Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Ecological Economics: Human Needs, Sustainability, and Societal Transitions

In course

ENV-610: Ecological economics

This course is an introduction to economic theory applied to environmental issues. It presents the methods used to assess environmental impacts and natural resources as well as environmental regulation instruments. It then broadens the analysis to ecologic ...

Description

This lecture explores the intersection of Ecological Economics with human needs, sustainable development, energy and material metabolism, food and agriculture, and societal transitions. It delves into the concept of social sustainability and the principles for achieving it, emphasizing the importance of satisfying human needs while ensuring the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The lecture also discusses the constraints of ecological sustainability and the role of innovation in stimulating sustainable practices.

This video is available exclusively on Mediaspace for a restricted audience. Please log in to MediaSpace to access it if you have the necessary permissions.

Watch on Mediaspace

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Sustainable development

Sustainable development is an organizing principle that aims to meet human development goals while also enabling natural systems to provide necessary natural resources and ecosystem services to humans. The desired result is a society where living conditions and resources meet human needs without undermining the planetary integrity and stability of the natural system. Sustainable development tries to find a balance between economic development, environmental protection, and social well-being.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long time. Specific definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Experts often describe sustainability as having three dimensions (or pillars): environmental, economic, and social, and many publications emphasize the environmental dimension. In everyday use, sustainability often focuses on countering major environmental problems, including climate change, loss of biodiversity, loss of ecosystem services, land degradation, and air and water pollution.

Sustainable food system

A sustainable food system is a type of food system that provides healthy food to people and creates sustainable environmental, economic, and social systems that surround food. Sustainable food systems start with the development of sustainable agricultural practices, development of more sustainable food distribution systems, creation of sustainable diets, and reduction of food waste throughout the system. Sustainable food systems have been argued to be central to many or all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Social metabolism

Social metabolism or socioeconomic metabolism is the set of flows of materials and energy that occur between nature and society, between different societies, and within societies. These human-controlled material and energy flows are a basic feature of all societies but their magnitude and diversity largely depend on specific cultures, or sociometabolic regimes. Social or socioeconomic metabolism is also described as "the self-reproduction and evolution of the biophysical structures of human society.

Sustainability measurement

Sustainability measurement is a set of frameworks or indicators to measure how sustainable something is. This includes processes, products, services and businesses. Sustainability is difficult to quantify. It may even be impossible to measure. To measure sustainability, the indicators consider environmental, social and economic domains. The metrics are still evolving. They include indicators, benchmarks and audits. They include sustainability standards and certification systems like Fairtrade and Organic.

Related lectures (40)

Recycling and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Solutions

Examines the role of recycling in sustainable development, addressing its limitations and the importance of a circular economy.

Urban Metabolism: Sustainable Resource Management

Delves into urban metabolism, industrial ecology, and sustainable resource management within cities.

Material and Energy Flow Analysis for Resource Management

Covers Material and Energy Flow Analysis for resource management, urban systems, sustainable urban transition, and resource use dynamics.

Sustainable Materials: Lifecycle, Properties, and Design

Explores material lifecycle, properties, sustainability, and design, emphasizing the importance of auditing products for sustainability and discussing the evaluation of consumer products like LEGO.

Food Security: Challenges and Innovations for Sustainable Solutions