Prof. Erickson talked about how he doubts that in ecological economics we have created a vision for economics that built from an understanding of the planet working inwards, but we rather have built a vision for economics from understanding the economy as it is working outwards.
Through an interactive exercise called “where do you stand”, Prof. Erickson explored three dogmas of ecological economics among the audience:
1. Sustainable scale: How big can the economy be?
A fundamental pre-analytic vision of ecological economics is how do we find a way to continue in the growth path and address income distribution problems under the current system? How big should the economy be inside its containing ecosystem with the existent biophysical limits?
Can we continue to think we can greenly grow, we can efficiently grow, yet we know that every kind of grow that we can think of threatens the system? Therefore, the principle of the economy as a part of an ecosystem is wrong. What do we mean with growth? Apparently we can’t grow without problems. An economy that can grow forever forgets about equal distribution of income. What is fair, he said “I don’t know if limiting growth is the solution”.
2. Just distribution
Often seen as second principle that comes after a sustainable scale, because if we can`t grow at a sustainable pace, who can think about just distribution problems?
3. Efficient Allocation
How do we allocate goods and services in an efficient way through a sustainable market? Prof.
Erickson referred to the expected shift to a new kind of economy in ecological economics. He mentioned how we are talking about a new basis for generating wellbeing in society. Yet, he doesn’t know if the current economy is repairable for what we need it to become. We are talking about:
Hallmarks of the prevailing economic model
- Privatization
- Specialization
- Globalization
- Consumerism
- Centralization
- Fiscal austerity
- Urbanization
- Substituting technology for nature
- Market supremacy
- Competition
- Maximizing throughput
- Planned obsolescence
- Financial wealth
- Depleting capital
Hallmarks of the ecological economy
- Public commons
- Diversification
- Local self-reliance
- Frugality
- Subsidiarity
- Fiscal responsibility
- Rural revitalization
- Nature for technology, mimicking nature
- Informal sector
- Cooperation
- Resource efficiency
- Durability
- Well being
- Building capital, investing in ecological restoration

Source: John Talbreth, Center for Sustainable Economy
These are some of the strategies that emanate from a worldview of ecological economics, and
Prof. Erickson noted how we can agree on a lot of strategies but we have a really hard time at stepping out of our own dogma.
Prof. Erickson mentioned the major challenges for ecological economics:
Sustainable Scale
 Should we set by science or preferences?
 Policies as scale-determined or determining

Scientist as passive or active? Probably should be active.
Just Distribution

Work with power or take back power? Occupy movement.

Policies as rights or obligations? Redefining what is obligation

People as consumers or citizens? Incentivize consumers to make different choices
Efficient Allocation

By markets or non-market institutions? That’s where the interesting conversations are.

Policies with or without prices? Re-thinking about the basis of the decision factor in economics.
 Actors as homo economicus or sapiens?
Economics for the Anthropocence
Prof. Erickson introduced for the audience this project created between University of Vermont,
McGill University and York University. This program was created based on the need for rapid change and the responsibility as academic institutions to start creating a whole new range of students that are going to create new ideas, run new companies and build a new economy.
This partnership was built together with community partners, advocacy organizations, government agencies, collaborators, other colleges around the world, and experts.
It is a training and mentoring program build around problem-based research and it has some very hopeful transformative outcomes. It’s based on building an economy from the outside-in rather than from the inside-out. Different cohorts will focus on three particular issues that each university will study: water issues between Canada and the U.S. (UVM), energy (McGill) and climate justice (York).
Q&A
People in the audience argued that the title of this program could be better “a project for global survival”, Prof. Erickson mentioned how the title has been widely discussed and was defined according to the strengths of each one of the institutions involved. Prof. Erickson also answer to

a question about why people are ignoring ecological economics by saying that the idea of this program is to build the bridges between social sciences and natural sciences.