discussion 9

Discussion post #9

Part One

· What is “Karl Polanyi’s Paradox” ( as defined in GPCC,  not his brother “Michael Polanyi’s Paradox”), including its nature/environmental and human components?

Part Two

· What are “market externalities,” including “positive externalities” and “negative externalities? Give two examples of positive externalities and two of negative externalities. How can externalities be not only economic and environmental but also social?

· Discuss negative externalities in view of “The story of stuff” and “They want to pay Mother Nature …”

· How does “Karl Polanyi’s Paradox” address “negative externalities,” including their human/social component?

· What is the “Genuine Progress Indicator”? How does it address “Karl Polanyi’s Paradox” and “negative externalities”?

Part Three

· What is the “Malthusian” theory of population, and what is its underlying ideology? What are the general arguments against Malthusian theory?

· What is the concept of "the carrying capacity of the Earth"? What is problematic about this concept?

· How does the article “Too many Africans?” critique mainstream ideas about overpopulation (especially Malthusian and neo-Malthusian ideas) and coincide with wealth flows theory? How does the critique also coincide with the documentary video “King Leopold’s Ghost”?

· In summary, does the textbook author regard overpopulation as a principal cause of global poverty, environmental degradation, and social/political conflict? Why or why not?

· GPCC, Part two,  “The global impact of the culture of capitalism: Introduction” (including “A Primer on Market Externalities: [Karl] Polanyi’s Paradox”); and chapter 5,  “The problem of population growth”

· Review:  “The story of stuff” (video, 21 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqMLinks to an external site.

· Review:  “Genuine Progress Indicator” http://www.sustainwellbeing.net/gpi.htmlLinks to an external site.

· “They want to pay Mother Nature for all her hard work”  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/climate/dasgupta-report-biodiversity-climate.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=HomepageLinks to an external site.

· “Externalities” https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/externality.asp#:~:text=An%20externality%20is%20a%20cost,of%20a%20good%20or%20serviceLinks to an external site. .

· “Karl Polanyi’s Paradox” (not Michael Polanyi’s Paradox): GPCC (pages 127-132) Recommended: “Karl Polanyi” https://www.britannica.com/biography/Karl-Polanyi#ref38019

· Review:  “Stop blaming population growth for climate change. The real culprit is wealth inequality” https://scroll.in/article/952350/stop-blaming-population-growth-for-climate-change-the-real-culprit-is-wealth-inequality?fbclid=IwAR35FRd2yg8Ta7_n9Z7dqZAIzI_JWFuUFgSY7iH8I1MsCaXL1lqqdrCycUELinks to an external site.

· “’Bees, not refugees’: The environmentalist roots of anti-immigrant bigotry” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/15/antiLinks to an external site.

· “Paris to Amazon: No free delivery for you” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-27/paris-wants-a-tax-to-cover-amazon-delivery-impactsLinks to an external site.

· “The environmental costs of crypto” (text and audio, 7 minutes) https://www.npr.org/2022/04/22/1094396544/the-environmental-cost-of-crypto?t=1659993922420

· “Population, sustainability, and Malthus: Crash course in world history 215” (video, 12:50 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAkW_i0bDpQ Links to an external site.

· “The bomb that didn’t explode: Why our fears about population growth didn’t come true” (audio, 36 minutes)  https://www.npr.org/2020/03/09/813801640/the-bomb-that-didnt-explode-why-our-fears-about-population-growth-didn-t-come-trLinks to an external site.

· “Too many Africans?” https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/07/11/too-many-africans/

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