““Problems cannot be solved by the same level ofProblems cannot be solved by the same level ofthinking that created them.”thinking that created them.”

““Insanity is doing the same thing over and over againInsanity is doing the same thing over and over againand expecting different results.”and expecting different results.”

The Physics laws andThe Physics laws andthe unsustainability of the economic liberalismthe unsustainability of the economic liberalism

Beniamino Ginatempo

Dept.  Ing.  Civ.  Edi.  Amb.  Mat.  App.,

University  of  Messina  (Italy)  

e-mail: Beniamino.Ginatempo@unime.it

The Physics laws andThe Physics laws andthe unsustainability of the economic liberalismthe unsustainability of the economic liberalism

Synopsis:

1) Nature laws and the sustainability2) The physical reasons of the economical crisis3) The alternative: equity and solidarity

Nature laws and sustainabilityNature laws and sustainability

On the Earth (and within the Universe) only physical phenomena can occur.They are permitted and ruled by the Physics or Nature laws

Physics laws cannot be transgressed, opposite to human or free market laws

Therefore mankind should organize itself following developmentTherefore mankind should organize itself following developmentmodels that take them into account and are not conflicting with themmodels that take them into account and are not conflicting with them

Sustainability = coherence with Nature laws

Natural phenomena have a cyclic structure opposite to the actual economicdevelopment model that has a linear structure, and this greatly affect itssustainability

Mass conservation andMass conservation andThermodynamics principlesThermodynamics principles

Nothing is created, nothing is destroyed, everything is transformedNothing is created, nothing is destroyed, everything is transformed

The relevant physical quantities for this seminar are Mass and Energy

Mass conservation principle and 1st principle of Thermodynamics statethat when ANY physical phenomena occurs mass and energy might changebut their overall conservation is ensured

ANY human activity is just a transformation, of mass in other mass(e.g. chemical reactions) and energy in other energy (e.g. from mechanicalto electric energy, as in the alternator of bicycle)

This holds also for economical activities as production and consumptionThis holds also for economical activities as production and consumption

The usability of resources andThe usability of resources andthe Second Principle of Thermodynamicsthe Second Principle of Thermodynamics

Exactly because nothing can be created nor destroyed, the efficiency ofa transformation non può superare il 100%, but much often is <100%but much often is <100%

There will be then an unavoidable scrapunavoidable scrap in any transformation andthis is the environment pollutionenvironment pollution

In other words the initial available resources cannot be entirely used andthe remnant is made unusable, downgraded or definitively wasteddefinitively wasted

The inevitability of such a scrap is a profound consequence ofthe Second Principle of Thermodynamics

To illustrate this let me use a metaphor: the entropic car park

In their cryptic slang the physicists say:the Entropy increases after a transformation (up to a max in an isolated system)

Efficiency of the transformation = 50%, sayEfficiency of the transformation = 50%, sayMinimum WASTE of RESOURCESMinimum WASTE of RESOURCES

Entropic car park 1Entropic car park 1

UnusableUnusableresourcesresources

Let us transform a given available area (resource) in a car park

ININ OUTOUT

ININ OUTOUT

Efficiency of the trasformation < 50%, sayEfficiency of the trasformation < 50%, sayWASTE of RESOURCES because of disorderWASTE of RESOURCES because of disorder(Increase of Entropy)(Increase of Entropy)

Entropic car park 2Entropic car park 2

UnusableUnusableresourcesresources WastedWasted

resourcesresources

ININ OUTOUT

Efficiency of trasformation = 0%, sayEfficiency of trasformation = 0%, sayMaximum WASTE of RESOURCESMaximum WASTE of RESOURCES

Entropic car park 3Entropic car park 3

All the resources wastedAll the resources wasted

Comments on the entropic car parkComments on the entropic car park

The initial area, the available resource, cannot be created nor destroyed,but rarely it can be entirely used

The remnant 50% it is not waste, because we could not do better,and it is simply space resource not usable to park

Indeed we might have a lot more of room waste: the transformationefficiency is reduced if everybody would park chaoticallychaotically

On the contrary, if the individual behaviours were coordinatedcoordinated,then the common resourcescommon resources will be best usedbest used

Notice also that the work of drawing the bays helps to bring orderbring order intothe car park and without this work there would be wastes

To depredate common resources leads to a waste of themTo depredate common resources leads to a waste of them

Order, disorder and Work Order, disorder and Work

The accumulation of the made unusable resources causes thephysical system internal disorder growth (entropy growth)

This downgrade process might continue up to a maximum:the system total decay, the thermal death, unavoidable if the system is isolated

To escape this abhorred event, we can only take energy from the system outsideand use it to order the inside. This energy transfer is the Work

Work is the only tool for human salvationWork is the only tool for human salvation, work is the escape from the disaster,because any left alone system evolves towards the chaos (e.g. Pompei ruins)

There isThere is no other way to produce wealth and welfare no other way to produce wealth and welfare than thanto transform to transform Mass Mass and and EnergyEnergy through through WorkWork and and KnowledgeKnowledge

Knowledge is essentialKnowledge is essential to do it at the best and to do it to do it at the best and to do itminimizing the mass and energy scraps.minimizing the mass and energy scraps.

