YALE University Professor John E. Roemer at a special ALBA event

ALBA Graduate Business School organized a special event with guest speaker John E. Roemer, the Elizabeth S. and A. Varick Stout Professor of Political Science and Economics at Yale University, on the topic:
 
'A fair way to share our fragile planet with future generations', on Monday May 19 2008, at 18.30p.m. at the Cotsen Hall of Gennadeion Library in Kolonaki (61 Souidias Str. - entrance is on Anapiron Polemou Str.)

Professor Roemer initiated his speech by analyzing the current situation of the environment, the market, the consumption and the human quality of life on a global basis, highlighting that if consumption remains at the same levels, then the destruction of the biosphere will be inevitable. Moreover, he noted that markets are incapable of solving the problem of the deteriorating quality of the biosphere, as there are no agreed-upon property rights nor global justice.

Professor Roemer also underlined the difficulty of solving the problem on the basis of the economic and environmental science, as well as the way with which the quality of the biosphere and of human life can be preserved. According to his analysis, the quality of life of a generation of people on earth is defined as a function of four inputs: their consumption of commodities; the quality of their leisure time, which is more valuable if they are more educated; the quality of the biological environment, which is related to the global temperature; and the state of human knowledge, which is enhanced by the level of art and science.

This approach allows the possibility to give answers to questions such as: How should labor be allocated among the tasks of research, commodity production, education of the next generation, and leisure time?  How should the outputs of commodity production be allocated between investment in capital and consumption?  What are the choices of these variables over time that will sustain human life quality at the highest feasible level? Should we consume less and educate more, or produce more capital and do more research?

The main conclusion of Professor Roemer's speech was that in order for all future generations to be able to enjoy a satisfactory level of life quality, the collaboration of all nations is required.

 Welcome Address:
- Ms Athina Desypri, President of the Board, WWF Hellas

For more information on the event please contact the ALBA Marketing & Communications Department, tel: 210 8964531, e-mail: [email protected]