March 2, 2007

Ecological Economics

Sometimes it takes an Irishman to shake things up and set them right. In the field of economics — the only discipline in the social sciences to have thrown out all ties with its origins, the only one to claim its authority supersedes that of all its sister disciplines (a mind-boggling assertion), and the only to effectively sanctify the wholesale destruction of our planet — change has long been overdue. Instead of playing with advanced mathematics economists should get out in the real world to ask themselves the kinds of questions their predecessors, then known as political economists, would ask. Questions about distribution. Questions about real scarcity, not just economic scarcity. Questions with a reasonable grounding in human experience. Money, contra current wisdom, is neither the nexus nor the measure of all things. Bringing us an alternative — ecological economics — the fearless Herman Daly has done the discipline and society at large a great service. It was my signal privilege to talk with Herman; I know that, whether you're an economist or not, you'll find his insights valuable. Please listen carefully as the Irish sometimes communicate complex things in a seemingly simple way. Total runtime of an hour and twenty two minutes. Enjoy!