Economics for Rebels

Ecological economics is about finding ways to transform our societies to move onto an environmentally and socially sustainable path. Many of the criticisms ecological economists express and the solutions they advocate can be rooted back to Karl Polanyi whose book The Great Transformation provided a well-argued case against mainstream economics already in the 1940s.  Today’s guests are Pedar Kirby and Logan Strenchock and we will talk about using Polányi’s insights for a sustainability transition.

We need to become true guardians of natural resources, while ensuring well-being for people. Let us accept for a moment that we know exactly what we should do in order to transit into an environmentally and socially more just economy. One of the most interesting question that follows is who is going to take the first step? Policy-makers and corporate leaders often point to individuals as consumers to make the right choice, while individuals expect decision-makers to free up avenues to be more conscious citizens. However, these decisions are socially constructed, constrained and institutions significantly influence them. This episode's guest is Arild Vatn, who talks to Alexandra Köves about environmental governance.

Ecological economics is about reducing economic throughput to stay within ecological boundaries. In our dominant mainstream thinking, what we produce, how and at what price is determined by market forces. In theory markets also influence our access to goods and services when determining our salary incomes through the labour market. Innovations are made available through the financial markets. Everything can be determined by supply and demand while none of these models take into account ecological impacts or social justice. When in ecological economics we introduce the concept of a finite planet, these models no longer work. What could replace them? Today’s guest is Louison Cahen-Fourot, and we will talk about ecological macroeconomics.

Ecological economics is about respecting ecological boundaries in human activities. Many argue that this simply cannot be done as humans always strive for more. However, with a different perspective on what living well means, energy and resource use could decrease to fit into Earth’s carrying capacity. That requires a change in mentality as well as a deeper understanding of justice. This episode’s guest is Julia Steinberger, and we talk about what it would mean for humankind to live well while respecting the nature's limited resources.

The first thoughts that we now consider the basics of ecological economics were published in the 70s. Over 50 years have passed and the concerns that were raised back then, are the concerns we all have today: facing ecological and social limits to growth. Today’s guest is Inge Røpke and we talk about what has happened in the last half a century in ecological economics. What are its basic premises and how did the field develop over time?

As our podcast title suggests we believe mainstream economics has become much more of a hindrance to our world than the engine of progress whatever progress may mean. Today’s guest is Simon Mair and we will talk about what has gone totally pear-shaped with economic thinking and why it is time to rebel.

The European Society for Ecological Economics is a scientific community specialised in the integration of ecological and critical social perspectives in economics. We believe we have academic credibility to legitimise real-world systemic changes and take scientifically informed political stances. But we could do much better to spread and clearly communicate ecological economics ideas, to bring them to life, on the ground, in people’s everyday lives. This episode’s guest is Erik Gomez-Baggethun and we talk about ecological economics and why we believe that we need to open up spaces for frontier debates.