The Key to Sustainability: Flows of Water and Electricity

In this publication, A. Bejan draws attention  to the emerging literature and physics principle (constructal law) that provide the scientific foundation for sustainability. He shows that the sustainability need is about flow: the flow of energy and the flow of water through the inhabited space.

All the flows needed for human life such as transportation, heating, or cooling, water are driven by the purposeful consumption of fuels, and this is why the wealth of a country (the GDP) is directly proportional to the annual consumption of fuel in that country.

Sustainability comes from greater freedom in changing the organization – the flow architecture – that sustains life. Greater freedom to change the design (from water and power to laws and government) leads to greater flow, wealth, life and staying power, i.e. sustainability

References

• Adrian Bejan, Sustainability: The Water and Energy Problem, and the Natural Design Solution, European Review, Volume 23, Issue 04 , October 2015, pp 481-488, DOI.

• The Key to Sustainability: Flows of Water and Electricity, Duke University, News Release, September 23, 2015.