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Prof. Pierre Desrochers
University of Toronto

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0 Food
0 Innovation Policy
0 circular economy
0 Innovation studies

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Original article
Published: 11 February 2021 in Social Science Quarterly
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Objective This paper provides the first comprehensive assessment of the outcome of Paul Ehrlich's and Stephen Schneider's counteroffer (1995) to economist Julian Simon following Ehrlich's loss in the famous Ehrlich‐Simon wager on economic growth and the price of natural resources (1980‐1990). Our main conclusion in a previous article is that, for indicators that can be measured satisfactorily or can be inferred from proxies, the outcome favors Ehrlich‐Schneider in the first decade following their offer. This second article extends the timeline towards the present time period to examine the long‐term trends of each indicator and proxy, and assesses the reasons invoked by Simon to refuse the bet. Methods Literature review, data gathering, and critical assessment of the indicators and proxies suggested or implied by Ehrlich and Schneider. Critical assessment of Simon's reasons for rejecting the bet. Data gathering for his alternative indicators. Results For indicators that can be measured directly, the balance of the outcomes favors the Ehrlich‐Schneider claims for the initial ten‐year period. Extending the timeline and accounting for the measurement limitations or dubious relevance of many of their indicators, however, shifts the balance of the evidence towards Simon's perspective. Conclusion The fact that Ehrlich and Schneider's own choice of indicators yielded mixed results in the long run, coupled with the fact that Simon's preferred indicators of direct human welfare yielded largely favorable outcomes is, in our opinion, sufficient to claim that Simon's optimistic perspective was largely validated.

ACS Style

Pierre Desrochers; Vincent Geloso; Joanna Szurmak. Care to Wager Again? An Appraisal of Paul Ehrlich's Counterbet Offer to Julian Simon, Part 2: Critical Analysis. Social Science Quarterly 2021, 102, 808 -829.

AMA Style

Pierre Desrochers, Vincent Geloso, Joanna Szurmak. Care to Wager Again? An Appraisal of Paul Ehrlich's Counterbet Offer to Julian Simon, Part 2: Critical Analysis. Social Science Quarterly. 2021; 102 (2):808-829.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre Desrochers; Vincent Geloso; Joanna Szurmak. 2021. "Care to Wager Again? An Appraisal of Paul Ehrlich's Counterbet Offer to Julian Simon, Part 2: Critical Analysis." Social Science Quarterly 102, no. 2: 808-829.

Journal article
Published: 12 October 2020 in Energies
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Prolific energy writer Vaclav Smil’s “Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities” (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2019) is marketed as the most comprehensive study of the modalities of growth in Earth’s life systems in their many natural, social, and technological forms. While the book reflects Smil’s strength as a polymath, it also brings into focus his Malthusian outlook. Smil’s Malthusianism is puzzling in light of much empirical evidence to the contrary and of his own detailed histories of human technological achievements, including his recent massive synthesis “Energy and Civilization: A History” (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2017). In keeping with Smil’s historical emphasis, in this review essay, the Malthusian assumptions, assertions, and conclusions of these books are challenged through the Promethean insights of numerous writers whose output long predates the modern environmental movement and can thus avoid charges of “greenwashing”. I make a case that, in the context of market economies (i.e., competition, price system, and private property rights), humans’ unique propensity to trade physical goods and to (re)combine things in new ways have long delivered both improved standards of living and environmental remediation. I further suggest that it is not the volume of materials handled, but rather how they are handled that determines the impact of economic growth on the biosphere. While Professor Smil is fond of saying that “numbers don’t lie”, his work illustrates that they are sometimes made to tell an unduly pessimistic story through the intellectual filters created by an author’s assumptions and value judgements.

ACS Style

Pierre DesRochers. The Paradoxical Malthusian. A Promethean Perspective on Vaclav Smil’s Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities (MIT Press, 2019) and Energy and Civilization: A History (MIT Press, 2017). Energies 2020, 13, 5306 .

