Basic Concepts Relevant to Sustainable Scale
- Material Throughput All economic activities involve the throughput of materials and energy that degrade the natural environment.
- Income Income involves living off what is renewed, rather than dipping into capital.
- Ecosystem Functions & Services Ecosystems are the basis of all human wealth, financial and otherwise.
- Natural Capital and Income Living off the natural income of ecosystems, without dipping into natural capital, is what eoclogical sustainability is all about.
- Thermodynamics The basic laws of physics indicate there are biophysical limits to how much throughput in the economy can be tolerated by the ecosystems we depend on.
- Selected Readings and Links Offers further information on this subject.