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Resources:

Assessment

Commons

Ecological economics

Education & research 

Energy

            Government

            Health

History

Introducing ecological economics

Organizations

Speakers  

            Strategy

Sustainable living

Sustainable living in Indiana

Urban design & regional planning

Volunteers

Introducing ecological economics

Listed in rough sequence from basic to advanced. Accessibility is considered as well.

Two World Views: Ecological Economics vs. Environmental Economics.  post-autistic economics network’s website  http://www.paecon.net/TwoWorldViews.htm

Global Footprint Network.  http://www.footprintnetwork.org/

Frequently asked questions. Website of Center for Advancement of a Steady State Economy  http://www.steadystate.org/FAQ.html

Earth Economics.  www.eartheconomics.org  

At What Cost? Ecological economist Robert Costanza puts a price tag on nature.  Lissa Harris (2003, April 8)Grist Magazine. Distinct from the cost-benefit analyses that misleadingly justify seriously harmful projects. 

http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2003/04/08/what/

Visions, Values, Valuation, and the Need for an Ecological Economics.  Robert Costanza (2001).  BioScience, 51 (6) 459-468.   http://www.uvm.edu/giee/ SNR_seminar/Readings/Costanza_2001_Bioscience.pdf

Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train: Errant Economists, Shameful Spenders, and a Plan to Stop them All.  Brian Czech (2000).  Berkeley: University of California Press.  http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9057.html

Policy Issue Briefs: Economic Growth and Development – A Briefing. Herman E. Daly (2005, March 4).  University of Maryland. United Sates Society for Ecological Economics’ website.  http://www.ussee.org/policy_briefs/

Economics in a Full World.  Herman Daly (2005, September).  Scientific American, 293 (3) 100-107 http://www.sciam.com/ article.cfm ?chanID=sa006& colID=1&articleID=000455EA-FE0B-1304-B72683414B7F0000

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Assessment

A Synopsis of Limits to Growth: The 30 Year Update.  A 24 page brief on major points raised in the book and the role of the system dynamics model, World3, as a tool for understanding the general behavior of our global systems. Website of Sustainability Institute http://sustainer.org/tools_resources/books.html#books

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Jared Diamond (2005). New York: Viking Press. http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,0_0143036556,00.html

Costanza Paper In Science: Investing In Environment Pays 100-1 Return.

Jeffrey R. Wakefield (2002, August 9).  University of Vermont’s website

http://www.uvm.edu/news/?Page=News&storyID=2805

Ecological Footprint Quiz.  Website of Global Footprint Network  http://www.myfootprint.org/

Ecosystem Valuation.  http://www.ecosystemvaluation.org/

Limits to Growth: The 30 Year Update.  Donella Meadows, Jorgen Randers, & Dennis Meadows (2004).  White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green.  http://chelseagreen.com/2004/items/ltgcdandbook       

Sustainability Indicators Program. Redefining Progress’ website  http://www.redefiningprogress.org/newprograms/sustIndi/index.shtml

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Commons

Defending the Commons.  Workshop Summary - Earth Economics. 2005 Conference for United States Society for Ecological Economics,

July 20-23, 2005.  Earth Economics’ Website  http://www.eartheconomics.org/ussee2005/documents/workshops/USSEE2005_EarthEconomics_Workshop.pdf

The Common Good.  Jonathon Rowe (2005, July/August).  Sierra, 90 (4): 54-57, 60.  http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200507/commongood.asp

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Ecological Economics

Bibliography of Steady State and Related Literature from Center for the Advancement of a Steady State Economy.  Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy’s website  http://www.steadystate.org/Publications.html

Ecological Economics: A Workbook For Problem-Based LearningJoshua Farley, Jon D. Erickson, & Herman E. Daly  (2005). Washington, DC: Island Press.  Not just for academics. Useful to advocates and environmentally conscientious entrepreneurs, especially chapter 8 about communicating results of projects and chapter 9 about leveraging change.  http://www.islandpress.org/books/detail.html/SKU/1-55963-313-1

Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications.  Herman E. Daly & Joshua Farley (2004).  Washington, DC: Island Press.  This text and its workbook are recommended to anyone serious about ecological economics.  http://www.islandpress.org/books/detail.html/SKU/1-55963-312-3

Ecological Economics: Theory, Method, Practice.  This is a blog.  http://forestpolicy.typepad.com/ecoecon/

Economic Dreams – Economic Nightmares.  This is a blog.  http://forestpolicy.typepad.com/economics/

Economics in a Full World.  Herman Daly (2005, September).  Scientific American, 293 (3) 100-107.  http://www.sciam.com/ article.cfm ?chanID=sa006& colID=1&articleID=000455EA-FE0B-1304-B72683414B7F0000

