Event: Dematerialization: Transitioning to an Economy Without Waste

Date: 
Wednesday, March 7, 2012 - 11:30 to 14:00
Event Description: 
Vancouver
Dematerialization: Transitioning to an Economy Without Waste
March 07, 2012 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM (lunch from 11:30 am - 12:00 pm)
Segal Graduate School of Business 
Simon Fraser University
500 Granville Street, Vancouver
 
Economic growth brings challenges as we attempt to reconcile the consumption of materials with the finite limits of resources extracted from the earth.  There is a growing need to increase resource productivity, improve quality of life, and ensure continued economic prosperity that is not based on increased consumption of materials and energy throughput. This need signals significant changes to our current economic system – changes that mark the transition to an economy without waste.  What would such a transition look like? What societal impacts might such a transition entail? What is the role for businesses and organizations, for producers and consumers, in transitioning to a new economic system?
Opening/Closing Remarks:
 
Panellists:
• Maurie Cohen, Associate Professor & Director, Program in Environmental Policy Studies and Program in Science, Technology & Society, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Associate Fellow, Tellus Institute - Bio
• Peter Victor, Professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University - Bio
• Richard Lipsey, Professor Emeritus, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University - Bio
• Tracy Casavant, Executive Director, Light House Sustainable Building Centre - Bio
In co-operation with:
The Vancouver Board of Trade