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Crisis, Innovation And Sustainable Development The Ecological Opportunity Blandine Laperche , Nadine Levratto , Dimitri Uzunidis Edited by Blandine Laperche, Lab.RII - ULCO/Clersé CNRS University Lille Nord de France and affiliated Professor, Wesford Business School, Nadine Levratto, EconomiX, CNRS, University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense and affiliated Professor, Euromed Management and Dimitri Uzunidis, Lab.RII - ULCO/Clersé CNRS University Lille Nord de France and affiliated Professor, Wesford Business School, France April 2012 c 352 pp Hardback 978 0 85793 701 8 Hardback $150.00 on-line price $135.00 Qty Series: Science, Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship series Description 'Crisis, Innovation and Sustainable Development is a fascinating exploration at the frontiers of economics and ecology. It combines topical surveys of current work with deep reflection on the repressed role of nature in the history of economics. A work of great range and value, especially for all concerned with the strategy of economic policy going forward.' - James K. Galbraith, The University of Texas at Austin, US Contents Contributors include: S. Boutillier, J. Courvisanos, M.-H. Depret, A. Diemer, A. Gabus, P. Gugenheim, A. Hamdouch, A. Hawthorne, W. Hoogendyk, F. Karanfil, T. Jobert, B. Laperche, N. Lazaric, P. Le Masne, N. Levratto, P. Matagne, V. Oltra, D. Patelis, A. Sengès, D. Uzunidis, L. Yacoub Further information 'This book talks about a genuine greening of the economy: from the most theoretical aspects, e.g. the genealogy of ecological economics, to the most practical. The two most prominent conclusions are, for me: this greening cannot be achieved by companies alone, but can only be the result of different kinds of innovation: technological, organizational, institutional and lifestyle changes. The changes must be implemented at all levels, from the firm to international governance.' - Dominique Bourg, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

DIMENSIONS OF POLITICAL ECOLOGY: CONFERENCE ON NATURE/SOCIETY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY April 13 - 15, 2012 University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Keynote Address: Julie Guthman (Department of Community Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz) Plenary Address: Erik Swyngedouw (Department of Geography, University of Manchester) Following the success of our inaugural conference, which included participants from 8 different countries, 25 states, 41 universities, and featured scholars from 17 different disciplinary affiliations, the University of Kentucky Political Ecology Working Group is now preparing for our 2012 conference. This three-day conference provides an opportunity to critically examine perspectives on human-environment relationships in their varied manifestations and to foster discussions among a diverse group of scholars. We encourage submissions from all individuals who are engaged in research on the ecological dimensions of political, economic, social, and scientific change research regardless of their topical, theoretical, or methodological frameworks, including but not limited to: Environmental justice Cultural ecology Ecological modernization Environmental history Environmental law Restoration ecology Political economy of nature Genetic technology Commons, enclosures, and land tenure Environmental risk Resource management and conservation Non-equilibrium ecology Landscape studies Environmental discourse and policy Feminist and heterodox approaches to environmental economics Sustainability Urban ecology Environmental sociology Food security and sustainable agriculture Critical science studies Knowledge Production By sharing their work, participants can anticipate receiving feedback on the socio-natural dimensions of their work from a specialized group brought together in an intimate setting and interact with scholars creating cutting edge political-ecological research. Presentation Formats * Paper presentation: paper se

