Principles of Ecology: Economics as Human Ecology

1. Principles of Ecology:Economics as Human Ecology Lecture I November 4, 2010 Karl Seeley, PhD Hartwick College, Oneonta NY

2. Ecology and economics • Share the root “oikos”—household • But with “nomos”—arranging, regulating, rather than “logos”—study of • Double mission • Giving advice on how to manage our regional, national, and global “households” • That advice had better be based on a useful study of how those households work

3. Mutual influence • Long history of intellectual sharing • Malthus  Darwin  Social Darwinism • Sociobiology • “Status” is acquired in the economy, driven by breeding • Law and Economics • Social evolutionary forces shape laws in the direction of economically useful rules • “Economic” behavior of species • Feeding strategies maximize the benefit, given the risk-adjusted cost

4. Origins of economics • Economics started as social description and as “worldly philosophy” • Adam Smith first a moral philosopher • Thomas Malthus wanted to explain poverty • Marx motivated by perceived injustice of contemporary economy http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/poli/current/ug/modules/marx.html http://jacusers.johnabbott.qc.ca/~bill.russell/Who%20is%20Who.html

5. Mathematization • Late 19th century, attempt at rigor • Adopting mathematical approach of contemporary energetics • Useful gains, but also nonsense • Workhorse of modern theoretical macro: • Maximizing the present value of discounted utility over time by choosing the proper path of consumption

6. Problematic approach • In physics, maximizing the integral of a flow has a meaning • Like water collecting in a bathtub • What do we accomplish by maximizing the integral of the (discounted) flow of my utility?

7. Problematic approach In physics, maximizing the integral of a flow has a meaning Like water collecting in a bathtub What do we accomplish by maximizing the integral of the (discounted) flow of my utility?

8. Problematic approach In physics, maximizing the integral of a flow has a meaning Like water collecting in a bathtub What do we accomplish by maximizing the integral of the (discounted) flow of my utility?

9. Problematic approach In physics, maximizing the integral of a flow has a meaning Like water collecting in a bathtub What do we accomplish by maximizing the integral of the (discounted) flow of my utility?

10. Utility across time • If utility = 1 this year and 10 next • How do I feel when it’s 10? • What if it’s 5 and then 10? • Or 10 and then 1? • Money from a previous period can help you in a time of no earnings • But what good is utility from an earlier time in your life • Does earlier suffering make you less happy now? • Or more happy?

11. Multiple sources of happiness • Standard approach focuses on consumption • It’s measurable • More or less • Intuitively, more consumption is better • But other things also matter • Correlated with consumption, sometimes in interesting ways

12. Ecological approach • The economy is the feeding behavior of our species • Supports the mating behavior of our species • Regulates our interaction with other species • Drives our use of inanimate resources • Economics is human ecology • Not the physics of human behavior

13. Economies and ecosystems • Human economy is part of global ecosystem • National economy not just part of ecosystem within the country • If there’s any significant trade, it’s part of global ecosystem as well • Economy obeys the rules of energy and matter flow • It can alter those flows • But it can’t defy physical reality

14. it’s the law! It’s not just a good idea … http://www.cafepress.com/barrysworld/1841371

15. Start with an ecosystem

16. Add humans

17. Add farming

18. Build economics on top

19. Add fossil fuel See how it changes the game

20. Economy-ecology connection How they’re like each other How they influence each other

21. Prairie http://www.springcreekforest.org/images/Buffalo-prairie-web2.jpg

22. http://www.fromdakota.com/Animals/animals.html

23. Birds of prey Birds Insects Rodents Bison Grass Dead grass All the animals get their energy from the grass Soil organisms The grass gets its energy from the sun Soil

24. Birds of prey Birds Insects Rodents Bison Grass Dead grass Every organism uses a lot of the energy it obtains for metabolic processes Soil organisms That energy leaves the system as waste heat Soil

25. Birds of prey Birds Insects Rodents Bison Grass Dead grass Soil organisms Major energy storage points within the system (Though every organism stores some) Millennia of stored energy here Soil (That’s part of why other organisms bother eating them)

