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Building on ecological economics and the firm growth literature, I propose a model of real growth through entrepreneurial resourcefulness to determine whether an isolated firm can grow if it can capture only the value it creates. I then use Andy Weir's bestseller The Martian to illustrate my arguments. The model contributes to the entrepreneurial resourcefulness literature by explaining how, and under which conditions, resourceful behavior can lead to real firm growth, positing that entrepreneurs can create ecosystems that enhance the marginal productivity of resources by leveraging the productive capacity and entropy-mitigating properties of human capital and natural capital. The model also contributes to the sustainable and innovative entrepreneurship literatures by recognizing limitations on the substitutability of resources, noting that even highly efficient allocation of resources cannot immunize actors from scarcity if production consumes critical capital or exceeds the rate of resource renewal. Finally, the model contributes to the entrepreneurial action literature by shedding light on our understanding of profit opportunities, noting that entrepreneurs are neither exclusively "world makers" nor "world takers," but akin to chefs using new production recipes to maximize the ingredients available. Such experimentation emphasizes that entrepreneurship is a process of resource transformation, not just customer discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing transformative pathways for industry's compliance with international climate targets requires model-based insights into how supply- and demand-side measures affect industry, material cycles, global supply chains, socioeconomic activities, and service provisioning that support societal well-being. We review the recent literature modeling the industrial system in low energy and material demand futures, which mitigates environmental impacts without relying on risky future negative emissions and technological fixes. We identify 77 innovative studies drawing on nine distinct industry modeling traditions. We critically assess system definitions and scopes, biophysical and thermodynamic consistency, granularity and heterogeneity, and operationalization of demand and service provisioning. We find that combined supply- and demand-side measures could reduce current economy-wide material use by 56%, energy use by 40% to 60%, and greenhouse gas emissions by 70% to net zero. We call for strengthened interdisciplinary collaborations between industry modeling traditions and demand-side research to produce more insightful scenarios, and we discuss challenges and recommendations for this emerging field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chain management is grounded on the assumption that endless economic growth is compatible with environmental and social sustainability. Yet scholars from ecological economics question this assumption due to ever increasing evidence showing how hard it is to decouple growth from negative environmental and social externalities. In response, pressure from social movements is mounting, and the agendas of several countries already consider alternatives to growth. Therefore, this article presents a critical thought experiment for the supply chain management discipline: What are the implications of moving from the current endless growth paradigm to a post‐growth paradigm for businesses and their supply chains? Using the umbrella term "post‐growth," this article identifies three key post‐growth principles—(i) socio‐ecological wellbeing, (ii) selective downscaling, and (iii) systems thinking—and then examines their implications for supply chain management research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper American River watershed (UARW) provides a myriad of valuable benefits for local communities as well as throughout the state, nation, and even globally. These environmental benefits, often called ecosystem goods and services (EGS), include food, water, power, and recreational opportunities, among many others. Current ecological economics frameworks outline over twenty distinct EGS categories. While this information is becoming more widespread, many of these benefits are still undervalued or are not easily applied to policymaking and project-level investment decisions. Conventional EGS valuation focuses narrowly on a few specific EGS categories, ignoring many to the detriment of those seeking information on the economic value of natural infrastructure. This study provides a novel approach to watershed valuation by assessing eighteen EGS categories in a comprehensive watershed valuation by supplementing locally available data with the benefit transfer method. This approach demonstrates that watershed-scale EGS valuation is possible. The resulting valuation shows the natural capital asset in the UAW has a net present value of $731 billion and $1.6 trillion with 2.5% and 0% discount rates (100 years), respectively, and provides over $14.8 billion in annual value. Valuing natural capital in economic terms provides a common metric for comparison and integration with other types of investments in built and social capitals, informing policy and investment decisions for climate adaptation and water resilience. This EGS valuation provides a case study into how benefit transfer can be used to supplement locally available information to provide watershed-scale EGS valuations. The outcome serves as a tool to promote innovation and equity in the design of funding mechanisms and resulting allocation for improving watershed health, the associated EGS productivity, and rural-agricultural community resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light pollution has detrimental impacts on wildlife, human health, and ecosystem functions and services. This paper explores the impact of light pollution on the value of ecosystem services. We use the Simplified All-Sky Light Pollution Ratio (sALR) as a proxy for the negative impact of light pollution and the Copernicus PROBA-V Global Landcover Database as our proxy of ecosystem service value based on previously published ecosystem service values associated with a variety of landcovers. We use the sALR value to 'degrade' the value of ecosystem services. This results in a 40% reduction in ecosystem service value in those areas of the world with maximum levels of light pollution. Using this methodology, the estimate of the annual loss of ecosystem service value due to light pollution is USD 3.4 trillion. This represents roughly 3% of the total global value of ecosystem services and 3% of the global GDP, estimated at roughly USD 100 trillion in 2022. A summary of how these losses are distributed amongst the world's countries and landcovers is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a book review of "The Vulnerability and Transformation of Indonesian Peatlands: Navigating Social-Ecological Tipping Points for Resilient Futures." The book explores the degradation and transformation of peatlands in Indonesia, focusing on the ecological, social, and economic impacts. It discusses the historical resilience of these landscapes and the current challenges they face, such as deforestation, fires, and land conversion. The book also examines efforts to restore peatlands and promote sustainable management. It provides insights into the complex dynamics of peatland disturbances and offers guidance for adaptation and transformation in the face of ongoing crises. [Extracted from the article]

