Publications
On the Circular Bioeconomy and Decoupling: Implications for Sustainable Growth Journal Article
Giampietro, M.
In: Ecological Economics, 162 , pp. 143–156, 2019, ISSN: 09218009.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Bioeconomy, Circular economy, Decoupling, Fund-flow model, Linearization, Metabolic pattern, Social-ecological ystem, Sustainable growth
@article{Giampietro2019,
title = {On the Circular Bioeconomy and Decoupling: Implications for Sustainable Growth},
author = {M. Giampietro},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.05.001},
issn = {09218009},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-08-01},
journal = {Ecological Economics},
volume = {162},
pages = {143--156},
publisher = {Elsevier B.V.},
abstract = {This paper explores the existing confusion around the conceptual definitions and interpretations of the term circular bioeconomy. The co-existence of diametrically opposite interpretations of the concept indicates lack of a serious discussion of its theoretical foundations. Two narratives on circular bioeconomy are explored in depth: (i) the new economic paradigm based on technological progress (the economics of technological promises) that seeks perpetual economic growth; (ii) an entropic (thermodynamic) narrative that reflects on the limits on economic growth imposed by nature. The latter narrative makes a distinction between primary, secondary and tertiary resource flows and helps to identify what can and cannot be re-circulated within the metabolic pattern of social-ecological systems. Adopting the biophysical view, it becomes clear that the industrial revolution represented a linearization of material and energy flows with the goal to overcome the low pace and density of biological transformations. The required level of productivity of production factors in contemporary developed economies (flows per hour of labor and per hectare of land use) is orders of magnitude larger than the pace and density of supply and sink capacity of natural processes. Relying on nature to ‘close the loop' will simply slow down the economic process.},
keywords = {Bioeconomy, Circular economy, Decoupling, Fund-flow model, Linearization, Metabolic pattern, Social-ecological ystem, Sustainable growth},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper explores the existing confusion around the conceptual definitions and interpretations of the term circular bioeconomy. The co-existence of diametrically opposite interpretations of the concept indicates lack of a serious discussion of its theoretical foundations. Two narratives on circular bioeconomy are explored in depth: (i) the new economic paradigm based on technological progress (the economics of technological promises) that seeks perpetual economic growth; (ii) an entropic (thermodynamic) narrative that reflects on the limits on economic growth imposed by nature. The latter narrative makes a distinction between primary, secondary and tertiary resource flows and helps to identify what can and cannot be re-circulated within the metabolic pattern of social-ecological systems. Adopting the biophysical view, it becomes clear that the industrial revolution represented a linearization of material and energy flows with the goal to overcome the low pace and density of biological transformations. The required level of productivity of production factors in contemporary developed economies (flows per hour of labor and per hectare of land use) is orders of magnitude larger than the pace and density of supply and sink capacity of natural processes. Relying on nature to ‘close the loop' will simply slow down the economic process.
The role of metrics in the governance of the water-energy-food nexus within the European Commission Journal Article
Voelker, Thomas; Blackstock, Kirsty; Kovacic, Zora; Sindt, Jan; Strand, Roger; Waylen, Kerry
In: Journal of Rural Studies, 2019, ISSN: 07430167.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Co-production, Environmental governance, Legitimacy, Narrative, Quantification, Water-energy-food nexus
@article{Voelker2019,
title = {The role of metrics in the governance of the water-energy-food nexus within the European Commission},
author = {Thomas Voelker and Kirsty Blackstock and Zora Kovacic and Jan Sindt and Roger Strand and Kerry Waylen},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0743016718315110},
doi = {10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.08.001},
issn = {07430167},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-08-01},
journal = {Journal of Rural Studies},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus in both academia and policy. This concept draws attention to the link between different environmental and societal domains, and potentially entails substantive shifts in governance processes. As a consequence, policy-makers and scientists have started to develop metrics to make these interactions and ‘trade-offs' visible. However, it is unknown if current framings of the nexus and relevant quantified metrics either reinforce or challenge existing governance structures. This paper explores relationships between framings of the nexus, metrics and models of governance based on discussions with staff within the European Commission. Although narratives around the need for new metrics are situated in a conventional script about the use of evidence to change policy, our data indicate processes of co-production, by which the use (or non-use) of any new metrics is dependent on existing institutional practices; and will reflect dominant political orderings. In doing so we provide a critical analysis of the role of metrics in environmental governance, and direct attention to the discursive, institutional and political arrangements in which they are embedded and with which they are co-constitutive. Focusing on the cultural and institutional settings in which they are established and used, our study suggests that the question of metrics in the water-energy-food nexus needs to be explored as a problem of establishing a legitimate policy objective in the European Commission and EU policy-making more broadly.},
keywords = {Co-production, Environmental governance, Legitimacy, Narrative, Quantification, Water-energy-food nexus},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus in both academia and policy. This concept draws attention to the link between different environmental and societal domains, and potentially entails substantive shifts in governance processes. As a consequence, policy-makers and scientists have started to develop metrics to make these interactions and ‘trade-offs' visible. However, it is unknown if current framings of the nexus and relevant quantified metrics either reinforce or challenge existing governance structures. This paper explores relationships between framings of the nexus, metrics and models of governance based on discussions with staff within the European Commission. Although narratives around the need for new metrics are situated in a conventional script about the use of evidence to change policy, our data indicate processes of co-production, by which the use (or non-use) of any new metrics is dependent on existing institutional practices; and will reflect dominant political orderings. In doing so we provide a critical analysis of the role of metrics in environmental governance, and direct attention to the discursive, institutional and political arrangements in which they are embedded and with which they are co-constitutive. Focusing on the cultural and institutional settings in which they are established and used, our study suggests that the question of metrics in the water-energy-food nexus needs to be explored as a problem of establishing a legitimate policy objective in the European Commission and EU policy-making more broadly.
Complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity: Implications for European Union energy governance Journal Article
Kovacic, Zora; Felice, Louisa Jane Di
In: Energy Research & Social Science, 53 , pp. 159–169, 2019, ISSN: 22146296.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Definition, Energy security, Indicators, Policy-making, Science-policy interface
@article{Kovacic2019,
title = {Complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity: Implications for European Union energy governance},
author = {Zora Kovacic and Louisa Jane Di Felice},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S221462961831137X},
doi = {10.1016/j.erss.2019.03.005},
issn = {22146296},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-07-01},
journal = {Energy Research & Social Science},
volume = {53},
pages = {159--169},
publisher = {Elsevier},
abstract = {Energy security is an ambiguous concept. Growing academic interest has aimed at defining, conceptualising and measuring energy security, often through indicators. Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is not concerned with energy security's ambiguous conceptualisation, nor does it use energy security indicators, but it refers consistently to security as one of its primary aims. In this paper, by analysing the use of energy security both in scientific publications and in EU policy, we argue that the ambiguity of the concept plays a function in the policy process and is only seen as a problem in the academic literature. Building on the uncertainty literature, we conceptualise ambiguity as the type of uncertainty that emerges from complexity. Complexity leads to the existence of multiple representations of a system, which may serve different purposes in the policy process, generating ambiguity. Uncertainty is mobilised to frame energy policy as a matter of security. This has implications for the science-policy interface: on one hand, the analysis suggests that science's aim of providing holistic assessments and clarifications may not serve its desired instrumental purpose in policymaking; on the other, ambiguity allows for materially ineffective policy measures to persist in the name of energy security.},
keywords = {Definition, Energy security, Indicators, Policy-making, Science-policy interface},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Energy security is an ambiguous concept. Growing academic interest has aimed at defining, conceptualising and measuring energy security, often through indicators. Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is not concerned with energy security's ambiguous conceptualisation, nor does it use energy security indicators, but it refers consistently to security as one of its primary aims. In this paper, by analysing the use of energy security both in scientific publications and in EU policy, we argue that the ambiguity of the concept plays a function in the policy process and is only seen as a problem in the academic literature. Building on the uncertainty literature, we conceptualise ambiguity as the type of uncertainty that emerges from complexity. Complexity leads to the existence of multiple representations of a system, which may serve different purposes in the policy process, generating ambiguity. Uncertainty is mobilised to frame energy policy as a matter of security. This has implications for the science-policy interface: on one hand, the analysis suggests that science's aim of providing holistic assessments and clarifications may not serve its desired instrumental purpose in policymaking; on the other, ambiguity allows for materially ineffective policy measures to persist in the name of energy security.
Unraveling complex relations between forest-cover change and conflicts through spatial and relational analyses Journal Article
Pérez-Llorente, Irene; Ramírez, M. Isabel; Paneque-Gálvez, Jaime; Orozco, Claudio Garibay; González-López, Rafael
In: Ecology and Society, 24 (3), pp. art3, 2019, ISSN: 1708-3087.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: central Mexico, Complexity theory, environmental conflicts, land-cover/land-use change, Uncertainty
@article{Perez-Llorente2019,
title = {Unraveling complex relations between forest-cover change and conflicts through spatial and relational analyses},
author = {Irene P\'{e}rez-Llorente and M. Isabel Ram\'{i}rez and Jaime Paneque-G\'{a}lvez and Claudio Garibay Orozco and Rafael Gonz\'{a}lez-L\'{o}pez},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5751/ https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol24/iss3/art3/},
doi = {10.5751/ES-10992-240303},
issn = {1708-3087},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-07-01},
journal = {Ecology and Society},
volume = {24},
number = {3},
pages = {art3},
publisher = {The Resilience Alliance},
abstract = {Despite the increasing prevalence of forest-cover change and conflicts, most studies have been unable to unravel the complex relations between the two processes. We attribute this failure to methodological limitations. We put forward an alternative approach that combines different datasets (remote sensing, GIS, local narratives, official censuses, newspaper articles), methods (spatial and relational analyses), and scales (subregions, economic sectors, land-based activities) to create a robust explanation of the relations between different intensities of forest-cover change and conflict in the Meseta Pur\'{e}pecha region, central Mexico. This is an important forest region, inhabited by indigenous and mestizo peasants; it has a worldwide reputation for community forestry and is also the epicenter of international avocado production. Forest-cover change is intense and there are recurrent episodes of conflict. We clustered communities in three subregions according to their patterns of forest-cover change. We analyzed the spatial patterns of forest-cover change and conflicts and we characterized the structure and function of the different economic sectors to unravel the nonlinear, interdependent (and sometimes contradictory) relations among these processes. We found that avocado production has differentially shaped the composition and working of society within each subregion, leading to three diverging patterns. Avocado production has provoked conflicts over landownership and over illegal logging in nearby areas. In some areas, a low incidence of conflicts over forest clearance might be explained by high profits, coercion, and violence. We suggest that, by combining spatial and relational analyses, we can integrate and check the congruence of nonequivalent representations from quantitative sources and observant participation at different scales and explain the heterogeneity that processes display across space. Our methodological approach can thus improve our understanding of similar and other complex and uncertain environmental problems elsewhere, especially when accurate or appropriate data are missing.},
keywords = {central Mexico, Complexity theory, environmental conflicts, land-cover/land-use change, Uncertainty},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Despite the increasing prevalence of forest-cover change and conflicts, most studies have been unable to unravel the complex relations between the two processes. We attribute this failure to methodological limitations. We put forward an alternative approach that combines different datasets (remote sensing, GIS, local narratives, official censuses, newspaper articles), methods (spatial and relational analyses), and scales (subregions, economic sectors, land-based activities) to create a robust explanation of the relations between different intensities of forest-cover change and conflict in the Meseta Purépecha region, central Mexico. This is an important forest region, inhabited by indigenous and mestizo peasants; it has a worldwide reputation for community forestry and is also the epicenter of international avocado production. Forest-cover change is intense and there are recurrent episodes of conflict. We clustered communities in three subregions according to their patterns of forest-cover change. We analyzed the spatial patterns of forest-cover change and conflicts and we characterized the structure and function of the different economic sectors to unravel the nonlinear, interdependent (and sometimes contradictory) relations among these processes. We found that avocado production has differentially shaped the composition and working of society within each subregion, leading to three diverging patterns. Avocado production has provoked conflicts over landownership and over illegal logging in nearby areas. In some areas, a low incidence of conflicts over forest clearance might be explained by high profits, coercion, and violence. We suggest that, by combining spatial and relational analyses, we can integrate and check the congruence of nonequivalent representations from quantitative sources and observant participation at different scales and explain the heterogeneity that processes display across space. Our methodological approach can thus improve our understanding of similar and other complex and uncertain environmental problems elsewhere, especially when accurate or appropriate data are missing.
Towards Measuring the Informal City: A Societal Metabolism Approach Journal Article
Smit, Suzanne; Musango, Josephine K.; Kovacic, Zora; Brent, Alan C.
