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The prosperous way down

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  • Odum, Howard T.
  • Odum, Elisabeth C.

Abstract

Principles that appear to govern all systems including human societies were used to consider the time of economic descent ahead. These include the energy laws, the emergy concept, the maximum empower principle, the universal energy hierarchy, the conservation and hierarchical distribution of materials, the spatial organization of centers, and the pulsing paradigm. Population and cities, energy consumption and climate change, agriculture and environment, information and electric power, capitalism and economic policies, structures and materials, human life and standard of living are dealt with in this paper as interconnected aspects of the same problem, i.e. the necessary descent phase of human economies, due to decreasing resource base. We expect much of the resource use, culture and public policy appropriate for the growth period to be replaced with a new set of ethics and policies affecting each scale of time and space during descent. Decisive changes in attitudes and practices can divert a destructive collapse, leading instead to a prosperous way down.

Suggested Citation

  • Odum, Howard T. & Odum, Elisabeth C., 2006. "The prosperous way down," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 21-32.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:31:y:2006:i:1:p:21-32
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2004.05.012
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    Cited by:

    1. Martínez-Alier, Joan & Pascual, Unai & Vivien, Franck-Dominique & Zaccai, Edwin, 2010. "Sustainable de-growth: Mapping the context, criticisms and future prospects of an emergent paradigm," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 1741-1747, July.
    2. Andreas Kamp & Hanne Østergård, 2016. "A Systematic Approach to Explorative Scenario Analysis in Emergy Assessment with Emphasis on Resilience," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 1-11, August.
    3. Seth Schindler, 2016. "Detroit after bankruptcy: A case of degrowth machine politics," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(4), pages 818-836, March.
    4. Agnieszka Dziubinska, 2018. "Understanding Complexity Leadership: Lesson From Emerging Environment (Przywodztwo w warunkach zlozonosci – doswiadczenia z dzialalnosci w warunkach rynkow wylaniajacych sie)," Research Reports, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 1(26), pages 155-172.
    5. David Ing, 2013. "Rethinking Systems Thinking: Learning and Coevolving with the World," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 527-547, September.
    6. Mads V. Markussen & Hanne Østergård, 2013. "Energy Analysis of the Danish Food Production System: Food-EROI and Fossil Fuel Dependency," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(8), pages 1-17, August.
    7. Bonney, Maurice & Jaber, Mohamad Y., 2011. "Environmentally responsible inventory models: Non-classical models for a non-classical era," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(1), pages 43-53, September.
    8. Singh, Rajeev Pratap & Singh, Pooja & Araujo, Ademir S.F. & Hakimi Ibrahim, M. & Sulaiman, Othman, 2011. "Management of urban solid waste: Vermicomposting a sustainable option," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 55(7), pages 719-729.
    9. Rodríguez-Huerta, Edgar & Rosas-Casals, Martí & Sorman, Alevgul H., 2017. "A societal metabolism approach to job creation and renewable energy transitions in Catalonia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 551-564.
    10. Cecilia M. V. B. Almeida & Biagio F. Giannetti & Feni Agostinho & Gengyuan Liu & Zhifeng Yang, 2021. "What Are the Stimuli to Change to a Sustainable Post-COVID-19 Society?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-13, November.
    11. Gonella Francesco & Elia Christian & Cristiano Silvio & Spagnolo Sofia & Vignarca Francesco, 2017. "From Head to Head: An Emergy Analysis of a War Rifle Bullet," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 23(2), pages 1-10, April.
    12. Cranston, G.R. & Hammond, G.P., 2010. "North and south: Regional footprints on the transition pathway towards a low carbon, global economy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(9), pages 2945-2951, September.
    13. Nuno Quental & Júlia Lourenço & Fernando da Silva, 2011. "Sustainability: characteristics and scientific roots," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 257-276, April.
    14. Adolfo Vicente Araújo & Caroline Mota & Sajid Siraj, 2023. "Using Genetic Programming to Identify Characteristics of Brazilian Regions in Relation to Rural Credit Allocation," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-14, April.

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