Publications
Fallacies of energy efficiency indicators: Recognizing the complexity of the metabolic pattern of the economy Journal Article
Velasco-Fernández, R.; Dunlop, T.; Giampietro, M.
In: Energy Policy, 137 , pp. 111089, 2020, ISSN: 03014215.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: End-use matrix, Energy efficiency, Energy performance, Energy policy, Jevons paradox, Metabolic pattern
@article{Velasco-Fernandez2020a,
title = {Fallacies of energy efficiency indicators: Recognizing the complexity of the metabolic pattern of the economy},
author = {R. Velasco-Fern\'{a}ndez and T. Dunlop and M. Giampietro},
doi = {10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111089},
issn = {03014215},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-02-01},
journal = {Energy Policy},
volume = {137},
pages = {111089},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {The strategy of energy efficiency to save energy is deceptively simple: the idea is to use less input for the highest amount of useful output. However, on a practical and conceptual level, efficiency is an ambiguous and problematic concept to implement. Of particular concern is the lack of contextual and qualitative information provided in energy efficiency measurements based on simple ratios. Oversimplification of efficiency measurements can have a detrimental effect on the choice of energy policies. Efficiency measurements are particularly problematic on a macroeconomic scale where a significant amount of meaningful information is lost through the aggregation of data into a simple ratio (economic energy intensity). First, practical examples are presented flagging conceptual problems with energy efficiency indicators, then an alternative accounting method\textemdashthe end-use matrix\textemdashbased on the concept of the metabolic pattern of social-ecological systems is illustrated to show the possibility of enriching efficiency indicators by adding qualitative and contextual information across multiple scales and dimensions. This method unpacks and structures salient energy input and output information in a meaningful and transparent way by generating a rich multi-level and multi-dimensional information space.},
keywords = {End-use matrix, Energy efficiency, Energy performance, Energy policy, Jevons paradox, Metabolic pattern},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The strategy of energy efficiency to save energy is deceptively simple: the idea is to use less input for the highest amount of useful output. However, on a practical and conceptual level, efficiency is an ambiguous and problematic concept to implement. Of particular concern is the lack of contextual and qualitative information provided in energy efficiency measurements based on simple ratios. Oversimplification of efficiency measurements can have a detrimental effect on the choice of energy policies. Efficiency measurements are particularly problematic on a macroeconomic scale where a significant amount of meaningful information is lost through the aggregation of data into a simple ratio (economic energy intensity). First, practical examples are presented flagging conceptual problems with energy efficiency indicators, then an alternative accounting method—the end-use matrix—based on the concept of the metabolic pattern of social-ecological systems is illustrated to show the possibility of enriching efficiency indicators by adding qualitative and contextual information across multiple scales and dimensions. This method unpacks and structures salient energy input and output information in a meaningful and transparent way by generating a rich multi-level and multi-dimensional information space.
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.
Perception and Representation of the Resource Nexus at the Interface between Society and the Natural Environment Journal Article
Giampietro, Mario
In: Sustainability, 10 (7), pp. 2545, 2018, ISSN: 2071-1050.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Buzzword, Complex systems, Metabolic pattern, Relational analysis, Resource nexus, Semiotic process, Social-ecological system
@article{Giampietro2018a,
title = {Perception and Representation of the Resource Nexus at the Interface between Society and the Natural Environment},
author = {Mario Giampietro},
url = {http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/7/2545},
doi = {10.3390/su10072545},
issn = {2071-1050},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-07-01},
journal = {Sustainability},
volume = {10},
number = {7},
pages = {2545},
abstract = {Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in the resource nexus. This has created the co-existence of different understandings and uses of the concept. In this regard, experiences in the EU H2020 project ‘Moving towards adaptive governance in complexity: Informing nexus security' are consistent with findings reported in the literature: (i) The inconvenient message of the nexus is difficult to get across, it being incompatible with the currently dominant rosy narratives about sustainability. Indeed, from a historic perspective, the nexus can be seen as a revival of the ideological fight between cornucopians and neo-Malthusians; (ii) Silo structures in existing institutions are a problem for the governance of the nexus, and so is the resulting reductionist strategy of addressing and fixing one issue at the time; (iii) Scientific inquiry is currently not providing the quality inputs needed for a meaningful discussion of the resource nexus. Entanglement of resource flows is rooted in the complex metabolic pattern of social-ecological systems, the analysis of which requires a complex systems approach and relational analysis. Contemporary reductionist models simply make the nexus invisible to the analyst.},
keywords = {Buzzword, Complex systems, Metabolic pattern, Relational analysis, Resource nexus, Semiotic process, Social-ecological system},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in the resource nexus. This has created the co-existence of different understandings and uses of the concept. In this regard, experiences in the EU H2020 project ‘Moving towards adaptive governance in complexity: Informing nexus security' are consistent with findings reported in the literature: (i) The inconvenient message of the nexus is difficult to get across, it being incompatible with the currently dominant rosy narratives about sustainability. Indeed, from a historic perspective, the nexus can be seen as a revival of the ideological fight between cornucopians and neo-Malthusians; (ii) Silo structures in existing institutions are a problem for the governance of the nexus, and so is the resulting reductionist strategy of addressing and fixing one issue at the time; (iii) Scientific inquiry is currently not providing the quality inputs needed for a meaningful discussion of the resource nexus. Entanglement of resource flows is rooted in the complex metabolic pattern of social-ecological systems, the analysis of which requires a complex systems approach and relational analysis. Contemporary reductionist models simply make the nexus invisible to the analyst.
Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Charcoal Production in Complex Social-Ecological Systems Journal Article
González-López, Rafael; Giampietro, Mario
In: Frontiers in Environmental Science, 5 , pp. 54, 2017, ISSN: 2296-665X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Charcoal, Metabolic pattern, MuSIASEM, Relational analysis, Social-ecological system
@article{Gonzalez-Lopez2017,
title = {Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Charcoal Production in Complex Social-Ecological Systems},
author = {Rafael Gonz\'{a}lez-L\'{o}pez and Mario Giampietro},
url = {http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fenvs.2017.00054/full},
doi = {10.3389/fenvs.2017.00054},
issn = {2296-665X},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-08-01},
journal = {Frontiers in Environmental Science},
volume = {5},
pages = {54},
abstract = {textcopyright 2017 Gonz\'{a}lez-L\'{o}pez and Giampietro. We propose and illustrate a multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM) as a tool to bring nexus thinking into practice. MuSIASEM studies the relations over the structural and functional components of social-ecological systems that determine the entanglement of water, energy, and food flows in a complex metabolic pattern. MuSIASEM simultaneously considers various dimensions and multiple scales of analysis and therefore avoids the predicament of quantitative analysis based on reductionism (one dimension and one scale at the time). The different functional elements of society (the parts) are characterized using the concept of "processor," that is, a profile of expected inputs and outputs associated with the expression of a specific function. The processors of the functional elements of the social-ecological system can be either scaled-up to describe the metabolic pattern of the system as a whole, or scaled-down by considering the characteristics of its lower-level parts-i.e., the different processors associated with the structural elements required to express the specific function. An analysis of functional elements provides insight in the socio-economic factors that pose internal constraints on the development of the system. An analysis of structural elements makes it possible to study the compatibility of the system with external constraints (availability of natural resources and ecological services) in spatial terms. The usefulness of the approach is illustrated in relation to an example of the use of charcoal in a rural village of Laos.},
keywords = {Charcoal, Metabolic pattern, MuSIASEM, Relational analysis, Social-ecological system},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
textcopyright 2017 González-López and Giampietro. We propose and illustrate a multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM) as a tool to bring nexus thinking into practice. MuSIASEM studies the relations over the structural and functional components of social-ecological systems that determine the entanglement of water, energy, and food flows in a complex metabolic pattern. MuSIASEM simultaneously considers various dimensions and multiple scales of analysis and therefore avoids the predicament of quantitative analysis based on reductionism (one dimension and one scale at the time). The different functional elements of society (the parts) are characterized using the concept of "processor," that is, a profile of expected inputs and outputs associated with the expression of a specific function. The processors of the functional elements of the social-ecological system can be either scaled-up to describe the metabolic pattern of the system as a whole, or scaled-down by considering the characteristics of its lower-level parts-i.e., the different processors associated with the structural elements required to express the specific function. An analysis of functional elements provides insight in the socio-economic factors that pose internal constraints on the development of the system. An analysis of structural elements makes it possible to study the compatibility of the system with external constraints (availability of natural resources and ecological services) in spatial terms. The usefulness of the approach is illustrated in relation to an example of the use of charcoal in a rural village of Laos.
