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Digital Frukost

The circular economy: thermodynamic impossibilities and public policy

The idea of a circular economy has been embraced by the European Commission. What does it mean and is it feasible? We are happy to have Zora Kovacic, post doctor at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, to present and discuss the theme in a biophysical context.

illustration Digital Frukost
From Colourbox
Foto/ill.:
Colorbox

Hovedinnhold

Abstract

In 2013, the idea of a “circular economy” entered the stage of European policy-making in the efforts to reconcile environmental and economic policy objectives. In 2019, the European Commission declared in a press release that the Circular Economy Action Plan has been delivered. The level of circularity of the European economy, however, has remained the same. This presentation describes and discusses how circularity is conceived, imagined and enacted in current EU policy-making. In the biophysical sense, it is thermodynamically impossible to “close the loop” so that all resources are fully re-used and no new natural resources are needed. How, then, should one understand the concept of the circular economy? What kinds of circularity are currently in the making, and why do they seem to gain political support?

About the seminars

"Digital Frukost" is an open breakfast seminar series focusing on research activities at the interface between the biological sciences and that of mathematics, computer science, physics, engineering or social sciences. Examples of such research activities could be mathematical or computational modeling of biological systems, application of engineering/control systems theory on biological systems or inspired by biological systems, application of mathematics/statistics/machine learning to analyze big data in health or marine sector; from sensor systems, imaging, omics technologies, policy making based on scientific models etc.

The seminar will be at the Computational Biology Unit, Department of Informatics, UiB, 5. floor (Datablokken), Thormøhlens gate 55.

We hope to see many of you there!

As food will be served, please register your attendance using this link.