Mayumi Sustainable Energy and Economics in an Aging Population

Lessons from Japan
1. Auflage 2020
ISBN: 978-3-030-43225-6
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 76, 228 Seiten

Reihe: Lecture Notes in Energy

This book discusses current challenges in Japan, focusing on the nation's rapidly aging population and low birth rate, along with persistent public bond issues with heavy interest payments, the potential collapse of social security systems, and income inequality, as well as the global picture. 

In turn, it examines the accessibility of global fossil fuels and feasibility of large-scale solar energy use. A new theory of money, interest, and capital is put forward, together with a proposal for an alternative system of international monetary cooperation, to promote a more sustainable and equitable world. Specific topics discussed include 

•the inverted population pyramid, due to the dramatic change in human life spans and declining birth rates; •the rapidly shrinking workforce, aging population, and declining GDP share sourced from industry; •disproportionate debt expansion due to public bond issues and coping with a persistent budget deficit; •the potential collapse of social security systems combined with income inequality; and •how to mitigate these bio-economic predicaments.   

Global Energy Sources offers an essential guide for policymakers, economists, researchers, and all those concerned with establishing a sustainable and equitable society from both energy and monetary perspectives. Further, it will be of interest to readers around the world, as the lessons learned from Japan are crucial to other developed societies that may eventually face the same types of challenge. 

Kozo Mayumi graduated from the Graduate School of Engineering at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Physics of Kyoto University. Between 1984 and 1988 he studied bioeconomics at Department of Economics of Vanderbilt University under Prof. Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen's supervision. Since then, Mayumi has been working in the field of energy analysis, ecological economics and sustainability issues. Mayumi is a full professor at Tokushima University, Japan, and currently editorial board members of Ecological Economics, International Journal of Ecological Economics and Statistics, Journal of Economic Structures, and Ecosystem Services. Together with Dr. Mario Giampietro and other three researchers Mayumi started a biennial international workshop (Advances in Energy Studies) in 1998 where many distinguished scholars in the field of energy analysis took part. Mayumi is the first recipient of Georgescu-Roegen Awards (Unconventional Thinking Category) at the 13th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit in 2013.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mayumi, Kozo Torasan

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Foreword;7
2;Acknowledgements;9
3;Endorsements;13
3.1;Four Book Blurbs;13
4;Contents;15
5;1 Introduction: ‘Paradigm Is a Tacit Agreement not to Ask Certain Questions’ (Allen 2003);18
5.1;References;35
6;2 Scarcity, Promethean Technology, and Future Perspectives for Fossil Fuels and Uranium;37
6.1;2.1 Introduction;37
6.2;2.2 Reconsidering the Meaning of Scarcity for Sustainability;38
6.2.1;2.2.1 Reconsidering Scarcity in Relation to Limitless Wants;39
6.2.2;2.2.2 Reconsidering Scarcity in Relation to Resource Substation;39
6.2.3;2.2.3 Reconsidering Scarcity in Relation to Inter-generational and Intra-generational Equity;42
6.3;2.3 Energy Transformation, Promethean Technology and Reexamining the Transition of Energy and Materials During the Industrial Revolution;46
6.4;2.4 Coal, Oil, Natural Gas and Aviation Fuel: The Present Situation and Future Perspectives;50
6.4.1;2.4.1 Coal;50
6.4.2;2.4.2 Oil;52
6.4.3;2.4.3 Natural Gas;54
6.4.4;2.4.4 Aviation Fuel;56
6.4.5;2.4.5 The Future Perspectives for Shale Gas and Methane Hydrates;58
6.5;2.5 Uranium and Nuclear Technology;58
6.6;2.6 Conclusion;62
6.7;References;64
7;3 Credibility of Scientific Analysis, and Assessment of PV Systems and Ethanol Production;66
7.1;3.1 Introduction;66
7.2;3.2 MuSIASEM Applied to the Evaluation of PV Systems;67
7.3;3.3 Large-Scale Ethanol Production from Corn and Sugarcane Reconsidered: The Case of the United States and Brazil;79
7.4;3.4 Scientific Analysis and Assessment in the Era of Post-normal Science;83
7.5;3.5 Conclusion;87
7.6;References;89
8;4 Beyond the Conventional View: Reconsidering Money, Credit and Interest;93
8.1;4.1 Introduction;93
8.2;4.2 The Myth of Barter, Money and Credit;94
8.3;4.3 The Origin of Money Interest from the Perspective of Structural and Functional Decay;97
8.4;4.4 Debt Creation and Control: Miscellaneous Problems;102
8.5;4.5 Conclusion;108
8.6;References;110
9;5 Capital Interest, the Financial Sector and Debt Expansion: Toward a More Sustainable and Equitable World Order;112
9.1;5.1 Introduction;112
9.2;5.2 The Origin of Capital Interest: An Alternative Theory;113
9.3;5.3 Capital Interest: Forward-Looking Is Essential;117
9.4;5.4 The Financial Sector of Certain Manufacturing Companies: A Lucrative Business;119
9.5;5.5 The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund Reexamined;124
9.6;5.6 Running Solvency World: Who Can Create Debt?;127
9.7;5.7 Expansion of General Liquidity and the Unavoidable Repetition of Financial Instability;131
9.8;5.8 Conclusion;133
9.9;References;135
10;6 Aging Population, Vacant Dwellings and the Compatibility Problem Between Human and Exosomatic Populations;136
10.1;6.1 Introduction;136
10.2;6.2 The Aging Population of Japan;138
10.3;6.3 Vacant Dwellings in Japan;145
10.4;6.4 Conclusion;151
10.5;References;154
11;7 Reconsidering Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery in Japan: Searching for a Responsible Development Pathway;155
11.1;7.1 Introduction;155
11.2;7.2 Reconsidering Agriculture Versus Manufacturing;158
11.3;7.3 Japanese Agriculture and Its Basic Problems;160
11.4;7.4 Japanese Forestry and Its Basic Problems;166
11.5;7.5 Japanese Fishery and Its Basic Problems;172
11.6;7.6 Conclusion;177
11.7;References;178
12;8 Budget Deficit Problems and Reexamining Soddy’s Schemes of Compound and Simple Redemption;180
12.1;8.1 Introduction;180
12.2;8.2 The General Principles of Public Budget;182
12.3;8.3 Budget Deficit Problems of Japan: Expanding Special Account Budgets;183
12.4;8.4 Outstanding National Bond Problems of Japan;188
12.5;8.5 Reexamining Soddy’s Scheme of Virtual Capital Redemption;190
12.6;8.6 Conclusion;196
12.7;References;198
13;9 Collapsing Social Security Systems in Japan: Pensions, Medical Care and Elderly Nursing Care;199
13.1;9.1 Introduction;199
13.2;9.2 Japan’s Pension System;201
13.3;9.3 Japan’s Medical Care System;207
13.4;9.4 Japan’s Nursing Care System;209
13.5;9.5 Conclusion;212
13.6;References;215
14;10 Conclusion: An Alternative Vision for the Future of Japan and the World;216
14.1;References;222
15;Index;223