Transdisciplinary Considerations Among Sustainability Criteria With a Focus on the Ecological Macroeconomics of Biodiversity Conservation

Spheres of Sustainability Ecological Economic Social

Prehistoric Proportions Ecological Economic Social

Sustainability Institutions Ecological (Institutions) Economic Social

Capacities and Tradeoffs Ecological Social Economic

Economic Growth an increase in the production and consumption of goods and services typically expressed in terms of GDP facilitated by increasing: population per capita consumption

K GNP Time Natural capital allocated to wildlife Natural capital human economy Time Czech, B. 2000. Economic growth as the limiting factor for wildlife conservation. Wildlife Society Bulletin 28(1):4-14.

Some Empirical Evidence: Causes of Species Endangerment as a “Who’s Who” of the American Economy

Endangerment Causes Urbanization Agriculture Water diversions (e.g., reservoirs) Recreation, tourism development Pollution Domestic livestock, ranching 247 205 160 148 143 136 Czech et al. 2000. Bioscience 50(7):593-601.

Causes (cont.) Mineral, gas, oil extraction Non-native species Harvest Modified fire regimes Road construction/maintenance Industrial development 134 115 101 83 81 Czech et al. 2000. Bioscience 50(7):593-601.

Making sense of the Who’s Who with Trophic Theory

Economy of Nature Super- Carnivores Service Providers Consumers Producers (i.e., plants)

Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction) Human Economy Light manufacturing Heavy manufacturing Service Sectors Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction)

Human-inclusive Economy of Nature Humans Service Providers Animals Plants

With Economic Growth Human Economy Service Providers Animals Plants

PDF files for these articles available at The Wildlife Society website: www.wildlife.org. (Follow links to Wildlife Society Bulletin.)

ESA Listings and GDP 1973 1980 1990 2001 R2 = 98.4 $10 $9 $8 $7 $6 $5 $4 $3 R2 = 98.4 1973 1980 1990 2001

Basic Population Dynamics

Carrying Capacity Scenarios K K-selection Individuals r-selection Time

K and r-selected Species

Economic Carrying Capacity K K-selection GDP r-selection Time

K and r-selected Economies

American GNP, 1929-1997 K or r-selected?

But, for the sake of biodiversity conservation, it’s not enough to hope we are K-selected.

Wildlife Conservation and Steady State Economy K To conserve wildlife... GNP ...maintain steady state economy sufficiently below K. Time

But what about Technological Progress?

Technological Progress Vernacular: invention, innovation Technical: increasing productive efficiency resulting from invention and innovation

KU KT Natural Capital Allocation Revisited GNP Time X natural capital allocable KT Natural capital allocated to non-human economy GNP Natural capital allocated to human economy Time  

The Big Hope KU GNP Time K2 K1 Economic growth with technology level 2 X natural capital remains allocable   K2 X/2 conserved   K1 Economic growth with technology level 2 GNP Economic growth with technology level 1 Time  

The Great Debate: Is There a Limit? “Yes” Physiocrats Classical economists Ecological economists Ecologists “No” Neoclassical economists Corporations Politicians

Why would there not be a limit? Substitutability of resources Increasing productive efficiency Increasing human capital

White Pine, “Big Wheel”

Substituting for white pine, employing more efficient technology.

Timbco 435 “Feller Buncher” Sitka Spruce, Timbco 435 “Feller Buncher”

Why would there be a limit? Carrying capacity Thermodynamics Trophic levels

Carrying Capacity Consumers Products Byproducts

Thermodynamics Fixed amount of matter Entropy Fixed amount of energy

Another look at trophic levels, this time in light of thermodynamics.

Economy of Nature Biomass/100 Service Providers Biomass/10 Biomass

Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction) Human Economy Light manufacturing Heavy manufacturing Service Sectors Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction)

Clear to All Without technological progress, GNP limited GNP growth faster than technological progress = trouble

Unclear to Many Technological progress: raising the bar or accelerating the approach? Does technological progress occur without increased consumption?

Consider the Sources Research and development Corporate profit Economies of scale

One More Look at Allocation KU X natural capital allocable KT Natural capital allocated to non-human economy GNP Natural capital allocated to human economy Time  

Remember the Big Hope? KU GNP Time K2 K1 X natural capital remains allocable   K2 X/2 conserved   K1 Economic growth with technology level 2 GNP Economic growth with technology level 1 Time  

The Apparent Reality KU GNP Time K2 K1 X/2 natural capital allocable X/2 converted   K1 GNP Economic growth with technology level 2 Economic growth with technology level 1 Time    

Red Herring Alert! Red Herring Alert! Red Herring Alert!

The “Information” Economy What is the information used for? How does one come to afford the information?

Fallacy Buster To say that an economy may grow perpetually on a finite land mass is to say that a stable economy may occupy a perpetually diminishing land mass!

$ $ = $ $

Real Questions What is the limit? How do we know when we’re approaching the limit? What do we do to prevent breaching the limit?

Recommendations Introductions should acknowledge spherical capacities and tradeoffs. Criteria should provide indicators of trading off. Interpretation should include observations of tradeoffs. Does technological progress occur without increased consumption?