MATERIALS BALANCE

1
MATERIALS BALANCE
2
(No Transcript)
3
Assimilative capacity

• The ability of the natural system to accept
  certain residuals and render them harmless

4
Residuals v. pollution

• When is a residual a pollutant?
• When the residual causes damages, has undesired
  effects on the environment
• Pollutants can be in the form of residual matter
  or residual energy, often escaped heat.

5
Reducing flow of residuals

• Reduce production, G
• Reduce inputs required for production, M
• Reduce residuals intensity of production, R
• Recover and recycle residuals, Rr

6

• Three states of matter/environmental media
• Solid, e.g. land
• Liquid, e.g. water
• Gas, e.g. air

7

• Laws of thermodynamics
• Conservation of matter and energy
• Law of entropy increasing disorder

8

• Conservation of matter and energy
• Matter and energy can neither be created nor
  destroyed.
• Consumption is not an appropriate term to use
  regarding our use of goods
• To be accurate, we derive services from goods
  which we dispose of when they are no longer
  render service

9

• Laws of thermodynamics
• 2. Law of entropy increasing disorder
• Natures capacity to convert matter and energy
  is not without bound
• During energy conversion some energy becomes
  unusable, often escaping as heat