Paying Back Energy

Description | Indicators | Scoring Criteria | Definitions | Issues

PROBLEM
The modern economy relies heavily on the use and availability of energy to produce products, provide transportation, provide for personal needs and fuel economic growth. Increasing energy consumption has resulted in increased levels of air and water contamination, destruction of protected habitats, armed conflict and more frequent environmental disasters associated with the production, extraction, transport and combustion of fossil fuels. Continued use of limited supply fossil fuels is unsustainable and some experts project that we have already reached the peak of available fossil fuel production. Even renewable energy sources have impacts and limits.

GOAL
Minimize the amount of energy of any type used to produce the product.

IDEAL
Energy produced throughout the extraction and processing of raw materials, the manufacture and use of the product and the ultimate disposal of the product at end-of-life results in a net positive generation of energy onto the grid.

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