Key issues for attention from ecological economists

From the inbox:

A chance to read for free an article from Environment and Development Economics by PAUL R. EHRLICH (Stanford University).

EDE is a decent journal and it is useful for non-economists to read academic articles every once in a while. I am also keen to support open access to journals.

This article gives mainstream environmental economists a perhaps deserved kicking whilst highlighting the failure of ecological economists to get their message across.

I am not convinced by this statement but perhaps I will be after reading the paper:

...it is clear that ecological economics is in a position to become the central subdiscipline of economics.

I wonder if the env-econ boys would agree?

Key issues for attention from ecological economists [HERE]

ABSTRACT. This paper gives an ecologist’s overview of the deteriorating environmental
situation. It then describes areas where the activities of ecological economists seem
appropriate (e.g., ecosystem service valuation, trade) and others requiring more attention (e.g., definitions of utility, social discounting, preserving population diversity, global toxification, the epidemiological environment, overpopulation, overconsumption, the economic impacts of nuclear explosions, and the equilibration of opportunity costs when attempting to solve global dilemmas). A general problem is the failure of ecological economists adequately to communicate their results and concerns to the general public and to decision makers. In view of the demonstrable failure of traditional economics to focus its attention on what will be the central issues of the twenty-first century, it is clear that ecological economics is in a position to become the central subdiscipline of economics. In order to do so, it is important for ecological economists to always keep the ‘big picture’ in view.

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