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What really counts : the case for a sustainable and equitable economy / Ronald Colman.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher number: EB00820853 | Recorded BooksPublisher: New York : Columbia University Press, [2021]Description: 1 online resource (x, 360 pages) : illustrationsContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • computer
Carrier type:
  • online resource
ISBN:
  • 9780231549189
  • 0231549180
Subject(s): Genre/Form: Additional physical formats: Print version:: What really countsDDC classification:
  • 338.9/27 23
LOC classification:
  • HC79.E5 C5993 2021
Online resources:
Contents:
The magic number -- Counting what matters -- A Nova Scotia start -- The new measures in action -- Scaling up -- Challenges behind the scenes -- Genuine progress meets politics -- A New Zealand interlude -- Invitation to Bhutan -- (Mis)measuring gross national happiness -- Education - the golden key -- The gap between words and action -- A "new economic paradigm" for the world -- Can genuine progress really happen? -- Forging a new economy.
Summary: "Politicians and economists fixate on "growing the economy"-measured by a country's gross domestic product. But this yardstick counts harmful activities such as greenhouse gas emissions, plastic waste, and cigarette sales as gains, and it ignores environmental protection, voluntary community work, and other benefits. What we measure is a choice, and what is and isn't counted determines what sorts of policies are enacted. How can we shift the focus to well-being and quality of life? What Really Counts is an essential, firsthand story of the promise and challenges of accounting for social, economic, and environmental benefits. Ronald Colman recounts two decades of working with three governments to adopt measures capable of quantifying factors that GDP overlooks. Chronicling his path from Nova Scotia to New Zealand to Bhutan, Colman details the challenge of devising meaningful metrics, the effort to see alternatives realized, and the obstacles that stand in the way of implementing new systems. Reflecting on successes and failures, he considers how to shift policy priorities from a narrow economic growth agenda toward a future built on sustainability and equity. Colman has taken the critique of GDP outside the academy and attempted to realize an alternative. The lessons he offers in What Really Counts are vital for anyone interested in how we can measure what matters-and how better measures can help build a better world"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
eBook eBook e-Library EBSCO Business Available
Total holds: 0

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The magic number -- Counting what matters -- A Nova Scotia start -- The new measures in action -- Scaling up -- Challenges behind the scenes -- Genuine progress meets politics -- A New Zealand interlude -- Invitation to Bhutan -- (Mis)measuring gross national happiness -- Education - the golden key -- The gap between words and action -- A "new economic paradigm" for the world -- Can genuine progress really happen? -- Forging a new economy.

"Politicians and economists fixate on "growing the economy"-measured by a country's gross domestic product. But this yardstick counts harmful activities such as greenhouse gas emissions, plastic waste, and cigarette sales as gains, and it ignores environmental protection, voluntary community work, and other benefits. What we measure is a choice, and what is and isn't counted determines what sorts of policies are enacted. How can we shift the focus to well-being and quality of life? What Really Counts is an essential, firsthand story of the promise and challenges of accounting for social, economic, and environmental benefits. Ronald Colman recounts two decades of working with three governments to adopt measures capable of quantifying factors that GDP overlooks. Chronicling his path from Nova Scotia to New Zealand to Bhutan, Colman details the challenge of devising meaningful metrics, the effort to see alternatives realized, and the obstacles that stand in the way of implementing new systems. Reflecting on successes and failures, he considers how to shift policy priorities from a narrow economic growth agenda toward a future built on sustainability and equity. Colman has taken the critique of GDP outside the academy and attempted to realize an alternative. The lessons he offers in What Really Counts are vital for anyone interested in how we can measure what matters-and how better measures can help build a better world"-- Provided by publisher.

Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on February 23, 2021).

Master record variable field(s) change: 072

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