Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Getting serious about sustainability.

Thomas E Graedel1, Robert J Klee

  • 1Center for Industrial Ecology, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA. thomas.graedel@yale.edu

Environmental Science & Technology
|March 7, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Quantifying sustainability is crucial for industrial society. This study proposes a four-step method to measure resource use rates, enabling the setting of sustainable goals for materials like zinc and germanium.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Models for Decarbonization in the Chemical Industry.

Annual review of chemical and biomolecular engineering·2024
Same author

Uncertain Future of American Lithium: A Perspective until 2050.

Environmental science & technology·2021
Same author

Material Flow Analysis from Origin to Evolution.

Environmental science & technology·2019
Same author

Assessing the Reliability of Material Flow Analysis Results: The Cases of Rhenium, Gallium, and Germanium in the United States Economy.

Environmental science & technology·2017
Same author

Deriving the Metal and Alloy Networks of Modern Technology.

Environmental science & technology·2016
Same author

Criticality of non-fuel minerals: a review of major approaches and analyses.

Environmental science & technology·2011

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Resource Management
  • Industrial Ecology

Background:

  • Sustainability and sustainable development are central to environmental discourse.
  • Current industrial activities are largely unsustainable.
  • A lack of quantitative understanding hinders setting effective sustainability targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a quantitative framework for measuring the sustainability of resource use.
  • To establish measurable goals for sustainable industrial practices.
  • To evaluate current resource consumption against sustainable limits.

Main Methods:

  • Establishing available resource supply.
  • Allocating permissible annual supply.
  • Determining the 'recaptureable' resource base.
  • Deriving sustainable use rates and comparing them to current rates.

Main Results:

  • A four-step methodology for quantifying resource sustainability was developed.
  • The method was applied to zinc, germanium, and greenhouse gases.
  • Quantitative sustainable use goals were set and current performance evaluated.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed methods allow for the quantitative measurement of sustainability.
  • These measurements can guide industrial society towards more sustainable practices.
  • Further discussion and refinement of sustainability measurement are encouraged.

Related Experiment Videos