In the classic essay “The Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth”, the renowned British economist K. Boulding (1966) compared the economy’s conventional vision with that of a “cowboy economy”. The old time cowboy always had another `frontier’ or a place to move to when resources were exhausted. The earth was a place with open spaces without borders and unlimited … [Read more...] about Beyond the cowboy economy: towards natural capital accounting
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Life in syntropy: breaking the paradigm of modern agriculture?
In our quest to boost agriculture in order to ensure food security for an ever increasing global population as well as mass production of cheap animal feedstocks, we seem to be forgetting or overlooking some basic concepts of sustainable use of our natural capital. As pointed out in his book "Dirt - The Erosion of Civilizations", American geologist David R. Montgomery … [Read more...] about Life in syntropy: breaking the paradigm of modern agriculture?
Project Evaluation and the Role of Discount Rate
On the role of discount rates when evaluating infrastructure projects, and what happens when a project’s benefits – environmental or those positively affecting a region’s natural capital – come about in the long term. In an unprecedented act of generosity, and in order to promote reading the blog, the undersigned have collected all we had in our pockets to give it away to the … [Read more...] about Project Evaluation and the Role of Discount Rate
What is holding back the private sector from natural capital investments?
The private sector has an important role to play in improving management of natural capital. The scale of financing needed to address climate change and other environmental challenges requires private sector involvement. A lot of good work has already been done by the private sector and the IDB itself supports private sector investment in natural capital. However, despite … [Read more...] about What is holding back the private sector from natural capital investments?
The Tilapia Wars
At the tip of my running shoe, lying in the dirt, is an empty, crushed, shotgun shell; then another one; and there, in the shrubs, again. I register the fact, but it's too hot, in the sizzling late morning Caribbean sun, to think much about it, busy as I am taking notes, keeping out of trouble and looking for shade. I just wondered for a split second what kind of game people … [Read more...] about The Tilapia Wars