Dear ESEE Member,

We are pleased to send you the monthly edition of the electronic ESEE newsletter.
Supported by the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management the Sustainable Europe Research Institute SERI is able to maintain the website of the European Society for Ecological Economics (ESEE) and publishes this newsletter.

The newsletter is distributed only to members of the European Society for Ecological Economics. To join ESEE or renew your membership please visit www.euroecolecon.org.

If you want to publish interesting news, or information about events, job openings and new publications on the website or in the newsletter, feel free to send an email to esee@seri.at. We are also open for suggestions to improve our communication channels.

1. News from ESEE and its members

• Note from the ESEE President (Arild Vatn)

2. Other news

• Critical remarks on Bjørn Lomborg
• CALL FOR PAPERS « Régulation Theory and Sustainable Development »

3. Hot topic

• The Ecological Economics and Civil Society

4. Events

• ESEE 2007: Integrating Natural and Social Sciences for Sustainability
• PhD Student and Early Stage Researcher Workshop
• ECEEE Summer Study
• 11th European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (erscp)
• THEMES 2nd Summer school June 2007 on "Institutional Analysis of Sustainability Problems"
• Call for Papers: CANSEE 2007. 7th Biennial Conference “Sustaining Communities and Development in the Face of Environmental Challenges”

5. Job openings

• Scientist - Human-Environment Interactions
• International Master in Social Policy Analysis by Luxembourg, Leuven and Associate Institutes (IMPALLA)
• Socio-Economic Research Assistants for the Macaulay Institute
• School of Development Studies - Current Vacancies

6. Publications

• Rethinking Environmental History World-System History and Global Environmental Change

Note from the ESEE President

New Delhi – the 9th ISEE biannual conference – is history. Well, not quite. I tend – over and over again – to come back to various experiences that caught my mind and body while visiting India for the first time. This is not only so because I caught a stomach disease that still reminds me every day of the different ‘micro-life’ that we explored. Experiencing what life is like for hundreds of millions of people made a difference. Not that I did not know… Not that I did not know of the hardships of the many and of the luxury of the few. Not that I did not know about the strong dependency on natural resources. But did I still? Visiting an Indian farm family whose pride it was to host the electric water pump of the local society, who invited us into their kitchen that maybe had stayed the same for 2000 years and whose farm lay next to a mast for mobile phone signal transmissions, was impressive.

Certainly, these people can make some serious jumps across. Nevertheless, what struck me the most was the vulnerability. In central/western areas of India the monsoon has been weak for 3 years in a row now. Yamunâ river which runs through Delhi and Agra and joins the river Ganges, had very low water flows, and the water table in the area has been substantially reduced by the tremendous number of pumps installed all over the countryside. People said that if lack of rain continues, there are great difficulties arising in a few years time. Some have said – e.g., Bjørn Lomborg – that poverty and water access is a much greater problem than climate change. I wonder how long is it possible to keep these problems apart.

The conference in Delhi had a certain flavour of urgency. The atmosphere was very inspiring despite all the contrasts and serious issues to be discussed. The number of participants was high – about 800 – and a large group of Euro­peans took part. There were some quite serious claims raised about a far too packed program – especially much too many presentations per session. Certainly, that was a negative aspect of the conference, but it did not really influence the feeling of a strong community and engagement.

I think this also reflects the fact that our issues are gaining strong momentum in the wider agenda. Not least the potential treats of climate change is now raising a ‘third environmental tide’. So a crisis gives us energy… as curious it may seem. From my post here at the ‘top of Europe’, I observe that 2006 really made a difference. The mass media has coverage of environmental issues unseen since the late 1980s. What was a ‘balanced‘ presentation of the climate issue well a year ago, is now considered biased. The message is now generally load and clear: Climate change is a reality and it is caused by human activity. Listening to people on the train and in the streets I observe comments I just thought impossible a year or two ago. I see that my students are much more engaged than ever.

Well, snow (finally) came a week ago, so our new organization ‘skiers for the climate’ may have been effective in their prayers. The engagement may again fade away as the skiers get going. No, I do not think so. This time it is really different.

The challenge is certainly how to get a sensible and productive process out of this growing awareness and engagement. It is here we as ecological economists have a very important role to play. People look for alternatives. They want politicians to act. There are, however, many around that are ready to sell us their solutions. A series of technological fixes are already proposed. Norway certainly wants to combine a continuous future growth in its oil and gas production, but with reduced CO2 emissions. Hence, billions are put into research on CO2 cleaning – i.e., pumping CO2 back into the aquifers, which next gives access to more oil…. Hence, the nuclear energy lobby is on its move. Hence, bio-energy is on the agenda – good, but largely to solve EU farming surplus problems.

