Earth Economics
Earth Economics is a US based IRS charitable 501 (c) 3 organization with offices in Tacoma and Seattle, Washington. Currently Earth Economics employs 8 full time staff and numerous volunteers and interns.
Our Mission
Earth Economics works to promote healthy ecosystems, communities, and economies by advancing and applying a new ecological economics, or “earth economics” in pursuit of practical, ethical and science-based solutions to severe environmental problems.
Overall Strategy
Earth Economics is the focal point for numerous academic and NGO partners around the world, working to apply the groundbreaking new discipline of a truer, ecological economics to place our policies and governance on a more sustainable pathway. We work to support existing NGO campaigns and with local, national and intergovernmental organizations to galvanize policy changes on landuse, waste management, product design, and investment decisions, with strikingly improved economic analysis. Our efforts correct the distortions and blindness of traditional economics. We use tools such as proper valuation of ecosystem services and proper accounting of externalities or disservices. At the same time we promote economic incentive mechanisms or green tax reform. With our academic partners, we have identified 23 valuable ecosystem services provided by forest, marine, agricultural, wetland, urban, grassland, shrub-land, and coastal ecosystems. Likewise, we have, through our BAN project, highlighted the most egregious forms of cost externalization, via toxic trade. Under the lens of earth economics, pollution is seen as a manmade disservice, which should ultimately be eliminated through placing economic responsibility for its generation on its producers.
 Utilizing peer reviewed academic journal articles and local data where possible, we lay out a robust economic case to assist NGOs and government institutions in applying economic analysis to strengthen their work in restoring and conserving vital ecosystems and in eliminating pollution and toxic trade.
Earth Economics Initiatives in 2006
Earth Economics Framework
Energy Futures: Peak oil and climate change threaten the economies and social stability of the global economy. Global investment from the international  financial institutions, governments and private banks must shift toward an energy future that truly provides energy services for the world’s poorest, accelerates the use of renewable resources, reduces fossil fuel consumption and infrastructure development, and supports greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Toward this end, Earth Economics began elaborating the “Energy Futures Framework” that positively addresses these twin crises. In June 2006, we helped organize a “Peak Oil” conference in Washington D.C. where presentations were made by leading experts in oil geology and production, energy economics, and ecological economics. The message was clear: peak in global oil production is  upon us and there is an urgent need to transform the economy to be based on renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and transportation systems, and livable communities. Failure to act could bring suffering to the vast majority of the planet’s inhabitants. Earth Economics hosted a one day planning event bringing together for the first time activists working on peak oil, climate, and energy. Together we are now developing the framework for an energy futures shift that will allow a “powering down” and shifting investment from oil to sustainable alternatives.
 Alternative Development – Get Off Oil: Macroeconomic Framework for Ecuador: Earth Economics was approached in July by the Pachamama Foundation (Ecuador), and Ecuadorian academics to help Ecuadorian civil society draft an alternative macroeconomic development framework which simultaneously addresses poverty, energy, social justice, and environmental sustainability. Of key concern to many groups in Ecuador is their reliance on the export of oil and natural gas, the destruction of the Amazon, and their crushing international debt. In August 2006, together with Ecuadorian academics and civil society we initiated a draft framework for completion in August 2007, based on sound ecological economics, an understanding of how the economic programs of the World Bank, IMF, and the Inter-American Development Bank have failed and what reforms are needed. Our academic partners were recently appointed to Ministerial positions in Ecuador and continue to ask for our assistance.
International Trade and Finance Reform
Reform of International Finance and Trade: Earth Economics staff have worked since 1988 on International Finance and Trade reform, working collaboratively with over 300 groups on changing the policies, lending and institutional aspects of the World Bank, other multilateral development banks, 35 export credit agencies, private banks and bilateral institutions. This has resulted in the approval of new policies on environmental assessment, indigenous peoples, anti-corruption, information, energy, forest, fishery, cultural property, governance and key areas. In 2006 Earth Economics received a capacity-building grant to extend our ability to change the operation and impact of the international financial institutions. The capacity-building grant allowed Earth Economics to complete its separation from the Tides Center, conduct strategic planning sessions, hire a business manager and a Program Director/Ecological Economist, expand fund-raising efforts for this campaign, and further develop ideas on our earth economics international policy framework. We participated in two workshops with NGOs working on international finance and trade issues. In July 2007 we will launch a new program in reform highlighting the Earth Economics Framework, better macroeconomic policies and a new system for economic analysis for pipelines and other energy projects incorporating cutting edge tools for examining ecosystem services.
Analysis of the Camisea Pipeline Project: The Camisea Pipeline Project has turned out to be the most controversial project of the InterAmerican Development  Bank. Earth Economics has contributed greatly to the debate by analyzing the impact of the project on the Amazon ecosystem services. This study is designed to empower and strategically position civil society in Peru and NGOs working on issues surrounding indigenous peoples, local communities and the International Financial Institutions in our common work for healthy environment and communities. The methodology used in this study is designed to be replicated for analysis and campaign work on other pipeline and energy projects in other parts of the world like Ghana and Sakhalin.
