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Transdisciplinary Considerations Among Sustainability Criteria
With a Focus on the Ecological Macroeconomics of Biodiversity Conservation
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Spheres of Sustainability
Ecological Economic Social
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Prehistoric Proportions
Ecological Economic Social
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Sustainability Institutions
Ecological (Institutions) Economic Social
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Capacities and Tradeoffs
Ecological Social Economic
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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
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K GNP Time Natural capital allocated to wildlife Natural capital
human economy Time Czech, B Economic growth as the limiting factor for wildlife conservation. Wildlife Society Bulletin 28(1):4-14.
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Some Empirical Evidence:
Causes of Species Endangerment as a “Who’s Who” of the American Economy
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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 Bioscience 50(7):
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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 Bioscience 50(7):
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Making sense of the Who’s Who with
Trophic Theory
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Economy of Nature Super- Carnivores Service Providers Consumers Producers (i.e., plants)
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Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction)
Human Economy Light manufacturing Heavy manufacturing Service Sectors Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction)
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Human-inclusive Economy of Nature
Humans Service Providers Animals Plants
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With Economic Growth Human Economy Service Providers Animals Plants
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PDF files for these articles available at The Wildlife Society website: (Follow links to Wildlife Society Bulletin.)
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ESA Listings and GDP 1973 1980 1990 2001 R2 = 98.4 $10 $9 $8 $7 $6 $5
$4 $3 R2 = 98.4
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Basic Population Dynamics
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Carrying Capacity Scenarios
K K-selection Individuals r-selection Time
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K and r-selected Species
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Economic Carrying Capacity
K K-selection GDP r-selection Time
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K and r-selected Economies
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American GNP, K or r-selected?
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But, for the sake of biodiversity conservation, it’s not enough to hope
we are K-selected.
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Wildlife Conservation and
Steady State Economy K To conserve wildlife... GNP ...maintain steady state economy sufficiently below K. Time
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But what about Technological Progress?
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Technological Progress
Vernacular: invention, innovation Technical: increasing productive efficiency resulting from invention and innovation
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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
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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
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The Great Debate: Is There a Limit?
“Yes” Physiocrats Classical economists Ecological economists Ecologists “No” Neoclassical economists Corporations Politicians
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Why would there not be a limit?
Substitutability of resources Increasing productive efficiency Increasing human capital
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White Pine, “Big Wheel”
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Substituting for white pine, employing more efficient technology.
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Timbco 435 “Feller Buncher”
Sitka Spruce, Timbco 435 “Feller Buncher”
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Why would there be a limit?
Carrying capacity Thermodynamics Trophic levels
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Carrying Capacity Consumers Products Byproducts
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Thermodynamics Fixed amount of matter Entropy Fixed amount of energy
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Another look at trophic levels, this time in light of thermodynamics.
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Economy of Nature Biomass/100 Service Providers Biomass/10 Biomass
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Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction)
Human Economy Light manufacturing Heavy manufacturing Service Sectors Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction)
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Clear to All Without technological progress, GNP limited
GNP growth faster than technological progress = trouble
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Unclear to Many Technological progress: raising the bar or accelerating the approach? Does technological progress occur without increased consumption?
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Consider the Sources Research and development Corporate profit
Economies of scale
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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
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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
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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
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Red Herring Alert! Red Herring Alert! Red Herring Alert!
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The “Information” Economy
What is the information used for? How does one come to afford the information?
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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!
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$ $ = $ $
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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?
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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?
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