ABSTRACT
The discussion, over the past three decades, of to what extent Marxist theory is compatible with ecological concerns has illuminated some problems in Marx’s attempt to analytically derive an increase in economic value in production from expenditures of labor energy. While several Marxist theorists have challenged its labor theory of value and technological optimism, others have denied any contradiction between classical Marxism and environmental considerations. To integrate Marx’s focus on economic asymmetries with the unequal global exchange of biophysical resources, including embodied labor, it is essential to maintain an analytical distinction between energy and exchange value.