In My Opinion: The steady state economy—what it is, entails, and connotes.  Brian Czech and Herman E. Daly (2004).  Wildlife Society Bulletin, 32 (2): 598–605.  http://www.steadystate.org/files/SSE.pdf

Living Within Limits.  Peter Montague (2004, November 25).  Rachel's Environment & Health News [website], 805.  Rebuts denials of limits.  http://www.rachel.org/bulletin/index.cfm?issue_ID=2483

Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth.  Mathis Wackernagel, & William Rees  (1996).  Gabriola, BC Canada: New Society Publishers.  http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3663

Policy Issue Briefs: Economic Growth and Development – A Briefing.  Herman E. Daly (2005, March 4).  University of Maryland.  United States Society for Ecological Economics’ website  http://www.ussee.org/policy_briefs/

Scale: How Big is Too Big? Workshop Summary. 2005 Conference for United States Society for Ecological Economics. July 20-23, 2005. Earth Economics’ website  http://www.eartheconomics.org/ussee2005/documents/ workshops/ USSEE2005_Scale_Workshop.pdf

Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train: Errant Economists, Shameful Spenders, and a Plan to Stop them All.  Brian Czech  (2000).  Berkeley: University of California Press.  http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9057.html

            Visions, Values, Valuation, and the Need for an Ecological Economics.  Robert Costanza (2001).  BioScience,              51 (6) 459-468 http://www.uvm.edu/giee/ SNR_seminar/Readings/Costanza_2001_Bioscience.pdf

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Energy

 

For alternative energy to commonly be regarded as a cure all could serve to maintain the unsustainable degradation of our life support system, the Earth, no matter what resources are used. Thus, for alternative energy to be truly renewable it must be used in the context of a steady-state economy, instead of continuing uneconomic growth.

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The people at Campaign for Sustainable Economics feel that complimentary to pursuit of sustainability are concerns about dependency on energy from remote sources that tend to result in efforts to control energy coupled with militaristic strategies and conflicts.

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Energy policy must be linked to sustainability, instead of the status

 

The full ecological footprint must be considered in energy policy, even for so called “renewable energy” because given the unsustainable milieu (e.g., large and growing levels of population and consumption), even renewable energy can be unsustainable.

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Please ask for endorsements of steady-state economics (http://www.steadystate.org/PositiononEG.html).

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Biofuels for Oil Addicts: Cure Worse than The Addiction.  Mae-Wan Ho (2006, February 28). This report thoughtfully assesses costs of biofuels, but it falls short in assessing the costs of fossil fuels. Consider the negative externalities (including health problems from pollution and rapid climate destabilization), and numerous governmental subsidies to the fossil fuel industries (including expenditures on exploration, research and military). Other biofuels, such as hemp and miscanthus, might be superior to those critiqued in this press release. However, in the mean time disasters across the globe are at hand and others disasters are proliferating, so more important than research is emphasis on local, national and global transitions to a steady-state economy. In this transition locally produced biofuels (probably as biomass instead of liquid, if at all) and limiting the rate of usage of fossil fuels could be useful, if these two approaches can actually be used for transition to a steady-state economy. Website of Institute of Science in Society  http://www.isis.org.uk/BFOA.php

Bloomingpeak, Bloomington, IN. Bloomingpeak's aim is to bring the topic of future energy scarcity into public discussion.  http://bloomingpeak.org/

 

Culture Change.  www.culturechange.org

 

Energy and Dollar Costs of Ethanol Production with Corn. David Pimentel (1998, April). Hubbert Center Newsletter # 98/2. Website of M. King Hubbert Center for Petroleum Supply Studies http://hubbert.mines.edu/news/Pimentel_98-2.pdf

 

Sustainable Energy Forum. Note the resources at  http://www.beyondpeak.org/Resources.html http://www.beyondpeak.org/   

 

Writing about Peak Oil in local or regional papers. This is a template with the following major points:  1) Peak Oil may itself constitute the limiting factor for economic growth.  2) More importantly, if alternative energy sources are developed to an extent that would authorize continued economic growth, the very same sectors that currently operate (via oil) at the expense of biodiversity and ecological integrity will continue to do so (via alternative energy sources).  Thus, economic growth is identified as the real 800-pound gorilla in the domestic policy arena. Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy’s website  http://steadystate.org/Letters/LetterPeakOilEditorial.html

 

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Government

           

We at Campaign for Sustainable Economics feel that it is important to understand how corporations currently drive governments’ policies and know some options in democracy. 

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Ask your contacts to endorse steady state economics (http://www.steadystate.org/PositiononEG.html).

