Lecture 10: Emergy & Nations

Lecture 10: Emergy & Nations

Several issues that deserve consideration 1. Emergy yield & national economies 2. National Efficiency (Economic?) 3. Macroscopic Mini-model of macroeconomics

Total Emergy Use (U) = R+N1+N2+F+G Imports (F & G) Indigenous Sources The National Emergy Yield Ratio (NEYR) defined as GEmP / total nonrenewable Indigenous sources.

National Emergy Accounting DataBase (NEAD)

NEAD ( a global data base for 133 nations )

Efficiency (NEYR) EFFICIENCY ~ National Emergy Yield Ratio (NEYR) 20.00 18.00 16.00 14.00 Cent. African Rep. Mozambique Congo Iceland Bangladesh 12.00 NEYR 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 Vietnam Uganda New Zealand Ireland Burkina Faso Bolivia United States Belgium Israel Germany Kuwait Jordan Czech Republic Italy 2.00 0.00 1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51 56 61 66 71 76 81 86 91 96 101 106 111 116 121 126 131 Countries

Efficiency (GDP/Energy)

Efficiency (U/Capita)

Efficiency (% Renewable)

Efficiency (Soil loss/u)

Efficiency (Ag Prod./Soil loss) EFFICIENCY ~ Ag Production / Soil Loss 1000.00 Ag Prod/ Soil Loss (sej/ sej) 900.00 800.00 700.00 600.00 500.00 400.00 300.00 200.00 100.00 Denmark (2380) Israel (1000) Japan Netherlands Egypt Ireland Italy Australia Uruguay United States Cyprus Paraguay Argentina Cameroon Rwanda Burundi Madagascar Botswana Panama 0.00 1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51 56 61 66 71 76 81 86 91 96 101 106 111 116 Countries

Efficiency (Imports/Exports) Efficiency ~ Imports/Exports 900% 800% 700% Djibouti Lebanon Eritrea Sierra Leone Rwanda Cuba Efficiency (Percent) 600% 500% 400% 300% 200% United States Benin Panama Turkey Israel Switzerland Italy Netherlands Belarus Sweden Uruguay Costa Rica South Korea Gabon Zimbabwe Congo Cent. African Rep. Madagascar 100% 0% 1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115 121 127 133 Country

Efficiency United States India NEYR 1 NEYR 1 0.8 0.8 0.6 0.6 Imp/Exp 0.4 0.2 % Renew Imp/Exp 0.4 0.2 % Renew 0 0 Comparison of efficiency measures for selected countries: National Emergy Yield Ratio (NEYR). Percent renewable, GDP per total emergy use, Agricultural production/soil loss, and emergy in imports/ emergy in exports for several countries. Data are normalized for these particular countries. Ag Prod/Soil Loss Imp/Exp Ag Prod/Soil Loss Imp/Exp Rwanda NEYR 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 Australia NEYR 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 GDP/seJ % Renew GDP/seJ % Renew Ag Prod/Soil Loss Imp/Exp Ag Prod/Soil Loss Imp/Exp Brazil NEYR 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 Italy NEYR 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 GDP/seJ % Renew GDP/seJ % Renew 0 0 Ag Prod/Soil Loss GDP/seJ Ag Prod/Soil Loss GDP/seJ

Environmental Load (Total NR+Imports / R) National Environmental Loading Ratio (NELR) 350.00 Environmental Loading Ratio 300.00 250.00 200.00 150.00 100.00 Belgium Israel Germany Kuwait Jordan Czech Republic Italy 50.00 United States Iceland Congo Mozambique Cent. African Rep. Guinea-Bissau 0.00 1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115 121 127 133 Countries

Emergy Sustainability Index (NEYR/ ELR) Emergy Sustainability Index (EmSI) 50.00 40.00 Guinea-Bissau (1003) Cent. African Rep. (300) Mozambique (214) Congo (82) Iceland 30.00 EmSI 20.00 10.00 Paraguay Papua New Guinea Vietnam Uganda New Zealand Ireland United States Belgium Israel Germany Kuwait Jordan Czech Republic Italy 0.00 1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115 121 127 133 Countries

The conceptual relationship between environmental costs, energetic efficiency, and useful power.

The constraint space of environmental cost (normalized ELR) vs. efficiency (normalized NEYR) vs. total useful power (normalized GEmP). As development status increases nations increase efficiency but at an increasing environmental costs.

Ecosystem Degradation & Sustainability (Cohen, Sweeney, Brown, 2008)

Depletion of Natural Capital in National Economic Production Where a nation (or region) obtains its wealth is a primary factor in sustainability.

Depletion of Natural Capital in National Economic Production How is national wealth generated? 1. Transformation of renewable flows Sunlight/wind/soil into agricultural products 2. Transformation of very high quality non-renewables Electricity into information 3. Transformation of natural capital into raw products Forestry, mining, fishing, water extraction, soil erosion

Dependence on Natural Capital Depletion

Dependence on Mined Materials

Quantifying a National Erosion Problem 575 million tons of soil loss annually

Problem of Soil Erosion National Scale Analysis (Kenya) Erosion Losses = 45.2E20 sej/yr ~ em $390 million % of Total Use = 3.77% Equivalent in magnitude to export of all agricultural goods Forest losses (clearing) = 41.5E20 sej/yr ~ em $350 million % of Total Use = 3.5% Combined an external cost of ~7% of total emergy use annually (Cohen, 2004)

Problem of Soil Erosion District Scale Kisumu Soil Loss ~ 2.4% of Total Use Kericho Soil Loss ~ 3.4% of Total Use Nyando Soil Loss ~ 14.2% of Total Use (Cohen, 2004)

Depletion of Natural Capital Over-Use of Soil, Water, Fish, Forests Non-linear relationship with sustainability (Cohen, 2004)

Conclusion. A possible sustainability indicator? % of Total Use that is derived from Avoidable Depletion of Natural Capital. Soil erosion Depletion of groundwater Forest harvest faster that renewed Fisheries harvest

Questions? Comments? Concerns?