Using planetary science to shape economics By Oliver Greenfield - Green Economy Coalition - September, 2011 Six big ideas for a green infrastructure capable of protecting people and future generations Economic theory (and common sense) tells us that when something is valuable, and it is free, its use tends to infinity - this explains why trees, biodiversity, freshwater and atmospheric space for carbon are all being used 'like there is no tomorrow'. It also assumes that when something is exhausted (or too expensive), a substitute is almost certain to be found. Economic theory then takes this substitution concept up to a macro level and thinks of the 'trade-off' between environment and economy. The logic is that we can have 'more environment' if we are prepared to put up with 'less economy', or we can have 'less environment' if we want a bigger economy. The traditional economic world view that dominates the political spectrum is based on infinite resources, substitution, and ultimately this trade-off between environment and economy. If the rationale behind our economic system is based on some of these assumptions, then it seems fitting for us to explore whether the planet can indeed support these assumptions. Let us take a quick journey into planetary science. Back to basics Gravitational forces, generated both by the earth orbiting the sun and the moon orbiting the planet, create movement and flow of magma, collision of tectonic plates and surfacing of minerals. These minerals are weathered and distributed across the earth's surface, primarily by water. The constant heating and cooling created by the earth's rotation accelerates the chemical reactions between newly released minerals (soils and rocks) and atmospheric gases. These chemical reactions are the pool from which life emerged, creating single cells capable of using minerals and energy from the sun to photosynthesise; generating proteins for their own growth, and respiring to br

ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS FOR NON-ECONOMISTS Techniques and Policies for Sustainable Development 2nd Edition by John Asafu-Adjaye (The University of Queensland, Australia) Table of Contents (57k) Preface (77k) Chapter 1: Introduction (222k) Chapter 2: Incorporating the Environment into the Economic System: Introduction to Ecological Economics (1,444k) Chapter 5: Environmental Valuation (1,449k) Environmental economics, which used to be on the periphery of the economics discipline, is fast becoming mainstream as concern for the environment grows. Practitioners in other disciplines (e.g. engineering, science, natural resource management, social sciences) are increasingly faced with environmental problems that have an economic component. This invaluable book fills an important gap in the literature by teaching both economists and non-economists how to use economic tools to address environmental problems. The book is divided into three parts. Part I introduces theoretical concepts, including chapters on ecological economics and basic microeconomics for the non-specialist. Part II introduces tools for environmental policy analysis, while Part III discusses global environmental issues. The material is presented in an engaging manner with extensive use of graphs and diagrams to explain the key concepts. Exercises and an extensive bibliography are provided at the end of each chapter.   Contents: Introduction to Environmental Economics: Theoretical Foundations: Incorporating the Environment into the Economic System: Introduction to Ecological Economics How Markets are Supposed to Work Why Markets 'Fail' Tools for Environmental Policy Analysis: Environmental Valuation Cost-Benefit Analysis Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Impact Analysis, and Stakeholder Analysis Multi-Criteria Analysis Global Environmental Issues: Population Growth, Resource Use and the Environment Economic Growth and the Environment Sustainable Development Green Accounting and Measurement of Genuine

The paper first reveals the relevance of ecological economics in the time of a triple crisis-ecological, social and economic-and promotes it as a distinct paradigm comprised of two interconnected and interdependent aspects: the qualitative framework within which it operates; and the quantitative models and techniques it uses to observe ecosystem resilience, measure progress towards sustainability and evaluate policies. While acknowledging the progress that has so far been made, the paper argues that divergences in understanding the meaning and content of ecological economics hinder its effectiveness and influence on real-world policy making, and calls for a unified framework as a common ground that would strengthen the field and direct research. The implication of this position then follows, pointing out what has so far been missing from the ecological economics' analysis and what should be done for it to become a more problem-oriented and policy-relevant alternative.

Rights to nature: ecological, economic, cultural, and political principles of institutions for the environment Susan Hanna, Carl Folke, Karl-Göran Mäler, Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics 0 ResenhasIsland Press, 1996 - 298 páginasProperty rights are a tool humans use in regulating their use of natural resources. Understanding how rights to resources are assigned and how they are controlled is critical to designing and implementing effective strategies for environmental management and conservation.Rights to Nature is a nontechnical, interdisciplinary introduction to the systems of rights, rules, and responsibilities that guide and control human use of the environment. Following a brief overview of the relationship between property rights and the natural environment, chapters consider: ecological systems and how they function the effects of culture, values, and social organization on the use of natural resources the design and development of property rights regimes and the costs of their operation cultural factors that affect the design and implementation of property rights systems coordination across geographic and jurisdictional boundaries The book provides a valuable synthesis of information on how property rights develop, why they develop in certain ways, and the ways in which they function. Representing a unique integration of natural and social science, it addresses the full range of ecological, economic, cultural, and political factors that affect natural resource management and use, and provides valuable insight into the role of property rights regimes in establishing societies that are equitable, efficient, and sustainable.« Menos

