Andrew Dobson
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199258444
- eISBN:
- 9780191601002
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199258449.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Ecological citizenship cannot be fully articulated in either liberal or civic republican terms. It is, rather, an example and an inflection of ‘post‐cosmopolitan’ citizenship. Ecological citizenship ...
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Ecological citizenship cannot be fully articulated in either liberal or civic republican terms. It is, rather, an example and an inflection of ‘post‐cosmopolitan’ citizenship. Ecological citizenship focuses on duties as well as rights, and its conception of political space is not the state or the municipality, or the ideal speech community of cosmopolitanism, but the ‘ecological footprint’.Ecological citizenship contrasts with fiscal incentives as a way of encouraging people to act more sustainably, in the belief that the former is more compatible with the long‐term and deeper shifts of attitude and behaviour that sustainability requires. This book offers an original account of the relationship between liberalism and sustainability, arguing that the former's commitment to a plurality of conceptions of the good entails a commitment to so‐called ‘strong’ forms of the latter.How to make an ecological citizen? The potential of formal high school citizenship education programmes is examined through a case study of the recent implementation of the compulsory citizenship curriculum in the UK.Less
Ecological citizenship cannot be fully articulated in either liberal or civic republican terms. It is, rather, an example and an inflection of ‘post‐cosmopolitan’ citizenship. Ecological citizenship focuses on duties as well as rights, and its conception of political space is not the state or the municipality, or the ideal speech community of cosmopolitanism, but the ‘ecological footprint’.
Ecological citizenship contrasts with fiscal incentives as a way of encouraging people to act more sustainably, in the belief that the former is more compatible with the long‐term and deeper shifts of attitude and behaviour that sustainability requires. This book offers an original account of the relationship between liberalism and sustainability, arguing that the former's commitment to a plurality of conceptions of the good entails a commitment to so‐called ‘strong’ forms of the latter.
How to make an ecological citizen? The potential of formal high school citizenship education programmes is examined through a case study of the recent implementation of the compulsory citizenship curriculum in the UK.
Andrew Dobson
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294955
- eISBN:
- 9780191599071
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294956.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Environmental sustainability and social, or distributive, justice are both widely regarded as desirable social objectives. But can we assume that they are compatible with each other? This book ...
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Environmental sustainability and social, or distributive, justice are both widely regarded as desirable social objectives. But can we assume that they are compatible with each other? This book analyses the complex relationship between these two pressing objectives. Environmental sustainability is taken to be a contested idea, and three distinct conceptions of it are explored and described. These conceptions are then examined in the context of fundamental distributive questions. Among whom or what should distribution take place? What should be distributed? What should the principle of distribution be? The book contains a critical examination of the claims of the ‘environmental‐justice’ and ‘sustainable‐development’ movements that social justice and environmental sustainability are points on the same virtuous circle, and suggests that radical environmental demands involving the preservation of ‘nature’ are only incompletely served by couching them in terms of justice. The conclusion is that inter‐generational justice is the context in which distributive and sustainability agendas are most closely aligned.Less
Environmental sustainability and social, or distributive, justice are both widely regarded as desirable social objectives. But can we assume that they are compatible with each other? This book analyses the complex relationship between these two pressing objectives. Environmental sustainability is taken to be a contested idea, and three distinct conceptions of it are explored and described. These conceptions are then examined in the context of fundamental distributive questions. Among whom or what should distribution take place? What should be distributed? What should the principle of distribution be? The book contains a critical examination of the claims of the ‘environmental‐justice’ and ‘sustainable‐development’ movements that social justice and environmental sustainability are points on the same virtuous circle, and suggests that radical environmental demands involving the preservation of ‘nature’ are only incompletely served by couching them in terms of justice. The conclusion is that inter‐generational justice is the context in which distributive and sustainability agendas are most closely aligned.
Andrew Dobson (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294894
- eISBN:
- 9780191599064
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294891.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Contributors to this edited book consider the normative issues at stake in the relationship between environmental sustainability and social justice. If future generations are owed justice, what ...
