Re: Unequal Exchange and Ecological Consumption (Lipke)

This thesis sounds very interesting. I've done quite a bit of similar work using the footprints. I would like to read the paper. Can you forward my request to the author?
Cheers,
Andrew Jorgenson

Assistant Editor - Journal of World-Systems Research

Department of Sociology and

Institute for Research on World-Systems

University of California, Riverside, CA 92521

phone (909) 787-4344

fax (909) 787-3330

>From: "g kohler" >To: >CC: >Subject: Unequal Exchange and Ecological Consumption (Lipke) >Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2004 15:14:11 -0500 > >for your kind attention - > >Title: Unequal Exchange and Ecological Consumption - >a Quantitative Study of Dependency Structures in the World System > >Author: Jürgen Lipke (Berlin, Germany) > >A short version to be published in: >Ausgabe IV/2003 der Zeitschrift NORD SÜD aktuell (www.duei.de) im Februar >2004 > >Jürgen can be reached via email: mulli99@gmx.de > >The article is his thesis (Staatsexamensarbeit) at the Zentrum für >Entwicklungsländerforschung (Geographisches Institut, Freie Universität >Berlin), thesis advisor Prof. Fred Scholz > >-------------------- > >Abstract: > >This article deals with two key problems in the modern world system: First, >there is an enormous extent of indirect exploitation as a result of an >economic (value) transfer by unequal exchange - a main characteristic of the >economic relations between the dominant core and the dependent peripheries; >for this analysis, a new quantifying method is used. Second, our world is >confronted with the excessive and unequal natural resource consumption of >countries, which shows a distinct core-periphery-gradient and >correspondingly a resource transfer; here, the ecological footprint serves >as the measure. This double transfer from the peripheries to the core >constitutes the persisting reproduction of the hierarchic structures of >historical capitalism. Hence, in a third step, the quantitative relation >between the economic and ecological distribution is illustrated. > >--------------------- > >From the Introduction > >The present world is characterized on the one hand by an enormous unequal >distribution of wealth and resources, and on the other hand by the >progressive destruction of natural resources. We can see disparities within >countries and regions and particularly between the countries of the core and >the periphery, with unequal development, unequal access to resources and >unequal exchange relations which are the symptom and reason concomitantly >for these phenomena. Since colonial times, structures of "asymmetric >interdependency" were constituted, in which the peripheries, as outlets of >the capitalistic core, were and are forced to integrate into an unequal >international labor division. > >For my empirical survey of these structures the following two quantitative >models were used: first, unequal exchange with a simple method to quantify >the monetary transfer between countries (chapter 2); second, the ecological >footprint as the measure of ecological (natural resource) consumption >(chapter 3); eventually, their relation was shown in two different forms >(chapter 4): > >1. The comparison of monetary unequal-exchange-transfer and absolute >ecological footprint. > >2. The comparison of monetary and ecologically unequal exchange >(monetary and ecological transfer). > >For this study I assume an interaction between unequal exchange and unequal >ecological consumption: the first has facilitated a higher accumulation of >capital for the core, which excessively widens its ecological footprint. >This high resource consumption, made possible by the power of disposal, >contributes to the core's economic and political power, which can again >implement and strengthen the unequal exchange. Moreover, monetary and >ecologically unequal exchange occur simultaneously. > >--------------------- > >Comment by GK: The "footprint" method was new to me; for the "unequal >exchange" estimates, Lipke follows Kohler and Tausch, Global >Keynesianism. > >GK >