Regulation Theory and Sustainable Development Business Leaders and Ecological Modernisation By Corinne Gendron Published August 9th 2011 by Routledge - 220 pages Series: Routledge Research in Environmental Politics Recommend to Librarian Purchasing Options: Hardback: 978-0-415-61770-3: $135.00 Add to Cart eBook: 978-0-203-80625-8: Not Yet Available DescriptionContentsAuthor BioSubjects This book argues that current economist theories do not take into account the socially constructed nature of the debate surrounding the environment and environmental policy. It examines whether proposed economic solutions to environmental policy are, in fact, viable in practice. The book demonstrates that social conflicts cause policy compromises, which shape the economic system of a post-industrial ecological society. The author offers an innovative socio-economic theory of environmental politics, which illuminates the transformation dynamics brought about by the ecological crisis. Regulation Theory and Sustainable Development will be of interest to students and scholars of environmental politics, policy and governance.

Nature's Coming Revolution A Review of Joel Kovel's The Enemy of Nature A Review of Joel Kovel's The Enemy of Nature by TED DACE The Enemy of Nature: The End of Capitalism or the End of the World? by Joel Kovel Zed Books For Joel Kovel the revolution is only a matter of time. Marx was right: Capitalism cannot help but prepare the stew in which it will roast. But the old man got one thing wrong. The ultimate antagonist of capital is not labor but nature. If Marx made a fetish of capital's propensity to generate too much wealth to be profitably re-invested, Kovel does the same in regard to planetary ecosystem crackup. Instead of periodic economic downturn catapulting the proletariat into History, it's the shattering of life-essential natural processes that's destined to set off socialist (make that ecosocialist) revolution. Professor Kovel, who ran to the left of Ralph Nader for the Green Party nod in 2000, wastes no time making the case that capitalism, by its very nature, cannot help but destroy the integrity and well-being of what we call "nature." No need for yet another inventory of disturbances in the environment, our bodies, and our psychic balance. The enemy of nature is not oil or pesticides or factories or bulldozers but capital, "that ubiquitous, all-powerful and greatly misunderstood dynamo that drives our society." While traditionally the marketplace is a means of exchanging goods for money so as to purchase other goods, under capitalism it becomes a way of accumulating money. Reversing the natural order, the merchant starts off with money and buys the product of someone else's labor, then turns around and sells it at a markup. As long as the laborer is poor and the buyer rich, the trader makes a profit. What gives a commodity value is not what we do with it, like using bricks to build houses or shoes to walk home in, but the price it commands in trade. In contrast to "use value," a quality that belongs to any given item intrinsically, "exc

The Geopolitics Of Natural Resources David L. Feldman Edited by David Lewis Feldman, Professor and Chair, Department of Planning, Policy and Design and Professor of Political Science, University of California, Irvine, US 2011 672 pp Hardback 978 0 85793 074 3 Hardback £215.00 on-line price £193.50 Qty Series: Elgar Mini Series Description 'An inspired anthology of classic and contemporary reading concerning geopolitics and the the commons, this book provides essential background for students and practitioners of natural resources governance.' - Helen Ingram, University of California, Irvine, US Contents 30 articles, dating from 1950 to 2005 Contributors include: T. Beatley, M. Cole, A. Dinar, P. Haas, T. Homer-Dixon, K. Jacobs, M. McGinnis, R. Mitchell, K. Lee, H. Vaux, Jr. Further information 'An inspired anthology of classic and contemporary reading concerning geopolitics and the the commons, this book provides essential background for students and practitioners of natural resources governance.' - Helen Ingram, University of California, Irvine, US This significant collection examines the diverse ways natural resources are managed and controlled and the controversies that arise regarding their use, allocation, and protection resulting from governance decisions and policies. Professor Feldman has selected seminal works which focus on several key issues, including the role of common property resources in questions of trans-boundary resource management, the diverse ways societies and interest groups accord value to resources and their use, and how resources are catalysts for both international conflict and cooperation. This authoritative volume will be of immense value to students, professionals and practitioners interested in the field of geopolitics and natural resources. Full table of contents Contents: Acknowledgements Introduction David Lewis Feldman PART I GEOPOLITICS AND THE COMMONS 1. Michael V. McGinnis (1995), 'On the Verge of

