Chapter overview

This chapter takes a global- and future-oriented perspective on the impacts of industrial processes on biogeochemical cycles and material flows. With respect to human systems, we deal with the material–biophysical flows that are caused by global industry and the economy. Thus we take an international and supranational view in which the industrial activities and consumption of nations, world regions, and world industries are seen as agents. The global perspective reveals that essential biogeochemical cycles of the Earth system are dominated by human and industrial activities.

Global biogeochemical flows are of interest from two perspectives, one being the change of the material–biophysical regime, such as the change of carbon or sulfur flows. Here, industrial ecology shows a strong link to ecosystem management. A second perspective is the optimization of the material flows from an economic standpoint. Closing certain material cycles, optimizing recycling, and avoiding unnecessary dissipation of industrial systems can be beneficial from a macroeconomic perspective. This aspect sometimes goes under the label of industrial metabolism. We discuss how industrial metabolism is different from the natural metabolic processes, given that there are no “primary producers (analogous to photosynthetic organisms) in the industrial world” (Johansson, 2002, p. 73). We discuss how meaningful biophysical flux management based on solar energy input may reverse unfavorable entropic dynamics.

In addition to the previous points, the chapter focuses on the question of whether there are essential critical materials. We first discuss the agrarian sector and what constraints are present within primary production when taking phosphorus as an example. We proceed to the traditional industrial sector, specifically looking at metals. Here, copper serves as a case study. We then look at the service or information society and reflect on the role of rare elements, such as indium and rhenium. We close the chapter by reflecting on the global material flows with respect to their potentials and limitations in the transition to a post-industrial society.