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            CorpWatch.  http://www.corpwatch.org/

 

Meet the Corporation: It has No Conscience. It’s Pathological. And It’s in Your Neighborhood. How can We Stop the Juggernaut?  Chris Warren (2005, September/October).  Sierra, 24-29.  http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200509/corporation.asp

 

Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy (POCLAD).  http://www.poclad.org/

 

            The Death of Common Sense: How Law Is Suffocating America.  Philip K. Howard (1994).  New York:

            Random House.

 

The Local Politics of Global SustainabilityThomas Prugh, Robert Costanza, & Herman Daly (2004).  Washington, DC: Island Press.

http://www.islandpress.org/books/detail.html?&SKU=1-55963-744-7&cart=%5Bcart%5D

           

When Corporations Rule the World David C. Korten (2001).

Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press.  http://www.pcdf.org/corprule/corporat.htm

 

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Health

 

Ecological Economics: A Workbook for Problem-Based Learning.  Joshua Farley, Jon D. Erickson, & Herman E. Daly (2005).  Washington, DC: Island Press. Ecological economics is transdisciplinary, including direct concern for health. This workbook lays the groundwork for doing research by solving real problems. http://www.islandpress.org/books/detail.html/SKU/1-55963-313-1

 

Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications.  Herman E. Daly, & Joshua Farley (2004).  Washington, DC: Island Press.  The authors propose proactive policies that could be conducive to a healthy environment. http://www.islandpress.org/books/detail.html/SKU/1-55963-313-1

 

Ecological Footprint Quiz. The EFQ’s focus on economic scale compliments the focus of the Genuine Progress Indicator on quality of life. After all we cannot sustain quality life without adequate quantities of ecosystem services. Website of Global Footprint Network  http://www.myfootprint.org/

 

Genuine Progress Indicator. The GPI takes some irony out of economics. Thus, unlike the Gross National Product, to shop until you drop and work yourself to death are both evaluated as costs to society. The GPI is appreciated for its standards on quality of life and its subtraction for some harm. Moreover, the Ecological Footprint Quiz is appreciated for consideration of economic scale; a sustainable scale of economic activity is important for sufficient resources for healthy living conditions. Redefining Progress’ website http://www.rprogress.org/newprograms/sustIndi/gpi/index.shtml

 

             Rachel's Environment & Health News http://www.rachel.org/

 

            Science and Environmental Health Network.  www.sehn.org

           

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History

 

Historical Context of Ecological Economics. Website of Earth Economics http://www.eartheconomics.org/ecolecon/ee_historical.html 

 

Old World Order: We Need A Modern Way To Recreate Religion's Respect For The Earth.  Karen Armstrong (2005, September 10).  The Guardian UK http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/printer_091505EA.shtml

 

The Early History of Ecological Economics and the International Society for Ecological Economics.  Robert Costanza (2003, April).  International Society for Ecological Economics’ Online Encyclopedia of Ecological Economics   http://www.ecoeco.org/publica/encyc_entries/Costanza.doc

 

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Organizations

 

Organizations were selected for this section based on meeting at least one of the following criteria: 1) being involved with ecological economics and 2) being a useful local organization.

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Ask your contacts to endorse a steady-state economy   (http://www.steadystate.org/PositiononEG.html).

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Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy.   www.steadystate.org

 

Count US. Opposes the proposed extension of I-69 in Central and Southwestern Indiana.  http://www.i69tour.org/

 

E.F. Schumacher Society.  http://www.schumachersociety.org/

 

Earth Economics.  www.eartheconomics.org

 

Global Footprint Network.  http://www.footprintnetwork.org/

 

GreenFire Consulting Group, LLC.  Based in Indiana. Its partners do admirable work.  http://www.greenfireconsulting.com

 

Gund Institute for Ecological Economics.  http://www.uvm.edu/giee/

 

Heartwood.  http://www.heartwood.org/home.php

 

Hoosier Environmental Council.  http://www.hecweb.org/

 

Indiana Forest Alliance.  http://www.indianaforestalliance.org/

 

International Society for Ecological Economics.  http://www.ecoeco.org/

 

post-autistic economics network.http://www.paecon.net/

 

Redefining Progress.  www.redefiningprogress.org

 

Science and Environmental Health Network.  www.sehn.org

 

Sustainability Institute.  http://sustainer.org/

 

The Scale Project.  http://www.sustainablescale.org/home.asp & http://www.sustainablescale.org/

 

The Wildlife Society.  www.wildlife.org

 

True Cost Economics.  TCE has interesting information, but its very antagonistic approach is questionable.

