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owner captures, there is no less left for others to capture, and it is inherentlynonexcludable. 22Chapter 5 Abiotic Resources • 91■ Summary PointsTable 5.1 summarizes some of the policy-relevant characteristics of thesefive abiotic resources. Why are these details important to ecological economicanalysis, and what message should you take home from this chapter?The stock-flow/fund-service distinction is important with respect toscale. We have control over the rate at which we use fossil fuels, mineralresources, and water. As the economy undergoes physical growth, it mustuse ever-greater flows from finite stocks. Because fossil aquifers and fuelsare irreversibly depleted by use, and mineral resources may be irreversiblydissipated through use, the finite stock of these resources imposes limitson total economic production over time. Limits to growth may not beapparent until the stock is seriously depleted, and once gone, it is goneforever. Funds, in contrast, provide services at a fixed rate over which wehave no control (though one thing that distinguishes biotic fund servicesfrom abiotic ones is that we can damage or even destroy them). Fundservicestherefore limit the size of the economy at any given time, but theydo not limit total production over time.■ Table 5.1SELECTED POLICY-RELEVENT CHARACTERISTICS OF ABIOTIC RESOURCESRivalAbiotic Stock-Flow or Can Be Made BetweenResource Fund-Service Excludable Rival Generations SubstitutabilityFossil Fuels Stock-flow Yes Yes Yes Modest at margin,(nonrecyclable)but possiblysubstitutableover timeMinerals Stock-flow Yes Yes Partially High at margin,(partiallyultimatelyrecyclable)nonsubstitutableWater Context- Context- Context- Stocks, yes; Nonsubstitutable(solar recycling) dependent dependent dependent funds and for mostrecycled, no important usesRicardian Land Fund-service Yes Yes No Nonsubstitutable(indestructible)Solar Energy Fund- No No, for No Nonsubstitutable(indestructible) service practical purposes22 Future space-based solar technologies may change this but are irrelevant at present.