Sustainable Growth

When we talk about sustainable development on a local level we tend to think in terms of those things that are most obvious: water, mobility, and other basic, regionalized infrastructure. However, there is a growing effort to look at sustainability from a more global perspective and the outlook is quite disturbing. The field of Ecological Economics is relatively new and development as a school of thought has been fueled by Herman Daly, a former Senior Economist at the World Bank and by Dr. Robert Costanza. If you thought standard microeconomics was a tough course in school, then delving into the complexities of Ecological Economics will be truly overwhelming however, its principles are critical to understanding our relationship to and impact on the earth’s natural systems.

In simplistic terms, Dr. Costanza and, more locally, Dr. Dork Sahagian of Lehigh University are examining the interface between ecological and economic systems. Although that may sound pretty straightforward, things get very complicated, very quickly, when elevated to exploring “… larger temporal and spatial scales. This includes landscape level spatial simulation modeling; analysis of energy and material flows through economic and ecological systems; valuation of ecosystem services, biodiversity, and natural capital; and analysis of dysfunctional incentive systems and ways to correct them.”

At the core of the discussion is the concept of Uneconomic Growth, which is “growth that occurs when increases in production come at the expense in resources and well-being that is worth more than the items made.” ((September 2005) "Economics in a Full World". Scientific American.) Perhaps the easiest way to illustrate the concept is to consider the impact of global warming – which, yes, we do believe to exist. When one factors the costs of damage caused by the weather and rising sea levels the “profit” of automobile usage changes dramatically.

The importance of this work cannot be underestimated in establishing viable public policies on a national and worldwide scale. However, its value is not limited to “grand scale” applications and the principles established can provide a basis for understanding sustainability on a more local level. Perhaps most importantly, is the recognition that there are actual, definable costs and repercussions for the actions that we take.

In essence, Ecological Economics may provide the scientific basis for quantifying the real costs associated with development. Once those costs are understood, the property rights of the impacted individuals and the community (the amount that a particular development will cost them) can be weighed against the property rights of the landowner and that will create a truly interesting social and legal challenge.

Back to the topic at hand, various groups and municipalities are doing excellent work at establishing the baseline research and policy development to support regulatory control of particular resources. Locally, of particular note is the work that is being done by Tinicum and Nockimixon Townships to evaluate and regulate water withdrawal in “water challenged” areas. This community endeavor should be applauded and other communities would be wise to model their efforts.

Sustainability Links

The Gund Institute for Ecological Economics – Located at the University of Vermont and directed by Dr. Robert Costanza, this link provides an interesting insight to the field of Environmental Economics.

National Center for Environmental Economics – This is an EPA website and the Publications page is worth checking out.

EnviroLink – This is a very robust website with a variety of topics inclusive of sustainability issues on a number of different fronts.

International Institute of Sustainable Development – an interesting link containing a searchable database covering an enormous range of topics.