Bankrupting Nature

"... unlike previous pessimistic assessments of tipping points for humanity and Earth, this book by Johan Rockstroem, head of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, and Anders Wijkman, a former member of the European Parliament, combines a critique of political and economic systems with an assessment of global ecology. It is an extension of the influential planetary-boundaries idea that Rockstroem and colleagues first published in Nature in 2009." - Peter Kareiva, chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy in Arlington, Virginia, Nature, October 2012 "The world is headed for a major transition and unless we recognize and deal with that, it could very well be a major disaster for humanity. Wijkman and Rockstroem have provided the clear evidence and practical policy ideas to allow us to seize this moment as an opportunity to make the transition to a much better, more sustainable and desirable world. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity." - Robert Costanza, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Editor-in-Chief of Solutions and Senior Fellow, Stockholm Resilience Center, Stockholm, Sweden "... this contribution by Wijkman and Rockstroem is so important. It does not leave us with the problem alone. It takes us to the blueprint for a true-green economy. It is about the way that we can reinvent growth for all, which is affordable, equitable and sustainable." - Sunita Narain, Director-General, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi "Wijkman and Rockstroem convincingly show the strength and necessity of an integrated systems perspective of world development, that combines an understanding of how climate change interacts with ecosystem changes across the world, and how social and ecological factors interplay and ultimately determine our ability to provide welfare and wellbeing for a rapidly growing world population. Their book is a timely wake-up call for all politicians, businessmen and citizens of Earth." - Pavan Sukhdev, Founder-CEO of GIST (Green Indian States Trust) Advisory and Study Leader of TEEB "The public discussion on climate change and the environment has lost its momentum. The focus is on other issues, like finance and the economy. Wijkman and Rockstroem show convincingly why this must change. Wealth generation based on carbon can not continue much longer. We are borrowing resources belonging to future generations, and in the process imperiling their right to livelihood. Todays great denial will be revealed. The combination of solid science, vast experience from politics and public affairs and profound compassion makes this book extraordinarily useful." - Anders Wejryd, Archbishop of Sweden "Growth has pushed the physical scale of the economy beyond planetary boundaries and has thereby become uneconomic growth - growth that now increases environmental and social costs faster than production benefits, making us poorer, not richer. This book will help citizens, and maybe even politicians and economists, understand what is happening." - Herman E. Daly, Professor Emeritus, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, USA "Bankrupting Nature summarizes succinctly our human challenges, correctly focusing on re-designing today's global financial casino. Ignored in most textbooks, finance is now a flywheel of social and environmental destruction while economists are still suffering 'theory-induced blindness'. The authors demonstrate conclusively that it is high time for humanity to grasp scientific realities and re-integrate our knowledge systemically - Important, constructive advice for politicians, scientists, NGOs and all who work toward cleaner, greener, equitable, sustainable human futures." - Hazel Henderson, author, President Ethical Markets Media (USA & Brazil) producers of the Green Transition Scoreboard (R), Transforming Finance Based on Ethics and Life's Principles, co-creators of t

Anders Wijkman is Advisor at the Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden, and Co-President, Club of Rome. He has been a Member of the Swedish Parliament and of the European Parliament, as well as Director General of the Swedish Red Cross, Director General of the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries and Assistant Secretary General of the UN and Policy Director of the United Nations Development Programme. He is a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences and the World Academy of Art and Science. Johan Rockstroem is a Professor in Natural Resource Management at Stockholm University, and the Executive Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre. He is an internationally recognized scientist on global sustainability issues, for example leading the recent development of the new Planetary Boundaries framework for human development in the current era of rapid global change. He also co-chairs Future Earth, and international initiative on global sustainability.

Foreword 1. The Limited Environmental Capacity 2. Anders Wijkman - On politics in crisis 3. Johan Rockstroem - On science's role and responsibility 4. From Copenhagen to Durban 5. Respect The Planetary Boundaries 6. A Triply Green Revolution 7. The Critical Role of Energy 8. The Forgotten Issue 9. The Weapon of Doubt 10. The Greenhouse Effect 11. What Climate Denies Do Not Want To Know 12. The Arctic: Canary in the mine 13. Is Sweden a World Champion in Climate Policy 14. Getting the Economy Right 15. The Financial Sector: Ignoring The Risks 16. Growth's Dilemma 17. Toward A Circular Economy 18. How much is enough? 19. The Road Ahead Index