AMA Style

Pierre DesRochers. The Paradoxical Malthusian. A Promethean Perspective on Vaclav Smil’s Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities (MIT Press, 2019) and Energy and Civilization: A History (MIT Press, 2017). Energies. 2020; 13 (20):5306.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre DesRochers. 2020. "The Paradoxical Malthusian. A Promethean Perspective on Vaclav Smil’s Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities (MIT Press, 2019) and Energy and Civilization: A History (MIT Press, 2017)." Energies 13, no. 20: 5306.

Book chapter
Published: 22 March 2018 in What We See
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ACS Style

Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä. RETHINKING “JACOBS SPILLOVERS,” OR HOW DIVERSE CITIES ACTUALLY MAKE INDIVIDUALS MORE CREATIVE AND ECONOMICALLY SUCCESSFUL. What We See 2018, 287 -296.

AMA Style

Pierre DesRochers, Samuli Leppälä. RETHINKING “JACOBS SPILLOVERS,” OR HOW DIVERSE CITIES ACTUALLY MAKE INDIVIDUALS MORE CREATIVE AND ECONOMICALLY SUCCESSFUL. What We See. 2018; ():287-296.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä. 2018. "RETHINKING “JACOBS SPILLOVERS,” OR HOW DIVERSE CITIES ACTUALLY MAKE INDIVIDUALS MORE CREATIVE AND ECONOMICALLY SUCCESSFUL." What We See , no. : 287-296.

Journal article
Published: 11 April 2017 in Sustainability
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Using the historical development of the American cottonseed value chain as a case study, we show that the factors usually deemed significant in the spontaneous development of localized industrial symbiosis (e.g., high volumes of potentially valuable yet environmentally problematic residuals, an economically diverse industrial base, as well as personal interactions and short mental distances between economic actors) have long been observed at much larger geographical scales. Like cereal grains and livestock, but unlike unprocessed residuals (e.g., residual steam and gas), the development of by-products out of cottonseed further involved numerous intermediaries and steps through which a complex raw material was broken down into various components that were then often (re)combined with other materials in remote locations. Additionally, because of the insufficient size and/or demand by domestic consumers, distant markets proved crucial at an early stage. We suggest that self-organizing and market-driven long-distance recovery linkages warrant more attention on the part of industrial symbiosis theorists, especially in terms of the technical, economic, geospatial, social and institutional conditions required for their emergence.

ACS Style

Pierre Desrochers; Joanna Szurmak. Long Distance Trade, Locational Dynamics and By-Product Development: Insights from the History of the American Cottonseed Industry. Sustainability 2017, 9, 579 .

AMA Style

Pierre Desrochers, Joanna Szurmak. Long Distance Trade, Locational Dynamics and By-Product Development: Insights from the History of the American Cottonseed Industry. Sustainability. 2017; 9 (4):579.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre Desrochers; Joanna Szurmak. 2017. "Long Distance Trade, Locational Dynamics and By-Product Development: Insights from the History of the American Cottonseed Industry." Sustainability 9, no. 4: 579.

Book chapter
Published: 01 January 2017 in The Elgar Companion to Innovation and Knowledge Creation
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The relationship between innovation and urban diversity has drawn much interest in the geography of innovation literature. While the concept of “Jacobs spillovers” suggests a positive relationship, its underlying processes have yet to be explained satisfactorily. This chapter builds on our previous theoretical and case study work and adds new insights from the creativity literature, which is less known among urban economic development analysts. The aim is to provide a more complete account of how human creativity is both stimulated and facilitated by a diverse urban environment.

ACS Style

Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä; Joanna Szurmak. Urban diversity and innovation. The Elgar Companion to Innovation and Knowledge Creation 2017, 215 -229.

AMA Style

Pierre DesRochers, Samuli Leppälä, Joanna Szurmak. Urban diversity and innovation. The Elgar Companion to Innovation and Knowledge Creation. 2017; ():215-229.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä; Joanna Szurmak. 2017. "Urban diversity and innovation." The Elgar Companion to Innovation and Knowledge Creation , no. : 215-229.

