Preface
As we humans continue deforestation in tropical areas, massive air pollution in temperate regions, and numerous other ecocide activities all over the world, our planet (which is a dynamic ecosystem) is reacting in various ways. The reactions in total are sending a message which is clear to anyone with either an academic ecological background, or anyone with an intuitive sense of ecology, and anyone with both.
..................................
The Message
Professor William E. Rees deftly explains it here:
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2020/04/06/The-Earth-Is-Telling-Us-We-Must-Rethink-Our-Growth-Society/
Yes, humanity has done many amazing, wonderful, and productive things in the past 5,000 years or so. There's no denying that. Plus, in approximately the last 200 years, we've made advances in technology, health, food production, and more that are nothing short of miraculous. Those accomplishments continue up through present day.
Unfortunately, however, for the last 50 years or thereabouts, we also have been on a path of species suicide. We have been adhering to an ideology which preaches unlimited growth and overconsumption. For all practical purposes, it's essentially the largest religion in developed countries. [See the post immediately prior to this one.]
The disease, cancer, provides an instructive lesson. What is the overriding characteristic of cancer? It's unlimited growth. That occurs in a finite body, and eventually kills the body. In a certain sense, that's what some of our activities are doing to our habitat; and those particular activities are the result of the economic religion to which we are adhering.
...................................
Conclusion
The article cited above is dated April 6, 2020. It deals with current problems, and suggested solutions. It broaches subjects about which too many of us have had our heads in the sand for too long. If we keep treating the symptoms of ecological problems rather than the root causes, organized human existence soon will be in dire straits... much worse than we already are.
..................................
Not only my opinion. Stay Well
Showing posts with label William Rees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label William Rees. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Sunday, July 5, 2020
"Economics for a Full World", & a Sustainable World
Preface
This isn't only about economics. It's also about ethics, respect for and appreciation of the biosphere/ecosphere, respect for all sentient beings, and a path to a sustainable, mostly peaceful world.
At the links below, Professors Herman Daly and William Rees give masterful, concise explanations of ecological economics. The Daly essay is a longer, illustrated read, but both require your full attention in order to comprehend them. The Rees piece (the link was posted previously on this blog) includes a brilliant comparison to neoliberal/mainstream economics (aka, neoclassical economics).
Both essays do a great job of weaving the larger ethical, political, and ecological contexts into the discussions.
.................................
https://greattransition.org/publication/economics-for-a-full-world
https://greattransition.org/publication/economics-vs-the-economy
................................
Conclusion
For anyone desiring to understand the best solution to a large part of our ongoing problems on Earth, the essays above are a must-read. Study them as if our lives depended on it... because they do. Then, do whatever you can to support and promote these concepts. Thanks, and my grandkids thank you as well. 😊
p.s. I recommend reading the Rees piece first - Economics vs. the Economy.
..............................
Not only my opinion. Stay Well
This isn't only about economics. It's also about ethics, respect for and appreciation of the biosphere/ecosphere, respect for all sentient beings, and a path to a sustainable, mostly peaceful world.
At the links below, Professors Herman Daly and William Rees give masterful, concise explanations of ecological economics. The Daly essay is a longer, illustrated read, but both require your full attention in order to comprehend them. The Rees piece (the link was posted previously on this blog) includes a brilliant comparison to neoliberal/mainstream economics (aka, neoclassical economics).
Both essays do a great job of weaving the larger ethical, political, and ecological contexts into the discussions.
.................................
https://greattransition.org/publication/economics-for-a-full-world
https://greattransition.org/publication/economics-vs-the-economy
................................
Conclusion
For anyone desiring to understand the best solution to a large part of our ongoing problems on Earth, the essays above are a must-read. Study them as if our lives depended on it... because they do. Then, do whatever you can to support and promote these concepts. Thanks, and my grandkids thank you as well. 😊
p.s. I recommend reading the Rees piece first - Economics vs. the Economy.
..............................
Not only my opinion. Stay Well
Saturday, June 13, 2020
A Brief Introduction to Ecological Economics - The Sane Path Forward
Preface
If we are to avoid an ecological catastrophe, then a relatively rapid paradigm shift must occur in a number of key areas. One of those areas is economics, specifically, the neoliberal/neoclassical economic system that currently is dominant worldwide. In this essay, I'll explain why I think the shift should be to ecological economics (EE). The Intro here shall be bare bones; subsequent posts will cover in some depth various aspects (including criticisms) of the subject.
