ABSTRACT

The central aim of this chapter is to investigate why it is the case that, in spite of the crucial nature of the issue and their claims to relevance on policy matters, Post-Keynesians have had relatively little to say on the economics of the environment. The chapter makes use of questionnaire and interview data collected from a number of leading Post-Keynesian economists. The data suggests that there are many reasons why Post-Keynesians have had little to say on the environment. The main reasons are: (a) Post-Keynesians have adopted a strategic focus on criticising key areas on orthodox economic theory; (b) their social history has reinforced and entrenched their initial foci; (c) they have used static tools ill-equipped for analysing the environment; and (d) they have focused more on growth and full employment.