Political Economy of Eco-sustainable Alternatives
Progressive and Equitable Futures
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
Westra recounts how the unceremonious collapse of Soviet-style socialism, coupled with mounting awareness of unfolding environmental destruction and irreversible climate change opened the door to a new, wide-ranging, social change literature. In this exciting book, he begins by tracing out the case for the Anthropocene. He then provides an unparalleled, inclusive critical exploration of the plurality of progressive designs on offer. These include the Green New Deal, "nowtopias" of cooperative, solidarity and commoning economies, ecofeminism, Degrowth society as well as ecosocialism and democratic socialism.
Westra firstly explains why the Green New Deal program to sustainably develop capitalism is unworkable given the boundedness of resources necessary to generalize the advanced economy "way of life" it seeks to maintain. Secondly, while he concurs with much that the new social change literature offers, his concern is with the way it abandons a major caution that had been leveled at so-called "utopian socialists" in the past. To be sure, the problem does not reside with bursts of creative, future-directed thinking in themselves. Rather, where difficulties arise is over the paucity of attention devoted to questions of economic coordination and principles of economic viability. Westra explains how only by combining several economic principles, each operating at a determinate scale and devoted to specific elements of human social and material reproduction, will the promise of an equitable, eco-sustainable human future be realized.
This unique volume will be of interest to academic specialists and students of political economy, economics, environmental sustainability, sociology and political science. Progressive policymakers and social activists will also find its arguments refreshing and compelling.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Half Title page
- Series Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- About the Author
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction: An Equitable Eco-sustainable Alternative to Capitalism?
- 2 Anthropocene and the Green New Deal
- 3 Cooperatives, Solidarity and Commoning Economies
- 4 Ecofeminism
- 5 Degrowth
- 6 Ecosocialism
- 7 Democratic Socialism
- 8 Conclusion: Economic Viability and Material Scale in the Eco-sustainable Future
- Index