Water and sanitation are core for the growth and development of communities. Yet, South African local municipalities are often unable to sustainably deliver safe water and basic sanitation for all. Drawing on perspectives of ecological economics, this study analysed the sustainability of water and sanitation systems in rural communities of the Lepelle Nkumpi Local Municipality. Mixed research approach was used to collect the data from 657 household and institutional respondents. The study found that households used water for multi-purposes including consumptive, productive and domestic, but existing facilities are in deplorable condition. Pollution arising from agrochemicals, waste systems, mining, sewerage, and industrial effluence significantly affected water systems in the communities. Bridging demand–supply gaps require initiatives like bulk water supply and implementation of the free basic water policy in underprivileged areas. Tariffs should either be waived or adjusted for extremely poor households. Waste management initiatives, like capacity building, public education, investments, and facility upgrade, could help avert spread of waterborne infections and improve the resident's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is the most important economic sector and simultaneously the greatest threat to the ecosystem functions on which all complex life depends. It is therefore a logical starting point for developing a restorative economy. We must develop and disseminate agroecosystems capable of providing food security for all, while simultaneously restoring vital ecosystem processes degraded by conventional agriculture. We review 25 years of transdisciplinary work towards this goal on an agroecology project in Santa Rosa de Lima, Santa Catarina, Brazil and distill some key lessons for like-minded efforts. We apply the methods of Participatory Action Research and Post Normal Science to integrate the knowledge, insights and goals of farmers, diverse scientists, agricultural extensionists, and policymakers to design high-biodiversity silvopastoral systems and multi-function riparian forests capable of improving farmer livelihoods, and propose policies to support their adoption by aligning the interests of farmers and society. We explain the science underlying our project and document resulting improvements in farmer livelihoods and ecosystem services. We then examine the socioeconomic obstacles to disseminating our innovations and policies that might overcome them and describe our pragmatic approaches to working with policymakers. We conclude that integrating natural sciences, socio-economic analysis and politics are all necessary yet insufficient to promote the large-scale adoption of restorative agriculture. We contend that building a restorative economy will also require a fundamental extension of humanity's moral values to the rest of nature, and use evolutionary science to support our views. Rather than offering a recipe for successful projects, our take-home message is that developing a restorative agricultural economy in an ever-evolving system is a continuous participatory process with no endpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Economic Monetary Valuation (EMV) of Ecosystem Services (ESs) and Natural Capital (NC) has been proposed and pursued by several scholars as an effective way to make the vital role of Nature evident and appropriately accounted for in our complex relationship with Her. Other scholars have negatively reacted to this approach, considering it an unethical commodification of Nature that can only lead to a “shopping mall” view of Her, meaningless and even dangerous. It has been said that by following this same line of thought, the next step might be estimating even God's value. In this sense, the EMV of ESs&NC would resemble some “laical blasphemy.” We argue that “God,” when viewed as synonymous with the “willingness to pay” to perpetuate religious faith and as an attractor of religious tourism and pilgrimages, is a terrific economic asset whose value can be estimated in monetary terms. We assessed “God” ‘s EMV (in the previously specified sense), showing that this more mundane appraisal is neither necessarily unethical nor diminishes the sacred and immaterial relevance of religions and beliefs. Thus, we consider by analogy that although the value of Nature, like that of “God,” can never be entirely accounted for by monetary estimation, the EMV of ESs&NC is ethically acceptable. Moreover, the successful application of EMV to NC&ESs supports its usefulness and effectiveness in showing, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Nature counts by making us healthier, wealthier, and, last but not least, happier through both material and immaterial goods, services, and experiences.

