Sustainability in Question - The Search for a Conceptual Framework (Electronic book text)

'This is a valuable book and surprisingly engaging even for a non-economist. It is a worthwhile contribution to an invaluable debate.' - James Connelly, Environmental Politics. 'The book is a useful contribution to the emerging field of ecological economics (as distinct from environmental economics), which will take a more relational and contextual view of the role of economics in ensuring sustainable development. It has the potential to bring a politically powerful discipline on to the same pages as many of the other social sciences in terms of tackling the issue of environmentally and socially sustainable development.' - Daanish Mustafa, Environment.' ...the most impressive collection of facts and figures on the global economy - its people and environment.' - Long Range Planning ' ...these chapters provide interesting and worthwhile contributions to the field of sustainability under the auspices of ecological economics ...a collection of interesting papers.' - Simon Niemeyer, International Journal of Sustainable Development. This book explores approaches to sustainability by linking the economy, society and the environment. The international group of experts uses concepts of sustainability from the physical and social sciences to develop a framework for creating policies for sustainability. Sustainability in Question goes beyond much of the existing literature on sustainability taking into account culture, institutions, knowledge and traditions. It sheds new light on the ability of humans to create institutional and social arrangements which are able to adapt to changing conditions. The authors consider the current state of environmental and institutional sustainability within the context of economic activity and public policy. They recognise that some of the basic economic notions such as universal substitutability, methodological individualism and the superiority of the price mechanism may be misplaced in the case of environmental protection. Sustainability in Question will be welcomed by those interested in environmental economics, science, management and environmental studies, as well as by those working in the fields of ecological economics, natural resource economics and environmental sociology.