In: Journal of Industrial Ecology, 23 (3), pp. 674–685, 2019, ISSN: 1088-1980.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Informal settlement, MuSIASEM, Societal metabolism, South Africa, Urban metabolism, urban slum
@article{Smit2019,
title = {Towards Measuring the Informal City: A Societal Metabolism Approach},
author = {Suzanne Smit and Josephine K. Musango and Zora Kovacic and Alan C. Brent},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jiec.12776 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jiec.12776 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jiec.12776},
doi = {10.1111/jiec.12776},
issn = {1088-1980},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-06-01},
journal = {Journal of Industrial Ecology},
volume = {23},
number = {3},
pages = {674--685},
publisher = {John Wiley & Sons, Ltd},
abstract = {The rapid growth of urban informal settlements, or slums, poses a particular challenge for balancing developmental and environmental goals. In South Africa, high levels of inequality, poverty, and unemployment contribute to widespread migration. The influx of migrant workers to cities, however, is rarely matched with adequate housing and infrastructure, resulting in the formation and growth of urban informal settlements. Despite the persistence of the slum phenomenon, very few studies provide an in-depth understanding of the metabolic processes that link these spaces, and informal economies, to the broader urban environment and economy. This article therefore utilized a multiscale integrated assessment of the societal and ecosystem metabolism approach to examine human activity and land use in Enkanini, an urban informal settlement in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The results highlight a number of issues to be addressed through spatial, developmental, and local economic policy, such as the need for improved transport linkages. The time-use results show that Enkanini is a net provider of labor to the surrounding area. Further, geographical mapping indicates Enkanini as a small, but vibrant, informal economy, while being grossly underserviced in terms of water, waste, and sanitation infrastructure. Key implications are discussed in terms of the theoretical, methodological, societal, and policy impact of the study, including the need for city observatories that conduct regular data collection and analysis.},
keywords = {Informal settlement, MuSIASEM, Societal metabolism, South Africa, Urban metabolism, urban slum},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The rapid growth of urban informal settlements, or slums, poses a particular challenge for balancing developmental and environmental goals. In South Africa, high levels of inequality, poverty, and unemployment contribute to widespread migration. The influx of migrant workers to cities, however, is rarely matched with adequate housing and infrastructure, resulting in the formation and growth of urban informal settlements. Despite the persistence of the slum phenomenon, very few studies provide an in-depth understanding of the metabolic processes that link these spaces, and informal economies, to the broader urban environment and economy. This article therefore utilized a multiscale integrated assessment of the societal and ecosystem metabolism approach to examine human activity and land use in Enkanini, an urban informal settlement in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The results highlight a number of issues to be addressed through spatial, developmental, and local economic policy, such as the need for improved transport linkages. The time-use results show that Enkanini is a net provider of labor to the surrounding area. Further, geographical mapping indicates Enkanini as a small, but vibrant, informal economy, while being grossly underserviced in terms of water, waste, and sanitation infrastructure. Key implications are discussed in terms of the theoretical, methodological, societal, and policy impact of the study, including the need for city observatories that conduct regular data collection and analysis.
Power generation from slaughterhouse waste materials. An emergy accounting assessment Journal Article
Santagata, Remo; Viglia, Silvio; Fiorentino, Gabriella; Liu, Gengyuan; Ripa, Maddalena
In: Journal of Cleaner Production, 223 , pp. 536–552, 2019, ISSN: 09596526.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Animal by-products, Bio-refinery, Electricity generation, Emergy Accounting, Resource recovery, Waste management
@article{Santagata2019,
title = {Power generation from slaughterhouse waste materials. An emergy accounting assessment},
author = {Remo Santagata and Silvio Viglia and Gabriella Fiorentino and Gengyuan Liu and Maddalena Ripa},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0959652619308376},
doi = {10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.03.148},
issn = {09596526},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-06-01},
journal = {Journal of Cleaner Production},
volume = {223},
pages = {536--552},
publisher = {Elsevier},
abstract = {The linear path “extraction-production-consumption-waste” imposed by humans to natural ecosystems, where all material flows are instead circular, has become unsustainable. Understanding the potential value of some of these “by-products” in order to exploit them effectively in a biorefinery perspective, may help overcoming resource shortages and decrease environmental impacts. This study investigates energy and resource restoration from animal by-products. The slaughterhouse waste undergoes a rendering process to separate residual meal and fat. The latter is combusted in a co-generation plant to produce electricity and heat. The process is carefully assessed using Emergy Accounting approach with the aim of evaluating benefits and environmental load of the process considering the advantages achieved compared with the demand for ecosystem services and natural capital depletion. Moreover, the case aims at exploring three different methodological assumptions referring to the upstream burdens carried by the waste management system, proposing a modified exergy-based allocation rule. The electricity generated shows performances in terms of Unit Emergy Values ranging between 2.7E+05 sej/J, 2.2E+06 sej/J and 3.1E+07 sej/J among the different cases investigated, comparable to power from fossil fuels and renewables sources, and it provides an environmentally sound alternative to conventional waste disposal.},
keywords = {Animal by-products, Bio-refinery, Electricity generation, Emergy Accounting, Resource recovery, Waste management},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The linear path “extraction-production-consumption-waste” imposed by humans to natural ecosystems, where all material flows are instead circular, has become unsustainable. Understanding the potential value of some of these “by-products” in order to exploit them effectively in a biorefinery perspective, may help overcoming resource shortages and decrease environmental impacts. This study investigates energy and resource restoration from animal by-products. The slaughterhouse waste undergoes a rendering process to separate residual meal and fat. The latter is combusted in a co-generation plant to produce electricity and heat. The process is carefully assessed using Emergy Accounting approach with the aim of evaluating benefits and environmental load of the process considering the advantages achieved compared with the demand for ecosystem services and natural capital depletion. Moreover, the case aims at exploring three different methodological assumptions referring to the upstream burdens carried by the waste management system, proposing a modified exergy-based allocation rule. The electricity generated shows performances in terms of Unit Emergy Values ranging between 2.7E+05 sej/J, 2.2E+06 sej/J and 3.1E+07 sej/J among the different cases investigated, comparable to power from fossil fuels and renewables sources, and it provides an environmentally sound alternative to conventional waste disposal.
Linking Water Scarcity to Mental Health: Hydro–Social Interruptions in the Lake Urmia Basin, Iran Journal Article
Ženko, Maja; Menga, Filippo
In: Water, 11 (5), pp. 1092, 2019, ISSN: 2073-4441.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: hydro, Iran, Lake Urmia, manufactured water scarcity, mental health, social territories
@article{Zenko2019a,
title = {Linking Water Scarcity to Mental Health: Hydro\textendashSocial Interruptions in the Lake Urmia Basin, Iran},
author = {Maja \v{Z}enko and Filippo Menga},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/5/1092/htm https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/5/1092},
doi = {10.3390/w11051092},
issn = {2073-4441},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-05-01},
journal = {Water},
volume = {11},
number = {5},
pages = {1092},
publisher = {Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute},
abstract = {Alterations of water flows resulting from the manifestation of powerful hydro\textendashsocial imaginaries often produce an uneven distribution of burdens and benefits for different social groups or regions, reflecting their social and political power. Marginalized regions can suffer manufactured territorialized water scarcity, which disturbs the natural, economic and socio-political order of water users, and as this article shows, inevitably affects their psychological wellbeing. Set in the context of the surroundings of Lake Urmia in Iran, once one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world and now a severely degraded ecosystem mainly as a result of water overuse in its watershed, this article explores how and through which pathways this manufactured water scarcity impacted the mental health of the water users in the region. The research findings reveal that alterations in this local hydro\textendashsocial territory and the resulting biophysical, financial and social changes, as well as impacts on physical health of water users, relate to chronic psychological stress, social isolation, intra-community conflicts, despair, hopelessness, depression and anxiety.},
keywords = {hydro, Iran, Lake Urmia, manufactured water scarcity, mental health, social territories},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Alterations of water flows resulting from the manifestation of powerful hydro–social imaginaries often produce an uneven distribution of burdens and benefits for different social groups or regions, reflecting their social and political power. Marginalized regions can suffer manufactured territorialized water scarcity, which disturbs the natural, economic and socio-political order of water users, and as this article shows, inevitably affects their psychological wellbeing. Set in the context of the surroundings of Lake Urmia in Iran, once one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world and now a severely degraded ecosystem mainly as a result of water overuse in its watershed, this article explores how and through which pathways this manufactured water scarcity impacted the mental health of the water users in the region. The research findings reveal that alterations in this local hydro–social territory and the resulting biophysical, financial and social changes, as well as impacts on physical health of water users, relate to chronic psychological stress, social isolation, intra-community conflicts, despair, hopelessness, depression and anxiety.