Reference entry
Published: 17 November 2014 in Encyclopedia of Geography
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ACS Style

Barney Warf; Samuli Leppälä; Pierre DesRochers. Knowledge Spillovers. Encyclopedia of Geography 2014, 1 .

AMA Style

Barney Warf, Samuli Leppälä, Pierre DesRochers. Knowledge Spillovers. Encyclopedia of Geography. 2014; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barney Warf; Samuli Leppälä; Pierre DesRochers. 2014. "Knowledge Spillovers." Encyclopedia of Geography , no. : 1.

Reference entry
Published: 17 November 2014 in Encyclopedia of Geography
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ACS Style

Barney Warf; Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä. Innovation, Geography of. Encyclopedia of Geography 2014, 1 .

AMA Style

Barney Warf, Pierre DesRochers, Samuli Leppälä. Innovation, Geography of. Encyclopedia of Geography. 2014; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barney Warf; Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä. 2014. "Innovation, Geography of." Encyclopedia of Geography , no. : 1.

Reference entry
Published: 17 November 2014 in Encyclopedia of Geography
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ACS Style

Barney Warf; Samuli Leppälä; Pierre DesRochers. Division of Labor. Encyclopedia of Geography 2014, 1 .

AMA Style

Barney Warf, Samuli Leppälä, Pierre DesRochers. Division of Labor. Encyclopedia of Geography. 2014; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barney Warf; Samuli Leppälä; Pierre DesRochers. 2014. "Division of Labor." Encyclopedia of Geography , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2014 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
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ACS Style

Pierre Desrochers; Colleen E. Haight. Squandered profit opportunities? Some historical perspective on industrial waste and the Porter Hypothesis. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2014, 92, 179 -189.

AMA Style

Pierre Desrochers, Colleen E. Haight. Squandered profit opportunities? Some historical perspective on industrial waste and the Porter Hypothesis. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2014; 92 ():179-189.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre Desrochers; Colleen E. Haight. 2014. "Squandered profit opportunities? Some historical perspective on industrial waste and the Porter Hypothesis." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 92, no. : 179-189.

Book chapter
Published: 06 September 2014 in Building Technology Transfer within Research Universities
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ACS Style

Maryann Feldman; Pierre DesRochers; Janet Bercovitz. Knowledge for the world: A brief history of commercialization at Johns Hopkins University. Building Technology Transfer within Research Universities 2014, 156 -191.

AMA Style

Maryann Feldman, Pierre DesRochers, Janet Bercovitz. Knowledge for the world: A brief history of commercialization at Johns Hopkins University. Building Technology Transfer within Research Universities. 2014; ():156-191.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maryann Feldman; Pierre DesRochers; Janet Bercovitz. 2014. "Knowledge for the world: A brief history of commercialization at Johns Hopkins University." Building Technology Transfer within Research Universities , no. : 156-191.

Book chapter
Published: 03 October 2013 in Handbook of Research on Innovation and Clusters
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ACS Style

Gert-Jan Hospers; Frédéric Sautet; Pierre DesRochers; Charlie Karlsson. Silicon Somewhere: Is There a Need for Cluster Policy? Handbook of Research on Innovation and Clusters 2013, 1 .

AMA Style

Gert-Jan Hospers, Frédéric Sautet, Pierre DesRochers, Charlie Karlsson. Silicon Somewhere: Is There a Need for Cluster Policy? Handbook of Research on Innovation and Clusters. 2013; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gert-Jan Hospers; Frédéric Sautet; Pierre DesRochers; Charlie Karlsson. 2013. "Silicon Somewhere: Is There a Need for Cluster Policy?" Handbook of Research on Innovation and Clusters , no. : 1.

