Bradley Behne will present his master’s thesis defense, “Industrial Ecology Analysis of the Potential for an Eastern Nebraska Industrial Symbiosis Network: A Comparative Study,” at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 17, in 209 Hardin Hall.
His abstract:
“The area of Eastern Nebraska north of Omaha, including the municipality of Blair is host to a collection of unique companies and industries. These industries, driven by the agricultural and urban economy of the area, as well as the geographic proximity to each other, provide an opportunity to study the potential for a network where individual entities utilize the concept of industrial symbiosis. This potential network is referred to as the Eastern Nebraska Industrial Symbiosis Network. Industrial symbiosis, a sub-set of industrial ecology, engages separate industries in a collaborative and collective approach to the flow of materials, energy, water, and/or by-products between each other. The outcome of industrial symbiosis is advantageous to not only the companies, but to the environment as well. The incorporation of ecological economic principles are at the core of industrial symbiosis. A "circular-economy" invites a more sustainable approach to the efficient allocation of resources and a philosophy of an end to growth, and drive this unique economy that differs from the traditional neoclassical approach to resource allocation.
This study compared the potential of an ENISN with the existing Kalundborg Symbiosis in Kalundborg, Denmark, a long established example of industrial ecology and the use of an eco-industrial network where the by-product of one enterprise is used as a resource by another enterprise in a closed cycle. The results of this study provide evidence that the ENISN study site has enough indicators for the potential of an industrial symbiosis site. Based on analysis of material flows and inductive themes derived from interviews with potential partners, sufficient collaboration and environmental stewardship exist in the study area. The results of the study also suggest that the human capital exists to make an ENISN; however, the impetus to take on the challenging ontological barriers remains to be seen.”
- Natural Resources
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/5ytx