The eco-economic revolution: Getting the market in Sync with nature.

If we want economic progress to continue, we must systematically restructure the global economy to make it environmentally sustainable. Here's a description of a future eco-economy, along with tips on future industries and job possibilities.

Today's global economy has been shaped by

market forces, not by the principles of ecology. Unfortunately, by failing to reflect the full costs of goods and services, the market provides misleading information to economic decision makers at all levels. This has created a distorted economy that is out of sync with the earth's ecosystem--an economy that is destroying its natural support systems.

An economy is sustainable only if it respects the principles of ecology. These principles are as real as those of aerodynamics. If an aircraft is to fly, it has to satisfy certain principles of thrust and lift. So, too, if an economy is to sustain progress, it must satisfy the basic principles of ecology. If it does not, it will decline and eventually collapse. There is no middle ground. An economy is either sustainable or it is not.

The market does not recognize basic ecological concepts of sustainable yield, nor does it respect the balances of nature. For example, it pays no attention to the growing imbalance between carbon emissions and nature's capacity to "fix" carbon, much less to the role of burning fossil fuels in creating the imbalance. For most economists, a rise in carbon dioxide levels is of little concern. For an ecologist, such a rise--driven by the use of fossil fuels--is a signal to shift to other energy sources in order to avoid rising temperatures, melting ice, and rising sea level.

An eco-economy would be one that satisfies our needs without jeopardizing the prospects of future generations to meet their needs. Creating such an economy is not a trivial undertaking; it is nothing less than an Environmental Revolution.

Ecology Over Economics

Ecologists understand the processes that support life on Earth. They understand the fundamental role of photosynthesis, the concept of sustainable yield, the role of nutrient cycles, the hydrological cycle, the sensitive role of climate, and the intricate relationship between the plant and animal kingdoms. They know that the earth's ecosystems supply services as well as goods and that the former are often more valuable than the latter.