Sense and Response: A Bioclimatic Dialogue of Place

This paper analyzes human's historical and contemporary responses to the biological environment.

 

Building Community Prosperity Through Natural Capitalism

This document provides guidance for communities that are attempting to grow economically regardless of physical size. The guide lists dozens of ways communities are tapping their potential today through natural capitalism. [Originally published in 2001; updated in 2007]

 

Nuclear Power: Economics and Climate-Protection Potential

This paper makes an economic argument against the use of nuclear power. Despite strong governmental support, nuclear power is unfinancible in the private capital market. Nuclear power worldwide has less installed capacity and generates less electricity than its decentralized no- and low-carbon competitors—one-third renewables (excluding big hydroelectric dams), two-thirds fossil-fueled combined-heat-and power. In 2004, these rivals added nearly three times as much output and six times as much capacity as nuclear power added; by 2010, industry forecasts this sixfold ratio to widen to 136–184 as nuclear orders fade, then nuclear capacity gradually disappears as aging reactors retire. These comparisons don’t count more efficient use of electricity, which isn’t being tracked, but efficiency gains plus decentralized sources now add at least ten times as much capacity per year as nuclear power. Empirical data also confirm that these competing technologies not only are being deployed an order of magnitude faster than nuclear power, but ultimately can become far bigger. Full deployment of these very cost-effective competitors could provide ~13–15 times nuclear power’s current 20% share of electric generation—all without significant land-use, reliability, or other constraints. Expanding nuclear power would both reduce and retard the desired decrease in CO2 emissions.

 

Cuyahoga Valley Initative: A Model of Regeneration

This report summarizes RMI’s recommendations to the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission for regenerating the environment, economy, and community of the Cuyahoga River Valley.

 

Some Missing Elements of Sustainable Development

In this lecture given at Stanford University, Amory Lovins presents his theories on sustainable development. He argues that the efficient use of energy is a fundamental driver of sustainable development because it is part of the proper allocation of financial capital on the scale of the macroeconomy. Lovins provides several examples of the ways in which companies have created energy efficient, money saving products. He also provides case studies of solutions to development challenges. Some of these solutions include plugging needless leaks of money out of the local and national economy; substituting efficient use and local resources in order to help businesses survive downturns; helping local businesses to modernize, diversify, and expand before seeking new ones; and nurturing local startups that will meet local goals; recruit outside businesses in a smart way that advances the community’s goals and yields net benefits, not just gross benefits.

 

Insurmountable Opportunities: Steps and Barriers to Implementing Sustainable Development

L. Hunter Lovins and Walter Link presented this paper to the 2001 UN Regional Roundtable for Europe and North America. In it, the authors outline the steps that need to be taken to implement sustainable development and what barriers stand in the way of those changes.

 

Natural Capitalism (Summary from Apertura Magazine)

This is a brief summary of the principles of natural capitalism with case studies illustrating how natural capitalism can be implemented in business environments to save energy and money. The principles discussed are biomimicry, reinvestment in natural capital, radical resource productivity, and service and flow economy. This article describes companies that are increasing profits without increasing energy use. Lovins argues that natural capitalism will subsume industrial capitalism into its new paradigm much as industrial capitalism subsumed agrarianism and that natural capitalism can help reverse the decline in jobs, security, hope, and satisfaction.

 

El Capitalismo Natural

This is a Spanish language version of a brief summary of the principles of natural capitalism with case studies illustrating how natural capitalism can be implemented in business environments to save energy and money. The principles discussed are biomimicry, reinvestment in natural capital, radical resource productivity, and service and flow economy. This article describes companies that are increasing profits without increasing energy use. Lovins argues that natural capitalism will subsume industrial capitalism into its new paradigm much as industrial capitalism subsumed agrarianism and that natural capitalism can help reverse the decline in jobs, security, hope, and satisfaction. [In Spanish]

 

Redesigning Evolution

In this letter published in Science, Amory Lovins responds to an editorial by Roger Beachy promoting the benefits of genetically modified foods. In his response, Lovins argues that there are negative ecological implications of genetically modified food and that it amounts to redesigning evolution.

 

The Greening of Human Settlements

This articles provides a brief summary of building and land development inspired by the insights of natural capitalism. The author describes the principles of natural capitalism and applies the theory to human development and growth. He argues that the growth in human population and reduction in natural resources should cause us to use nature 10- to 100-fold more productively. This entails new business concepts and practices that are already giving their early adopters improved profitability and competitive advantage to such a degree that the private sector is displacing government regulation in the vanguard of environmentally restorative reforms.

 

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