The phenomenon of inner peripherality is on the rise in Europe. Inner peripheries can be defined as peripheral rural areas experiencing territorial disconnection and progressive marginalization given their distance to urban centres, where the supply of services is concentrated. Assessing and comparing the sustainable development of these areas according to nuanced and integrated social-biophysical perspectives is crucial to highlight their genuine long-term sustainability potential and critical aspects. Moreover, it is essential to monitor that the socio-economic development of the latter goes hand in hand with territorial stewardship and an appropriate management of their extensive natural endowments. To achieve these objectives, this paper illustrates an innovative methodology to design a multi-criteria evaluation framework named PAISDA (Peripheral Areas Integrated Sustainable Development Assessment). The framework, based on the theoretical background of ecological economics, makes it possible to monitor the sustainable development of inner and marginalized areas according to a “post-growth” approach. It also allows a shift towards a strong sustainability perspective by assessing the phenomenon in an integrated way, which combines social and biophysical dimensions. This can help to design more robust and better targeted policies for these areas, thereby improving local strategic planning. The assessment process is as follows: first, the values of lower order components are computed through a reflective measurement model, then aggregated to form the values of higher order components, which are used as criteria in the last phase of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). The choice of normalization and aggregation methods responds to methodological coherence. The paper describes a step-by-step procedure for applying the PAISDA framework in any European country, providing an illustrative example of its implementation in relation to Italian inner areas.

Ecological democracy has drawn upon relational approaches through Indigenous thinking and pluriversal politics to re-imagine democratic design and practice. This presents an alternative paradigm through which to consider social values as a conceptual tool that can enact the kinds of sustainability transformations needed in contexts such as Flood Risk Management. In this article, I explore the potential of a pluriversal lens for social values as a way to perform ecological democracy by following the implications of (1) an expanded understanding of the social, (2) what it means to work with processes of change and (3) widening understandings of how values are generated. To understand a pluriversal lens in practice, I draw on a case study of a local beck restoration project in the UK. Through key methodological choices that challenged political logics of representation, social values emerged by grounding what mattered to people in their everyday material relations. This case study demonstrates the potential for a pluriversal design of social values methods to perform ecological democracy in ways that generate more convivial human–nature relationships.

Although famous for language, representation, and humor, Tristram Shandy also provides a modern ecocritical goad to humanism by asking about the distinction between ecocriticism and animal studies. Sterne demonstrate what I call an ‘oiko-logic’ that emphasizes the relationships we find developing across the household environment. Sterne is particularly interested in questions of what we would now call ‘ferality’ and domestication, how animality makes us human, and how sympathy supports the conscience of our species. Sterne’s eco-question is not if we should change our relationship to the environment, but how to calculate the appropriate change in our actions based on ecological circumstances, and he asks that we remember to account for who is carrying the social burden: Yorick’s horse, Maria’s goat, and Toby’s famous fly all carry an ecologically-based social burden for the humanity they encounter. Sterne’s ecological sensibility suggests that our conscience develops as we relate to the natural world by updating the input-output analysis with adroit calculations in collaboration with nature. What I call ‘calculations across animals’ has much in common with the emerging field of ecological economics, and Sterne shows us how humanity allows itself a certain great deal of latitude when considering the fallout of our actions on animals—meaning we can calculate for good or ill. So, for Sterne, the question becomes: how do we decide what’s good? He might whip around and say, ‘God’, but he also strongly suggests that watching humanity interact with nature can show us what goodness really looks like.

This study reviews worldwide wetland park research from 1996 to 2022. A bibliometric analysis is conducted on 591 wetland park studies indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The study utilizes CiteSpace and VOSviewer tools to visualize and explore influential research focuses, themes, directions, and countries. The citation burst indicates that from 1996 to 2022, research on wetland parks transited from exploring basic community structures to complex ecosystem service assessments and the formulation of management strategies. Furthermore, over the past three years, wetland park research has seen a significant surge in studies investigating water quality, ecosystem services, and spatiotemporal analysis. Notably, the three most frequent keywords in research on wetland parks were China, South Africa, and biodiversity. These keywords reflect regions that enhance biodiversity via wetland parks. The spectral-clustering algorithm identifies carbon sequestration as a research focus, highlighting the vital role of wetlands in the carbon cycle. Most authors work in developed countries' institutions, but some are from developing countries like China, South Africa, and India. The findings suggest that economic development is crucial in wetland park construction and significantly influences related research. Developed countries may offer more PhD positions to developing countries' researchers in the field and raise their awareness about wetland conservation. Given the holistic requirements of wetlands, this research recommends that educators should adopt an interdisciplinary approach in the future when nurturing wetland staff. Additionally, the study maps out the primary areas of interest in wetland park research, including environmental science, ecological economics, forestry, wetlands, tourism, and management. New artificial intelligence and digital technologies should be developed for wetland park research. This study fills a research gap: quantitative and visualized knowledge-mapping and bibliometrics on wetland parks are scarce. Additionally, no previous study has explored the relationship between wetland park research and the economic development of countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A frequent justification in the literature for using stated preference methods (SP) is that they are the only methods that can capture the so-called total economic value (TEV) of environmental changes to society. Based on follow-up interviews with SP survey respondents, this paper addresses the implications of that argument by shedding light on the construction of TEV, through respondents' perspective. It illuminates the deficiencies of willingness to pay (WTP) as a measure of value presented as three aggregated themes considering respondents' unintentionality, their retraction once they understood that their WTP could be decisive in cost-benefit analysis and the inherent incompleteness of WTP. We discuss why the TEV discourse persists, how it conceals rather than reveals broader notions of value and in what ways our results support the development of alternative approaches that truly endorse plurality in environmental valuation and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The works of Clive L. Spash provided inspiration to many. In the case of my own theoretical and philosophical journey, Spash's social-ecological economics became an important grounding. However, apart from directing this journey, his works have been a major influence in another domain: the domain of my personal being in and relating with the world. This paper explicates this side of Spash's influence. The paper's roots specifically go back to Spash's work on new foundations for ecological economics and the invitation he extended to his fellow humans to act personally and consistently with one's environmental and social values. Far from glorifying the mode of being, here referred to as being of deep transformations, I aim to draw others' attention to the challenges and constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to ascertain the trajectory and scope of green economy research inside Scopus-indexed papers. This research uses bibliometric analytic methodologies to investigate all publications cataloged in the Scopus database about the green economy within a sustainable development framework spanning 1990 to 2023. The data collected was analyzed using both Excel and r/r studio software. Vosviewer is a software tool that enables the simultaneous visual study of keyword occurrence and document extracts. The researcher identified 859 publications that align with the designated role, subject matter, and specified criteria. The findings of this study reveal a yearly growth rate of 17.98%, with the highest number of publications observed in the field of environmental science in the year 2022. China is the nation that exhibits the highest level of scholarly output in terms of publications associated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Lyulyof, o. He is widely recognized as a highly prolific author within the field of the green economy. The bibliometric analysis conducted was restricted to the utilization of Scopus data. This study did not consider other national and international datasets. This study offers a concise survey of the literature available to scholars engaged in academic research and presents suggestions for future research endeavors.