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Contributors to this edited book consider the normative issues at stake in the relationship between environmental sustainability and social justice. If future generations are owed justice, what should we bequeath them? Is ‘sustainability’ an appropriate medium for environmentalists to express their demands? Is environmental protection compatible with justice within generations? Is environmental sustainability a luxury when social peace has broken down? The contested nature of sustainable development is considered––is it a useful concept at all any longer? Is it reconcilable with capital accumulation? Liberal––particularly Rawlsian––and socialist notions of justice are tested against the demands of sustainability, and policy instruments for sustainability––such as environmental taxation––are examined for their distributive effects.Less
Contributors to this edited book consider the normative issues at stake in the relationship between environmental sustainability and social justice. If future generations are owed justice, what should we bequeath them? Is ‘sustainability’ an appropriate medium for environmentalists to express their demands? Is environmental protection compatible with justice within generations? Is environmental sustainability a luxury when social peace has broken down? The contested nature of sustainable development is considered––is it a useful concept at all any longer? Is it reconcilable with capital accumulation? Liberal––particularly Rawlsian––and socialist notions of justice are tested against the demands of sustainability, and policy instruments for sustainability––such as environmental taxation––are examined for their distributive effects.
Thomas Lingard
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265536
- eISBN:
- 9780191760327
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265536.003.0017
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Tipping points got us into the current mess and tipping points have to get us out if it. Businesses can respond to proxy versions of tipping points and have to listen to their customers. Dealing with ...
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Tipping points got us into the current mess and tipping points have to get us out if it. Businesses can respond to proxy versions of tipping points and have to listen to their customers. Dealing with an uncertain future which is not at all like the past requires new forms of leadership and explanation to employees and customers. These conditions are not presently available. Yet the forces of weak governance (especially at the international level), perverse incentives, and excessively powerful lobbies make the onset of tipping points more likely than their more benign transformation. Tough regulatory intervention, new forms of social media communication and pressure, and courageous leadership have to emerge.Less
Tipping points got us into the current mess and tipping points have to get us out if it. Businesses can respond to proxy versions of tipping points and have to listen to their customers. Dealing with an uncertain future which is not at all like the past requires new forms of leadership and explanation to employees and customers. These conditions are not presently available. Yet the forces of weak governance (especially at the international level), perverse incentives, and excessively powerful lobbies make the onset of tipping points more likely than their more benign transformation. Tough regulatory intervention, new forms of social media communication and pressure, and courageous leadership have to emerge.
Mike Barry
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265536
- eISBN:
- 9780191760327
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265536.003.0018
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
We are reaching a time when several underlying assumptions about good business practice are becoming undermined. The environment is not tolerant, governments will not back up forever, and customers ...
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We are reaching a time when several underlying assumptions about good business practice are becoming undermined. The environment is not tolerant, governments will not back up forever, and customers and citizens are merging. There will be no spare publicly financed money to bail out our environmental damage and social decay. Businesses will have to take their share of these responsibilities and create their sustainability accounts accordingly. Consumers will be more selective, regulation will tighten, and the more farsighted businesses will survive.Less
We are reaching a time when several underlying assumptions about good business practice are becoming undermined. The environment is not tolerant, governments will not back up forever, and customers and citizens are merging. There will be no spare publicly financed money to bail out our environmental damage and social decay. Businesses will have to take their share of these responsibilities and create their sustainability accounts accordingly. Consumers will be more selective, regulation will tighten, and the more farsighted businesses will survive.
Robin Leichenko and Karen O'Brien
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195177329
- eISBN:
- 9780199869800
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195177329.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
This book explores the connections between two of the most transformative processes of the 21st century, namely global environmental change and globalization. It presents a conceptual framework for ...
