I just attended a meeting at CRED. We discussed Herman Daley, an environmental economis,. who suggests that only an environmental macroeconomic theory can help us think about sustainability in ways that include the value of the environment and its creatures. The question of what people value and desire is typically hard to measure precisiely because there is no pure type for value or desire, all have been operated on by culture. Yet, according to Daley, we can give value to our earth and its creatures either by understanding their worth to us, or by assessing their instrinsic value independent of their relationship to humans. Either way, the equations we use to calculate optimal scale have to incorporate the larger context in which we are embedded.
On Peoples' Minds: A neighbor of mine wonders whether or not to drive or fly to her vacation destination. The price of gas makes the plane flight almost cheaper, but the plane's engine emissions are also costly to the ecosystem. I note that the idea of not travelling isn't an option. We have grown so used to travel. What happens if we have to cut back? What if travel to far away places was exotic for a reason?
In the News: Simple and brilliant editorial in todays NYTimes. We have all the evidence we need to articulate that climate change is already happening. Global warming is upon us. It won't suffice to simply switch over our consumerist practices and to buy green products. We have to alter the way we use and acquire resources, and change the way we live. My work is all about articulating what such a changed life might look like.