Life, extinction and environment resourcesLife, extinction and environment resources

Life is the everyday fight to reduce our own entropyLife is the everyday fight to reduce our own entropy**(at the expenses of environment entropy)

ExtinctionExtinction of living species occurs when they are not able any more to collectenergy (and other resources) from the environment** (in order to reducetheir own entropy*)

see for example Erwin Schrödinger, What is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell,

Cambridge University Press (1944) *

It seems a good newsIt seems a good news: if we had an unlimited reservoir of energyand other resources we might keep ordered for ever, working a lot,all physical systems (including ourselves)

It is bad newsIt is bad news: such a reservoir does not exist, on the contraryEarth resources are narrow (for 7 billions people)

Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or… London (1859),John Murray, ISBN 1-4353-9386-4.

**

First general conclusionsFirst general conclusions

Humans cannot avoid to polluteHumans cannot avoid to pollute

Then it would be wise to pollute

As least as possibleAs least as possible As slowly as possibleAs slowly as possible

i.e. minimize scraps and wastesi.e. minimize scraps and wastes

This is the thermodynamics wise prescription:

Let us try to slow down the entropy growthLet us try to slow down the entropy growth

The Physics laws andThe Physics laws andthe unsustainability of the economic liberalismthe unsustainability of the economic liberalism

Synopsis:

1) Physics laws and the sustainability2) The physical reasons of the economical crisis3) The alternative: equity and solidarity

The cyclic structure of the natural phenomenaThe cyclic structure of the natural phenomena

The trick that Nature has invented to respect conservation laws andto allow the life on the Earth is the materials cyclematerials cycle

The overwhelming majority of natural cycles consists in the composition ofsimple chemical elements (atoms) in organic matter and after in thedecomposition of the organic matter in their components

Nothing gets lostNothing gets lost: everything is reused, and because of the circular structurethere is no input nor outputno input nor output

Nature does not make wastesNature does not make wastes

SimpleElements

(Mass)

Organicmatter

compositionEnergy

exchange

Circular processCircular process

decompositionEnergy

exchange

The Growth and the GDPThe Growth and the GDP

The actual economic system is based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP, or PIL)the measure of the total wealth produced yearly by a community

Its stationary equilibrium is reached through the GrowthGrowth

GDP is just a sum, it does not accounts for the wealth distribution.In order to avoid social conflicts, some growth crumbs is normallydistributed to everybody, and this allows for consumptions increase

The GDP growth can be pursued by production, consumptions and services

The all cost growth makes the economic system structure linearlinear

Without growth all the system collapses: social conflicts, worker suicides,debt explosion, no resources to heal pollution, ecc.

Economicsystem

The linear structure of the economic systemThe linear structure of the economic system

Companies in order to producea) need raw materialsraw materials and energyenergy, make wasteswastes and run into debtdebt

Consumers in order to consumeb) need energyenergy, make wasteswastes and run into debtdebt

States in order to support production and consumptionsc) need energyenergy, make wasteswastes and run into debtdebt

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

Energy Debt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Linear process

Finance

M. Pagani “I rifiuti fanno da traino al PIL?”,(2007)

Some instabilities of the economic systemSome instabilities of the economic system

This system works because the resources (energy and mass) inputbut has to face the wastes and debt problems

In agreement with thermodynamics the wastes must grow at least as GDP

GDP/cap=+14.6%

W/cap=+18.1%

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

Energy Debt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Environmental instability of the economic systemEnvironmental instability of the economic system

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

Energy

Debt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUTGDP GrowthGDP Growth

INPUT OUTPUT

To deal with wastes and debt resources and GDP go down:To deal with wastes and debt resources and GDP go down:the crisisthe crisis

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

EnergyDebt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

EnergyDebt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

Energy Debt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Input instability of the economic systemInput instability of the economic system

Resources fluxes slow down or their costs increase =Resources fluxes slow down or their costs increase =- production, + prices up, - consumptions or + debt,- production, + prices up, - consumptions or + debt,+ public debt = the crisis+ public debt = the crisis

