Jeremy Rifkin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jeremy Rifkin (born 1945, Denver, Colorado), the founder and president of the Foundation on Economic Trends (FOET), is an American economist, writer, and public speaker. He is an activist who seeks to shape public policy in the United States and globally.
He has testified before numerous congressional committees and has engaged in litigation extensively to ensure 'responsible' government policies on a variety of environmental, scientific and technology related issues. Since 1994, Rifkin has been a fellow at the Wharton School’s Executive Education Program, lecturing CEOs and senior corporate management from around the world on new trends in science and technology.
Contents |
[edit] Education
Rifkin earned degrees in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and in international affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
[edit] Published works
Rifkin has written 17 published books, primarily focused on the impact of scientific and technological changes, in which he has speculated on the end or change of work, property, the American dream, the potential of dangers unleashed by biotechnology, and on the beginning of a new hydrogen economy.
Rifkin became one of the first major critics of the nascent biotechnology industry with the 1977 publication of his book, Who Should Play God? His 1995 book, The End of Work, an international bestseller, is credited by some with helping shape the current global debate on technology displacement, corporate downsizing and the future of jobs. His 1998 book, The Biotech Century, addresses the many critical issues accompanying the new era of genetic commerce.
[edit] Influence in Europe
In addition to his work in his native United States, Rifkin has significant influence in Europe, serving as an advisor to government leaders and heads of state, and has served as a personal advisor to Romano Prodi, the current Prime Minister of Italy and the former President of the European Commission, one of the governing bodies of the European Union. His columns appear in many leading European newspapers. Although many of his views are contested, he has genuine influence on public opinion and public policy in the U.S. and Europe. National Journal magazine listed him as one of the 150 most influential people in shaping U.S. policy for his "skillfully manipulated legal and bureaucratic procedures." His account of cultural or cognitive capitalism has influenced the philosopher Bernard Stiegler.
[edit] Renewable Hydrogen Economy
After the publication of The Hydrogen Economy, Rifkin worked both in the US and the EU to advance the political cause of renewably generated hydrogen.
In the US, Rifkin was instrumental in founding the Green Hydrogen Coalition. The GHC consists of 13 environmental and political organizations (including Greenpeace and MoveOn.Org) that are committed to building a renewable hydrogen based economy.
In Europe, Rifkin was instrumental in building the political consensus amongst European Parliament members of renewable hyrdogen. On September 12, 2005 a parliamentary leadership group announced plans to promote a Green Hydrogen Economy across the EU. At a press conference held at the EU Parliament in Brussels, 50 European Union parliamentary leaders of all 6 major European political parties made the commitment to push ahead on plans to make the EU the first renewable energy hydrogen economy in the world.
[edit] Foundation on Economic Trends
The Foundation on Economic Trends (FOET), based in Washington D.C. is active in both national and international public policy issues related to the environment, the economy, and biotechnology. FOET examines new trends and their impacts on the environment, the economy, culture and society, and engages in litigation, public education, coalition building and grassroots organizing activities to advance our goals.
[edit] Criticisms
Rifkin has sparked controversies about his positions. Critics in the U.S. have called him a professional scaremonger for supporting precautionary principles, one group going so far as to brand him "the intellectual guru of the neo-Luddites," as they view many of his positions as obstacles to technological advancement. Some even say his books are littered with errors and false predictions. Time Magazine went so far as to call him "the most hated man in science". [1]
Lately, his positions on the "Hydrogen Economy" have come under fire, due to the relative inefficiency of hydrogen as a means of storing energy when compared to batteries, compressed air and hydroelectric options. [2]
[edit] Books
- 2004, The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream, Jeremy P. Tarcher, ISBN 1-58542-345-9
- 2002, The Hydrogen Economy: The Creation of the Worldwide Energy Web and the Redistribution of Power on Earth, Jeremy P. Tarcher, ISBN 1-58542-193-6
- 2000, The Age Of Access: The New Culture of Hypercapitalism, Where All of Life Is a Paid-For Experience, Putnam Publishing Group, ISBN 1-58542-018-2
- 1998, The Biotech Century: Harnessing the Gene and Remaking the World, J P Tarcher, ISBN 0-87477-909-X
- 1995, The End Of Work: The Decline Of The Global Labor Force And The Dawn Of The Post-Market Era, Putnam Publishing Group, ISBN 0-87477-779-8
- 1992 Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture, E. P. Dutton, ISBN 0-525-93420-0
- 1992, Voting Green: Your Complete Environmental Guide to Making Political Choices In The 90's, with Carol Grunewald Rifkin, Main Street Books, ISBN 0-385-41917-1
- 1991, Biosphere Politics: A New Consciousness for a New Century, Crown, ISBN 0-517-57746-1
- 1990, The Green Lifestyle Handbook: 1001 Ways to Heal the Earth (edited by Rifkin), Henry Holt & Co, ISBN 0-8050-1369-5
- 1987, Time Wars: The Primary Conflict In Human History, Henry Holt & Co, ISBN 0-8050-0377-0
- 1985, Declaration of a Heretic, Routledge & Kegan Paul Books, Ltd, ISBN 0-7102-0709-3
- 1983, Algeny, Viking Press, ISBN 0-670-10885-5
- 1980, Entropy: A New World View, with Ted Howard (afterword by Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen), Viking Press, ISBN 0-670-29717-8
- 1979, The Emerging Order: God in the Age of Scarcity, with Ted Howard, Putnam, ISBN B0006DCHX4
- 1978, The North Will Rise Again: Pensions, Politics And Power in the 1980s, with Randy Barber, Beacon Press, ISBN 0-8070-4787-2
- 1977, Own Your Own Job: Economic Democracy For Working Americans
- 1977, Who Should Play God? The Artificial Creation of Life and What It Means for the Future of the Human, with Ted Howard, Dell Publishing Co., ISBN 0-440-19504-7
- 1973, How to Commit Revolution American Style, with John Rossen, Book Sales, ISBN 0-8184-0041-2
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- FOET.org - The Foundation on Economic Trends
-
- FOET.org - 'About Jeremy Rifkin (biography)
- ActivistCash.com - 'Jeremy Rifkin Biography' (criticism)
- Guardian.co.uk - 'Sorry, Mr President, homilies won't stop the hurricanes: We Americans need to get out of our SUVs and learn the harsh lesson of Katrina and Rita: we are all to blame', Jeremy Rifkin, The Guardian, (September 23, 2005)
- NationalCenter.org - 'Dossier, Environmental Scientist: Jeremy Rifkin', National Center for Public Policy Research
- Speaking.com - 'Jeremy Rifkin, topics: Technology, Future, Economics, International Business; Fee Category: 20.0k to 25.0k'
- VJolt.net - 'Biotechnology Through the Eyes of an Opponent The Resistance of Activist Jeremy Rifkin', Paul S. Naik, Virginia Journal of Law and Technology
- WorldTrans.org - 'An Afternoon with Jeremy Rifkin'
- Green Hydrogen Coalition
- European Parliment Leaders announce Green Hydrogen initiative
