Towards an Ecologically Sustainable Growth Society: Physical Foundations, Economic Transitions, and Political Constraints

ISBN-13: 9783642787447 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 198 str.

Bruno Fritsch; Stephan Schmidheiny; Walter Seifritz

Opis

This book combines three disciplines - economics, physics and international business policy - in an attempt to answer the important questions whether sustainable development is possible and how it might be achieved. On the one hand, the concept of sustainability is subject to physical laws, on the other, it implies economic efficiency which is ecologically sustainable - the authors speak of "ecoefficiency." Most importantly, the main economic actors in the field of cost efficient allocation must work together. Hence, international business policy operating on a global level must keep open the channels within which the physical abundance of resources and energy can be brought to the benefit of all mankind, in particular those living in poverty. A world population levelling off at say 10 billion people must not necessarily attain the present income level of the average US citizen; it might be sufficient if even about half this level could be reached. The authors show that this gigantic but most humanitarian target can be achieved and maintained.

Spis treści

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Aims and Objectives.- 1.2 References to Chapter 1.- 2 Historical Developments.- 2.1 Events of the last 25 Years.- 2.2 Between Past and Future: the Present State of Affairs.- 2.3 A Short History of Entropy.- 2.4 References to Chapter 2.- 3 Evolution and Energy.- 3.1 Entropy, Life and Evolution.- 3.2 Energy in Biological and Societal Systems.- 3.3 Evolution of Population and Energy Densities.- 3.4 Energy Use and the Increase of Entropy.- 3.5 References to Chapter 3.- 4 Economic Growth and Ecological Sustain Ability.- 4.1 From Limits to Growth to Growth of Limits.- 4.2 Manufactured Capital vs “Natural” Capital.- 4.3 The Hypercycle of Energy, Time, Availability, Knowledge.- 4.4 References to Chapter 4.- 5 The Special Role of Electricity.- 5.1 Electricity and Society.- 5.2 The “Form Value” of Electricity.- 5.3 A Modelling Approach.- 5.4 References to Chapter 5.- 6 Some Technical Steps Towards Sustainability.- 6.1 Controlling the Flow of Energy and Wastes.- 6.2 Measures to Limit C02 in the Atmosphere.- 6.3 A Mixed Nuclear/Fossil System.- 6.4 Nuclear Waste and Safety.- 6.5 Entropy Again.- 6.6 References to Chapter 6.- 6.7 Appendix to Chapter 6.- 7 Ecoefficiency and the Entrepreneurial Factor.- 7.1 Sustainable Development.- 7.2 About Business.- 7.3 Reflecting Environmental Reality.- 7.4 The Concerns of the Developing World.- 7.5 Trade and Technology Cooperation.- 7.6 Farming and Forestry.- 7.7 Capital Markets.- 7.8 The Corporate Agenda.- 7.9 References to Chapter 7.- 8 Summary and Conclusions.- 8.1 Towards an Ecologically Sustainable Economic Growth.- 8.2 The Key Concept: Ecoefficiency.- 8.3 Conclusions.- 8.4 References to Chapter 8.- Name Index.