Growth: A Discussion of the Margins of Economic and Ecological Thought
- Alexander Perez-Carmona
- … show all 1 hide
Abstract
In the late 1960s a debate about the long-term feasibility and desirability of economic growth as a one-size-fits-all economic policy emerged. It was argued that economic growth was one of the underlying causes of ecological and social problems faced by humanity. The issue remained strongly disputed until the inception of the Sustainable Development discourse by which the debate was politically settled. Nevertheless, given that many ecological and social problems remain unsolved and some have become even more severe, there are renewed calls for the abandoning of the economic growth commitment, particularly in already affluent countries. This chapter summarises the growth debate hitherto and examines two alternatives, the steady-state economy proposed by Herman Daly and economic de-growth proposed by Serge Latouche. In spite of recent disputes between the Anglo-Saxon steady-state school and the emerging continental de-growth school, it is argued, consistent with recent contributions on the issue, that steady-state and de-growth are not mutually exclusive but inevitably complements. The steady-state has the advantage of comprehensive theoretical elaboration, while de-growth has the advantage of an attractive political slogan which has re-opened the debate on the issue. Latouche is also a social thinker who gives a voice to the critiques of economic growth contained in the notion of development from outside Europe and the United States. The steady-state economy, and de-growth are held by some analysts to be beyond what is politically feasible. Although this argument is valid, it fails to recognise that past desirable societal changes were made possible through reflexive societal processes conducive to collective action and institutional change. It is concluded that the debate must ultimately rest in the physical quantities that a given economy needs for the ‘good life’ in the long run, how to decide on these quantities, how to achieve them, and how to maintain an approximate global steady-state. Finally, some recommendations for further research along with some reflections on the potential role of scholars are provided.
Related Content
Supplementary Material (0)
References (158)
- Alcott B (2005) Jevons’ paradox. Ecol Econ 54:9–21
- Anon (1997) Plenty of gloom. The Economist. http://econ.st/rjx9Ep. Accessed 20 Feb 2011
- Anon, (2011) Rio+20 Expectations Unclear as CSD 19 Ends on Sour Note[online]. International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development. Available from: http://ictsd.org/i/news/biores/106698/. Accessed 24 May 2011. Emphasis supplied
- Arndt HW (1978) The rise and fall of economic growth: a study in contemporary thought. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
- Arrow K, Bolin B, Costanza R, Dasgupta P, Folke C, Holling CS et al (1995) Economic growth, carrying capacity, and the environment. Science 268:520–521
- Assadourian E (2011) It’s time for millennium consumption goals, Worldwatch Institute. http://bit.ly/gb2SZ5. Accessed 2 Feb 2011
- Ayres R (2008) Sustainability economics: where do we stand? Ecol Econ 67:281–310
- Ayres R, Kneese AV (1969) Production, consumption, and externalities. Am Econ Rev 59:282–297
- Barnett H, Morse C (1963) Scarcity and growth: the economics of natural resource availability. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore
- Baumol W, Oates W (1988) The theory of environmental policy, 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
- Beckerman W (1972) Economists, scientists, and environmental catastrophe. Oxford Econ Papers 24:327–344
- Beckerman W (1974) In defence of economic growth. Jonathan Cape, London
- Beckerman W (1995) Small is stupid. Gerald Duckworth, London
- Biswanger M (2001) Technological progress and sustainable development: what about the rebound effect? Ecol Econ 36:119–132
- Biswanger HC (2009) Vorwärts zur Mäßigung. Murmann, Hamburg
- Bookchin M (1995) Social anarchism or lifestyle anarchism: an unbridgeable chasm. AK Press, Oakland
- Bookchin M (2007) Social ecology and communalism. AK Press, Oakland
- Boulding KE (1966) The economics of the coming spaceship earth. In: Jarret H (ed) Environmental quality in a growing economy. resources for the future. John Hopkins University, Baltimore, pp 3–14
- Bromley D (1990) The ideology of efficiency: searching for a theory of policy analysis. J Environ Econ Manage 19:86–107
