In 1993, Paul Hawken wrote a good book on externalities titled "The Ecology of Commerce".
I imagine most of the readers of this list already know of this book, but for those who don't it's a decent work. On Aug 12, 2007, at 1:26 PM, Owen Densmore wrote: > On Aug 12, 2007, at 12:07 PM, Roger Critchlow wrote: >> On 8/12/07, David Mirly <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> 2) It would be wise to attempt to minimize our impacts on such a >>> complex system when we don't even partially understand the >>> consequences. >> >> Just to beat on the defenders of the status quo some more, their >> rationale >> for denying climate change and not messing with the economy is >> essentially >> the same: it, the economy, is a complex system where we don't even >> partially understand the consequences of even small changes, so it >> would be >> wise to minimize our impacts on it. >> >> So we have the same rhetoric of conservatism on both sides of the >> question. > > One of the best retorts against the status quo is "total cost" of a > product, including its entire life cycle. Many opportunistic > capitalists "cheat" by leaving much of the cost of their products to > others. > > The computer industry is improving in this regard: offering > responsible recycling for every product, included in the original > cost. Apple lets you send computers back to them at their end of > life. HP includes ink jet recycling envelopes. This is at least > hopeful. And Gore, for all his faults, is doing an astounding job of > raising awareness. > > -- Owen > > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org