Category Archives: Ecological Economics

The economy is part of the environment, not vice versa.

Climate Change: are we doomed unless the world goes vegan?

In a recent e-mail interchange including both vegans and non-vegan recipients, one of the questions raised was whether we (the vegans) thought that the world was doomed unless the world goes vegan. This sounded like a rhetorical question, as if … Continue reading

Posted in Climate change, Ecological Economics, Vegetarianism / Veganism | Leave a comment

Methane — a bigger problem than we thought?

We have a “Post-Carbon Institute” to address our reliance on fossil fuels.  But there is no “Post-Methane Institute.” Methane, the second largest human-caused contributor to global warming, often doesn’t get any respect.  The constant focus on “carbon” leads people to … Continue reading

Posted in Climate change, Ecological Economics, Vegetarianism / Veganism | 1 Comment

Move Over, Meat: A More Wasteful Use of Corn

Vegetarians used to be able to say that most corn grown in the U. S. went for livestock. According to the USDA, that won’t be true this year. Something which is even more wasteful, even more mind-boggling in its stupidity, … Continue reading

Posted in Climate change, Ecological Economics, Limits to Growth, Peak oil, Vegetarianism / Veganism | Leave a comment

The Ecology of a Natural Foods Diet

What revisions would I make to section II of A Vegetarian Sourcebook (AVS) on “Vegetarian Ecology,” if I were to rewrite it today? There are two levels of changes that I would make: first, updates to all the data I … Continue reading

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Issues with the Basic Income

Vegans, environmentalists, and basic income advocates need to be talking to each other.  But in many cases, they have not even HEARD of each other.  In this rather lengthy post, I will raise four questions that environmentalists and vegans might … Continue reading

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The Basic Income

We all understand the importance of eliminating mindless consumerism and learning to live more simply. But at the same time we face huge economic inequalities. If we truly all start to live simply, won’t this mean that we’ll be producing … Continue reading

Posted in Ecological Economics, Nonviolence, Politics, or the lack thereof, Simple living | Leave a comment

Interview: Why the environmental issue is important for vegans

Last January 21, the KPOV show “All Things Vegan” aired an interview of me in which we discussed a number of issues, the most important of which is why the environmental issue is important for vegans. The following clip gives … Continue reading

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The Commoditization of Veganism

Many people are suggesting meat analogs as a way of encouraging people to go vegan or adopt a less resource-intensive diet. Meat analogs are useful in promoting veganism because they make it easy for the new vegan.

Posted in Ecological Economics, Vegetarianism / Veganism | 3 Comments

Vegans Marching for Climate Change Action

We joined the “iMatter” youth-led march for climate change action yesterday, shortly after it left Cuernavaca Park in Denver. There were several hundred people who marched up 15th Street to Civic Center Park. We had our “Go Vegan” signs, and … Continue reading

Posted in Climate change, Ecological Economics, Urban Life, Vegetarianism / Veganism | Leave a comment

Is a Steady State Economy Possible?

  Gail Tverberg, whose blog “Our Finite World” is one of my favorites (along with Juan Cole’s “Informed Comment”), recently wrote a blog titled “There is No Steady State Economy (except at a very basic level).” She contends that while … Continue reading

Posted in Ecological Economics, Limits to Growth, Peak oil | 2 Comments