Capitalism: An Unsustainable Future?

Capitalism: An Unsustainable Future? PDF

Author: Malcolm Sawyer

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-03-30

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 100055225X

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The four decades of neoliberalism, globalisation and financialisation have produced crises - financial and pandemic - and rising inequality. The climate emergency threatens the future of the planet. This book explores many dimensions of the background to these crises. There is the development of policy agendas to address the climate emergency. The rise in inequality is studied in terms of impacts of financialisation and the relationships between growth and inequality. The record of the neoliberal experiment in the USA is critically examined. The roles of financial institutions including public banks and micro-finance are explored, as is the need for improved financial oversight in the Economic and Monetary Union. The growth of global value chains has been a major aspect of globalisation, and the question is examined of whether such chains provide a ladder for development. Globalisation has also featured trade imbalances and large capital flows, and their causes and effects are examined with respect to China and South Africa respectively. This volume will be of great value to students, scholars and professionals interested in political economy, economic thought, climate change, sustainability and business studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal, International Review of Applied Economics.

Capitalism: An Unsustainable Future?

Capitalism: An Unsustainable Future? PDF

Author: Malcolm Sawyer

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2022-03-30

Total Pages: 339

ISBN-13: 1000552284

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The four decades of neoliberalism, globalisation and financialisation have produced crises - financial and pandemic - and rising inequality. The climate emergency threatens the future of the planet. This book explores many dimensions of the background to these crises. There is the development of policy agendas to address the climate emergency. The rise in inequality is studied in terms of impacts of financialisation and the relationships between growth and inequality. The record of the neoliberal experiment in the USA is critically examined. The roles of financial institutions including public banks and micro-finance are explored, as is the need for improved financial oversight in the Economic and Monetary Union. The growth of global value chains has been a major aspect of globalisation, and the question is examined of whether such chains provide a ladder for development. Globalisation has also featured trade imbalances and large capital flows, and their causes and effects are examined with respect to China and South Africa respectively. This volume will be of great value to students, scholars and professionals interested in political economy, economic thought, climate change, sustainability and business studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal, International Review of Applied Economics.

Capitalism as if the World Matters

Capitalism as if the World Matters PDF

Author: Jonathon Porritt

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2012-04-27

Total Pages: 381

ISBN-13: 1136570365

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When first published, Capitalism as if the World Matters, by one of the leading 'eco-warriors' of our time, shocked a generation of both environmentalists and business people. Jonathon Porritt brushed aside their artificial battle lines with a powerful argument that the only way to save the world from environmental catastrophe is to embrace a new type of capitalism, and to do it quickly. In this substantially revised and updated edition, Porritt extends his powerful and controversial argument by providing fresh evidence and suggesting new actions. New content includes in-depth coverage of the USA, with case studies examining the role of huge American corporations such as Wal-Mart and General Electric, plus a close look at China and the global impact this economic giant may have in the twenty-first century. This is a must-read for everyone who has a stake in the future of the world, from business executives to environmental activists, from community leaders to the politicians with their hands on the levers of power. Published with Forum for the Future

Sustainable Capitalism

Sustainable Capitalism PDF

Author: John E. Ikerd

Publisher: Kumarian Press

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1565492064

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* Addresses the philosophical and scientific roots of sustainability * Examines neglected ethical and moral aspects of capitalist economic theory * Advocates a new sustainable paradigm for all living organizations, businesses, economics, and societies Over the past half-century, capitalist economics has deviated from its original social purpose into an amoral quest for economic growth at any cost. A relentless pursuit of profits and the "bottom line" poses a constant threat to the earth and the life upon it. Ikerd, who spent the first half of his thirty-year academic career as a traditional free-market, neoclassical economist, came to see the inherently extractive and exploitative nature of his own field and began to develop an alternative vision for capitalism, which he lays out in this book. In order to foster a new economics of sustainability, social and ethical values must be reintegrated into capitalist economics, thus restoring a sense of balance into the economic system that ensures that communities the world over will thrive. Rather than calling for the overthrow of capitalism, Ikerd suggests how capitalism can become a vehicle for these ends. Both a penetrating critique of capitalism and an exploration of its vast and untapped potential for maximizing human welfare, Sustainable Capitalism: A Matter of Common Senseis written for those concerned with the future of our planet and the continued viability of global capitalism.

The Future is Degrowth

The Future is Degrowth PDF

Author: Matthias Schmelzer

Publisher: Verso Books

Published: 2022-06-28

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1839765860

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We need to break free from the capitalist economy. Degrowth gives us the tools to bend its bars. Economic growth isn’t working, and it cannot be made to work. Offering a counter-history of how economic growth emerged in the context of colonialism, fossil-fueled industrialization, and capitalist modernity, The Future Is Degrowth argues that the ideology of growth conceals the rising inequalities and ecological destructions associated with capitalism, and points to desirable alternatives to it. Not only in society at large, but also on the left, we are held captive by the hegemony of growth. Even proposals for emancipatory Green New Deals or postcapitalism base their utopian hopes on the development of productive forces, on redistributing the fruits of economic growth and technological progress. Yet growing evidence shows that continued economic growth cannot be made compatible with sustaining life and is not necessary for a good life for all. This book provides a vision for postcapitalism beyond growth. Building on a vibrant field of research, it discusses the political economy and the politics of a non-growing economy. It charts a path forward through policies that democratise the economy, “now-topias” that create free spaces for experimentation, and counter-hegemonic movements that make it possible to break with the logic of growth. Degrowth perspectives offer a way to step off the treadmill of an alienating, expansionist, and hierarchical system. A handbook and a manifesto, The Future Is Degrowth is a must-read for all interested in charting a way beyond the current crises.

