Ecological Economics
Dr. Ove Daniel Jakobsen talks with the Transnatural Perspectives Podcast about Systems change,“The Good Life”, Anarchism and Ecological Economics.
Dr. Ove Daniel Jakobsen is a Researcher, Writer and Professor of Ecological Economics in the Business School at Nord University all the way up in the Arctic town of Bodø, Norway. Dr. has dedicated his life to the study of Ecological Economics and has written many books on the topic including his latest, Anarchism and Ecological Economics.
Ecological Economics takes a Transdisciplinary approach to the topic of economics that connects Ecology, Sociology and Culture while integrating a holistic, decentralized, community lead, bottom up approach in designing more sustainable economy for all the inhabitants of world.
Reshaping not only the structure of our economies, but our perceptions, is vital to social and ecological sustainability. We might not all be studied economists, but not too many things are more universal than the act of humans participating in global and local economies. Globalization theorist Paul James once wrote, “a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the production, use, and management of resources”. So it’s not just money we’re talking about here, but natural resources…humans included.
Ecological Economics flips the paradigm on Utopia. No longer is Utopia of fantasy, but necessity. At first, “The good old days’’ may sound like an attractive retreat in an world that seems to be consistently receding into a sea of inequity. However, without a systems change that reflects humanity’s sustainable place in the greater ecology, “the good life”, a more relatable term Dr. Jakobsen uses to refer to Utopia, is likely unattainable.
Throughout this intensive, yet, quick conversation we will discuss the roots of Ecological Economics, universal conceptions of “The Good Life’, Demystifying utopia (and why it’s practical and necessary), the problem with Green-washing, the role of optimism in Individual development, Systems change, Crushing Capitalism and Eco Anarchism. So, keep a notebook handy and keep in mind any questions you may have as Dr. Jakobsen will attempt to answer them when we record part two of this podcast.
The full episode is available here and anywhere else you listen to podcasts
