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Re: Ecological Economics and Entropy



In article <327F908E.50E8@ilhawaii.net>,
   Jay Hanson <jhanson@ilhawaii.net> wrote:
>Magnus Redin wrote:
> 
>-> Jay Hanson <jhanson@ilhawaii.net> writes:
>-> 
>-> > Here a explanation of how thermodynamics is used in
>-> > ecological economics:
>-> > ------------
>-> > All matter and energy in the universe are subject to
>-> > the Laws of Thermodynamics. In the discipline of 
Ecological
>-> > Economics, systems are delimited so that they are 
meaningful
>-> > to our economy. What does thermodynamics have to do 
with the
>-> > sustainability of food production?
>-> 
>-> Life works "uphill" and gives matter a higher "order". 
It does that
>-> with the help of external energy from the sun and 
chemical energy
>like
>-> in volcanic ocean floor vents. That energy is dissipated 
and the
>-> overall "disorder" increases. There is plenty of 
sunshine to drive
>-> this so plants and animals keep on living.
>-> 
>-> The same reasoning applies to our technical culture. It 
needs
>external
>-> energy to produce things and turn disorder, like trash, 
into order,
>-> like usefull products. The more energy we got the easier 
it is to
>-> counter "disorder". That is one good reason to 
appreciate nuclear
>-> energy since it gives enormous ammounts of energy from 
tiny ammounts
>-> of fuel. This works until we run out of Uranium and 
Thorium and that
>-> wont happen for millenia.
>
>I won't join the nuke debates, but other than that, we 
agree.
>
>You agree, McCarthy agrees, but Harold, dlj, and charliew
>still don't get it.  I have other things to do, see if you
>can explain entropy to them.
>
>Jay

Entropy is that increasing disorder between your ears, Jay.






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