Book chapter
Published: 01 October 2013 in Handbook of Research on Cluster Theory
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ACS Style

Pierre DesRochers; Frédéric Sautet; Gert-Jan Hospers; Charlie Karlsson. Diversity and the Case Against Specialized Clusters. Handbook of Research on Cluster Theory 2013, 1 .

AMA Style

Pierre DesRochers, Frédéric Sautet, Gert-Jan Hospers, Charlie Karlsson. Diversity and the Case Against Specialized Clusters. Handbook of Research on Cluster Theory. 2013; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre DesRochers; Frédéric Sautet; Gert-Jan Hospers; Charlie Karlsson. 2013. "Diversity and the Case Against Specialized Clusters." Handbook of Research on Cluster Theory , no. : 1.

Book chapter
Published: 17 September 2013 in Handbook of Creative Cities
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ACS Style

Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä; David Andersson; Åke Andersson; Charlotta Mellander. Creative Environments: The Case for Local Economic Diversity. Handbook of Creative Cities 2013, 1 .

AMA Style

Pierre DesRochers, Samuli Leppälä, David Andersson, Åke Andersson, Charlotta Mellander. Creative Environments: The Case for Local Economic Diversity. Handbook of Creative Cities. 2013; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä; David Andersson; Åke Andersson; Charlotta Mellander. 2013. "Creative Environments: The Case for Local Economic Diversity." Handbook of Creative Cities , no. : 1.

Book chapter
Published: 15 June 2012 in New Thinking in Austrian Political Economy
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Samuli Leppälä; Pierre DesRochers. Regional Economic Analysis: The Case for Methodological Individualism. New Thinking in Austrian Political Economy 2012, 16, 25 -56.

AMA Style

Samuli Leppälä, Pierre DesRochers. Regional Economic Analysis: The Case for Methodological Individualism. New Thinking in Austrian Political Economy. 2012; 16 ():25-56.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Samuli Leppälä; Pierre DesRochers. 2012. "Regional Economic Analysis: The Case for Methodological Individualism." New Thinking in Austrian Political Economy 16, no. : 25-56.

Journal article
Published: 17 February 2011 in Creativity and Innovation Management
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ACS Style

Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä. Creative Cities and Regions: The Case for Local Economic Diversity. Creativity and Innovation Management 2011, 20, 59 -69.

AMA Style

Pierre DesRochers, Samuli Leppälä. Creative Cities and Regions: The Case for Local Economic Diversity. Creativity and Innovation Management. 2011; 20 (1):59-69.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä. 2011. "Creative Cities and Regions: The Case for Local Economic Diversity." Creativity and Innovation Management 20, no. 1: 59-69.

Journal article
Published: 08 October 2010 in Journal of Economic Geography
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Despite numerous attempts to isolate the respective importance of intra- and inter-industrial localized knowledge spillovers, their underlying processes have remained hidden. This article aims to provide a better theoretical understanding of the nature of inter-industrial or ‘Jacobs spillovers’ through a broad interdisciplinary literature review and additional evidence gained from a qualitative survey of Canadian inventors. The main stylized processes identified are: (i) adding to, switching or adapting specific know-how to other product lines; (ii) observing something and incorporating it in another environment; and (iii) formal or informal collaboration of individuals possessing different skills and backgrounds. Local economic diversity was found to facilitate these processes in several ways.

ACS Style

Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä. Opening up the 'Jacobs Spillovers' black box: local diversity, creativity and the processes underlying new combinations. Journal of Economic Geography 2010, 11, 843 -863.

AMA Style

Pierre DesRochers, Samuli Leppälä. Opening up the 'Jacobs Spillovers' black box: local diversity, creativity and the processes underlying new combinations. Journal of Economic Geography. 2010; 11 (5):843-863.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre DesRochers; Samuli Leppälä. 2010. "Opening up the 'Jacobs Spillovers' black box: local diversity, creativity and the processes underlying new combinations." Journal of Economic Geography 11, no. 5: 843-863.

