Anthill Economics - Nathanial Gronewold

Anthill Economics

Animal Ecosystems and the Human Economy
Buch | Hardcover
208 Seiten
2021
Prometheus Books (Verlag)
978-1-63388-652-0 (ISBN)
24,90 inkl. MwSt
Does modern economic theory violate some basic, fundamental laws of physics? That is the question that award-winning environmental and energy writer Nathanial Gronewold sets out to answer in Anthill Economics.

Gronewold points out that the modern school of economics is missing a significant piece of the puzzle: energy. And not just oil, or natural gas or wind power, but rather the fundamental importance of energy in transforming matter into food, shelter, and material possessions. Ecologists have been using the principles of biophysics –population density, energy return on investment, and habitation patterns –to study ecosystems for centuries. But what if those same principles hold the key to the global human economy? After all, at its core, the global economy is simply humanity’s ecosystem.

Anthill Economics puts forth an innovative and cross-disciplinary approach, asserting that biophysical laws are just as fundamental to the global economy as they are to zoology and entomology. The rollercoaster-like rise and fall of caribou population on a remote island can teach us about resource allocation and global inequality. The behavior of squirrels gathering nuts is a lesson in economic energy return on investment and wage stagnation. Could human traffic patterns mimic the daily pulse of ants in the forests marching in and out of their own central business districts? And, will global warming change these patterns for humans and insects alike?



This clearly written book full of illuminating ecological analogies gives readers an informed and entertaining introduction to the cutting-edge field of biophysical economics –also known as thermoeconomics –that seeks to provide a more complete understanding of the global economy. The result is a radical new way of looking at the world and how the laws of physics and nature can be used to more precisely understand human demographics, population patterns, and economics.

Nathanial Gronewold is a veteran journalist with experience running assignments in Pakistan, Colombia, Kenya, Haiti, and beyond. He is the winner of the 2019 National Press Club Award for newsletter writing. Gronewold formerly reported on the United Nations and global affairs for Nikkei, The Economist, and The Canadian Press. He currently writes on environmental and energy news, establishing bureaus for E&E News in New York, Houston, and Japan. To date he has written over 2,700 reports, including articles appearing in The New York Times, Scientific American, and Science Magazine. He is a two-time recipient of the Gold prize for coverage of climate change by the United Nations Correspondents Association and was awarded the 2012 Honorable Mention by the National Press Club. Both a professional journalist and academic, Nathanial is pursuing his PhD in environmental science at Hokkaido University in Japan. He currently resides in northern Japan with his wife.

Erscheinungsdatum
Sprache englisch
Maße 164 x 241 mm
Gewicht 454 g
Themenwelt Naturwissenschaften Physik / Astronomie Angewandte Physik
Wirtschaft Volkswirtschaftslehre Wirtschaftspolitik
ISBN-10 1-63388-652-2 / 1633886522
ISBN-13 978-1-63388-652-0 / 9781633886520
Zustand Neuware
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