IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/sysdyn/v18y2002i2p171-204.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Resource sustainability in commodity systems: the sawmill industry in the Northern Forest

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew Jones
  • Don Seville
  • Donella Meadows

Abstract

Many natural resource‐based commodity systems exhibit a trio of undesirable behaviors—price instability, resource unsustainability, and inequity among people along the commodity chain. In this article we share findings from a modeling project that focuses primarily on the second problem, unsustainability, in the forest products economy and forest ecosystem of the Northeastern United States. The model shows the structural potential for lumber industry capacity to overshoot the timber resource of the regional forest. Many of the policies commonly advocated in response to resource shortage, such as boosting mill efficiencies and eliminating log exports, appear unlikely to solve the problem. We identify several policies with the potential to help sustain both the industry and resource base. We also share insights on how to design a modeling and intervention process when addressing policy problems for which no single organization has direct responsibility. Finally, we consider ways to navigate through three prevalent “defensive routines”—denial, resignation, and despair—that are often barriers to constructive discussion on how to address potential limits to growth. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Jones & Don Seville & Donella Meadows, 2002. "Resource sustainability in commodity systems: the sawmill industry in the Northern Forest," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 18(2), pages 171-204, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:sysdyn:v:18:y:2002:i:2:p:171-204
    DOI: 10.1002/sdr.238
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sdr.238
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sdr.238?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John D. Sterman & Linda Booth Sweeney, 2002. "Cloudy skies: assessing public understanding of global warming," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 18(2), pages 207-240, June.
    2. Thomas S. Fiddaman, 2002. "Exploring policy options with a behavioral climate–economy model," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 18(2), pages 243-267, June.
    3. Sterman, John & Booth Sweeney, Linda, 2002. "Cloudy Skies: Assessing Public Understanding of Global Warming," Working papers 4361-02, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dennis Meadows, 2002. "Dana Meadows: asking hard questions, speaking simple truths," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 18(2), pages 111-119, June.
    2. Muflikh, Yanti Nuraeni & Smith, Carl & Aziz, Ammar Abdul, 2021. "A systematic review of the contribution of system dynamics to value chain analysis in agricultural development," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    3. Pirard, Romain & Irland, Lloyd C., 2007. "Missing links between timber scarcity and industrial overcapacity: Lessons from the Indonesian Pulp and Paper expansion," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(8), pages 1056-1070, May.
    4. T-S Jan & C-T Hsiao, 2004. "A four-role model of the automotive industry development in developing countries: a case in Taiwan," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 55(11), pages 1145-1155, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Felix J. Formanski & Marcel M. Pein & David D. Loschelder & John-Oliver Engler & Onno Husen & Johann M. Majer, 2022. "Tipping points ahead? How laypeople respond to linear versus nonlinear climate change predictions," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 175(1), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Gürsu Aşιk & Zerrin Doğança Küçük, 2021. "Metacognition in action as a possible explanation for stock‐flow failure," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 37(4), pages 253-282, October.
    3. Tjasa Redek, 2010. "The Economics Of The Fight Against Climate Change," Economic Thought and Practice, Department of Economics and Business, University of Dubrovnik, vol. 19(2), pages 311-329, december.
    4. Juliette N. Rooney-Varga & Florian Kapmeier & John D. Sterman & Andrew P. Jones & Michele Putko & Kenneth Rath, 2020. "The Climate Action Simulation," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 51(2), pages 114-140, April.
    5. Paul M. Kellstedt & Sammy Zahran & Arnold Vedlitz, 2008. "Personal Efficacy, the Information Environment, and Attitudes Toward Global Warming and Climate Change in the United States," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(1), pages 113-126, February.
    6. Erik O. Sterner & Tom Adawi & U. Martin Persson & Ulrika Lundqvist, 2019. "Knowing how and knowing when: unpacking public understanding of atmospheric CO2 accumulation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 154(1), pages 49-67, May.
    7. Strohhecker, Jürgen & Leyer, Michael, 2019. "How stock-flow failure and general cognitive ability impact performance in operational dynamic control tasks," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 276(3), pages 1044-1055.
    8. Cronin, Matthew A. & Gonzalez, Cleotilde & Sterman, John D., 2009. "Why don't well-educated adults understand accumulation? A challenge to researchers, educators, and citizens," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 116-130, January.
    9. Shahzeen Z. Attari & Kelsey Poinsatte-Jones & Kelsey Hinton, 2017. "Perceptions of water systems," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 12(3), pages 314-327, May.
    10. Jürgen Strohhecker & Andreas Größler, 2012. "Implementing Sustainable Business Strategies," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 547-570, November.
    11. Drew Bush & Renee Sieber & Gale Seiler & Mark Chandler & Gail L. Chmura, 2019. "Bringing climate scientist’s tools into classrooms to improve conceptual understandings," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 9(1), pages 25-34, March.
    12. Strohhecker, Jürgen & Größler, Andreas, 2013. "Do personal traits influence inventory management performance?—The case of intelligence, personality, interest and knowledge," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(1), pages 37-50.
    13. Thompson, James P. & Howick, Susan & Belton, Valerie, 2016. "Critical Learning Incidents in system dynamics modelling engagements," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 249(3), pages 945-958.
    14. Radboud J. Duintjer Tebbens & Kimberly M. Thompson, 2009. "Priority Shifting and the Dynamics of Managing Eradicable Infectious Diseases," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(4), pages 650-663, April.
    15. Sophie Guy & Yoshihisa Kashima & Iain Walker & Saffron O’Neill, 2013. "Comparing the atmosphere to a bathtub: effectiveness of analogy for reasoning about accumulation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 121(4), pages 579-594, December.
    16. Xiang Chen, 2011. "Why do people misunderstand climate change? Heuristics, mental models and ontological assumptions," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 108(1), pages 31-46, September.
    17. Adam Smith & Katie Jenkins, 2013. "Climate change and extreme weather in the USA: discourse analysis and strategies for an emerging ‘public’," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 3(3), pages 259-268, September.
    18. Varun Dutt & Cleotilde Gonzalez, 2012. "Human control of climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 111(3), pages 497-518, April.
    19. repec:cup:judgdm:v:12:y:2017:i:3:p:314-327 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Tinsley, Ty L. & Chumbley, Steven & Mathis, Clay & Machen, Richard & Turner, Benjamin L., 2019. "Managing cow herd dynamics in environments of limited forage productivity and livestock marketing channels: An application to semi-arid Pacific island beef production using system dynamics," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 78-93.
    21. Boschetti, Fabio & Richert, Claire & Walker, Iain & Price, Jennifer & Dutra, Leo, 2012. "Assessing attitudes and cognitive styles of stakeholders in environmental projects involving computer modelling," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 247(C), pages 98-111.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:sysdyn:v:18:y:2002:i:2:p:171-204. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/0883-7066 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.