Thomas E. Graedel - Böcker

Technology today is undergoing a rapid, unprecedented, and accelerating period of transformation. The implications of climate change, underpinned by geopolitics, for scientists and engineers are profound, as they and their societies attempt to harness these new technologies to address critical global environmental challenges, often without a full understanding of the long-term consequences. This textbook is designed to fill the gaps at a time of rapid changes in technology and the global environmental to develop sustainability situations.Written by world-renowned experts, this book comprehensively covers the broad spectrum of topics in sustainability science — industrial ecology, economic geology, environmental change, recycling and reuse, and sustainability — and brings readers up to date on the state-of-the-art. A feature of the book is the inclusion of worked examples in the text. Industrial ecology utilizes life cycle assessment (LCA), material flow analysis (MFA), matrix analytics, in-use stock derivation, and other mathematical and analytic tools; appropriate chapters include worked examples to illustrate their use, to develop reader-familiarity with the tools.

The field of industrial ecology is evolving rapidly, and its tools and foundational concepts underpin many areas of sustainability in business and policy. Industrial ecology provides a systemic understanding of material and energy flows that is vital as limits in materials availability, limited recycling, increased demand for the quantification of environmental impact, and concern about future sustainability rise rapidly.This volume focuses on core topics of industrial ecology and is designed as an accessible introduction for students around the world studying sustainability at a time of rapid changes in technology and the environment. Written by world-renowned experts, the book is suitable for students and professionals interested in the field.