The Hijacking of the Bioeconomy Journal Article
Vivien, F. -D.; Nieddu, M.; Befort, N.; Debref, R.; Giampietro, M.
In: Ecological Economics, 159 , pp. 189–197, 2019, ISSN: 09218009.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Bioeconomics, Bioeconomy, Biorefinery, Biotechnology, Georgescu-Roegen
@article{Vivien2019,
title = {The Hijacking of the Bioeconomy},
author = {F. -D. Vivien and M. Nieddu and N. Befort and R. Debref and M. Giampietro},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.01.027 https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0921800918308115},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.01.027},
issn = {09218009},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-05-01},
journal = {Ecological Economics},
volume = {159},
pages = {189--197},
publisher = {Elsevier},
abstract = {Georgescu-Roegen used the term bioeconomy to refer to a radical ecological perspective on economics he developed in the 1970s and 1980s. In recent years, it has also become a buzzword used by public institutions to announce and describe a supposed current economic and ecological transition. We see in this use an attempt of semantic hijacking of the original term. To support this claim we analyze three different interpretations of the term bioeconomy, presenting each of them as narratives combining distinct visions of future economic development, technical trajectories and imaginaries associated with a particular relationship to nature. Finally, we discuss these narratives in relation to the endorsement they receive by different stakeholders.},
keywords = {Bioeconomics, Bioeconomy, Biorefinery, Biotechnology, Georgescu-Roegen},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Georgescu-Roegen used the term bioeconomy to refer to a radical ecological perspective on economics he developed in the 1970s and 1980s. In recent years, it has also become a buzzword used by public institutions to announce and describe a supposed current economic and ecological transition. We see in this use an attempt of semantic hijacking of the original term. To support this claim we analyze three different interpretations of the term bioeconomy, presenting each of them as narratives combining distinct visions of future economic development, technical trajectories and imaginaries associated with a particular relationship to nature. Finally, we discuss these narratives in relation to the endorsement they receive by different stakeholders.
An alternative to market-oriented energy models: Nexus patterns across hierarchical levels Journal Article
Felice, Louisa Jane Di; Ripa, Maddalena; Giampietro, Mario
In: Energy Policy, 126 , pp. 431–443, 2019, ISSN: 03014215.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Complexity, Hierarchy Theory, MuSIASEM, Science-policy interface, Societal metabolism, Water-energy-food nexus
@article{DiFelice2019,
title = {An alternative to market-oriented energy models: Nexus patterns across hierarchical levels},
author = {Louisa Jane Di Felice and Maddalena Ripa and Mario Giampietro},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0301421518307250},
doi = {10.1016/j.enpol.2018.11.002},
issn = {03014215},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-03-01},
journal = {Energy Policy},
volume = {126},
pages = {431--443},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {From a biophysical perspective, energy is central to the behaviour of social-ecological systems. Its ubiquity means that energy is entangled with nexus elements, including water, land, emissions and labour. At the science-policy interface, large market-oriented energy models dominate as the tool to inform decision-making. The outputs of these models are used to shape policies, but strongly depend on sets of assumptions that are not available for deliberation and gloss over uncertainties. Taking an approach from complexity, we propose an alternative to market-oriented energy models, describing the behaviour of energy systems in relation to patterns of nexus elements across hierarchical levels. Three characteristics are central to the approach: (i) the distinction of the model's building blocks into functional and structural elements; (ii) their hierarchical organisation and (iii) the description of nexus patterns at each level, through the tool of the processor. To illustrate the model, it is applied to Catalonia's energy sector, linking production and consumption patterns. The framework may help inform stakeholder deliberation on pressing energy and nexus issues.},
keywords = {Complexity, Hierarchy Theory, MuSIASEM, Science-policy interface, Societal metabolism, Water-energy-food nexus},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
From a biophysical perspective, energy is central to the behaviour of social-ecological systems. Its ubiquity means that energy is entangled with nexus elements, including water, land, emissions and labour. At the science-policy interface, large market-oriented energy models dominate as the tool to inform decision-making. The outputs of these models are used to shape policies, but strongly depend on sets of assumptions that are not available for deliberation and gloss over uncertainties. Taking an approach from complexity, we propose an alternative to market-oriented energy models, describing the behaviour of energy systems in relation to patterns of nexus elements across hierarchical levels. Three characteristics are central to the approach: (i) the distinction of the model's building blocks into functional and structural elements; (ii) their hierarchical organisation and (iii) the description of nexus patterns at each level, through the tool of the processor. To illustrate the model, it is applied to Catalonia's energy sector, linking production and consumption patterns. The framework may help inform stakeholder deliberation on pressing energy and nexus issues.
Velasco-Fernández, Raúl; Giampietro, Mario; Pérez-Sánchez, Laura
In: Ferreira, P.; Soares, I. (Ed.): Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Energy & Environment: Bringing together Engineering and Economics, 16-17 May 2019, University of Minho, Guimaraes, Portugal, pp. 507–513, 2019, ISBN: 978-989-97050-9-8.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: MuSIASEM, nexus, Transformation matrix
@inproceedings{Velasco-Fernandez2019,
title = {A better characterization of biophysical performance using the transformation matrix: The case of the paper and pulp industry from a nexus perspective},
author = {Ra\'{u}l Velasco-Fern\'{a}ndez and Mario Giampietro and Laura P\'{e}rez-S\'{a}nchez},
editor = {P. Ferreira and I. Soares},
url = {https://zenodo.org/record/3763085},
doi = {10.5281/ZENODO.3763085},
isbn = {978-989-97050-9-8},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Energy & Environment: Bringing together Engineering and Economics, 16-17 May 2019, University of Minho, Guimaraes, Portugal},
pages = {507--513},
keywords = {MuSIASEM, nexus, Transformation matrix},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Using deliberative societal metabolism analysis to analyse CAP's delivery of EU sustainability and climate change objectives Inproceedings
Matthews, K. B.; Blackstock, K. L.; Waylen, K. A.; Juarez-Bourke, A.; Rivington, M; Miller, D. G.; Wardell-Johnson, D; Cabello, V.; Kovacic, Z.; Renner, A. F.; Ripa, M.; Giampietro, M.
