SDA approach

Question 1

What are the three disciplines that make up EE?

Answer 1

• Economics
• Ecology
• Ethics

Question 2

How were the 3 disciplines that make up EE chosen?

Answer 2

• They come from the logical approach that it adopts as the means for achieving sustainability
• The SDA approach

Question 3

What is the SDA approach?

Answer 3

• aka the SAD approach but the order it comes in is SDA. Stands for:
• Scale
• Distribution
• Allocation

Question 4

What happens during the S phase of the SDA approach?

Answer 4

• Scale: identify the bio-physical limit set by nature (Ecology)

Question 5

What happens during the D phase of the SDA approach?

Answer 5

• Distribution: identify acceptable allocation patterns for society’s resources and output (Ethics)

Question 6

What happens during the A phase of the SDA approach?

Answer 6

• Allocation: Given the limit of nature’s ability to provide services and acceptable distribution outcomes, have an economic system that uses scarce environmental resources most efficiently or effectively (Economics)

Question 7

What is Ecology?

Answer 7

• The science of ecosystems or the relationships between organisms, their communities, and the rest of the living and non-living environment

Question 8

To achieve sustainability what two things need to be balanced?

Answer 8

• Throughput (metabolism; resource input use and emissions) (Humans)
• Regenerative and absorptive capacity (Ecology)

Question 9

What are the two main roles for Ecology in EE?

Answer 9

• To identify nature’s carrying capacity

- To understand the extent and nature of human environmental impacts on the environment, and back on themselves

Question 10

What is the “Sustainable Scale”?

Answer 10

• In the SDA model, Ecology (Scale) helps assesses the ecological and entropy limits to the services that can be sustainably utilised by society

Question 11

What is Acceptable Distribution?

Answer 11

• When social justice and fairness have been taken into account when distributing resources.

Question 12

What is the role of Ethics (distribution) in EE?

Answer 12

• Involves laying out moral assumptions and reasoning to identify criteria for what is deemed as “right” or “wrong” with economic and environmental management outcomes
• This role for ethics fits the view of the economy as part of society

Question 13

Why is Allocation (economics) last in the the SDA approach?

Answer 13

• In EE we have to address Scale and Distn first – only then can markets and prices reflect true costs, benefits and end states

Question 14

What is Economics the study of?

Answer 14

• Economics is the study of the way societies allocate their scarce resources
• Economics focuses on markets, prices, signals, max welfare

Question 15

What is the role of economics (allocation) in EE?

Answer 15

• Once we have set the throughput limits, and decided on fair distribution, it’s to find the best way to allocate scarce resources to fulfil needs and wants?
• Often includes a role for the market mechanism

Question 16

What are the strength of Mainstream economics?

Answer 16

• It has useful mechanisms and tools for the allocation and efficient use of scarce resources (mainly markets)

Question 17

How do Ecological Economics and Environmental Economic approaches differ?

Answer 17

• Economies are scale-restrained
• In Ecological Economics, there are important roles for biophysical analysis and well-being
• Ecological Economics embraces broad socio-economic strategies that can override consumer sovereignty if necessary

Question 18

Why does EE not only use the SDA approach in finding solutions?

Answer 18

• EE also needs other biophysical and social sciences, not just the three disciplines that form the main logic of SDA