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This book explores the connections between two of the most transformative processes of the 21st century, namely global environmental change and globalization. It presents a conceptual framework for analyzing the interactions between these two processes, and illustrates, through case studies, how these interactions create situations of “double exposure.” Drawing upon case studies largely related to climate change, the book shows how prominent recent and current environmental events — recurring droughts in India, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and the melting of the Arctic ice sheet — demonstrate different pathways of interaction between globalization and global environmental change. Each of these pathways shows how broader human security concerns, including increasing inequality, growing vulnerability, and unsustainable rates of development, are integrally connected to both processes of global change. The double exposure framework not only sheds light on the dangers associated with these two global processes, but also reveals possibilities for using the interactions to generate opportunities for positive action. The book ultimately challenges the ways that global environmental change and globalization are viewed and addressed. By drawing attention to double exposure, the book shows how integrated responses to global environmental change and globalization can create new types of synergies that promote sustainability and enhance human security.Less
This book explores the connections between two of the most transformative processes of the 21st century, namely global environmental change and globalization. It presents a conceptual framework for analyzing the interactions between these two processes, and illustrates, through case studies, how these interactions create situations of “double exposure.” Drawing upon case studies largely related to climate change, the book shows how prominent recent and current environmental events — recurring droughts in India, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and the melting of the Arctic ice sheet — demonstrate different pathways of interaction between globalization and global environmental change. Each of these pathways shows how broader human security concerns, including increasing inequality, growing vulnerability, and unsustainable rates of development, are integrally connected to both processes of global change. The double exposure framework not only sheds light on the dangers associated with these two global processes, but also reveals possibilities for using the interactions to generate opportunities for positive action. The book ultimately challenges the ways that global environmental change and globalization are viewed and addressed. By drawing attention to double exposure, the book shows how integrated responses to global environmental change and globalization can create new types of synergies that promote sustainability and enhance human security.
Lawrence Jacobs and Desmond King (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195392135
- eISBN:
- 9780199852543
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195392135.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
The complexity of the American economy and polity has grown at an explosive rate in our era of globalization. Yet as the 2008 financial crisis revealed, the evolution of the American state has not ...
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The complexity of the American economy and polity has grown at an explosive rate in our era of globalization. Yet as the 2008 financial crisis revealed, the evolution of the American state has not proceeded apace. The crisis exposed the system's manifold political and economic dysfunctionalities. This book is a historically informed account of the American state's development from the 19th century to the present. It focuses in particular on the state-produced inequalities and administrative incoherence that became so apparent in the post-1970s era. The book offers an unsettling account of the growth of racial and economic inequality, the ossification of the state, the gradual erosion of democracy, and the problems deriving from imperial overreach. Utilizing the framework of sustainability, a concept that is currently informing some of the best work on governance and development, the chapters in this book show how the USA's current trajectory does not imply an impending collapse, but rather a gradual erosion of capacity and legitimacy. That is a more appropriate theoretical framework, the book contends, because for all of its manifest flaws, the American state is durable. That durability, however, does not preclude a long relative decline.Less
The complexity of the American economy and polity has grown at an explosive rate in our era of globalization. Yet as the 2008 financial crisis revealed, the evolution of the American state has not proceeded apace. The crisis exposed the system's manifold political and economic dysfunctionalities. This book is a historically informed account of the American state's development from the 19th century to the present. It focuses in particular on the state-produced inequalities and administrative incoherence that became so apparent in the post-1970s era. The book offers an unsettling account of the growth of racial and economic inequality, the ossification of the state, the gradual erosion of democracy, and the problems deriving from imperial overreach. Utilizing the framework of sustainability, a concept that is currently informing some of the best work on governance and development, the chapters in this book show how the USA's current trajectory does not imply an impending collapse, but rather a gradual erosion of capacity and legitimacy. That is a more appropriate theoretical framework, the book contends, because for all of its manifest flaws, the American state is durable. That durability, however, does not preclude a long relative decline.
Stephen Skowronek
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195392135
- eISBN:
- 9780199852543
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195392135.003.0013
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
This chapter argues that many scholars still have failed to understand the American state as a “state” and that issues before regarding “sustainability”, “fiscal crisis”, and “legitimation crisis” ...
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This chapter argues that many scholars still have failed to understand the American state as a “state” and that issues before regarding “sustainability”, “fiscal crisis”, and “legitimation crisis” are still eminent up to now. This raises questions about the state' capacity and responsibility. In addition, the American state remains to be described in terms of false dichotomies–strong versus weak, active versus passive, conservative versus liberal, even state versus society. Also, the chapter presents how the American state appears to be increasingly egalitarian but continues to be hierarchal. The American state's apparent changeability and un-state-like characteristics such as volatility, unpredictability, and reversibility may likely be exacerbated than resolved by the Obama administration.Less
This chapter argues that many scholars still have failed to understand the American state as a “state” and that issues before regarding “sustainability”, “fiscal crisis”, and “legitimation crisis” are still eminent up to now. This raises questions about the state' capacity and responsibility. In addition, the American state remains to be described in terms of false dichotomies–strong versus weak, active versus passive, conservative versus liberal, even state versus society. Also, the chapter presents how the American state appears to be increasingly egalitarian but continues to be hierarchal. The American state's apparent changeability and un-state-like characteristics such as volatility, unpredictability, and reversibility may likely be exacerbated than resolved by the Obama administration.
