ABSTRACT

This chapter looks at interdisciplinary ecological-economic approaches and asks the critical question: do these approaches signal the beginning of a new scientific paradigm? It shows that the nature of scientific thinking, and asks whether it is merely interdisciplinary or whether a new approach transcending conventional scientific disciplines is beginning to emerge. The chapter provides specific examples where economic analysis of environmental problems has benefited from interdisciplinary collaboration and thinking. Ecological economics will use the tools of conventional economics and ecology as appropriate. There are many researchers, including ourselves, who have long recognized the need for interdisciplinary collaboration across economics, ecology and other social and natural sciences in order to evaluate and find solutions for complex environmental problems. One important benefit to environmental economists of collaborating with ecologists and natural scientists is that the collaboration can yield important insights into certain key ecological issues that have been overlooked.