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Economic Growth as the Limiting Factor for Wildlife Conservation

Economic Growth as the Limiting Factor for Wildlife Conservation. Including Considerations of Technological Progress. This presentation is based on:

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Economic Growth as the Limiting Factor for Wildlife Conservation

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  1. Economic Growth as the Limiting Factor for Wildlife Conservation Including Considerations of Technological Progress

  2. This presentation is based on: Czech, B. 2000. Shoveling Fuel For A Runaway Train: Errant Economists, Shameful Spenders, And A Plan To Stop Them All. University of California Press, Berkeley. Czech, B. 2000. Economic growth as the limiting factor for wildlife conservation. Wildlife Society Bulletin 28(1):4-14. Czech, B., P. R. Krausman, and P. K. Devers. 2000. Economic associations among causes of species endangerment in the United States. BioScience 50(7):593-601. Czech, B., and P. R. Krausman. 2001. The Endangered Species Act: History, Conservation Biology, and Public Policy. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD. Compliments of Brian Czech Based largely on: Czech, B. 2000. Shoveling Fuel For A Runaway Train: Errant Economists, Shameful Spenders, And A Plan To Stop Them All. University of California Press, Berkeley. Czech, B., and P. R. Krausman. 2001. The Endangered Species Act: History, Conservation Biology, and Public Policy. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD. Czech, B. 2000. Economic growth as the limiting factor for wildlife conservation. Wildlife Society Bulletin 28(1):4-14. Czech, B., P. R. Krausman, and P. K. Devers. 2000. Economic associations among causes of species endangerment in the United States. BioScience 50(7):593-601. Czech, B. Economic growth, technological progress, and biodiversity conservation. Under Review.

  3. 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

  4. The Theoretical Framework

  5. K Natural capital allocated to wildlife GNP Natural capital allocated to human economy Time Czech, B. 2000. Economic growth as the limiting factor for wildlife conservation. Wildlife Society Bulletin 28(1):4-14.

  6. PDF files for these articles available at The Wildlife Society website: www.wildlife.org. (Follow links to Wildlife Society Bulletin.)

  7. Some Empirical Evidence: Causes of Species Endangerment as a “Who’s Who” of the American Economy

  8. Urbanization Agriculture Water diversions (e.g., reservoirs) Recreation, tourism development Pollution Domestic livestock, ranching 247 205 160 148 143 136 Endangerment Causes Czech et al. 2000. Bioscience 50(7):593-601.

  9. Mineral, gas, oil extraction Non-native species Harvest Modified fire regimes Road construction/maintenance Industrial development 134 115 101 83 83 81 Causes (cont.) Czech et al. 2000. Bioscience 50(7):593-601.

  10. Making sense of the Who’s Who with Trophic Theory

  11. Economy of Nature Super- Carnivores Service Providers Consumers Producers (i.e., plants)

  12. Human Economy Light manufacturing Heavy manufacturing Service Sectors Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction)

  13. Human-inclusive Economy of Nature Humans Service Providers Animals Plants

  14. With Economic Growth Human Economy Service Providers Animals Plants

  15. Basic Population Dynamics

  16. Carrying Capacity Scenarios K K-selection Individuals r-selection Time

  17. K and r-selected Species

  18. Economic Carrying Capacity K K-selection GNP r-selection Time

  19. K and r-selected Economies

  20. American GNP, 1929-1997 K or r-selected?

  21. But, for the sake of wildlife conservation, it’s not enough to hope we’re a K-selected economy.

  22. Wildlife Conservation and Steady State Economy K To conserve wildlife... GNP ...maintain steady state economy sufficiently below K. Time

  23. But what about Technological Progress?

  24. Technological Progress Vernacular: invention, innovation Technical: increasing productive efficiency resulting from invention and innovation

  25. Natural Capital Allocation Revisited KU X natural capital allocable KT Natural capital allocated to non-human economy GNP Natural capital allocated to human economy Time

  26. The Big Hope KU X natural capital remains allocable K2 X/2 conserved K1 Economic growth with technology level 2 GNP Economic growth with technology level 1 Time

  27. “Yes” Physiocrats Classical economists Ecological economists Ecologists “No” Neoclassical economists Corporations Politicians The Great Debate: Is There a Limit?

  28. Substitutability of resources Increasing productive efficiency Increasing human capital Why would there not be a limit?

  29. White Pine, “Big Wheel”

  30. Substituting for white pine, employing more efficient technology.

  31. Sitka Spruce, Timbco 435 “Feller Buncher”

  32. Carrying capacity Thermodynamics Trophic levels Why would there be a limit?

  33. Carrying Capacity Consumers Products Byproducts

  34. Thermodynamics Fixed amount of matter Entropy Fixed amount of energy

  35. Another look at trophic levels, this time in light of thermodynamics.

  36. Economy of Nature Biomass/100 Service Providers Biomass/10 Biomass

  37. Human Economy Light manufacturing Heavy manufacturing Service Sectors Producers (i.e., agriculture, extraction)

  38. Clear to All Without technological progress, GNP limited GNP growth faster than technological progress = trouble

  39. Unclear to Many Technological progress: raising the bar or accelerating the approach? Does technological progress occur without increased consumption?

  40. Consider the Sources Research and development Corporate profit Economies of scale

  41. One More Look at Allocation KU X natural capital allocable KT Natural capital allocated to non-human economy GNP Natural capital allocated to human economy Time

  42. Remember the Big Hope? KU X natural capital remains allocable K2 X/2 conserved K1 Economic growth with technology level 2 GNP Economic growth with technology level 1 Time

  43. The Apparent Reality KU X/2 natural capital allocable K2 X/2 converted K1 GNP Economic growth with technology level 2 Economic growth with technology level 1 Time

  44. Red Herring Alert! Red Herring Alert! Red Herring Alert!

  45. The “Information” Economy But just ask 2 questions: What is the information used for? How does one come to afford the information?

  46. To say that an economy may grow perpetually on a finite land mass is to say that a stable economy may occupy a perpetually diminishing land mass! Fallacy Buster

  47. $ $ = $ $

  48. RealQuestions What is the limit? How do we know when we’re approaching the limit? What do we do to prevent breaching the limit?

  49. And yet we hear: “Some people just don’t get it. There is no conflict between economic growth and environmental protection!” Why do they persist?

  50. Iron Triangle Politicians Neoclassical Economists Economic Policy Table Corporations

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