Economic Growth must be considered within its biophysical context
Economic growth -the increase in production and consumption of goods
and services- must be considered within its biophysical context.
Economic growth is fueled by biophysical inputs and its outputs
degrade ecological processes, such as the global climate system.
Economic growth is currently the principal cause of increased climate
change, and climate change is a primary mechanism of biodiversity
loss. Therefore, economic growth is a prime catalyst of biodiversity
loss. Because people desire economic growth for dissimilar
reasons-some for the increased accumulation of wealth, others for
basic needs-how we limit economic growthbecomes an ethical problem.
Principles of distributive justice can help construct an international
climate- change regime based on principles of equity. An equity-based
framework that caps economic growth in the most polluting economies
will lessen human impact on biodiversity. When coupled with a
cap-and-trade mechanism, the framework can also provide a powerful
tool for redistribution of wealth. Such an equity-based framework
promises to be more inclusive and therefore more effective because it
accounts for the disparate developmental conditions of the global
north and south.
Rosales 2008. Growth vs Biodiversity and Justice Cons bio.pdf (440 KB)
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