Self-organization and sustainability: energetics of evolution and implications for ecological economics

摘要: Abstract In the 1920s, Alfred Lotka suggested that evolution results both in an increasing total energy flow through biosphere and efficiency of biological processes. Later authors attempted to generalize Lotka's conjectures transform them into general evolutionary laws. These laws are derived from thermodynamics, it is frequently argued they also apply development economic systems. present paper, alternative interpretation principles which starts self-organization dissipative structures. Self-organization concepts ecological economics integrated. On this basis, energetic regularities processes interpreted as emergent properties competitive self-organization. Given close relationship between dissipation various environmental problems, thermodynamic effects practical policy relevance. The perspective taken here implies measures toward sustainable will primarily have affect kinds innovative behavior triggered