The Steady State Economy and the Mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

1
The Steady State Revolution
For National Security and International Stability
2

• Outline
• Economic growth vs. biodiversity conservation
• Biodiversity conservation and human welfare
• Technological progress
• Iron triangle
• Steady State Revolution

3
Economic Growth v. Biodiversity Conservation
4
Endangerment Causes

• Urbanization
• Agriculture
• Water diversions (e.g., reservoirs)
• Recreation, tourism development
• Pollution
• Domestic livestock, ranching

• 247
• 205
• 160
• 148
• 143
• 136

Czech et al. 2000. Bioscience 50(7)593-601.
5
Causes (cont.)

• Mineral, gas, oil extraction
• Non-native species
• Harvest
• Modified fire regimes
• Road construction/maintenance
• Industrial development

• 134
• 115
• 101
• 83
• 83
• 81

Czech et al. 2000. Bioscience 50(7)593-601.
6

• Economic Growth
• an increase in the production and consumption of
  goods and services
• typically expressed in terms of GDP
• facilitated by increasing
• population
• per capita consumption

7
K
Natural capital allocated to economy of nature
GDP
Natural capital allocated to human economy
Time
8
Economy of Nature
Super- Carnivores
Service
Providers
Consumers
Producers (i.e., plants)
9
Human Economy
Light manufacturing
Heavy manufacturing
Service
Sectors
Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction)
10
Human-inclusive Economy of Nature
Humans
Service
Providers
Animals
Plants
11
With Economic Growth
Human Economy
Service
Providers
Animals
Plants
12
PDF files for these articles available at The
Wildlife Society website www.wildlife.org
13
ESA Listings and GDP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
R2 98.4
1973 1980 1990 2001
14
Carrying Capacity Scenarios
K
K-selection
Individuals
r-selection
Time
15
K and r-selected Species
16
Economic Carrying Capacity
K
K-selection
GDP
r-selection
Time
17
K and r-selected Economies
18
American GNP, 1929-1997
19
Biodiversity Conservation and Steady State
Economy
K
To conserve biodiversity ...
GDP
...maintain steady state economy below K.
Time
20
Biodiversity and Human Welfare
21

• Biodiverse Goods
• Food
• Fiber
• Medicine
• Genetic stocks
• Experimental subjects

22

• Biodiverse Services
• Atmospheric regulation
• Water provision and purification
• Pollination
• Waste disposal
• Aesthetic pleasure

23

• How important is biodiversity?
• Pending paper by Costanza et al. will estimate
  value of worlds biodiversity at 6 trillion
  dollars per annum one sixth GGP
• Key component of natural capital
• Natural capital the foundation of economic
  security

24
We Might Ask
K
What happens here?
Economy of nature
GGP
Human economy
25
But what about technological progress?
26

• Technological Progress
• Vernacular invention, innovation
• Technical increasing productive efficiency
  resulting from invention and innovation

27
KU
X natural capital allocable
KT
Natural capital allocated to non-human economy
GDP
Natural capital allocated to human economy
Time
 
28
KU
X natural capital allocable
K2
 
X/2 conserved  
K1
Economic growth with technology level 2
GDP
Economic growth with technology level 1
Time
 
29

• Consider the Sources
• Research and development
• Corporate profit
• Economies of scale

30
KU
X/2 natural capital allocable
K2
X/2 converted  
K1
GDP
Economic growth with technology level 2
Economic growth with technology level 1
Time
 
 
31
The Great Debate Is There a Limit?

• Yes
• Physiocrats
• Classical economists
• Ecological economists
• Ecologists

• No
• Neoclassical economists
• Corporations
• Politicians

32





33
Red Herring Alert!!!

• The Information Economy

• What is the information used for?
• How does one come to afford the information?

34
And yet we hear

• Some people just dont get it. There is no
  conflict between economic growth and
  environmental protection!

Why do they persist?
35
Iron Triangle
36
Iron Triangle
Political Faction
Professional Society
Policy Table
Special Interest
37
Iron Triangle
Politicians
Neoclassical Economists
Economic Policy Table
Corporations
38
What can we do?
39
Steady State Revolution!
40

• Goals
• Replace national goal of economic growth with
  national goal of steady state economy.
• Replace bloating economy with steady state
  economy.

41
Revolutions

•  
• Magnitude of change
• Pace of change
• When evolution wont cut it
• Evolution combined with revolt

42
Steady State Revolution

• Academic, social
• Peaceable, not pacifistic
• Models
• abolition of child labor
• reduction of smoking

43
Academic Phase

• Replacement of neoclassical economic growth
  theory
• Refocusing of curricula
• More public outreach

44
Social Phase

• Economic growth reconstructed as economic
  bloating
• Dollar spent is dollar burned
• Castigation of the liquidating class

45
Class Structure of the Steady State Revolution

•  Liquidating class
• Steady state class
• Amorphic class

46
Consumption Classes
Expenditures
Percentile 80 99 100

47
Consumption Classes
Liquidating Class
Expenditures
Percentile 80 99 100

48
Consumption Classes
Liquidating Class
Expenditures
Steady State Class
Percentile 80 99 100

49
Consumption Classes
Liquidating Class
Expenditures
Amorphic Class
Steady State Class
Percentile 80 99 100

50
Liquidators
Amorphs
Steady Staters
51
Population
Liquidating Class
Amorphic Class
Steady State Class
52
Consumption
Liquidating Class
Amorphic Class
Steady State Class
53
Economic Rationale

• Trickle-down consumption
• Redistribution of wealth compensates for reduced
  per capita consumption
• Reduction of waste
• Leads toward steady state economy

54
Consumption
Liquidators
Ecological Capacity
Amorphs
Most Steady Staters
PovertyLine
Some Steady Staters
55
Trickle-down Consumption
Liquidators
Ecological Capacity
Amorphs
Liquidators Amorphs Steady Staters
Most Steady Staters
PovertyLine
Some Steady Staters
56
Political Rationale

• No everyone revolt against everybody
• Taps into predisposition
• Readily identifiable classes

57
Psychological Rationale

• Darwin, Veblen, Maslow
• Cure for liquidator syndrome
• Ratcheting effect toward sustainable ideology

58
Maslows Hierarchy

1. Food
2. Security
3. Love, affection, reproduction
4. Self-esteem
5. Self-actualization

59
Sociopolitical Rationale

• Ideological horse before the public policy cart
• Supplementary to policy prescriptions
• Replaces politicians, not system

60
Ethics I

• Equity (current, intergenerational)
• Consistent with religions Buddhist, Christian,
  Hindu, Islamic, Judaic
• Devil in the details of castigation
• Tolerance overrated

61
Ethics II

• Why do they hate Americans?
• Its the economy, stupid!
• Conspicuous consumption not everything, but
  major thing
• SSR beats violent alternatives
• Speaking truth to power

62
K
The End
GDP
Time