| |
|
|
|
|
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
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.
Content:
1.
News from ESEE and its members
- Note
from the ESEE Board (Paula Antunes)
- ISEE
Newsletter July 2007 now available
- Renew
your ESEE membership for 2007
2. Other news
- Online Encyclopedia of Ecological Economics (OEEE)
3. Hot topic
-
Democracy Quality and Environmental Problems
4. Events
- PH.D.
programme in Science and Management of Climate Change
- ALTER-Net
Training Course
- Sustainable
development twenty years on: New theoretical interpretations, methodological
innovations, and fields of further exploration
- ECOSUD
2007: Sixth International Conference on Ecosystems and Sustainable
Development
5.
Job openings
- GeoSciences:
Senior Lectureship (or Lectureship) in the Human Dimensions of Environmental
Change
- Post-Doc
Announcement
at Lund University
- Assistant
Professor in Ecological Economics at Colorado State University
- Marie
Curie Individual Fellowships
6.
Publications
- Socioecological
Transitions and Global Change. Trajectories of Social Metabolism and
Land Use
|
|
| 1.
News from ESEE and its members: |
Note from the ESEE Board: Education and the Future of ESEE
Education
and the Future of ESEE When we think about the future of ESEE we tend
to focus on discussions about issues such as what are the main scientific
aims of the society, what is our disciplinary focus, how do we address
transdisciplinarity, how do we disseminate our science, or how do
we organize our conferences and scientific publications. Sometimes,
in the middle of these discussions we tend judge ourselves too harshly,
thinking that perhaps we have not done enough, that there are still
many discussions and differences in views among ourselves, that we
do not communicate our science in the most effective way, that we
have not been so successful as we wanted in creating an impact in
society and policy making. However, there are many positive signs
and achievements.
Looking
at the future through the new generation of ecological economists
that will follow, makes us feel very optimistic. One of the things
that were most striking in the ESEE2007 Conference was the high number
of young people participating and their engagement in the Conference
and in a series of parallel activities. The pre-conference students
workshop was very successful in engaging young researchers in activities
organized by themselves and there are already steps and plans for
the follow up of this initiative. The PhD award, and the high number
of excellent quality contributions that the award committee had to
evaluate, is also a very positive sign of this growing engagement
of talented young people.
We
feel that there is a new generation of very enthusiastic and active
young researchers and students that should be cherished and involved
in ESEE. In this respect, education in ecological economics is of
outmost relevance. The THEMES Summer Schools, which have started in
2007 and will go on until 2009, are already contributing to bring
new people to the field and will definitely have an impact on the
future of ESEE. Other initiatives in the field of ecological economics
and involving the training and mobility of young researchers among
centers devoted to the field in Europe, such as the GOVERNAT network,
may also contribute to this objective. These initiatives will definitely
play a very important role in the formation of a generation of researchers
who have been educated in the paradigm of ecological economics and
that can contribute to the field in a positive way. They also reflect
the scientific maturity of ecological economics.
However,
we should start thinking about the next steps. What should we do next
to ensure that the current momentum is not lost? How do we set up
a scheme that allows mobility of students and young researchers among
affiliated academic institutions and research centers in a sustained
way? Suggestions to the education committee are most welcome.
Paula
Antunes
ISEE
July 2007 member newsletter now available online
The
link to it is in pdf format located on the homepage of ISEE website
at www.ecoeco.org
Reminder
to renew your ESEE membership
Haven't
you renewed your ESEE membership for 2007 yet? To renew your membership
please visit www.euroecolecon.org.
TOP
|
|
| 2.
Other news: |
Online Encyclopedia of Ecological Economics (OEEE)
The
purpose of the Online Encyclopedia of Ecological Economics (OEEE)
is to provide students, academics, journalists, activists, policy
makers and everybody else interested with a first-hand introduction
to many of the topics at the heart of ecological economic analysis.
It
covers already a broad range of topics -- from agent-based modelling
to welfare economics - but it would be excellent if more contributions
could be added. Most of the existing entries that can be found at
www.ecoeco.org/education_encyclopedia.php
not only provide a detailed analysis of the specific topic, but also
discuss the distinct contribution of ecological economics. References
- some electronic, others conventionally published as books or journal
articles - provide further leads and help you grasp a better understanding
of the topic.
