Sustainable development: an ecological economics perspective (original) (raw)
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Introduction. Modern world development is being influenced by global processes, which reflect the specifics and directions of its functioning. First and foremost, it is a matter of interconnecting the interests of the world community to achieve common goals of economic, political, environmental, social, and cultural development. The discrepancy between the system of economic activity and the ecological capabilities of the world requires justification of such implementation directions on a global scale, which would take into account the need to ensure the rational development of the ecological component of this process. The current crisis is the result of modern industrial civilization, which, unfortunately, does not guarantee humanity a decent eco-future and the prospect of self-preservation of the ecosystem and reproduction of resources, taking into account the needs of future generations in a planetary dimension. Purpose. This research was conducted to investigate and identify the...
The influence of economic theories on sustainable development
2017
O principal propósito desta tese é apresentar uma discussão teórica sobre a influência de diferentes teorias económicas sobre o conceito e estratégias para atingir o desenvolvimento sustentável nas suas três esferas: económica, social e ambiental. São apresentadas diferentes perspetivas sobre a sustentabilidade do processo de crescimento económico. Explora-se a perda da análise ética no decorrer da história do pensamento económico e as suas implicações para o desenvolvimento sustentável. Na esfera do desenvolvimento económico são salientadas as relações entre as teorias de dependência internacional e teorias liberais, por um lado, e os pensamentos económicos de Karl Marx e Adam Smith/David Ricardo, respetivamente. Analisa-se a compatibilidade entre as esferas económica e social do desenvolvimento sustentável focando a questão da distribuição do rendimento entre indivíduos. Na esfera do desenvolvimento social é apresentada a teoria de desenvolvimento de Amartya Sen remetendonos para ...
7 Sustainable Development: Ecology and Economic Growth
The vast expansion of economic activity beginning in the twentieth century and continuing today is the predominant cause of the environmental decline that has occurred to date worldwide. This activity is consuming vast quantities of resources from the environment and returning to the environment vast quantities of waste products. The damages are already huge and are on a path to be ruinous in the future. Yet the world economy, now increasingly integrated and globalized, is poised for unprecedented growth. The engine of this growth is modern capitalism: the worldwide commitment to economic growth at almost any cost; enormous investment in technologies designed with little regard for the environment; powerful corporate interests whose overriding objective is to grow by generating increasingly greater profit, including profit from avoiding the environmental impact and cleanup costs they create; governments that are either yielding or promoting corporate interests and the growth imperative; rampant consumerism spurred by sophisticated advertising; economic activity is so large in scale that its impact may undermine the planet's ability to sustain life unless something is immediately done. This chapter explores the fundamental factors responsible for this growth imperative, which led to this pathetic situation and then suggests a future remedy to emerge from this state. After a brief introduction to ecology, economy, and economic growth and ecosystem concepts, the effect of economic activities on the global ecological situation is assessed. Poverty and population growth are discussed as drivers of social unsustainability. The concept of Sustainable Development is then introduced and the compatibility of a market-based capitalist economic system with sustainability is reviewed. Several reforms/alternatives to the present economic system proposed in the literature are discussed to promote sustainability. The case of intergenerational equity and discounting the future is critically discussed in the light of systems thinking. Recent advances in hierarchical systems approach concepts in systems theory are employed to argue against the economic growth concept of the capitalist economic system. After that, the cause of all the ills-the built-in usurious system in the capitalist economy-is discussed in greater detail. Before concluding with future directions, the general belief in science and technology that ''science can save the future'' that it has the ability to provide humanity with the knowledge and understanding to manage Earth's natural resources is critically discussed and the technological phenomenon is reviewed under the light of sustainability. Finally, the concept of a ''fair and just'' economic system is introduced for sustainable development of humanity and future directions are given for its realization.
