Ecological Economics as the Ecological Economics as the Guiding Paradigm for Creating a Guiding Paradigm for Creating a Sustainable and Desirable FutureSustainable and Desirable Future

Jon EricksonJon EricksonSchool of Natural Resources, andSchool of Natural Resources, and

Environmental ProgramEnvironmental ProgramUniversity of VermontUniversity of Vermont

or, The Title that Bobor, The Title that BobDreamed up for me at aDreamed up for me at a

Faculty Retreat in JanuaryFaculty Retreat in January

Who Am I?

U.S. Annual Per Capita

Waste:

CO2 Emissions 43,064 pounds

SO2 Emissions 181 pounds

Solid Waste 2,000 pounds

Consumption:

Motor Gasoline 11 barrels

Coal 7,219 pounds

Vehicle Miles Traveled

9,006 miles

Replacement:

Fertility Rate 2.1 children/woman

Highest Annex I Emissions (MMT GHGs)

5954

1225.6

1122.4

986.3

694.8

670.4

519.9

517.9

488.9

386.2

United States

Japan

Russia

Germany

Britain

Canada

Australia

Italy

France

Ukraine

Percent Change (1990-1998)

21.8%

8.5%

-57.6%

17.1%

5.4%

5.1%

-55.5%

-16.1%

-1.1%

-8.9%

United States

Japan

Russia

Germany

Britain

Canada

Australia

Italy

France

Ukraine

Putting the Paradigm to Practice

Ecological Economics as . . .Ecological Economics as . . .• Designing Human Systems that are Sustainable

in Scale, Equitable in Distribution, and Efficient in Allocation

• Connecting Biophysical Means with Metaphysical Ends

• A Transdisciplinary, Problem-Oriented Approach to Education and Social Policy

• A Blend of Analysis, Synthesis, and Communication

Dutchess County, New York

• 2,077 km2, mixed land use• 970 km of named streams • > 132,000 employment pool• IBM = >11,000• SW to NE development gradient• Effective buying income (EBI) ranks 15th in the U.S.

DM-2

DM-1 DM-3

Alt-1

Alt-3

Alt-2

Group of Decision-MakersGroup of Decision-Makers

CSc

CEv

CEcAlt-1

Alt-3

Alt-2

Individual Decision-MakerIndividual Decision-Maker

GOAL

Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3

CEc CSc CEv CEc CSc CEv CEc CSc CEv

w1 + w2 + w3 = 1

CSc

CEv

CEcAlt-1

Alt-3

Alt-2

Alternatives

CEc CSc Ecological

CriteriaRelative condition index for Longnose Dace

-2.0-1.5-1.0-0.50.00.51.01.52.02.5

Tam

arac

k

F17

Ple

asan

t Val

ley

Eas

t

F15

Dut

ches

s C

o A

irpor

t

Ple

asan

t Val

ley-

MS

T

F08

F14

Gris

tmill

Cre

ek

F04

F13

Upt

on L

ake

Qui

et A

cres

-MS

T

F03

Col

d S

prin

g C

reek

Sta

nfor

d R

ec_M

ST

F12

Hun

ns L

ake

Red

Oak

Mill

-MS

T

F01

F11

Littl

e W

appi

nger

s

F02

E B

ranc

h W

app

Gre

at S

prin

g

F07

-A

stu

den

tize

d r

esid

ual

s o

f N

L

esti

mat

ion

+/- s.e.

Land Use Alternatives

CEc Social

Criteria

CEvCensus

by Block, Tract, Town, Zip . . .

Alternatives

Economic

Criteria

CSc CEv

GOVERMENTGOVERMENT

OUTSIDEOUTSIDEWORLDWORLD

CAPITALCAPITALExportsExports

ImportsImports INDUSTRYINDUSTRY

HOUSEHOLDSHOUSEHOLDS

DepreciationDepreciation

InvestmentInvestment

ConsumptionConsumptionGoodsGoodsLaborLabor

Private GoodsPrivate Goods& Services& Services

PublicPublicServicesServices

Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3

Stock

C1

C2

Out

In

Socio-Economic Sub-Model

GIS Land-Use Sub-Model

EcosystemSub-Model

Sectoral_Economic_Decline

Land_Demand

Growth

Land_Reclamation

Ecosystem_Impact

Scenerios

Scenerios

Land_Biophysical_Characteristics

Land_Use_Location

Land_Use_Type Land_Biophysical_Characteristics

Land_Development_Loading Aquatic_Dynamics

Physicochemical_Parameters

Biotic_Integrity Functional_Integretity

Ecosystem_Impact

Storm_Events Water_Flow

Building

Land_Built

Land_Demand

Sectoral_Economic_Growth

SAM_Multipliers

Scenerios

Loss

Population

Land_Use_Location

Land_Use_Type

Buildable_Land

Land_Use_Zoning

Geophysical_Attibutes

Real_Estate_Attributes

Total_Land_Inventory

Scenario AnalysisScenario Analysis

Watershed Health

SustainableSustainableSCALESCALE

Land-Use Change

and Social Context

Biophysical

Land Use

Society

Community

Economy

Firms

Households

Individuals

EquitableEquitableDISTRIBUTIONDISTRIBUTION

Economic Structure

and Change

EfficientEfficientALLOCATIONALLOCATION

GOAL

Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3

CEc CSc CEv CEc CSc CEv CEc CSc CEv

Ecological Economics in Ecological Economics in ContextContext

Limits to Growth

Ecological

Social

Economic

Income

82.7%

11.7%

2.3%

1.9%

1.4%

Population

20%

20%

20%

20%

20%

Global Income Distribution

“In a market economy, the price

system ensures that no one can consume

resources without first creating some of

equal or greater value.”

~ N. Gregory Mankiw

Overconsumers

1.3 billion

> US$7,500 per capita

Sustainers

3.5 billion

US$700-7,500 per capita

Excluded

1.3 billion

< US$700 per capita

Travel by car and air Travel by bicycle and public surface transport

Travel by foot or donkey

Eat high-fat, high-calorie, meat-based diets

Eat healthy diets of grains, vegetables & some meat

Eat nutritionally inadequate diets

Drink bottled water and soft drinks

Drink clean water plus some tea and coffee

Drink contaminated water

Use throwaway products & discard substantial wastes

Use unpackaged goods and recycled wastes

Use local biomass and produce negligible wastes

Live in spacious, climate-controlled, 1-family homes

Live in modest, vented, multiple-family homes

Live in rudimentary shelters or in the open

Maintain image-conscious wardrobes

Wear functional clothing

Wear secondhand clothing or scraps

Who Are We?