24 research outputs found
Essays on Ecological Economics and The Metabolic Rift Theory
No full textEcological disruptions such as climate change, pollution, waste build-up and rapid biodiversity loss are generally seen as the result of human activity; economically, socially and culturally determined. When it comes to the economy, heterodox macroeconomic tools and models are becoming prominent. They provide assessments and scenarios which focus on the complex interactions between the economy and carbon emissions as well as the potential impact of climate policies on both the economy and climate change itself. At the same time, we witness the increasing recognition of the incompatibility between capitalism as a socio-economic system and ecological restoration among non-economic scholars. But the specific theories that criticize the ecological consequences of capitalism from a Marxist vantage point have yet to formally manifest themselves in the field of Economics, all whilst the opportunity to do so is fairly imaginable.
This dissertation provides an introduction to the modern synthesis between Marx and Ecology. It discusses its historical on-set in the second half of the nineteenth century and highlights its key-theoretical concepts: the metabolic rift theory and the ecological surplus. One of the reasons behind the absence of the metabolic rift theory Ecological Economics is related to the asserted incompatibility between Marx and Ecology in the 1980s. By providing some insights that counter these accusations the dissertation sheds light on the conceivable benefit of these considerations in the realm of Ecological Economics. The main result of this dissertation is the formalization of the metabolic rift theory such as to provide the field of Ecological Economics with a more complete approach to the representation of economy-ecology configurations. Before laying out an alternative, the status-quo of current mathematical formalization practices in the field of Ecological Economics is discussed and reinterpreted by means of Marx’s labour process theory and the distinction between appropriated and capitalized contributions to production processes. The proposed alternative to the formal representation of economy-ecology configurations draws on methods belonging to social metabolism studies (MuSIASEM) and the neo-Ricardian surplus approach
Inequality determined social outcomes of low-carbon transition policies: A conceptual meta-review of justice impacts
No full textInequality and climate change represent two key challenges in modern societies across the world. In this paper, we provide a critical engagement with the literature that treats aggravated social and economic inequalities as (potential) negative outcomes of climate and low-carbon transition policies that aim to achieve carbon emission reductions in energy and transport sectors. We introduce a conceptual meta-review that systematises but also departs from three existing literature reviews by challenging the prevailing treatment of inequalities as ex-post negative outcomes. Instead, we draw on literature that treats multifaceted inequalities as systemic occurrences that are rooted in socio-economic structures. Therefore, the conceptual meta-review exhibits an inequality filter which shapes the nature of policy costs, benefits and compliance. In other words, multifaceted inequalities are treated as ex-ante phenomena that interact with climate and low-carbon transition policies. This interaction then determines social outcomes in terms of energy access, health, employment, essential goods affordability and livelihoods. Each of these outcomes then feed back into the inequality filter where existing inequalities are either amplified or diminished. In order to examine the efficacy of our conceptual framework, we also provide a limited review of more recent literature that discusses the social outcomes of climate and low-carbon transition policies as well as measures to prevent negative social outcomes. Altogether, this paper suggests that the mitigation of systemic inequalities, rather than the prevention of aggravated inequalities, is necessary to avert the transmission from climate and low-carbon policies to negative social outcomes
Narrowing women's time and income gaps: An assessment of the synergies between working time reduction and universal income schemes
No full textThis paper departs from the hypothesis that policies targeting time poverty have the potential to reduce the gender income gap through the redistribution of time use between women and men. To this purpose, we compare two policy mixes and assess the synergies between working time reduction and two univer-sal income schemes: a basic income and care income programme. While the former provides every indi-vidual with an equal monetary benefit, the latter ties monetary benefits to the amount of unpaid and care work performed by individuals. We assess the impact of these policy mixes by applying Eurogreen, a macrosimulation model tailored to Italy. Results suggest that while working time reduction directly drives a reduction of the aggregate amount of time spent by women in unpaid work, this does not imply a reduction in time poverty. The universal income schemes - and in particular the care income - promote a reduction of gender inequality in terms of income by sustaining women's total income, but leave the wage gap between women and men unchanged.(c) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Waste pickers' struggle post-revolution: Tunisia
No full textThis chapter examines the challenges faced by Tunisia’s waste pickers, known as barbechas, in the post-revolutionary context. Tunisia produces over 2.5 million tonnes of garbage annually, yet its waste management system remains fragile, worsened by strikes and inadequate municipal support. The barbechas, who collect and sell recyclables, work in precarious conditions with no social or health protection. Despite their essential role in recycling, they are marginalised and blamed for increasing waste problems in cities like Tunis. The 2011 revolution disrupted waste management services, and private companies have taken a dominant role, leaving informal workers further excluded. NGOs, such as Tunisie Recyclage and EPRA, have worked to improve recognition and working conditions for the barbechas, but integration into the formal system remains elusive. Government-led projects, such as the Eco-Lef system, systematically exclude informal workers from direct participation, forcing them to rely on intermediaries. Readers will gain insight into how Tunisia’s political and economic instability, privatisation, and lack of legal frameworks exacerbate the marginalisation of barbechas and the ongoing struggle to formally integrate them into the country’s waste management system
Waste pickers struggle for formal incorporation into legal waste-collecting framework: Ankara, Turkey