In this commentary, we argue for the low-impact city as an alternative to the dominant urban imaginary of the low-carbon city. We adopt an ecological economics lens to expose the limitations of the urban resource efficiency paradigm when tackling environmental degradation beyond city boundaries. Based on the interpretation of urbanisation as a material practice, we urge for a fundamental recalibration of sustainability paradigms in urban planning. To integrate the impacts of urbanisation on non-urban landscapes within the framework of urban sustainability science, we furthermore stress the urgent need for frugality, resource reduction, and inclusiveness in urban planning practice.

This paper examines the latest advancements in green growth among EU member countries, with a focus on Serbia. It aims to compare green growth indicators across different countries by employing two defined hypotheses. This analysis utilizes data from the OECD statistics database, specifically focusing on annual data related to CO2 emissions and renewable energy. The choice of these indicators is based on their causal relationship to green growth. The research is based on the methodology of comparative analysis for selected indicators. The first section applies to CO2 emission indicators with trends, while the second section analyses the renewable energy situation. All considerations were made by creating groups of EU member countries by year of accession: 2004 (for 10 countries), 2007 (for 2 countries), and 2013 (for Croatia) for selected indicators. The utilization of combined datasets facilitated the evaluation of positive trend outcomes in Serbia.

The article titled "Understanding Human-Environment Interactions Using Multiple Dimensions" is an editorial in the Ecology, Economy & Society - The INSEE Journal. The editorial introduces the current issue of the journal, which covers a wide range of interdisciplinary topics related to social-ecological and environmental fields. The topics discussed include climate change adaptation, forest management, mining, livelihoods and forests, social-ecological history, energy efficiency, solid waste management, grasslands, urban wildlife, and the food and nutrition of children. The editorial also mentions the severe heat wave in India and the need for climate change adaptation strategies, as well as the controversial Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023, and its potential impact on forest dwellers. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of understanding and addressing human-environment interactions for sustainability in the face of global environmental change. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Birdwatching—a cultural ecosystem service—is among the most popular outdoor recreational activities. Existing economic valuations of birdwatching typically overlook the economic contributions of birdwatchers travelling to see vagrant (out‐of‐range) birds. Economic valuations of vagrant birdwatching are few, and to date, no valuation of a large, charismatic vagrant species—or of a recurring individual vagrant bird—has been reported. During 2020–2022, a vagrant Steller's Sea‐Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) was reported in several locations in North America, representing the first record of this species in these locations. In Winter 2020–2021, the eagle spent nearly a month on the eastern seaboard of the United States, and thousands of people travelled to see it. We conducted an online survey of individuals who travelled to see the eagle to estimate the individual and collective non‐consumptive use value of this vagrant birdwatching event. Using individual travel cost methodology, we estimated an average individual expenditure and, together with estimates of the total number of birdwatchers, we estimated non‐consumptive use value of the vagrant birdwatching event. Finally, we used a willingness to pay framework (via hypothetical donations to view the eagle) to evaluate the non‐consumptive use consumer surplus of the event. We estimated that, on average, individual birdwatchers spent $180 USD (95% CI = $156–$207) ignoring travel time—or $277 (95% CI = $243–$314) when accounting for travel time—to view the eagle. Furthermore, we estimated between 2115 and 2645 individuals travelled to see the eagle during December 2021 to January 2022. Thus, we estimated that the eagle generated a total expenditure between $380,604 and $476,626, or between $584,373 and $731,809 when accounting for travel time. Finally, based on travellers' willingness to pay, we estimated a non‐consumptive use consumer surplus of the event between $139,036 and $174,114. Assigning economic value to nature gives policymakers and business leaders footing to advance conservation in decision‐making. Although often overlooked in these decisions, vagrant birds supply ephemeral ecosystem services that might bolster community development efforts, particularly if vagrancy events occur with some predictability (e.g. recurring annually). Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

