Political Economy of Eco-sustainable Alternatives: Progressive and Equitable Futures

— —

Richard Westra (Nagoya University, Japan)

Political Economy of Eco-sustainable Alternatives

Progressive and Equitable Futures

Richard Westra (Nagoya University, Japan)

$394.95 $316.22

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Routledge
22 August 2025

Economic theory & philosophy; Environmental economics; Political economy; Economic history

Series: Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy

Westra recounts how the unceremonious collapse of Soviet-style socialism, coupled with mounting awareness of unfolding environmental destruction and irreversible climate change opened the door to a new, wide-ranging, social change literature. In this exciting book, he begins by tracing out the case for the Anthropocene. He then provides an unparalleled, inclusive critical exploration of the plurality of progressive designs on offer. These include the Green New Deal, “nowtopias” of cooperative, solidarity and commoning economies, ecofeminism, Degrowth society as well as ecosocialism and democratic socialism.

Westra firstly explains why the Green New Deal program to sustainably develop capitalism is unworkable given the boundedness of resources necessary to generalize the advanced economy “way of life” it seeks to maintain. Secondly, while he concurs with much that the new social change literature offers, his concern is with the way it abandons a major caution that had been leveled at so-called “utopian socialists” in the past. To be sure, the problem does not reside with bursts of creative, future-directed thinking in themselves. Rather, where difficulties arise is over the paucity of attention devoted to questions of economic coordination and principles of economic viability. Westra explains how only by combining several economic principles, each operating at a determinate scale and devoted to specific elements of human social and material reproduction, will the promise of an equitable, eco-sustainable human future be realized.

This unique volume will be of interest to academic specialists and students of political economy, economics, environmental sustainability, sociology and political science. Progressive policymakers and social activists will also find its arguments refreshing and compelling.

By: Richard Westra (Nagoya University Japan)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 440g
ISBN: 9781032628851
ISBN 10: 1032628855
Series: Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy
Pages: 146
Publication Date: 22 August 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Richard Westra is a University Professor (Habilitation equivalent) at the University of Opole, Poland and an International Adjunct Professor in the Center for Macau Studies, University of Macau, Macau.