Ecological Economic Policy for Sustainable Development: Potentials and Domains of Intervention for Delinking Approaches

Due to the increasing environmental problems, conventional environmental policy will not suffice to secure a development path that can be sustainable on a global scale. This article establishes a conceptual framework for general strategies to reach the goals of ecological sustainability and individual well-being. Environmental impact, material input, income/production, the amount of services utilised, and well-being are the fundamental elements of this framework and their linkages are highlighted as possible targets of ecological economic policy. It is clear that current environmental policies, based on a rather narrow, reductionist view of the man-nature relationship, will not suffice. We investigate under which conditions a de-linking of individual well-being from environmental impacts can be achieved; a dramatic dematerialisation of the industrialised economies turns out to be a crucial element. This dematerialisation, we argue, can be achieved only putting a limit to quantitative economic growth, but nevertheless without decreasing the individual well-being, by concentrating the attention on highly valuable eco-efficient services rather than on the production/acquisition of material goods.     

我最喜爱的中国城市——北京

中国有很多独具魅力的城市,但是我最爱的城市还是北京。北京是中国的文化中心,融汇着各种艺术与文化的国际化大都市。我是一名来自美国的表演艺术家,提起美国的艺术中心,美国人就会想到加州和纽约,而提起中国的文化之城,中国人自然而然就会想到北京。     

A LOGIT-MARKOVIAN MODEL OF CONSUMER PURCHASE BEHAVIOR BASED ON EXPLANATORY VARIABLES: EMPIRICAL EVALUATION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DECISION MAKING*

This study describes and empirically evaluates an approach to modeling purchase behavior that integrates a Logit-Markov-based multivariate brand-choice model structure with stochastic components. Using actual market data for a frequently purchased consumer product obtained from a consumer purchase panel survey, the paper highlights some marketing applications of the model. Given its general structure, the model can aid marketing managers in defining and evaluating target market segments and in assessing the impact of alternative marketing strategies.     

Integrating people with disabilities: their right – our responsibility

A full understanding of disability recognizes that it has a powerful human rights dimension and is often associated with social exclusion, and increased exposure and vulnerability to poverty. Disability is a human rights issue. The World Bank (1999) report points out that one in five of the world’s poorest are disabled, for whom access to basic rights is a daily struggle. Though arising from physical or intellectual impairment, disability has social implications as well as health ones. In most countries, government services for disabled people are still small‐scale rehabilitation projects separated from the rest of the community. People with disabilities are amongst the poorest of the poor. Barriers built by disability and poverty can only be removed by the concerted and integrated effort of the government, NGOs, corporates, movie mughals and educational institutions. It is the duty of the rest of society to acknowledge the rights of the poor and the disabled. This can no longer be treated as philanthropy but is a responsibility.     

Just Who Are You Calling Risk Averse?

This paper estimates individual risk preferences based upon data that are generated by the same individuals acting in different institutions. The results show that the (estimated) numerical values of individuals' implied risk parameters are not stable within individuals across institutions. Furthermore, the ranking across subjects of the numerical values of individuals' implied risk parameters is not preserved across institutions.     

Does the Privatization of Social security Make Sense for Developing Nations?

We discuss the privatization schemes of Chile and Argentina following a review of three alternatives to privatization. Our major conclusions are as follows: (1) the Chilean scheme has performed very well during much of the past 15 years, but it is not yet clear what will happen during an extended period of economic stagnation and declining financial markets; (2) for many countries it would make more sense to reform existing public pension schemes than to replace them with privatized schemes, at least until one has a better idea how privatized schemes perform in adverse financial environments; (3) privatized schemes have important distributional effects that deserve more attention.     

Consistency between Sentiments and Acts

Consistency is a concept central to most social science research. In this paper we challenge the typical simplistic assumptions of consistency between words and deeds. We contend that consistency is a complex concept which must be studied through a situated approach. By employing the literature on motives in sociology and communication, we consider the means by which actors construct consistency and inconsistency in social interaction. Central to this process are anticipated, or actual, calls for accountability. Consistency and inconsistency become issues when we attempt to hold self, or other, accountable.