Jon D. Erickson – författare

The papers in this volume illustrate the power of a scientific approach to ecological economics. Good science is a careful blend of theory and empirical testing. Theory without empirical grounding is of no practical value and random case studies without a theoretical context are not generalizable. The back and forth interplay between theory and evidence is apparent in the modeling exercises, evaluation studies, and policy design described in this book. Watershed management has been chosen as a concrete focus to illuminate the facets of sustainability. It requires both a deep understanding of the natural processes in watersheds and of the societal processes which strongly depend on the natural watershed services. Furthermore, country-specific governance structures need to be considered to fine-tune the design of sustainable watershed policies in order to approach an interaction of society and nature, which ensures a long term use of water resources without adverse effects on society and the environment. This book has accepted the challenge to tackle the complex scientific underpinning of sustainable watershed analysis and management and will reveal basic ecological economic knowledge and methodological approaches in this prominent field of research.

The Adirondack region of New York State is, in many respects, America’s cauldron of conservation. It was there, more than a century ago, that wanton exploitation of forests first aroused concern about human impact on the environment. It was there that Americans first began to set aside lands proclaimed as "forever wild." The establishment of the Adirondack Park created an immense landscape of 6 million acres composed of a mixture of public and private lands in nearly equal proportion. This unprecedented blend of human communities within wild lands makes the Adirondack Park perhaps one of the greatest case studies in conservation and development in U.S. history. Representing a remarkable achievement in environmental scholarship and drawn from decades of research, The Great Experiment in Conservation captures the wisdom born of the last thirty years of the park’s evolution. The editors bring together leading scholars, activists, and practitioners—those who know the Park’s origin and the realities of living in a protected area—to narrate this history. Organized into three sections, contributors explore the ecological, cultural, and economic aspects of the region, drawing lessons from successes and failures as they struggle to find the right balance of private interests and public controls. With keen insight and deep passion, the authors reveal the Adirondack Park’s rich natural and cultural history in shaping conservation policy, providing vital contributions to the future study of land preservation. Contributors include: Herman Daly, Bill McKibben, Barbara McMartin, Philip G. Terrie, Amy Vedder, and Bill Weber.

Ecological economics addresses one of the fundamental flaws in conventional economics-its failure to consider biophysical and social reality in its analyses and equations. Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications is an introductory-level textbook that offers a pedagogically complete examination of this dynamic new field. As a workbook accompanying the text, this volume breaks new ground in applying the principles of ecological economics in a problem- or service-based learning setting. Both the textbook and this workbook are situated within a new interdisciplinary framework that embraces the linkages among economic growth, environmental degradation, and social inequity in an effort to guide policy in a way that respects fundamental human values. The workbook takes the approach a step further in placing ecological economic analysis within a systems perspective, in order to help students identify leverage points by which they can help to effect change. The workbook helps students to develop a practical, operational understanding of the principles and concepts explored in the text through real-world activities, and describes numerous case studies

We live under the illusion of progress: as long as GDP is going up and prices stay low, we accept poverty and pollution asunfortunate but inevitable byproducts of a successful economy. In fact, the infallibility of the free market and thenecessity of endless growth are so ingrained in the public consciousness that they seem like scientific fact. Jon Ericksonasks, why? With the planet in peril and humanity in crisis, how did we get duped into believing the fairytale ofeconomics? And how can we get past the illusion to design an economy that is socially just and ecologically balanced?In The Progress Illusion, Erickson charts the rise of the economic worldview and its infiltration into our daily lives as atheory of everything. Drawing on his own experience as a young economist inoculated in the 1980s era of “greed isgood,” Erickson shows how pseudoscience came to dominate economic thought. He pokes holes in the conventionalwisdom of neo-classical economics, illustrating how flawed theories about financial decision-making and maximizingefficiency ignore human psychology and morality. Most importantly, he demonstrates how that thinking shaped ourpolitics and determined the course of American public policy. The result has been a system that perpetually concentrateswealth in the hands of a few, while depleting the natural resources on which economies are based.While the history of economics is dismal indeed, Erickson is part of a vigorous reform effort grounded in the realities oflife on a finite planet. This new brand of economics is both gaining steam in academia and supporting social activism. Thegoal is people over profit, community over consumption, and resilience over recklessness. Erickson shows crafting a neweconomic story is the first step toward turning away from endless growth and towards enduring prosperity.

Climate disruption, overpopulation, biodiversity loss, the threats of financial collapse, large-scale damage to our natural and social environments and eroding democracy are all becoming critically important concerns. The editors of this timely book assert that these problems are not separate, but all stem from our overreliance on an out-dated approach to economics that puts growth of production and consumption above all else. Ecological economics can help create the future that most people want - a future that is prosperous, just, equitable and sustainable. This forward-thinking book lays out an alternative approach that places the sustainable wellbeing of humans and the rest of nature as the overarching goal. Each of the book s chapters, written by a diverse collection of scholars and practitioners, outlines a research and action agenda for how this future can look and possible actions for its realization. Sustainable Wellbeing Futures will be of value to academics and students researching environmental and ecological economics, as well as individuals interested in gaining a greater understanding of the concept of a wellbeing future and how we might act to achieve it. Contributors include: M. Abrams, J. Adams, G. Alperovitz, J. Ament, D. Baker, L. Barbeiri, D. Barmes, S. Bliss, R. Boumans, K. Brevik, P. Brown, M. Burke, B.S. Caniglia, C. Carmichael, J.C. Castilla-Rho, R. Costanza, A. Damiano, T. Dietz, E.M.B. Doran, B. Dube, M. Egler, J.D. Erickson, S.C. Farber, J. Farley, L. Fioramonti, M.-J.V. Fox, K. Gallagher, T. Gladkikh, R.K. Gould, J. Gourevitch, J. Gowdy, C. Guay-Boutet, M. Hensher, R.B. Howarth, T. Jackson, X. Ji, D.C. Kenny, K. Kish, C. Koliba, J. Kolodinsky, N. Kosoy, I. Kubiszewski, M.T. Lucas, V. Luzadis, D. Markowitz, S. Marshall, J. McGlade, M. Moser, S. O'Hara, C. Orr, P. Perez, K. Pickett, S. Posner, S. Quilley, T.H. Ricketts, A.B. Schneider, D. Spethmann, R. Svartzman, S. Telle, K. Trebeck, J. Valcour, M. Venkatesan, P.A. Victor, A. Voinov, S. Wallis, R. Wilkinson, G. Yahya Haage, Y. Yoshida, E. Zencey, A. Zia