Chapter III, Section C.  Environmental fallacies in the face of entropy

Environmental reasoning is not without its 2nd law flaws. The first statement of the second law--that using energy loses some energy dissipated permanently--is entirely consistent with an ethic of conservation. Tied into measures of energy efficiency, as well as the need for energy resources in the first place, the first statement of the second law is readily experienced, and thus readily understood. The environmental ethos of sustainability goes hand in hand with promoting high energy efficiency concomitant with lower polluting emissions. But the second law concept of systems exchanging disorder for order is usually lost.  Misconceptions about energy and sustainability abound. Four of the most salient are discussed here.

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