In: 172nd Seminar of the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE): ‘Agricultural Policy for the Environment or Environmental Policy for Agriculture?‘, 28-29 May 2019, Brussels, 2019.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: CAP, deliberative societal metabolism analysis, sustainability
@inproceedings{Matthews2019,
title = {Using deliberative societal metabolism analysis to analyse CAP's delivery of EU sustainability and climate change objectives},
author = {K. B. Matthews and K. L. Blackstock and K. A. Waylen and A. Juarez-Bourke and M Rivington and D. G. Miller and D Wardell-Johnson and V. Cabello and Z. Kovacic and A. F. Renner and M. Ripa and M. Giampietro},
url = {https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/289806},
doi = {10.22004/AG.ECON.289806},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
booktitle = {172nd Seminar of the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE): ‘Agricultural Policy for the Environment or Environmental Policy for Agriculture?‘, 28-29 May 2019, Brussels},
keywords = {CAP, deliberative societal metabolism analysis, sustainability},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Multi-scale integrated assessment of second generation bioethanol for transport sector in the Campania Region Journal Article
Fierro, Angelo; Forte, Annachiara; Zucaro, Amalia; Micera, Roberto; Giampietro, Mario
In: Journal of Cleaner Production, 217 (2019), pp. 409–422, 2019, ISSN: 09596526.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Economic profit, Energy converter, Marginal lands, MuSIASEM, Second generation bioethanol
@article{Fierro2019,
title = {Multi-scale integrated assessment of second generation bioethanol for transport sector in the Campania Region},
author = {Angelo Fierro and Annachiara Forte and Amalia Zucaro and Roberto Micera and Mario Giampietro},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.244},
doi = {10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.244},
issn = {09596526},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Cleaner Production},
volume = {217},
number = {2019},
pages = {409--422},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {Current narrative on biofuels is backed up by a large number of studies published in the scientific literature that address second-generation bioethanol only through a single topic approach, nonetheless in the vast majority of cases transition to this energy carrier is evaluated as a generally ‘promising' technology. This paper presents a first attempt in proposing an integrated evaluation of the actual benefits expected from bioethanol in the transport sector, by applying the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) to the prospective realization of a local system of bio-refinery in Campania Region (Southern Italy). MuSIASEM is a multi-criteria analysis enabling to deal with the complexity of a territorial energy system. Since the unavoidable intrinsic uncertainty, the study does not focus on predictions, but adopts a strategy of Quantitative Story-Telling about some relevant results underlying the limits and critical issues about the energy converter fabric, the economic profitability, environmental constraints and the questionable concept of marginal land. The findings suggest concluding toward falsification of key points in the current narrative: (i) the system is not an efficient solar energy converter; (ii) it fails to realize many of the expectations for a renewable energy carrier producer; (iii) the contribution to decarbonization strategies is not as high as desired and other environmental impacts could not be neglected; (iv) the very large land requirement is hardly compatible with conversion of truly marginal land in Campania region; (v) compared to alternate land uses it does not seem an actually promising strategy to regain value from rural economy.},
keywords = {Economic profit, Energy converter, Marginal lands, MuSIASEM, Second generation bioethanol},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Current narrative on biofuels is backed up by a large number of studies published in the scientific literature that address second-generation bioethanol only through a single topic approach, nonetheless in the vast majority of cases transition to this energy carrier is evaluated as a generally ‘promising' technology. This paper presents a first attempt in proposing an integrated evaluation of the actual benefits expected from bioethanol in the transport sector, by applying the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) to the prospective realization of a local system of bio-refinery in Campania Region (Southern Italy). MuSIASEM is a multi-criteria analysis enabling to deal with the complexity of a territorial energy system. Since the unavoidable intrinsic uncertainty, the study does not focus on predictions, but adopts a strategy of Quantitative Story-Telling about some relevant results underlying the limits and critical issues about the energy converter fabric, the economic profitability, environmental constraints and the questionable concept of marginal land. The findings suggest concluding toward falsification of key points in the current narrative: (i) the system is not an efficient solar energy converter; (ii) it fails to realize many of the expectations for a renewable energy carrier producer; (iii) the contribution to decarbonization strategies is not as high as desired and other environmental impacts could not be neglected; (iv) the very large land requirement is hardly compatible with conversion of truly marginal land in Campania region; (v) compared to alternate land uses it does not seem an actually promising strategy to regain value from rural economy.
Relational analysis of the resource nexus in arid land crop production Journal Article
Cabello, Violeta; Renner, A.; Giampietro, M.
In: Advances in Water Resources, 130 (January), pp. 258–269, 2019, ISSN: 03091708.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Metabolic processor, Multi-functionality, Nexus networks, Relational analysis, Water-energy-food nexus
@article{Cabello2019,
title = {Relational analysis of the resource nexus in arid land crop production},
author = {Violeta Cabello and A. Renner and M. Giampietro},
doi = {10.1016/j.advwatres.2019.06.014},
issn = {03091708},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {Advances in Water Resources},
volume = {130},
number = {January},
pages = {258--269},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {While a large number of descriptive studies have delineated the interlinkages between water, food and energy resources in the last decade, there is still need for systematic conceptualization of resource nexus interconnections. This paper proposes a theory of relational analysis of the nexus based on the analytical concept of nexus networks. A taxonomy of nexus interconnections, detailing sequential and hierarchical connections, is characterized between and amongst the technosphere and biosphere. We illustrate the use of a novel diagnostic tool with regard to its ability to integrate macro-, meso- and microscale drivers of nexus problems. We apply this framework to problems generated by intensive crop production for exportation in an arid landscape (driven by external markets) and sustainable management of water resources (driven by public policies) in a southern Spanish region. We elucidate interconnected causal mechanisms for groundwater overexploitation and profile different social-ecological patterns on a spatially-explicit basis. The proposed approach is capable of accounting for the water-energy-food resource nexus in an integrated and multi-level fashion, addressing the tensions generated by both multi-functionality and resource entanglement in complex social-ecological systems.},
keywords = {Metabolic processor, Multi-functionality, Nexus networks, Relational analysis, Water-energy-food nexus},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
While a large number of descriptive studies have delineated the interlinkages between water, food and energy resources in the last decade, there is still need for systematic conceptualization of resource nexus interconnections. This paper proposes a theory of relational analysis of the nexus based on the analytical concept of nexus networks. A taxonomy of nexus interconnections, detailing sequential and hierarchical connections, is characterized between and amongst the technosphere and biosphere. We illustrate the use of a novel diagnostic tool with regard to its ability to integrate macro-, meso- and microscale drivers of nexus problems. We apply this framework to problems generated by intensive crop production for exportation in an arid landscape (driven by external markets) and sustainable management of water resources (driven by public policies) in a southern Spanish region. We elucidate interconnected causal mechanisms for groundwater overexploitation and profile different social-ecological patterns on a spatially-explicit basis. The proposed approach is capable of accounting for the water-energy-food resource nexus in an integrated and multi-level fashion, addressing the tensions generated by both multi-functionality and resource entanglement in complex social-ecological systems.
