ABSTRACT
In the previous chapters, several methods have been discussed from the field of industrial ecology through the lens of the resource nexus. The industrial ecology object of study is the economy, or even broader, society, in terms of the flows and stocks of materials and energy. This is referred to as society’s metabolism, in analogy to the metabolism of an organism ingesting food and energy to build up its biomass, and exhausting or excreting waste in the process. Other terms used are the technosphere (as a separate physical “sphere” in addition to atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere), and the physical economy (to set it apart from the monetary economy). It acknowledges the physical nature of our society, its commodities and its processes, and helps us realise that the laws of nature apply in our economy, in addition to the laws of our societies. Over the years, it has become apparent that the study of society’s metabolism generates valuable information to help understand the complex relation between society and economy on the one hand, and the environment on the other hand. Figure 10.1 depicts this.
