Natural resources have been studied by economists from the earliest days of the profession. They have been seen as providing the basis for national prosperity, power, and wealth. The ability to harness energy in new ways has been recognized as a major, if not the major, factor underlying the...

This chapter discusses several efforts by economists and others to develop criteria of sustainability with respect to both particular resources and the whole economic system. These are meant to provide ethical guidance concerning appropriate behavior where resource depletion or environmental...