We
actively welcome suggestions for further entry topics together with
suggestions for authors! Please send all suggestions to the editor,
Eric Neumayer (London School of Economics) at e.neumayer@lse.ac.uk
TOP
|
|
| 3.
Hot topic: |
Democracy
Quality and Environmental Problems
Studies
about the report between the quality of democracy and environmental
problems are increasingly relevant. The reason is the perception of
environmental problems as a direct result of the impoverishment or
decline in the quality of democracy. In fact, this is nothing new.
The well-known Brundtland Report already stated that “inequality (related
to decision-making processes and the appropriation of the ecological
capital by the industrialized countries) is the main ‘environmental’
problem in the planet as well as its main developmental problem”,
something that has not been paid much attention to. Cristina Narbona,
the Spanish Minister for the Environment, insists on that “…there
is no bigger threat to the environment than demagogy, meaning by that
deceiving the citizens, intentionally concealing data and decisions,
prejudicially manipulating the actual situation of natural resources
and the alternatives that exist for their appropriate exploitation”
(World Resources Institute Spanish edition, 2004, p. vii,).
The
main indicator of decline in the quality of democracy, though not
the only one, is the authoritarian way in which public decisions are
taken by the formally democratic governments and administrations.
This means there are governments democratically elected, and thus
democratically legitimate in their “origin”, but whose decisions are
taken in a deeply authoritarian way, therefore invalidating that legitimacy.
This can be named unlawful democratic “behaviour” or, simply, decline
in the quality of democracy.
In
other words, at least three levels of democratic legitimacy can be
identified. The first one is obtained through the elections. Of course,
it is very important in order to validate this level to know how the
parties are financed, who actually finances them and if the electoral
practices are compatible with a “sufficiently” democratic context.
The second level is obtained through an informed and reflected debate
meant to arrive at joint decisions. In other words, the fact that
a certain party wins the absolute majority of the seats in parliament
does not imply that arbitrary decisions can be taken or that the necessity
to defend joint decisions with solid arguments in a public debate
can be ignored. On the contrary, a lawful democratic behaviour only
exists if decisions are taken in an informed and considered public
debate. The third level of democratic behaviour comes from the real
observation of environmental laws and the sufficient budget for their
application.
The
problem is that these requirements are not fulfilled. In fact, party
finances are not well known. There are neither serious debates nor
informed reasoning, nor reasonable public participation in the decision-making
process. And, of course, environmental laws are not provided enough
funds and many of them are not abided.
Ecological
economists have spent a lot of time studying the biophysical aspects
of the Economy. This is very important and it is also something needed,
but we cannot ignore those aspects related to the quality of democracy
and, consequently, to the issue of the construction of joint decisions.
That is what a group of researchers try to reflect in the book “The
quality of democracy and environmental protection in the Canary Islands”
(in Spanish), Aguilera, F. (editor), published by César Manrique Foundation
(Lanzarote, Canarias).
Links:
by
Federico Aguilera Klink
TOP
|
|
| 4.
Events: |
PH.D.
programme in Science and Management of Climate Change
The University
Ca’ Foscari of Venice has just started a new Ph.D. programme
on: SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
This programme is jointly realised by the Center
of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD) and the Euro-Mediterranean
Center on Climate Change (CMCC).
Objective
The Ph. D. programme in Science and Management of Climate Change aims
to provide doctoral students with an extensive and in-depth expertise
in the scientific and economic aspects of climate change, and with
a proven record of original research on modelling climate change,
its impacts, and related mitigation and adaptation policies.
Call for Applications
Applicants should read and carefully follow the detailed application
instructions found at www.unive.it/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=35790.
All applications must be received by 12.00 a.m. of September 17th,
2007. The selection process will close at the end of September. Courses
will be in English and will start at the end of October.
For further information on the Ph.D. programme, please contact the
University Research Doctorate Office.
E-mail: lauream@unive.it, Phone:
+39.041.2347520.
ALTER-Net
Training Course “An Introduction to Ecological-economic Modelling
for Designing and Evaluating Biodiversity Conservation Policies and
Strategies”
16-22 September 2007, Bad Schandau (Nationalpark Sächsische Schweiz,
Germany)
Ecological-economic modelling is a helpful way of combining social
and natural science knowledge to achieve better results for biodiversity
conservation policies. The importance of this methodology is being
documented by an increasing number of research articles in leading
economic as well as ecological journals.