In this paper, I present the results of ethnographic research that analyzes the social effects on peasant communities (dedicated to working the land and fishing in the river) due to the delivery of compensation and the carrying out of works for the installation of the hydroelectric dam "El Quimbo", located in the inter-Andean valleys of the Upper Magdalena River basin, in Huila, Colombia. Those lands were flooded in 2015, and affected people received different treatments that changed their relationships with the land, the river and their communities. Thus, the theoretical contribution of the article lies in the dialogue between ecological economics and economic anthropology, hence I describe the effects of restricting to a value paid in cash or measured in productivity regarding the social value of the elements present in the territory (land, river, forest) and community relations. Methodologically, six standard-situations were constructed inductively based on interviews and conversations collected in fieldwork that covered various moments between 2010 and 2021. The six standard-situations evince the effects on the social positions of affected groups: some partially reproduced their relations with the land; some began a situation of new subordination; and others were expropriated from the reproduction of their previous social relations. I complemented the article with secondary sources based on a review of archives, newspapers, and public documents of the company and the social movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this work is setting out an analysis of the reality of the Xikrin do Cateté indigenous people, focusing on the conflicts with the mining industry in their territory (Carajás Complex). The epistemological approach is grounded on an interdisciplinary analysis, theoretically centered on associating ecological economics and human geography. Methods-wise, we use qualitative research, aiming to understand the conceptual dichotomy between the “banal space” (Milton Santos) and the reality of the “full world” (Herman Daly). We observe that, differently from other historical periods, indigenous people are living surrounded by mining projects, their voices remaining overlooked. Once captured through the perspective of the full world, this territorial configuration is one whereby the indigenous population has no longer any capacity to move, remaining blocked in a region characterised by the most diverse conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article is a book review of "Set Adrift: Capitalist Transformation and Community Politics along Mumbai's Shore" by Gayatri Nair. The book explores the interplay between caste, rights, and spatial politics in urban India, focusing on the struggles of the Koli community engaged in artisanal fishing in Mumbai. It examines the pressures of changing fish markets, the politics of development projects, and the changing demographics and practices in the fishing industry. The book also discusses the tensions between the Koli community and migrant workers, as well as the impact of policy and urban change on the coastal commons. It concludes by emphasizing the need to build solidarities between marginalized communities. [Extracted from the article]

This article examines the intersection of decolonial and migrant environmental aesthetics in contemporary Catalonia. It discusses how migrants in Catalonia use artistic activities to challenge the dominant colonial narrative and incorporate environmental themes. The article also explores the influence of decolonial perspectives on academia and cultural institutions in Catalonia. It highlights the need to challenge the coloniality of academia and promote alternative forms of knowledge production. The article discusses various artistic activities and proposals by migrants in Catalonia that aim to decolonize mentalities, academic and artistic practices, and spaces. However, it acknowledges tensions and paradoxes in these proposals, as they often exist within neoliberal policies and receive support from institutions that may perpetuate colonial injustices. The article suggests the need for further research to explore the effectiveness of these artistic interventions in bringing about social transformations and to examine the relationships between decolonial activities and the institutions that support them. It also emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the specificity of southern Europe and peripheral regions within the European context and considering alternative European cosmologies that challenge the nature-culture binary. The given text provides a list of references to academic articles and books on related topics, serving as a starting point for library patrons conducting research on decoloniality, environmental humanities, intersectionality, and the Anthropocene. [Extracted from the article]