For two-plus decades, I've been puzzled (baffled, really) as to why neoliberal thinking views the economic system as separate from Nature. Any economic system is embedded in the natural world - in ecosystems, in biogeochemical cycles, and is subject to the Laws of Nature, so to speak. Do we not extract timber, other plant products, common minerals, rare earth minerals, water, fish, etc. from the natural world? Do we not all breathe air? Are not all businesses (and consumers) sometimes subject to the whims of flooding, storms, droughts, natural vectors of disease, and the like? Obviously, the answer to each question above is YES. Consequently, it makes no sense to me for anyone to believe that any economic system is not a smaller piece of the natural world. In a very real sense, even though this planet has innumerable ecosystems, Earth itself is one giant ecosystem. No artificial system is separate from or larger than that.
..................................
Why Ecological Economics (EE) is the Sane Path Forward
William Rees, founding member and past president of the Canadian Society for EE, wrote a brilliant piece five years ago for the Great Transition Initiative: https://greattransition.org/publication/economics-vs-the-economy In that essay, he makes the point that EE recognizes the economy as "an open, wholly dependent subsystem of the ecosphere...". [Emphasis added.] Natural resources are extracted from, and wastes are injected back into, Nature. Any material transformations in these processes are subject to Natural Law (e.g., the Laws of Thermodynamics). In other words, any economy is not outside of or separate from the natural world.
The neoliberal economic paradigm operates as if the opposite were true. As a result, our world is now mired in a plethora of ecological disasters: loss of biodiversity, which is damaging ecosystem services to humanity and nonhuman life; habitat destruction causing (among other things) disease proliferation; crucial ecosystem damage (e.g., to wetlands & their critical functions of flood control and removal of toxic substances from water); acidification of the ocean; the sixth mass extinction event on Earth; air pollution; water pollution, and unsustainable use of water; climate disruption; and more.
EE also takes into consideration the concept of ecological constraints on what Bucky Fuller long ago called "Spaceship Earth". Except for incoming solar energy (and some meteorites), we live in a finite, closed habitat. It's not growing larger. Fortunately for life here, there are many, many ongoing regenerative and biogeochemical cycles of materials on this ship. When we interfere with those cycles beyond sustainability, we threaten our life support system's proper functioning. When we do not properly manage industrial wastes, and when we overharvest natural resources beyond sustainability, essentially we are committing species suicide. EE recognizes these problems, but neoliberal economics mostly ignores them.
In addition to those mentioned above, key elements of EE include the following:
1. a transition to a steady-state (not stagnant), sustainable economy, rather than the current unlimited growth model;
2. the incorporation and evaluation of natural capital and ecosystem services in the economic system;
3. socially fair distribution of goods & services;
4. sustainable development and growth;
5. local/regional procurement of goods & services whenever possible;
6. reduction of material "throughput" in the economy;
7. a transition away from fossil fuels; and,
8. the incorporation of ecoethics into economics and the economy in general.
..................................
Conclusion
As we navigate through the Anthropocene geologic time period, we must face up to a few facts that we've been avoiding.
1. As Rees and others have pointed out: the finite ecosphere in which we live has highly variable, but limited, regenerative and waste assimilating capacities.
2. Our current economies around the globe, and all the activities associated with them, are destroying significant sections of our natural life support system.
3. That destruction primarily is due to the pursuance of unlimited growth, unlimited development, and over-consumption.
4. The main driver of the above pursuits is essentially unlimited population growth.
5. Despite some positive applications, our technology has not slowed the pace toward impending, massive ecocatastrophe. Arguably and overall, it has instead increased that pace.
6. To avert disaster, we are in need of a rapid cultural and ethical evolutionary change in our thinking and behavior.
7. A significant part of that change should be the shift away from neoliberal economics.
8. After much examination of the factors involved, I believe we should adopt and implement some version of ecological economics in as many countries as possible. That would be a big step toward improving and preserving organized human existence on Spaceship Earth.
................................
Not only my opinion. Be Well
If we are to avoid an ecological catastrophe, then a relatively rapid paradigm shift must occur in a number of key areas. One of those areas is economics, specifically, the neoliberal/neoclassical economic system that currently is dominant worldwide. In this essay, I'll explain why I think the shift should be to ecological economics (EE). The Intro here shall be bare bones; subsequent posts will cover in some depth various aspects (including criticisms) of the subject.
For two-plus decades, I've been puzzled (baffled, really) as to why neoliberal thinking views the economic system as separate from Nature. Any economic system is embedded in the natural world - in ecosystems, in biogeochemical cycles, and is subject to the Laws of Nature, so to speak. Do we not extract timber, other plant products, common minerals, rare earth minerals, water, fish, etc. from the natural world? Do we not all breathe air? Are not all businesses (and consumers) sometimes subject to the whims of flooding, storms, droughts, natural vectors of disease, and the like? Obviously, the answer to each question above is YES. Consequently, it makes no sense to me for anyone to believe that any economic system is not a smaller piece of the natural world. In a very real sense, even though this planet has innumerable ecosystems, Earth itself is one giant ecosystem. No artificial system is separate from or larger than that.
..................................
