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Decades of research and discussion have shown that the human
population growth and our increased consumption of natural
resources cannot continue - there are limits to growth. This volume
demonstrates how we might modify and revise our economic systems
using nature as a model. The book describes how nature uses three
growth forms: biomass, information, and networks, resulting in
improved overall ecosystem functioning and co-development. As
biomass growth is limited by available resources, nature uses the
two other growth forms to achieve higher resource use efficiency.
Through a universal application of the three 'R's: reduce, reuse,
and recycle, nature thus shows us a way forward towards better
solutions. However, our current approach, dominated by short-term
economic thinking, inhibits full utilization of the three 'R's and
other successful approaches from nature. Building on ecological
principles, the authors present a global model and futures scenario
analyses which show that implementation of the proposed changes
will lead to a win-win situation. In other words, we can learn from
nature how to develop a society that can flourish within the limits
to growth with better conditions for prosperity and well-being.
Decades of research and discussion have shown that the human
population growth and our increased consumption of natural
resources cannot continue - there are limits to growth. This volume
demonstrates how we might modify and revise our economic systems
using nature as a model. The book describes how nature uses three
growth forms: biomass, information, and networks, resulting in
improved overall ecosystem functioning and co-development. As
biomass growth is limited by available resources, nature uses the
two other growth forms to achieve higher resource use efficiency.
Through a universal application of the three 'R's: reduce, reuse,
and recycle, nature thus shows us a way forward towards better
solutions. However, our current approach, dominated by short-term
economic thinking, inhibits full utilization of the three 'R's and
other successful approaches from nature. Building on ecological
principles, the authors present a global model and futures scenario
analyses which show that implementation of the proposed changes
will lead to a win-win situation. In other words, we can learn from
nature how to develop a society that can flourish within the limits
to growth with better conditions for prosperity and well-being.
A New Ecology presents an ecosystem theory based on the following
ecosystem properties: physical openness, ontic openness,
directionality, connectivity, a complex dynamic for growth and
development, and a complex dynamic response to disturbances. Each
of these properties is developed in detail to show that these basic
and characteristic properties can be applied to explain a wide
spectrum of ecological obsevations and convections. It is also
shown that the properties have application for environmental
management and for assessment of ecosystem health.
* Demonstrates an ecosystem theory that can be applied to explain
ecological observations and rules
* Presents an ecosystem theory based upon a systems approach
* Discusses an ecosystem theory that is based on a few basic
properties that are characteristic for ecosystmes
A New Ecology: Systems Perspective, Second Edition, gives an
overview of the commonalities of all ecosystems from a variety of
properties, including physical openness, ontic openness,
directionality, connectivity, a complex dynamic for growth and
development, and a complex dynamic response to disturbances. Each
chapter details basic and characteristic properties that help the
reader understand how they can be applied to explain a wide
spectrum of current ecological research and environmental
management applications.
Is the concept of sustainability strongly founded on solid
scientific bases? And can this elusive concept be introduced in the
economic framework and embodied in people's behavior as well as
public and private institutions' decision making? This book
presents a view of sustainability that starts from the
acknowledgment of physical conditions and limits that humans can no
longer neglect. It also includes some epistemological foundations
of the concept of sustainability and historical backgrounds. The
view is optimistic to the extent that economics, the compass of our
industrial society, is open to inputs and suggestions coming from
outside orthodox schemes. Transdisciplinary science is one key
element of such a change, and this book is a transdisciplinary
project.In the field of the criticism to GDP as an
omni-comprehensive instrument, the book also describes the
methodology of the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW),
proposed by H. Daly and John Cobb in 1989. They proposed some
revisions to the System of National Accounts and GDP in order to
add information for policy makers towards sustainability.Starting
with consumption, some adjustments are proposed to allow for
inequality of income distribution, environmental problems (such as
pollution costs, long term environmental damage, depletion of
non-renewable resources) and social issues (such as commuting
costs, urbanization costs, public expenditure for health and
education). Computations for different nations have shown that ISEW
increases together with increasing GDP up to a point, beyond which
it stagnates or even decreases, due to the environmental and social
pressure of economic growth. The ISEW is a feasible calculation and
some experiments at the local level in Italy are presented.
Advances in integrating different sustainability indicators (both
economic-based and physical-based) are also presented as well as
their use under a sustainability viewpoint.
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