From "Economic Man" to "Ecological Man"
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Fourteen essays examine mainstream business models with the aim of designing more sustainable systems with regard to corporate responsibility issues, such as the environment and human rights, while reducing overall risk profiles and increasing legitimacy.

Christopher J. Cowton, for example, examines the moral status of corporations, their collective responsibility and systems of blame distribution. While it makes sense to blame a corporate entity as a first approximation, that should be only the first step in determining blameworthiness. Leaving blame as resting with BP for the Gulf oil spill, risks failing to identify and blame culpable individuals. Cowton moves us away from reified notions of corporate moral agency, to focus on methods of tracing responsibility in detail to specific individuals according to governance and responsibility frameworks. People are moral agents; corporations are not.  Johan Wempe advances this notion further, examining notions of role responsibility.

Kevin T. Jackson retraces Aristotelian notions of generosity as a moral virtue and ends with a promising direction in his discussion of venture philanthropy, which in some respects, harkens back to businesses during the Middle Ages. Wouldn't it be great if entrepreneurs started measuring themselves not by how much money they are able to earn but based on how much good they have accomplished in the world? Mutual assistance was the norm throughout much of history. As Jackson notes,

By placing the notions of generosity, dignity and the common good squarely into the market, perhaps the emerging philanthropy paradigm will show that the market is more multifaceted then normally thought.

Eleanor O'Higgins extends this theme to the private equity industry. After careful examination she concludes the general partners (GPs) interests "seem to be safeguarded, no matter what scenario materializes." Too often one agency problem (managers expropriating resources) is traded for another (GPs putting their own interests first). O'Higgins calls for a new model where GPs would act in a trustee capacity to benefit all stakeholders. Deals would be done with lower levels of debt and more equity. Disclosure of pay and fees to GPs is key.

Jane Collier discusses the rise of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). One concern is that only four of the largest SWFs are from countries with democratically elected governments. While the world has largely taken a laissez-faire approach to them, it would be encouraging to see SWFs sign initiatives such as the UN Global Compact. George Enderle discusses the Principles for Responsible Investment, Global Reporting Initiative and KLD methodology for SRI. "As important as voluntary initiatives are, they cannot replace appropriate institutional frameworks at the national and global levels."

Knut J. Ims and Ove D. Jakobsen raise fundamental issues in their essay, Deep Authenticity - An Essential Phenomenon in the Web of Life, reflecting upon man's relation to him or herself, to society and to nature, and attempting to draw a line between shallow and deep authenticity. They define shallow authenticity as based on a mechanistic worldview, whereas deep authenticity is based is strongly embedded in society and nature, organically integrated with social and natural systems. "A consequence of eco-centered awareness is that we become more responsible in the social and ecological worlds."

Key is transitioning away from "economic man" to that of "ecological man," no longer engaged in self-deception that allows us to avoid facing up to the real problems of the world... the inconvenient truths. Perhaps then we will shift the focus of corporations from maximizing shareowners value to "increasing the enjoyment of life for all stakeholders in the context of a long-term perspective."

I've just touched briefly on several of the essays. Those interested in business ethics and sustainability will find much here for further engagement.
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The authors of this book warn us that nature will not continue to provide " a constant and stable foundation for economic activity."  The earth is finite, yet economists continue to act as if constant growth is not only possible but essential to our economic health. They compare the recent world economic meltdown to the bankruptcy facing nature if we do not stop the overexploitation of  important ecosystems.

The book's  chapters are divided up in the manner of short essays of around 10 pages.  The writing style is concise and engaging  and is supported by compelling graphs which support their arguments.

One of the strengths of the authors is their  fluency in the treatment of environmental economics. They directly confront the arguments of neoliberal economists, who assert that the world cannot afford the radical measures required to prevent climate change. However, the world can't afford NOT to reduce climate change. A combination of energy efficiency, renewable energy and systems change could reduce emissions by more than 80% if the economic will existed. Chapter 7, on energy, demonstrates the achievability of a viable world economy with minimal carbon emissions by 2050. However the modernisation of undeveloped countries presents us with a major challenge. If these countries were to repeat the mistakes made by developed sector, disaster would result.