Often I wonder, are we able to make the necessary decisions early enough taking us onto the right track, or are we just continuing to fight the old battles? Framing the issues in a more sensible way is the greatest challenge. As ecological economists we are good at that. While it is a bit paradoxical to get ‘energy’ from a coming crisis, it is no less important to engage in offering ideas about what should be done. It is important, not least for the Indian farmer whose pump soon runs dry.

Arild Vatn

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Critical remarks on Bjørn Lomborg

The following address gives access to a web page critical to Bjørn Lomborg's writing and saying: http://info-pollution.com/lomborg.htm

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CALL FOR PAPERS « Régulation Theory and Sustainable Development »

The aim of the coming special issue of the “Revue de la Régulation” is to build on the potential offered by such a confrontation.

We suggest here a few – and non-exhaustive – ways to deal with these topics.
First, Régulation theory could be helpful to embed the issue of sustainable development in a general macroeconomic and institutional perspective, be it at the national or at the international level. It can also trigger innovations within the regulationist framework. From such a point of view, several issues can be tackled:
What types of impact had fordist and postfordist regimes on sustainability?
What are the relationships between diverse types of capitalism and environmental conditions and policies?
How do contemporary problems (contemporary environmental problems) affect and deepen the regulationist conceptualization of crises?
What are the chances of constructing global or at least international governance in order to overcome current transnational problems (climatic changes, drastic shrink of biodiversity, impoverishment of numerous regions etc.)?
Are the emerging international institutional arrangements entrusted with these issues viable and operative?

Second, some specific topics would also be worth addressing with respect to the conceptual tools of Regulation theory:
Relations between a given institutional form – credit and monetary regime, wage-labour nexus, forms of competition, role of the state in the economy, insertion into the international regime – and sustainability;
Is the question of intra-generational equity – to which Régulation theory has paid much attention – to be treated similarly to the one of inter-generational equity, which sustainable development theory invites to investigate?
Interrelations between sustainable development and other areas like finance, technical evolution, growth of the knowledge economy/ immaterial economy, economic risks...
Local and global aspects of SD)
Effects of sectoral (re)configurations on sustainable development; Strategies followed by firms confronted with the alleged requirements of sustainable development; other key actors may also be considered;

Click here for more information.

Please, send your paper not later than April 30th, to epasquier@mshparisnord.org and Bertrand.Zuindeau@univ-lille1.fr

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Ecological Economics and Civil Society Engagement: Beyond Talking Across Disciplines

By Leah Temper & Hali Healy

After 30 odd years, ecological economics has come into its own as a science. Born out of a vivid criticism of neo-classical economics, it has evolved into a trans-disciplinary field that seeks solutions to the pressing environmental and social problems the world faces today. A ‘post-normal’ science, it asserts that expert opinion is no longer sufficient and the facts must come from an extended peer community of stakeholders. This is a new science, and while ecological economics is making inroads into including extended peer communities into its analyses, its goal of translating its findings into direct action for solving problems has met only limited success. What is lacking to achieve this goal, we argue, is a deeper alliance between ecological economics and civil society.

Work done in the field of ecological economics can be invaluable to civil society organisations (CSOs). When an organization or a group of stakeholders confronts corporations or governments they need strong facts but often do not have the special research skills needed. Ecological economists can be a force in providing this research to those who can apply it in the field. When Sunita Narain, the director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) was asked at the ISEE’s Biennial conference in Delhi this past December about the success of her struggles (which include pressuring the city of Delhi to convert its public transport system to run on compressed natural gas, and providing the science for the Indian Parliament to ban Coca-Cola in its cafeterias based on evidence of high levels of pesticide residues) she also highlighted this point. "When we take on our battles what we need is good information. Often people understand the politics but they don't understand the science. Or we know the science but are weak on the politics" she said. "The fusion between science and politics is critical, and we must do our homework very well."

The potential benefits to be gained by the discipline from increased collaboration with civil society are equally invaluable. First, active engagement of NGOs in choosing cases to study and in the analytic process ensures the relevance of research and can contribute to finding solutions to complex problems. For example, participatory processes and community involvement in resource use and planning are of increasing importance in the development of new governance approaches. Increased collaboration with civil society is therefore regarded by academics as utterly essential if theory and practice are to be merged to produce ‘action research’.

Furthermore, CSOs can provide a medium through which the principles of ecological economics can be introduced into the public consciousness. A glittering example of a concept from the field that has been successfully integrated into popular discourse is the "ecological footprint." NGOs across the globe have begun using this indicator, and the Ecological Debt day calendar, which calculates the day each year when humans exceed the earth's annual capacity for regeneration, has featured regularly in the British media.