- Brookes LA (1979) A low energy strategy for the UK by G Leach et al.; a review and reply. Atom 269:3–8
- Catton WR (1980) Overshoot: the ecological basis of revolutionary change. Chicago: University of Illinois Press
- Chang HJ (2003) Kicking away the ladder. Development strategy in historical perspective. Anthem Press, London
- Chang HJ (2008) Bad Samaritans. The myth of free trade and the secret history of capitalism. Bloomsbury Press, New York
- Clarke M, Sardar IM (2005) Diminishing and negative welfare returns of economic growth: an index of sustainable economic welfare (ISEW) for Thailand. Ecol Econ 54:81–93
- Clifton S-J (2009) A dangerous obsession: the evidence against carbon trading and for real solutions to avoid a climate crunch. Friends of the Earth, Wales
- Cole HDS, Freeman C, Jahoda M, Pavitt KLR (eds) (1973) Thinking about the future: a critique of the limits to growth. Chatto and Windus for Sussex University Press, London
- Cooter R, Rappoport P (1983) Were the ordinalists wrong about welfare economics? New York University, New York
- Daly HE (1970) The population question in northeast Brazil: its economic and ideological dimensions. Econ Dev Cult Change 18:536–574
- Daly HE (1972) In defense of a steady-state economy. Am J Agric Econ 54:945–954
- Daly HE (1979) Entropy, growth, and the political economy of scarcity. In: Smith VK (ed) Scarcity and growth reconsidered. John Hopkins University Press, Maryland, pp 67–94
- Daly HE (1991) Steady-state economics, 2nd edn. Island Press, Washington
- Daly HE (1996) Beyond growth. Beacon, Massachusetts
- Daly HE, Cobb J (1994) For the common good: redirecting the economy toward community, the environment, and a sustainable future. Beacon, Massachusetts
- Daly HE, Farley J (2011) Ecological economics: principles and applications. Island Press, Washington, DC
- Dasgupta P, Mäler KG (1998) Analysis, facts, and prediction. Environ Dev Econ 3:504–511
- DB (2008) Economic stimulus: the case for “green” infrastructure, energy security and “green” jobs. Deutsche Bank, New York. http://bit.ly/qzmjP6. Accessed 20 Mar 2011
- Gobierno Nacional de la República de Ecuador (2009) Yasuní-ITT. Una iniciativa por la vida. http://yasuni-itt.gob.ec/. Accessed 13 Feb 2011
- Dryzek JS (1997) The politics of the earth. Oxford University Press, New York
- Du Pisani JA (2006) Sustainable development – historical roots of the concept. Environ Sci 3:83–96
- EC (2010) Sustainable de-growth: an alternative to sustainable development? European Commission. Environment News Alert Service. http://bit.ly/rD5EMB. Accessed 10 Nov 2010
- EEA (2001) Late lessons from early warning: the precautionary principle 1896–2000. European Environment Agency, Copenhagen
- Escobar A (1992) Imagining a post-development era? Critical thought, development and social movements. Soc Text Third World Post-Colon Issues 31/32:20–56
- Ewing B, Moore D, Goldfinger S, Oursler A, Reed A, Wackernagel M (2010) The ecological footprint atlas. Global Footprint Network, Oakland
- Fromm E (2007) To have or to be? Continuum, New York
- Galbraith JK (1958) The affluent society. Houghton Mifflin, New York
- Georgescu-Roegen N (1971) The entropy law and the economic process. Harvard University Press, Massachusetts
- Georgescu-Roegen N (1975) Energy and economic myths. South Econ J 41:347–381
- Georgescu-Roegen N (1977) The steady state and ecological salvation. Bioscience 27:266–270
- Georgescu-Roegen N (1979) Comments on the papers by Daly and Stiglitz. In: Smith VK (ed) Scarcity and growth reconsidered. John Hopkins University Press, Maryland, pp 95–105
- Gilbertson T, Reyes O (2009) Carbon trading: how it works and why it fails. Dad Hammarskjöld Foundation, Uppsala
- Goldenberg S (2009) Obama focuses on green economy in speech before Congress. The Guardian. http://bit.ly/9qi44Z. Accessed 4 Mar 2011
- Grinevald J (2008) Introduction to Georgescu-Roegen and degrowth. In: Flipo F, Schneider F (eds) Proceedings of the first international conference on economic de-growth for ecological sustainability and social equity, Paris, pp 14–17. http://bit.ly/rhrS4I. Accessed 14 Oct 2009
- Hammitt JK (1998) Environmental false alarm and policy implications. Environ Dev Econ 3:511–516
- Hardin G (1974) Lifeboat ethics: the case against helping the poor. Psychol Today 8:38–43
- Herring H (1999) Does energy efficiency save energy? The debate and its consequences. Appl Energy 63:209–226
