National material metrics for industrial ecology

We present an assembly of metrics for monitoring environmental performance at the national level, based on the flow of materials through the US economy. To set the stage, we show a schematic rendering of national materials flows, identifying the most important flow components. We compare and contras...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inResources policy Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 189 - 198
Main Authors Wernick, Iddo K., Ausubel, Jesse H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.09.1995
Elsevier
SeriesResources Policy
Subjects
Consumption
Ecology
Economic activity
Market
Mineral resources
Pollution
U.S.A
Waste management
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:We present an assembly of metrics for monitoring environmental performance at the national level, based on the flow of materials through the US economy. To set the stage, we show a schematic rendering of national materials flows, identifying the most important flow components. We compare and contrast amounts of materials entering and exiting the economy, using weight as the common measure. Additionally, we relate physical data on materials consumption and disposal to monetary measures of national economic activity. Eight general classes and eighteen individual metrics comprise the set. For several, we provide quantitative examples. Our aim is to initiate a framework for assessing national materials use which helps prevent pollution, reduce waste and encourage efficient resource use.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0301-4207
1873-7641
DOI:10.1016/0301-4207(96)89789-3