Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics Awarded to Adrienne Buller’s ‘The Value of a Whale: On the illusions of green capitalism'The Value of a Whale: On the illusions of[...]

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Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics Awarded to Adrienne Buller's 'The Value of a Whale: On the illusions of green capitalism'

Author Adrienne Buller sits at a table

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The 2024 Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics, which celebrates outstanding writing on the environmental limits of a finite planet, has been awarded to The Value of a Whale: On the illusions of green capitalism, by Adrienne Buller.

The announcement was made today by the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont (UVM) and the U.S. Society of Ecological Economics, which award the Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics every two years.

"The Value of a Whale stood out among a fantastic selection of books about ecological economics due to its multifaceted consideration of 'Green Capitalism'," said Taylor Ricketts, Director of the Gund Institute for Environment. "Adrienne Buller invites the reader to view the intertwining fates of humanity and nature from new perspectives not founded in traditional economic thought. Her book exemplifies the themes of environmental conservation and ecological economics that the Eric Zencey Prize was established to honor, and which remain critical as we experience the ever-increasing impacts of climate change."

Published by Manchester University Press, the book explores the biases which have led to modern green capitalist climate solutions and the exploitation of natural resources for profit. Buller critiques the influence of the finance industry on environmental policy and how our individual values play a role in this. She highlights the need to address the root injustices that have fueled the climate crisis by creating tangible and equitable solutions.

Author Adrienne Buller is a writer, researcher, and the host and editor-in-chief of The Break Down. Her work focuses on capitalism, nature, and climate and ecological crisis. "Writing The Value of a Whale was a very personal and exploratory undertaking for me - as a young scholar relatively new to the field of ecological economics, it offered a space to wrestle with issues and ideas I found challenging and unresolved," said Buller. "It's therefore a privilege whenever I learn that others have engaged with the work, and a tremendous honour for it to be recognised with the Zencey Prize, in the company of the brilliant scholarship the Prize has celebrated so far."

Gund graduate fellows found particular meaning in the book's message. Vitória Cardoso, doctoral student in Sustainable Development Policy, Economics, and Governance, said, "I wish I read this book as an undergrad. It has the potential to change people's minds."

Eric Zencey's brother, Matt Zencey, too, saw close tie-ins between the book's themes and his brother's work. He said, "Buller's book advances the vision Eric had for the prize. It will help the public understand the grave flaws created by current conventional economic thinking."

Named after pioneering scholar Eric Zencey (1954-2019), the Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics was created to recognize the best current affairs book or long-form journalism that advances the public understanding of real-world environmental challenges using principles of ecological economics, a field that explores the relationship between economics and Earth's limited natural resources.

The Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics comes with a $5,000 award, which is expected to grow over time through philanthropy. Prize recipients also join the Gund Institute's international network of Global Affiliates. The next call for submissions will be announced in late 2025.

The inaugural Zencey Prize winner was Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait by Bathsheba Demuth of Brown University (W.W. Norton and Co.) in 2020. The 2022 winner was Post Growth: Life after Capitalism by Tim Jackson.

Attend the Award Ceremony

An in-person and virtual award ceremony and public conversation with Adrienne Buller, featuring a reading by the author, will be held on Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Gund Institute for Environment in Burlington, Vermont. at noon ET. Register to attend virtually via Zoom.

Runners-up include:

Books:

1. What a Mushroom Lives For: Matsutake and the Worlds They Make by Michael Hathaway explores the role of matsutake mushrooms and their symbiotic relationships as world makers.

2. Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession, and the Future of Our Seas by Karen Pinchin describes the challenges between the bluefin tuna industry and marine conservation efforts.

Long-form Journalism:

1. Africa's Conservation Conundrum by Rachel Nuwer investigates how Africa's wildlife is threatened by the fading trophy hunting industry.

Background

The Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics was created in 2018 following an outpouring of support from ecological economists, friends and family for pioneering scholar and author Eric Zencey, who passed away in 2019.

As a writer, thinker, teacher, and public intellectual, Eric Zencey (1954-2019) worked to bring ecological economics - a system for understanding the political, economic, social, and environmental challenges facing our civilization - out of the academy. The Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics honors that work and encourages others to continue it.

Born in Delaware and holding a PhD in political philosophy and the history of science, Zencey made substantial contributions to understanding the biophysical foundations of the economy during his career at the University of Vermont and Washington University in St. Louis. He believed that infinite economic growth is impossible on a finite planet, because the laws of thermodynamics apply to economic systems.

Zencey was author of four books, including The Other Road to Serfdom and the Path to Sustainable Democracy (UPNE); Greening Vermont: Towards a Sustainable State (with Elizabeth Courtney); and Virgin Forest (U of Georgia Press), a collection of essays on history, ecology, and culture. His first book was the internationally best-selling novel and New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Panama. His writing appeared in media outlets ranging from The New York Times and The Chronicle of Higher Education to Adbusters.

In Vermont and Missouri, Zencey pioneered the compilation of and advocacy for the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), a more comprehensive measure of economic, social, and environmental health than GDP. His efforts led directly to Vermont becoming one of the first states in the nation to adopt GPI measurement.

Zencey's affiliations at UVM included the Gund Institute, the Political Science Dept., the Honors College, the Center for Research on Vermont, and the Center for Rural Studies. At Washington University, his appointments included teaching and research positions in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Sam Fox School for Design and Visual Art. Zencey also served as chair of the online history department at SUNY Empire State College, and taught in the college's international programs, chiefly in Prague.

Donate to the memory of Eric Zencey and learn more about the Prize.

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