TechnologyTechnology

Focus on Physical InfrastructuresFocus on Physical Infrastructures

Sustainable Development as Integration

Industrial

Ecology

Technology

PoliticsSociety

Environment EnvironmentIndustrial

Ecology

Industrial

Ecology

Economy

Business

Environmental Management

Product, Material, & Energy Flow in an Industrial Ecology

ResourceExtraction

MaterialsProcessing

PartsManufacture

ProductAssembly

Distribution

Consumption

MaterialsCollection

Recycling

Social Infrastructure:Gov’t, industry assoc.s,

NGOs, etc.

Material & Energy Inputs

Pollution Outputs

Physical Infrastructure:roads, sewers, electricity,

land-use, etc.

Product System Hierarchy

Materials, parts and components End-product Physical infrastructure Land-use patterns

Environmental Impacts of Centralized Infrastructures

pollution and energy loss involved with the transportation of fuels, materials, solid waste, and sewage;

the landscape and habitat damage resulting from more roads, pipelines, power lines, canals, ports, bridges etc.;

the materials, energy, and pollution costs of building infrastructure;

the energy and pollution costs resulting from demolition,remediation, and disposal.

Alternative (Distributed) Infrastructures Energy: biomass, solar, wind, fuel cells, gas turbines,

tidal, geothermal, waste generated gas; storage devices (e.g. flywheels, water, hydrogen), waste heat and cool air

Water and sewage: wetland, biological sewage and brown water treatment, water recycling

Telecommunications: wireless communications (mobiles, wi-fi)

Solid waste: collecting facilities, recycling facilities, waste exchanges

Transportation: mixed land use, walking, cycling, public transport

**Regulatory reform, cooperation, institution building

Distributed Infrastructures Efficient end-use Small-scaled fueled (co) generations Cheap kilo-watt-scale fuel cells New fuels Cheap, easy to use renewable sources Distributed energy storage Electricity grid improvements Pervasive information Competition Shifts in electricity providers’ mission, structure, and culture Over 200 economic benefits

Fuel Cells as promising technology

Fuel Cells as subsystem within a product system

Fuel Cells as subsystem within a product system

Living Machines

treat waste water by replicating ecosystem processes accelerates nature's own water purification process, without using

chemicals, by incorporating helpful bacteria, plants, snails and fish that thrive by breaking down and digesting organic pollutants.

costs of wastewater surcharges, water purchases, sludge disposal, chemical treatment; storage costs can be reduced below conventional systems; is expandable.

Enables owners and communities to embrace a natural model and enjoy a beautiful garden that can grow cut flowers, house plants and in some cases vegetables

Open Aerobic Reactor

What are the infrastructure needs of your company?

What kind of physical infrastructure (roads, electricity, other fuels, sewage, buildings,recycling systems, etc) does your company need or could it convert to?

Should you work with the government, other companies (competitors, suppliers, distributors, recyclers), or NGOs to build these infrastructures?

What kind of values can be created at each stage of the industrial loop to ensure transaction are undertaken?

What kind of regulatory, guideline, membership, or social conditions are necessary to ensure that transactions are undertaken?