Aims and scope

This journal is dedicated to elucidating and quantifying the effects of natural resource quantity and quality on economies, sustainability, and human well-being. An explicit premise of the journal is that the energy and materials basis of the economic process can be understood only through a convergence of ideas and concepts from the natural and physical sciences, such as finite resources, renewable resources, and resource quality, with the social, behavioral, and institutional aspects of economics. The systemic connections and dynamic interactions to be explored in integrated economic analyses include: Net energy and energy return on investment (EROI), earth-society system interactions, food production, water supply, and depletion modeling of key metals and other economically important mineral and biological resources. The journal will explore the relation of these factors to markets, economic growth, urban sustainability, and technological change. BioPhysical Economics and Resource Quality (BERQ) emphasizes empirical and systems-oriented studies and models, but welcomes any relevant perspective. As society attempts to transition away from carbon-intensive energy resources, scientists, economists, partners in industry, and policy makers will benefit from objective, multidisciplinary research and commentary on these critical issues.