Sara Parkin
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265536
- eISBN:
- 9780191760327
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265536.003.0012
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Social patterns do not lend themselves to metaphors of abrupt change and persistent shift. Sustainability is difficult to put into practice because humans segment and abuse the deeper meaning of ...
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Social patterns do not lend themselves to metaphors of abrupt change and persistent shift. Sustainability is difficult to put into practice because humans segment and abuse the deeper meaning of words such as wealth, prosperity, and capital. The transition to sustainable leadership will require leadership throughout society, a recognition that geopolitical instability will trigger insecurity and will damage economic reliability and trade, and hence the very essence of growth and development. The new capitalism needs to be based on ecological and social capital and human well-being. Leadership is a commodity which is desperately in short supply. The transformation to a sustainable and well-being society requires new relationships built on individuals and communities working through moral leadership in behaviour, in compassionate consideration, and in the new normal of localism and community cooperation.Less
Social patterns do not lend themselves to metaphors of abrupt change and persistent shift. Sustainability is difficult to put into practice because humans segment and abuse the deeper meaning of words such as wealth, prosperity, and capital. The transition to sustainable leadership will require leadership throughout society, a recognition that geopolitical instability will trigger insecurity and will damage economic reliability and trade, and hence the very essence of growth and development. The new capitalism needs to be based on ecological and social capital and human well-being. Leadership is a commodity which is desperately in short supply. The transformation to a sustainable and well-being society requires new relationships built on individuals and communities working through moral leadership in behaviour, in compassionate consideration, and in the new normal of localism and community cooperation.
Edeltraud Roller
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199286423
- eISBN:
- 9780191603358
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199286426.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter develops a theoretical model for evaluating the effectiveness of liberal democracies. It consists of two parts. In the first part, a set of normative criteria for evaluating the ...
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This chapter develops a theoretical model for evaluating the effectiveness of liberal democracies. It consists of two parts. In the first part, a set of normative criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of political systems is suggested. It includes four policy goals: domestic security, wealth, socioeconomic security and socioeconomic equality, as well as the protection of the environment. In the second part, a set of indicators for measuring political effectiveness with respect to these policy goals is presented. Additionally, propositions about the relationship between the four policy goals are discussed, whether trade-offs or complementary relationships exist.Less
This chapter develops a theoretical model for evaluating the effectiveness of liberal democracies. It consists of two parts. In the first part, a set of normative criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of political systems is suggested. It includes four policy goals: domestic security, wealth, socioeconomic security and socioeconomic equality, as well as the protection of the environment. In the second part, a set of indicators for measuring political effectiveness with respect to these policy goals is presented. Additionally, propositions about the relationship between the four policy goals are discussed, whether trade-offs or complementary relationships exist.
Edeltraud Roller
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199286423
- eISBN:
- 9780191603358
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199286426.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter presents an empirical analysis of the level, development, and structure of political effectiveness in twenty-one OECD countries between 1974 and 1995. There are three main results. ...
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This chapter presents an empirical analysis of the level, development, and structure of political effectiveness in twenty-one OECD countries between 1974 and 1995. There are three main results. First, regarding the level of effectiveness, the USA is, with the exception of economic policy, always among those countries with the worst performance record. Second, in terms of the development of political effectiveness, the general hypothesis that western democracies have been converging at a lower level of performance can not be confirmed. Third, the thesis of increasing incompatibility or increased tension between different policy goals finds no empirical confirmation.Less
This chapter presents an empirical analysis of the level, development, and structure of political effectiveness in twenty-one OECD countries between 1974 and 1995. There are three main results. First, regarding the level of effectiveness, the USA is, with the exception of economic policy, always among those countries with the worst performance record. Second, in terms of the development of political effectiveness, the general hypothesis that western democracies have been converging at a lower level of performance can not be confirmed. Third, the thesis of increasing incompatibility or increased tension between different policy goals finds no empirical confirmation.
