Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

PharmaceuticalplantSludgeLocal farmersGreenhousesSludgeFish farmingWasteHeatWasteWasteHeatWasteHeatOil refinerySulfurSurplusSulfuric acidproducerHeatSurplusNatural gasSurplusNatural gasElectricpowerplantWasteCalcium sulfateWasteHeatFlyAshArea homesCementmanufacturerWallboardfactoryFigure 24-5 Solutions: industrial ecosystem in Kalundborg, Denmark, reduces waste production bymimicking a natural food web. The wastes of one business become the raw materials for another. Wasteheat in the form of hot air or water can be piped from the power plant to several of the other sites.in the United States is sent to such clearinghouses, afigure that could be greatly increased.In addition to eliminating most waste and pollution,these industrial forms of biomimicry providemany economic benefits for businesses. They reducethe costs of controlling pollution and complying withpollution regulations. If a company does not add pollutantsto the environment, it does not have to worryabout government regulations or being sued becausethe wastes harm someone. The company also improvesthe health and safety of its workers by reducingtheir exposure to toxic and hazardous material andthus reduces company health-care insurance costs.Biomimicry also stimulates companies to come upwith new, environmentally beneficial chemicals, processes,and products that can be sold worldwide. Suchcompanies have a better image among consumersbased on results rather than public relations campaigns.In 1975, the Minnesota Mining and ManufacturingCompany (3M), which makes 60,000 different productsin 100 manufacturing plants, began a Pollution PreventionPays (3P) program. It redesigned equipment andprocesses, used fewer hazardous raw materials, identifiedhazardous chemical outputs (and recycled or soldthem as raw materials to other companies), and beganmaking more nonpolluting products.By 1998, 3M’s overall waste production was downby one-third, its air pollutant emissions per unit of productionwere 70% lower, and the company had savedmore than $750 million in waste disposal and materialcosts. Since 1990, a growing number of companieshave adopted similar programs. See the Guest Essayby Peter Montague on cleaner production on the websitefor this chapter.What Is a Service-Flow Economy? SellingServices Instead of ThingsBusinesses can greatly decrease their pollutionand waste by shifting from selling goods to sellingservices that the goods provide.In the mid-1980s, German chemist Michael Braungartand Swiss industry analyst Walter Stahel independentlyproposed a new economic model that wouldprovide profits while greatly reducing resource useand waste. Their idea for more sustainable economieshttp://biology.brookscole.com/miller14537