Environmental economics and resource management in water policy making

A measure of Sustainability: Emergy

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http://www.emergysystems.org/

Proposal for a common unit

Primary energy contained into a product or service

Sun

Gravitation

Radioactivity Embedded energy = emergy (sej) 2

Introduced by Howard T. Odum 1924 North Carolina – 2002 Florida

Large contribution to:

• Ecological modelling

• Ecological Engineering (designing, monitoring, or constructing ecosystems.)

• Ecological Economics (extending and integrating the study and management of “nature's household” (ecology) and “humankind’s household” (economics))

• General system theory

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ENERGY... Energy = the ability to cause work Since all energy can be converted 100% to heat, it is convenient to express energy in heat unit: btu’s calories, joules.

Emergy Concepts and Principles…

But ... there are many “forms” of energy: Sunlight… Wind… Geopotential energy of elevated water… Fuel… Electricity… Information...

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Not all forms of energy are equivalent...

sunlight = wind = fuels = electricity

While they can all be converted to heat…one cannot say that calories of one form of energy are equal to calories of another form in their ability to cause work...

Emergy Concepts and Principles…

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Work may be thought of as an energy transformation process… two or more energies are “processed” to make another form of energy.

Emergy Concepts and Principles…

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Energy Quality… •  related to concentration •  flexibility •  ease of transportation •  convertibility

not all forms of energy have the same qualities

Emergy Concepts and Principles…

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•  Expressed in energy of the same FORM … usually solar energy

•  Sometimes called Energy Memory = Emergy

•  Similar to Embodied Energy

•  Units = Solar Emergy joules = sej

A. Emergy Concepts and Principles… Emergy

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Hierarchy

human society – technological “food chain”

ecology – food chain

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System diagramming

source

sink

storage tank

interaction

producer

consumer

general ecosystem

exchange

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Quantified diagram

Rate of change of the storage Q is equal to the inflows minus the outflows...

Rate of Change Equation:

E

Q J1

J2

J3

dQ

dt= J1 − J2 − J3 = k1E − k2Q− k3Q

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Energy of Renewable Sources…

Energy intensity (J/m2/y) = 1700 KWh/m2 = 6.1×109 J/m2/y

Solar insolation varies with latitude…

Sunlight

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Transformities

Transformity: Solar equivalent Joules (sej) per Joule

For a list of transformities, see: http://www.emergysystems.org/folios.php 13

Several ratios, or indices are are used to evaluate the global performance of a process

The systems diagram shows:

  renewable inputs (R),   non-renewable inputs

(N) as an emergy storage of materials,

  inputs from the economy as purchased (F) goods and services.

Emergy Evaluation Procedure… Performance indicators

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The ratio of the emergy yield from a process to the emergy costs. The ratio is a measure of how much a process will contribute to the economy. Yield (Y) =R+N+F

EYR = Y/F

Emergy yield ratio

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the process yields only the external emergy, without local contribution

typical of developed world situations: low external contribution, lot of emergy from non-renewable energy stocks

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The ratio of nonrenewable and imported emergy use to renewable emergy use.

It is and indicator of the pressure of a transformation process on the environment and can be considered a measure of ecosystem stress due to a production/transformation activity.

ELR = (F+N)/R

Environmental loading ratio

0 10

only renewable resources low environmental impacts

2

external and non-renewable resources guide the system

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The ratio of emergy fed back from outside a system to the indigenous emergy inputs (both renewable and non-renewable). It evaluates if a process is a good user of the emergy that is invested, in comparison with alternatives.

EIR = F/(N+R)

Emergy investment ratio

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0 10

only internal resources and/or exporter of raw materials

low imports

2

high dependence on imports (e.g. Italy)

The ratio of the Emergy Yield Ratio to the Environmental Loading Ratio. It measures the contribution of a resource or process to the economy per unit of environmental loading.