No full textNew regulations incorporate EU standards on recycling and create a structured waste management framework following Turkey’s EU integration process. As a result, the volume of recovered plastic, metal, and paper increased significantly. However, approximately 500,000 waste pickers in Turkey, including 15,000 in Ankara, have been excluded from these developments. Many now face unemployment or declining income, especially with increased imports of plastic waste from the United Kingdom. Waste pickers in Ankara work long hours under poor conditions and are often stigmatised. The conflict escalated in 2006 when a waste picker was killed by municipal police. Since then, waste pickers have clashed with authorities over their right to work. Organised groups, such as the Street Waste Collectors Association, have emerged, advocating for legal recognition and better working conditions. They have gained support from international organisations, such as the International Labour Organisation, which has organised workshops to promote the inclusion of waste pickers in formal waste management systems. Waste pickers collect far more waste than municipal teams, yet firms cannot legally buy from them. Ankara’s waste pickers continue to push for self-employment status, personal insurance, and legal recognition, hoping for reform that ensures their inclusion in Turkey’s formal waste management framework
On the accommodation of the ecological question in the Sraffian tradition
No full textThe Physiocrats and, in particular, Francois Quesnay’s tableau économique are often designated as common sources of influence for the classical economist Pierro Sraffa and Ecological Economics. This is particularly apparent in earlier contributions in the field of Ecological Economics which argued that Piero Sraffa’s physical and reproductive characterisation of the economy represent a suitable foundation for the joint analyses of the economic surplus, ecological and biophysical processes. Over the years, this assumed compatibility has resulted in various contributions that build on Sraffa’s seminal microeconomic framework based on relative prices, the exogenous determination of one or more distributional variables and long-period positions. This chapter presents a brief discussion of the Physiocrats and their impact on both the Sraffian tradition and Ecological Economics. This is followed by an examination of intensive and extensive land-rents in which we argue that the standard Sraffian framework already incorporates a narrow treatment of agro-ecological processes. The main aim of this chapter is to present the reader with a practical review of scholarly works that have extended the scope of Sraffa’s framework from an ecological perspective. It should be noted that this review is limited to microeconomic analyses in the Sraffian tradition and that comprehensive algebraic and technical details are disregarded. Instead, the focus lies with an exposition of each contribution’s originality with respect to the relation between ecological issues and surplus distribution
Economic woes, plastic packaging, and child waste pickers in “Dirt Gold Mafia”: Tehran, Iran
No full textTehran produces an estimated 7.2 million tonnes of waste annually, 20% to 25% of which consists of recyclable materials. The Tehran Waste Management Organisation struggles to collect all dry recyclables, leaving waste pickers to fill the gap. Waste pickers collect valuable materials, such as plastic and aluminium, which are sold to recycling plants. Many waste pickers are socially marginalised, and a “dirt gold mafia” has emerged that exploits these workers by controlling waste collection and prices. Child waste pickers, often refugees, are increasingly employed by this underground operation. Some children have special cards issued by the Tehran Municipality allowing them to collect waste, for which they pay a fee. Many of these children face brutal working conditions, carrying 70 to 80 kilograms of garbage daily and being exposed to diseases and the harsh treatment of authorities. The Iranian government has been criticised for facilitating the exploitation of child waste pickers instead of preventing their involvement in hazardous work. Despite the criticism and despite occasional government crackdowns on illegal waste operations, the problem persists. Economic pressures, such as inflation, exacerbate the situation, pushing more people, particularly Afghan refugees, into waste picking. The lack of widespread waste separation in Tehran compounds the problem, as recyclable materials are mixed with other waste, making separation difficult
An eco-Marxist reinterpretation of formal abstraction in Ecological Economics
No full textEl capital natural es un concepto teórico muy conocido que se utiliza para tener en cuenta el papel de la naturaleza en la producción económica. Su popularización entre los economistas en la década de 1990 ha dado lugar a opiniones divergentes sobre la relación entre el capital natural y el capital físico en las funciones de producción. Donde la sostenibilidad débil aboga por la sustituibilidad, la sostenibilidad fuerte requiere complementariedad. Esta distinción es también una de las muchas líneas a lo largo de las cuales se puede diferenciar la Economía Ambiental y de Recursos (EAR) de la Economía Ecológica (EE). Luego de una introducción al concepto de capital natural, abordamos el triunfo declarado de la sostenibilidad fuerte tanto en términos de evaluaciones científicas, que resaltan la necesidad de la conservación del capital natural, como el fomento de esfuerzos de conservación mediante la valoración monetaria. La investigación sobre las diversas trampas relacionadas con la valoración monetaria está más que presente en EE a través de la literatura sobre la mercantilización de la naturaleza. La contribución de este artículo es única ya que tiene como objetivo tanto reinterpretar como revisar la práctica de la formalización matemática en EE desde una perspectiva marxista ecológica. Al basarse en la ecología-mundo y la teoría del proceso de trabajo de Marx, se llega a las siguientes ideas: i) la valoración monetaria del capital natural crítico representa una estrategia de acumulación basada en la capitalización ii) la acumulación ecológicamente sostenida altera parcialmente el 'metabolismo material' mientras que la 'realización del propósito' no cambia y iii) la representación formal de las configuraciones economía-ecología a través de la función de producción solo captura la contribución de la naturaleza capitalizada y no considera la naturaleza apropiada. Concluimos que el marxismo ecológico proporciona ideas útiles que pueden ampliar los confines actuales de la formalización matemática de EE. Esto permitiría una descripción más completa de las configuraciones economía-ecología