Understanding slums: analysis of the metabolic pattern of the Vidigal favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Journal Article
Miranda, Raul F. C.; Grottera, Carolina; Giampietro, Mario
In: Environment, Development and Sustainability, 18 (5), pp. 1297–1322, 2016, ISSN: 1387-585X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Commuting, Favela, Metabolic pattern, Rio de Janeiro, Slum, Vidigal
@article{Miranda2016,
title = {Understanding slums: analysis of the metabolic pattern of the Vidigal favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil},
author = {Raul F. C. Miranda and Carolina Grottera and Mario Giampietro},
url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-016-9810-y},
doi = {10.1007/s10668-016-9810-y},
issn = {1387-585X},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-10-01},
journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability},
volume = {18},
number = {5},
pages = {1297--1322},
abstract = {This paper illustrates an innovative approach to characterize the metabolic pattern of informal urban settlements or slums with the aim to better understand the factors that affect the material standard of living of slum residents, the dynamics of slum development and the interaction of the slum with its wider socioeconomic context. The proposed system of accounting, multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM), integrates socioeconomic and spatial data and studies energy and monetary flows in relation to the pattern of human activities and land uses. The theoretical basis of the approach is illustrated with data from Vidigal favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In particular, we show how to construct taxonomies of accounting categories to characterize: (1) the set of activities carried out by the slum dwellers, to which to link assessments of flow rates per hour; (2) the set of land uses or spatial elements making up the slum, to which to link assessments of flow densities per hectare. The analysis of the interaction of Vidigal with its wider socioeconomic context focuses on monetary flows and transport (job commuting).},
keywords = {Commuting, Favela, Metabolic pattern, Rio de Janeiro, Slum, Vidigal},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper illustrates an innovative approach to characterize the metabolic pattern of informal urban settlements or slums with the aim to better understand the factors that affect the material standard of living of slum residents, the dynamics of slum development and the interaction of the slum with its wider socioeconomic context. The proposed system of accounting, multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM), integrates socioeconomic and spatial data and studies energy and monetary flows in relation to the pattern of human activities and land uses. The theoretical basis of the approach is illustrated with data from Vidigal favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In particular, we show how to construct taxonomies of accounting categories to characterize: (1) the set of activities carried out by the slum dwellers, to which to link assessments of flow rates per hour; (2) the set of land uses or spatial elements making up the slum, to which to link assessments of flow densities per hectare. The analysis of the interaction of Vidigal with its wider socioeconomic context focuses on monetary flows and transport (job commuting).
Are energy statistics useful for making energy scenarios? Journal Article
Giampietro, Mario; Sorman, Alevgul H.
In: Energy, 37 (1), pp. 5–17, 2012, ISSN: 03605442.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Energy accounting, Energy carriers, Energy statistics, Metabolic pattern, Multi-scale energy analysis, Primary energy sources
@article{Giampietro2012d,
title = {Are energy statistics useful for making energy scenarios?},
author = {Mario Giampietro and Alevgul H. Sorman},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360544211005780},
doi = {10.1016/j.energy.2011.08.038},
issn = {03605442},
year = {2012},
date = {2012-01-01},
journal = {Energy},
volume = {37},
number = {1},
pages = {5--17},
abstract = {One can measure " energy quantities" - e.g. joules, BTU, quads - but only at a given scale and within a specific narrative about energy conversions at the time. Therefore, at the moment of generating aggregate indicators, the arithmetic summing of assessments of energy quantities referring to different scales and narratives is meaningless. This paper addresses epistemological problems typical of energy accounting, which are at the moment tackled by acknowledging the existence of unspecified " qualitative differences" among different energy forms - e.g. a joule of electricity has more " value" than a joule of coal. Three energy forms referring to different scales and narratives about energy conversions are relevant for national accounting: Primary Energy Sources (PES), Energy Carriers (EC), and End Uses (EU). We critically examine the usefulness of current energy statistics in relation to this distinction. The conventional linear representation - flow chart - based on a single scale and a single quantitative accounting confuses the three semantic categories and entails an important loss of information. Finally, we illustrate an innovative scheme for energy accounting across hierarchical levels that: (i) addresses the autocatalytic nature of energy transformations; (ii) provides a multi-scale quantitative representation; and (iii) preserves the semantic distinction between relevant energy forms (PES, EC, and EU). textcopyright 2011 Elsevier Ltd.},
keywords = {Energy accounting, Energy carriers, Energy statistics, Metabolic pattern, Multi-scale energy analysis, Primary energy sources},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