Wijkman and Rostrom conclude by urging the need for a planetary solution: a globalised phase of environmental change. Although many promising new technologies are being created, a new regime of governance is needed. At present there is there is only a patchwork of international agreements for which compliance is more a goal than strict practice. Unless a strong, globalised regime is reached, the welfare of future generations is at dire risk.
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Some may call The Long Emergency a Jeremiad, and that may be so, but Mr. Kunstler's prophecy rings true. The information on peak oil is not new, but he does do a thorough job of exploring the history of the industrial revolution, the monetization of commerce, and the rise of the current fossil fuel culture. This is the story of overusing the source side of the ecological equation. In the chapter titled Nature Bites Back he details the results of overloading the sink side of the equation--- uncontrollable climate change, and the re-emergence of infectious diseases on a global scale. One of the most important sections of The Long Emergency (at least for those of us who would like not only to live through the transition but even to preserve the best parts of our culture) is the chapter containing regional predictions for the United States. As a resident of northern California I find myself somewhat pleased with his prognosis for our region, though his suggestion of possible coastal piracy prompted me to begin searching inland for property. We in the United States are woefully unprepared for the type of behavior that the human animal is capable of in extremis. If even half of what is written in this book is true, and all other sources of information say that it is, this should be a wake up call for us all.
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This book covers first wave and second wave of envoronmentalism. First wave is the initial response to the industrialisation. IT is expressed first by poets and writers such as wordsworth,ruskin,morris and carpenter. They gave message of simple life. Saint Gandhi gave the best known aphorism 'the world has enough for everybody's need but not enough for everybody's greed'. It is expressed secondly by ideology of scientific conservation. Here George Perkins,Marsh and Dietrich Brandis were forefront for scientific movement. Thirdly there is wilderness idea. It is the conservation of wild species and wild animals. John Muir is of the opinon that 'nature had a right to be cared for regardless of anybody's bank balance and any counrries gposs national product. Aldo Lopold was in favour of maintaining diverse flora and fauna. There are three other envoronmentalist as Patrick Geddes who gave a ohrase 'carboniferous capitalism' for the dependence of industrial city  on fossil fuels and tremendous pollution. Lewis Mumford,american historian wished that society would restore three disturbed equilibrium: equilibrium between city and village;the equilibrium in population by balancing birth and death rates;the equilibrium between humans and nature. Radhachand Mukherjee social scientist insisted that any social group must be considered in relation to the interwoven chain of biotic communities. Second wave of environmentalism  was started from 1962. After world war II America wasknown as 'affluent society' the period was known as 'development decade' but here ecological constraint to economical growth was regarded irrevelent  so the period was known as 'ecological innocence'. After this phase, there is actual mass movement took place. It was stimulated by the book'Silent Spring' by Rachael Carson . It explained that there are intimate and essential relations between planta and plants;between plants and other plants;between plants and animals,that nature was in sum, an intricate web of life whose interwoven strands lead from microbes to man. In America there is wilderness movement known as 'Deep Ecology',then there is German green movement,Narmada bachao andolan and chipko'hug a tree' movement in India. In Thailand,there is ordination ceremony to protest forests. In Nigeria, movement fof survival of ogoni people and territories. In Kenya,Green belt movement. In Brazil,AGAPAN environmental initiative and chico mendes labour organiser promoted ecolgy and justice. Lastly it gives about international organisation such as world wildlife fund [WWF] in assisi and UNCED held at stokholm in 1972 and at Rio de janero in 1992.
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The forefront of ethics is here. In "Back to Earth", philosopher Anthony Weston digs to the core of why modern western humans feel disconnected from the environment - the heart of current ecological and social calamities.