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

Energy Debt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

EnergyDebt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

Energy Debt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Administration instability of the economic systemAdministration instability of the economic system

Tax evasion, corruption, waste of tax payers money, etc. =Tax evasion, corruption, waste of tax payers money, etc. =+ public debt, - services, - production, -consumptions:+ public debt, - services, - production, -consumptions:the crisis the crisis

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

EnergyDebt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

EnergyDebt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

Energy Debt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

High formation and research roleHigh formation and research role

Less research and formation = - production, + wastes,Less research and formation = - production, + wastes,+ debt: the crisis+ debt: the crisis

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

Energy Debt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

Energy

Debt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)

EnergyDebt

Wastes

INPUT OUTPUT

The physical reasons of the crisisThe physical reasons of the crisis

One has to conclude that the physical reasons of the crisis are related tothe Earth entropy growth, caused by the resources scrap.

(it would be interesting a compared study of poverty and pollution indicators)

The linear structure of the economic system is not compatible withThe linear structure of the economic system is not compatible withthermodynamics principles and natural phenomenathermodynamics principles and natural phenomena

The unlimited growth is forbidden by the Nature laws,The unlimited growth is forbidden by the Nature laws,because the natural resources are limitedbecause the natural resources are limited

Scientific progress can mitigate then delay the disaster but not escape itScientific progress can mitigate then delay the disaster but not escape it(sustainable development)(sustainable development)

The Physics laws andThe Physics laws andthe unsustainability of the economic liberalismthe unsustainability of the economic liberalism

Synopsis:

1) Physics laws and the sustainability2) The physical reasons of the economical crisis3) The alternative: equity and solidarity

Consumistic vs. sober societyConsumistic vs. sober society

It seems that we have to change It seems that we have to change from linear to cyclicfrom linear to cyclic the economic system the economic system

Cfr. Vandana Shiva’s Subsistence and Nature Economiesor Latin America Buen Vivir

We should

a) limit the attack to planet resourcesb) recover most materials after consumptionc) change our lifestyle

This economic system is based on the wild consumption of the unnecessary

The Zero Waste StrategyThe Zero Waste Strategy

Paul Connett saysPaul Connett says that Zero Waste Strategy is the springboard to sustainability that Zero Waste Strategy is the springboard to sustainability

ZW strategy is based mainly on two strongholds:a) Maximum recover of massb) Responsibility and solidarity (with future Earth inhabitants)

Economicsystem

RawMaterials

(Mass)Wastes

Recycle as secondary raw materialsRecycle as secondary raw materials

It is not enough

ResponsibilityResponsibility

We waste a lot of stuff there is no reason to waste (Reuse and Recover) (Reuse and Recover)

We are the throwaway society

If a product after its use is bound to go into a landfill or to be burned thena) It should not be produced (responsible industrial design)b) It should not be bought (responsible consumption)c) Its use must by discouraged by taxes (responsible government)

Reduction of planet resources Reduction of planet resources (input)(input)

Pollution (output) Pollution (output)

It is not enough

Equity against wastesEquity against wastes

The economic system input and output are controlled by oligarchies,e.g. mine and oil companies, finance providers (and waste companies)

This is a source of enormous power(Can we have democracy without an equitable access to natural resources or Common Assets?)(Can we have democracy without an equitable access to natural resources or Common Assets?)

Analogously to the entropic car park metaphor:the resources waste may be minimized by a coordinated many users behaviour,i.e. sober, equal and liable access to common resourcessober, equal and liable access to common resources

Recipes against crisisRecipes against crisis

Thermodynamics (not ideology) recipe against the crisis:1)1) Circular structure of the economyCircular structure of the economy2)2) Sober, equal and liable access to common assets (Mass and Energy)Sober, equal and liable access to common assets (Mass and Energy)

Free market recipe against the crisis: the Growtha) Increase productivity;b) Increase consumptions;c) Cut public spending and reduce taxes

However1) because of the linear structure of the economic system2) because of the narrowness of the natural resourcesThe pollution and the attack to planet resources make this recipe unsustainable(The growth is the disease, then it can hardly be the therapy)

ConclusionsConclusions

Earth cannot be governed by the economyEarth cannot be governed by the economy

It would be nice if politics and governors recovered the authority to decide

what should grow and what should decreasewhat should grow and what should decrease

(irrespective to GDP and in conflict of economic potentates, if necessary)

It would not be that bad if the governors and citizens should knowa little more Thermodynamics

““Problems cannot be solved by the same level ofProblems cannot be solved by the same level ofthinking that created them.”thinking that created them.”

““Insanity is doing the same thing over and over againInsanity is doing the same thing over and over againand expecting different results.”and expecting different results.”