Both E and C represent the effect of deviations in environmental response from equilibrium.

An early insight is that an autonomous agent must be displaced from thermodynamic equilibrium.

Understanding systems theory: Transition from equilibrium to entropy (2008).

The greater the initial concentrations the further the system is from equilibrium.

So perhaps displacement from equilibrium was implicit in his theme.

As the systems and processes of interest are taken further from thermodynamic equilibrium, their exact thermodynamical study becomes more difficult.

On the other hand, displacement from equilibrium is a necessary condition for a microcode to do anything at all.

Only certain features of a nonequilibrium system will, upon measurement, reveal a displacement from equilibrium that can actually be used to extract work.

In addition, of course, rapid reproduction requires finite displacement from equilibrium.

Thus, on a very practical basis, there is no way to keep the two gas samples from thermal equilibrium.