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Sustainability 2010, 2(9), 2814-2832; doi:10.3390/su2092814

Article

T21-Ohio, a System Dynamics Approach to Policy Assessment for Sustainable Development: A Waste to Profit Case Study

Emrah Cimren ¹ , Andrea Bassi ²  and Joseph Fiksel ^1,*

¹ Center for Resilience, The Ohio State University, 211 Baker Systems, 1971 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA ² Millennium Institute, 2111 Wilson Blvd, Suite 750, Arlington, VA 22201, USA

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 6 August 2010; in revised form: 28 August 2010 / Accepted: 29 August 2010 / Published: 6 September 2010

(This article belongs to the Special Issue System Dynamics Simulation of Environmental and Resource Sustainability)

Download PDF Full-Text [168 KB, uploaded 6 September 2010 10:56 CEST]

Abstract: A new system dynamics tool, T21-Ohio, was developed to support integrated and comprehensive development planning at the state level. Based on the Threshold 21 (T21) framework, T21-Ohio provides insights into the potential impacts of energy and environmental policies across a wide range of sectors, and reveals how different strategies interact with one another to achieve planned goals and objectives. This paper shows how T21-Ohio was used to model the broader social, economic and environmental impacts of “waste to profit” activities in Ohio, such as recycling, electricity generation from waste, and bio-fuel production. Three alternative scenarios were simulated to evaluate the impacts of biomass co-firing, government stimulus for solid waste recycling, and by-product synergy activities. The results of the three scenario analyses indicate significant potential for economic development and creation of jobs while reducing emissions and waste.

Keywords: system dynamics; sustainable development; waste reduction policies

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