ESI = EYR/ELR

Emergy sustainability index

ESI=[(N+R+F)/F] / [(F+N)/R]

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Emergy Evaluation of Environment… Global Emergy budget

R=9.44×1024 sej/y

N=20.46×1024 sej/y

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Emergy Evaluation of Environment… One hectare Earth’s surface

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Emergy Evaluation of Environment… Information

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Four levels of human information

Data…

Information…

Knowledge…

Wisdom

Information value of individuals increases with age…

Information and the individual

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Relation between emergy and $

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Alaska and Exxon Valdez

Loss to Alaska: ∼1.2% of the yearly emergy flux

Loss to Prince William Sound: ∼400% of the yearly emergy flux

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Exxon Valdez oil spill results

Brown M.T., Woithe R.D., Odum H.T., Montague C.L., Odum E.C. Emergy analysis perspectives of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince Williams Sound, Alaska Report to the Cousteau Society, January 1993 (http://oilspill.fsu.edu/images/pdfs/Brown_etal_Alaska_1993.pdf)

Loss: 5.5÷7.3 x 1021 sej = 4÷5 billion dollars (Exxon paid 1.2 billion dollars)

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Deepwater Horizon oil spill

20 times the Exxon Valdez: 110÷150 x 1021 sej = 75÷100 billion dollars

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´Developed by FWS-NRDA-GIS/Data Management, Mobile Sector21 September 2010

Dead Bird Recoveries

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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Deepwater Horizon

Dead Bird Recovery Locations - 21 September 2010

Data used in this map were compiled from records uploaded into theDepartment of Interior-US Army Engineer Research and Development

Center's (DOI-ERDC) Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)database from May 16, 2010 through September 21, 2010. Data werecollected from wildlife response operations and DOI NRDA efforts. All

data should be considered provisional, incomplete, and subject tochange. Counts are summarized by 10 mile square blocks.Map projection: Albers Equal Area Conic.

TEXAS

LOUSIANA

MISSISSIPPIALABAMA

GEORGIA

FLORIDA

SOUTHCAROLINA

ARKANSAS

OKLAHOMA

Atlantic Ocean

Gulf of Mexico

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Emergy Evaluation of Water Supply

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The global water cycle... showing its economic use and the resulting circulation of money.

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A case study of water supply alternatives proposed for

Windhoek, Namibia.

Emergy evaluation of the alternatives suggests that the use of aquifer water is preferable to using water from the Kavango River because of the likely downstream environmental impacts to the Okavango Delta wetlands and wildlife.

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Map of the study area showing the water supply alternatives

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Table 9. Emergy evaluation of water supplied from the Tsumeb aquifer and pipeline(flow = 20.0 E6 m3/year)

Note Item Data Units Emergy/unit Solar Emergy EmDollars*(unit/yr) (sej/unit) (E18 sej/yr) (E3 $Em/yr)

RENEWABLE (FREE) RESOURCES1 Groundwater 9.40E+13 J 1.70E+05 16.4 962.1

PURCHASED AND OPERATIONAL INPUTS2 Collector pipes (steel) 7.30E+05 kg 1.80E+12 1.3 76.43 Delivery pipeline (GRP) 1.10E+13 J 6.60E+04 0.7 42.74 Concrete 1.10E+06 kg 1.00E+12 1.1 62.45 Electricity 2.10E+14 J 1.60E+05 33.6 1976.56 Pumps and machinery 6.10E+04 kg 6.70E+12 0.4 247 Labor, services & capital 4.30E+06 $ 1.70E+13 73.1 43008 Operating costs 7.90E+05 $ 1.70E+13 13.4 7909 Maintenance costs 3.00E+05 $ 1.70E+13 5.1 300

Purchased subtotal 126.7 7452.9ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS

Loss of regional wildlife 6.00E+12 J 4.00E+06 24 1411.8Loss of tourism 3.90E+05 $ 1.20E+12 0.47 27.5

Impacts subtotal 24.47 1439.3

Total inputs and impacts 152.5 8968.6* Solar emergy divided by 1.7 E13 sej/1996 US$ (emergy per dollar ratio for Namibia in 1996).

