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Does money blur perspectives for a better life?
Lifting the money veil from our yardsticks of progress, income and wealth, reveals the trade-offs of economic growth. The book presents new indicators of the social, economic and ecological impacts of our lifestyles and production techniques. The indicators help to identify those responsible for these impacts and account for their accountability in terms of environmental and other ("social") costs.
Sustainable development is to bring about long-term prosperity without undermining its natural foundation. For the assessment of the opaque concept we need both, physical impact measures and environmentally modified ("green") indicators of income, capital and output.
Peter Bartelmus opens the dialogue between frequently hostile camps of economists and environmentalists, data producers and users, and scientists and policy makers. Together, they may steer us towards a sustainable future.
List of contents
Unveiled wealth takes environmental cost into account.- Unveiling wealth - accounting for sustainability.- Discussion.- On expectations and efforts - some introductory observations.- Indicators for sustainable development - a systems analysis approach.- Economic, ecological and social indicators.- Acquisition and numerical hocuspocus - profits and costs are misleading targets and indicators.- The debate about sustainability in industry.- Indicators of sustainable employment.- Discussion.- Dematerialisation and energy efficiency - the message of ecoindicators.- Material Flow Analysis - unveiling the physical basis of economies.- Emergy accounting.- Assessment of sustainability in growth and development-approaches and policy applications.- Questions and Answers.- How can sustainability become a measure of success in politics ?.- Economic growth models and the role of physical resources.- Post-fossil development patterns in the North.- Outlook: From paradigm to policy.
Summary
Does money blur perspectives for a better life?
Lifting the money veil from our yardsticks of progress, income and wealth, reveals the trade-offs of economic growth. The book presents new indicators of the social, economic and ecological impacts of our lifestyles and production techniques. The indicators help to identify those responsible for these impacts and account for their accountability in terms of environmental and other ("social") costs.
Sustainable development is to bring about long-term prosperity without undermining its natural foundation. For the assessment of the opaque concept we need both, physical impact measures and environmentally modified ("green") indicators of income, capital and output.
Peter Bartelmus opens the dialogue between frequently hostile camps of economists and environmentalists, data producers and users, and scientists and policy makers. Together, they may steer us towards a sustainable future.
Additional text
"...particular attention to the pros and cons of attempting to internalise environmental costs into individual decision-making through the political process. On the whole, Unveiling Wealth is a very useful book for economists, environmentalists, policy makers as well as eco-conscious practitioners of business."
(Environmental Politics, 12:3 (2003)
Report
"...particular attention to the pros and cons of attempting to internalise environmental costs into individual decision-making through the political process. On the whole, Unveiling Wealth is a very useful book for economists, environmentalists, policy makers as well as eco-conscious practitioners of business."
(Environmental Politics, 12:3 (2003)
