The Economics of Needs and Limits: A Theory for Sustainable Well-Being

By Frank Rotering

The ecological crisis is urgently telling humankind that we must rapidly shift from growth-dependent capitalism to a sustainable economy. The Economics of Needs and Limits, or ENL, is an economic theory that is intended to guide us on this difficult journey. ENL is based on an ethical principle: all human beings, present and future, are of high and equal worth. From this starting point the author develops a conceptual framework to help analysts set rational objectives for outputs, population, and the economy's interactions with nature. The ultimate goal is to achieve sustainable well-being. Also included in the book are novel approaches to labor productivity and trade. The main distinguishing feature of the ENL framework is that it treats value and cost as objective factors, whereas both standard and ecological economics treat them as subjective factors. Under current environmental conditions the objective interpretations are necessary in order to align human needs and wants with the limitations of the natural world. The Economics of Needs and Limits is moderately technical. The book includes numerous graphs to illustrate concepts and a few basic formulas to permit rigorous expression. It should therefore be suitable for a college- or university-level course that introduces students to a sustainable mode of economic thought. It will also interest those who have examined ecological economics and have concluded that a more radical approach is required to tackle the existential crisis we face.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0978345983
• ISBN13: 9780978345983
• Release Date: October 2018
• Publisher: Frank Rotering
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"