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Related Experiment Videos

Industry as a metabolic activity.

B Smart1

  • 1World Resources Institute, Washington, DC 20006, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|February 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Industrial economic metabolism mirrors natural systems, where corporate survival depends on resource efficiency and competition. Aligning industrial economic signals with the true value of natural resources is crucial for long-term ecological and economic sustainability.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecological Economics
  • Industrial Ecology
  • Environmental Management

Background:

  • The concept of industrial economic metabolism draws parallels between natural ecosystems and corporate behavior.
  • Natural systems operate on self-interest, resource competition, and equilibrium, with species flourishing or diminishing based on efficiency.
  • Corporate entities exhibit similar behaviors, driven by stimuli, resource utilization, and market competition for survival and growth.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the parallels between natural and industrial economic metabolism.
  • To highlight the conflict between corporate profit motives and social/environmental responsibility.
  • To propose a framework for aligning industrial practices with ecological realities.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis comparing natural ecological principles with industrial economic behavior.
  • Examination of corporate responses to economic signals (cost, price, profit).
  • Discussion of the interdependence between economic systems and natural resources.

Main Results:

  • Corporate behavior, like natural systems, is primarily driven by economic self-interest and efficiency.
  • Profit serves as a disciplinary mechanism, rewarding efficient corporations and weeding out inefficient ones.
  • Current economic signals often undervalue natural resources, leading to their overuse and ecological strain.

Conclusions:

  • Societal values can influence corporate behavior when economic roles conflict with human values.
  • Integrating the true long-term value of natural resources into economic signals is essential for sustainability.
  • Aligning industrial metabolism with natural systems through appropriate economic signals can foster harmony between human economies and ecosystems.

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