 Information overload and environmental degradation: Learning from H.A. Simon and W. WendersTommaso Luzzati, Ilaria Tucci and Pietro Guarnieri Ecological Economics, 2022, vol. 202, issue C Abstract: This paper discusses the relevance of information overload for explaining environmental degradation, insofar it can reduce individuals' awareness of the unsustainable side-effects of their choices. This “myopia” is reinforced by the increased distance from nature in everyday life brought about by the abundance of exosomatic energy. The departure point of the paper is to show that two outstanding intellectuals, engaged in very different fields, have set forth very similar reflections on the effects of information overload, namely the film director Wim Wenders and the social scientist, really a polymath, Herbert Simon, whose relevance to ecological economics has been recognised. The presentation of their ideas is then complemented by a presentation of the state of the art on information overload, which allows moving to our core argument about environmental degradation. Keywords: Information overload; Knowledge; Awareness; Individual decision-making; Environmental concern; H.A. Simon; W. Wenders; Film (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:202:y:2022:i:c:s0921800922002555 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2022.107593 Access Statistics for this article Ecological Economics is currently edited by C. J. Cleveland More articles in Ecological Economics from Elsevier |
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