A90081 Introduction to ecological economics

The conventional economic model is based on the hypothesis of infinite monetary growth, made of virtual bank money. Nonetheless it also requires considerable inputs of energy and materials which are not infinite and have an impact on our planet. Environmental signals show us we are probably on the edge of a crisis and the uncertainty about our future environment relates to the development of a new discipline: ecological economics.

Ecological Economics is related to the limits to infinite growth: not only there are environmental limits, but also economic ones, as the emerging field of degrowth studies is showing, highlighted by the crisis of capitalism.

Ecological Economics, transdisciplinar by nature, comprises contributions from economics, environmental sciences, biology, sociology, physics, ethics, psychology, etc.. However, it is not only the sum of them: the discipline is based on a new scientific paradigm and, when dealing with some environmental problems, it stresses on our ignorance about the outcome and on the application of the precautionary principle and promotes the participation of lay people to critical decision-making. It proposes a methodological alternative to conventional decision making based only on monetary evaluations of the environment: in ecological economics decision problems are analysed in a multicritrerial context where the pillars of sustainability -environmental, economic and social- play a role.

Considering globalization from the point of view of access to natural resources, a political view of ecological economics defends a southern perspective (environmentalism of the poor), just as it opposes individualism to community based management, and integrates mutual aid with competition. Conventional business and ecological economics are quite opposite: new forms of business are required.

Keywords: energy use, carrying capacity, environmental crisis, uncertainty, ignorance, transdisciplinarity, new scientific paradigm, precautionary principle, multicriteria decision making, environmentalism of the poor, participation in decision making, self organisation, human ecology.

The course will be delivered across two weeks. Attendance and particiaption to the class are highly recommended. During the course some group work is expected to be done at home for the last class. Power-point presentations will be used, some videos will be projected and there will be space for discussion in class over the most challenging topics for sustainability.

Structured around 5 lectures of 3 hours each, in the last there will be, in groups of 4-5, presentations  done to the rest of the class on the issue of the precautionary principle.