Economics, ecology and entropy: the second law of thermodynamics and the limits to growth

dc.contributor.authorSmith, J.
dc.contributor.authorSmith, C.
dc.date.issued1996
dc.description.abstractThe second law of thermodynamics has played an important role in ecological economics as providing a justification for the view that economies have limits to growth. Yet beyond basic textbooks statements of this law, we seldom find informed philosophical examinations of the meaning and metaphysical justification for the second law. In this paper we shall examine some challenges which have been made to the limits to growth (Limitationist) position by those criticizing the scope and application of the second law of thermodynamics and we shall in turn defend Limitationism against these criticisms. © 1996 Human Sciences Press, Inc.
dc.identifier.citationPopulation and Environment, 1996; 17(4):309-321
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/BF02208231
dc.identifier.issn0199-0039
dc.identifier.issn1573-7810
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/14131
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1007/bf02208231
dc.titleEconomics, ecology and entropy: the second law of thermodynamics and the limits to growth
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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