16.+Multi-Criteria+Decision+Making

=Chapter 16: Muti-criteria Decision Making =

Authors: Sam Bell, Jeremy Gregory, Alec Van Huele, Mike Virtis

Goals:
= =  Within this chapter I will define and discuss different multi-criteria decision making processes as well as discuss the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to sustainable infrastructure. To do this I will be going over different examples of the multi-criteria decision process from different projects that we saw in Costa Rica and comparing and contrasting them to different types of multi-criteria decision making processes. At the end of this chapter, there will be an analysis of how two different projects that seem similar both achieve sustainability through different means while focusing on different criteria.

Introduction:
When building any kind of infrastructure, it is essential that the designer analyses all of the factors surrounding the project in order to make that project as successful as possible. It is easy to place ourselves in a frame of mind that some structures or aspects of a structure are more sustainable than others without looking at the big picture that surrounds the individual structure. The indirect or non-material aspects that affect the structure or project could range from social norms among the society where the project is being implemented to the terrain and geological factors in the surrounding area. The easiest way to understand this is by looking at sustainability as a whole. It is impossible for one kind of professional or one set of expertise to determine what is "mo = = st" sustainable because there are so many angles by which each of the many issues that sustainability encompasses needs to be looked at. One of the easiest ways to understand this is by looking at the presidential cabinet. When the president is in a position where he needs to make a difficult decision he does not rely on the opinion of a single adviser. He has many different secretaries at his disp = = osal so that he can address and understands many different points of view when making his final decision. He is likely to address the secretary of the treasury to understand the different economic implications, the secretary of state to understand the different foreign implications, the secretary of the interior to understand the national implications and so on to understand the different perspectives in order to insure that he makes the best decision and compromise so that all needs are met. When we only address one point of view we often fail to provide the best solution because there was no understanding or foresight into another set of potential problems that could have been addressed from a different view point. Very similar to the presidential cabinet, any professional working with sustainable infrastructure will also need to closely examine all of the different criteria that they want to accomplish associated with their project.

Difficulties of Multi-Criteria Decision Making:
Perhaps the greatest difficulty with muti-critierion decision making processes in relation to sustainability is that there is never a "perfect" answer. Due to the virtually infinite number of variables associated with any given real world projects, it is nearly impossible to find a solution that doesn't sacrifice one aspect of its goals, weather or not it is related to sustainability, for another and that is able to account for all possible = = problems or changes that could be encountered in the future. A great example of this is the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Nuclear disaster. From the perspective of the creators of the Fukushima plant, a plant that produces a very high amount of energy in a relatively small amount of space and that can survive what was perceived to be almost any feasible disaster scenario is ideal for an island nation with less and less available space that has an ever increasing demand for energy. Looking back in hind sight, the plant at Fukushima, at least built to the safety standards it = = had, was not the best option and has placed millions of lives in danger and has caused incalculable damage to this and future generations. Although it is impossible to find a perfect solution that addresses and balances all of the different variables that are present in a specific project, there are ways to make sure that a project has a better chance of addressing more variables. One of the ways to do this is by including as many different people or points of view as possible when designing or implementing the project. While at Rancho Margot, I had a conversation with the owner, Juan, who discussed some of the difficulties implementing a sustainable ranch. He explained that at first he made sure that everything happened the way he wanted and he didn't seek advice from any of the workers. However, after some time he realized that some of his projects were not working as well as he had hoped and he overheard the Ticos he had employed talking about how they knew that certain aspects of the project would be fruitless if they were being implemented in the ways he was insisting upon. After that he made sure to consult with the Ticos who have been working the land for generations before implementing the projects and he has yielded much more successful results.

Another difficulty, especially with projects relating sustainability, is the financial feasibility of the project. Because sustainability projects often have large initial costs and longer rates of return, many projects need people who are willing to invest money in order to pay for these hefty start up costs. However, sometimes, the investors may want to focus on a different set of criteria than the project designers. Also, project designers may have different ideas on what their criteria is. Whether or not the project is as sustainable as possible may not even enter to decision making process until after many other criteria which might detract from the overall sustainability of the project are met but without which the project as a whole would not be able to be implemented.

Different Sustainable Multi-Criteria Decision Making Processes:
Recently there has been a surge in using sustainability and "Going Green" as a form of advertising or marketing. Unfortunately, there is an incredible disparity between the number of companies or products that claim to be sustainable and those that actually are. In order to ensure that projects are being sustainable, there have been a several processes that have been created that are generally accepted by the environmental community to measure and determine whether or not a project is truly sustainable and to what extent.

