Mr. Reid Lifset, Associate Research Scholar, Associate Director of the Industrial Environmental Management Program, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Industrial Ecology, joined in the 45th Environmental Forum and delivered a speech on th topic of “Industrial Ecology: Origins, Status and Prospects” on May 22.

In the lecture, Mr. Lifset systematically introduced the origin and development of Industrial Ecology from macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic systems respectively. He also exemplified the special issue of “Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology” to propose the uncertainty of the development of technology and industry system, as well as the complicated relationships between industries and between the natural ecosystem and the industry system.

The economic understanding of Industrial Ecology should be strengthened in scientific research, Mr. Lifset pointed out. Industrial Ecology could be a theoretical framework and policy tool for guiding China’s new economic growth and sustainable development strategy, and should be expanded to a larger scale and further theoretically designed and organized.

Around 50 faculty members and students attended the forum.45