Analysis Economic and environmental impacts of pollution control regulation on small industries: a case study Purchase $ 39.95 Snigdha Chakrabartia, , , and Nita Mitrab aEconomic Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India bDepartment of Economics, Calcutta University, Kolkata, India Received 8 July 2002;  revised 9 September 2004;  accepted 11 September 2004.  Available online 3 February 2005. Abstract Adoption of technology for abatement of pollution and improved production process is almost mandatory now in the industrial sector for protecting the global environment. Various environmental regulations are being implemented in the industries in the third world. However, the small-scale industry components of the industrial sectors, which contribute significantly to total pollution, are yet to adopt such abatement technology on a wide scale. High initial investment cost for abatement technology has been a crucial reason in this regard. Under that circumstances, the early adopters of abatement technology gained an advantage in the competitive market by increasing their net return per unit of production for being able to calculate correctly the actual benefits of such investment. The non-adopters who lacked such knowledge lost out in the competition. The present paper tries to investigate the impact of air pollution control regulation on secondary lead smelting industry in the unorganized sector in two urban wards within the city of Kolkata in India. The results showed that the units after adopting the abatement technology were able to receive positive net return from the additional investment on control device and also benefited the society and the environment at large. The total economic value consisting of all these benefits has been found to be highly significant. Thus, the result is instructive for the non-adopters and may encourage them to adopt the abatement technology for themselves as well. Keywords: Environmental regulation; Small-scale

An oft repeated myth is that Los Angeles is located in the desert. Not true I'm afraid. Las Vegas is built in a desert, as are eastern California cities such as Lancaster or Barstow, but Los Angeles was and is no desert in the strict sense of the word. With an average annual precipitation of 15 inches the city receives almost four times as much rainfall as Las Vegas. Los Angeles is semi-arid in terms of climate, but early accounts suggest many areas were even more verdant than the annual precipitation would indicate. The early Spanish and subsequent Mexican and American accounts suggest that it was anything like a desert when the region was first encountered by Europeans. This is because there were appreciable areas of the Los Angeles basin where artesian waters, sourced from the surrounding hills and mountains, fed springs or kept groundwater levels high during the dry summer months. This produced green woodlands, shrublands and grasslands described in early European accounts. Those conditions helped the region support native peoples such as the Gabrielino/Tongva, Chumash and Fernandeño/Tataviam for many millennia prior to European arrival.   The potential for productive farms and pastures was an inducement for European settlement and until the mid 1950's Los Angeles was one of the highest producing agricultural counties in the nation. El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles (modern Los Angeles) was founded by the Spanish inland on the banks of the Rio Porciúncula (modern Los Angeles River) because this site in the middle of the basin provided ample permanent water fed by surrounding hills and mountains. The natural and agricultural landscapes of Los Angeles are now largely paved over or otherwise erased.   Driving through the lush precincts of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Las Feliz or the UCLA campus one might accept the alternative myth that the region is a lush tropical realm of fig trees, palms, citrus trees, birds of paradise plants and b