We are in the environmental movement - many would call the current portion of it the "climate movement". Changes will continue to take place until humans and non-humans can coexist in healthy reciprocating community. We will see more destruction before we see more solutions. But this seminal text delivers the basis for a reframing of our language, actions and minds that WILL be a part of the most meaningful solutions.
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Production, Growth, and the Environment by William L. Weber provides a fresh and interesting approach to environmental economics.  The text level is an advanced undergraduate or introductory graduate course in environmental economics.  Students deficient in basic economic theory will find the second chapter on the tools of microeconomics and the third chapter on indicators of environmental well- being most helpful.  Professor Weber does a good job explaining the basic conflict between economic growth and environmental quality while integrating a variety of diverse views without sacrificing economic rigor.  Chapter 6 on Estimating Environmental Performance using data envelopment analysis is a particularly strong chapter.  In the chapter, Professor Weber illustrates how the solver routine in Excel can be used estimate technical efficiency in a DEA environmental problem.  The book is well written, includes a wealth of information and the most complete bibliography found in environmental economics textbooks targeted at a similar audience.  I give this book my highest recommendation.
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Adam Werbach is an interesting author, and his new book&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Strategy-for-Sustainability-A-Business-Manifesto/dp/142217770X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Strategy for Sustainability: A Business Manifesto</a>&nbsp;is going to raise some eyebrows, not just in the corporate world, but in the camp of the environmentalists as well.

When just 23 years old, Werbach was elected as the national president of the Sierra Club, and in 1996 he was the youngest-ever to have achieved such an honor. The following year, while still president of the Sierra Club, the environmental activist wrote&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Act-Now-Apologize-Later/dp/0060175508/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Act Now, Apologize Later</a>, which had mixed reviews from many sides. Then in 2004, Werbach presented a controversial speech at the Commonwealth Club of California frequently referred to as "Is Environmentalism Dead?" in which he suggested that advances in environmentalism had stalled, due to outmoded thinking and planning. He openly urged the environmental organizations to take a different approach by linking environmental objectives with other broadly based economic and social goals.

Author Werbach's new book has expanded on the concepts of that speech, giving clear examples of how sustainability is the only logical business strategy worth practicing, and he explains how companies can profit from this critical mission. And he writes with some authority, as an elected member of the board of Greenpeace and an advisor to corporations and nonprofits globally, such as Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, Cisco, General Mills, and others. Werbach is probably the leading voice on issues that tie the needs of the environment and long-term sustainability to those of business.

Some of the sustainability examples given throughout the book will surprise many readers, and what these companies are doing sheds light on the book's practical structure for change. In today's business world, any approach without sustainability as its mainstay is reckless: it's bad for business, for employees, for consumers, for investors, and bad for the environment. There are many positive cases in point offered, along with some glaringly negative examples, such as recently bankrupt Circuit City.

Werbach's book illustrates how sustainability can be and now is a competitive tactical advantage, and how building it into the foundation of a business may be the only process to make certain that ones company will survive and even prosper in our changing world. This is a good 4-star read, even for those not generally interested in business books.

6/25/2009
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This is the clearest exposition yet of participatory economics,
an alternative to captitalism, market socialism, and
Soviet-style central planning. The participatory economics
model was developed by Michael Albert in collaboration
with Robin Hahnel. I would recommend reading this book
with Hahnel's recent book, The ABCs of Political Economy,
which provides a more in-depth critique of mainstream
pro-market economics.
Instead of allocation by how much
power or bargaining clout you have -- which is how markets
really work (forget about mainstream propaganda
about markets as "efficiency machines"!) --
participatory economics is based on the idea of
self-management -- each is to have a say over economic
decisions in proportion to how much they are impacted.
Governance by corporations and the state is replaced
by democratic worker and neighborhood organizations.
The market is replaced by participatory planning -- the
creation of a comprehensive agenda for production by
the direct input of requests
for work and consumption outcomes by individuals and
groups, and a back and forth process of negotiation.
Intead of elite planners, as in Soviet-style central
planning, we all would craft the economic plan.
In the process of individuals and groups evaluating
possible outcomes, the planning system takes account
of consumer and worker preferences, thus giving measures
of social benefits and costs. As each production group
approximates to the average social cost/benefit, waste
is avoided. The overall structure is designed to support
the tendencies in human nature towards solidarity and
cooperation, as opposed to the market, which imposes
a regime where "nice guys finish last."
Parecon has a particularly elegant solution to the
problem of under-production of collective goods,
and over-production of negative external effects,
like pollution, which are widespread and destructive
effects of markets.
Little is said about how such an economic framework
would come about. Albert thinks that having a good
vision of where we want to go is important to motivating
the kinds of mass movements that would be needed to
bring about such a change.
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A fascinating description of the history of our species from the time we started processing symbolic information until the present. Yuval identifies three stages in our emergence as the dominant species on Earth: 1) the Cognitive Revolution, 2) the Agricultural Revolution, and finally, 3) the Scientific Revolution. Along with the description of the changes brought about during these three periods, he also describes the potential for further changes as we continue our path.
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This book is a relation written by three most imprtant economists in the world, Stiglitz, Sen and Fitoussi.
The metrics, able to explicate the role in the job of a mass of workers, can be difficult to be studied by a statistical view. An important reference is the compatibility with the environment.
These parameters are apted to give a good measure of the job conditions.
An important part of this book is the relation between the GDP and the individual welfare. It exists a common perception that they are correlated, but it isn't true in the reallity.
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The "blank slate" view of human nature has vanished from cutting-edge social science. It has been replaced by the view that humans are identically endowed with evolved cognitive modules; that those modules respond to environmental cues; and that behavioral differences across populations are simply due to different environments. Biology has been introduced into the discourse, but the prevailing view still maintains that human populations do not vary from each other in their genome--the current assumption is that human adaptive evolution stopped 50,000 years ago, with the last major migration out of Africa.

