Sketchplanations
Big Ideas Little Pictures
Get the book!
Sketchplanations podcast photo of Rob Bell, Tom Pellereau and Jono Hey
Prefer to listen?
🎉 Help keep Sketchplanations ad-free by supporting me

Sustainability: ideas and frameworks explained

A collection of ideas, frameworks and techniques related to Sustainability, explained clearly so they are easy to understand and share.

There is no away illustration: A 4 panel cartoon has a child asking a parent what to do with some trash or rubbish. The Dad says just throw it away. After some confusion the child chucks it off planet earth. The final panel reads: Oh wait. There is no "away"There is no "away"Mangroves illustration: showing the coastal habitat and their benefits in protecting, stabilising, nurturing and sequesteringMangrovesSiphon illustration: how a siphon works draining a reservoir by running a water uphill, unaided, until it empties into a lower reservoir.SiphonTwo houses showing different approaches to heating: heating people and heating spacesHeating people, heating spacesHump-Back Stations illustration: an above and below ground cross-section of an urban environment is shown, displaying the rise and fall of an underground transit tunnel as it approaches and departs a station platform - allowing gravity to play its part in slowing the train down, uphill as it comes into a station and accelerating it away, downhill on departure. Hump-back stationsWishcycling: someone wonders about whether something can go in the recycling — followed by the effect on each part of the recycling chain afterWishcyclingPollution from idling cars exhaust - 150 balloons filled by the exhaust of an idling car in a minuteIdlingSubmarine shower illustration: following these 3 simple steps, we can save water and energy by showering as if there was a very limited supply of water - like on a nuclear submarine. Firstly, the shower-goer wets their entire body using only 10 seconds of water. Secondly, the shower has been turned off for soap or shower gel to be applied and lathered up. Thirdly, the water is turned back on again for a thorough but quick rinsing - again only using 10 seconds worth of water. Job done. Little water used. Submarine showerThe Keeling Curve illustration: A line graph shows a tight zig-zag red line rising from around 310 parts per million (ppm) monthly average CO2 concentration in the air at the top of Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii in 1960, up to 410 ppm in 2020. The smaller graph at the top shows the reason for the zig-zag nature of the line; the seasonal variation of CO2 concentration in the air due to more plants blooming and photosynthesising in Spring and Summer. The Keeling curveWho cut down the last tree illustration: 300 years ago we see someone cutting down a tree with an axe in a large dense forest. 100 years ago we see someone cutting down a tree in a now much more sparse forest. Today, there's only a small sapling left, and someone just snapped a branch off it. So what next? Who cut down the last tree?What is The Overview Effect example explained: the classic moonrise photo from the Apollo 11 moon missions with 2 astronauts have a bit of a moment and need to sit down when taking in the majestic view of Earth from the moon and realise this is all we've got.The Overview Effect A Profound Shift in PerspectiveWhat is Jevon's paradox in economics: fuel use tends to increase, not decrease, despite efficiency gains, with definition and example. Observation from William Stanley JevonsJevon’s ParadoxHow to grow your own fresh air illustration: examples of common houseplants that help create an environment with relatively cleaner air; the Areca Palm, Mother-in-law's Tongue and the Money Plant. How to grow your own fresh airThe fifth fuel — energy efficiency — the cheapest of them allThe Fifth Fuel: energy efficiencyCradle to Cradle or circular economy sketch. Production has to be a loop. Known often as the circular economy. Sketch of a loop/production loopThink cradle to cradleOur atmosphere is as thick for the Earth as the skin on an appleOur atmosphere is as thick for the Earth as the skin on an appleSave some landfill with reusable nappies/diapersDry your hands with only one towel

Suggest an idea

Buy Me A Coffee