Democracy
& Nature, Vol. 3, No. 3
Redefining
Scarcity: Marxism and
Ecology
Reconciled
Geoffrey
P. Carpenter
Abstract
With its emphasis on laissez-faire economics and
resource exploitation, capitalism is responsible for extensive environmental
devastation. But in order for socialism to avoid reproducing the same sort of
abuses common to capitalism, marxian economics must develop a sound and
realistic appraisal of resource scarcily. The current environmental crisis
stems, in large part, from the fact that market capitalism has operated under
the assumption of infinite abundance. Marx, too, assumed that natural resources
were limitless, and that scarcity resulted from inefficient and inequitable
forces of production. If modified to include ecological limitations within its
working definition of scarcily, marxian economics would logically advocate the
management of eco-systems for the long-term benefit of the whole community,
the development of forces of production geared towards a steady-state economy,
and the re-assessment of 'value' to recognize the non-economic value of
undeveloped resources essential to the maintenance of life.
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