Climate change and technological advances are reshaping ecosystems and societies. Strategic choices that were best yesterday may be sub-optimal tomorrow; and environmental conditions that were once taken for granted may soon cease to exist. In dynamic settings, how people choose behavioral strategies has important consequences for environmental dynamics. Economic and evolutionary theories make similar predictions for strategic behavior in a static environment, even though one approach assumes perfect rationality and the other assumes no cognition whatsoever; but predictions differ in a dynamic environment. Here we explore a middle ground between economic rationality and evolutionary myopia. Starting from a population of myopic agents, we study the evolutionary viability of a new type that forms environmental forecasts when making strategic decisions. We show that forecasting types can have an advantage in changing environments, even when the act of forecasting is costly. Forecasting types can invade but rarely overtake the population, producing a stable coexistence with myopic types. Moreover, forecasting fosters collective intelligence by providing a public good which reduces the amplitude of environmental oscillations and often increases mean payoffs to forecasting and myopic types alike. We interpret our results for understanding the evolution of different modes of decision-making such as forecasting. And we discuss implications for the management of environmental systems of societal importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper stresses the failure of 'economics' to predict and prevent repeated economic crises and the most critical topic of the environmental failure and ecological crises, founded also on economic theories and misconceived choices. The implication is a search for alternatives through an ontological-evolutionary-institutional approach and empirical investigations. The search for political 'normative economics', entity economics, accounting and information science copes with social and ecological-environmental problems, and systems science; it is necessary to keep always in mind these interactions for fully understand and correctly interpret the present 'social-economic reality'. The problem concerning environmental decisions goes beyond ontology and belongs to ethics. It must underline the debates on 'evolutionary ethics', not only related with 'environmental and ecological economics', the management of environment and reporting, but also with 'evolutionary ontology'; the new perspective affirms that 'existence', for instance, of a moral behavioral attitude, can reveal itself as a 'norm' thus relating ethics to ontology. General economists, entity economics theorists, as well as accountants and information scientists should be familiar with the potentials and limits of 'ontology', also for the ongoing expansion of computerization of scientific research in most of the scientific domains. The renewed interest, particularly in ontology, arouse specifically from systems scientists in constructing a wide variety of artificial intelligent systems. For its analysis, the study has been structured into two periods of time: until the middle of the 20th century and from that moment on. The paper ends by showing the new developments in information systems and their ontological approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological economics (EE), which typically conceptualizes the economy as a biophysical entity that grows into a finite ecosystem, was poised to become "economics as a life science", or the science of sustainability, and thus an alternative to mainstream economics. However, while there is consensus among researchers that it has failed to become so, there is consensus neither on the underlying causes of this failing, nor on what exactly the heterodox alternative is. For instance, biophysical economists tend to see the biophysical paradigm (BP) as the key to scientific advancement, while institutional economists tend to see it as an impediment. The current research addresses this lack of consensus. To set the foundations for an in-depth and necessarily transdisciplinary analysis, this article first reiterates and elaborates on a fact that typically eludes modern EE: EE's scientific roots lie not in the BP, but in the analogy of the economy-as-an-organism. This article then formalizes the relationship between this analogy and the BP, to analyze it systematically using cognitive science's structure-mapping theory, which explains the role of human analogical processing in learning and the advancement of science. The findings suggest that: (1) As a scientific model, the BP is merely a partially articulated form of the economy-as-an-organism analogy, and thus suffers from a type of model specification bias. (2) This bias appears to manifest in EE as a "black box" economy, relationally operationally analogous to a life science studying an organism as if it had no organs. (3) These findings are consistent with those of a recent publication that debates the role of the BP, despite employing very different assumptions and perspectives—thus corroborating the current article's methods and findings. These findings have an overarching implication: EE may advance scientifically by identifying the economy analogs of fundamental omitted organs, thus facilitating the transfer of causal knowledge from biology to economics to further "economics as a life science" or "the science of sustainability". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, as a response to some of the recent attempts to promote a "post-critical" approach to the humanities, I propose an eco-critical posthumanism as a research program that analyzes the historical nexus between humanism and capitalism, thus attempting to reconcile several traditions and interventions in an intersectional framework. For this purpose, I look at the essential theoretical developments from the 1970s (eco-feminism, ecological economics) that have contributed to a critique of both humanism and capitalism as precursors of critical posthumanism. Instead of inventing new forms of ontological and metaphysical thinking, I argue that we still need, in the words of Marx, "a ruthless criticism of all that exists" that may lead to an alternative to capitalist humanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birdwatching—a cultural ecosystem service—is among the most popular outdoor recreational activities. Existing economic valuations of birdwatching typically overlook the economic contributions of birdwatchers travelling to see vagrant (out‐of‐range) birds.Economic valuations of vagrant birdwatching are few, and to date, no valuation of a large, charismatic vagrant species—or of a recurring individual vagrant bird—has been reported.During 2020–2022, a vagrant Steller's Sea‐Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) was reported in several locations in North America, representing the first record of this species in these locations. In Winter 2020–2021, the eagle spent nearly a month on the eastern seaboard of the United States, and thousands of people travelled to see it.We conducted an online survey of individuals who travelled to see the eagle to estimate the individual and collective non‐consumptive use value of this vagrant birdwatching event. Using individual travel cost methodology, we estimated an average individual expenditure and, together with estimates of the total number of birdwatchers, we estimated non‐consumptive use value of the vagrant birdwatching event. Finally, we used a willingness to pay framework (via hypothetical donations to view the eagle) to evaluate the non‐consumptive use consumer surplus of the event.We estimated that, on average, individual birdwatchers spent $180 USD (95% CI = $156–$207) ignoring travel time—or $277 (95% CI = $243–$314) when accounting for travel time—to view the eagle. Furthermore, we estimated between 2115 and 2645 individuals travelled to see the eagle during December 2021 to January 2022. Thus, we estimated that the eagle generated a total expenditure between $380,604 and $476,626, or between $584,373 and $731,809 when accounting for travel time. Finally, based on travellers' willingness to pay, we estimated a non‐consumptive use consumer surplus of the event between $139,036 and $174,114.Assigning economic value to nature gives policymakers and business leaders footing to advance conservation in decision‐making. Although often overlooked in these decisions, vagrant birds supply ephemeral ecosystem services that might bolster community development efforts, particularly if vagrancy events occur with some predictability (e.g. recurring annually). Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the effects of climate change are being felt more frequently, discussions on how to combat such a massive issue are increasingly prevalent. Finding solutions to the climate crisis requires an understanding of how mainstream economic systems have led to the climate crisis and using these same principles to get out of the climate crisis is misguided. Economic actions have inherent value biases that have real political effects. Feminist Political Ecology (FPE) as a theoretical model presents a better understanding of how values that are inherent in economic models such as reliance on efficiency, markets, and continual economic growth have created the foundation for the climate crisis. Solutions must remedy these value shortcomings to become more ecocentric, reciprocal, and foster a healthy common to make substantial progress on the issue.

