Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
use with many using the average American's consumption of several important com-
modities (Sec. 1.2), as the yardstick. Dematerialisation 1 within developed countries
is far from being reached (Cleveland and Ruth, 1998) and if anything, is spreading
to developing countries who tend to imitate and amplify the Western consumer
lifestyle.
But how can we in the West deny someone else's right to a pleasant safe environ-
ment, where they can move freely, shower when they desire, listen to music, watch
television or speak to friends over a computer? And what to do about the energy,
water and material demands associated with daily modern living: the clothes we
wear and wash, the out of season food we taste, the cars we drive, the trips we make
for business as much as leisure? Only a fraction of today's population 2 has access
to such luxuries and those who have, surely cannot forbid others from having them
too.
And what about our future generations? If there are seven billion people alive
today, in three or four generations all those currently enjoying the planet's resources
will have died, a few of which will have squandered more than their fair share. Thus
leaving those of the future with only one question on their lips, why? Why did you
take more than was strictly necessary? Why did you decide to bring us into the
present world but then not think of our future one, and since when did that become
ok?
The only way to prevent such questioning is to ensure that natural resources
are used more e ciently in a world where everyone is aware of the consequences
of not doing so. Resource e ciency cannot occur overnight but can be supported
with a guiding set of principles. And with them, mankind can begin a walk towards
sustainability. Such principles must combine the physical laws that dictate the
Universe with those passed in legal courts. The latter, for obvious reasons, must
show flexibility and be moulded within physical planetary limits. It cannot and
should never be the other way around. This is in effect the basis of any resource
framework as any e ciency must stem from knowledge of the physical systems so
that humans can optimise their own programmes (design, monitor, maintenance
and recycling) and make more e cient use of them. One must in short learn to
recognise, understand, respect and use/re-use appropriately the quota of resources
that Nature has bestowed, without putting at risk the very natural cycles responsible
for their provision. The Principles of Resource E ciency, in the authors' opinion
could help catalyse such endeavours 3 . There can be no place for excess.
The next section establishes each principle, providing the rationale behind it and
1 Dematerialisation refers to the absolute or relative reduction in the quantity of materials required
to serve economic functions (Wernick et al., 1996).
2 WWF's Living Planet Report 2010 indicates that “we are currently using 50% more natural
resources than the Earth can sustain. The highest biodiversity loss is in the poorest countries,
in part driven by demands from richer nations; 20% of the world's population consume 80% of
ecological resources” (WWF, 2010).
3 These principles were first written as Laws of Energy E ciency in Valero (2010). They have
since been adapted here for the purposes of this topic.
 
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