The Reality of Negative Externalities in the Anthropocene
Chapter from the book: Ata, A. Y. & Akkaynak, B. (eds.) 2024. The Current Studies in Economics and Finance.

Hakkı M. Ay
Selçuk University
Nihal Güneş Ay
Selçuk University

Synopsis

People, animals, plants and organisms use the earth together. Many problems have begun to emerge with the excessive consumption of living and non-living entities such as soil and water in nature in order to survive. Especially in the last few centuries, the culture of living together has been deeply shaken as a result of the mutual mental and action orientations of societies. These orientations have also brought about the degradation of nature, which is everyone's share. The degradation of nature is actually the current corrupted state of the culture of living together.
Modernization and urbanization processes and efforts have developed parallel to colonial movements. New versions in the economic and social fields such as industrialization, specialization, theory of superiority, and division of labor have accelerated migration to cities. Humans who are alienated from their own nature and effort have naturally become alienated from nature in the environment of colonialism, irregular urbanization and insecurity. Working, accumulating (saving), savings consciousness, rational behavior and high profit ambition with the concept of homo economicus have accelerated the commodification of nature in the eyes of humans.
The characteristic of the Anthropocene era is that it is a period in which human activities as a destructive force have reached the power to cause negative transformative effects on climate and ecosystems. Human activities have become important geological forces, from changes in the use of natural resources on earth and the destruction of forests to intensive fossil fuel consumption. There are those who think that this period began two centuries ago with the invention of the steam engine and the industrial revolution. Capitalism has made it possible to destroy and exploit nature. The excesses experienced in human production and consumption in the Anthropocene Age have given rise to negative externalities in both the private and public sectors. This era has multidimensional effects in addition to environmental problems such as climate change, biodiversity loss, water pollution, as well as the damage it has caused to the democratic system. In order to minimize negative externalities, which are also seen as a result of market failure, a collective effort is required at national and international levels. This study explains the Anthropocene Age and its characteristics, the concept of negative externalities, its effects and the policies developed.

How to cite this book

Ay, H. M. & Güneş Ay, N. (2024). The Reality of Negative Externalities in the Anthropocene. In: Ata, A. Y. & Akkaynak, B. (eds.), The Current Studies in Economics and Finance. Özgür Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58830/ozgur.pub585.c2414

License

Published

December 22, 2024

DOI