The Physics of Sustainability: Material and Power Constraints for the Long Term
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arXiv
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2025
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| _version_ | 1866917138855362560 |
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| author | Halloy, José Chatzimpiros, Petros Graner, François Gregor, Thomas |
| author_facet | Halloy, José Chatzimpiros, Petros Graner, François Gregor, Thomas |
| contents | Much of today's sustainability discourse emphasizes efficiency, clean technologies, and smart systems, but largely underestimates fundamental physical constraints relating to energy-matter interactions. These constraints stem from the fact that Earth is a materially closed yet energetically open system, driven by the sustained but low power-density flux of solar radiation. This Perspective reframes sustainability within these axiomatic limits, integrating relevant timescales and orders of magnitude. We argue that fossil-fueled industrial metabolism is inherently incompatible with long-term viability, while post-fossil systems are surface-, materials-, and power-intensive. Long-term sustainability must therefore be defined not only by how much energy or material is used, but also by how it is used: favoring organic, carbon-based chemistry with limited reliance on purified metals, operating at low power density, and maintaining low throughput rates. Achieving this requires radical technological shifts toward life-compatible systems and biogeochemical circular processes, and, likely as a consequence, a paradigm change toward degrowth to a steady-state. These two shifts are mutually reinforcing and together provide the necessary foundation for any viable future. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_10680 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | The Physics of Sustainability: Material and Power Constraints for the Long Term Halloy, José Chatzimpiros, Petros Graner, François Gregor, Thomas Physics and Society Materials Science Much of today's sustainability discourse emphasizes efficiency, clean technologies, and smart systems, but largely underestimates fundamental physical constraints relating to energy-matter interactions. These constraints stem from the fact that Earth is a materially closed yet energetically open system, driven by the sustained but low power-density flux of solar radiation. This Perspective reframes sustainability within these axiomatic limits, integrating relevant timescales and orders of magnitude. We argue that fossil-fueled industrial metabolism is inherently incompatible with long-term viability, while post-fossil systems are surface-, materials-, and power-intensive. Long-term sustainability must therefore be defined not only by how much energy or material is used, but also by how it is used: favoring organic, carbon-based chemistry with limited reliance on purified metals, operating at low power density, and maintaining low throughput rates. Achieving this requires radical technological shifts toward life-compatible systems and biogeochemical circular processes, and, likely as a consequence, a paradigm change toward degrowth to a steady-state. These two shifts are mutually reinforcing and together provide the necessary foundation for any viable future. |
| title | The Physics of Sustainability: Material and Power Constraints for the Long Term |
| topic | Physics and Society Materials Science |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.10680 |