A Descriptive Review on Ecological Economics and an Introduction of Ecological Circular Flow Model

Year 2020, Issue: 55, 21 - 34, 27.04.2020

Sevginaz Işık

https://doi.org/10.18070/erciyesiibd.561711

Abstract

Perhaps the only assumption that all economists have accepted is that human needs are endless but natural resources are scarce. Mainstream economics assumes that this problem can be solved by price mechanisms without considering the ecological effects. Therefore, they continue to promote economic growth. On the contrary, ecological economics oppose the promotion of economic growth because it has ecological effects such as pollution, ecological degradation, climate change, global warming, etc. So, they call attention to economic degrowth.

In this paper, the aim is to briefly present the focus of ecological economics, to set forth the similarities and differences between ecological and environmental economics, to put forward economic degrowth discussions and to fill a certain gap in the literature. Circular flow model which is one of the main pillars of economics is illustrated with a more realistic consideration and a broader view and named as “Ecological Circular Flow”. This broader version, inspired by relevant primary studies, is essentially a simple ecological version of the mainstream’s circular flow model and has a crucial role to reconsider today’s economic activities and their consequences.

Keywords

Ecological Economics, Economic Degrowth, Sustainable Economy, Ecological Circular Flow

Ekolojik İktisat Üzerine Betimsel Bir Değerlendirme ve Ekolojik Devri Akımlar Modelinin Takdimi

Abstract

Belki de bütün iktisatçıların kabul ettiği tek varsayım, insan ihtiyaçlarının sınırsız olup doğal kaynakların kıt olmasıdır. Anaakım iktisat ekolojik etkileri göz önünde bulundurmadan bu sorunun fiyat mekanizmalarıyla çözülebileceğini varsayar. Bu nedenle, ekonomik büyümeyi teşvik etmeye devam etmektedirler. Bunun aksine, ekolojik iktisat ise, kirlenme, ekolojik tahribat, iklim değişikliği, küresel ısınma vb. ekolojik etkilere sebep olduğu için ekonomik büyümenin teşvik edilmesine karşı çıkmaktadırlar. Dolayısıyla, ekolojik sorunlara önem veren ekolojik iktisatçılar, bu sorunlara bir çözüm olarak ekonomik küçülmeyi savunmaktadırlar.

Bu çalışmadaki amaç, ekolojik iktisadın odağını kısaca sunmak, ekolojik iktisat ile çevre ekonomisi arasındaki benzerlik ve farklılıkları ortaya koymak, ekonomik küçülme tartışmalarını iletmek ve literatürdeki belli bir boşluğu doldurmaktır: Ekonominin ana sütunlarından biri olan devri akım modeli, daha gerçekçi ve daha geniş bir bakış açısıyla ele alınarak “Ekolojik Devri Akım” olarak adlandırılmıştır. İlgili öncü çalışmalardan esinlenen bu daha geniş versiyon, temel olarak, ana akım iktisadın devri akım modelinin basit bir ekolojik versiyonu olup günümüzdeki ekonomik faaliyet ve sonuçlarını tekrardan değerlendirmek için çok önemli bir role sahiptir.

Keywords

Ekolojik İktisat, Ekonomik Küçülme, Sürdürülebilir Ekonomi, Ekolojik Devri Akım

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