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Scenario Cards -- Environmental Systems Literacy

Use these to practice systems thinking about environmental topics. All scenarios use fictional settings.

The River That Shrank​

Scenario: The fictional town of Riverbend draws water from a river for farming, drinking, and industry. Each user takes a little more every year. One summer, the river runs unusually low and fish begin to disappear.

Discussion:

  • What system are we looking at? What are the inputs and outputs?
  • What is the carrying capacity for water use in this river?
  • What rule might prevent this from getting worse?

Extension: Research one real river that has experienced significant water depletion.

The Away Audit​

Scenario: Jordan throws away an old phone. Jordan says "It is gone now." Morgan says "There is no such thing as 'away'."

Discussion:

  • What does Morgan mean?
  • Where might the phone's materials actually go?
  • What would a truly circular fate for the phone look like?

Extension: Research what happens to electronic waste in your country.

The Warming Jar​

Scenario: In a classroom experiment, two sealed jars are placed in sunlight. One has plain air; one has a higher concentration of CO2. The CO2 jar gets warmer faster.

Discussion:

  • What does this model?
  • What is the energy input? What changes the output?
  • What happens if the CO2 concentration keeps increasing?

Extension: Research the greenhouse effect and compare it to the jar experiment.

The Repair Decision​

Scenario: Alex's bicycle tire has a slow leak. A repair shop says the patch kit costs $8 and takes 15 minutes. A new tire costs $40. A new bike costs $200. The bike is 3 years old.

Discussion:

  • What are the three options and their system costs (materials, money, time)?
  • Which option is most circular?
  • What would you recommend and why?

Extension: Calculate the "embodied energy" concept: how much energy went into making the original bike vs. a replacement.

The Compost Pile​

Scenario: Sam starts a backyard compost pile with food scraps, leaves, and garden waste. After a few months, the pile turns into dark, rich soil. Sam uses it in the garden.

Discussion:

  • What cycle does this represent?
  • What is the input? What is the output? What makes this circular?
  • Why does not all food waste compost the same way?

Extension: Research what types of materials compost well vs. poorly.

The Overfished Pond​

Scenario: Ten families share a fictional fishing pond. Each family is allowed to take 10 fish per season, leaving 50 for the fish to reproduce. One summer, a few families take 20-30 fish each, saying "Just this once." The next year, the total fish count has dropped sharply.

Discussion:

  • What resource was treated as a commons?
  • What rule broke down?
  • Design a fairer system for managing the pond.

Extension: Research the concept of a "quota system" in real fisheries management.