Ecological Policy Handbook - Vol. I: Overview and limits (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798611128640)

Modern economic activity is increasingly pushing the planet beyond its natural limits.
This first volume examines the concept of scale problems: the threats posed by the growing physical size of the global economy to the Earth's life-support systems.

Key natural processes such as the ozone layer, the carbon cycle, and climate regulation are analyzed as essential services that sustain life. For the first time in human history, economic activity is affecting these systems simultaneously at local and global scales, disrupting ecosystems through the volume, speed, and toxicity of material production and consumption.

The book explores how continuous economic expansion-driven by growth-oriented policies, trade, and institutional incentives-has intensified pressure on ecological boundaries. It shows how scale problems arise not from individual actions alone, but from the aggregate impact of production systems operating beyond regenerative capacity.

A range of responses to these challenges is introduced. Existing and emerging solutions are examined through innovative economic models, public policy initiatives, sustainable technologies, and evolving social values. Because scale issues are complex and interconnected, no single answer exists-only coordinated and adaptive approaches.

This volume aims to raise awareness, keep attention alive across generations, and encourage informed participation. By sharing knowledge and monitoring real-world options, it invites readers to recognize which solutions are already within collective and individual reach.