Ecology and economics share a common root: the Greek word oikos, meaning a house. Ecology is the way the natural world manages its house. Economics is the way society manages its house. The contentions of this book are that the natural world is the best guide to our economic activities, that supply and demand are insufficient determinants, that profit and loss are not alternatives, that wealth cannot be created but can be lost. Ecological economics is a term that has been coined to encapsulate these ideas. We can stop throwing away food before and after it gets to the table. We can learn to deal with our pollution. We can stop wasting our resources. We must look again at our priorities. We're in a race against time. Perhaps there's not time enough, but it's in everyone's interest to try. If we keep our activities on a human scale, maybe the passengers can regain control of the runaway train.