Prosperity for a Finite Planet: Part 2
April 24, 2014
In part two, Tim Jackson looks forward to an alternative economics that would better serve future prosperity. If an ever-expanding array of consumer products is not a sustainable way of connecting individuals and creating meaning, what might take their place? Jackson suggests that public and cultural spaces more effectively cultivate connection and meaningful citizenship, driving prosperity without the need for endless growth. A shift from the production of goods to the provision of services may increase prosperity while creating jobs and promoting investment in our relationships, our environment, and our future.
This lecture comes after Prosperity for a Finite Planet Part 1 where Tim Jackson spoke on the shifting paths for achieving prosperity in our lives. The presentation continues with a discussion with New York Times economics reporter Eduardo Porter in Prosperity for a Finite Planet Part 3.
Tim Jackson is the author of Prosperity without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet. He is Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey and Director of RESOLVE—a research group on lifestyles, values, and the environment funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). For over twenty years, Jackson has been at the forefront of research on the relationship between economic growth and the environment. During the ‘90s and ‘00s he worked extensively on the development of “adjusted” national accounts (“green GDP”) at both national and regional levels in the United Kingdom. He has also written extensively on the conceptual and empirical dimensions of the relationship between economic growth, wellbeing, and sustainability. In 2004 he was appointed Economics Commissioner on the UK Sustainable Development Commission, where he led a program of work entitled Redefining Prosperity.