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The Emergy Perspective of Sustainable Trends in Puerto Rico From 1960 to 2013

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  • González-Mejía, Alejandra M.
  • Ma, Xin (Cissy)

Abstract

Emergy analysis quantifies the direct and indirect contributions of nature to human systems providing a sustainability assessment framework, which couples economic growth within biophysical constraints. In this study, Puerto Rico's sustainability was assessed with emergy flow dynamics from 1960 to 2013. During this period, the island shifted from an agriculture-based economy to an industrial base of manufacture and services (1960–1970). The emergy analysis indicated an exponential decline in sustainability during this period. From 1975 to 1992, the island became more industrialized and imported more goods and services. Since 1998, although more renewable production such as forest regeneration occurred, the rapid industrialization heavily relied on imported fossil fuels, goods, and services, resulting in a system that has not been self-sufficient, nor sustainable. The latest economic crisis and the most recently passed financial rescue bill represent an opportunity to redirect Puerto Rico towards a sustainable path with policies that decrease the ratio of imported y to exported emergy, and strategies that encourage efficient use of resources and local production based on the utilization of renewable sources within this U.S. territory.

Suggested Citation

  • González-Mejía, Alejandra M. & Ma, Xin (Cissy), 2017. "The Emergy Perspective of Sustainable Trends in Puerto Rico From 1960 to 2013," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 11-22.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:133:y:2017:i:c:p:11-22
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.11.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Xiaocui Dong & Hongguang Liu, 2023. "Sustainable evaluation of agroecosystem in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China based on the Emergy Theory," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(11), pages 13471-13494, November.
    2. Ling Yang & Lin Wang, 2024. "Emergy analysis of seawater desalination system in coastal areas: a case study in Qingdao of China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(6), pages 14281-14293, June.
    3. Ting Chang & Degang Yang & Jinwei Huo & Fuqiang Xia & Zhiping Zhang, 2018. "Evaluation of Oasis Sustainability Based on Emergy and Decomposition Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-14, June.
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    5. Xiumei Xu & Chao Feng & Yongshan Du & Qimeng Wang & Gaige Zhang & Yicheng Huang, 2022. "Evaluating the sustainability of a tourism system based on emergy accounting and emergetic ternary diagrams: a case study of the Xinjiang Kanas tourism area," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 6731-6787, May.
    6. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Chih-Wei & Ho, Shan-Ju, 2022. "The dimension of green economy: Culture viewpoint," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 122-138.
    7. Xue Wu & Yaliu Yang & Conghu Liu & Guowei Xu & Yuxia Guo & Fan Liu & Yuan Wang, 2021. "Sustainability of Regional Agroecological Economic System Based on Emergy Theory: A Case Study of Anhui Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-21, July.
    8. Hui Li & Xue Huang & Qing Xu & Shuntao Wang & Wanqi Guo & Yan Liu & Yilin Huang & Junzhi Wang, 2023. "A New Approach to Evaluate the Sustainability of Ecological and Economic Systems in Megacity Clusters: A Case Study of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Bay Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-25, March.
    9. Xiaobo Wang & Shanshan Qu, 2025. "Measuring China’s Open Sharing for scientific instruments: an ascendency analysis with benchmark use-time data," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    10. Lulu Qu & Xueyi Shi & Chang Liu & Ye Yuan, 2017. "An Emergy-Based Hybrid Method for Assessing Sustainability of the Resource-Dependent Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, January.

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