‘Entropy: A New World View’ is a book that explores the sustainability of modern civilization based on the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
A few weeks ago, I was waiting in line at the bus stop to catch the school shuttle. A blue bus I hadn’t seen before approached from a distance, with the words ‘Electric Bus Trial Run’ written on its front. This can be seen as part of the policy regarding electric vehicles and the installation of their infrastructure, which is currently receiving significant attention and active research worldwide, including in our country. In the 21st century, the entire world is investing significant budgets not only in electrical energy but also in developing bioenergy and solar energy to replace crude oil. So why is the world so focused on developing these alternative energies? Jeremy Rifkin briefly explains the reasons we must reduce consumption of non-renewable energy and seek alternatives, the problems that come with it, and potential solutions in his book Entropy: A New World View.
Refining crude oil into petroleum, naphtha, diesel, heavy oil, etc., for use as raw materials emits carbon dioxide. This emitted carbon dioxide is used by plants as a raw material for photosynthesis and is fixed as carbon. Plants store this in the form of sugar. Buried in the ground over long periods, it accumulates and forms crude oil. Considering this process, one might wonder if the energy we currently use is cyclical and therefore renewable. However, Jeremy Rifkin would firmly answer ‘no’ to this. To understand why, we must first grasp the concept of entropy and the entropy law.
“Entropy signifies disorder, and more specifically, it is a measure of the degree to which useful energy within any system in the universe transforms into useless forms. The entropy principle is the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that everything in the universe begins with a certain structure and value, gradually progressing toward a state of disorder and waste, and reversing this direction is impossible.”
To understand this concept more easily in terms of energy, borrowing Clausius’ explanation: heat does not spontaneously move from a cold heat source (useless energy) to a hot heat source (usable energy); external work must be applied.
The entropy law is so self-evident that no phenomenon has ever been discovered that makes an exception to this law, whether involving physical or chemical changes. So how can the circular logic of crude oil mentioned above be explained? In the example above, entropy appears to decrease, but in reality, the entropy of the entire system actually increases. That is, while the entropy of a specific system decreased, the surrounding entropy increased by a greater amount. Refining crude oil also requires other energy sources, and plants require biochemical energy consumption to perform photosynthesis. Jeremy Rifkin argues in this book that the entropy law is absolute, and I too believe there are no exceptions to this law and that criticizing it is impossible. Ultimately, we must accept that the energy we currently use is irreversible and non-renewable.
According to the entropy law, the disorder of the world continues to increase, and consequently, useful energy is continuously decreasing. Since humans live under the significant influence of energy, this means life is becoming increasingly difficult. So, how should the world respond to this situation? Jeremy Rifkin argues that since entropy increase is an unavoidable reality, we must move toward a new social framework centered on entropy to slow its pace. He emphasizes that several key changes must occur in the short term to facilitate this shift, ultimately transitioning from a high-entropy society—industrial society—to a low-entropy society.
The characteristics of the low-entropy society he proposes are as follows. First, a low-entropy society must minimize energy consumption, requiring society to restrict consumption and curb material expectations. Second, he advocates for the introduction of a zero-growth policy. Third, wealth and power must be redistributed extensively across society. Technologically, he recommends utilizing labor rather than technology as the primary means in resource usage. Finally, politically, he states that a government practicing minimal governance is ideal, and in workplaces and communities, everyone should have equal rights to express their opinions through an egalitarian structure rather than a hierarchical one.
As mentioned earlier, I agree with Jeremy Rifkin’s perspective on the entropy law. However, I have some reservations about his proposed solutions to slow the rate of entropy increase. First, economically speaking, what would happen if consumer spending were restricted in the short term? If consumption is curtailed, the money supply would decrease, leading to reduced production by manufacturers and decreased investment in businesses. Declining demand could lower price levels, potentially triggering severe deflation and risking prolonged economic stagnation. If this occurs, it is questionable whether such a society could truly be called a low-entropy society.
Furthermore, the call for redistributing wealth and power also appears difficult to implement realistically. While some wealth in capitalist societies is undoubtedly accumulated unjustly, is it feasible for most individuals to freely redistribute the fruits of their own abilities and efforts to society? This is difficult, given the reality that most nations have adopted capitalist systems. Moreover, he emphasizes labor-intensive production methods over technology, arguing that as labor tools grow larger, they become more capital- and energy-intensive, thereby generating even more entropy. However, I believe it is a hasty generalization to conclude that the use of automated tools increases entropy more rapidly. For example, can we definitively state that a waterwheel powered by a difference in water levels increases entropy more than a person manually pounding rice cakes?
Furthermore, while nuclear power is currently the primary source for electricity-driven automation in South Korea, hydroelectric, tidal, and wind power also contribute significantly. Since the driving force behind this generation stems from solar energy moving water and wind, the increase in solar entropy is unrelated to human responsibility. Therefore, it is the use of energy produced by nuclear or thermal power plants—which rapidly increase entropy—that contributes to entropy growth, not the use of automated tools per se.
The message Jeremy Rifkin conveys through this book is self-evidently correct. According to the entropy law, entropy on a cosmic scale is rapidly increasing, and we must reduce consumption to prepare for the impending energy crisis. However, most of the solutions he proposes appear unrealistic, overly theoretical, and idealistic. He argues we must reverse the industrial era and return to an agricultural society, or even one closer to prehistoric times. This is incompatible with modern society and lacks realism. While finding a clear alternative may be difficult, we must seek a more practical direction that aligns with modern society.
