Ecological Economics as the Guiding Paradigm for Creating a Sustainable and Desirable Future Jon Erickson School of Natural Resources, and Environmental Program University of Vermont or, The Title that Bob Dreamed up for me at a Faculty Retreat in January
Who Am I? U.S. Annual Per Capita Waste: CO 2 Emissions43,064pounds SO 2 Emissions181pounds Solid Waste2,000pounds Consumption: Motor Gasoline11barrels Coal7,219pounds Vehicle Miles Traveled 9,006miles Replacement: Fertility Rate2.1children/woman
Putting the Paradigm to Practice
Ecological Economics as... Designing Human Systems that are Sustainable in Scale, Equitable in Distribution, and Efficient in Allocation Connecting Biophysical Means with Metaphysical Ends A Transdisciplinary, Problem-Oriented Approach to Education and Social Policy A Blend of Analysis, Synthesis, and Communication
Dutchess County, New York 2,077 km 2, mixed land use 970 km of named streams > 132,000 employment pool IBM = >11,000 SW to NE development gradient Effective buying income (EBI) ranks 15th in the U.S.
DM-2 DM-1 DM-3 Alt-1Alt-3 Alt-2 Group of Decision-Makers
C Sc C Ev C Ec Alt-1Alt-3 Alt-2 Individual Decision-Maker
GOAL Alternative 1Alternative 2Alternative 3 C Ec C Sc C Ev C Ec C Sc C Ev C Ec C Sc C Ev w 1 + w 2 + w 3 = 1 C Sc C Ev C Ec Alt-1Alt-3 Alt-2
Alternatives C Ec C Sc Ecological Criteria
Land Use Alternatives C Ec Social Criteria C Ev Censusby Block, Tract, Town, Zip...
Alternatives Economic Criteria C Sc C Ev GOVERMENT OUTSIDEWORLD CAPITAL ExportsImports INDUSTRY HOUSEHOLDS DepreciationInvestment ConsumptionGoods Labor Private Goods & Services PublicServices
Alt 1Alt 2Alt 3
Scenario Analysis Watershed Health SustainableSCALE Land-Use Change and Social Context Biophysical Land Use Society Community Economy Firms Households Individuals EquitableDISTRIBUTION Economic Structure and Change EfficientALLOCATION
GOAL Alternative 1Alternative 2Alternative 3 C Ec C Sc C Ev C Ec C Sc C Ev C Ec C Sc C Ev
Ecological Economics in Context
Limits to Growth Ecological Social Economic
Income 82.7% 11.7% 2.3% 1.9% 1.4% Population 20% Global Income Distribution “In a market economy, the price system ensures that no one can consume resources without first creating some of equal or greater value.” ~ N. Gregory Mankiw
Overconsumers 1.3 billion > US$7,500 per capita Sustainers 3.5 billion US$700-7,500 per capita Excluded 1.3 billion < US$700 per capita Travel by car and airTravel by bicycle and public surface transport Travel by foot or donkey Eat high-fat, high- calorie, meat-based diets Eat healthy diets of grains, vegetables & some meat Eat nutritionally inadequate diets Drink bottled water and soft drinks Drink clean water plus some tea and coffee Drink contaminated water Use throwaway products & discard substantial wastes Use unpackaged goods and recycled wastes Use local biomass and produce negligible wastes Live in spacious, climate-controlled, 1- family homes Live in modest, vented, multiple-family homes Live in rudimentary shelters or in the open Maintain image- conscious wardrobes Wear functional clothing Wear secondhand clothing or scraps
Who Are We?