The course addresses young scientists (PhD students and young post-docs)
from ecology, economics or modelling. It offers an introduction into
the main ecological and economic concepts of conservation as well
as ecological-economic modelling. Emphasis is placed on both lectures
and active teamwork on given manageable projects. For more information
visit: http://www.ufz.de/index.php?de=3488.
Sustainable
development twenty years on: New theoretical interpretations, methodological
innovations, and fields of further exploration
From
November 20-22 2008, in Lille (Villeneuve d’Ascq) (France), CLERSE
(Lille Centre of sociological and economic studies) is organising
an international conference on the following theme: « Sustainable
development twenty years on: New theoretical interpretations, methodological
innovations, and fields of further exploration ».
We
invite you to read the call
for papers.
If
you are interested in presenting a possible paper, you can send a
1 to 2 pages summary of the proposal, before October 15 2007, to the
following address: clerse-direction@univ-lille1.fr.
ECOSUD
2007: Sixth International Conference on Ecosystems and Sustainable
Development
5 - 7 September, 2007 Coimbra, Portugal
More
information: www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2007/eco07/index.html
TOP
|
5.
Job openings: |
GeoSciences:
Senior Lectureship (or Lectureship) in the Human Dimensions of Environmental
Change
An
outstanding researcher in environmental change with an emphasis on
human processes is required to join one of the largest groupings of
interdisciplinary geoscientists in the UK.
You
will have expertise in a range of methodological approaches to environmental
issues in development, and knowledge of theoretical, conceptual and/or
numerical modelling within the social/natural sciences. Preference
will be given to candidates with experience in the development and
application of quantitative methods and environmental models.
More
information: click
here
Post-Doc
Announcement at Lund University
Lund University has recently announced 19 new post-doctoral opportunities
for early stage researchers. One of these post-doc positions has been
earmarked for one of the following three centres at Lund University
(in alphabetical order): The Centre for East and South-East Asian
Studies The Centre for Sustainability Studies, LUCSUS The International
Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics, IIIEE In other words,
one post-doc position may be available at LUCSUS, Centre for Sustainability
Studies
The
application deadline is September 24, 2007.
More
information: www.lucsus.lu.se/html/postdoc.aspx
Assistant
Professor in Ecological Economics at Colorado State University
For
detailed information click here.
Marie
Curie Individual Fellowships
The
Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) looks forward to hosting researchers
from the EU, the Associated Countries or the Third Countries within
the Marie Curie Individual Fellowships scheme.
These
Fellowships are awarded by the European Commission within the FP7
PEOPLE programme for a period between 1 and 2 years. They are addressed
to experienced researchers, typically with PhD degree or four years
research experience(full-time equivalent), since obtaining a university
degree giving access to doctoral studies.
Candidates
must be Non-Italian researchers and must not have resided or carried
out their main activity in Italy for more than 12 months in the 3
years immediately prior to the reference deadline for submission.Fellowships
will focus on the areas of research carried out at FEEM:
· Climate Change Modelling and Policy
· Sustainability Indicators and Environmental Valuation
· Natural Resources Management
· Knowledge Technology and Human Capital
· International Energy Markets
· Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Management
· Privatisation Regulation Corporate Governance
FEEM will also provide support to potential applicants in the presentation
of the proposal.
Expressions of interest can be submitted through FEEM web site at:
http://webfeem.it/cv/ or by contacting Roberta Camera (roberta.camera@feem.it).
TOP
|
|
| 6.
New Publications: |
Socioecological
Transitions and Global Change. Trajectories of Social Metabolism and
Land Use
Edited
by Marina Fischer-Kowalski and Helmut Haberl, Edward Elgar, May 2007
This
new book analyses fundamental changes in society-nature interaction:
the socioeconomic use of materials, energy and land. The volume presents
a number of case studies addressing transitions from an agrarian to
an industrial socioecological regime, analysed within the materials
and energy flow accounting (MEFA) framework. It is argued that by
concentrating on the biophysical dimensions of change in the course
of industrialization, social development issues can be explicitly
linked to changes in the natural environment.
Foreword
by Joan Martinez-Alier.
Contributors include: N. Eisenmenger, K.-H. Erb, M. Fischer-Kowalski,
C.M. Grünbühel, H. Haberl, F. Krausmann, J. Ramos Martin, H. Schandl,
S.J. Singh
TOP
|
| |
|
|
