Routledge Handbook of Ecological Economics: Nature and Society

570 Pages·2017·7.28 MB·English

by  Clive L. Spash (Editor)

ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
Since becoming formally established with an international academic society in the late 1980s,
ecological economics has advanced understanding of the interactions between social and
biophysical reality. It initially combined questioning of the basis of mainstream economics with
a concern for environmental degradation and limits to growth, but has now advanced well
beyond critique into theoretical, analytical and policy alternatives. Social ecological economics
and transformation to an alternative future now form core ideas in an interdisciplinary approach
combining insights from a range of disciplines including heterodox economics, political ecology,
sociology, political science, social psychology, applied philosophy, environmental ethics and a
range of natural sciences.
This handbook, edited by a leading figure in the field, demonstrates the dynamism of
ecological economics in a wide-ranging collection of state-of-the-art essays. Containing
contributions from an array of international researchers who are pushing the boundaries of the
field, the Routledge Handbook of Ecological Economics showcases the diversity of the field and
points the way forward. A critical analytical perspective is combined with realism about how
economic systems operate and their essential connection to the natural world and society. This
provides a rich understanding of how biophysical reality relates to and integrates with social
reality. Chapters provide succinct overviews of the literature covering a range of subject areas
including: heterodox thought on the environment; society, power and politics, markets and
consumption; value and ethics; science and society; methods for evaluation and policy analysis;
policy challenges; and the future post-growth society. The rich contents dispel the myth of
there being no alternatives to current economic thought and the political economy it supports.
The Routledge Handbook of Ecological Economics provides a guide to the literature on ecological
economics in an informative and easily accessible form. It is essential reading for those interested
in exploring and understanding the interactions between the social, ecological and economic
and is an important resource for those interested in fields such as: human ecology, political
ecology, environmental politics, human geography, environmental management, environmental
evaluation, future and transition studies, environmental policy, development studies and
heterodox economics.
Clive L. Spash is an economist with extensive international experience who has specialised in
environmental research for over three decades. He currently holds the Chair of Public Policy
and Governance at WU, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria.

ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
Nature and Society
Edited by Clive L. Spash
First published 2017
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2017 selection and editorial matter, Clive L. Spash; individual chapters,
the contributors
The right of Clive L. Spash to be identified as the author of the editorial
material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in
accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Names: Spash, Clive L., editor.
Title: Routledge handbook of ecological economics : nature and society /
edited by Clive L. Spash.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2017. |
Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016046308| ISBN 9781138931510 (hardback) | ISBN
9781315679747 (ebook)Subjects: LCSH: Environmental economics. |
Environmental policy--Economic aspects. | Ecology--Economic aspects.
Classification: LCC HC79.E5 R6747 2017 | DDC 333.7--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016046308
ISBN: 978-1-138-93151-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-67974-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby
CONTENTS
List of figures x
List of tables xi
Preface xii
PART I
Foundations 1
1 Social ecological economics 3
Clive L. Spash
2 A critical and realist approach to ecological economics 17
Armin Puller and Tone Smith
PART II
Heterodox thought on the environment 27
3 Critical institutional economics 29
Arild Vatn
4 Political ecology and unequal exchange 39
Alf Hornborg
5 Ecofeminism 48
Ariel Salleh
Contents
6 Ecological Marxism and ecological economics: from
misunderstanding to meaningful dialogue 57
Ali Douai
7 Post Keynesian economics and sustainable development 67
Eric Berr
8 Evolutionary economics 77
Karolina Safarzynska
PART III
Biophysical reality and its implications 87
9 Thermodynamics: relevance, implications, misuse and ways forward 89
Kozo Torasan Mayumi
10 Geophysical limits, raw material use and their policy implications 99
Armin Dieter
11 Social metabolism 108
Fridolin Krausmann
12 The biophysical realities of ecosystems 119
Vincent Devictor
13 Coevolutionary social ecological economics 129
Richard B. Norgaard
PART IV
Society, power and politics 139
14 Theories of power 141
Lorenz Stör
15 The imperial mode of living 152
Ulrich Brand and Markus Wissen
16 A guide to environmental justice movements and the language of
ecological distribution conflicts 162
Joan Martinez-Alier
17 Social movements and resistance 173
Viviana Asara
vi
Contents
PART V
Markets, production and consumption 183
18 Unregulated markets and the transformation of society 185
Asad Zaman
19 Theory of the firm 194
Peter E. Earl
20 Theories of (un)sustainable consumption 203
Clive L. Spash and Karin Dobernig
21 Work and leisure: money, identity and playfulness 214
Wolfgang J. Fellner
PART VI
Value and ethics 225
22 Pluralism and incommensurability 227
John O’Neill
23 Intrinsic values and economic valuation 237
Katie McShane
24 Needs as a central element of sustainable development 246
Felix Rauschmayer and Ines Omann
25 Future generations 256
Richard B. Howarth
PART VII
Science and society: uncertainty and precaution 265
26 Precautionary appraisal as a response to risk, uncertainty, ambiguity
and ignorance 267
Andy Stirling
27 Safe minimum standards: addressing strong uncertainty 278
Irmi Seidl
28 Post-normal science 288
Roger Strand
vii
Contents
PART VIII
Methods 299
29 The NUSAP approach to uncertainty appraisal and communication 301
Jeroen P. van der Sluijs
30 Multiple criteria evaluation in environmental policy analysis 311
Salvatore Greco and Giuseppe Munda
31 Multicriteria mapping 321
Rebecca White
32 Q methodology 331
Ben Davies
33 Participation in the context of ecological economics 341
Kirsty L. Blackstock
34 Deliberative monetary valuation 351
Jasper O. Kenter
35 Participatory modelling in ecological economics: lessons from practice 362
Nuno Videira, Paula Antunes and Rui Santos
36 Input-output analysis 372
Jon D. Erickson and Melinda Kane
37 Sustainability indicators 382
Philippe Roman and Géraldine Thiry
PART IX
Policy challenges 393
38 Commons 395
Bengi Akbulut
39 Uneven development and resource extractivism in Africa 404
Patrick Bond
40 Mining conflicts 414
Begüm Özkaynak and Beatriz Rodriguez-Labajos
41 Peak-Oil and ecological economics 425
Christian Kerschner and Iñigo Capellán-Pérez
viii
Contents
42 Human induced climate change from a political economy perspective 436
Max Koch
43 Ecosystem services 445
Erik Gómez-Baggethun
PART X
Future post-growth society 455
44 Degrowth and democracy 457
Daniel Hausknost
45 The steady state economy 467
Brian Czech
46 Post-growth economics 477
Niko Paech
47 The bioregional economy: celebrating the local in production
and consumption 487
Molly Scott Cato
48 The coming sustainable city 497
Laura Frye-Levine and Richard S. Levine
49 Eco-social enterprises 507
Nadia Johanisova and Eva Franˇková
50 Democracy, participation and social planning 517
Fikret Adaman and Pat Devine
Index 526
ix