International Journal of Ecological Economics
& Statistics (IJEES) |
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ISSN 0973-1385 |
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Abstracts Special Issue (1) on
RSEE-2005 |
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Volume 4 |
Number W06 |
Winter 2006 |
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Country-specific
Environmental Kuznets Curves in OECD countries. A
Cross-Country Time Series Approach ROBERTO PASTEN Department
of Economics, Finance and Legal Studies THE
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA 224
Alston Hall, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA Abstract The
environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis states
that there is an inverted U-shape relationship between some indicators of
environmental degradation and income per capita. This implies that after a
certain turning-point in income, the pollution indicator starts to improve
with rising income per capita. This paper analyses the presence of an EKC for
Sulfur Dioxide. The technique used here is the Swamy’s
Random Coefficient model that allows the estimation of country specific
Turning Points. This Study provides evidence that supports the presence of an
EKC among most of the world’s wealthiest countries (but not all of them).
Keywords: Environmental Kuznets curve; random
Coefficients; heterogeneous turning points |
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A
Normative Justification of Roefie Hueting's Sustainable National Income Peter Stauvermann University
of Twente School
of Business, Public Administration and Technology Department
of Economics, NL-7500 AE Enschede Abstract The
Dutch economist Roefie Hueting
has published since 1969 a long record of books and articles about the
Sustainable National Income (SNI). He was one of the first economists who developed
the idea of a SNI. The SNI is the present national income minus the abatement
costs, which are necessary to preserve the status quo of the environment. Hueting defines the term environmental
"sustainability" as strong sustainability, in the sense that all
existing environmental functions must be retained forever. In this paper, we
want to show that his claim for strong environmental sustainability is
justifiable from a normative theoretical point of view. To do that we develop
a simple endogenous over-lapping generations (OLG) growth model, which is based on a modified Harrod-Domar
model. In this model, it is taken into account, that the environment
plays an important role for economic growth. In the model it will be shown
that a country, which ignores Hueting's claim for
strong sustainability, will end up in a disaster, especially negative growth
rates, rising unemployment and a never-ending depression. Additionally, we
show that it is better to protect the environment today than tomorrow,
because the relative costs to protect the environment are much lower today
than in the future. Of course, these results imply that for e.g. the
Kyoto-protocol is not efficient from an economic ecological point of view. In
addition, the results imply that we must rethink radically about our way of
life, if we take into account for e.g. that around 50% of the Dutch national
income is not produced in a sustainable way. |
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New
Europe -New Energy: Networking for a Sustainable Energy Future Terry Cook and Dave Elliott Energy
and Environment Research Unit, The Open University, UK Abstract Over the past three years, EERU
has established a network of contacts in the Baltic states (Lithuania,
Estonia, Latvia) as part of its New Europe New Energy project,
which aims at stimulating and supporting the adoption of renewable energy by
the new EU entrants. The network includes grass roots renewable energy organisations, University groups active in the renewable
energy field, local and national government agencies, and companies with an
interest in renewable energy. There is clear indication from this network of
a need for well-targeted information on technologies and practices that have
proved successful in the UK. This paper outlines our experiences so far, and,
with a view to our plans to expand our offerings, it looks at what local
groups and organisations may need by way of
information and support. |
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What
Economics Courses Don’t Teach –But Should Neva Goodwin Co-director,
Global Development And Environment Institute, Tufts
University, Medford, MA, USA Abstract Standard
economics courses describe the economic system as though it existed in a
vacuum. In fact, economic systems are only one part of the larger
social/psychological systems that include human motivations, culture,
politics, institutions, ethics and history. These, in turn, are embedded in
the physical contexts of technology and the built environment. All of these
ultimately depend on the natural world. When we recognize the critical
interactions between the economic system and the social and natural worlds,
then we cannot depend on simple models that assume away most of what matters.
As just one example, social and economic power affects market functioning far
more than is recognized in the neoclassical economic paradigm. Markets can
produce an efficient response to needs and wants only when they are backed up
by purchasing power, but cannot respond to would-be consumers who lack money.
The ideal of efficient markets as a social optimum ignores this important
reality. A healthy economy includes both market and non-market activities
that are carried out in businesses, governments, non-profit, legal and other
institutions, and in communities and households. While neoclassical economics
focuses on the economic activities of production, distribution and
consumption, we must add an equal emphasis on resource maintenance; that is,
maintaining the human, social and physical resources that enable our economic systems to
be productive and to support good and healthy lives. Our economic roles
include not only those of producers and consumers, but also citizens, family
members, public servants, etc.. |
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Development
of a New Sustainability Index: Adaptation of Ecological
Footprint to Decoupling Index Y. TAKAHASHI1, T. HAYASHI1, and M. YAMAMOTO2 1 Policy Research
Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan 2 Graduate
School of Business, Otaru University of Commerce,
Japan Abstract Recently such sustainability
indexes as the Decoupling Index (DI) and Ecological Footprint (EF) have been
developed. However, since DI measures sustainability by only using a single
environmental load, its evaluation is incomplete. On the other hand, since EF
is a sustainability index based on environmental loads and carrying capacity,
its evaluation is not concerned with economic aspects. Both tools have
disadvantages that must be improved. The purpose of this paper is to develop
a new sustainability index that solves the above problems and introduces a
method that measures environmental benefits with EF and the sustainability of
Japanese agriculture and forestry using a new sustainability index.
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