Technology Focus on Physical Infrastructures

Sustainable Development as Integration Industrial Ecology Technology Politics Society Environment Industrial Ecology Industrial Ecology Economy  Business  Environmental Management

Product, Material, & Energy Flow in an Industrial Ecology Resource Extraction Materials Processing Parts Manufacture Product Assembly Distribution Consumption Materials Collection 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 l Materials, parts and components l End-product l Physical infrastructure l Land-use patterns

Environmental Impacts of Centralized Infrastructures l pollution and energy loss involved with the transportation of fuels, materials, solid waste, and sewage; l the landscape and habitat damage resulting from more roads, pipelines, power lines, canals, ports, bridges etc.; l the materials, energy, and pollution costs of building infrastructure; l the energy and pollution costs resulting from demolition,remediation, and disposal.

Alternative (Distributed) Infrastructures l 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 l Water and sewage: wetland, biological sewage and brown water treatment, water recycling l Telecommunications: wireless communications (mobiles, wi-fi) l Solid waste: collecting facilities, recycling facilities, waste exchanges l Transportation: mixed land use, walking, cycling, public transport **Regulatory reform, cooperation, institution building

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

Fuel Cells as promising technology

Fuel Cells as subsystem within a product system

Living Machines l treat waste water by replicating ecosystem processes l 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. l costs of wastewater surcharges, water purchases, sludge disposal, chemical treatment; storage costs can be reduced below conventional systems; is expandable. l 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? l What kind of physical infrastructure (roads, electricity, other fuels, sewage, buildings,recycling systems, etc) does your company need or could it convert to? l Should you work with the government, other companies (competitors, suppliers, distributors, recyclers), or NGOs to build these infrastructures? l What kind of values can be created at each stage of the industrial loop to ensure transaction are undertaken? l What kind of regulatory, guideline, membership, or social conditions are necessary to ensure that transactions are undertaken?