical thinking gives a person the ability to determine whether a source of information should be trusted or not.

Without critical thinking it becomes increasingly difficult to know what information to trust and what information is not trustworthy.

In her article "What makes science trustworthy? A guide for the public" 27th December 2022 available here Heather Douglas said:

• "The trustworthiness of science should not require scientific expertise to assess.
• Trustworthiness should be based on the presence of expertise, good expert community functioning, and shared values.
• This basis for trustworthiness is usable by the public, and does not require expert consensus, while capturing the value of consensus.
• To foster trust with the public, scientists should 1) ensure their expert communities foster debate among diverse participants and from diverse perspectives and 2) share the value commitments that shape their science."

"There are three bases central to assessing scientific expertise for trustworthiness: 1) the presence of expertise, 2) the engagement of the expert in a well-functioning expert community and 3) the sharing of values with the public."

 

"Properly formed consensus can take a long time to coalesce, particularly if debate is sufficiently robust. What is the public to do in the meantime, before consensus has emerged? Further, this incentivises the prevention of consensus, often by disingenuous means, by those whose interests would be harmed by an emerging consensus. For example, fossil fuel interests founded fake academic journals and poured money into climate denial think tanks in order to give the appearance that consensus on the causes of climate change had not yet been reached (Oreskes and Conway, 2010). Years of delay resulted."