ABSTRACT
In this chapter we point out that in order to make a fruitful contribution to the discussion of alternative energy sources as a substitute for oil, it is highly recommended that one should have at least a basic knowledge of energetics. Energy is a physical entity whose transformations are regulated by thermodynamic laws; it cannot be analysed by economics alone. This chapter may be seen as a crash course in energetics, the field that provides systemic analyses of energy transformations associated with the maintenance and reproduction of metabolic systems such as human society. Indeed, we argue that it is essential to use a comprehensive, organic approach that addresses the full complexity of the network of energy transformations that are behind the successful maintenance and reproduction of human societies. When looking for alternative energy sources, it is essential that the proposed energy sources can express the characteristics required by the metabolic pattern of society. We further show that we must acknowledge the existence of the general principles of energetics that dictate the features of metabolic patterns, and hence the characteristics of the socio-economic systems that are based on the expression of these metabolic patterns. These general principles can be used to define the quality of an energy source, such as agro-biofuel, in relation to its proposed use in stabilizing the activities of a given socio-economic system.
