Is sustainability a thermodynamic concept?
by Enrico Sciubba, Federico Zullo
International Journal of Exergy (IJEX), Vol. 8, No. 1, 2011

Abstract: When calculating the 'degree of sustainability', socio-economic parameters and 'natural capital' are not easily quantified, and the question of the physical meaning of 'sustainability' in Thermodynamics remains relevant. On the basis of one single axiom: resource consumption of any kind can be quantified solely in terms of exergy flows, we demonstrate that for sufficiently complex systems certain thresholds – in terms of system's parameters – appear, below or beyond which the system exhibits an ability to remain in a self-preserving (sustainable) state. The analysis leads to non-trivial solutions in phase space, and some schematic examples are discussed in the paper: the results show a trend that seems to deserve further consideration.

Online publication date: Tue, 30-Nov-2010

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