Andrew Dobson
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199258444
- eISBN:
- 9780191601002
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199258449.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Fiscal incentives for encouraging sustainable behaviour are contrasted with citizenship approaches. The distinction between environmental and ecological citizenship and the notion of ...
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Fiscal incentives for encouraging sustainable behaviour are contrasted with citizenship approaches. The distinction between environmental and ecological citizenship and the notion of ‘post‐cosmopolitanism’ are introduced. The relationship between citizenship, democracy, and sustainability is discussed.Less
Fiscal incentives for encouraging sustainable behaviour are contrasted with citizenship approaches. The distinction between environmental and ecological citizenship and the notion of ‘post‐cosmopolitanism’ are introduced. The relationship between citizenship, democracy, and sustainability is discussed.
Andrew Dobson
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199258444
- eISBN:
- 9780191601002
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199258449.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Environmental sustainability and liberalism are often seen as incompatible because of the latter's reluctance to endorse determinate views of the ‘good life’. This chapter argues for compatibility on ...
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Environmental sustainability and liberalism are often seen as incompatible because of the latter's reluctance to endorse determinate views of the ‘good life’. This chapter argues for compatibility on the grounds that liberalism's commitment to neutrality commits it to providing and preserving the conditions for practising good lives—including ‘green’ ones.Less
Environmental sustainability and liberalism are often seen as incompatible because of the latter's reluctance to endorse determinate views of the ‘good life’. This chapter argues for compatibility on the grounds that liberalism's commitment to neutrality commits it to providing and preserving the conditions for practising good lives—including ‘green’ ones.
E. J. Milner-Gulland and Marcus Rowcliffe
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198530367
- eISBN:
- 9780191713095
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198530367.003.0003
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
This chapter summarizes the methods available for collecting data about people's motivations for natural resource use, thus providing information on the social and economic facets of sustainability. ...
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This chapter summarizes the methods available for collecting data about people's motivations for natural resource use, thus providing information on the social and economic facets of sustainability. The key methods covered include questionnaire surveys, participatory methods, direct observations, experimental economics, cost-benefit analysis and the use of existing databases such as government records. The emphasis is on effective sampling in order to provide representative quantitative results, but qualitative methods for understanding resource users' motivations are also covered. Research on people can cause significant harm if not carried out sensitively, and ethical issues are examined, outlining the steps needed to avoid any negative impacts of the research. Understanding social and economic sustainability generally requires a case-specific combination of techniques, and a set of case studies is used to illustrate a range of possible approaches.Less
This chapter summarizes the methods available for collecting data about people's motivations for natural resource use, thus providing information on the social and economic facets of sustainability. The key methods covered include questionnaire surveys, participatory methods, direct observations, experimental economics, cost-benefit analysis and the use of existing databases such as government records. The emphasis is on effective sampling in order to provide representative quantitative results, but qualitative methods for understanding resource users' motivations are also covered. Research on people can cause significant harm if not carried out sensitively, and ethical issues are examined, outlining the steps needed to avoid any negative impacts of the research. Understanding social and economic sustainability generally requires a case-specific combination of techniques, and a set of case studies is used to illustrate a range of possible approaches.
Juan Mateos-Garcia and W. Edward Steinmueller
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199545490
- eISBN:
- 9780191720093
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199545490.003.0011
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies, Knowledge Management
If ‘open source’ is taken as a practice employed in organizing human knowledge-related activities, it may be applied more broadly than just with software. Wherever it is used this chapter contends ...