 

Website of Adbusters  http://adbusters.org/metas/eco/truecosteconomics/ 

 

United States Society for Ecological Economics.  http://www.ussee.org/

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Speakers  

 

Speakers’ bureau includes Greg Buck, Director of Campaign for Sustainable Economics. Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy’s website  

www.steadystate.org/CASSE-Speakers/Speakers.html

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Strategy

 

A Systemic Approach to Occupational and Environmental Health.  Skip Spitzer.   Rachel's Environment & Health News [website].  Very powerful material about building movements without overextending.  #811 - Part 1 of 2: (2005, May 12) http://www.rachel.org/bulletin/index.cfm?issue_ID=2499, &  #818 - Part 2 of 2: (2005, May 26)  http://www.rachel.org/bulletin/index.cfm?issue_ID=2500

 

Ecological Economics: A Workbook For Problem-Based LearningJoshua Farley, Jon D. Erickson, & Herman E. Daly  (2005).  Washington, DC: Island Press.  This workbook is useful both with and without its textbook, Economics: Principles and Applications. As well as to academics, Greg recommends the workbook to advocates and environmentally conscientious entrepreneurs (especially chapter 8 about communicating results of projects and chapter 9 about facilitating change).  http://www.islandpress.org/books/detail.html/SKU/1-55963-313-1

 

Places to Intervene in a System.  Donella H. Meadows (1997, Winter).  Whole Earth

http://www-dev.wholeearthmag.com/ArticleBin/109.html

 

Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train: Errant Economists, Shameful Spenders, and a Plan to Stop them All.  Brian Czech (2000).  Berkeley: University of California Press.  http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9057.html

 

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference.  Malcolm Gladwell  (2000).  Boston: Little, Brown.  A comprehensive approach can hinder effectiveness.  http://www.twbookmark.com/books/4/0316346624/

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Sustainable living

 

See Living Sustainably.

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Ask your contacts to endorse the steady state economy (http://www.steadystate.org/PositiononEG.html).

 

Adbusters.  http://www.adbusters.org/home/

 

Bike Winter.  http://www.bikewinter.org/main.php

 

Bikes At Work Inc.  hauling cargo by bike, cycling for profit, carfree info www.BikesAtWork.com

 

Bikesmiths. Will mail bike supplies. The owner actively opposes liquidation of parts of Central and Southern

 

Indiana’s ecosystem services with the proposed extension of Interstate 69 (http://www.i69tour.org/). (800)

 

Pro-Bike, (800) 776-2453,  http://www.bloomington.in.us/~bicycle/

 

Burley Design Cooperative (bikes, trailers, clothing).  http://www.burley.com/

           

            Communities Directory.  http://directory.ic.org/          

 

Community Sustainability Assessment. In light of uneconomic growth, the CSA can be useful by placing greater emphasis on the Ecological Footprint Quiz (http://www.footprintnetwork.org/) and the Position on

 

Economic Growth (http://www.steadystate.org/PositiononEG.html). Search for “Community Sustainability Assessment” with the search field at http://gen.ecovillage.org/index_search.html 

 

Culture Change.  www.culturechange.org

 

Earth Easy. Numerous links and suggestions on living lighter, including links to clubs that pool ownership of cars. http://eartheasy.com/homepage.htm

 

E.F. Schumacher Society.  http://www.schumachersociety.org/

 

Ecological Footprint Quiz.  http://www.myfootprint.org/

 

Farmers markets.  United States Department of Agriculture’s website http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm

 

Fellowship of Intentional Communities. http://www.ic.org

 

Freecycle.  This organization, with numerous local affiliates, helps members obtain and give away free items.  http://www.freecycle.org/

Garden Medicinals and Culinaries.  http://www.gardenmedicinals.com/

 

Global Ecovillage Network. http://gen.ecovillage.org

 

Icebike.  http://www.icebike.com/

 

Intentional Communities Web Site.  http://www.ic.org/

 

National Green Pages.  http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages/

 

Orchards around the world. http://www.applejournal.com/trail.htm

  Permaculture Credit Union.  http://www.pcuonline.org
 
  Permaculture Institute.  Permaculture, as a type of agriculture, is largely natural   landscaping with  
  edible plants. http://www.tagari.com/PermInst/PermInstHome.htm

Procott.  Procott has links to various opportunities for socially and environmentally responsible shopping.  http://www.procott.org/

 

Solviva. Sustainable Solar-Dynamic Bio-Benign Design.  http://www.solviva.com/   

 

Sustainable Energy in Motion Bicycle Tour[s].  http://www.portlandpeace.org/

 

The High Price of Materialism.  Tim Kasser (2002).  Cambridge, MA: A Bradford Book, The MIT Press. http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=9999

 

The Joy of Not Working. Ernie J. Zelinski (2003). Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

http://www.tenspeedpress.com/catalog/all/item.php3?id=1624

 

The New Alchemy Institute / The Green Center. http://www.vsb.cape.com/~nature/greencenter/newalchemy.html

 

The Permaculture Activist.  http://www.permacultureactivist.net/

 

The Simple Living Network.  http://www.simpleliving.net/default.asp

 

United States Local and State Transit Links. American Public Transportation Association’s website http://www.apta.com/links/state_local/

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Sustainable living in Indiana   

        

See Living Sustainably.

