Managing a Material World

by Pier Vellinga (Editor), Frans Berkhout (Editor), J. Gupta (Editor)

Overview

As we reach the end of the 20th century, the question of how to meet human needs and preferences while safeguarding the global environment is a major concern facing humanity. This book reflects the state of the art of thinking on the necessary concepts, tools and instruments that are likely to help producers, consumers and governments to adjust their policies and practices. It covers theories and concepts, practical approaches and visions of industry and government. The book has been written by a team of authors that includes the most forward thinking researchers and managers on the issue. It is a handbook for all those involved in decisions about product design and eco-efficiency, about environment and resource use policies. Moreover it can serve as a handbook for all those who are studying with the aim to become involved in such issues.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780792352068
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	06/30/1998
Series:	Environment & Policy , #13
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1998
Pages:	349
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.45(h) x 0.03(d)

Table of Contents

1. Rationale for a physical account of economic activities.- 2. Substance flows through environment and society.- 3. Towards the end of waste.- 4. Dematerialisation.- 5. Analytical tools for chain management.- 6. Material flow accounts: definitions and data.- 7. Environmental research and modelling.- 8. Software for material flow analysis.- 9. Integrating life cycle assessment and economic evaluation.- 10. Dematerialisation and rematerialisation.- 11. Aggregate resource efficiency.- 12. The industrial ecology of lead and electric vehicles.- 13. Dissipative emissions.- 14. Recycling of materials.- 15. Philips Sound and Vision.- 16. Unilever.- 17. AT&T.- 18. Dow Europe.- 19. The control of waste materials in Germany.- 20. Dematerialisation and innovation policy.- 21. The substance flow approach.- 22. The EU eco-label.- 23. Towards industrial transformation.

Editorial Reviews

An edited collection of papers based on a conference held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, dealing with the management of energy and material substance flows through environment and society. Early chapters demonstrate the need for economic instruments that reflect the role of the earth's natural capital, and illustrate research issues and tools. These are followed by chapters showing the value of a systems approach in environmental analysis, and by case studies about progress in the development of resource efficiency policies by the private sector and governments. Concluding chapters discuss policy developments in national and international contexts. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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