Ecological Economic Evaluation Based on Emergy as Embodied Cosmic Exergy: A Historical Study for the Beijing Urban Ecosystem 1978–2004
For ecological economic evaluation based on the unified biophysical matrix this research illustrates an updated emergy synthesis in terms of embodied cosmic exergy instead of embodied solar energy, which successes the foundation of systems ecological theory but changes the starting point for the est...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2010-06-01
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| Series: | Entropy |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/12/7/1696/ |
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| author | Jiang Mei Ming Chen Zhan-Ming Zhang Bo Li Shuang Cheng Xia Xiao Hua Zhou Shi Yi Zhou Jiang Bo |
| author_facet | Jiang Mei Ming Chen Zhan-Ming Zhang Bo Li Shuang Cheng Xia Xiao Hua Zhou Shi Yi Zhou Jiang Bo |
| author_sort | Jiang Mei Ming |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For ecological economic evaluation based on the unified biophysical matrix this research illustrates an updated emergy synthesis in terms of embodied cosmic exergy instead of embodied solar energy, which successes the foundation of systems ecological theory but changes the starting point for the estimation from simply the sun to the cosmos. According to the modified definition implicating explicit scarcity and strict additivity based on the fundamental thermodynamics laws, the updated emergy approach overcomes the confusable and intractable deficiencies of traditional one and shows firmer theoretical basis as well as better applicability. As a case study for the regional socio-economic ecosystem, a cosmic emergy based ecological economic evaluation of the Beijing urban ecosystem during the period 1978-2004 is presented. The local and external resources supporting the concerned ecosystem are accounted and analyzed in a common unit, i.e., cosmic Joule, according to which a series of indicators are applied to reveal its evolutional characteristics through five aspects as emergy structure, emergy intensity, emergy welfare, environmental impacts, and degree of exploitation and economic efficiency. During the analyzed period, the major emergy source sustaining the operation of the ecosystem had changed from the renewable resources exploited locally to the nonrenewable resources purchased from outside. Emergy intensity for the Beijing urban ecosystem kept rising owing to the continuous investment of resources, which not only improved the living standard but also intensified the environmental pressure. Moreover, the increase of exploitation degree was accompanied with the decline of economic efficiency, while the rising emergy investment ratio implicates that Beijing was at the risks of resources shortage and high dependence on external resources |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T01:43:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7b9def244d334b8888f54d5fd5e9d143 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1099-4300 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T01:43:13Z |
| publishDate | 2010-06-01 |
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| series | Entropy |
| spelling | doaj.art-7b9def244d334b8888f54d5fd5e9d1432022-12-22T02:19:38ZengMDPI AGEntropy1099-43002010-06-011271696172010.3390/e12071696Ecological Economic Evaluation Based on Emergy as Embodied Cosmic Exergy: A Historical Study for the Beijing Urban Ecosystem 1978–2004Jiang Mei MingChen Zhan-MingZhang BoLi Shuang ChengXia Xiao HuaZhou Shi YiZhou Jiang BoFor ecological economic evaluation based on the unified biophysical matrix this research illustrates an updated emergy synthesis in terms of embodied cosmic exergy instead of embodied solar energy, which successes the foundation of systems ecological theory but changes the starting point for the estimation from simply the sun to the cosmos. According to the modified definition implicating explicit scarcity and strict additivity based on the fundamental thermodynamics laws, the updated emergy approach overcomes the confusable and intractable deficiencies of traditional one and shows firmer theoretical basis as well as better applicability. As a case study for the regional socio-economic ecosystem, a cosmic emergy based ecological economic evaluation of the Beijing urban ecosystem during the period 1978-2004 is presented. The local and external resources supporting the concerned ecosystem are accounted and analyzed in a common unit, i.e., cosmic Joule, according to which a series of indicators are applied to reveal its evolutional characteristics through five aspects as emergy structure, emergy intensity, emergy welfare, environmental impacts, and degree of exploitation and economic efficiency. During the analyzed period, the major emergy source sustaining the operation of the ecosystem had changed from the renewable resources exploited locally to the nonrenewable resources purchased from outside. Emergy intensity for the Beijing urban ecosystem kept rising owing to the continuous investment of resources, which not only improved the living standard but also intensified the environmental pressure. Moreover, the increase of exploitation degree was accompanied with the decline of economic efficiency, while the rising emergy investment ratio implicates that Beijing was at the risks of resources shortage and high dependence on external resourceshttp://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/12/7/1696/emergy synthesisembodied cosmic exergyecological economic evaluationurban ecosystemBeijing |
| spellingShingle | Jiang Mei Ming Chen Zhan-Ming Zhang Bo Li Shuang Cheng Xia Xiao Hua Zhou Shi Yi Zhou Jiang Bo Ecological Economic Evaluation Based on Emergy as Embodied Cosmic Exergy: A Historical Study for the Beijing Urban Ecosystem 1978–2004 Entropy emergy synthesis embodied cosmic exergy ecological economic evaluation urban ecosystem Beijing |
| title | Ecological Economic Evaluation Based on Emergy as Embodied Cosmic Exergy: A Historical Study for the Beijing Urban Ecosystem 1978–2004 |
| title_full | Ecological Economic Evaluation Based on Emergy as Embodied Cosmic Exergy: A Historical Study for the Beijing Urban Ecosystem 1978–2004 |
| title_fullStr | Ecological Economic Evaluation Based on Emergy as Embodied Cosmic Exergy: A Historical Study for the Beijing Urban Ecosystem 1978–2004 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecological Economic Evaluation Based on Emergy as Embodied Cosmic Exergy: A Historical Study for the Beijing Urban Ecosystem 1978–2004 |
| title_short | Ecological Economic Evaluation Based on Emergy as Embodied Cosmic Exergy: A Historical Study for the Beijing Urban Ecosystem 1978–2004 |
| title_sort | ecological economic evaluation based on emergy as embodied cosmic exergy a historical study for the beijing urban ecosystem 1978 2004 |
| topic | emergy synthesis embodied cosmic exergy ecological economic evaluation urban ecosystem Beijing |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/12/7/1696/ |
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