Joint Production And Responsibility in Ecological Economics: On the Foundations of Environmental Policy (Advances in Ecological Economics)

This groundbreaking book takes a fresh look at how environmental problems emerge from economic activity and how they may be addressed in a responsible and sustainable manner. At its centre is the concept of joint production. This captures the phenomenon whereby several effects necessarily emerge from one activity and whereby human action always entails unintended consequences. This, according to the authors, is the structural cause behind modern-day environmental problems. Combining concepts and methods from philosophy of science, systems theory, thermodynamics, economics and ethics in a truly interdisciplinary manner, the authors convincingly argue that the joint-production perspective has fundamental and far-reaching implications for the valuation of economic goods, the dynamic analysis of economy-environment interactions, and the accumulation of stocks in ecological-economic systems. Complementing the joint-production perspective with the ethical notion of responsibility, the authors develop principles of sustainable environmental policy, and give philosophical support to the precautionary principle. Four extensive case studies illustrate and deepen the approach.With a wide range of analysis and case studies, this book will be of great interest to researchers and students in ecological economics, environmental and resource economics, environmental policy and regulation, environmental valuation, as well as environmental ethics and responsibility. 1. Introduction : Joint Production And Ecological Economics / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller, Harald Dyckhoff And John Proops -- Pt. I. Conceptual Foundations -- 2. Conceptualising Joint Production -- 3. Thermodynamics Of Joint Production / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller, John Proops And Jakob De Swaan Arons -- 4. Joint Production, Stocks, And Dynamics -- 5. Joint Production And The Dynamics Of Environmental Problems -- Pt. Ii. Economics -- 6. Joint Production In The History Of Economic Thought -- 7. Joint Production And The Philosophy Of Economics -- 8. Ambivalence Of Joint Outputs -- 9. The Investment Decision Under Joint Production / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller And John Proops -- 10. Structural Change Under Joint Production / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller And Ralph Winkler -- Pt. Iii. Ethics -- 11. The Concept Of Responsibility / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller And Thomas Petersen -- 12. Joint Production, Knowledge, And Responsibility / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller And Thomas Petersen -- 13. Individual And Collective Responsibility / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller And Thomas Petersen -- 14. Responsibility In Politics And In The Economy / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller And Thomas Petersen -- Pt. Iv. Case Studies -- 15. Waste Paper : Price Ambivalence / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller And Ralph Winkler -- 16. Chlorine : Innovation And Industrial Evolution / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller, Frank Jost And Georg Muller-furstenberger -- 17. Cement : Stock Dynamics And Complexity / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller And Eva Kiesele -- 18. Sulphuric Acid : Joint Externalities / Stefan Baumgartner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller, Frank Jost And Georg Muller-furstenberger -- 19. Conclusions And Perspectives. Stefan Baumgärtner, Malte Faber, Johannes Schiller. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 347-371) And Index.