Economics for Rebels

Seb O'Connor, a lecturer in ecological economics, discusses the crucial intersection of values and decision-making in economics. He highlights how prevailing economic values often neglect diverse perspectives, affecting sustainability. O'Connor critiques the reductionist views upheld by major institutions and examines the historical impact of colonialism on value systems. He advocates for inclusive practices like citizen assemblies to ensure that democratic processes incorporate a plurality of values, especially in tackling environmental crises.

The democratisation of money creation, of banking and of investments could be a true game-changer in the sustainability transition. Some would argue that central banks could play a much more significant role in all this if they transcended the narrow understanding of their current tasks, mainly revolving around shepherding inflation rates. But can central banks serve people and planet rather than the vague notion of market stability? With Uuriintuya Batsaikhan we are trying to find out. Hosted by Alexandra Köves. Edited by Aidan Knox.

There is growing consensus that the way economies in the global North function exploits the environment and is fundamentally unsustainable in the long run given current development trajectories. As a result, in policy discourse and throughout the nature conservation movement, there appears to be growing acknowledgement that there is a huge amount we can learn from Indigenous stewardship of ecosystems, and that Indigenous lands have tended to be associated with some of the best outcomes for biodiversity over the last few decades. We welcome Dr Jocelyne Sze on to the show to give us a crash course on Indigenous stewardship of global ecosystems. Hosted by Sophus zu Ermgassen. Edited by Aidan Knox.

We are pleased to kick off season 4 by talking about what ecological economists need to know about human behaviour. Our guide to these issues is Kristian Steensen Nielsen, a behavioural scientist and assistant professor at Copenhagen Business School focusing on the role of behaviour change in mitigating climate change and conserving biodiversity. Kristian specialises in identifying the feasibility and scalability of initiatives to change behaviour, understanding how individual behavior changes can contribute to limiting ecological damages.

This live recording of the 3rd Season’s final episode is a plenary roundtable discussion at the 10th International Degrowth and 15th European Society for Ecological Economics Conference in Pontevedra with ecological economists Brototi Roy, Joshua Farley and Giorgos Kallis. The discussion revolves around how degrowth, ecological economics and post-development relate to each other, how they evolved and co-evolved and what distinguishes the three concepts and research fields.  

Dr. Romain Svartzman and Dr. Jeff Althouse discuss the ecological economics of the international monetary system, highlighting how the financial sector drives ecological degradation. They explore currency hierarchies, China's role, radical economic ideas' acceptance, central banks in crises, and global imbalances solutions.

In our current attention economy, it is of vital importance how alternative economic solutions are being presented in the media by the most credible players. Any ecological economist would tell that mainstream media covers almost exclusively mainstream economic thinking significantly contributing to upholding a paradigm that needs to be transformed for people and planet. Today’s guest, Nick Romeo, a journalist with a predisposition to embrace heterodox economic thought explains us why that might be the case and what it takes to change that.

Leonora Grcheva and Rob Shorter from the Donut Economics Action Lab discuss practical implementation of the Doughnut model in various sectors like business and government. They explore the challenges of measuring social and ecological outcomes in local communities and the balance between competitiveness and well-being in economic policies. The guests share inspiring stories of implementing Doughnut Economics in communities and rebelling against established mindsets.

Kate Raworth, Doughnut economics legend, discusses the challenges and successes of doughnut economics adoption. They explore the importance of clear terminology, visual representations, and practical applications in reshaping economic narratives. The podcast covers topics like navigating conflicting perspectives, storytelling in advocating change, rethinking consumption for environmental sustainability, and advocating for a new economic mindset.

It is often argued that it was market-based capitalism that made agriculture so efficient that it enabled the eradication of hunger globally. This claim is shadowed by the incredible environmental degradation that was caused by industrial agriculture in the last centuries. Hence, due demand arises that we should keep the world fed through sustainable means. Our guest today, Pablo Tittonell claims that this is possible through agroecology where we combine agricultural and ecological knowledge to create food while taking care of nature’s amazingly creative and generous provisioning and regenerative systems. Hosted by Alexandra Köves. Edited by Aidan Knox.