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Resource Pointer #338 (Alternative Economies)
September 25, 2003

For copies of the following resources, please contact the appropriate publishers or organizations directly.

*Buying into the Environment: Experiences, Opportunities, and Potential for Eco-Procurement, 2003* Christopher Erdmenger (editor), International Council on Local Environmental Initiative (ICLEI). Proposes eco-procurement, or government purchases that incorporate environmental considerations, as a largely untapped resource to achieve environmentally responsible economies and sustainability. Surveys and analyzes green public purchasing schemes already in effect in Europe and Japan and provides calculations to determine the potential environmental and economic results of eco-procurement. 285 pages. UK £35. Contact Greenleaf Publishing Ltd., Aizlewood Business Center, Aizlewood’s Mill, Nursery Street, Sheffield S3 8GG, UK; phone (44 114) 282-3475; fax (44 114) 282-3476; email info@greenleaf-publishing.com; Web site http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/.

*The Hydrogen Economy: The Creation of the Worldwide Energy Web and the Redistribution of Power on Earth, 2002* Jeremy Rifkin. Predicts a rapid decline of the oil industry and shift of global political power as oil reserves diminish. Proposes hydrogen as an energy replacement and discusses the benefits of its use as a fuel source including its limited environmental and health costs. Discusses the impacts of primary energy sources on regional, national, and global economies. Provides statistical evidence highlighting energy consumption, oil use, global warming, and hydrogen. 294 pages. US $24.95. Contact Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 405 Murray Hill Parkway, East Rutherford, NJ 07073; phone (800) 788-6262; fax (800) 227-9604; email online@penguinputnam.com; Web site http://www.penguinputnam.com/.

*The Civil Corporation: The New Economy of Corporate Citizenship, 2001* Simon Zadek. Develops a connection between corporate citizenship, or the acceptance of responsibility by business for its’ social and environmental impacts, and the New Economy characterized by the decreasing significance of distance gaps and the increasing role of knowledge and innovation in business competition. Discusses ways in which business can and should contribute to sustainability and the role of regulation, government, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, and society in enabling such a shift in corporate values. 257 pages. US $22.50. Contact Earthscan Publications Ltd., 120 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JN, UK; phone (44 01 90) 382-8800; fax (44 02 07) 278-1142; email earthinfo@earthscan.co.uk; Web site http://www.earthscan.co.uk/.

*Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution, 2000* Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins. Proposes and develops the concept of natural capital, or the market value assigned to natural resources, and its role in developing a sustainable economy that is simultaneously characterized by economic growth, healthy business, and improved quality of life. Illustrates this economy with examples from contemporary businesses and industries already practicing natural capitalism, such as super-light, fuel-efficient cars in the auto industry, innovative and energy efficient home construction techniques, and large-scale recycling partnerships within industries. Discusses the obstacles impeding the realization of natural capitalism including entrenched production processes and patterns of thinking and costly front-end financial investments. 396 pages. US $17.95. Contact Rocky Mountain Institute, 1739 Snowmass Creek Road, Snowmass, CO, 81654-9199; phone (970) 927-3851; email orders@rmi.org; Web site http://www.rmi.org/.

*Global Finance: New Thinking on Regulating Speculative Capital Markets, 2000* Walden Bello, Nicola Bullard, and Kamal Malhotra (editors). Looks at the 1997 Asian economic crisis to illustrate the threat globalization poses to the economies of developing countries. Examines international financial organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the role of government policy in the destabilization of economies throughout the global south. Raises and responds to questions of the future of globalization including: how to govern the global economy, can the International Monetary Fund (IMF) be reformed?, and what steps need to be taken to relieve the stress on the most indebted countries? 244 pages. US $25. Contact Zed Books, 7 Cynthia Street, London N1 9JF, UK; phone (44 0207) 837-4014; fax (44 0207) 833-3960; Web site http://zedbooks.co.uk/.

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