Journal article
Published: 13 September 2010 in Regional Studies
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ACS Style

Pierre DesRochers. The Wealth and Poverty of Regions. Why Cities Matter. Regional Studies 2010, 44, 1097 -1098.

AMA Style

Pierre DesRochers. The Wealth and Poverty of Regions. Why Cities Matter. Regional Studies. 2010; 44 (8):1097-1098.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre DesRochers. 2010. "The Wealth and Poverty of Regions. Why Cities Matter." Regional Studies 44, no. 8: 1097-1098.

Journal article
Published: 21 July 2010 in International Regional Science Review
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‘‘Industrial symbiosis’’ (IS) is a central concept in the industrial ecology literature, which describes geographically proximate interfirm relationships involving the exchange of residual materials, water, and energy. Despite its obvious relevance to regional science, economic geography, and urban economics, the issue is only beginning to be addressed in these subdisciplines. This situation is paradoxical as both recovery linkages and the very concept of IS were discussed in some depth by numerous economists and geographers several decades ago. The goals of this article are to document this intellectual history, in the process gaining a better understanding of the phenomenon while shedding additional light on current controversies. In doing so, the authors further hope to restimulate economists, geographers, and regional scientists’ interest in the topic and to illustrate the long-standing importance of geographical co-location in facilitating the ‘‘internalization of externalities’’ of industrial operations.

ACS Style

Pierre Desrochers; Samuli Leppälä. Industrial Symbiosis: Old Wine in Recycled Bottles? Some Perspective from the History of Economic and Geographical Thought. International Regional Science Review 2010, 33, 338 -361.

AMA Style

Pierre Desrochers, Samuli Leppälä. Industrial Symbiosis: Old Wine in Recycled Bottles? Some Perspective from the History of Economic and Geographical Thought. International Regional Science Review. 2010; 33 (3):338-361.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre Desrochers; Samuli Leppälä. 2010. "Industrial Symbiosis: Old Wine in Recycled Bottles? Some Perspective from the History of Economic and Geographical Thought." International Regional Science Review 33, no. 3: 338-361.

Journal article
Published: 01 May 2010 in Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization
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ACS Style

Samuli Leppälä; Pierre DesRochers. The division of labor need not imply regional specialization. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 2010, 74, 137 -147.

AMA Style

Samuli Leppälä, Pierre DesRochers. The division of labor need not imply regional specialization. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. 2010; 74 (1):137-147.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Samuli Leppälä; Pierre DesRochers. 2010. "The division of labor need not imply regional specialization." Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 74, no. 1: 137-147.

Journal article
Published: 22 January 2010 in Industrial And Corporate Change
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Proponents of corporate social responsibility (CSR) typically consider “business as usual” unsustainable. Building on historical evidence that long predates the modern environmental movement, the contrary case is made that the interplay of voluntary exchange, private property rights, and self-interest has generally resulted in the so-called “triple bottom line” (economic, social, and environmental) through more efficient use of materials and the continual creation of higher quality resources. However, because market processes continually eliminate less competitive firms and tend to concentrate business activities geographically, political pressure brought to bear by adversely affected vested interests often results in the creation of policies that cause greater environmental harm than would otherwise be evident. Environmental CSR proponents often misinterpret these government failures as market failures, and characteristically advocate policies that further distract firms from their core objective and resulting triple bottom line. The article concludes by arguing that the most promising path toward truly sustainable development lies in the unwavering pursuit of profitability within the bounds of well-defined and enforced private property rights.

ACS Style

Pierre DesRochers. The environmental responsibility of business is to increase its profits (by creating value within the bounds of private property rights). Industrial And Corporate Change 2010, 19, 161 -204.

AMA Style

Pierre DesRochers. The environmental responsibility of business is to increase its profits (by creating value within the bounds of private property rights). Industrial And Corporate Change. 2010; 19 (1):161-204.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pierre DesRochers. 2010. "The environmental responsibility of business is to increase its profits (by creating value within the bounds of private property rights)." Industrial And Corporate Change 19, no. 1: 161-204.