1 The material and energetic basis of social systems An introduction Simron Jit Singh Institute of Social Ecology Klagenfurt University, Austria Why analyse material and energy flows? Materials and energy are biophysical categories necessary for human survival and reproduction They are finite both in terms of availability and productivity Patterns of material and energy use (in both quantitative and qualitative terms) affect the future survival of humans and other species The world is presently experiencing an unprecedented environment crisis due to the ways we consume our resources (materials, energy, land) causing sustainability problems on the input side (scarcity) and the output side (pollution) This has also had social consequences in terms of resource distributional conflicts and environmental justice
Transcript
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The material and energetic
basis of social systemsAn introduction
Simron Jit Singh
Institute of Social EcologyKlagenfurt University, Austria
Why analyse material and energy flows?
Materials and energy are biophysical categories necessary for
human survival and reproduction
They are finite both in terms of availability and productivity
Patterns of material and energy use (in both quantitative and
qualitative terms) affect the future survival of humans and
other species
The world is presently experiencing an unprecedented
of subsistence, social formations, historical systems)
Flows under consideration: total turnover of materials, energy or both; one
may select certain flows of materials or chemical substances (inputs or
outputs) for reasons of availability in the reference ecosystem, or to look
at the rates of consumption.
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Map of materials of particular interest for accounting
Source: Steurer 1996
Related policy response:
Small volume with high impact:
policy directed on pollution
control, bans, substitutions, etc.
Medium volume focuses on
policy at reducing materials and
energy intensity or production,
minimization of wastes and
emissions, closing loops
through recycling
High volume flows, policy
objectives will be concerned
with depletion of natural
resources, disruption of habitats
during extractions.
Some theoretical and empiricalapplications of MEFA
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1. Characteristic metabolic profiles and transitions across scales and
production regimes
Composition of materials input (DMC)
material input EU15 (tonnes, in %)
Biomass
construction minerals
industr.minerals
fossil fuels
total: 17 tonnes/cap*y
source: EUROSTAT 2003
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Composition of DPO: Wastes and emissions(outflows)
D PO t o air ( C O2 )
D PO t o air*
D PO t o land ( wast e)
D PO t o land ( d issipat ive use)
D PO t o wat er
Source: WRI et al., 2000; own calculations
unweighted means of DPO per capita for
A, G, J, NL, US; metric tons
DPO total: 16 tons per capita
Metabolic profiles of the agrarian and industrial regime:
transition = explosion
Agrarian Industrial Factor
Energy use (DEC) per capita [GJ/cap] 40-70 150-400 3-5
Material use (DMC) per capita [t/cap] 3-6 15-25 3-5
Population density [cap/km²] <40 < 400 3-10
Agricultural population [%] >80% <10% 0.1
Energy use (DEC) per area [GJ/ha] <30 < 600 10-30
Material use (DMC) per area [t/ha] <2 < 50 10-30
Biomass (share of DEC) [%] >95 10-30 0.1-0.3
Source: Social Ecology DB
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Domestic Material Consumption / cap in EU Countries, 2000
Source: Weisz et al. 2006
Global material use 1900 – 2005 (DMC = DE)
Source: Krausmann et al. 2009
Total material use (Gigatons / year) Metabolic rate (tons / cap / year)
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India: Domestic Material Consumption (DMC) total tons I tons per capita
Source: Lanz 2008
-
500.000
1.000.000
1.500.000
2.000.000
2.500.000
3.000.000
3.500.000
4.000.000
4.500.000
5.000.000
1961
1964
1967
1970
1973
1976
1979
1982
1985
1988
1991
1994
1997
2000
2003
1000t
Construction
mineralsOres and non
metallic mineralsFossil fuels
Biomass
-
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
1961
1964
1967
1970
1973
1976
1979
1982
1985
1988
1991
1994
1997
2000
2003
t/cap
Construction
mineralsOres and non
metallic mineralsFossil fuels
Biomass
2. Dematerialization or shiftingenvironmental burdens from north to south
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� Meadows et al. (1972) argued that economic growth would
have to be stalled in order to remain within the earth’s
carrying capacity
� As opposed to Meadows, Ayres and Kneese’s solution was
more subtle and acceptable to economists…it was not
economic growth that mattered but the growth in the material
throughput of human societies that was significant.
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Problem shifting via international division of labor
Raw material --> semi-/products --
>
use disposal
Value
added
Mass
Developed countriesdeveloping
Ma
teri
al M
on
ey
100%
0%
Unequal distribution of global resources (for the year 2000)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
S hare o f popu la tion S ha re o f te rrito ry S ha re o f G D P
D - Ld - ow
D - Ld - nw
D - H d
I - Ld - ow
I - Ld - nw
I - H d
Slide courtesy: Fischer-Kowalski and colleagues
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3. Relating material and energyflows with conflicts
• Cities require large inputs of material and energy resources, but they have very littleproductive land of their own; theydepend on hinterlands (national or international) for their supply of materials and energy for theirmetabolism (infrastructure, food, products) as well as wastedisposal; corporations and enterprises organise thisproduction – supply – disposalchain for the city at profitable rates, while ignoring proper compensation and externalities of the hinterland populations…
E.g. Barcelona produces 800 t of waste each day, dumped in ruralsites, leading to conflicts
Metabolism of cities and conflicts
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The conflicts in Catalan can be
seen as a problem of
energy metabolism where
energy production takes
place in rural hinterlands
(nuclear, wind); while city
dwellers enjoy most of the
energy supply, and
capitalists make high gains
in this production – supply
chain, the low economic
compensation as well as
externalities are borne by
the rural populations;
Energy metabolism of Catalan
Monetary and physical trade balance in Equador
Source: Vallejo (2010)
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Resource extraction and conflicts in Equador
Source: Vallejo (2010)
Analysing the
material and
energetic
basis of local
rural systems
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Conceptual and analytical
skills; ability to think in terms
of systems and feedback
loops, etc.
Innovative and logical
thinking on the field to
generate reliable primary
quantitative data
Anthropological field
research skills, social &
process skills, participant
observation, ability to
generate qualitative data
on the socio-cultural system
Which scientific skills do we need
for undertaking local studies?
Why study local rural systems?
� Local systems are the base of national economies
in terms of food production & resource extraction;
� They are most vulnerable to environmental
impacts and ecological repercussions on the
output side
� The health of a local base is to a large extent an
indication of the health of its national economy
� Thus, the sustainability of local systems is crucial
when we speak of national or global sustainability
� To me it provides a meaningful point of entry into
the sustainability discourse
� And of course a certain amount of field work is
always exciting!
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Material Flows on Trinket, Nicobar Islands (tons/cap/yr)