A Philosopher's Guide to Natural Capitalism

A Philosopher's Guide to Natural Capitalism PDF

Author: Wayne I. Henry

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-07-07

Total Pages: 293

ISBN-13: 1000908836

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This book posits that a sustainable future is possible without abandoning Capitalism. In its current form as Consumer Capitalism, the organization of the global economy is clearly unsustainable. But Capitalism is a malleable concept that has assumed a variety of forms since the 17th century, and it can be altered as needed. In Part I of this book, the author sets out an economic model for a sustainable form of Capitalism, referred to in the literature as Natural Capitalism. In Part II, he abandons exposition in favour of rigorous philosophical analysis and critiques the older but still dominant narrative that underlies Classical Liberalism. The narrative will be reconstructed with great care and analysed to understand why it has been so powerful and enduring, and, of course, why it is no longer appropriate for our current circumstances. In Part III, he investigates from a normative perspective Classical Liberalism and globalized Capitalism and the economic system it licenses. Finally, in the conclusion, the author draws the threads of the discussion together in a way that emphasizes the differences between the two narratives, Classical Liberalism on the one hand and the contemporary version of Progressive Liberalism that nurtures and supports Natural Capitalism on the other. This book will be of interest to a broad range of scholars and curious laypersons interested in a clear and interdisciplinary presentation of the issues arising out of climate change, including corporate governance, social and environmental policy, declining social capital and the capacity of democratic institutions to deal effectively with sustainability. It will be particularly relevant for students and instructors of philosophy, history, economics, political science, social policy and environmental sociology.

Capitalism and Environmental Collapse

Capitalism and Environmental Collapse PDF

Author: Luiz Marques

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-08-17

Total Pages: 463

ISBN-13: 3030475271

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This book intends to be an alert to the fact that the curve measuring environmental costs against the economic benefits of capitalism has irreversibly entered into a negative phase. The prospect of an environmental collapse has been evidenced by the sciences and the humanities since the 1960s. Today, it imposes its urgency. This collapse differs from past civilizations in that it is neither local nor just civilizational. It is global and occurs at the broadest level of the biosphere, accelerated by the convergence of different socio-environmental crises, such as: Earth energy imbalance, climate change and global warming Sea-level rise Decrease and degradation of forests Collapse of terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity Floods, droughts, wildfires, and extreme weather events Degradation of soils and water resources Increase in pollution caused by fossil fuels and coal Increase in waste production and industrial intoxication The book is divided in two parts. In the first part it presents a comprehensive review of scientific data to show the already visible effects of each of the different environmental crises and its consequences to human life on Earth. In the second part, Luiz Marques critically discusses what he calls the three concentric illusions that prevent us from realizing the gravity of the current socio-environmental crises: the illusion of a sustainable capitalism, the illusion that economic growth is still capable of providing more well-being and the anthropocentric illusion. Finally, Marques argues that "fitting" back into the biosphere will only be possible if we dismantle the expansive socioeconomic gear that has shaped our societies since the 16th century by moving from a Social Contract to a Natural Contract, which takes into account the whole biosphere. According to him, the future society will be post-capitalist or it will not be a complex society, and even perhaps, we must fear, no society at all. “This book is backed up with the latest and best science and has made the complexities understandable for the average reader, all in a context of hope for the future.” - William J. Ripple, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Ecology, Director of the Alliance of World Scientists, Oregon State University

Fictions of Sustainability

Fictions of Sustainability PDF

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780648363323

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This book discusses key aspects of what is increasingly becoming a central international debate: the political contest over competing visions and policies on the future of capitalist economic growth versus the alternative policies and images of post-capitalist, post-growth sustainable societies. The hopes and imagined futures of conservative and reform-orientated defenders of capitalist societies, as well as those held by radical green and socialist critics are subjected to detailed scrutiny. What are the limitations on 'green growth' innovation and why will it only have a marginal impact on inequality and other threatening social and environmental problems? Can new technology decouple economic growth from natural resources and eco-systems in order to sustain capitalist production and high consumption? How feasible are images of 'post-work' or post-capitalist societies based on such things as full automation and a universal basic income? If environmentalists reject capitalist growth as unsustainable, what are the political economic and institutional strengths and weaknesses of green post-growth or degrowth proposals? These and other crucial issues are analysed in a challenging and thought-provoking book covering an extensive range of policy reports, social theories, environmental proposals and political debates and practices across the world. The author also offers a number of positive suggestions to deal with the political economic, social and environmental issues covered in the book.

Heat, Greed and Human Need

Heat, Greed and Human Need PDF

Author: Ian Gough

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2017-10-27

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 1785365118

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This book builds an essential bridge between climate change and social policy. Combining ethics and human need theory with political economy and climate science, it offers a long-term, interdisciplinary analysis of the prospects for sustainable development and social justice. Beyond ‘green growth’ (which assumes an unprecedented rise in the emissions efficiency of production) it envisages two further policy stages vital for rich countries: a progressive ‘recomposition’ of consumption, and a post-growth ceiling on demand. An essential resource for scholars and policymakers.

Capitalism

Capitalism PDF

Author: Jonathon Porritt

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-08-06

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 1136570438

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As our great economic machine grinds relentlessly forward into a future of declining fossil fuel supplies, climate change and ecosystem failure, governments are at long last beginning to question the very structure of the global economy. In this fresh, politically charged analysis, Jonathon Porritt wades in on the most pressing question of the 21st century: can capitalism, as the only real economic game in town, be retooled to deliver a sustainable future? Porritt argues that indeed it can, and it must, as he lays out the framework for a new ?sustainable capitalism? that cuts across the political divide and promises a prosperous future of wealth, equity and ecosystem integrity.