The Asko meetings were an annual forum where leading economists and ecologists came together to discuss the myriad issues and challenges surrounding sustainable development. Organized by the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics and held on the Island of Asko in the Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden, the meetings facilitated a dialogue in which various players with differing perspectives could arrive at common conclusions and solutions that benefit us all.
Bringing Ecologists and Economists Together showcases ten papers chosen from Askö meetings held from 1993 to 2002. Most of them were written for a wide audience and published in well-renowned journals, and each one is introduced by an ecologist and an economist who place the papers in a contemporary context. Lucid and accessible, these papers are important reading for students and researchers in ecology, economics and environmental sciences as well as anyone else interested in how ecologists and economists can agree upon crucial sustainability issues.
Dedication
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
List of Contributors
1. Introduction
2. The Askö meetings
2.1 A Brief History
2.2 Why and How?
2.3 A Personal View: Saving the World While Having Fun
2.4 Building Bridges Between Ecology and Economics
2.5 Guidelines for the Future?
3. The Askö Papers
3.1 Askö 1993: Ecologists and Economists Can Find Common Ground
3.1.1 Commentary
3.1.2 Commentary
3.2 Askö 1994: Economic Growth, Carrying Capacity, and the Environment
3.2.1 Commentary
3.2.2 Commentary
3.3 Askö 1995: Resilience in Natural and Socioeconomic Systems
3.3.1 Commentary
3.3.2 Commentary
3.4 Askö 1997: Food Production, Population Growth, and the Environment
3.4.1 Commentary
3.4.2 Commentary
3.5 Askö 1998: The Value of Nature and the Nature of Value
3.5.1 Commentary
3.5.2 Commentary
3.6 Askö in Washington 1999: Managing Ecosystem Resources
3.6.1 Commentary
3.6.2 Commentary
3.7 Askö in Stanford 2000: Are We Consuming Too Much?
3.7.1 Commentary
3.7.2 Commentary
3.8 Askö 2000: Genetic Diversity and Interdependent Crop Choices in Agriculture
3.8.1 Commentary
3.8.2 Commentary
3.9 Askö 2001: Sustainability's Compass: Indicators of Genuine Wealth
3.9.1 Commentary
3.9.2 Commentary
3.10 Askö 2002: Coping with Uncertainty: A Call for a New Ccience-policy Forum
3.10.1 Commentary
3.10.2 Commentary
4. Conclusion: The Askö Challenge
Appendix: List of Askö Meetings, Participants and Publications 1993-2002
Index
"Meeting the sustainability challenge on our human-dominated planet requires creative, interdisciplinary collaborations like those that take place at the Askö meetings. The results of such collaborations, like this collection of Askö-essays and commentaries, represent a significant contribution to our future."
– Jane Lubchenco, Professor of Marine Biology and Oregon State University Distinguished Professor of Zoology and the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
"The Askö meetings were extraordinary and full of impassioned debate. The bridges we did find in rare moments were formed between scholars who recognized the need for a minimum level of complexity, enjoying exploring the full range of non-linear behavior, with unexpected flips and unknowns, where transformations are possible, where novelty dominates. Such periods are often viewed as a curse, not as an opportunity, but these wonderful, flexible meetings opened some of our eyes."
– Buzz Holling, Professor in Ecological Sciences at the University of Florida
"The bright minds that the Askö meetings bring together have shaped an essential cross-border research agenda and societal discussion. It is wonderful to read this overview and realize how relevant these ideas still are."
– Aart de Zeeuw, Professor in Environmental Economics at Tilburg University and Director, Tilburg Sustainability Institute