Alternative 1

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Table 8. Emergy evaluation of desalinating coastal water and pipeline (flow = 17.3 E6 m3/year)

Note Item Data Units Emergy/unit Solar Emergy EmDollars*(unit/yr) (sej/unit) (E18 sej/yr) (E3 $Em/yr)

RENEWABLE (FREE) RESOURCES1 Sea or brackish water 2.51E+14 J 7.40E+03 1.9 109.4

PURCHASED AND OPERATIONAL INPUTS2 GRP Pipeline 4.25E+13 J 6.60E+04 2.8 164.93 Concrete 1.71E+06 kg 1.00E+12 1.7 100.84 Electricity 1.02E+15 J 1.60E+05 163.7 9629.25 Labor, services & capital 1.26E+07 $ 1.70E+13 214.1 12591.46 Operating costs 4.31E+06 $ 1.70E+13 73.3 4311.97 Maintenance costs 8.81E+05 $ 1.70E+13 15 881.4

Purchased subtotal 470.6 27679.6ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS

Rain required to dilute the brine 2.40E+14 J 7435 1.78 105Loss of net primary prod. 2.40E+14 J 9.00E+03 2.16 127.1

Impacts subtotal 3.94 232.1

Total inputs and impacts 476.4 28021.1

* Solar emergy divided by 1.7 E13 sej/1996 US$ (emergy per dollar ratio for Namibia in 1996).

Alternative 2

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Table 7: Emergy evaluation of water from the Kavango and pipeline (flow = 17.3 E6 m3/year)

Note Item Data Units Emergy/unit Solar Emergy EmDollars*(unit/yr) (sej/unit) (E18 sej/yr) (E3 $Em/yr)

RENEWABLE RESOURCE INPUTS1 Kavango River water 8.19E+13 J 4.80E+04 4 233.6

PURCHASED AND OPERATIONAL INPUTS2 GRP pipe 3.16E+13 J 6.60E+04 2.1 122.53 Concrete 1.40E+06 kg 1.00E+12 1.4 82.44 Fuels 7.49E+12 J 6.60E+04 0.5 29.15 Electricity 2.29E+14 J 1.60E+05 36.6 2151.96 Machinery & equipment 7.32E+04 kg 6.70E+12 0.5 28.97 Labor, services & capital 3.97E+06 $ 1.70E+13 67.4 3966.28 Operating costs 9.81E+05 $ 1.70E+13 16.7 981.49 Maintenance costs 9.63E+05 $ 1.70E+13 16.4 962.8

Input subtotal 145.6 8558.8

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS10 Net primary production 2.1 - 21.0 E14 J 9.00E+03 1.9 - 18.8 1106 - 1106411 Regional wildlife 2.3 - 23.0 E12 J 4.00E+06 9.2 - 92 5412 - 5411812 Ecotourism 1.7 - 17 E5 $ 1.20E+12 0.2 - 2.0 117 - 1165

Impacts subtotal 11.3 - 113 6635 - 66347

Total inputs and impacts 161 - 263 15427 -75139

* Solar emergy divided by 1.7 E13 sej/1996 US$ (emergy per dollar ratio for Namibia in 1996).

Alternative 3

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Table 10. Comparison of emergy indices among the 3 water supply systems

Emergy index(a) Best when index: Kavango Desalination Tsumeb aquifer

Transformity of water (sej/J) ! 1.78 E6 5.76 E6 1.53 E6% Renewable " 2.81 0.4 12.71Emergy Investment Ratio (EIR) ! 26.09 131.15 7.81Emergy Yield Ratio (EYR) " 1.04 1.01 1.14Environmental Loading Ratio (ELR) ! 35.64 252.92 7.87Emergy Sustainability Index (ESI) " 0.03 0.004 0.14Emergy Benefit to Purchaser (EBP) " 1.45 1.56 1.58EmDollar per m3 ! 0.49 1.61 0.43(a) Indices are defined in Appendix A.

Emergy indices help in decision making by providing information “outside” of traditional economic analysis

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Discussion

Emergy analysis is:

•  a way of thinking (system diagrams)

•  a tool for comparing products/processes

The absolute value of emergy in a product/process has large uncertainty due to assumptions in primary emergy estimations.

References: Mark T. Brown, and Eliana Bardi, Handbook of Emergy Evaluation http://www.epa.gov/aed/html/collaboration/emergycourse/presentations/Folio3.pdf http://emergydatabase.org