Chapter III, Section C. Environmental fallacies in the face of
entropy
Environmental reasoning is not without its 2nd law flaws. The first
statement of the second law--that using energy loses some energy
dissipated permanently--is entirely consistent with an ethic of
conservation. Tied into measures of energy efficiency, as well as
the need for energy resources in the first place, the first
statement of the second law is readily experienced, and thus readily
understood. The environmental ethos of sustainability goes hand in
hand with promoting high energy efficiency concomitant with lower
polluting emissions. But the second law concept of systems
exchanging disorder for order is usually lost. Misconceptions
about energy and sustainability abound. Four of the most salient are
discussed here.