But, as Cochran and Harpending point out, two factors suggest that human evolution has actually accelerated, especially over the last 10,000 years: first, the increasing size of populations increases the number of mutations available for selection; and second, the migration into extremely varied habitats, as well as the changes in diet and social organization associated with agriculture, have created new environments to which humans must adapt. For example, the grindingly hard work of agriculture would give a selective advantage to genes for endurance, rather than genes for sharp bursts of speed (which would be advantageous for hunters). One can therefore reasonably expect many genomic differences between populations, especially between populations of foragers and populations with a long history of farming.

The authors are able to ground most of their speculations in data from the many genomic studies of the past decade. And though much of what they say has already been published (and summarized in places such as the GeneExpression blog), the book puts it all together in a very readable and convincing way. Parts of the book are really exciting--I was particularly impressed by their persuasive argument that introgression of genes from archaic humans may have accounted for the Upper Paleolithic revolution.
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This is a readable and effective study of the role William Douglas played in mid-century environmental conservation, in large part while he was on the bench of the Supreme Court.  More than that, though, this book provides a well-written view of changing passions for nature's open spaces from before WWII through the birth of the modern environmental movement by the 1970s.  Douglas is not an entirely sympathetic character--he comes across as gruff, difficult to get along with, probably a bit irascible--but Sowards does a nice job of identifying these character traits. He then uses most of the book to explain how the Justice took the imprint of his childhood backyard in Washington State and expressed it through a consistent lifelong passion for trails and parks and mountains across America.  (As someone from the mid-Atlantic who has walked parts of the C&O Canal trail many times, I was most interested to learn about the role Douglas played in protecting that trail from development.) Readers will learn about how Justice Douglas worked to conserve those spaces for the future through his personal advocacy and through his support on the bench for the rise of new environmental legislation into the 1970s. I'd say this book does what most good histories do, which is to bring a broader awareness of past figures and decisions to light. And in a clear and effective way.
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It may come as a surprise to many who first encounter this book that the science of ecology might have anything to contribute to philosophy in general -- this, despite the fact that popular notions of ecology are in the forefront of the search for new directions, be they in the guise of  the "Deep Ecology" of Arne Naess, or the "Web of Life" advanced by Frijthof Capra. But scientific perspectives unique to ecology are arising, and making connections between ecological outlooks and how nature generally is perceived is the primary goal of this book -- as stated in its subtitle.
 No dominant ecological perspective has yet emerged, but Keller and Golley do an excellent job of sampling the various issues. For example, Part One includes five papers that take sides on whether one should emphasize the entities in ecosystems (the Eleatic approach) or concentrate on the processes that are occurring (the Milesian stance.) Part Three presents the debate between the rational and the empirical approaches to ecology; Part Four between reductionism and holism; and the final section gives consideration to what ties (if any) should exist between contemporary evolutionary theory and ecosystems science.
 I have used the volume (in early manuscript form) as the primary text for a graduate seminar I taught last year on "Philosophical Issues in Ecology" at the University of Maryland. Most students in the seminar were amazed to discover that philosophical issues have a history within the scientific practice of ecology, and they found the chapters of the book to be well- chosen illustrations of the various attitudes now vying for a permanent place in the evolving philosophy of ecology.
 I was quite impressed by how the editors were able to winnow down the component papers to their most essential elements and by how the publisher was able to put this volume on the street at a price that is affordable to the typical graduate student. I foresee a significant potential for this compendium as a textbook and as a catalyst for initiating productive debate on issues that address not only ancient philosophical abstractions, but affect our attitudes towards urgent contemporary problems as well.
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The Nature of Business is the future of business. Capitalism gone awry has forced businesses everywhere to make unconscious and unsustainable supply chain and operations decisions just to stay afloat. Unfortunately these business decisions have led to a materialist, over stimulated and disease prone society. As a result there is an alarming increase of stress, depression, and psychosomatic conditions particularly among younger generations. Fortunately, The Nature of Business provides us with the balance we so desperately need.