This document is an editorial titled "Insights in ecological economics: 2022" by Massimiliano Mazzanti. The editorial discusses the importance of the ecological transition in guiding economic and human development. It emphasizes the need for technological, organizational, and social innovations to promote well-being and avoid inequalities. The editorial also highlights the role of policy drivers, such as the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the EU's European Green Deal, in facilitating these transitions. The document concludes by mentioning four papers that address different aspects of the research agenda on sustainability and offer diverse insights and methodologies. [Extracted from the article]

In order to study the influence of environmental protection and economic development level under artificial intelligence technology, and to help achieve the goal of carbon peak in China, this paper studies the coupling degree of socio-economic and ecological environment system, establishes the evaluation index system of coupling between socio-economic system and ecological environment system, calculates the weight of each evaluation index and comprehensive evaluation index by using entropy value assignment method, construct the coupling degree of two systems model, and empirically analyze the coupling degree and coupling coordination socio-economic and eco-environmental systems. In addition, the comprehensive evaluation index of socio-economic and ecological environmental protection systems based on artificial intelligence technology was analyzed. The results show that AI technology benefits environmental protection, the urban economy and environmental protection as a whole are currently in a mutually beneficial symbiosis, and the two systems of ecological environment and high-quality economic development promote each other and develop together. The evaluation indexes of economic scale and economic capacity and social development as a whole are steadily increasing, from 0.00, 0.00, and 0.07 in 2010 to 0.28, 0.15, and 0.53 in 2019, respectively, where the evaluation indexes of economic scale and economic capacity are steadily increasing from 2010 to 2019 due to the rapid development of the tertiary industry, and the evaluation indexes of social development. The evaluation index of the economic scale, economic capacity, and social development drove the rapid development of the economy in 2012-2013, and the rapid development of the economy also led to the rapid development of society. After 2015, the coupling between the two systems has become more and more perfect.