Giuseppe DeMarzo, an activist from Asud in Italy, an organization that works with indigenous groups in Latin America, offers an example whereby an ecological economist calculated the Ecological Debt of Texaco in Ecuador for the NGO Accion Ecologica. Armed with the statistics, Accion Ecologica was able to illustrate quantitatively as well as qualitatively the debt owed the affected communities, who are currently suing Texaco in court.

Increased collaboration can therefore help express the ideas of ecological economics in the language of grassroots advocacy groups, as activists help reduce jargon and hone in on which ideas are most accessible to the public. Actively involving civil society and rural leaders in selecting cases to study can then be translated into public information campaigns. The publicity generated through such campaigns will in turn, bring the field to a much larger audience, and demonstrate that its science offers practical applications.

The above agenda of mutual benefit requires building mutually supportive relationships between academics and activists. This means participating in forums outside the traditional territory of academic research. For example, De Marzo pointed out that the Society has no planned presence at the World Social Forum, an ideal venue for transmitting ideas to those passionate about environmental issues and global change. The ability of the research community to reach out to civil society in a considered, systematic way will also require:

1.increased appreciation amongst ecological economists that much NGO and International NGO activity (such as the increasingly popular trend of ‘partnership’ building between NGOs and big business) is founded upon mainstream neoclassical thinking, and as such unwittingly supports the status quo;

2.willingness on the part of academia to work to find ways to integrate the principles and tools of ecological economics into civil society and NGO practice, without compromising the integrity of the field; and finally,

3.acknowledgement of the critical role that Southern development NGOs have to play in defining a new global economic framework, especially if the South is to defend its interests against those of the North in the process of its development.

So while increasing the field’s ability to ‘talk across disciplines’ represents a worthwhile and formidable challenge for the discipline, members must also realise that ecological economics is too important to be the sole domain of the academic community. A new mode of science calls for new forms of interaction with others working towards social and environmental justice.

Leah Temper (leah.temper@gmail.com) is a journalist and doctoral student in economic history and ecological economics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. Hali Healy is a researcher and advocate of ecological economics based in London, England.

Following up on Ecological Economics For and Through NGOs presented at the ISEE’s Biennial Conference in Delhi, Hali Healy would like to hear from researchers who have worked with or for civil society organisations or NGOs. She is also looking for potential partners to develop a proposal under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), with a focus on building the capacity of both ecological economics and civil society for cross engagement. Please contact halilooyah@yahoo.com.

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ESEE 2007: Integrating Natural and Social Sciences for Sustainability
5-8 June 2007, UFZ - Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany

The European Society for Ecological Economics (ESEE), in co-operation with the German associations for ecological economics VÖÖ and VÖW, invite you to meet in Leipzig for the 7th international conference.
The conference will explore contemporary scientific approaches for putting the concept of Sustainable Development into research and into practice, and it will focus on bridging natural and social sciences. It will address sustainability topics such as loss of biodiversity, human vulnerability to global change and water problems on all geographical and institutional levels. The conference aims to contribute to a better understanding of societal and natural processes and their interaction by integrating scientific methodologies to overcome the shortcomings of disciplinary and multi-disciplinary approaches. Impediments to inter- and transdisciplinary research will be examined and new research concepts for sustainability identified.

Keynote speakers are Elinor Ostrom, Malte Faber, Dick Norgaard, Inge Roepke, Christian Hey, Clive Spash, and Carl Folke.

The submitted abstracts and papers are in the review process, and notes about acceptance will be sent out mid-February.

Visit the conference website.

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PhD Student and Early Stage Researcher Workshop
3-5 June 2007, Leipzig

Ahead of the seventh ESEE conference in Leipzig Germany, a special two and a half day workshop will be organized by and for PhD students and Early Stage Researchers. The objectives of this workshop are three fold:
(1) strengthen the European Ecological Economics student network
(2) expand students' perspectives on interdisciplinary science and the future of Ecological Economics,
(3) provide a forum for students to share experiences and stimulate collaboration.
The programme includes lectures by Prof. Richard Norgaard, Dr. Sigrid Stagl and Dr. Martin Drechsler and a field trip in the vicinity of Leipzig. To apply for a place at the workshop contact Esteve Corbera (estevecorbera@telefonica.net). For more information contact Kate Farrell (katharine.farrell@ufz.de).