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Ask others to endorse the steady state economy (http://www.steadystate.org/PositiononEG.html).

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Adrian Orchards. Uses integrated pest management. 500 W. Epler Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46217. (317) 784-0550

 

Bikesmiths. Will mail bike supplies. Owner is activist against liquidating parts of Central and Southwestern Indiana’s ecosystem services with the proposed extension of Interstate 69 (http://www.i69tour.org/) and supports Center for Sustainable Living. (800) 776-2453, (800) Pro-Bike, http://www.bloomington.in.us/~bicycle/

 

Bloomington Shuttle.  http://www.bloomingtonshuttle.com/

 

Branches Magazine. Is useful for keeping up on thoughts and events about sustainability in Indiana. Apple Press, Inc. P.O. Box 30348, Indianapolis, IN 46230. (317) 255-5594. www.branches.com

 

Burlington Trailways Transportation System.  http://www.burlingtontrailways.com/

 

Center for Sustainable Living. Bloomington, IN,  www.bloomington.in.us/~csl/

 

Ecological Footprint Quiz.  http://www.myfootprint.org/

 

Farmers markets in Indiana. United States Department of Agriculture’s website http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/States/Indiana.htm

 

Hobo Woods Persimmon Farm. Marengo, IN 

 

Holistic Affordable Housing.  http://www.freewebs.com/greenhouzing/

 

Indiana Organic Gardeners Association. www.gardeningnaturally.org

 

Indiana Transit Links. American Public Transportation Association’s website  http://www.apta.com/links/state_local/in.cfm#A58

 

Lafayette Limo.  http://www.lafayettelimo.com/

 

Midwest Permaculture Guild Listserv.   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midwestpermaculture/

 

Sustainable Earth. Sponsors a directory of farms, the annual Midwest Small Farm Conference and a newsletter.  http://www.sustainableearth.net/

 

Urbana [Illinois] Permaculture Project.  http://www.prairienet.org/upp/

 

White Violet Center for Eco-Justice. Terre Haute, IN.

http://www.spsmw.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?3208&dwContent_contentID=1

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Urban design & regional planning

 

While there is still time and sufficient resources, we can create sustainable and desirable communities. A helpful guide is the Ecological Footprint Quiz (http://www.myfootprint.org/).

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Regarding access to resources and transportation, we encourage emphasis on ecocities and human powered vehicles, and de-emphasis on the heavy environmental impact by roads and personal automobiles.

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Before deciding whether to improve [or create] a mass transit system, ask whether it is sustainable. Given that the Earth’s carrying capacity is exceeded (from growth in population and consumption), there is a lack of clarity about whether mass transit would a) just be a form of economic growth that insidiously robs us of the chance to truly prepare for sustainability (an opportunity cost) or b) serve to get us to a steady-state economy. Clearly, mass transit that encourages or justifies urban sprawl is unacceptable.

 

If mass transit is not sustainable, what can be done instead? If mass transit can be done sustainably, what are the conditions?

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Even ecocities can produce greater harm than benefits, so know that ultimate solutions lie in a societal appreciation for the Earth as our life support system, as well as reduced human population, reduced consumption, precautious use of technology and wise management of resources.

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Ask your contacts for endorsement of steady state economics (http://www.steadystate.org/PositiononEG.html).

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            Arcosanti: a prototype arcology.  http://www.arcosanti.org/

 

Carfree.com.  http://www.carfree.com/

 

Ecocities: Building Cities in Balance with Nature.  Richard Register (2002).  Albany, CA:

 

 Berkeley Hills Books. http://www.berkeleyhills.com/ pages/3/index.htm Confirm the book’s availability; then click “contact.” 

 

Ecocity Builders.  www.ecocitybuilders.org

Contact Information Please feel free to contact us at our post office box in Indianapolis or via email

Postal address

Campaign for Sustainable Economics
% Greg Buck

537 Fletcher Avenue #2
Indianapolis, Indiana 46203

 
Electronic mail
General Information: Contact Greg Buck via email
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