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In this study, we explore sustainable business model (SBM) research through the lens of doughnut economics (DE). By conducting an integrative literature review, we analyse concepts that reflect the seven principles of DE at the business model level. We identify 23 SBM concepts and develop a framework that draws on cognitive science theory to distinguish between seven abstract and 16 concrete concepts. The contribution of our study is threefold: First, the framework enhances the theoretical understanding of SBM concepts that mirror DE. Second, our study presents seven unique avenues for shifting the SBM research agenda. Third, the findings have the potential to inspire SBM innovation in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we propose an ecological economics orientation of peri-urban development, looking at land use planning, local food and entropy. Based on a mathematical model, we present an operational concept of minimizing negative externalities within a given population. The model applies control theory. The concept is introduced to facilitate closing cycles, conduct spatial planning and reduce costs to achieve the ecological target of improved entropy. To this end, we look at more soundly defined metropolitan areas. An emphasis is placed on optimally assuring space for urban agriculture and on enabling recycling in ever-growing cities. Our concept is grounded in the use of peri-urban agriculture and regional food provision as an integrated system, which is based on the recycling of organic matter. Firstly, we reference current unhealthy developFfigments and show how cycles were removed as growth occurred. Secondly, as market-oriented city expansions showed limited scope for peri-urban farming, we suggest entering into regional planning. Planning shall ensure a better use of space and can be based on organic matter recycling (composting, slurry, etc.). The article provides a theoretical background for the occurrence of modified land use (systems). These systems shall alleviate some external burdens of large and growing cities. The approach looks at ecological, economic and social aspects in parallel, to outline principles for more sustainable land use, including peri-urban land. Methodologically we offer land use modelling, looking at interactions of industry, residence, and farming. The functions of a city are integrated into a methodical approach of distance from centre to periphery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominant theories in the social sciences support the developing forces of colonialism and imperialism, as well as the consolidation of a "global market," giving rise to ethnocide and environmental devastation on a planetary scale. Instead of denouncing them, it is appropriate to offer another analytical framework to approach an understanding of the peoples who are resisting this dispossession with "very different" visions. These societies are building communal forms of life, rooted in other cosmogonies, recognizing the value of the different contributions of genders, the richness of generational differences, the capacities to self-govern and flourish, the importance of community, without underestimating the meaning of individuality. To address their contributions, a new epistemology is required: Radical Ecological Economics. We begin with La milpa mesoamericana as an example of the profound differences between productivist approaches and those based on the intimate relationship between society and nature. Communality guides deliberate strategies to forge solidarity and wellbeing with important bonds of mutual support between societies that are continuously incorporating innovations that strengthen them, always aware of the obligation to take care of their environments, designing appropriate socio-ecological metabolisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are drowning in a sea of plastic. Not only do marine animals ingest or get entangled in (micro) plastic, but it also ends up in the food chain, including in humans. This plastic comes from mainly single-use products. "Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment" introduced numerous restrictions on their production. However, its effectiveness depends on national implementations that are delayed due to, inter alia, the objections of manufacturers. In this article, we present research conducted on Polish companies producing single-use plastic products, on sellers (retail outlets and food service establishments) and consumers. The results show that all study groups agree on the need to reduce the production of disposable plastics. The most frequently indicated solution is the introduction of reusable products to the market (in line with the circular economy notion), which would still be synthetic polymers. Manufacturers emphasize that promising chemical recycling technologies are emerging for all plastic waste. In addition, both consumers and producers are increasingly focused on products made of alternative materials, as consumers (especially from large cities) are increasingly averse to plastic in general, which was also pointed out by sellers. Consumers surveyed believe that the "Plastics Directive" is needed and blame the producers of disposable plastics for the condition of the environment, while manufacturers highlight irresponsible consumer behaviour and the need for more education in this regard. • Opposition of the plastics industry to the restrictions of the EU 2019/904 Directive is evident. • Sars-CoV-2 pandemic demonstrated the importance of single-use plastic products in terms of hygiene. • Reusable model of plastic products as a method of reducing plastic waste is preferred by manufacturers. • There is a growing aversion to plastic among consumers. • Cooperation of producers, sellers and consumers is a key step towards circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contextual economics weaves together aspects of orthodox and heterodox economics theories (e.g. feminist, ecological, Keynesian and Marxist economics) in such a way that (re)interprets formal economic models within changing social, historical and environmental contexts. Drawing from the work of Julie Nelson, Kate Raworth and process philosophers, this paper conceptualises the contextual economic paradigm as nesting static abstractions within changing contexts. This brings into question the static metaphysics assumed by mainstream neoclassical economics, and presents an alternative basis for economics arising from processrelational metaphysics. This leads to an economics that: situates the economy as a subsystem of society and ecosystems; replaces Homo economicus with persons-in-communities; and redirects economic policies from profit and GDP growth to purpose and improving wellbeing. This shift in thinking, metaphysics and economics--nesting static in processes--is posited as a critical reorientation of economic decision-making for personal and planetary wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Terra: Revista de Desarrollo Local is the property of Terra: Revista de Desarrollo Local and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

[ObjectiveH Clarifying the ecological economic basis of Progress Leading to Victory and its relationship with soil and water conservation can further promote the high-quality control of soil and water loss in Changting County on the achieved control effect of soil and water loss. Methods] Based on the need of the coupling relationship between the eco-economic system in which human needs are in the stage of transforming from the later stage of life development to the stage of physical and mental health needs, it is clear that it is inevitable to put forward the idea of Progress Leading to Victory, and the theory and practice of sustainable development, the integration of eco--economy and economic ecology have laid a theoretical and practical foundation for the emergence of Progress Leading to Victory. Through the mechanism of action of Progress leading to Victory on soil and water conservation, it is revealed that the elements of advance regulating the control process of soil and water loss, the elements of victoryregulating the control effect of soil and water loss. [Results] The mutual promotion of soil and water conservation and Progress leading to Victory can realize the high-quality development of soil and water conservation and promote the construction of regional ecological civilization. Conclusion] This research can promote the high-quality development of soil and water conservation at a higher starting point, and promote the control of soil and water loss and the construction of ecological civilization to continuously achieve new results in Changting County. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]