Triple Bottom Line
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Probably the most widely accepted multi-criteria decision makin = = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">g process directly related to sustainability is the triple bottom line. Because there is another chapter on this I'll be very brief. In short the triple bottom line states that in order for a project to be sustainable, it must meet a social, environmental and economic criteria. To learn more, please look at Chapter 7 to which I have provided a link below.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">http://sustainable-infra.wikispaces.com/7.+Triple+Bottom+Line

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Natural Step
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|www.naturalstep.org] = =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Natural Step is a multi-criteria decision making process as well as a non-profit organization. The organization was founded by in 1989 Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt in Sweden with the idea of creating more sustainable businesses and communities. The process has strong commonalities with the triple bottom line that emphasize economic, environmental and social criteria but also adds other paradigms as well. The Natural Step process empasizes that there are four behaviors that most communities and buisnesses engage in that need to be reduced as much as possible in order to be sustainable. The Natural Step Process encourages Eco-Capitalism to reduce these behaviors, especially in a business model.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">(Table 1.1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|www.naturalstep.org]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The Four System Conditions... || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">. . . Reworded as The Four Principles of Sustainability ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing: || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">To become a sustainable society we must... ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">1. concentrations of substances extracted from the earth's crust || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">1. eliminate our contribution to the progressive buildup of substances extracted from the Earth's crust (for example, heavy metals and fossil fuels) ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">2. concentrations of substances produced by society || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">2. eliminate our contribution to the progressive buildup of chemicals and compounds produced by society (for example, dioxins, PCBs, and DDT) ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">3. degradation by physical means || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">3. eliminate our contribution to the progressive physical degradation and destruction of nature and natural processes (for example, over harvesting forests and paving over critical wildlife habitat); and ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">4. and, in that society, people are not subject to conditions that systemically undermine their capacity to meet their needs || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">4. eliminate our contribution to conditions that undermine people’s capacity to meet their basic human needs (for example, unsafe working conditions and not enough pay to live on). ||

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In Order to reduce these unsustainable behaviors, the Natural Step Process suggests a five step process that must be taken in order to ensure that a project, business or community is sustainable.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Five Pillars:
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The five pillar multi-criteria decision making process argues that as long as a project is sure to implement measures to make sure that energy, water, food, waste, and ecology are sustainable into consideration then it can be considered sustainable. This does not address social and economic values as much and focuses on the environmental aspects.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Energy: Where is it coming from? Energy or electricity has become a necessity in many of our day to day activities. It affects how we travel, what we eat, how and where we work. Making sure that the energy being consumed by a project or organization is being produced in an environmentally responsible way is key to sustainability. Investing in forms of energy that produces little to no green house gasses is on of the ways to ensure that you are being environmentally responsible with energy. Another important aspect that applies to = = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">other categories as well as energy is conservation. Investing in clean energy, such as solar or wind power, can be expensive but projects or organizations can still practice environmental responsibility by reducing their energy use.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Water: While at Rancho Margot the idea of how important and essential clean water is for our survival and that of the environment is but I was also impressed at all of the different usages of water. It was obviously used as drinking water for humans and animals as well as used to help plants grow. However, it also provided the main energy source for the ranch, it was used to help decomposition of green waste and compost as and then reused to heat showers and the pool area. What was really brought to light was that water goes through cycles within the overall water cycle that we learn in elementary school. A project or organization that is able to conserve water through re-usage and by not pollution it is essential for sustainability. There is so little clean drinkable water available to us so it is important that we do not limit this even more by polluting what little we have.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;">Food: Although does not necessarily a defining feature in all infrastructure, where and how we get our food has dramatic effects on our natural environment as well as on ourselves. By insuring that food is produced organically and locally, people can be sure to not only reduce their carbon foot print but also reduce the use of deadly pesticides and chemicals, reduce health risks, and strengthen the local economy. Unfortunately, many people in developed countries have no idea where there food is coming from. Many meals travel thousands and thousands of miles before they reach the dinner table and use destructive as well as inhuman processes to produce much of the food we eat. Because everyone eats and will always need to, food is such a huge component to sustainability and can be changed very easily on an individual level. It is very easy, next time you are at the store buying food just ask yourself if you know where you food is coming from, how it was produced, and read the ingredients on the back to know what's in it.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"> Waste: Over the last century, waste has become a much bigger problem. Societies on a global level are producing more and more things that are single use and can not be returned to the natural environment. Think of all of the things you only use once. Styrofoam cups, plastic eating utensils, plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic everything! Before, people used and reused mostly organic materials in order reach economic stability by not having to constantly purchase the same thing but also used things that were found in the natural environment so when they were done they could put them back. These days are long gone. In order to make minimalize waste, we must make sure that the products we use are being used several times and that the material the product is made of can be recycled as well as returned to the environment without causing damage. Even organic compounds like food, although can be returned to nature without causing harm, are being disposed of incorrectly causing even more environmental damage. Overall, it's how you use it and making sure that when you are done, you are able to put it back the way you found it.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"> Ecology: This last pillar ties everything together. Focusing on ecology forces us to understand that we are part of and dependent on the world around us. This means that we need to be part of the stability and balance that is the natural world. By this token, the better we understand and respect our natural surroundings, the better off we will be and the more we can ensure the longevity of future generations. If we are not able to do this then we are destroying ourselves as well as the natural world around us. = =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Multi-Criteria Analysis of Rancho Margot and Terra Viva:
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">During our study abroad we had the opportunity to stay at and visit a wide variety of hotels from Eco-Ranches to a Best Western and luxurious and exclusive beach front resorts. The two places we stayed at that seemed really tried to embody their own definitions of sustainability were the Tera Viva Ranch at Monte Verde and the Rancho Margot in Arenal. Both of these places consider themselves to be Eco-Tourism and would consider themselves to be sustainable but they had very different approaches and criteria when it came to implementing their idea of what sustainability is. = =