The Great Lakes face grave danger as pollution, over-extraction, invasive species, and wetland loss continue to intensify, exacting a devastating toll on the watershed. While beaches close and fisheries decline, private companies are eyeing these precious waters for increased exploitation, whether in the form of additional commercial bottled water export, mining, oil and gas exploration, or control of once public water services. Decades of organizing, advocacy, legal and treaty rights work have made tremendous headway against the threats to the Lakes. These campaigns have slowed the devastation, created higher barriers for abuse, and insisted on public interest in water decisions. But still, the threats to enclose, appropriate and exploit our Great Lakes escalate faster than ever. On the Commons asserts that the many problems we face will not be solved piecemeal or by efforts that focus solely on ecological degradation or social injustice. We will be stymied in creating the future we want if we continue to fight the attacks on the lakes one by one without also developing a transformative vision and ground-breaking strategy. What is called for is a game-changing plan. Our Great Lakes Water Commons Initiative acts as a game changer in multiple ways. First, the Initiative makes an explicit connection between social inequities, disregard of community participation in resource decisions and environmental damage in the Great Lakes region. Such a holistic view is critical to ensuring not only the health and well being of the Lakes, but also the people who live there. For example: When water use decisions are made without community agreement, community members are further excluded from their rightful role in governance and stewardship of vital resources. When water belongs to those who can buy it and not to our communities, the future of every living being is jeopardized. When financially strapped municipalities sell water rights and access rather than prior

Antes del diluvio, el ecosocialismo, la apuesta política actual Autor(es): Löwy, Michael Löwy, Michael. Nació en Brasil en 1938, hijo de inmigrantes judíos vieneses. Se graduó en Ciencias Sociales en la Universidad de San Pablo en 1960, y se doctoró en la Sorbona, bajo la dirección de Lucien Goldmann, en 1964. Vive en París desde 1969. Es director de investigación emérito en el Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Centro Nacional de Investigación Científica); fue profesor en la École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (Escuela de Altos Estudios en Ciencias Sociales). Sus obras han sido publicadas en 24 idiomas. Entre sus libros más recientes se encuentran Redención y utopía. El judaísmo libertario en Europa central (1988); Rebelión y melancolía. El romanticismo como contracorriente de la modernidad (1992); Walter Benjamin: aviso de incendio (2001); Kafka, soñador insumiso (2004); Sociologías y religión. Aproximaciones insólitas (2009); Ediciones Herramienta y El Colectivo publicaron, en 2010, su libro La teoría de la revolución en el joven Marx. Es miembro del consejo editor de la Revista Herramienta, donde ha realizado numerosas contribuciones. El ecosocialismo es una corriente política basada en una constatación esencial: la protección de los equilibrios ecológicos del planeta, la preservación de un medio favorable para las especies vivientes -incluida la nuestra- son incompatibles con la lógica expansiva y destructiva del sistema capitalista. La búsqueda del "crecimiento" bajo la égida del capital nos conduce, en efecto, a corto plazo -los próximos decenios-, a una catástrofe sin precedentes en la historia de la humanidad: el calentamiento global. James Hanson, climatólogo de la NASA, uno de los mayores especialistas mundiales en la cuestión del cambio climático -la administración Bush había intentado impedir, en vano, impedirle que hiciera públicos sus diagnósticos-, escribe esto en el p

"They asked the hard question as to whether, in fact, the new infrastructure meant to extract more water would, in the long run, actually ensure continuous and increased water supply. Rather than tap new surface and groundwater sources, they concluded that it made more economic and ecological sense to conserve water through cheaper system repair and watershed protection."

GreenOrder, an LRN Advisory Group, is a strategy and management consulting firm that helps companies gain competitive advantage through environmental innovation.

El canal natura nos presenta el documental "Los secretos ocultos del agua" Nuestro organismo, el de los animales y las plantas está formado principalmente por agua. A lo largo de la historia se han realizado numerosas investigaciones sobre este elemento pero el agua todavía puede sorprendernos con propiedades insólitas. Esta es la cuestión en la que se basa este documental, que visita en distintos lugares del mundo a algunos científicos que se han atrevido a ir un poco más allá de los límites de la ciencia oficial.