Industrial Ecology

A Systems Perspective

A fundamental component of industrial ecology is the application of a systems perspective to technology and its surrounding environment. This holistic viewpoint of complex interactions maintains that a single part within a network can be best understood not in isolation but rather in the context of its relationship to other parts and its function within the larger whole.

An industrial system is a network of production and consumption built of several steps of varying complexity from raw materials to marketable products, to their use and return to the environment or other parts of the economy. This network exists within, and depends on, the larger ecosystem that provides a stock of natural capital for the creation of products and assimilation of wastes. The ways in which industrial processes are designed and end products are used determine the degree of environmental impact and, in turn, the condition of resources available for production. The socioeconomic environment also factors into decision making regarding the scale of resource use, the design of products and industrial structure, as well as the impact on the biophysical environment.

As with other complex networks, a perturbation in any part of the broad industrial-ecological system can cause rebound effects in other parts of the network. Because of this, implementation of solutions to problems must be done with care to avoid adverse rebound effects. For example, installation of green roofs and vegetation in cities can reduce air temperatures, leading to less energy use for air conditioning and water use for cooling in industrial buildings. However, because these solutions are water intensive, it is unclear whether the net water and energy savings would be positive in a given system. By favoring a comprehensive view over narrow partial analyses, industrial ecologists hope to avoid these rebound effects and exact changes that will have benefits throughout the whole system.

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