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Rapid Metabolic Change as a Chance and a Threat to Sustainability: The Case of Amazonia

This article explores the concept of metabolic transition in the context of the Amazon region, analyzing the impact of global trade on environmental exploitation. It raises concerns about the unsustainable metabolic profile of Amazonian countries and emphasizes the need for proactive strategies for achieving sustainability.

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Rapid Metabolic Change as a Chance and a Threat to Sustainability: The Case of Amazonia

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  1. Rapid Metabolic Change as a Chance and a Threat to Sustainability:The Case of Amazonia Marina Fischer-Kowalski (Vienna) Norbert Fenzl (Belem) José A. da Costa Machado (Manaus) Hercilio C. Bohorquez (Caracas) Prepared for Open Meeting of the Global Environmental Change Research Community Rio de Janeiro, Oct. 6-8, 2001

  2. Preface The following presentation is based upon a preliminary analysis of data on Brazil and Venezuela generated within the EU-financed project “Amazonia 21” (http://www.amazonia21.org/). We related these data to national material flow accounts for various other countries, from various sources (among them most prominently: World Resources Institute: Adriaanse et al. 1997, Matthews et al. 2000). Our analysis aims at illustrating whether MFA is an adequate tool for issues of sustainability. The reader should be aware, though, that despite many efforts (see for example Steurer/Eurostat 2001) data reliability and comparability across countries is far from excellent, and so our conclusions should be considered rather as grounded hypotheses than as final, well established results. For a more elaborate discussion see Fischer-Kowalski & Amann 2001.

  3. The Context: Amazonia 21 Metabolic Transition – what is that? Metabolic transition in a globalized economy – Brazil and Venezuela Is global trade driving environmental exploitation of the periphery? Conclusions Overview

  4. 1) The Context: Amazonia 21 • Ongoing EU-financed research – teams from Panamazonian Countries (PACs) and Europe participating • Response to Agenda 21-setting by PAC, searching for less destructive ways of economic development • Is material flow analysis an adequate tool to define sustainable development, and develop strategies, for PAC?

  5. 2) Metabolic transition – what is that? • Metabolic transition: major change in socio-ecological regime • It implies a qualitative transformation of the mode of subsistence of a society, and therefore of the society – nature interrelation • Core: change in energy metabolism

  6. Socio-ecological regimes in world history per capita annual use Energy Material Basic human metabolism 3,5 GJ 1 t (biomass intake by nutrition) Hunter-gatherers 10-20 GJ 2-3 t (uncontrolled solar energy use) agrarian societies 60-80 GJ 4-5 t (controlled solar energy use) industrial societies 250 GJ 20-22t (fossil energy use)

  7. In history: Symptoms of Metabolic transition fromagrarian to industrial mode • Rapid increase in fossil energy use • Rapid population growth • Rapid increase in income (GDP)

  8. Historical examples: fossil fuels use in Austria and UK

  9. Fossil fuels, Population, GDP in Brazil & Venezuela 1975-1995

  10. In history: Symptoms of metabolic transition from agrarian to industrial mode continued... • Relief on agricultural and forestry land use • Per capita levels energy & materials use = transition from agrarian to industrial level

  11. Biomass used in Brazil & Venezuela 1975-1995

  12. Per capita levels of materials use: history and present

  13. 3) Metabolic transition now: Symptoms of „extractive economies“ • Intensification of agriculture and forestry, increasing pressure on land • High per capita materials and energy use • Very high materials intensity of the economy (tons per unit GDP)

  14. Per capita materials use 1995 Sources: IFF, Amazonia21, WRI

  15. Per capita income, 1995 Sources: World Bank

  16. Material Intensity 1995 Sources: IFF, Amazonia21, WRI, World Bank

  17. Metabolic transitions in the globalized economy • Declining material intensity in the industrial core countries • Alarming: Rising materials intensity at the periphery („extractive economies“) • Rich industrial countries externalize materially intensive processes, and environmental burdens

  18. Material Intensity declining in industrial, but rising in developing countries GDP (real, constant) Material Input (DMI) Sources: IFF, Amazonia21, WRI, OECD Material Intensity (DMI/GDP)

  19. 4) Is global trade driving environmental exploitation in peripheral economies?

  20. Imports & Exports in tons as share of material input, 1975-1995 Exports [% share of DMI] Imports [% share of DMI] Sources: IFF, Amazonia21, WRI, OECD

  21. Physical trade balances: tons imported minus tons exported, 1995 Sources: IFF, Amazonia21, WRI, World Bank

  22. Material Intensity (tons/$) of International Trade, 1995 Sources: Amazonia21, IFF, WRI

  23. 5) Conclusions • Amazonian countries have a specific metabolic profile: different from history, different from present-day industrial countries • an unsustainable profile: high material input, low income, rising material intensity • this profile is reinforced by international trade • no „wait and see“: ongoing structural change is not working towards sustainability

  24. References Adriaanse, A., Bringezu, S., Hammond, A., Moriguchi, Y., Rodenberg, E., Rogich, D., and Schütz, H. (1997), Resource Flows: The Material Basis of Industrial Economies, Washington DC, World Resources Institute. Berkhout, F. (1998), "Aggregate resource efficiency: A review of evidence", in Vellinga, P., Managing a material world: Perspectives in industrial ecology, Dordrecht, Kluwer Fischer-Kowalski, M. (1998), Society's Metabolism. The Intellectual History of Material Flow Analysis, Part I, 1860 - 1970, Journal of Industrial Ecology, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 61-78. Fischer-Kowalski, M. and Amann, C. (2001). „Beyond IPAT and Kuznets Curves: Globalization as a Vital Factor in Analysing the Environmental Impact of Socio-Economic Metabolism”, in: Population and Environment, 23: 7-47. Matthews, E., Amann, C., Fischer-Kowalski, M., Bringezu, S., Hüttler, W., Kleijn, R., Moriguchi, Y., Ottke, C., Rodenburg, E., Rogich, D., Schandl, H., Schütz, H., van der Voet, E., and Weisz, H. (2000), The Weight of Nations: Material Outflows from Industrial Economies, Washington, World Resources Institute. Muradian, R. and Martinez-Alier, J. (2001), South-North Materials Flow: History and Environmental Repercussions, Innovation, Vol. 14, No. 2, 171-187. Schandl, H. and Schulz, N. B. (2001), "Industrial Ecology: United Kingdom", in Ayres, R. U. et al., Handbook for Industrial Ecology, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, in print Steurer, Anton, Schütz, Helmut, and Eurostat (2001). Economy-wide Material Flow Accounts and derived Indicators. A methodological guide. Luxenburg, Eurostat. Weisz, H., Fischer-Kowalski, M., Grünbühel, C. M., Haberl, H., Krausmann, F., and Winiwarter, V. (2001), Global Environmental Change and Historical Transitions, Innovation, Vol. 14, No. 2, 117-142.

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