[Fis] reinvesting on life support systems

Dear Luis, Pedro and all the other Colleagues,

Actually I do not think that my views are (nor will they ever be) 'mainstream' respect current economic schools, as Pedro is asking. Neoclassical economists are still significantly ignoring the real value of all "free" inputs and services from Nature and energy analysts are fighting them more than trying to collaborate. Although I see good signs of attention from both sides, the situation is still that

� Energy and resource accounting are important for understanding the sustainability of civilization (more than economists have wanted to admit)

� Economics is important for understanding the sustainability of civilization (more than energy analysts have wanted to admit)

For the sake of clarity, in partial response to Luis and Pedro's concerns, my point is not that emergy is the unique way to evaluate the value of resources. I currently use several methods in parallel and integrated way (including exergy and MFA). I do not use ascendancy, at present, but I do not disregard the relevance of this approach. Each method contributes to highlight some resource characteristics or the integration among components and sectors.I do not think that only one numeraire or indicator could be comprehensive enough for every thing.

Responding to Pedro, a wolf and an oak have a role within the hierarchical chain of the biosphere and emergy is, by no means, unable to capture every aspect of their role or characteristics (this is why I believe that more integrated methods are needed). Emergy captures several aspects, based on the convergence of the environmental support through all the hierarchical levels from the sun to the wolf via the metabolic chain. Emergy also accounts for the feedback control from the higher to the lower levels and puts numbers (maybe orders of magnitude, due to the existing uncertainty) that help understanding roles and interactions. Ascendancy, which accounts for the existing organization, is also another important tool for this understanding.

My focus is is on the following:

a) Since we have several methods (EMergy, Exergy, Material Flow Accounting, Ecological Footprint) capable of accounting for a resource intrinsic value on a physical, measurable basis, what the next step should be? Thermodynamic and ecological methods are not alternative to the Economic methods, but can usefully complement them by adding information (otherwise not available).

b) Is this enough to suggest the inclusion of these methods in a national or international account system and start building resource assessments which internalize the donor-side "ecological" value of resources? Some MFA account is on the way, at European Union level, as well as in Germany, Italy, Austria, among others.

c) Are we able to suggest any innovative economic strategy for appropriate resource use (including the biophysical value in the cost calculation, or suggesting taxes, incentives, regulations, based on thermodynamic and ecological analyses), in order to avoid resource misuse?

d) Since we cannot pay Nature directly for its work and since resources belong to all living being on Earth, if any additional revenues were obtained by a national or international Organization they should only be reinvested into a feedback reinforcement of the life support system, so that all organisms can benefit. Is this a viable strategy or simply a book of dreams? Pedro says that "civilized options are not in sight yet", which is true. But what fraction of this failure is due to lack of reliable proposals as alternatives to the "increasing-the-GDP option"? I feel that the inclusion of suitable measures of the natural capital increase or decrease might help, no matter they are based on emergy, exergy, MFA or any other approach.

All the best.

Sergio

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Sergio Ulgiati
Energy and Environment Research Unit
Department of Chemistry
University of Siena
Via Aldo Moro
53100 Siena (Italy)

Phone: +39-0577-234232
Fax: +39-0577-234254
E-mail: ulgiati@unisi.it
http://www.unisi.it/eventi/ades/portovenere.html
http://www.chim.unisi.it/en&war.html

 
Received on Sat Nov 15 23:08:13 2003