Facing the tragedy of change in the semiotic process: the role of science Journal Article
Giampietro, Mario; Kovacic, Zora
In: International Journal of Sustainable Development, 22 (1/2), pp. 88, 2019, ISSN: 0960-1406.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Integrity and quality in science, Post-normal science, Post-truth world, Science for governance, Semiotic process, Tragedy of change
@article{Giampietro2019a,
title = {Facing the tragedy of change in the semiotic process: the role of science},
author = {Mario Giampietro and Zora Kovacic},
url = {http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=104729},
doi = {10.1504/IJSD.2019.104729},
issn = {0960-1406},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Sustainable Development},
volume = {22},
number = {1/2},
pages = {88},
abstract = {Copyright textcopyright 2019 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. We offer an interpretation of the concepts of integrity and quality of science based on semiotics. Science is a key component of the semiotic process in society, its role being the selection of representations of relevant events for guiding policy with the ultimate goal of preserving society's identity. The fitness of scientific information depends on the definition of its usefulness and relevance, and, therefore, on the identity of the 'self' of the semiotic process. Several distinct definitions of identity co-exist that are negotiated across levels (individuals, households, communities). Growing feelings of belonging to a post-truth world signal a failure in the preservation of the integrity of the semiotic process: scientific crises are coupled with social and political crises in an impredicative way. It is concluded that science should evolve from being a mere source of facts to a source of insights about how to deal with the tragedy of change.},
keywords = {Integrity and quality in science, Post-normal science, Post-truth world, Science for governance, Semiotic process, Tragedy of change},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Copyright textcopyright 2019 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. We offer an interpretation of the concepts of integrity and quality of science based on semiotics. Science is a key component of the semiotic process in society, its role being the selection of representations of relevant events for guiding policy with the ultimate goal of preserving society's identity. The fitness of scientific information depends on the definition of its usefulness and relevance, and, therefore, on the identity of the 'self' of the semiotic process. Several distinct definitions of identity co-exist that are negotiated across levels (individuals, households, communities). Growing feelings of belonging to a post-truth world signal a failure in the preservation of the integrity of the semiotic process: scientific crises are coupled with social and political crises in an impredicative way. It is concluded that science should evolve from being a mere source of facts to a source of insights about how to deal with the tragedy of change.
Multi-Scale Feedbacks for Large-Scale Coordination in Self-Systems Inproceedings
Diaconescu, Ada; Felice, Louisa Jane Di; Mellodge, Patricia
In: 2019 IEEE 13th International Conference on Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing Systems, SASO, pp. 137–142, IEEE Computer Society, 2019.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: adaptive control, design pattenr, hierarchy, large-scale coordination, multi-scale feedbacks, robustness
@inproceedings{Diaconescu2019,
title = {Multi-Scale Feedbacks for Large-Scale Coordination in Self-Systems},
author = {Ada Diaconescu and Louisa Jane Di Felice and Patricia Mellodge},
url = {https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8780529},
doi = {10.1109/SASO.2019.00025},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
booktitle = {2019 IEEE 13th International Conference on Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing Systems, SASO},
pages = {137--142},
publisher = {IEEE Computer Society},
abstract = {Multi-scale structures, or hierarchies, are prevalent in large-scale dynamic systems, from inert matter to living and artificial systems, and systems-of-systems. Yet, a general theory helping to understand and develop multi-scale systems is still missing. This paper identifies common design aspects and variants, and synthesises them via a novel design pattern - Multi-Scale Feedbacks - to help adaptive coordination in large-scale systems. It also suggests relations between design choices and qualitative properties. The proposed pattern was distilled from a cross-domain study, including particle physics, molecular biology, neuroscience, insect and human organisations, ecosystems, autonomous control and systems-of-systems.},
keywords = {adaptive control, design pattenr, hierarchy, large-scale coordination, multi-scale feedbacks, robustness},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Multi-scale structures, or hierarchies, are prevalent in large-scale dynamic systems, from inert matter to living and artificial systems, and systems-of-systems. Yet, a general theory helping to understand and develop multi-scale systems is still missing. This paper identifies common design aspects and variants, and synthesises them via a novel design pattern - Multi-Scale Feedbacks - to help adaptive coordination in large-scale systems. It also suggests relations between design choices and qualitative properties. The proposed pattern was distilled from a cross-domain study, including particle physics, molecular biology, neuroscience, insect and human organisations, ecosystems, autonomous control and systems-of-systems.
Characterizing the metabolic pattern of urban systems using MuSIASEM: The case of Barcelona Journal Article
Pérez-Sánchez, Laura; Giampietro, Mario; Velasco-Fernández, Raúl; Ripa, Maddalena
In: Energy Policy, 124 (March 2018), pp. 13–22, 2019, ISSN: 03014215.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Cities, End-use matrix, Energy, MuSIASEM, Time allocation, Urban metabolism
@article{Perez-Sanchez2019,
title = {Characterizing the metabolic pattern of urban systems using MuSIASEM: The case of Barcelona},
author = {Laura P\'{e}rez-S\'{a}nchez and Mario Giampietro and Ra\'{u}l Velasco-Fern\'{a}ndez and Maddalena Ripa},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.09.028},
doi = {10.1016/j.enpol.2018.09.028},
issn = {03014215},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {Energy Policy},
volume = {124},
number = {March 2018},
pages = {13--22},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {The extreme degree of openness of contemporary urban systems with regard to both economy and population creates a serious challenge for the study of urban energy metabolism. A novel tool based on Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) is proposed to overcome these challenges. It consists of an end-use matrix, a coherent multi-level integrated characterization of the uses of different forms of energy carriers (electricity, heat, fuels) for the various tasks performed in the city, including private and public mobility, tourism, commercial and residential activities. The end-use matrix integrates quantitative data referring to different dimensions (i.e. energy, human activity, land use, value added) and hierarchical (economic sectors and functional elements at lower levels) and spatial scales (i.e. individual buildings, neighborhoods, and the city as a whole). The end-use matrix provides information on both extensive (flows) and intensive variables (flow/fund ratios or benchmarks). Benchmarks are important for policy-making and allow a meaningful comparison of energy performance across hierarchical levels within the urban system, and among different urban systems. The approach is illustrated for Barcelona, a global city characterized by an important service sector.},
keywords = {Cities, End-use matrix, Energy, MuSIASEM, Time allocation, Urban metabolism},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The extreme degree of openness of contemporary urban systems with regard to both economy and population creates a serious challenge for the study of urban energy metabolism. A novel tool based on Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) is proposed to overcome these challenges. It consists of an end-use matrix, a coherent multi-level integrated characterization of the uses of different forms of energy carriers (electricity, heat, fuels) for the various tasks performed in the city, including private and public mobility, tourism, commercial and residential activities. The end-use matrix integrates quantitative data referring to different dimensions (i.e. energy, human activity, land use, value added) and hierarchical (economic sectors and functional elements at lower levels) and spatial scales (i.e. individual buildings, neighborhoods, and the city as a whole). The end-use matrix provides information on both extensive (flows) and intensive variables (flow/fund ratios or benchmarks). Benchmarks are important for policy-making and allow a meaningful comparison of energy performance across hierarchical levels within the urban system, and among different urban systems. The approach is illustrated for Barcelona, a global city characterized by an important service sector.
