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International Journal of Comparative Sociology
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The Transnational Organization of Production and Uneven Environmental Degradation and Change in the World Economy

James Rice

New Mexico State University, USA, jcrice{at}nmsu.edu

The intent of the present article is to expand upon the discussion concerning the transnational organization of production, the treadmill logic which drives this organization, and highlight theoretical and empirical research regarding ecological unequal exchange, which we envision as a central dynamic enhancing capital accumulation within the world economy. Ecological unequal exchange refers to the environmentally damaging withdrawal of energy and other natural resources and the addition or externalization of environmentally damaging production and disposal activities within the periphery of the world-system as a consequence of exchange relations with more industrialized countries. It is based upon both the obtainment of natural capital and the usurpation of sink-capacity or waste assimilation properties of ecological systems in a manner that enlarges the domestic carrying capacity of the industrialized countries to the detriment of peripheral societies. Future research oriented towards further articulating the political-economic processes underlying ecological unequal exchange dynamics holds the potential to contribute to a more refined dialogue and debate regarding the prospects for the sustainable development of human societies.

Key Words: ecological unequal exchange • global environmental change • sustainable development • treadmill of production • world-system analysis

International Journal of Comparative Sociology, Vol. 50, No. 3-4, 215-236 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0020715209105140
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