Description
Book SynopsisThis companion to
Accounting for Resources, 1 tracks the life cycle of specific elements, such as chlorine and heavy metals, in order to estimate the generation and dissipative losses of material wastes.
The book begins with a succinct review of the life-cycle analysis methodology and evaluates some of its weaknesses in estimating the generation of waste. The authors propose a new quantitative measure of the potential for environmental harm of waste materials. They include case studies to add weight to their proposal. Four horizontal life-cycle case studies are included; one for chlorine and chlorine chemicals; one for mercury; one for arsenic and cadmium; and the other for copper, lead and zinc. The book also includes a longitudinal study of heavy metals use and dissipation, during the period 1880-1980 with reference to the Hudson-Raritan basin.
The book concludes with an overview, including some recommendations for future research and for policy changes with respect to governmental statistical data collection and organization.
Trade Review'This detailed and comprehensive presentation of years of research and thought by the authors, demonstrates that they have made substantial progress towards their goal. This is an important and impressive publication. Important, because it provides the most comprehensive examination of the physical workings of the industrial economy of the United States known to exist. Impressive, because it represents the efforts of only two individuals whose span of technical competence makes them truly unique. The book, which contains both general overview, and detailed technical chapters, has something for everyone with an interest in this subject . . . This book is a major contribution towards understanding what is required to bring our industrial economy into harmony with our environment. To accomplish this, the authors, by their own admission, were required to do considerable detective work. In doing this hard work they have made the task of those who follow considerably easier.' -- Donald G. Rogich, Journal of Industrial Ecology
Table of ContentsContents: Introduction 1. Mass Balance and the Life-Cycle Perspective 2. The Problem of Measurement 3. The Life Cycle of Chlorine: I 4. The Life Cycle of Chlorine: II 5. Accounting for Mercury 6. Accounting for Arsenic and Cadmium 7. Accounting for Copper, Lead and Zinc 8. An Historical Reconstruction of Anthropogenic Pollutant Emissions in the Hudson–Raritan Basin 1880–1980 9. Environmental Statistics and Measures of Sustainability Appendices References Index