The unequal vulnerability of Kurdish and Azeri minorities in the case of the degradation of Lake Urmia, Iran Journal Article
Zenko, Maja; Uležić, Sanjin
In: Journal of Political Ecology, 26 (1), pp. 167–183, 2019, ISSN: 1073-0451.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: environmental degradation, ethnicity, Iran, Lake Urmia, minorities, political power, vulnerability
@article{Zenko2019,
title = {The unequal vulnerability of Kurdish and Azeri minorities in the case of the degradation of Lake Urmia, Iran},
author = {Maja Zenko and Sanjin Ule\v{z}i\'{c}},
url = {https://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/id/2098/ http://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/id/2098/},
doi = {10.2458/v26i1.22729},
issn = {1073-0451},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Political Ecology},
volume = {26},
number = {1},
pages = {167--183},
publisher = {University of Arizona Libraries},
abstract = {This article explores the differences between the vulnerability of two ethnic minorities faced with the same environmental disaster, along with the causes of those disparities. Set in the context of the degradation of Lake Urmia in north-western Iran, the study problematizes the unequal access to political power of the Kurdish and Azeri minorities and the historical dynamics of marginalization and empowerment. It links those dynamics with the current differential vulnerability of the members of the two minorities living in proximity of the lake, who have traditionally been dependent on agriculture as a means of subsistence. The degradation of the lake has severely affected the agricultural production in the region through the salinization of irrigation water and the degradation of arable land. The study focuses on households in the proximity of the lake with the goal of exploring to what extent their ethnicity determines their vulnerability and adaptive capacity in the face of the disaster. We find that ethnic politics plays a role in the access to irrigation water and the potential for income diversification, as well as being a component of the coping capacity embedded in social networks. Additionally, we find that ethnicity is a determinant of the availability of economic resources, and strongly influences the knowledge of \textendash and willingness to participate in \textendash governmental and non-governmental projects to mitigate the effects of the environmental disaster.},
keywords = {environmental degradation, ethnicity, Iran, Lake Urmia, minorities, political power, vulnerability},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This article explores the differences between the vulnerability of two ethnic minorities faced with the same environmental disaster, along with the causes of those disparities. Set in the context of the degradation of Lake Urmia in north-western Iran, the study problematizes the unequal access to political power of the Kurdish and Azeri minorities and the historical dynamics of marginalization and empowerment. It links those dynamics with the current differential vulnerability of the members of the two minorities living in proximity of the lake, who have traditionally been dependent on agriculture as a means of subsistence. The degradation of the lake has severely affected the agricultural production in the region through the salinization of irrigation water and the degradation of arable land. The study focuses on households in the proximity of the lake with the goal of exploring to what extent their ethnicity determines their vulnerability and adaptive capacity in the face of the disaster. We find that ethnic politics plays a role in the access to irrigation water and the potential for income diversification, as well as being a component of the coping capacity embedded in social networks. Additionally, we find that ethnicity is a determinant of the availability of economic resources, and strongly influences the knowledge of – and willingness to participate in – governmental and non-governmental projects to mitigate the effects of the environmental disaster.
Structuring an integrated water-energy-food nexus assessment of a local wind energy desalination system for irrigation Journal Article
Serrano-Tovar, T.; Suárez, Baltasar Peñate; Musicki, Ana; Bencomo, Juan A. Fuente; Cabello, Violeta; Giampietro, M.
In: Science of the Total Environment, 689 , pp. 945–957, 2019, ISSN: 18791026.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Canary Islands, Desalination, MuSIASEM, Renewable energy, WEF nexus, Wicked problem
@article{Serrano-Tovar2019,
title = {Structuring an integrated water-energy-food nexus assessment of a local wind energy desalination system for irrigation},
author = {T. Serrano-Tovar and Baltasar Pe\~{n}ate Su\'{a}rez and Ana Musicki and Juan A. Fuente Bencomo and Violeta Cabello and M. Giampietro},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.422},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.422},
issn = {18791026},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {Science of the Total Environment},
volume = {689},
pages = {945--957},
publisher = {The Authors},
abstract = {Desalination is increasingly put forward as a sustainable local solution to water scarcity in combination with the exploitation of renewable energy sources. However, the complexity of the resource nexus entails the unavoidable existence of pros and cons across its various dimensions that can only be assessed at different scales of analysis. In turn, these pros and cons entail different winners and losers among the different social actors linked through the nexus. To address these challenges, a novel approach to resource nexus assessment is put forward, based on multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM) and recognizing the resource nexus as a wicked problem. The integrated representation identifies the existence of biophysical constraints determined by processes both under human control (in the technosphere) and beyond human control (in the biosphere). The approach is illustrated with a local case study of desalination in the Canary Islands, Spain. The material presented has been generated in the context of the project “Moving towards adaptive governance in complexity: Informing nexus security” (MAGIC) for use in participatory processes of co-production of knowledge claims about desalination, a prerequisite for informed policy deliberation.},
keywords = {Canary Islands, Desalination, MuSIASEM, Renewable energy, WEF nexus, Wicked problem},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Desalination is increasingly put forward as a sustainable local solution to water scarcity in combination with the exploitation of renewable energy sources. However, the complexity of the resource nexus entails the unavoidable existence of pros and cons across its various dimensions that can only be assessed at different scales of analysis. In turn, these pros and cons entail different winners and losers among the different social actors linked through the nexus. To address these challenges, a novel approach to resource nexus assessment is put forward, based on multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM) and recognizing the resource nexus as a wicked problem. The integrated representation identifies the existence of biophysical constraints determined by processes both under human control (in the technosphere) and beyond human control (in the biosphere). The approach is illustrated with a local case study of desalination in the Canary Islands, Spain. The material presented has been generated in the context of the project “Moving towards adaptive governance in complexity: Informing nexus security” (MAGIC) for use in participatory processes of co-production of knowledge claims about desalination, a prerequisite for informed policy deliberation.
Reconsidering “circular economy” in terms of irreversible evolution of economic activity and interplay between technosphere and biosphere Journal Article
Mayumi, K.; Giampietro, M.
In: Journal for Economic Forecasting, 22 (2), pp. 196–206, 2019, ISSN: 25376071.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biosphere, Circular economy, Jevons paradox, Technosphere, Water fund
@article{Mayumi2019,
title = {Reconsidering “circular economy” in terms of irreversible evolution of economic activity and interplay between technosphere and biosphere},
author = {K. Mayumi and M. Giampietro},
url = {https://econpapers.repec.org/article/rjrromjef/v_3a_3ay_3a2019_3ai_3a2_3ap_3a196-206.htm},
issn = {25376071},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {Journal for Economic Forecasting},
volume = {22},
number = {2},
pages = {196--206},
abstract = {textcopyright 2019, Institute for Economic Forecasting. All rights reserved. The notion of circular economy has attracted increased attention in recent years. A set of common denominators of circular economy is identified. Then, four questions are raised to show that the ideas of a circular economy cannot be untenable: (i) is there any fundamental difference between the framework of circular economy and the neoclassical standard economics?; (ii) the efficiency improvement of energy and material use is achievable within the framework of circular economy proposal?; (iii) can the harmonious interplay between Technosphere and Biosphere be maintained?; and (iv) is there any serious consideration of “water fund” management within the framework of circular economy?.},
keywords = {Biosphere, Circular economy, Jevons paradox, Technosphere, Water fund},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
textcopyright 2019, Institute for Economic Forecasting. All rights reserved. The notion of circular economy has attracted increased attention in recent years. A set of common denominators of circular economy is identified. Then, four questions are raised to show that the ideas of a circular economy cannot be untenable: (i) is there any fundamental difference between the framework of circular economy and the neoclassical standard economics?; (ii) the efficiency improvement of energy and material use is achievable within the framework of circular economy proposal?; (iii) can the harmonious interplay between Technosphere and Biosphere be maintained?; and (iv) is there any serious consideration of “water fund” management within the framework of circular economy?.