Rancho Margot
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Rancho Margot is a large Ranch with over 400 acres, most of which is 2nd Generation forest (Land that has been cleared but where forest has been left to regrow itself). They use around 50 acres in to run the ranch and house the workers and guests. While at Rancho Margot, there were several critirea that were of great importance. One of these was making sure that everything was part of a cycle in order to make waste virtually non-existent. Water could be used as drinking, could be purified and used by the compost and then used to heat the pool or showers. The waste from the animals was first used to harvest methane in order to produce gas for the kitchens and then used as fertilizer for the garden. The excess fat from the animals from the kitchen was used to make soap with natural exfoliants such as volcanic rock. It seemed like nothing had a single purpose use. For things that could not be reused at the ranch there were several recycling bins for aluminum, plastic, organics, paper, and glass next to a trash can of the same size.



Another Criteria at Rancho Margot was self-sustainability. Almost everything at the ranch was produced there including the wood for the structures, a great majority of the food is raised/planted there and since the ranch is off the grid all of the electricity comes from the grounds. Energy was produced from a micro hydroelectric plant that does not need a reservoir so it has a life span as long as all the parts work and can be replaced. With the exception of rice, beans and the alcohol, pretty much everything else was produced from start to finish on site and then was usually placed through several cycles before placed back in nature in a sustainable manner.

Eco-tourism & Education were just as important to Rancho Margot as any other criteria because it not only provides to economic support to make the ranch possible but it also increases awareness of sustainable life styles as well as local and global sustainability issues. Rancho Margot did not leave anything to be desired as far as tourism was concerned. The food was great, they had a heated pool with a bar in it, a yoga area with instructor, massage and health center, a lake to go fishing, horseback riding a soccer field, and obstacle course, and hiking all available at the ranch. The grounds were well maintained with beautiful plants and flowers everywhere. I felt that is was quite a luxurious life style that I would not have thought to be possible under the "restrictions" of the high sustainable standards they held. Rancho Margot was able to challenge and expand the possibilities of a carbon neutral and sustainable life style by throwing away ideas of minimalism and using ingenuity to provide comfort sense leisure through sustainable means.

Terra Viva
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The Terra Viva ranch also had sustainability as a priority but focused on it in a very different way. Terra Viva encouraged a minimalistic and more simple life style. Although the places we lived in had kitchens and were larger than in Rancho Margo, there was still a feeling of do it yourself, and egalitarian community there. One of the biggest differences was the food. Although it was good, it felt a lot more like a home cooked meal and was served family style. Everyone was served once and then waited until everyone else got served. If there were second than a few people could have more but usually not everyone. Just outside the window were the cows who would stare at us in the morning. Overall, it was less overwhelming on all of the senses than Rancho Margot. However, everything wasn't as planned out. There were very few examples of "sustainable infrastructure" because there was less infrastructure over all. No pool heated by compost, no methane gathering process for the stoves in the kitchen, I was almost surprised to see they had internet. However, this was still eco-tourism and Terra Viva wanted to focus more on preserving the limited amount of cloud forest that is left and therefore was committed to making sure the land was not developed. Nature, in many ways has it's own infrastructure that we can learn from and doesn't necessarily need to be altered to better fit man's use. This was the strong contrast between Terra Viva and Rancho Margot that learned and use nature to suite man's needs while still being sustainable.