Sustainability at the household level holds paramount importance due to its direct, tangible effects on local ecosystems and feasibility. Small-scale systems allow for a more detailed analysis of the interactions between food, energy, and water (FEW). While large centralized systems may have their own advantages in terms of economies of scale, the importance of diversifying our approach to include smaller-scale systems cannot be understated, especially in the context of building a more sustainable and resilient future. Furthermore, FEW systems at the household level often exhibit higher levels of resilience and adaptability to changing conditions, such as climate variability or market fluctuations. This study develops a holistic framework for quantitatively measuring sustainability in each of these FEW domains. Container gardening, indoor hydroponics, and backyard chickens are household-level food systems analyzed in this study based on their inputs (e.g., water, energy) and outputs (e.g., crop yields, waste generation). Active and passive solar systems, wind turbines, and geothermal are household-level energy systems analyzed in this study based on their share of renewable energy sources in the overall energy mix and their economy viability. Rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling are household-level water systems analyzed in this study based on water availability relative to demand. Integrating these measurements provides a holistic understanding of sustainability performance and guides informed decision-making for achieving more sustainable food, energy, and water systems.

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Towards a Holistic Assessment Framework for Sustainable Household-Level Food-Energy-Water Systems

  • Ebrahim Karan,
  • Mojtaba Maghrebi,
  • Alan Sanchez

摘要

Sustainability at the household level holds paramount importance due to its direct, tangible effects on local ecosystems and feasibility. Small-scale systems allow for a more detailed analysis of the interactions between food, energy, and water (FEW). While large centralized systems may have their own advantages in terms of economies of scale, the importance of diversifying our approach to include smaller-scale systems cannot be understated, especially in the context of building a more sustainable and resilient future. Furthermore, FEW systems at the household level often exhibit higher levels of resilience and adaptability to changing conditions, such as climate variability or market fluctuations. This study develops a holistic framework for quantitatively measuring sustainability in each of these FEW domains. Container gardening, indoor hydroponics, and backyard chickens are household-level food systems analyzed in this study based on their inputs (e.g., water, energy) and outputs (e.g., crop yields, waste generation). Active and passive solar systems, wind turbines, and geothermal are household-level energy systems analyzed in this study based on their share of renewable energy sources in the overall energy mix and their economy viability. Rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling are household-level water systems analyzed in this study based on water availability relative to demand. Integrating these measurements provides a holistic understanding of sustainability performance and guides informed decision-making for achieving more sustainable food, energy, and water systems.