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If ‘open source’ is taken as a practice employed in organizing human knowledge-related activities, it may be applied more broadly than just with software. Wherever it is used this chapter contends that processes of negotiation and governance will emerge as means to deal with conflicting interests and visions of community purpose (or epistemic identity). A variety of possible institutional designs for these negotiation and governance processes are possible and each will be tested by the problems of sustaining participation, the growth of the community to include more diverse participants and contests over the paths of development of collective effort. These designs and their subsequent tests are examined empirically for the Debian open source software distribution and Wikipedia open source encyclopaedia creation communities. Conclusions regarding the significance of the initial choice of rules, the processes available to alter these rules, and the potential for dissipation or disruption of efforts are reached, and a proposal to conceive of open source activities as having important parallels to the management of museums rather than bazaars is advanced.Less
If ‘open source’ is taken as a practice employed in organizing human knowledge-related activities, it may be applied more broadly than just with software. Wherever it is used this chapter contends that processes of negotiation and governance will emerge as means to deal with conflicting interests and visions of community purpose (or epistemic identity). A variety of possible institutional designs for these negotiation and governance processes are possible and each will be tested by the problems of sustaining participation, the growth of the community to include more diverse participants and contests over the paths of development of collective effort. These designs and their subsequent tests are examined empirically for the Debian open source software distribution and Wikipedia open source encyclopaedia creation communities. Conclusions regarding the significance of the initial choice of rules, the processes available to alter these rules, and the potential for dissipation or disruption of efforts are reached, and a proposal to conceive of open source activities as having important parallels to the management of museums rather than bazaars is advanced.
Joseph E. Stiglitz, José Antonio Ocampo, Shari Spiegel, Ricardo Ffrench-Davis, and Deepak Nayyar
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199288144
- eISBN:
- 9780191603884
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199288143.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter begins with the idea that at the most general level, the goal of economic policy is to maximize long-term societal well-being in an equitable and sustainable manner. It addresses in ...
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This chapter begins with the idea that at the most general level, the goal of economic policy is to maximize long-term societal well-being in an equitable and sustainable manner. It addresses in detail the meaning and relevance of the goals of economic policy that are often put forward — from enhancing economic security and reducing unemployment, to reducing inflation, enhancing growth, and maintaining external balance. It also examines the link between stability and growth, and between short-term growth and sustainable growth. More specifically, the chapter critiques the narrow focus of the Washington consensus on price stability and emphasizes that economists should, instead, focus on long-term sustainable growth. The chapter concludes by highlighting the broader social consequences that choosing alternative economic policies may have and by emphasizing that all economic policies have trade-offs.Less
This chapter begins with the idea that at the most general level, the goal of economic policy is to maximize long-term societal well-being in an equitable and sustainable manner. It addresses in detail the meaning and relevance of the goals of economic policy that are often put forward — from enhancing economic security and reducing unemployment, to reducing inflation, enhancing growth, and maintaining external balance. It also examines the link between stability and growth, and between short-term growth and sustainable growth. More specifically, the chapter critiques the narrow focus of the Washington consensus on price stability and emphasizes that economists should, instead, focus on long-term sustainable growth. The chapter concludes by highlighting the broader social consequences that choosing alternative economic policies may have and by emphasizing that all economic policies have trade-offs.
López Ramón and Michael A. Toman
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199298006
- eISBN:
- 9780191603877
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199298009.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter reviews income and welfare measurement and examines the central topics of assets and sustainability with the evaluation of key conceptual and theoretical literature. It also outlines the ...
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This chapter reviews income and welfare measurement and examines the central topics of assets and sustainability with the evaluation of key conceptual and theoretical literature. It also outlines the methods of asset accounting and presents selected empirical results from ‘greening’ the national accounts. Linkages to policy are explored, followed by broad conclusions on some basic questions: To what extent has the promise of environmental accounting been realized? Which approach has the greatest policy significance? And where is environmental accounting likely to be most useful? Finally, it studies the recent empirical results from Southern Africa and explores policy linkage with concluding remarks.Less
This chapter reviews income and welfare measurement and examines the central topics of assets and sustainability with the evaluation of key conceptual and theoretical literature. It also outlines the methods of asset accounting and presents selected empirical results from ‘greening’ the national accounts. Linkages to policy are explored, followed by broad conclusions on some basic questions: To what extent has the promise of environmental accounting been realized? Which approach has the greatest policy significance? And where is environmental accounting likely to be most useful? Finally, it studies the recent empirical results from Southern Africa and explores policy linkage with concluding remarks.
Paul Ekins
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265536
- eISBN:
- 9780191760327
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265536.003.0011
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Tipping points may be discerned in earth systems and in planetary boundaries, even if the science is still incomplete. But for social systems, tipping points do not seem to appear too clearly, nor is ...
