Economics Of Natural Resources The Environment And Policies

The economic activities of humanity, particularly during the last couple of cen turies, have had a profound impact on the natural environment. Fast depletion of the world's forest resources, fish stocks, fossil fuels and mine deposits have raised many moral as well as practical questions concerning present and future generations. Furthermore, a number of global environmental problems such as acid rain, the 'greenhouse effect' and depletion of the ozone layer are causing concern throughout the world. What does economics say about the exploitation of nature's scarce resources? This book, which is a much expanded version of an earlier publication, Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment, aims mostly at final-year undergraduates reading subjects such as economics, business studies, environ mental science, forestry, marine biology, agriculture and development studies. There is also a good deal of material - especially in the chapters on fisheries, forestry, valuation and discounting - that post-graduate students may find useful as stepping-stones. The material presented stems from my lectures to final-year students at the University of Ulster during the last 12 years, and some of my ongoing research work. When I moved to Northern Ireland in 1982 I was given a course called 'Economics of Exhaustible Resources' to teach. This has changed its title and focus a number of times along with the structure of the University. My early reading lists included a number of journal articles and books written on the sub ject.

Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment brings together the approaches of natural resource economics and environmental economics to provide a comprhensive overview of the economics of national international and global environmental problems. A unifying theme throuhhout the book is the concept of "sustainable development" defined as "maximizing the net benefits of economic development while maintaining the services and quality of natural resources over time." The authors emphasize the continuing importance of a mainstream approach. They stress "economic efficiency—getting the most welfare out of a given endowment of resources." And they address the larger moral issues as well. Chapter topics include the historical development of environmental economics, environmental ethics, and pollution control policy in "free" mixed market and centrally planned economies. Other current issues seen from an economic perspective include destruction of the ozone layer, the greenhouse effect, policy weapons in the fight against pollution, and the special problems of the third world. Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment offers a thorough review and synthesis of the major work of the field's senior scholars. It will be of value not only to students of natural resource economics, environmental economics, geography, and environmental sciences but also to all with an interest in economic appraoches to environmental issues.

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics is the best-selling text for natural resource economics and environmental economics courses, offering a policy-oriented approach and introducing economic theory and empirical work from the field. Students will leave the course with a global perspective of both environmental and natural resource economics and how they interact. Complemented by a number of case studies showing how underlying economic principles provided the foundation for specific environmental and resource policies, this key text highlights what can be learned from the actual experience. This new, 11th edition includes updated data, a number of new studies and brings a more international focus to the subject. Key features include: Extensive coverage of the major issues including climate change, air and water pollution, sustainable development, and environmental justice. Dedicated chapters on a full range of resources including water, land, forests, fisheries, and recyclables. Introductions to the theory and method of environmental economics including externalities, benefit-cost analysis, valuation methods, and ecosystem goods and services. Boxed ‘Examples’ and ‘Debates’ throughout the text which highlight global examples and major talking points. The text is fully supported with end-of-chapter summaries, discussion questions, and self-test exercises in the book and multiple-choice questions, simulations, references, slides, and an instructor’s manual on the Companion Website.

Extensively revised and updated, this popular text presents an accessible yet rigorous treatment of environmental and natural resources economics, including climate change and the economics of sustainability. Completely revised and updated, the fourth edition now includes new figures and tables, definitions to assist the reader, and updated policy information. New advances in the science, economics and policy approaches to climate change have been integrated into essentially all-new chapters on incentive regulation and global climate change. This innovative textbook integrates economics with science and public policy in a balanced and accessible way that will be appreciated by students from disciplines ranging from economics and natural resources management to environmental studies and energy policy.

Harris and Roach present a compact and accessible presentation of the core environmental and resource topics and more, with analytical rigor as well as engaging examples and policy discussions. They take a broad approach to theoretical analysis, using both standard economic and ecological analyses, and developing these both from theoretical and practical points of view. It assumes a background in basic economics, but offers brief review sections on important micro and macroeconomic concepts, as well as appendices with more advanced and technical material. Extensive instructor and student support materials, including PowerPoint slides, data updates, and student exercises are provided.

Resource Economics engages students and practitioners in natural resource and environmental issues from both local and global standpoints. The fourth edition of this approachable but rigorous text provides a new focus on risk and uncertainty as well as new applications that address the effect of new energy technologies on scarcity and climate change mitigation and adaptation, while preserving and systematically updating the approach and key features that drew many thousands of readers to the first three editions.

Natural Resources and the Environment: Economics, Law, Politics, and Institutions provides a new approach to the study of environmental and natural resource economics. It augments current contributions from the fields of public choice, law, and economics, and the burgeoning field of what used to be called the "New Institutional Economics," to describe, explain, and interpret how these new developments have been applied to better understand the economics of natural resources and the environment. This textbook takes a multi-disciplinary approach, which is essential for understanding complex environmental problems, and examines the issue from not only an economic perspective, but also taking into account law, politics, and institutions. In doing so, it provides students with a realistic understanding of how environmental policy is created and presents a comprehensive examination of real-world environmental policy. The book provides a comprehensive coverage of key issues, including renewable energy, climate change, agriculture, water resources, land conservation, and fisheries, with each chapter accompanied by learning resources, such as recommended further reading, discussion questions, and exercises. This textbook is essential reading for students and scholars seeking to build an interdisciplinary understanding of natural resources and the environment.

Integrating aspects of philosophy, political science, and some environmental science, this text provides a multidisciplinary approach to environmental economics and natural resources policy. Included is a chapter on value systems and the role of ethics.