sustainable societies by vero vanden abeele

7/30/2019 Sustainable Societies by Vero Vanden Abeele

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Beyond Engineering

[email protected]

Sustainable Societies

Sandra Silverman


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ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY Rates of renewable resources should not exceed regeneration rate

Rates of use of non-renewable resource should not exceed rate to develop

alternatives

Rates of pollution should not exceed assimilative capacity of the

environment


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a sustainable society.

Meets the need of the present

without compromising the ability of

future generations

Brundtland report


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Poverty is the result of

A. A countrys geographical location (a lack of natural resources or a

hostile climate)

B. Cultural attributes of its citizens

C. Ignorant politicians

D. An elite that holds the power and that impedes economic growth


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Are you a capitalist?

A. Yes, I am

B. No, I am not

C. Actually, I do not really know what that

means

[Default]

[MC Any]

[MC All]


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CAPITALISM

A social-economic system based on

the private ownership of capital goods (means of production) creation of goods and services for profit capital gains accrue to private owners


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Adam Smith

The invisible hand

Free markets lead to competitiveness

and innovation

Education and specialization

Good products and services at good

prices

The persuit of self-interest leads to

well-being for all


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Are you a socialist?

A. Yes, I am

B. No, I am not

C. Actually, I do not really know

what that means

[Default]

[MC Any]

[MC All]


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SOCIALISM

A social-economic system based on

Social ownership of the means of production Returns on the means of production accrue to society at large Goods and services are produced directly for their utility (as opposed

to being produced by profit-seeking businesses)


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Marx

Separating labour power from

ownership of the means of production

is wrong

Capitalism leads to the exploitation of

labour

underpaid work is the ultimate source

of profit

Lower classes (proletariat) should

rebel to take the power (from the

bourgoisie)

=> ideal form of socialism is

communisme


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Where would you situate a cooperative?

A. In a capitalist philosophy

B. In a socialist philosophy


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Where would you situate utilitarianism and

egalitarianism?

A. Utilitarianism fits with socialism, and egalitarianism fit with

capitalism

B. Utilitarianism fits with capitalism, and egalitarianism fit with

socialism


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Which of the two socio-economic models leads to

greatest wealth?

A. Capitalism

B. Socialism


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The case of Korea

North

Socialism (communism)

No private ownership Centrally planned government

No free markets

South

(State) capitalism

Private ownership Steered economy

Free markets


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North and South Korea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYjdUeYT49c


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The Case of Korea

North Socialism (communism)

No private ownership

Centrally planned government

No free markets

Dictatorship Not technological advancements Famines Poor education No freedom

South

(State) capitalism

Private ownership

Steered economy

Free markets

Democratic system Technological advancements High level of eduction High level of freedom


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The winner is


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GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP)

The sum of the market value of all officially recognized final

goods and services produced within a country in a given period

of time.


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GDP IN THE WORLD


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Engines of prosperity

Inclusive political institutions Inclusive markets

Secured private property

Unbiased law s and regulations

Level playing field

equality ofopportunity

Provision of public services

Education Freedom to choose your career

Technological advancements

=> encourage economic growth

Extractive political institutionos

No inclusive markets

No secure private ownership

(corruption)

No or little education

No or little technological

advancements

Elite

decides how to redistributeincome and wealth, in favor of

themselves

=> impedes economic growth


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WHY WOULD AN ELITE BLOCK ECONOMIC GROWTH?

Why would even the worst predatory dictator not even want to

make his country as wealthy as possible?


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Losers of the industrial revolution

Aristocrats


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CREATIVE DESTRUCTION

Economic growth

Is transformative and destabilizing process

Is not just a process of advancements

Economic growth

creates winners and losers

Old processes are replaced by newer, better processes.

Resources are moved from old sectors to new sectors.

Old skills are rendered obsolete in favor of new skills.

challenges the power of the elitist group


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DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF CAPITALISM

Free-market capitalism (neo-liberalism) prices for goods and services are set freely by the forces of supply and demand

highly-competitive markets, private ownership of all productive enterprises and services

Very little taxes , no intervention by government policy

Social-market economy

Government intervention in price formation is kept to a minimum State relies on taxation and provides significant services in the area of social security, health, education and unemployment benefits

State capitalism State ownership of the means of production within a state,

Organization of state enterprises as commercial, profit-seeking businesses.

Governments, whether democratic or autocratic, exercise a widespread influence


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Which socio-economic form has seen the greatest

increase in wealth in the past decade?

A. Free market capitalism

B. Social market economy

C. State capitalism


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WORLD WEALTH


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THE DISAPPEARING (US) MIDDLE CLASS

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph


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Trickle-UP Economies

Joseph Stiglitz

Nobel price

winner in

Economics


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THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE

MARKET!

And no such thing as an invisible hand

Economic growth on debt is not real growth

Perfect markets, competition and information do not exist

We need:

Fair regulations

Tax system (no escape routes)

Good information (media)


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How about (belgian) engineers?

While wages for

engineers are

increasing, other wages

are decreasing.


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How about inequality in Belgium?

Top 10% earns 2,25 more

than bottom 10%

This inequality is amongst

the lowest in the world


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What income inequality do you think is acceptable?

A. Everyone should earn exactly the same (per hour), regardless of what

your work is

B. Twice as much

C. Five times as much

D. Ten times as much

E. No limit


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WEALTH VS WELL-BEING


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BETTER LIFE INDEX

op http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/


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PROSPERITY INDEX

http://www.prosperity.com/ExploreData.aspx#


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GDP VERSUS LIFE SATISFACTION


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POVERTY

Absolute poverty deprivation of basic human needs, which commonly includes food,

water, sanitation, clothing, shelter, health care and education.

Relative poverty

economic inequality in the location or society in which people live

(income equality)

Wh h d l


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What is the minimum day income, not to live in

poverty?

A. 1,25 USD

B. 2,5 USD

C. 5 USD

D. 10 USD


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GETTING BY ON $1,25 A DAY


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Is absolute poverty increasing or decreasing?

A. Increasing

B. Decreasing


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We are living through a period of rapid global poverty

reduction. According to recent estimates, high, sustainedgrowth across most of the developing world has helped

nearly half a billion people escape $1.25-a-day poverty

between 2005 and 2010. Never before have so manypeople been lifted out of poverty over such a brief period.


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Poverty rate in the world declines

From 1970 to 2006, poverty fell by

86% in South Asia

73% in Latin America

39% in the Middle East

20% in Africa


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Getting by on $1,25 a day

Is reduction of poverty good for ecological


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Is reduction of poverty good for ecologicalsustainability?

A. A good thing

B. A bad thing


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POVERTY AND FERTILITY RATE


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What is really going on?

A. High fertility causes poverty, so we should reduce fertility

(perhaps by means of obliged birth control, neo-malthusian)

B. Poverty causes high fertility, so we should lift people out of

poverty, as soon as possible


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How about the world population?

A. Average fertility rate is ever increasing

B. Average fertility rate is stable

C. Average fertility rate is ever decreasing


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WORLD POPULATION TODAY


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GLOBAL POPULATION GROWTH, BOX BY BOX

http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_on_global_population_growth.html


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Use Public Data

www.gapminder.orgwww.google.com/publicdata/directory


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CONCLUSION

Socio-economic models, poverty, population growth and(ecological) sustainability are inseparable

Inclusive political institutionsthat provide equality of opportunity Decrease poverty

Decreased population growth

Decreased stress on the planet


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CHILD SURVIVAL IS THE NEW GREEN

sustainable societies by vero vanden abeele

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