Systems Perspectives on Industrial Ecology

Chart showing proportions of coal mining, agriculture, etc.

Material Flow Analysis is a technique for evaluating the "environmental footprint" of economic activity. This chart depicts material flow components of the United States' Total Domestic Output (TDO) from 1975 to 1996. (Source: Matthews, Emily, et al. The Weight of Nations. World Resources Institute, 2000.) (Courtesy of World Resources Institute. Used with permission.)

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

ESD.123J / 1.814J / 3.560J

As Taught In

Spring 2006

Level

Graduate

Cite This Course

Course Description

Course Features

Course Description

This course examines quantitative techniques for life cycle analysis of the impacts of materials extraction, processing use, and recycling; and economic analysis of materials processing, products, and markets. Student teams undertake a major case study using the latest methods of analysis and computer-based models of materials process.

Related Content

Frank Field, Jeremy Gregory, and Randolph Kirchain. ESD.123J Systems Perspectives on Industrial Ecology. Spring 2006. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.


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