Why Ecological Economics (EE) is the Sane Path Forward
William Rees, founding member and past president of the Canadian Society for EE, wrote a brilliant piece five years ago for the Great Transition Initiative: https://greattransition.org/publication/economics-vs-the-economy In that essay, he makes the point that EE recognizes the economy as "an open, wholly dependent subsystem of the ecosphere...". [Emphasis added.] Natural resources are extracted from, and wastes are injected back into, Nature. Any material transformations in these processes are subject to Natural Law (e.g., the Laws of Thermodynamics). In other words, any economy is not outside of or separate from the natural world.
The neoliberal economic paradigm operates as if the opposite were true. As a result, our world is now mired in a plethora of ecological disasters: loss of biodiversity, which is damaging ecosystem services to humanity and nonhuman life; habitat destruction causing (among other things) disease proliferation; crucial ecosystem damage (e.g., to wetlands & their critical functions of flood control and removal of toxic substances from water); acidification of the ocean; the sixth mass extinction event on Earth; air pollution; water pollution, and unsustainable use of water; climate disruption; and more.
EE also takes into consideration the concept of ecological constraints on what Bucky Fuller long ago called "Spaceship Earth". Except for incoming solar energy (and some meteorites), we live in a finite, closed habitat. It's not growing larger. Fortunately for life here, there are many, many ongoing regenerative and biogeochemical cycles of materials on this ship. When we interfere with those cycles beyond sustainability, we threaten our life support system's proper functioning. When we do not properly manage industrial wastes, and when we overharvest natural resources beyond sustainability, essentially we are committing species suicide. EE recognizes these problems, but neoliberal economics mostly ignores them.
In addition to those mentioned above, key elements of EE include the following:
1. a transition to a steady-state (not stagnant), sustainable economy, rather than the current unlimited growth model;
2. the incorporation and evaluation of natural capital and ecosystem services in the economic system;
3. socially fair distribution of goods & services;
4. sustainable development and growth;
5. local/regional procurement of goods & services whenever possible;
6. reduction of material "throughput" in the economy;
7. a transition away from fossil fuels; and,
8. the incorporation of ecoethics into economics and the economy in general.
..................................
Conclusion
As we navigate through the Anthropocene geologic time period, we must face up to a few facts that we've been avoiding.
1. As Rees and others have pointed out: the finite ecosphere in which we live has highly variable, but limited, regenerative and waste assimilating capacities.
2. Our current economies around the globe, and all the activities associated with them, are destroying significant sections of our natural life support system.
3. That destruction primarily is due to the pursuance of unlimited growth, unlimited development, and over-consumption.
4. The main driver of the above pursuits is essentially unlimited population growth.
5. Despite some positive applications, our technology has not slowed the pace toward impending, massive ecocatastrophe. Arguably and overall, it has instead increased that pace.
6. To avert disaster, we are in need of a rapid cultural and ethical evolutionary change in our thinking and behavior.
7. A significant part of that change should be the shift away from neoliberal economics.
8. After much examination of the factors involved, I believe we should adopt and implement some version of ecological economics in as many countries as possible. That would be a big step toward improving and preserving organized human existence on Spaceship Earth.
................................
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Friday, May 15, 2020
Myopia and Deep Denial by Too Many People
Continuing on with the Introduction to Ecological Liberalism---
Any informed, reasonable assessment of the current state of humanity on finite Earth surely would conclude with the following.
1. The Powers-That-Be and too many Main Street people apparently believe we humans are separate from and superior to Nature... and thus not subject to the Laws of Nature.
2. As a consequence, we have been and continue to be on a path of subduing Nature, rather than extracting natural capital in a sustainable manner.
3. The results have been: overuse, degradation, and dangerous disruption of our natural habitat... plus, pollution in the extreme.
4. Much of the above is due to propaganda, a lack of knowledge concerning natural science (especially ecology), economics, & ethics, and a deep denial of readily apparent facts.
5. Too many people have bought into the fallacies of unlimited population and economic growth, expanding consumption/consumerism, and the ability of technology to overcome any problem whatsoever.
Fortunately, amidst all the short-sightedness and denial, many institutions and people are working hard to provide valuable education toward a sustainable, ecological path forward. Here are a few of them---
https://naturalcapitalproject.stanford.edu/
https://mahb.stanford.edu/blog/never-let-a-good-crisis-go-to-waste/
https://mahb.stanford.edu/
https://psmag.com/magazine/fallacy-of-endless-growth
http://williamrees.org/on-herman-dalys-economics/#more-261
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2020/04/06/The-Earth-Is-Telling-Us-We-Must-Rethink-Our-Growth-Society/
If you really want to educate yourself, you're going to have to read and/or watch relevant videos. Twitter is great, but 140 characters only points the way. 😊
Not only my opinion. Everyone Be Well
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