Locally Significant Ecosystems
Ecosystem Service Valuation of Services Provided By King Conservation District: Earth Economics conducted a groundbreaking study on the value of ecosystem services for the King Conservation District (King County soil conservation district). This new approach looks not just at what ecosystems provide, but also the value that can actually be added by sound conservation management practices. This is important in a world of shrinking public budgets for conservation work. The study found that the assessed fees of the Conservation District were more than paid for by the value of ecosystem services enhanced and protected by the Conservation District’s programs.
Ecosystem Service Valuation of Services Provided by King County’s Flood Management Program: Earth Economics likewise successfully bid on a contract with King County’s Department of Natural Resources to conduct a pilot study of ecosystem service values associated with their flood reduction activities. King County’s flood plan program is based on the idea of restoring natural floodplain dynamics to the greatest extent possible. This project will demonstrate the economic benefits of all ecosystem services that were gained through natural floodplain management activities. So far we have prepared the proposal and held several meetings to refine the scope and methods of the study. The report will be completed by the end of June, 2007.
Puget Sound Basin Initiative: Earth Economics started this project to conduct a full ecosystem service valuation of the entire Puget Sound Basin and develop  ideas for stable funding of restoration programs. In 2006, we completed background work and initial fundraising for this project and refined approaches to ecosystem service valuation, participated in cutting edge research to improve the techniques, began discussions with local and regional decision-makers, including the Governor’s office, the leaders of the Puget Sound Partnership and of Puget Sound’s environmental organizations. The bulk of the work on this initiative will take place in 2007 and 2008.
Globally Significant Ecosystems
Advancing Ecosystem Service Valuation Techniques: Earth Economics is participating in an effort headed by the Gund Institute of Ecological Economics to improve both the accuracy and accessibility of ecosystem service valuation. The project aims to develop a dynamic computer model which translates changes in ecosystem function into changes in services delivered and their economic value. This contrasts with current methods which take static snapshots of ecosystem services at one point in time. The model is being designed to be web accessible and to allow users to define policy scenarios and explore their ecological, economic, and social implications. It will also allow use at multiple local to global scales. Earth Economics staff participated in a one-week workshop to launch the project. We are serving as the lead for Puget Sound, one of four case studies in the world. When completed, the model should significantly improve our ability to conduct accurate and timely ecosystem service valuations and mediated visioning and decision-making workshops in a variety of settings. Work on this model will proceed through the end of 2007.
 Spot Prawn Project: The spot prawn fishery is a sustainable fisheries management in the West Coast and a model for the world’s first sustainable trap only shrimp fishery. This project involved defining a sustainability criteria, regulation, stakeholder organizing, and market development. We maintained communication with many key stakeholders including managers, scientists and fishermen. Earth Economics identified the stock delineation options necessary for making the entire west coast fishery sustainable. We completed our work on this project in 2006 by writing a new stock assessment which updated our earlier 2001 report.
Mississippi River Delta Restoration Program: In the wake of hurricane Katrina, the world became painfully aware that due to the deterioration of the Mississippi  River delta wetlands, the hurricane which would have been naturally buffered became wild and deadly. After a rigorous series of discussions with local and national experts and NGO leaders, Earth Economics was asked to work on the Project to Restore the Mississippi River Delta. This project entails conducting a valuation of the ecosystem services of the Mississippi River Delta region and working with the country’s top scientists and local and national NGOs working to preserve the Mississippi wetlands. The valuation  study will show the storm protection value of wetlands alongside the need to maintain a healthy land base in which Louisiana’s culture and economy can thrive. We are also developing a set of incentive-based funding mechanisms that can help ensure adequate, equitable, and timely flow of funding to restore the wetlands. We received funding in August 2006 to complete the report and conduct a media launch to reach out to decision makers and the public. This study is vital for convincing the Army Corps of Engineers to include the wetlands role in hurricane protection options.
Basel Action Network: BAN is Earth Economic’s most developed program and one which has become a campaigning body in its own right (www.ban.org).
BAN  is a living demonstration of how to effect change at the grassroots and institutional levels using the tools of a new, earth economics. BAN focuses in on perhaps the most egregious form of cost externalization currently practiced today – toxic trade. This ugly form of trade functions due to obsolete economic rules that favor those that externalize pollution to those least likely to manage them – impoverished communities in developing countries. BAN takes its name from, and serves as a global watchdog of, the world’s only treaty on waste – the Basel Convention and works to ensure implementation of its decisions and obligations. The project team works extensively with global partners around the world on three active campaign areas: electronic waste, U. N. Basel Convention implementation, and green ship recycling. In 2006 BAN played a crucial role in directing government and media attention toward international legal solutions to the toxic waste dumping tragedy on the Ivory Coast from the Ship Probo Koala. BAN staff were interviewed and quoted by the BBC, the New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, and the New Scientist among others. Also in 2006 BAN’s film and findings in “The Digital Dump” were featured on ABC’s 20/20. In December of last year BAN helped make the electronic waste issue the  centerpiece of the Basel Convention’s Conference of Parties meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. There we were able to press for a progressive “Nairobi Declaration” on Electronic Waste that called for upstream Green Design and an end to global e-waste dumping. We also were able to show our film to about 200 NGOs from Africa and join in a debate on the topic. In his keynote speech, Dr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program, praised our work and cited it extensively. BAN Staff presented at 23 regional, national and international conferences.
Major Sources of Funding in 2006
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