Preface; Contents; Symbols, Acronyms, and Abbreviations; 1 Introduction; 1.1 Role of Natural Resources in the economic process; 1.1.1 Primary and secondary factors of production; 1.1.2 Focus on non-renewable Energy-Resources; 1.2 Emerging needs in Environmental Impact Analysis; 1.3 Objectives and structure of the book; References; 2 Review of Resources Accounting Methods; 2.1 Life Cycle Assessment; 2.2 Introduction to resources accounting; 2.3 Input-Output analysis; 2.3.1 Basic Leontief model: single production process; 2.3.2 Basic Leontief model: generic system composed by n processes

2.3.3 Meaning of the Leontief Inverse coefficients2.3.4 Assumptions of the Leontief Input-Output model; 2.3.5 Classification of Input-Output Tables; 2.3.6 Data Organization and application of Input-Output analysis; 2.3.7 Practical application of Input-Output analysis; 2.4 Process analysis; 2.4.1 Definition and formalization of Process analysis; 2.4.2 Practical application of Process analysis; 2.5 Discussion; References; 3 Accounting for Energy-Resources use by Thermodynamics; 3.1 Life Cycle Assessment methods based on Thermodynamics; 3.1.1 Energy-Based methods; 3.1.2 Entropy-Based methods

3.1.3 Exergy-Based methods3.2 Thermodynamic characterization of non-renewable energy-resources; 3.2.1 Irreversible depletion process; 3.2.2 Reversible depletion process; 3.2.3 The Exergy of common fossil fuels; 3.2.4 The role of reference environment; References; 4 Exergy based Input-Output analysis; 4.1 Evaluating primary exergy embodied in goods and services; 4.1.1 Monetary Input-Output tables of national economies; 4.1.2 Treatment of international trades: Single-Region models; 4.1.3 Treatment of international trades: Multi-regional models; 4.2 Hybrid Input-Output analysis

4.2.1 General formulation of the Hybrid Input-Output analysis4.2.2 Increasing the accuracy of Input-Output analysis; 4.2.3 Life Cycle Assessment of detailed systems; 4.3 Thermodynamic performance assessment of Energy Conversion Systems; 4.3.1 Relation between Exergy Cost Theory and Input-Output analysis; 4.3.2 Design Evaluation of Energy Conversion Systems based on ELCA; References; 5 Internalization of human labour in Input-Output analysis; 5.1 Internalization of human labour in LCA: literature review; 5.2 Bioeconomic ExIO analysis: theoretical definition

5.2.1 Accounting for Products Required for Human Labour Production5.2.2 Definition of the Bioeconomic ExIO model; References; 6 Case studies: applications of the Exergy based Input-Output analysis; 6.1 Exergy-based Input-Output analysis of World national economies; 6.1.1 Data sources and assumptions; 6.1.2 About the evaluation of the Leontief Inverse Coefficients matrix; 6.1.3 Primary exergy embodied in national economic production; 6.1.4 Exergy embodied in detailed products of the Italian economy; 6.2 Exergy Life Cycle Assessment of a Waste-to-Energy power plant