During the past twenty years there has been an explosive growth in research into environmental issues from a social science perspective. Ecological economics, in particular, has emerged as a true transdiscipline which seeks to conceptualise environmental concerns, thus allowing for the formulation of appropriate policy measures. This volume takes stock of this emerging body of work and offers an authoritative insight into current environmental thought. The book is divided into three broad sections: Disciplinary Approaches, Concepts and Issues. Under the heading of disciplinary approaches, the authors review the state of environmental thinking in the diverse fields of philosophy, politics, sociology, economics and law. The concepts addressed include the precautionary principle, sustainable development, environmental security and ecological modernisation. Finally, in the last section, they assess a range of crucial environmental issues such as consumption, biodiversity, global climate change and population. Each of the specially commissioned chapters is written by a recognised expert in the field, while the book as a whole offers a unique interdisciplinary perspective. Ecological economists, environmental researchers and environmental policy analysts will all find this an accessible and highly rewarding introduction to contemporary environmental thinking.

This path-breaking book shows how green accounting can be compatible with ecological economics and how it can contribute to the implementation of sustainability. It explores the history and methodology of green accounting and describes the state-of-the-art construction of green accounts in individual countries.The authors first provide an overview of the history of national accounting and its place in the debate concerning sustainability. In particular they address the social role that accounts play, the relationship of national accounts to economic traditions, and the relationship between green national accounts and ecological economics. They go on to describe issues related to the history of green accounts and the methodologies adopted, and discuss the Dutch experience with the NAMEA system, the use of input-output analysis in national accounting and the conceptual issues raised by green accounting. Finally, the authors show how green accounts are being constructed and used in various countries, by both national governments and corporate businesses. The book features new case studies of green national accounting in Europe, Africa and Canada, the UK experience in establishing green accounts and the process of greening business accounts. Greening the Accounts will be required reading for scholars of ecological economics, environmental studies and business and national accounting.

This book focuses on modelling in ecological economics and offers a comprehensive overview of current and emerging methods of applying mathematical, computational and conceptual methods to environmental issues. Following a detailed introduction, the authors investigate various modelling techniques including: evolutionary modelling input - output modelling neo-Austrian modelling entropy in ecological economics thermodynamic models multi-criteria evaluation agent-based modelling the environmental Kuznets curve. In each of the specially commissioned chapters, the expert authors have tried to limit the level of complexity to create a unique and accessible resource. As such, this book should have a wide appeal amongst scholars, researchers and students with an interest in modelling techniques and their use in ecological and environmental economics.

This innovative book uses a little-known methodological research tool to study ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS), the subject of the book, is a novel and interesting social phenomenon which seems to constitute a more ecologically rational and socially inclusive form of economic activity. LETS is a system for exchanging goods and services without the use of formal, legal tender. Unlike barter, LETS members buy and sell using their own nominal currency units, but the currency in which trade is conducted is purely a means of exchange, not a commodity in itself or a store of value. The authors of this book examine LETS, and in particular they discuss whether LETS can be viewed as an aspect of the 'greening' of citizenship, with the potential to contribute to the transition to, and maintenance of, a more sustainable society. They describe the part LETS can play in raising environmental awareness; offering more sustainable practices of production and consumption and helping to create in the community the preconditions for sustainability. In their study of LETS, the authors use Q methodology, (a qualitative methodology for the systematic study of subjectivity and shared discourses) and at the same time they evaluate its usefulness for social scientific environmental research. They find that it is a powerful methodological approach which is consistent with many of the core principles, values and aims of ecological economics. They also conclude that Q has the potential to contribute to environmental policy analysis and the creation of a more participative, democratic and effective form of environmental policy making. This book will be of great interest to all social scientists interested in social movements, environment and citizenship, and in particular those wanting to understand the application of Q methodology for social science research.

As governments and the wider public become increasingly concerned about environmental problems, the necessity for competent environmental policies is growing. The contributors to this highly original book attempt to demonstrate how the use of Q methodology can result in the development of more effective, socially sensitive, environmental policy options.The book highlights the history of Q methodology, a technique for systematically studying the subjectivity of individuals, and provides a brief yet comprehensive account of its theory and a detailed guide to the various stages of a Q study. The methodology is then applied, to explore the discourses concerning the relationship between society and a diverse range of environmental issues including, environmental protest, civil aviation policy, forest policy and land use options. The authors demonstrate how the use of Q methodology offers a methodical insight into the public conceptualisation of environmental issues, thus providing improved frameworks for identifying environmental topics and facilitating policy dialogue. They emphasise the deconstructive advantages of Q methodology as a means of re-examining controversial issues and providing policymakers with a more authentic understanding of the beliefs of stakeholders, prior to developing policies. This analytical approach, the book argues, is more 'democratic', as it provides a greater recognition of socio-political attitudes than the findings of conventional polls and surveys. This definitive book will prove a much needed addition to the empirical literature on environmental attitudes and will be invaluable reading for ecological economists, environmental policymakers and organisations, and students, researchers and practitioners of Q methodology.

Waste is a quintessentially ecological economic issue. The generation of waste is rooted in the very laws of nature, but waste is also a social construct, and what we understand to be waste has evolved with human societies. Therefore, a crucial issue in modern waste management is the understanding of attitudes towards waste. This book examines the ecological economics approach to waste, its conceptualisation and management. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue of waste, the authors utilise an array of disciplinary approaches from both natural and social sciences. They begin by considering waste through the thermodynamics of production processes, and through an assessment of the history of waste. Building on this physical-social background, they concentrate on specific aspects of waste policy. These include the public's attitude towards waste, the economics of waste, and the laws and regulations surrounding waste disposal. Further chapters look in detail at the three main types of waste being generated by modern societies: municipal, toxic and nuclear waste. This path-breaking book seeks to lay the basis for a general conceptualisation of waste in ecological economics and to elucidate the main issues relating to waste generation and management. This is a comprehensive analysis of waste as a concept, and as an issue for humans as both producers and consumers. It will be of great value to ecological economists, waste managers and environmental policy analysts.