Wealth, Poverty and Sustainable Development

David Barkin

Development and Comp Systems from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: An analysis of the underlying causes of environment destruction debunks the idea that the poor are the principal cause of environmental degradation in present-day societies. The paper also identifies some of the major areas of economic theory and institutional biases in market economies that generate obstacles to the 'proper' functioning of markets. As a result, even the more advanced prescriptions of modern environmental economics are incapable of explaining the deepening of social and economic polarization and the worsening of the environmental conditions in which poor people must exist. The paper ends with a proposal for overcoming this growing crisis through local participation and action.

Keywords: political ecology; sustainability; polarization; heterodox economics; development alternatives (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 54 pages
Date: 2005-06-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev
Note: Type of Document - pdf; pages: 54
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wpa:wuwpdc:0506003

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