Trends in the Brazilian economy metabolism : a preliminary analysis in the light of Ecological Economics

This paper is aimed at analyzing the trends in the ecological-economic scale in Brazil through a biophysical interpretation of its growth in terms of materials consumption (natural and energy resources). The study presents the evolution of domestic material consumption, as well as some elements of the relationship between economic growth, population and socioindustrial metabolism in Brazil. The results indicate that while the Brazilian economy became less efficient in material use (increasing material intensity), its metabolic rate sharply increased in the period under consideration. We conclude that the biophysical dimension of the Brazilian economy presents a typical vertical expansion dynamic, in which increments in per capita use of materials are crucial.