Sydney 28th March 2014.

The Laws of thermodynamics.
So, let's do a review on yesterday's lecture.
Michael talked about the equations we use to see if processes are sustainable.
Up till now, they haven't used the laws of thermodynamics.
Including these laws means that the rate of change of these processes can more accurately be measured. And by that, one can more accurately tell if a process is sustainable or not.
I've never heard of such things. So my head was spinning right round! I did my readings before class and also watched the film on youtube, but what I could make out of it is that we need to rethink all these processes going on around the world in order to sustain our present way of life.
Because the world gets more and more poulated, and a bigger population needs more fuel, more houses, more space and will create more waste. And these losses and wastes ultimately affect the earth. And to reverse the process, we need to find other ways of producing and polluting.
Now I understand that that's simply not enough. If you've found another way of producing and polluting, you need to measure it to see if your new "ways" are undeed better than your old ones!
Even the way in wich you calculate this, needs to be so that you get reliable results.
That 's why the laws of thermodynamics need to be included into the used equations.
And they also need to be refined. Because the equations inevitably bear limitations and disadvantages. Yes, thinking, thinking, rethinking. And again thinking, thinking and rethinking.
See why my head started to spin right round?
So what are some of these equations? Equations to measure whether or not it's sustainable to build above an aquifer, or to measure how much tree loss is required for sufficient produce of paper, or how much Carbon stays circulating in the atmosphere and in turn affects the earth's climate.
A typical equation is the following: 1/A*dwx/dz =Total (Ri).
Ok, this is mind bustling : the A is the area, the dwx/dz is the change within the value/ change over time, and the R is the rate.
So rate is very important, because the rate of how fast something either is consumpted, produced, assimilated, depleted or accumulated shows if the process is sustainable or needs to sustainified.
Hey, sustainified! To become more sustainable... Oeps, does the word sustainify really exist??
Anyway, there were huges processses going on in my head, because I had to make sure that the information during the lecture was comprehended (consumption), absorbed (assimilated), and maybe also put in practice! (either produced or accumulated or both). And of course : in a sustainable way !!! Hmmm...food for thought. Brings me to my next subject : Inequity.

(https://www.boundless.com/chemistry/thermodynamics/the-laws-of-thermodynamics/the-three-laws-of-thermodynamics/)