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  • The Environment
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Energy and the entropy business

Nature Biotechnology volume 17, pages BV27–BV28 (1999)Cite this article

Postindustrial societies oblige industry and government bodies to implement strict structured environmental management systems. Recently, environmental engineering has become integrated in a broader scheme of environmental management.

The type and amount of waste acceptable depends on a society's priorities. In time, we may move toward minimal emission, but this will require increased labor, information technology, and energy. For all waste, particularly uncontained aqueous and gaseous wastes, society will increasingly demand maximum reuse and minimum dissipation to the ecosphere. Decreasing such entropy will necessitate energy expenditure.

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  1. Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology, University of Gent, Coupure L 653, Gent, B-9000, Belgium

    Willy Verstraete

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  1. Willy Verstraete
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Verstraete, W. Energy and the entropy business. Nat Biotechnol 17 (Suppl 2), BV27–BV28 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/7169

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