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Tipping points may be discerned in earth systems and in planetary boundaries, even if the science is still incomplete. But for social systems, tipping points do not seem to appear too clearly, nor is social learning either predictable or active at any particular point of apparent breakdown. In the socio-economic domain, tipping points are a mere intellectual construct, not even a metaphor, indicating only the possibility of disruptive change. And since those who are most likely to lose from such change are in a position to deny or avoid it or just charge through it, then only truly significant disruptions may offer a challenge. One of these might be the breakdown of global economic systems, and another could be the recognition that perverse response to one crisis speeds the onset of the next. There is no clear sense that present arrangements of economies and governments are ready to take the leap.Less
Tipping points may be discerned in earth systems and in planetary boundaries, even if the science is still incomplete. But for social systems, tipping points do not seem to appear too clearly, nor is social learning either predictable or active at any particular point of apparent breakdown. In the socio-economic domain, tipping points are a mere intellectual construct, not even a metaphor, indicating only the possibility of disruptive change. And since those who are most likely to lose from such change are in a position to deny or avoid it or just charge through it, then only truly significant disruptions may offer a challenge. One of these might be the breakdown of global economic systems, and another could be the recognition that perverse response to one crisis speeds the onset of the next. There is no clear sense that present arrangements of economies and governments are ready to take the leap.
Andrew Dobson
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265536
- eISBN:
- 9780191760327
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265536.003.0026
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Governments are failing to govern. They are hollowing out both the safety nets of social support and of ethical norms. The market is guided by financial incentive and short-term profit-making, by ...
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Governments are failing to govern. They are hollowing out both the safety nets of social support and of ethical norms. The market is guided by financial incentive and short-term profit-making, by nudge and uncontrolled externalities, where sustainability citizenship cannot gain a toehold. There is a gap between responsive and responsible government. There is too little space for genuine civic engagement and for effective localism. This is the tipping point that has to be engineered by communities working for their collective betterment.Less
Governments are failing to govern. They are hollowing out both the safety nets of social support and of ethical norms. The market is guided by financial incentive and short-term profit-making, by nudge and uncontrolled externalities, where sustainability citizenship cannot gain a toehold. There is a gap between responsive and responsible government. There is too little space for genuine civic engagement and for effective localism. This is the tipping point that has to be engineered by communities working for their collective betterment.
R. Ford Denison
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691139500
- eISBN:
- 9781400842810
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691139500.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
As human populations grow and resources are depleted, agriculture will need to use land, water, and other resources more efficiently and without sacrificing long-term sustainability. This book ...
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As human populations grow and resources are depleted, agriculture will need to use land, water, and other resources more efficiently and without sacrificing long-term sustainability. This book presents an entirely new approach to these challenges, one that draws on the principles of evolution and natural selection. It shows how both biotechnology and traditional plant breeding can use Darwinian insights to identify promising routes for crop genetic improvement and avoid costly dead ends. It explains why plant traits that have been genetically optimized by individual selection—such as photosynthesis and drought tolerance—are bad candidates for genetic improvement. Traits like plant height and leaf angle, which determine the collective performance of plant communities, offer more room for improvement. Agriculturalists can also benefit from more sophisticated comparisons among natural communities and from the study of wild species in the landscapes where they evolved. The book reveals why it is sometimes better to slow or even reverse evolutionary trends when they are inconsistent with our present goals, and how we can glean new ideas from natural selection's marvelous innovations in wild species.Less
As human populations grow and resources are depleted, agriculture will need to use land, water, and other resources more efficiently and without sacrificing long-term sustainability. This book presents an entirely new approach to these challenges, one that draws on the principles of evolution and natural selection. It shows how both biotechnology and traditional plant breeding can use Darwinian insights to identify promising routes for crop genetic improvement and avoid costly dead ends. It explains why plant traits that have been genetically optimized by individual selection—such as photosynthesis and drought tolerance—are bad candidates for genetic improvement. Traits like plant height and leaf angle, which determine the collective performance of plant communities, offer more room for improvement. Agriculturalists can also benefit from more sophisticated comparisons among natural communities and from the study of wild species in the landscapes where they evolved. The book reveals why it is sometimes better to slow or even reverse evolutionary trends when they are inconsistent with our present goals, and how we can glean new ideas from natural selection's marvelous innovations in wild species.
