A critique of:
Becoming Native to This Place
- By Wes Jackson
Presented By:
Kaylee Anderson
Kristin Gregory
Kari Poulain
A Quote by Stephen Jay Gould
“Why should a process that regulated 3.5
billion years of living creatures without
explicit ethical systems provide all the
answers for a species that evolved only a
geological second ago, and then change
the rules by introducing such new and
interesting concepts as justice and
righteousness?”
Introduction
 Our definition of Green Markets
 Wes Jackson’s Views on Green Markets
 Our Opinions Regarding Mr. Jackson’s
Views
 Economists’ Views Favoring Green Markets
What are Green Markets?
 Green markets are the government’s use of
policies and programs to influence behavior
within the marketplace to reduce
environmental degradation.
Wes Jackson’s View on Green
Markets
 Jackson does NOT believe as a society we
should use green markets and green taxes to
influence people’s behaviors or the
decisions they make.
Wes Jackson’s Proposal of the
Problem:
 “Why has our culture, which insists that we
plant wheat where the grass huts of old
Quivira stood, failed so miserably at finding
ways to support as large a population on this
land as the natives did?”
 The problem, according to Jackson, has to
do with the nature of the outside subsidy.
 All problems can be solved at the
community level.
Jackson’s Thoughts Continued:
 Humans have a conscience and can
differentiate between good and bad. Nature
does not have this ability.
 Individuals should act to optimize their own
interests.
 According to Daly and Cobb, we should
be self-regarding versus the current “me,
me, me” society.
 People have good intentions but do not want
to take action if it means making sacrifices.
Wes Jackson’s Views Regarding
Government Intervention
 Individuals can solve problems without government
help.


Public policy with the power of the state or nation behind it
is almost always implemented at the expense of the
community.
Sustainable society cannot start with a program from
Washington DC.
Jackson’s Idea’s
 Mimic approach: to take advantage of the
natural integrities inherent within the system.
 Nature should be used as a standard rather than
industrial systems, especially when dealing
with agriculture and farming.

This is consistent with Wendall Berry’s thinking.
 Believes strongly Dr. A.L. Hagedoorn’s
Viewpoints.

Utility and Beauty
Why we Disagree with Mr.
Jackson:
 Views are too idealistic and do not reflect
social reality.
 It is illogical to think that all cities can be
broken down into communities.
 The government exists in order to solve
problems.
 Accountant’s Perspective: Policy is
necessary in order to influence behavior.
Social Reality
 By human nature, people are inherently
selfish and lazy.
 If people are self-regarding, the
environment will not be given
consideration.
 Voluntary compliance programs are
inefficient because of their inconvenience
and cost for participants.
Example of Program Failure
 How many people in this room recycle here
in Manhattan?
 A recycling program is in place, but people
do not take advantage of it because it is
time-consuming and inconvenient.
 KC and Hutchinson: curb-side pickup, but
participants charged a fee for recycling
What Society Needs
 People need regulations or economic
incentives in order to change behavior.
 Examples of regulation: green taxes for
carbon emissions
 Possible incentive plans: tax breaks for
hybrid cars and faster carpool lanes
Accountant’s Perspective
 Tax policies in place because voluntary
compliance will not occur.
 Hand-to-mouth consumption is more
prevalent than regard for future generations.
 Behavior of individuals will not change
without the implementation of policies.
Other Economists that Support
Our Opinions
 Economists in favor of green market:


Coase
Panayotou
Green Markets: The Economics
of Sustainable Development
By Theodore Panayotou
Panayotou
 Environmental degradation threatens
sustainability of growth process.
 Market failures and policy failures
contribute to the growing rate of
degradation.
 Government Intervention is necessary to
stop environmental degradation.
Dr. Ronald Coase
 Pollution debates in reality amount to
conflicts over the use of scarce resources.
 He proposes that we solve this conflict in
the market, where other conflicts are
resolved. By assigning ownership rights
and let people trade.
Pop Quiz!!!
For food from the Bakery!
 What approach does
Wes Jackson propose
we use with regards to
the environment and
nature

Hint- It can be found in
the 4th section of the
handout if you don’t
remember from the
speech
 The Mimic
Approach
Another Opportunity for Food!
 Where does Jackson
say the fundamental
problem lies in our
environmental
problems?
 Agriculture
Final Question
 What is one of the
many reasons why
policies have failed?
 People are selfregarding vs. looking
at the whole
 Human nature- People
are selfish
 Voluntary programs do
not work because of
the effort one has to
put into them
Bonus Question
 Where did Erin
Brockovich go to
college?
 K-State!!!!!!
Conclusion
 Wes Jackson takes an idealistic approach
regarding environmental degradation and green
markets.
 Social reality is disregarded by Jackon’s views and
should be considered.
 People need regulations in order to influence
behavior.
 Other economists are not too cynical of the ability
to change behavior. They are realistic.
Questions????
Information from: Becoming Native to This Place;
www.landinstitute.org; Class Lectures;
www.rightlivelihood.org; www.couterpunch.com