Sustainable Development: Ecology and Economic Growth
2012
The vast expansion of economic activity beginning in the 20th Century and continuing today is the predominant cause of the environmental decline that has occurred to date worldwide. This activity is consuming vast quantities of resources from the environment and returning to the environment vast quantities of waste products. The damages are already huge and are on a path to be ruinous in the future. Yet the world economy, now increasingly integrated and globalized, is poised for unprecedented growth. The engine of this growth is modern capitalism. The worldwide commitment to economic growth at almost any cost; enormous investment in technologies designed with little regard for the environment; powerful corporate interests whose overriding objective is to grow by generating increasingly greater profit, including profit from avoiding the environmental impact and cleanup costs they create; governments that are either yielding or promoting corporate interests and the growth imperative; rampant consumerism spurred by sophisticated advertising; economic activity is so large in scale that its impact may undermine the planet’s ability to sustain life unless something is immediately done. This chapter explores the fundamental factors responsible for this growth imperative, which led to this pathetic situation and then suggests a future remedy to emerge from this state. After a brief introduction to ecology, economy and economic growth and ecosystem concepts, the effect of economic activities on the global ecological situation is assessed. Poverty and population growth are discussed as drivers of social unsustainability. The concept of Sustainable Development is then introduced and the compatibility of a market-based capitalist economic system with sustainability is reviewed. Several reforms/alternatives to the present economic system proposed in the literature are discussed to promote sustainability. The case of intergenerational equity and discounting the future is critically discussed in the light of systems thinking. Recent advances in hierarchical systems approach concepts in systems theory are employed to argue against the economic growth concept of the capitalist economic system. After that the cause of all the ills – the built-in usurious system in the capitalist economy – is discussed in greater detail. Before concluding on future directions the general belief in science and technology that “science can save the future” that it has the ability to provide humanity with the knowledge and understanding to manage earth’s natural resources is critically discussed and the technological phenomenon is reviewed under the light of sustainability. Finally, the concept of a ‘fair and just’ economic system is introduced for sustainable development of humanity and future directions are given for its realization.
The Road from Economic Growth to Sustainable Development: How was it Traversed?
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
Development theory has come a long way over the last century. It started with the notions of economic growth and development, and eventually has reached a stage where governments and academics are looking at more holistic patterns of living than merely growth. Sustainable development, eventually, has become the most important notion of the day, and provides a more comprehensive definition of development, linking up ecological services and quality of life with economic growth. Such a paradigm shift in a phase of less than a century is no less than a revolution. The path has been traversed with a whole lot of cognitive dissonance, debate and scholastic antagonism. This article attempts to trace the story of how the road has been traversed, by highlighting the various theories of economic growth and development, and the debates between the economists over the years that have helped the discipline traverse such a long way.
Ecological Approach to Development and Its Criticism
Ecological Approach to Development and Its Criticism, 2019
The paper talks about an alternative approach to developmental theories. Ecological approach has been shown as a crucial approach to development and its aspects have been explained. The approach has also been criticized thoroughly.
Problemy Ekorozwoju
In this paper, one discusses the conditions favourable for sustainable development, limitations of it in the social reality and the sense of implementing it everywhere. The author points out that sustainable development has always taken place in nature thanks to the mechanisms of self-regulation and the laws of nature. However, what is new is the idea of sustainable development in the social reality. Balancing inequalities to the end, i.e. until the state of permanent equilibrium of social systems is achieved, leads to stagnation. Because the source of sustainable development is throwing off equilibrium, and stabilization kills development. He also indicates that the idea of sustainable development was not born out of ecological, but economic reasons, and still serves mainly economic, not ecological purposes. It works best in the sphere of the economy. Nevertheless, it is implemented everywhere with a better or worse result, because the world fashion for sustainable development and ...
This paper is an attempt to contribute to an eco-socialist critique of the widely prevailing theoretical perspectives on development with a focus on one aspect: the competing explanations of underdevelopment in the Third World and of the poverty resulting from that underdevelopment. The aspect of inequality between the developed capitalist economies and developing capitalist economies will also be examined from the viewpoint of its linkages with poverty in the Third World. Three main perspectives will be considered: one, the traditional one that keeps the discussion on poverty, underdevelopment and inequality within the framework of a capitalist economy; two, the Marxian one as a critique of capitalism and third, the Green one that focusses on the natural environment as a way of dealing with issues of poverty and underdevelopment.