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The global socioeconomic energetic metabolism as a sustainability problem

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  • Haberl, Helmut

Abstract

This paper discusses sustainability problems related to socioeconomic energy flows based upon the societal metabolism approach. Contrary to conventional energy statistics that only include energy used in technical devices, this approach considers all kinds of energy flows related to human societies, including nutritional energy flows of humans and domesticated animals. Based upon human population data and data on the pro capite energy metabolism of hunter-gatherers and agricultural societies as well as on statistical data on industrial energy flows a time series of the global socioeconomic energetic metabolism for the last 106 years and a scenario for the next 50 years is derived. These estimates show that the total energy input of mankind has risen by several orders of magnitude since the Neolithic revolution about 10,000 years ago. Whereas the energy input of agricultural societies prior to the advent of industrial societies about 200–300 years ago did not exceed 5% of global terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP), humanity's energy input currently amounts to about 30% of global terrestrial NPP and is likely to surpass 50% in about 2050. This shows that the sheer magnitude of human-induced flows is historically unprecedented and poses at least two closely interrelated sustainability challenges: (1) a reduction of energy available to ecosystem processes that can be assessed using the concept of ‘human appropriation of net primary productivity’ and (2) the changes in the global carbon cycle resulting from land-use change and fossil-energy combustion.

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  • Haberl, Helmut, 2006. "The global socioeconomic energetic metabolism as a sustainability problem," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 87-99.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:31:y:2006:i:1:p:87-99
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2004.04.045
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    Cited by:

    1. Marc A. Rosen & Hossam A. Kishawy, 2012. "Sustainable Manufacturing and Design: Concepts, Practices and Needs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-21, January.
    2. Elum, Z.A. & Momodu, A.S., 2017. "Climate change mitigation and renewable energy for sustainable development in Nigeria: A discourse approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 72-80.
    3. Justin Bishop & Gehan Amaratunga & Cuauhtemoc Rodriguez, 2010. "Quantifying the limits of HANPP and carbon emissions which prolong total species well-being," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 213-231, April.
    4. Karl-Heinz Erb & Simone Gingrich & Fridolin Krausmann & Helmut Haberl, 2008. "Industrialization, Fossil Fuels, and the Transformation of Land Use," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 12(5-6), pages 686-703, October.
    5. Blair Fix, 2019. "Energy, hierarchy and the origin of inequality," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-32, April.
    6. Iñigo Capellán-Pérez & David Álvarez-Antelo & Luis J. Miguel, 2019. "Global Sustainability Crossroads : A Participatory Simulation Game to Educate in the Energy and Sustainability Challenges of the 21st Century," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-23, July.
    7. Steinberger, Julia K. & van Niel, Johan & Bourg, Dominique, 2009. "Profiting from negawatts: Reducing absolute consumption and emissions through a performance-based energy economy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 361-370, January.
    8. Marc A. Rosen, 2012. "Engineering Sustainability: A Technical Approach to Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(9), pages 1-23, September.
    9. Jakob, Michael & Haller, Markus & Marschinski, Robert, 2012. "Will history repeat itself? Economic convergence and convergence in energy use patterns," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 95-104.
    10. Sathre, Roger & Gustavsson, Leif, 2006. "Energy and carbon balances of wood cascade chains," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 332-355.
    11. Fix, Blair, 2019. "Energy, Hierarchy and the Origin of Inequality," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 14(4, April), pages 1-32.
    12. Al-Hamamre, Zayed & Saidan, Motasem & Hararah, Muhanned & Rawajfeh, Khaled & Alkhasawneh, Hussam E. & Al-Shannag, Mohammad, 2017. "Wastes and biomass materials as sustainable-renewable energy resources for Jordan," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 295-314.
    13. Zhang, Yan & Zheng, Hongmei & Fath, Brian D., 2014. "Analysis of the energy metabolism of urban socioeconomic sectors and the associated carbon footprints: Model development and a case study for Beijing," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 540-551.
    14. Bagheri, Mehdi & Guevara, Zeus & Alikarami, Mohammad & Kennedy, Christopher A. & Doluweera, Ganesh, 2018. "Green growth planning: A multi-factor energy input-output analysis of the Canadian economy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 708-720.

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