Hutchins provides examples of a plethora of businesses which have unlocked nature's secrets to achieve triple bottom line prosperity.  In so doing, Hutchins forms a clear and compelling case to change our ways not just because we need to but because it makes business sense. It is truly inspiring to explore how soil composition and the way leaves form a "carpet" on a forest floor can catalyze a more intelligent approach to business. However, Hutchins' most resonating message is the incentive that comes from applying natures' principles to business principles; conscious business practice encourages individual well-being and supports a harmonious society.
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Meticulously researched and entertainingly written, The Disposable Male traces human behavior back to the big bang and explains why we are the way we are.  It suggests that the promotion of equality between two groups (in this case the sexes) does not have to promote sameness, but rather, can seek parity while respecting natural, symbiotic differences.

In fact, not respecting these evolutionary differences dishonors both groups and upsets the yin/yang nature of feminine and masculine energies.  The Disposable Male describes the relationship between this energy imbalance and some of modern society's problems and frustrations.

On a broader level, this book discusses basic natural laws and is much more than another relationship manual.  Its basic premise of respect for differences can be applied to interactions between any groups of people (not just men and women) as well as to homo sapien's relationship with the environment and other species--upsetting Mother Nature can lead to unpleasant consequences.

Therefore, The Disposable Male is a must read for any member of the human race regardless of gender, national origin, sexual orinetation, religion or any of the other ways we have found to categorize what the universe has created.
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This is for the most part a survey-type work, which first of all gives a review of macro economic history in light of Marx's "Capital", and then summarizes the views of several economists from about 1900 to the present.  The more important part of the work, in my opinion, is the later part, in which the author voices his concern about the environmental challenges to the planet, and brings forward a long list of economic and social suggestions culled from the works of current economists -- adding a few of his own.  The meditations on "what do we do now" are useful even for those readers who may flinch from the Marxist analyses and occasional anti-U.S. rant (after all, those are commonplace, no? -- no need to overreact -- ).  One curious thing is that while the author bills the work as "coming from a Chinese perspective" -- the opinions given are quite mainstream western "left", except for a few quotes from Chinese classics (and those are great).  For a wider readership in the west, the English translation will need some first-aid, but I look forward to this having been done in the second iteration.
  Regarding the environmental challenges facing the world today, which monopolistic capitalism is thus far not addressing, these are concerns that every intelligent citizen (of all our countries) should be worried about, debating, and searching for solutions to.  It is in this area that Dr. Lee's book makes a praiseworthy contribution.
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An excellent synthesis of ecological history and the art and science of ag land management -- all written from the perspective of "sustainable living" (living within the limits of our global ecosystems).  In this book, Mr. Shepherd outlines the foundation of a "new agriculture" which will necessarily be adopted by progressive (or surviving) farmers to prevent collapse of their farming systems.  As an ecologist and an anthropologist who happens to own a farm in the Midwest, I've independently come to the same conclusion as Mr. Shepherd: Our current farming methods are highly unsustainable and will result in ecological and economic collapse if not reversed.  Shepherd goes further in his book by laying out the foundations for a new agriculture for the Midwest (and elsewhere), one whose methods turn agriculture on its head by rebuilding soil, replenishing aquifers, and relying on renewable instead of non-renewable inputs.  In a nutshell: Our current methods essentially mine and sterilze the soil.  Shepherd, a trained forester, encourages farmers to focus on long term ecological health and productivity instead of corporate farm profit-driven productivity based on annual crops and petrochemicals.