NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
2101 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20418
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
This volume has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a National Academy of Engineering report review process. The interpretations and conclusions expressed in the papers are those of the authors and are not presented as the views of the council, officers, or staff of the National Academy of Engineering.
Funding for this project was provided by the AT&T Foundation, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Academy of Engineering Technology Agenda Program.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The Industrial green game : implications for environmental design and management / edited by Deanna J. Richards.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-309-05294-7 (alk. paper)
1. Industrial ecology. 2. Manufacturers—Environmental aspects. I. Richards, Deanna J.
TS161.I544 1997
658.4'08–dc21 96-40095
CIP
Copyright 1997 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Cover art: Khalo's Garden (detail), courtesy of the artist, Alfredo Arreguin, Seattle, Wash.
Printed in the United States of America
Steering Committee
ROBERT A. FROSCH (Chairman), Senior Research Fellow,
Harvard University
(Former Vice President for Research, General Motors)
PETER R. BRIDENBAUGH, Executive Vice President,
Automotive Aluminum Company of America
ROBERT C. FORNEY, Retired Executive Vice President,
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company
G. FRANK JOKLIK, Retired President and CEO,
Kennecott Corporation
ROBERT A. LAUDISE, Director,
Materials and Processing Research Laboratory, Lucent Technology
LEE THOMAS, SR., Vice President,
Environmental Government Affairs, Georgia-Pacific Corporation
KURT YEAGER, President,
Electric Power Research Institute
Staff
DEANNA J. RICHARDS, Project Director
GREG PEARSON, Editor
MARION RAMSEY, Senior Program Assistant
Preface
The mainstreaming of environmental considerations in design and management decisions by companies as well as public-sector organizations is a relatively new phenomenon. The National Academy of Engineering (NAE), through its program on Technology and Environment has, since the late 1980s, taken a "best practices" approach to articulating emerging concepts that aid the mainstreaming process. This volume describes practices that are being used by a variety of industries in several industrialized countries to integrate environmental considerations in decision making.
Environmental issues facing corporations (and public agencies that regulate their actions) vary dramatically. How these issues are incorporated into decision making depends on the type of business; level and sophistication of corporate use of technology and information; employees' knowledge, management skills, and ingenuity; and the design and execution of a plan of action. Those firms that are farther along in making "green" products, using "clean" production, or delivering ''green" services face difficult choices as they strive to improve environmental performance. But, as this volume suggests, learning and application of usable knowledge leads to continuous improvement.
The papers in this report were presented originally as part of an international conference on industrial ecology convened by the NAE in May 1994. Collectively, they describe concepts and present case studies and tools that contribute to the improvement of environmental quality.
Many individuals were involved in the preparation of this volume. On behalf of the National Academy of Engineering, I want to thank particularly the authors for their thoughtful contributions and the members of the conference steering committee—Peter R. Bridenbaugh, Robert Forney, Robert A. Frosch (chairman),
Frank Joklik, Robert Laudise, Lee Thomas, and Kurt Yeager—for their help in organizing the conference.
I would also like to thank the NAE staff who worked on this project. Deanna Richards, who directs the NAE Technology and Environment Program, was primarily responsible for sheparding the project through its various stages. Peter Schulze, NAE J. Herbert Holloman Fellow, contributed valuable assistance along the way; Marion Ramsey, senior program assistant, provided critical administrative, logistical, and editorial support; Greg Pearson, the Academy's editor, contributed invaluable and steadfast editing and publishing oversight of this document. And Bruce Guile, former director of the NAE Program Office, gave advice and assistance throughout the project.
Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to the AT&T Foundation and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation for their partial support of this project and to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for its partial support of related elements of the Academy's Technology and Environment Program.
WM. A. WULF
President
National Academy of Engineering
Contents
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The Industrial Green Game: Overview and Perspectives |
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Industrial Ecology: Closing the Loop on Waste Materials |
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Metrics, Systems, and Technological Choices |
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Energetics Concepts Drawn from Electricity Production and Consumption |
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The Functional Economy: Cultural and Organizational Change |
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Environmental Constraints and the Evolution of the Private Firm |
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The Industrial Symbiosis at Kalundborg, Denmark |
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Environmental Prioritization |
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Improving Environmental Performance Through Effective Measurement |
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Hydro Aluminum's Experience with Industrial Ecology |
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Europipe Development Project: Managing a Pipeline Project in a Complex and Sensitive Environment |
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Environmental Strategies in the Mining Industry: One Company's Experience |
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Accounting for Environmental Cost |
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Public Perception, Understanding, and Values |
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Consumer Perceptions of Environmentalism in the Triad |
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A Critique of Life Cycle Analysis: Paper Products |
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Japan's Changing Environmental Policy, Government Initiatives, and Industry Responses |
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