The document discusses the concept of a circular economy as an alternative to the current linear system. It notes that population growth and fossil fuel usage are putting stress on the environment and leading to issues like climate change and resource scarcity. A circular economy aims to reduce waste by keeping materials and products in use for longer through reuse, repair, and recycling. This helps minimize environmental impacts and makes more sustainable use of limited resources.

1. Circular Economy

3. Humankind’s Success Story

4. www.nasa.gov

5. Human Evolution and Civilization

7. Population growth

9. Planet: State of the World

10. Climate change
Source: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2011-temps.html

11. Energy (fossil fuels)

12. Consequences
Droughts Floodings Hurricanes

13. • Material and energy
flows
• Environmental,
economical and social
impact
• Goals: reduce, re-use
and recycle
Environmental Footprint

14. Resource scarcity

16. Is sustainable growth possible?
“We cannot solve our problems with
the same thinking we used when we
created them”
- Albert Einstein

17. Bill McDonough:
“It’s all about strategies of change”

18. Energy & Climate Change

19. Climate change

20. Consequences
Droughts Floodings Hurricanes

21. Renewable energy sources
• Wind
• Solar
• Geothermal
• Hydro
• Biomass
• Tidal & wave
• ...

22. What’s next? The Smart Grid

23. Resources & pollution

24. • Material and energy
flows
• Environmental,
economical and social
impact
• Goals: reduce, re-use
and recycle
Environmental Footprint

25. Resource scarcity

27. Linear system

28. Product study: plastic I

29. Plastic soup
Kamilo Beach, HawaiiPacific Ocean

31. Solution?

32. Circular Systems

33. Resource efficiency