Reinterpreting Industrial Ecology

Abstract

SummaryThis article argues that industrial ecology has, to date, largely engaged with the ecological sciences at a superficial level, which has both attracted criticism of the field and limited its practical application for sustainable industrial development. On the basis of an analysis of the principle of succession, the role of waste, and the concept of diversity, the article highlights some of the key misconceptions that have resulted from the superficial engagement with the science of ecology. It is argued that industrial ecology should not be seen as a metaphor for industrial development; industrial ecology is the ecology of industry and should be studied as such. There are manifold general principles of ecology that underpin our understanding of the world; however, the physical manifestation and causal effects of these principles are particular to the system and its constituent elements under analysis. It is thus proposed that context-specific observation and analysis of industry are required before theoretical and practical advancement of the field can be achieved.

The role of geospatial industrial diversity in the facilitation of regional industrial symbiosis

“…11 If grid square diversity figures are not subtracted by 1, infinite diversity receives an unintuitive score of 0 and becomes a measure of a sampled community's population dominance, rather than a measure of population evenness. 12 On removing resource movement data for Scotland and Wales from the synergy dataset the average distance materials moved increased from the 32.6 km reported by Jensen et al (2011a) to 34 km. sampling plot.…”

“…However, in relation to the comparative availability of life sustaining resources, such as sunlight, fresh water, and primary production, the levels of biological diversity found within the Polar Regions could be seen to be remarkably high. Levels of diversity are ultimately dictated by prevailing local environmental conditions (Jensen et al 2011a), and not by a basic cognitive interpretation of one number being larger than another. In turn, the emergent system properties of resource cycling, increased productivity and system resilience, which from an industrial ecology perspective are deemed to be beneficial, are largely present in an idiosyncratic manner and dictated by the specific components and environmental conditions of a particular system.…”

“…Diversity is a highly relative concept and its effects in a given ecosystem are invariably idiosyncratic (Jensen et al 2011a). Due to the many semantic, conceptual and technical problems involved in the study of diversity it can, in some contexts, be deemed to be a 'non-concept' (Hurlbert 1971).…”

“…As such, it is readily apparent why diversity should be a concept of interest within industrial ecology research. Indeed, the subject of diversity within industrial ecosystems has already been afforded dedicated examination by several authors (e.g., Korhonen, 2005;Wells and Darby, 2006;Wright et al, 2009); whilst the concept is given more than a passing consideration within many further industrial ecology focussed articles (e.g., Korhonen, 2001;Nielsen, 2007;Mayer, 2008;Ashton, 2009;Jensen et al, 2011a). Many of these articles are largely conceptual in nature and approach the subject of diversity and its potential for promoting the development of sustainable and resourceful industrial systems from a theoretical and assumptive position.…”

“…It has been argued that industrial ecologists should empirically explore the development of what are seen to be 'desirable' and increasingly needed aspects of nature, such as resource recycling, productive efficiency, and/or system resilience, before attempting to prescribe or 'mimic' them in the design and development of industrial ecosystems (see Jensen et al, 2011a). One particular observation of nature which has drawn much attention within industrial ecology is the concept of diversity and the many beneficial effects of its presence within a given locale.…”