Iterative Method to Evaluate the Ecological Cost of Imported Goods

Abstract

Ecological cost indices can be defined as the cumulative consumption of non-renewable exergy connected with the fabrication of particular products. This cumulative consumption should comprise the additional exergy consumption of non-renewable resources resulting from the necessity of compensating the deleterious effects of the rejection of waste products to the environment. Ecological cost indices can be calculated by means of the system of linear balance equations of ecological cost. Indices calculated in this way, within the regional system, take into account the ecological cost indices of imported raw materials and imported semi-finished products. It is difficult to build up a set of balance equations to determine the indices of imported goods.

In this paper the author proposes an iterative method of evaluating the ecological cost of imported goods. The results of sample calculations are also presented.

• This paper was presented at the ECOS'01 Conference in Turkey July 4-6, 2001 and revised

Keywords

• exergy, ecological cost, natural resources, environmental losses, cumulative exergy consumption