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Economics for Environmental Studies pp 31–37Cite as

Integration of the Natural Environment: Socially Undesirable Utilization of Natural Goods

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Abstract

The importance of natural resources for the satisfaction of human needs both as consumer goods and as factors of production is emphasized. This is contrasted with the circular flow diagram discussed in Chap. 3, which does not represent the natural environment at all. Instead, it is proposed that the economic system is embedded into and dependant on the natural system. Based on the criteria of non-excludability and non-rivalry it is argued that natural collective goods and natural open access resources are used inefficiently in the market system. Departing from the criterion of justice, the notion of sustainable development is introduced. Some examples of policy interventions aimed at efficiency and justice in connection with the use of natural resources are sketched.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    A classical formulation of an ecocentric position is Aldo Leopold’s one: “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise” (Leopold 2001, p. 189).

  2. 2.

    See Chap. 7 in Part II, below. A more detailed analysis can be found in Endres (2011).

References

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  • Rogers AD, Laffoley Dd’A (2011) International earth system expert workshop on ocean stresses and impacts. Summary report, Oxford. http://www.stateoftheocean.org/pdfs/1906_IPSO-LONG.pdf. Accessed 23 June 2011

  • UN (United Nations) et al (2003) Handbook of national accounting. Integrated environmental and economic accounting 2003, New York. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/envaccounting/seea.asp. Accessed 16 June 2011

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Hagen, Hagen, Germany

    Alfred Endres

  2. Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative, State University Ravensburg, Ravensburg, Germany

    Volker Radke

Authors
  1. Alfred Endres
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  2. Volker Radke
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Correspondence to Alfred Endres .

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Endres, A., Radke, V. (2012). Integration of the Natural Environment: Socially Undesirable Utilization of Natural Goods. In: Economics for Environmental Studies. Springer Texts in Business and Economics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31193-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31193-2_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-31192-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-31193-2

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