Thinking in Systems
Systems are all around us, they are sets of interrelated objects or entities that interact with each other. They can be living beings, such as humans, animals, and plants. They can be mechanical entities, such as automobiles, ships, and airplanes; or indu
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Abstract Systems are all around us, they are sets of interrelated objects or entities that interact with each other. They can be living beings, such as humans, animals, and plants. They can be mechanical entities, such as automobiles, ships, and airplanes; or industrial plants, such as oil refineries, chemical plants, and electric power generators. There are also other entities, such as social, political, and business systems. The behaviors of these systems are shaped by their environments, by the actions and interactions of their own subentities, and by human beings. However, it is interesting to note that all these disparate systems exhibit some common behavior patterns. This chapter introduces basic system concept by describing a number of different systems in various disciplines. It discusses the importance of information exchange and feedback in shaping system behavior. How system knowledge can help us understand and cope with them and enable us to build or modify them to address our needs and desires. Finally, the chapter introduces the concept of system view.
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Global Warming
We are now well aware of global warming and its negative consequences. Most scientists seem to agree that an increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) gas in earth’s atmosphere is the primary reason for this climate change. CO2 comes from carbon, which is abundant in nature. Coal, graphite, and diamond are solid carbons, while petroleum is a liquid or viscous compound of carbon. A very large part of all living beings is made of carbon compounds. Carbon © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017 A. Ghosh, Dynamic Systems for Everyone, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-43943-3_1
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Dynamic Systems for Everyone
Sunlight
Sun
Sunlight
Greenhouse Effect due to Atmospheric CO2 Photosynthesis (Plant Growth).
CO2 in the Atmosphere
Increased Use in Home & Industry
Fossil Fuel
Animals
Dead Organisms . and Waste Products CO2 – Carbon Dioxide
Increased use of fossil fuel is escalating the greenhouse effect
Fig. 1.1
The carbon cycle
combines with oxygen, which is abundant in earth’s atmosphere, by various natural and human activated processes to form CO2, which goes back to the atmosphere. Plants use CO2 and sunlight to make their own food in a process known as photosynthesis (Fig. 1.1). Herbivores get carbon by eating vegetable matters, while omnivores and carnivores get it from plants and other animals. When plants and animals die and decay the carbon generally goes back to the atmosphere as CO2. However, they may be converted into fossil fuel, like coal and oil, if buried in earth under the right circumstances, but that can take millions of years. These interactions are collectively termed as the carbon cycle, which has been occurring in nature for a very long time. Atmospheric CO2 level remained steady when the world population was small and human beings used renewable resources such as wood and cow dung for cooking and heating. The balance was altered when we began using fossil fuels, such as coal or gasoline in large quantities for h
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