Entropy, limits to growth, and the prospects for weak sustainability

Krysiak, Frank C.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2005.07.017

Cited by 52 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…However, these two arguments are weak. First, even if technology is available technology does not guarantee an absolute decrease in resource consumption, as can be shown by the rebound effect (Alcott 2005(Alcott , 2008) and the up to date inability to create absolute decoupling (Krysiak 2006). Second, it is not a question whether people are willing to change their lifestyle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The idea of weak sustainability is illegitimate

Biely

Maes

Passel

2016

Environ Dev Sustain

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Since the introduction of the sustainability challenge, scientists disagree over the interpretation of the term ''sustainability.'' Weak and strong sustainability are the two main interpretations of sustainability, which are opposing each other. Some researchers stated that the interpretation of the term depends on the context; others disagree pointing out that it always implies the meaning of continuation. The term ''sustainability'' can be used as attribute, which adds a certain characteristic to the noun. If something can be attributed as being sustainable, it can also be unsustainable. The sustainability challenge consists of shifting from the current unsustainable towards a sustainable system. This paper outlines that the weak sustainability term is illegitimate, as it leads to a contradiction with the acknowledged assumption that the current state is unsustainable. This contradiction is revealed through an analysis of the occurrence of decoupling in agriculture: Agricultural land use could be decoupled from agricultural production, but only with the trade-off of massive increases in fertilizer, pesticide, energy and water usage. This paper outlines an inherent inconsistency within the ongoing discussion about the interpretation of sustainability. Through identifying the invalidity of the weak sustainability interpretation the focus can be shifted form the discourse to the sustainability challenge itself.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The idea of weak sustainability is illegitimate

Biely

Maes

Passel

2016

Environ Dev Sustain

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“…Note that the specification of U t is uncertain, since future generations could attach a greater value to the environment (i.e., ∂∂U t /∂Z envt ∂t ≥ 0) (Krysiak & Krysiak, 2006). Moreover, inter-generational equity may compete with intra-generational equity unless U t includes all current generations (Cairns & Van Long, 2006).…”

Section: From Ege To Wsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Table 1 summarizes the main features of the EGE and ESS frameworks. Note that ecosystem services covers a wider range of consequences than those in an open economic system (Krysiak, 2006): ecosystem services do not assume, a priori, that changes to the status quo are either good or bad, whereas open economic systems implicitly consider any change to be bad. Moreover, within the EGE framework, it does not make sense to preserve a non-renewable resource (e.g., oil) indefinitely unless its use produces pollution.…”

Section: Introduction 2 Paradigms For Nature Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Economic General Equilibrium to Ecological System Services for Nature Conservation and Management: A Methodological Analysis and an Empirical Study Based on 30 Italian Industries

Zagonari

2015

SSRN Journal

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In this paper, I develop an operational methodology to consistently compare alternative sustainability paradigms (weak sustainability [WS] [ESS]). The goal is to suggest different environmental interventions (e.g., projects vs. policies) for nature management and guide decisions to achieve nature conservation, defined here as reducing environmental pressures to preserve the future environment and its functioning over time. I then apply the methodology to 30 interdependent industries in Italy for three pollutants (greenhouse-effect gases, polluted rain, and air pollution) and four resources (water, minerals, fossil fuels, biomass) during two periods (from 1990 to 2007 and from 1990 to 2012). The industries were prioritised in terms of interventions to be taken to diminish pollution damage and resource depletion (e.g., fishing and non-energy mining for any sustainability paradigm), whereas sustainability paradigms are compared in terms of their likelihood (i.e., WS > AG = DG > SS), robustness (i.e., AG > SS > DG > WS), effectiveness (i.e., SS > AG > DG > WS), and feasibility (i.e., SS > DG > WS > AG). Proper assessment approaches for projects are finally identified for situations when policies are infeasible (e.g., LCA in WS and SS, MCA in DG and SS within ESS, CBA in WS and AG within EGE), by suggesting MCA in WS within ESS once ecological services are linked to sustainability criteria.

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“…O conceito teve anteriormente outras formulações análogas, como "Serviço público do ecossistema Global" e "Serviços da A relevância do conceito para o reconhecimento da importância do Capital Natural é refletida nos trabalhos de Costanza et al (1997; KRYSIAK, 2006;ROMEIRO, 2004). Esta corrente teórica alega que, ainda que tudo esteja sujeito à entropia, isto não teria importância prática imediata para o modelo econômico (KRYSIAK, 2006;SOLLOW, 1997).…”

Section: Serviços Ecossistêmicosunclassified

“…Outro marco importante no âmbito acadêmico é a publicação The Entropy Law and the Economic Process de Georgescu-Roegen (1971), que fortaleceu e polarizou as discussões sobre os limites ambientais do crescimento econômico, ao alertar para os aspectos termodinâmicos da degradação do Capital Natural (GEORGESCU-ROEGEN, 1971;KRYSIAK, 2006). Inspirada nestas reflexões, a Economia Ecológica se estabeleceu como campo de estudo, trazendo como principal fundamento a limitação biofísica do Capital Natural em alimentar o contínuo crescimento econômico (CECHIN; VEIGA, 2009;COSTANZA, 1989).…”

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O Relato Integrado sob a ótica da Economia Ecológica: uma análise multimétodo

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Entropy, limits to growth, and the prospects for weak sustainability

Cited by 52 publications

References 17 publications

The idea of weak sustainability is illegitimate

The idea of weak sustainability is illegitimate

From Economic General Equilibrium to Ecological System Services for Nature Conservation and Management: A Methodological Analysis and an Empirical Study Based on 30 Italian Industries

O Relato Integrado sob a ótica da Economia Ecológica: uma análise multimétodo

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