ENGR 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Paul Hawken, Brundtland Commission, Loose Coupling
Document Summary
Safety analysis is difficult for large systems due to: complexity, coupling, response rate, stability, robustness. A large system may be reasonably safe if: not complex, loosely coupled, slow to respond, stable, robust with respect to part failures. One definitions is r=p x c or (graph) log (p) + log (c) = log (r) (graph) Probability of hazardous event is defined relative to the population exposed to it i. e. mortality of coal miners evaluated relative to the # of coal miners, not entire population. Similarly, accident rates often expressed in accidents per passenger-kilometre. Costs of consequences measured in monetary terms legal costs, warranty costs, service. Costs to society may not be as easy to predict especially when the environment is affected. Failures may lead to loss of life, injury, or damage to the environment. Sustainability development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs .
