|
EV-20: Ecology and ecological economics: symbiosis for a
sustainable future
Sponsored by the U.S. Society for
Ecological Economics
Wednesday, August 10, 8 PM - 10 PM,
Meeting Room 516c, Level 5, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Organizers:
Christina Tonitto, Karin Limburg
Description:
Though various national and international
scientific societies have reached a consensus regarding the need to rapidly
implement measures to reduce human impact on issues such as climate change,
perturbation of the nitrogen cycle, or water pollution, progress toward these
and many other environmental goals moves much slower than desirable. The
existence of substantial scientific data is not sufficient to direct radical
policy changes. Ultimately, a socially acceptable sustainable society is
grounded in an economy that provides basic human needs, while maintaining a
rewarding quality of life. Ecological Economics is a framework for achieving a
sustainable economy. Ecological Economics views the ecosystem as the fundamental
driver of the economy. It is grounded in the fundamental belief that the economy
is constrained by thermodynamic properties of earth systems. In contrast, the
dominant neoclassical paradigm has viewed renewable and non-renewable resources
as infinitely available, and their use as fundamental to economic growth. The
economy that emerges from the neoclassical model consequently places little
value on ecosystem services. Though interdependent, Ecology and Ecological
Economic research are often pursued independently. The session will describe the
fundamental principles of Ecological Economics, then proceed into a discussion
considering the most pressing environmental issues for economists to tackle and
how these disciplines can develop a sustainable economy.
|