- Hickman L (2011) The population explosion. The Guardian. http://bit.ly/eB5VNX. Accessed 7 May 2011
- Hicks JR (1966) Growth and anti-growth. Oxford Econ Papers 18:257–269
- Hilsenrath J (2009) Cap-and-trade’s unlikely critics: its creators [online]. The Wall Street Journal. http://on.wsj.com/yIF5L. Accessed 19 Mar 2011
- Hirsch F (1977) Social limits to growth. Routledge & Kegan, London
- Höpflinger F (2010) Alterssicherungssysteme: Doppelte Herausforderung von demografischer Alterung und Postwachstum. In: Seidl I, Zahrnt A (eds) Postwachstumsgesellschaft. Metropolis, Marburg, pp 53–63
- Hopwood B, Mellor M, Brien GO (2005) Sustainable development: mapping different approaches. Sust Dev 13:38–52
- Illich I (1973) Tools for conviviality. Marion Boyars, London
- IPCC (2007a) Synthesis report. http://bit.ly/lZwL4. Accessed 5 Oct 2009
- IPCC (2007b) Contribution of working Group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. http://bit.ly/pfG6FP. Accessed 5 Oct 2009
- Jackson T (2009) Prosperity without growth. Earthscan, London
- Jenkins J, Nordhaus T, Shellenberger M (2011) Energy emergence: rebound and backfire as emergent phenomena. Breakthrough Institute, Oakland
- Johnson J, Pecquet G, Taylor L (2007) Potential gains from trade in dirty industries: revisiting Lawrence Summers’ memo. Cato J 27:397–410
- Jonas H (1979) Das Prinzip der Verantwortung: Versuch einer Ethik für die technologische Zivilisation. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main
- Kallis G (2011) In defence of degrowth. Ecol Econ 70:873–880
- Kapp KW (1950) The social costs of private enterprise. Harvard University Press, Cambridge
- Kaysen C (1972) The computer that printed out W*O*L*F. Foreign Affairs 50:660–668
- Kerschner C (2010) Economic de-growth vs. the steady-state economy. J Cleaner Prod 18:544–551
- Keynes JM (2009) Essays in persuasion. Classic House Books, New York
- Khazzoom DJ (1980) Economic implications of mandated efficiency standards for household appliances. Energy J 1:21–40
- Kneese AV (1998) No time for complacency. Environ Dev Econ 3:516–520
- Krebs JR (1998) Predicting the environment: time series versus process based model. Environ Dev Econ 3:521–523
- Kriström B, Löfgren KG (1998) For whom the market tolls: one-armed economists and ‘Plenty of gloomsters’. Environ Dev Econ 3:524–526
- Latouche S (2001) Les mirages de l`occidentalisation du monde: en finir, une fois pour toutes, avec le développement. Le Monde Diplomatique, Mai 2001
- Latouche S (2003a) Pour une société de décroissance. Le Monde Diplomatique, Novembre 2003. http://bit.ly/5ZOtmN. Accessed 10 May 2011
- Latouche S (2003b) Sustainable development as a paradox. Symposium Baltic Sea 2003. Gdansk, Kaliningrad, Tallinn, Helsinki and Stockholm
- Latouche S (2004) Survivre au développement. De la décolonisation de l’imaginaire économique à la construction d’une société alternative. Mille et Une Nuits, Paris
- Latouche S (2004b) Why less should be so much more. Degrowth economics. Le Monde Diplomatique, Novembre 2004 http://bit.ly/4yOHfY. Accessed 10 May 2011
- Latouche S (2009) Farewell to growth. Polity Press, Cambridge
- Latouche S (2010) Inzwischen kennt die französische Öffentlichkeit den Begriff ‘Décroissance’. Interview mit Serge Latouche. In: Seidl I, Zahrnt A (eds) Postwachstumsgesellschaft. Konzepte für die Zukunft. Metropolis, Marburg, pp 201–204
- Lawn PA (2003) A theoretical foundation to support the index of sustainable economic welfare (ISEW), genuine progress indicator (GPI), and other related indexes. Ecol Econ 44:105–118
- Lawn P, Clarke M (2010) The end of economic growth? A contracting threshold hypothesis. Ecol Econ 69:2213–2223
- Levallois C (2010) Can de-growth be considered a policy option? A historical note on Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen and the Club of Rome. Ecol Econ 69:2271–2278
- Levin SA (1998) Anticipating environmental disasters. Environ Dev Econ 3:527–529
- Loske R (2011) Abschied vom Wachstumszwang. Konturen einer Politik der Mäßigung. Basilisken Presse, Rangsdorf
- Malthus TR (1998 [1798]) An essay on the principle of population. Prometheus Books, New York
- Maneschi A, Zamagni S (1997) Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen, 1906–1994. Econ J 107:695–707
- Mansholt S (1972) Le Chemin du Bonheur. Le Nouvel Observateur No. 396. http://bit.ly/ouuMK4. Accessed 15 Aug 2011
- Martínez-Alier J (1987) Ecological economics: energy, environment and society. Blackwell, Oxford
- Martínez-Alier J (1995) The environment as a luxury good or ‘to poor to be green’? Ecol Econ 13:1–10
- Martínez-Alier J, Masjuan E (2008) Neo-Malthusianism in the early 20th century. Ecological economics encyclopaedia. http://bit.ly/lNZWUe. Accessed 20 July 2011
- Martínez-Alier J, Pascual U, Vivien F-D, Zacca E (2010) Sustainable de-growth: mapping the context, criticisms and emergent paradigm. Ecol Econ 69:1741–1747
- Max-Neef M (1995) Economic growth and quality of life: a threshold hypothesis. Ecol Econ 15:115–118
- McNeill JR (2000) Something new under the sun: an environmental history of the twentieth-century world. Norton, New York
- Meadows DH, Meadows DL, Randers J, Behrens WW (1972) Limits to growth: a report for the Club of Rome’s project on the predicament of mankind. Universe Books, New York
- Meadows DL, Randers J, Meadows DH (2004) Limits to growth: the 30-year update. Chelsea Green, Vermont
- Mill JS (2004 [1848]) Principles of political economy. Prometheus Books, New York
- Mishan EJ (1967) The costs of economic growth. Staples Press, London
- Mishan EJ (1977) The economic growth debate. George Allen & Unwin, London
- Munasinghe M, Stewart R (2005) Primer on climate change and sustainable development. Facts, policy analysis, and applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
- Nordhaus WD, Tobin J (1972) Is growth obsolete? In: Nordhaus WD, Tobin J (eds) Economic research: retrospect and prospect, vol 5, Economic growth. NBER, New York, pp 1–80
- Norgaard RB (1990) Economic indicators of resource scarcity: a critical essay. J Environ Econ Manage 19:19–25
- Nuttall N (2008) Global green new deal – environmentally – focused investment historic opportunity for 21st century prosperity and job generation. UN Environment Program. http://bit.ly/qnvbbI. Accessed 4 Mar 2011
- Odum HT (1971) Environment, power and society. Wiley, New York
- Otway H (1987) Experts, risk communication, and democracy. Risk Anal 7:125–129
- Packard V (1960) The waste makers. Pocket Books, New York
- Pearce D (2002) An intellectual history of environmental economics. Ann Rev Energy Environ 27:57–81
- Perrings C (1998) Introduction: environmental scares – the Club of Rome debate revisited. Environ Dev Econ 3:491–492
- Piffaretti NF (2009) Reshaping the international monetary architecture: lessons from Keynes’ plan. Pol Res Work Pap Ser World Bank 5034:1–28
- Polanyi K (2001) The great transformation: the political economy and economic origins of our time. Beacon, Massachusetts
- Polimeni JM, Mayumi K, Giampietro M, Alcott B (2008) The Jevons Paradox and the myth of resource efficiency improvements. Earthscan, London
- Polin B (1998) Environmental scares, science and media. Environ Dev Econ 3:500–503
- Pollard S (1968) The idea of progress. C.A. Watts, London
- Pollin R, Garrett-Peltier H, Heintz J, Scharber H (2008) Green recovery: a program to create good jobs and start building a low-carbon economy. Political Economy Research Institute. University of Massachusetts. http://bit.ly/P6O3X. Accessed 16 Nov 2009
- Portney RR, Oates WE (1998) On environmental gloom and doom. Environ Dev Econ 3:529–532
- Radkau J (2010) Wachstum oder Niedergang: ein Grundgesetz der Geschichte? In: Seidl I, Zahrnt A (eds) Postwachstumsgesellschaft. Konzepte für die Zukunft. Metropolis, Marburg, pp 37–49
- Robins N, Clover R, Singh C (2009) A climate for recovery. The colour of stimulus goes green. HSBC Bank. Global Research. http://bit.ly/qNUMCP. Accessed 20 Aug 2010
- Rockström J, Steffen W, Noone K, Persson A, Chapin FS III, Lambin et al (2009) A safe operating space for humanity. Science 461:472–475
- Sachs W (ed) (1992) The development dictionary. Zed Books, London
- Sachs W (1999) Planet dialectics. Explorations in environment and development. Zed Books, London
- Schor J (2010) In der US-Amerikanischen Öffentlichkeit und Politik ist Wachstumskritik ein Tabu. In: Seidl I, Zahrnt A (eds) Postwachstumsgesellschaft. Konzepte für die Zukunft. Metropolis, Marburg, pp 214–218
- Screpanti E, Zamagni S (2005) An outline of the history of economic thought, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford
- Seidl I, Zahrnt A (eds) (2010) Postwachstumsgesellschaft. Metropolis, Marburg
- Sen AK (1999) Development as freedom. Anchor Books, New York
- Simms A (2008) The poverty myth. New Sci 200:49
- Simon J (1996) The ultimate resource 2. Princeton University Press, Princeton
