Bankrupting nature for the (temporary) wealth of nations

View Large Image | Download PowerPoint SlideBankrupting Nature is the product of a collaboration between Anders Wijkman, an environmental policy maker, former member of the European Parliament and vice president of the Club of Rome, and Johan Rockstrom, an environmental scientist and executive director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre. As a report to the Club of Rome, the perspective of the book should come as no surprise to individuals familiar with the focus of that group on the future of humanity and the biosphere. Written in clear, simple language that is readily accessible to a diverse audience of casual readers, natural and social scientists, policy makers, and politicians, Bankrupting Nature succeeds in providing a critical review of current socio-ecological problems, including climate change, population and resource limitation, and the behavioral and political challenges of confronting these problems.Bankrupting Nature excels in highlighting the complex relation between the environment and socio-economic activity. Unlike mainstream economic theories, the authors recognize that much of economics is both human ecology and behavior, and explicitly ties the population and economy of the world to the capacity of the planet to supply resources and assimilate wastes. In An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations [1xAn Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Adams, J. See all References][1], Adam Smith recognized how the economic, political, and military strength of a nation depends on access to, and utilization of, natural resources. Wijkman and Rockstrom remind us that all economies are embedded within the biosphere and show that growth in human population and economy is ‘bankrupting nature’, destroying the ecological systems of the biosphere and jeopardizing the wealth of nations. In contrast to many writings on ‘sustainability,’ they emphasize the global dimension of the problems and the need for major changes in cultural norms and political will to reverse these trajectories.The book is not without its weaknesses. Although it points out some complex interrelations between populations, resources, and economics, it fails to mention other related challenges to society. The authors dedicate chapters to climate change, food production, freshwater supply, and energy use, but give less attention to the threats of disease, social unrest, and warfare that might be triggered by population growth and resource scarcity.Most seriously, however, we question whether the authors’ presentation is sufficiently rigorous and well documented. With the exception of the sections on climate change, the treatment of the literature is inconsistent, largely superficial, and uncritical. Some important works are cited whereas others are not, and often Wijkman and Rockstrom repeat the conclusions of other research as though they were established facts and necessary consequences. For example, they write (p. 51), ‘Calculations show that the approximately 7,000 cubic kilometers (km3) of fresh water that are today used for food production will probably have to increase to more than 9,000 km3 by 2050 in order to feed a world population of nine billion people or more.’ Without a citation, the reader is effectively asked to accept this as fact, and is discouraged from learning more about the topic and its complexities. Similarly, the authors tout the merits of a ‘circular economy’ that reuses and recycles materials. There are good reasons for increasing resource-use efficiency in these ways, but they cite a study by the Stockholm Environment Institute (p. 168) as showing that, due to prolonged product life, use of lighter materials, and increased recycling, ‘CO2 emissions will fall by almost 30 percent for the sectors [of the Swedish economy] studied’ without presenting any supporting evidence as to how in theory or practice such reduction can be achieved.In summary, Bankrupting Nature calls attention to the magnitude and interconnectedness of some pressing problems facing humanity, recommends new perspectives and policies that could address them, and discusses changes in the behaviors of individuals, firms, and nations that will be required. These are complex issues at the intersections of ecology, behavior, economics, sociology, policy, and politics that are examined in several recent books, such as Bardi's The Limits to Growth Revisited [2xThe Limits to Growth Revisited. Bardi, U. CrossRefSee all References][2], Dilworth's Too Smart for Our Own Good [3xToo Smart for our own Good: The Ecological Predicament of Humankind. Dilworth, C. CrossRefSee all References][3], Hall and Klitgaard's Energy and the Wealth of Nations [4xEnergy and the Wealth of Nations: Understanding the Biophysical Economy. Hall, C.A.S. and Klitgaard, K.A. See all References][4], Hengeveld's Wasted World [5xWasted World: How our Consumption Challenges the Planet. Henvebeld, R. See all References][5], Jackson's Prosperity Without Growth [6xProsperity without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet. Jackson, T. See all References][6], Klare's The Race for What's Left [7xThe Race for What's Left: The Global Scramble for the World's Last Resources. Klare, M.T. See all References][7], Smil's Energy in Nature and Society [8xEnergy in Nature and Society: General Energetics of Complex Systems. Smil, V. See all References][8], and now Bankrupting Nature. Although Bankrupting Nature has its shortcomings, we agree with Wijkman and Rockstrom's concluding statement: ‘What is needed is nothing less than a revolution, both in attitudes and in social and economic organization.’