26. Birds of prey All the solar energy captured by the grass is either used by organisms in the system or stored (or released by fire) Birds All the energy used by organisms or stored (or released by fire) started as solar energy captured by grass Insects Rodents Bison Grass Dead grass First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but only transformed There’s no free lunch Soil organisms Soil

27. Birds of prey The greatest amount of biomass is grass Birds There’s less of insects and rodents Less still of birds of prey Insects Rodents At each trophic level (eating stage of the food chain), energy is used metabolically, leaving less for the next level up Bison Grass Dead grass Second Law of Thermodynamics: Every transformation of energy converts some energy into waste heat You can’t even break even Soil organisms Soil

28. Deciduous forest http://sciencecastle.com/sc/app/webroot/img/articles/121.jpg http://botanicalgardens.acadiau.ca/habitats.html

29. Birds of prey Birds Small predators (e.g., foxes) Insects Trees Rodents Large predators Deer Understory Bears Soil organisms Soil

30. http://www.world-builders.org/lessons/less/biomes/deciduous/decweb.htmlhttp://www.world-builders.org/lessons/less/biomes/deciduous/decweb.html

31. Birds of prey Birds Small predators (e.g., foxes) Insects Trees Rodents Large predators Deer Understory Bears Soil organisms Major energy storage Soil Soil

32. Herbivore control Plant propagation Birds of prey Birds of prey Birds Birds Small predators (e.g., foxes) Small predators (e.g., foxes) Insects Trees Trees Rodents Rodents Large predators Large predators Deer Understory Bears Nutrient extraction Soil organisms Important functions Soil

33. Temperate rainforest http://www.runawaynow.com/2007/02/the-great-bear-rain-forest/

34. http://www.etravelphotos.com/photo.php?pid=2303

35. Birds of prey Birds Small predators (e.g., foxes) Insects Rodents Large predators Deer Understory Bears Soil organisms Soil

36. Birds of prey Birds Heavy rain Small predators (e.g., foxes) Insects Rodents Large predators Deer Understory Bears Soil organisms Nutrient leaching Soil

37. http://www.runawaynow.com/2007/02/the-great-bear-rain-forest/http://www.runawaynow.com/2007/02/the-great-bear-rain-forest/

38. Birds of prey Birds Heavy rain Small predators (e.g., foxes) Insects Insects Rodents Large predators Deer Understory Bears Bears Energy sources from far away (“outside” the ecosystem) can play crucial roles Salmon Soil organisms Soil organisms Nutrient return driven by solar energy collected at sea Nutrient leaching Soil Soil

39. Cave http://www.4896kj.com/journeying/category/langkawi/

40. http://theinfinitesphere.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.htmlhttp://theinfinitesphere.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html

41. Lots of things live in caves • Bats • Insects • Fish • There’s no sun • Where do they get their food (energy)? • The bats bring it in …

42. Troglobitic millipedes on bat guano http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_cressler/2769150169/

43. Lots of things live in caves • Bats • Insects • Fish • There’s no sun • Where do they get their food (energy)? • The bats bring it in … • … and poop it out • Caves are less abundant places

44. Antarctica What lives here? http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/global-warming-manmade.php

45. http://www.emperor-penguin.com/emperorrookery.html

46. http://greglasley.net/brskua.html http://www.white-desert.com/content/gallery/images/the-emperor-penguin-colony/chasing-of-a-hungry-skua.jpg

47. Unlike the cave, there is sun • But it provides almost no energy to the ecosystem • Too cold for plants that would capture it • What’s the energy source?

48. http://i.abcnews.com/Technology/wireStory?id=4207827

49. Unlike the cave, there is sun • But it provides almost no energy to the ecosystem • Too cold for plants that would capture it • What’s the energy source? • Penguins feed in the ocean • Phytoplankton perform photosynthesis • Support food chain • Penguins store energy, bring it to the rookery

50. Arctic http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/hmrg/Arctic/random/arctic_sun.jpg