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ECEEE Summer Study

The Summer Study registration is now open. Just like the two previous Summer Studies, we have chosen the competent conference management company NOVATOURS to take care of all practical issues. Their on-line registration facility will open shortly, but the pdf registration form information is available on the eceee Summer Study pages, where you will also find information on fees and payment options.

The conference managers, paper authors and panel leaders are busy preparing the event. It will be the biggest Summer Study ever, with nine panels and more than 200 expected papers.

Rooms at the venue are reserved on a first-come-first serve basis. Don't miss this opportunity, register now! (And if you register after 2 April, a late registration fee will apply.)

http://www.eceee.org/summer_study/Registration/

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11th European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (erscp)
June 20-22, 2007; Basel

The erscp is a conference for academics, government representatives, consultants and practitioners, offering various platforms for know-how exchange and stimulating creative and innovative interactions.

This year special focus will be on the Life Sciences. Other topics are: sustainable buildings, greening events etc. The conference is an opportunity for you to take stock of present, up-front knowledge and initiatives evolving around the following issues:
· Sustainable production and consumption
· Knowledge and technology transfer
· Financing sustainable innovation
· Social responsibility

For further information please visit: http://www.erscp2007.net

Deadlines:
Call for papers · Please submit abstracts by March 3, 2007 (http://www.erscp2007.net/cms/index.php?id=7)
Congress Registration · by April 30, 2007 · late registration (additional fee € 100) by June 15, 2007 (http://www.erscp2007.net/cms/index.php?id=3)

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THEMES 2nd Summer school June 2007 on "Institutional Analysis of Sustainability Problems"
18-29 June 2007

THEMES 2nd Summer school June 2007 on "Institutional Analysis of Sustainability Problems" is open for application. In June 2007, the Institute for Forecasting at the Slovak Academy of Sciences will be hosting a summer school in Emerging Theories and Methods of Sustainability Research (THEMES), titled “Institutional Analysis of Sustainability Problems.” This is the second summer school in a series of four funded by Marie Curie : Emerging Theories and Methods in Sustainability Research (THEMES).

For more information please click here.

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Call for Papers: CANSEE 2007
7th Biennial Conference “Sustaining Communities and Development in the Face of Environmental Challenges”
July 26-28, 2007, Halifax, Nova Scotia

The 7th Biennial Conference of the Canadian Society for Ecological Economics (CANSEE) will reflect the focus of CANSEE in fostering transdisciplinary research activities and dialogue among natural and social scientists, government, the private sector and civil society, to deepen our understanding of the interactions between humans and nature, and to inform the sustainable stewardship of our natural resources and the environment.

Conference sessions, papers and posters will directly address how an ecological economic approach can help society meet these challenges. Government, academics, NGOs, the private sector and the public are encouraged to attend.

All participants are invited to submit abstracts for presentation of papers or posters on any of the conference themes, or for workshop discussion sessions. The combined length of the abstract body may not exceed 350 words. Include the name, title and affiliation of each author in addition to the mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and email of the primary contact. Abstracts and proposals for special topic sessions must be received no later than March 1, 2007. Abstract must be submitted via e-mail to cansee2007@cansee.org , or on-line at www.cansee.org/2007/.

Abstracts will be evaluated, and confirmation of acceptance will be communicated to the author by March 31, 2007.

For further information click here.

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Scientist - Human-Environment Interactions

The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) is seeking a scientist to play a leadership role in CIESIN's research concerning human-environment interactions. The position may be filled at either the Associate Research Scientist or Research Scientist level, depending on experience and qualifications. The position requires a Ph.D. in demography, geography, economics, sociology or a closely related social, natural, or health science discipline. The Research Scientist position requires 5 years of post-doctoral work involving interdisciplinary research on human-environment interactions; the Associate Research Scientist position requires two years of such experience. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate experience integrating socioeconomic and biophysical data, experience in designing and implementing complex research projects, an ability to raise research funds, and quantitative statistical and geospatial analytical skills. Experience wi
th remote sensing or simulation modeling is a plus.

CIESIN (www.ciesin.columbia.edu) is a unit of Columbia University's Earth Institute, carrying out a wide range of research and decision-support activities aimed at improving our ability to understand human-environment interactions and to respond effectively to high-priority challenges. CIESIN is a world leader in interdisciplinary studies involving spatial demography, natural hazards, sustainability indicators, remote sensing applications, environmental security, and poverty mapping. CIESIN interacts with a world-wide network of leading collaborators in research and applied settings, including such recent examples as the World Bank, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the UN Millennium Project, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the UN Environment Program, in addition to a number of US-based agencies and researchers.

The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the intellectual leadership of these and related initiatives, in a manner consistent with the candidate's personal strengths and interests.