- Smith A (1991 [1776]) An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations. Prometheus Books, New York
- Sneddon CS (2000) Sustainability in ecological economics, ecology and livelihoods: a review. Progr Human Geogr 24:521–549
- Solow R (1973) Is the end of the world at hand? Challenge 16:39–50
- Solow R (1974) The economics of resources or the resource of economics. Am Econ Rev 64:1–14
- Starr C (1969) Social benefit versus technological risk: what is our society willing to pay for safety? Science 165:1232–1238
- Stern N (2007) The economics of climate change: the Stern review. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
- Stiglitz JE (2002) Globalization and its discontents. Penguin, London
- Stiglitz JE, Sen A, Fitoussi JP (2009) Report of the commission on the measurement of economic performance and social progress. Commission on the measurement of economic performance and social progress. http://bit.ly/JTwmG. Accessed 15 Mar 2011
- Strasser S (1999) Waste and want. A social history of trash. Metropolitan Books, New York
- Topfer K, Bachmann G (2009) One man – one vote – one carbon footprint: knowledge for sustainable development. In: In ’t Veld RJ (ed) Knowledge democracy. Consequences for science, politics, and media. Springer, Berlin, pp 49–61
- Truman H (1949) Truman’s inaugural address. Harry S. Truman. Library & Museum. http://bit.ly/cdPKqY. Accessed 10 Feb 2011
- Turner GM (2008) A comparison of the limits to growth with 30 years of reality. Glob Environ Chang 18:397–411
- UN (2011). World population to reach 10 billion by 2100 if fertility in all countries converges to replacement level. United Nations Press Release. http://bit.ly/qU2BH3. Accessed 10 May 2011
- UNDP (2010) The real wealth of nations: pathways to human development. United Nations Development Programme, New York
- UNEP (2011) Towards a green economy: pathways to sustainable development and poverty eradication. United Nations Environment Programme, New York
- UNFCCC (1992) The United Nations framework convention on climate change. http://bit.ly/q0ZILz. Accessed 10 Jan 2011
- UNSNA (2009) System of national accounts. United Nations, New York
- Van den Bergh J (2011) Environment versus growth – a criticism of ‘degrowth’ and a plea for ‘a-growth’. Ecol Econ 70:881–890
- Vitousek PM, Ehrlich P, Ehrlich A, Matson P (1986) Human appropriation of the products of photosynthesis. Bioscience 36:368–373
- Von Humboldt W (1993) The limits of state action. Liberty Fund, Indianapolis
- Wackernagel M, Rees W (1996) Our ecological footprint. Reducing human impact on the earth. New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island
- Wackernagel M, Rees W (1997) Perceptual and structural barriers to investing in natural capital: economics from an ecological footprint perspective. Ecol Econ 20:2–24
- WCED (1987) Our common future. The world commission on environment and development. Oxford University Press, Oxford
- Weizäcker EV, Hargroves K, Smith M, Desha C, Stasinopoulos P (2009) Factor five: transforming the global economy through 80% improvements in resource productivity. Earthscan, London
- Whitehead AN (1978) Process and reality: an essay in cosmology. The Free Press, New York
- Worster D (1993) The wealth of nature. Oxford University Press, Oxford
- Wright R (2005) A short history of progress. Canongate Books, Edinburgh
- Zongguo W, Kunmin Z, Bin D, Yadong L, Wei L (2007) Case study on the use of genuine progress indicator to measure urban economic welfare in China. Ecol Econ 63:463–475
About this Chapter
- Title
- Growth: A Discussion of the Margins of Economic and Ecological Thought
- Open Access
- Available under Open Access This content is freely available online to anyone, anywhere at any time.
- Book Title
- Transgovernance
- Book Subtitle
- Advancing Sustainability Governance
- Pages
- pp 83-161
- Copyright
- 2013
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-642-28009-2_3
- Print ISBN
- 978-3-642-28008-5
- Online ISBN
- 978-3-642-28009-2
- Publisher
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Copyright Holder
- © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and the Author(s)
- Additional Links
- Topics
- eBook Packages
- Editors
-
-
Louis Meuleman
(ID1)
-
Louis Meuleman
- Editor Affiliations
-
- ID1. PublicStrategy
- Authors
- Author Affiliations
-
- 1. Research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany
Continue reading...
To view the rest of this content please follow the download PDF link above.