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Accounting for Emissions and Sinks from the Biogeochemical Cycle of Carbon in the U.S. Economic Input‐Output Model
Author(s) -
Singh Shweta,
Bakshi Bhavik R.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of industrial ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.377
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1530-9290
pISSN - 1088-1980
DOI - 10.1111/jiec.12156
Subject(s) - carbon sequestration , greenhouse gas , biogeochemical cycle , carbon cycle , carbon footprint , natural resource economics , carbon sink , carbon accounting , environmental science , climate change , environmental resource management , economics , ecosystem , carbon dioxide , ecology , biology
Summary Biogeochemical cycles are essential ecosystem services that continue to degrade as a result of human activities, but are not fully considered in efforts toward sustainable engineering. This article develops a model that integrates the carbon cycle with economic activities in the 2002 U.S. economy. Data about the carbon cycle, including emissions and sequestration flows, is obtained from the greenhouse gas inventory of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Economic activities are captured by the economic input‐output model available from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The resulting model is more comprehensive in its accounting for the carbon cycle than existing methods for carbon footprint (CF) calculations. Examples of unique flows in this model include the effect of land‐use and land‐cover change on carbon dioxide flow within the U.S. national boundary, carbon sequestration in urban trees, and emissions resulting from liming. This model is used to gain unique insight into the carbon profile of U.S. economic sectors by providing the life cycle emissions and sequestration in each sector. Such insight may be used to support policies, manage supply chains, and be used for more comprehensive CF calculations.