To apply, please submit by electronic format: a letter of application including position reference number 670 07 002, a C.V. that includes email address; a statement of research interest (1 page) and career objectives (up to 3 pages); and contact information for three references to:
personnelÉadmin.ldeo.columbia.edu with position number 670 07 002 also in the subject line. Screening will begin after the ad appears for 30 days.

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International Master in Social Policy Analysis by Luxembourg, Leuven and Associate Institutes (IMPALLA)
CALL FOR APPLICANTS - Academic year 2007-2008

The IMPALLA program is organized jointly by the CEPS/INSTEAD (Luxembourg) and the University of Leuven (Belgium). Its broader academic network includes the following partners: University of Nancy 2 (France), University of Tilburg (The Netherlands) and University of Luxembourg.

The academic program has three major objectives:
- to offer a solid theoretical foundation in comparative socio-economic policies, at the European level and beyond,
- to provide a thorough training in advanced research methodology,
- to give a well-founded expertise in policy evaluation, while developing corresponding technical skills.

The program leads to an advanced Master Degree issued by the University of Leuven where the IMPALLA students are registered as regular students.

Application deadline is the 31st May 2007.

Complementary information concerning the IMPALLA program can be found on
the web site: http://www.impalla.ceps.lu

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Socio-Economic Research Assistants for the Macaulay Institute

The Socio-Economic Research Group (SERG) of the Macaulay Institute seeks two highly motivated and committed persons to support research activities relating to the socio-economic analysis of environmental and rural development issues. The successful candidates will, together with an existing post holder, form a team providing a set of complementary skills that can be called upon by the researchers in the ongoing research programme.

Applications are invited for two highly motivated and committed persons to support research activities relating to the socio-economic analysis of environmental and rural development issues.

Candidates should have an honours or higher degree in a relevant social sciences discipline (e.g. economics, geography, sociology, psychology), as well as some experience in areas relevant to the post. Driving licence essential.

Further information please click here.

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School of Development Studies - Current Vacancies

The School of Development Studies is the leading centre of interdisciplinary research, teaching and professional activity in international development studies in the UK. These posts will strengthen the School's work in the areas of development studies and development economics. Post holders will contribute to teaching at undergraduate and masters levels in an interdisciplinary context, and have active involvement in research student recruitment and supervision. In addition, post holders will become members of the Overseas Development Group, which involves working up to one third of their time on externally funded research, training and consultancy, often overseas. Candidates will be political sociologists, social anthropologists, economists or natural scientists, with a broad interest in all aspects of international development, and a specialism in one or more of the following areas: political ecology; China/East Asia; social development; globalisation and development economics; health; education and literacy; and environmental change and governance.

To be considered for:

• the Chair you will have an international reputation as an outstanding scholar in your own specialist area and an individual research programme likely to be rated at least 3* in the RAE2008. As a research leader you will have demonstrable evidence of contribution to the development of the discipline and professional leadership of projects.
• a Senior Lectureship you will need to have substantial teaching experience in higher education, experience in the development and directing of courses, be likely to be rated at least 3* in the RAE2008, and have existing projects or consultancies that can be transferred to the ODG.
• a Lectureship you will have evidence of some teaching experience, have or expect to be awarded within 6 months of appointment, a PhD or equivalent qualification, and be likely to be rated at least 2* in the RAE2008.
  

All posts are available on a full time indefinite basis from 1 August 2007. Closing date: 2 March 2007.
For further information visit: http://www.uea.ac.uk/hr/jobs/acad/atr663.htm

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Rethinking Environmental History World-System History and Global Environmental Change Edited by Alf Hornborg, J. R. McNeill, and Joan Martinez-Alier.

This exciting new reader in environmental history provides a framework for understanding the relations between ecosystems and world-systems over time. The editors have brought together a group of the foremost writers from the social, historical, and geographical sciences to provide an overview of the ecological dimension of global, economic processes, with a long-term, historical perspective. Each chapter provides a rich context for evaluating environmental inequalities and for understanding the contemporary concern with 'sustainable development.' In cases from ancient Rome and China to modern Mexico and Brazil, the authors address key questions such as: What are the main differences and similarities—in terms of ecology, resource management, and modes of accumulation—between the present world order and those of earlier civilizations? How are processes of accumulation and infrastructural "development" in certain areas linked to ecological degradation and impoverishment in others? What can these continuities and discontinuities tell us about the prospects for long-term sustainability of human-environmental relations? Readers are challenged to integrate studies of the Earth-system with studies of the world-system, and to reconceptualize the relations between human beings and their environment, as well as the challenges of global sustainability.
More information

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