Images of Growth

To many environmentalists, a narrow focus on economic growth raises threats of pollution, degradation and exhaustion of natural resources, and non-sustainability. Biology offers different examples of growth, each with its own set of characteristics. This article explores whether different types of b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEnvironmental policy and law Vol. 42; no. 1; p. 30
Main Author Magraw, Daniel B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Amsterdam Copyright Agency Limited (Distributor) 01.02.2012
Subjects
Biodiversity
Capitalism
Climate change
Developing countries
Economic growth
Economists
Ecosystem biology
Endangered & extinct species
Environmental economics
Environmental impact
Environmental protection
Environmentalists
GDP
Gross Domestic Product
International
LDCs
Politicians
Prosperity
Sustainable development
Wildlife conservation
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Summary:To many environmentalists, a narrow focus on economic growth raises threats of pollution, degradation and exhaustion of natural resources, and non-sustainability. Biology offers different examples of growth, each with its own set of characteristics. This article explores whether different types of biological growth offer ways to think and talk about economic growth in a more holistic manner. This article examines different images of biological growth with respect to their implications for five core environmental concepts and values and provides some comments on these images' possible implications for economic theory. The five environmental concepts are: interdependence; cooperation; externalities; ecosystem services; and biodiversity. Appreciation of the environmental concepts and values raised by images depends on the audiences' cultural background, appreciation of the fact that nature is the true infrastructure of human society, and knowledge of the organism that is the subject of the image.
ISSN:0378-777X
1878-5395