The first decade of the twenty-first century has been characterized by a growing global awareness of the tremendous strains that human economic activity place on natural resources and the environment. As the world’s population increases, so does the demand for energy, food, and other resources, which adds to existing stresses on ecosystems, with potentially disastrous consequences. Humanity is at a crossroads in our pathway to future prosperity, and our next steps will impact our long-term sustainability immensely. In this timely volume, leading ecological economics scholars offer a variety of perspectives on building a green economy. Grounded in a critique of conventional thinking about unrestrained economic expansion and the costs of environmental degradation, this book presents a roadmap for an economy that prioritizes human welfare over consumerism and growth. As the authors represented here demonstrate, the objective of ecological economics is to address contemporary problems and achieve long-term socioeconomic well-being without undermining the capacity of the ecosphere. The volume is organized around three sections: “Perspectives on a Green Economy,” “Historical and Theoretical Perspectives,” and “Applications and Practice.” A rich resource in its own right, Building a Green Economy contains the most innovative thinking in ecological economics at a critical time in the reexamination of the human relationship with the natural world.
ContentsPrefacePerspectives on a Green EconomyBuilding a Green Economy: The Case for an Economic Paint Job / Robert B. RichardsonTaking Ecological Economics Seriously: It's the Biosphere, Stupid / David KortenBeyond the Ivory Tower: Why Progress Needs More Ecological Economists to Actively Engage / Kristen A. SheeranRuin and Recovery: The Economics of Michigan's Natural Resources / David DempseyHistorical and Theoretical PerspectivesNoble Savages or Consummate Consumers: The Behavioral Ecology of Building a Green Conservation Future / Bobbi S. LowGreen Keynesianism: Beyond Standard Growth Paradigms / Jonathan M. HarrisThe Economics of Information in a Green Economy / Joshua Farley and Skyler PerkinsThe Evolution of Ego'n'Empathy: Progress in Forming the Centerpiece for Ecological Economic Theory / William M. Hayes and Gary D. LynneCivic Empowerment in an Age of Corporate Excess / Ed LorenzEnvironmental Justice Challenges for Ecosystem Service Valuation / Matthew A. WeberApplications and PracticeAssessing the Trade-Offs for an Urban Green Economy / Myrna Hall, Ning Sun, Stephen Balogh, Catherine Foley, and Ruqi LiGreen Jobs: Who Benefits? : Demographic Forecasting of Job Creation in U. S. Green Jobs Studies / Kyle GraceyGreat Lakes, Great Debates: Facilitating Public Engagement on Offshore Wind Energy Using the Delphi Inquiry Approach / Erik Nordman, Jon VanderMolen, Betty Gajewski, and Aaron FergusonEndogenous Environmental Discounting and Climate-Economy Modeling / Philip SirianniA Genuine Metric for Assessing Business Sustainability / Matthew P. H. Taylor, Darrell Brown, David E. Ervin, Jim Thayer, and Brett CassidyThe Case for "Improvement" in Corporate Sustainability Indicators / Richard GroganEvolutions in Methods and Technology for Research in Pro-environmental Behavior / Douglas L. Bessette and Robert B. RichardsonContributors
