Metabolism of the Anthroposphere

The topic treated in this book is the dynamics of material fluxes in the immediate human environment - the anthroposphere. A comprehensive understanding of man's activities in connection with, for example, nutrition, hygiene, habitation and transport is essential for early recognition of limitations of resources and environmental impact. The methodology of flux analysis is introduced, with examples on how to qualify and quantify the metabolism of complex biological and cultural systems. This is an entirely new approach to describing geogenic and anthropogenic systems. The perceptions gained by material flux analysis complement those obtained in life sciences (e.g. human toxicology), environmental sciences (e.g. ecotoxicology) and social sciences (e.g. economics, sociology). Their application enables a control on regional material fluxes (resource and waste management, environmental impact studies) and the devlopment of kybernetic strategies for the metabolic evolution of the anthroposphere.