One can measure " energy quantities" - e.g. joules, BTU, quads - but only at a given scale and within a specific narrative about energy conversions at the time. Therefore, at the moment of generating aggregate indicators, the arithmetic summing of assessments of energy quantities referring to different scales and narratives is meaningless. This paper addresses epistemological problems typical of energy accounting, which are at the moment tackled by acknowledging the existence of unspecified " qualitative differences" among different energy forms - e.g. a joule of electricity has more " value" than a joule of coal. Three energy forms referring to different scales and narratives about energy conversions are relevant for national accounting: Primary Energy Sources (PES), Energy Carriers (EC), and End Uses (EU). We critically examine the usefulness of current energy statistics in relation to this distinction. The conventional linear representation - flow chart - based on a single scale and a single quantitative accounting confuses the three semantic categories and entails an important loss of information. Finally, we illustrate an innovative scheme for energy accounting across hierarchical levels that: (i) addresses the autocatalytic nature of energy transformations; (ii) provides a multi-scale quantitative representation; and (iii) preserves the semantic distinction between relevant energy forms (PES, EC, and EU). textcopyright 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Generating better energy indicators: Addressing the existence of multiple scales and multiple dimensions Journal Article
Sorman, Alevgul H.; Giampietro, Mario
In: Ecological Modelling, 223 (1), pp. 41–53, 2011, ISSN: 03043800.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Energy accounting, Energy carriers, Energy statistics, Metabolic pattern, Multi-scale energy analysis, Primary energy sources
@article{Sorman2011,
title = {Generating better energy indicators: Addressing the existence of multiple scales and multiple dimensions},
author = {Alevgul H. Sorman and Mario Giampietro},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0304380011004996},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.10.014},
issn = {03043800},
year = {2011},
date = {2011-12-01},
journal = {Ecological Modelling},
volume = {223},
number = {1},
pages = {41--53},
publisher = {Elsevier},
abstract = {High energy prices and the growing concern for " Peak Oil" have put energy analysis, once again, on the front burner. However, before speculating about possible roadmaps regarding our energy future, it would be wise to develop better quantitative analyses. This paper flags the existence of systemic epistemological flaws in the current use of aggregate energy indicators and presents an alternative approach capable of dealing with the issue of multiple dimensions and multiple scales. Starting from a critical appraisal of the aggregate indicator " Economic Energy Intensity" it shows that economic and biophysical variables are often correlated and that their value is determined by characteristics which can only observed across different levels and scales. Complex metabolic systems (systems that use energy to maintain and reproduce themselves) are operating simultaneously at different scales. This implies that changes in the characteristics of parts, defined at the local scale, and changes in the characteristics of the whole, defined at the large scale can only be obtained after establishing a scaling mechanism in the analysis. In order to deal with the issue of scale in energy accounting, we propose to make a distinction between three different categories: (i) primary energy sources (PES) - establishing a link between energy quantities and the associated requirement of biophysical gradients, at the large scale, on the interface black-box/context; (ii) energy carriers (EC) - defining the set of energy inputs required by technical devices for expressing useful functions, at the local scale, within the parts operating inside the black-box; (iii) end uses (EU) the set of functions to be expressed by society across hierarchical levels for reproducing itself. Finally, the paper presents examples of quantitative results obtained using an innovative method of analysis - Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM). We conclude that by using this new accounting method it is possible to generate a better understanding of external and internal constraints determining the desirability and viability of the metabolic pattern of societies. textcopyright 2011 Elsevier B.V.},
keywords = {Energy accounting, Energy carriers, Energy statistics, Metabolic pattern, Multi-scale energy analysis, Primary energy sources},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
High energy prices and the growing concern for " Peak Oil" have put energy analysis, once again, on the front burner. However, before speculating about possible roadmaps regarding our energy future, it would be wise to develop better quantitative analyses. This paper flags the existence of systemic epistemological flaws in the current use of aggregate energy indicators and presents an alternative approach capable of dealing with the issue of multiple dimensions and multiple scales. Starting from a critical appraisal of the aggregate indicator " Economic Energy Intensity" it shows that economic and biophysical variables are often correlated and that their value is determined by characteristics which can only observed across different levels and scales. Complex metabolic systems (systems that use energy to maintain and reproduce themselves) are operating simultaneously at different scales. This implies that changes in the characteristics of parts, defined at the local scale, and changes in the characteristics of the whole, defined at the large scale can only be obtained after establishing a scaling mechanism in the analysis. In order to deal with the issue of scale in energy accounting, we propose to make a distinction between three different categories: (i) primary energy sources (PES) - establishing a link between energy quantities and the associated requirement of biophysical gradients, at the large scale, on the interface black-box/context; (ii) energy carriers (EC) - defining the set of energy inputs required by technical devices for expressing useful functions, at the local scale, within the parts operating inside the black-box; (iii) end uses (EU) the set of functions to be expressed by society across hierarchical levels for reproducing itself. Finally, the paper presents examples of quantitative results obtained using an innovative method of analysis - Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM). We conclude that by using this new accounting method it is possible to generate a better understanding of external and internal constraints determining the desirability and viability of the metabolic pattern of societies. textcopyright 2011 Elsevier B.V.
AGAUR Grant ID 2017 SGR 230 / Copyright © 2023