Energy systems concepts and self-organization: a rebuttal.

The following rebuttal concerns energy systems concepts misrepresented in published critiques (Hagen 1992; Golley 1993; Mansson and McGlade 1993; Patten 1993). Commentary here defends the energy systems approach and shows limitations of exergy. The commentary tries to explain why analytic study of parts and mechanisms is only half of basic science. Part of the confusion created by critics lies in trying to describe phenomena at one scale by discussing systems parts separately on a smaller scale. "Straw dummies" (points of view that are misrepresented and thus easily faulted) which are important to ecology are corrected.