Relational analysis of energy systems: Theory and applications PhD Thesis
López, Jaime Rafael González
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2019, ISBN: 9788449088476.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Complexity, Integrated assesment, MuSIASEM
@phdthesis{GonzalezLopez2019,
title = {Relational analysis of energy systems: Theory and applications},
author = {Jaime Rafael Gonz\'{a}lez L\'{o}pez},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10803/667868},
isbn = {9788449088476},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
pages = {143},
school = {Universitat Aut\`{o}noma de Barcelona},
abstract = {This thesis presents a novel framework for the biophysical energetic analysis of social-ecological systems based on complexity theory. Through the implementation of MuSIASEM and Relational Analysis, it generates information useful for policy discussion in a complex world where understanding sustainability is necessary. Also, it is useful for contesting agendas at integrating non-equivalent information. With the integration of the functional and structural perspective of complex systems, questions like where, how, why and what are addressed. This framework is demonstrated with some examples mainly in the Mexican Energy Reform context. You can find that al examples cover a broad diversity of energetic systems: biomass, oil and gas, electricity, and it also is argued why this framework is necessary compared to the most popular methodologies in the contemporary era. Reducing sustainability into some ratios is avoided. This thesis embraces complexity by analyzing the non-linear relations among the different social-ecological systems with the environment and within themselves. How these relations affect different outcomes and by these the anticipation which is necessary to understand when making plans for the systems under dispute. The First Chapter presents an application of the Relational Analysis and MuSIASEM to the metabolism of a village. This village is in the transition from biomass to fossil fuel, and thus implies many adjustments over functional and structural elements in the village, due to the change from subsistence into a market-based village. Within the chosen analytical framework this change can be related to the change of type of fuel and changes in social practices within the economy. The Second Chapter presents an application of the Relational Analysis and MuSIASEM to the oil and gas sector of Mexico; the analysis is used to comment on the current Energy Reform in Mexico. This chapter brings a biophysical analysis of the oil & gas sector of Mexico. Looking at the current pattern of oil and gas production in Mexico it discusses whether Mexico should remain with the same pattern or change it. It also shows the importance of complementing the economic analysis with other types of analysis dealing with issues such as energy sovereignty, environmental impact and geographic location of economic activities. In short, it shows the importance of complementing reductionist analysis when planning. Third Chapter presents an application of the Relational Analysis and MuSIASEM to the electricity production in Mexico. The analysis of the relations between structural and functional elements allow studying the nexus between land, energy, and emissions. In particular, it elucidates the spatial constraints that can be associated with the expansion of alternative sources of electricity. In the past, we emancipated from the need of using a lot of land for energy purposes by using fossil fuels. But how strong is this emancipation when relying on intermittent electricity (wind and PV)? To answer this question, we have to address the increasing demand for importation of natural gas as a back-up of the intermittent sources of electricity, and the potential rebound effect of this solution, if the pattern of consumption remains the same. In the Fourth Chapter I demonstrate how the functional perspective can be used to introduce a novel approach to energy system analysis This application shows the weakness of assessments based on ratios (EROEI for example) if we want to address the complexity associated with sustainability. Radical simplifications of indicators of energy performance (simplistic definitions of energy) can be useful for those interested in “technofixes” but not for understanding the functioning of the system. For this reason, a systemic analysis of structural and functional relations should be incorporated in the energy analysis if we want to make it useful for the understanding of the interaction of socioecological systems.},
keywords = {Complexity, Integrated assesment, MuSIASEM},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
This thesis presents a novel framework for the biophysical energetic analysis of social-ecological systems based on complexity theory. Through the implementation of MuSIASEM and Relational Analysis, it generates information useful for policy discussion in a complex world where understanding sustainability is necessary. Also, it is useful for contesting agendas at integrating non-equivalent information. With the integration of the functional and structural perspective of complex systems, questions like where, how, why and what are addressed. This framework is demonstrated with some examples mainly in the Mexican Energy Reform context. You can find that al examples cover a broad diversity of energetic systems: biomass, oil and gas, electricity, and it also is argued why this framework is necessary compared to the most popular methodologies in the contemporary era. Reducing sustainability into some ratios is avoided. This thesis embraces complexity by analyzing the non-linear relations among the different social-ecological systems with the environment and within themselves. How these relations affect different outcomes and by these the anticipation which is necessary to understand when making plans for the systems under dispute. The First Chapter presents an application of the Relational Analysis and MuSIASEM to the metabolism of a village. This village is in the transition from biomass to fossil fuel, and thus implies many adjustments over functional and structural elements in the village, due to the change from subsistence into a market-based village. Within the chosen analytical framework this change can be related to the change of type of fuel and changes in social practices within the economy. The Second Chapter presents an application of the Relational Analysis and MuSIASEM to the oil and gas sector of Mexico; the analysis is used to comment on the current Energy Reform in Mexico. This chapter brings a biophysical analysis of the oil & gas sector of Mexico. Looking at the current pattern of oil and gas production in Mexico it discusses whether Mexico should remain with the same pattern or change it. It also shows the importance of complementing the economic analysis with other types of analysis dealing with issues such as energy sovereignty, environmental impact and geographic location of economic activities. In short, it shows the importance of complementing reductionist analysis when planning. Third Chapter presents an application of the Relational Analysis and MuSIASEM to the electricity production in Mexico. The analysis of the relations between structural and functional elements allow studying the nexus between land, energy, and emissions. In particular, it elucidates the spatial constraints that can be associated with the expansion of alternative sources of electricity. In the past, we emancipated from the need of using a lot of land for energy purposes by using fossil fuels. But how strong is this emancipation when relying on intermittent electricity (wind and PV)? To answer this question, we have to address the increasing demand for importation of natural gas as a back-up of the intermittent sources of electricity, and the potential rebound effect of this solution, if the pattern of consumption remains the same. In the Fourth Chapter I demonstrate how the functional perspective can be used to introduce a novel approach to energy system analysis This application shows the weakness of assessments based on ratios (EROEI for example) if we want to address the complexity associated with sustainability. Radical simplifications of indicators of energy performance (simplistic definitions of energy) can be useful for those interested in “technofixes” but not for understanding the functioning of the system. For this reason, a systemic analysis of structural and functional relations should be incorporated in the energy analysis if we want to make it useful for the understanding of the interaction of socioecological systems.
AGAUR Grant ID 2017 SGR 230 / Copyright © 2023