Economic Analysis of the Environmental Impacts of Development Projects


Book Description

It has always been thought that some level of pollution and waste is unavoidable in development projects. But no one has made much effort to quantify and assess the extent of this sort of damage. In this book a group of analysts from the Asian Development Bank and from the East West Center propose a means of constructing useful economic evaluations of the impacts of development projects on the environments in which they are constructed. This study demands the systematic evaluation of all the intentional and unintentional consequences of development initiatives before they are determined upon. It is essential reading for development economists, analysts and bankers. Originally published in 1986




Economic Analysis Of Environmental Problems


Book Description

This book introduces the basic tools of dynamic optimization in economics to study environmental problems, applies econometric methods to estimate and test the models derived by dynamic optimization, and discusses environmental problems in a broad perspective, including the design and implementation of environmental policies. Although the coverage is selective, it represents what the author has to offer from his perspective and experience gained in research in dynamic optimization, econometrics and policy analysis, especially for China. The volume is self-contained for readers with mathematical background of first-year graduate students in the analytical fields of science and engineering but only limited training in economics, while an economics text presumes more knowledge of economics. Once the tools are mastered, the reader can pursue his own research on the topic if he is interested, or simply become a more mature citizen in the global economy.




Environmental Economics for Tree Huggers and Other Skeptics


Book Description

Though many students and environmentalists shudder at even the thought of economics, a working knowledge of the basics can be a powerful ally. Economic arguments carry a great deal of weight, and putting them to work for environmental causes can be a deciding factor, especially in policy debates. The reverse is true as well, and an understanding of the possibly flawed, misleading, or overstated economics behind an opponent's case can be crucially important. Environmental Economics for Tree Huggers and Other Skeptics carefully explains the tools of economic analysis and shows how they can be used to help reveal the root causes of and potential solutions for environmental and natural resource problems. Jaeger's proven techniques and wonderfully conversational tone assume no economics training, and his presentation of the material is designed to facilitate clarity. His step-by-step approach unearths surprisingly simple, easy-to-remember principles and shows how to apply them to real-world environmental problems. Those with exposure to introductory microeconomics will find Environmental Economics for Tree Huggers and Other Skeptics to be a welcome refresher. Undergraduate and graduate students of environmental studies, resource management, law, policy, and related fields, as well as novices who are skeptical of how the field could possibly help them in their own efforts, will be pleasantly surprised.




Environmental Economics and Computable General Equilibrium Analysis


Book Description

This book addresses major issues such as a growing world energy demand, environmental degradation due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, and risk management of disastrous events such as pandemics, abnormal climate, and earthquakes. Using cutting-edge analytical tools, particularly computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling, the analyses are focused on a very wide range of policy-relevant economic questions for the Asia-Pacific region, especially for Japan, China, India, Vietnam, and smaller nations, including Brunei, Timor Leste, and Fiji. The first part considers (a) the effects of climate change on agriculture sectors, energy policies, and future GHG emission trends, (b) adaptation to climate changes in energy policy and its impacts on the economies, and (c) risk management of catastrophic events such as global pandemics. The second part examines (a) energy environmental issues, (b) economic impacts of natural disaster and depopulation, and (c) effects of informatics development on risk management, using CGE modelling and other methods in regional science fields. Contributors are internationally active leading CGE modellers and environmental economists. The book should be greatly beneficial for scholars and graduate students as well as policy makers who are interested in the economic effects and management of risks relating to climate change and disastrous events.




Assessing the Economic Impacts of Environmental Policies Evidence from a Decade of OECD Research


Book Description

Over the past decades, governments have gradually adopted more rigorous environmental policies to tackle challenges associated with pressing environmental issues, such as climate change. The ambition of these policies is, however, often tempered by their perceived negative effects on the economy.




Environmental Law and Economics


Book Description

This anthology discusses important issues surrounding environmental law and economics and provides an in-depth analysis of its use in legislation, regulation and legal adjudication from a neoclassical and behavioural law and economics perspective. Environmental issues raise a vast range of legal questions: to what extent is it justifiable to rely on markets and continued technological innovation, especially as it relates to present exploitation of scarce resources? Or is it necessary for the state to intervene? Regulatory instruments are available to create and maintain a more sustainable society: command and control regulations, restraints, Pigovian taxes, emission certificates, nudging policies, etc. If regulation in a certain legal field is necessary, which policies and methods will most effectively spur sustainable consumption and production in order to protect the environment while mitigating any potential negative impact on economic development? Since the related problems are often caused by scarcity of resources, economic analysis of law can offer remarkable insights for their resolution. Part I underlines the foundations of environmental law and economics. Part II analyses the effectiveness of economic instruments and regulations in environmental law. Part III is dedicated to the problems of climate change. Finally, Part IV focuses on tort and criminal law. The twenty-one chapters in this volume deliver insights into the multifaceted debate surrounding the use of economic instruments in environmental regulation in Europe.




Environmental Economics


Book Description

Rigorous, yet written in a way that facilitates understanding of complex material, Environmental Economics: An Integrated Approach provides practical and working knowledge of how environmental policy analysis is developed. This is a true textbook, detailing the tools required to conduct that analysis and also discusses weaknesses in the existing me




The Globalization of Cost-Benefit Analysis in Environmental Policy


Book Description

This book argues in favor of using cost-benefit analysis globally and examines the positive impact it can have in developing countries using relevant case studies. The book discusses the potential for cost-benefit analysis to provoke a global shift toward stronger and more effective economic policies.




Economic Thinking and Pollution Problems


Book Description

The purpose of this collection is to provide the student with an introduction to the way in which the discipline of economics tackles the problems posed in affluent societies by their various ‘waste’ products. ‘Pollution economics’ introduces a student to aspects of price economics, public finance, and political economy in relation to a pressing and complex public concern. The work includes a number of Canadian statements on pollution and its control in this country, and gives the text of two recent pieces of legislation on the topic. The selections in this volume present a wide variety of opinions, ideas, and facts about the economic dimension of the ecological crisis. Pollution costs money—pollution abatement also costs money and these costs will have to be paid somehow by some people. The contributors—politicians, businessmen, and professors—explore the problem of pollution and its control as each sees it, and the volume as a whole should help encourage a greater awareness both of economics as a way of thinking and of the difficulties in making the right public policies.




Environmental Economics and Policy


Book Description

Environmental Economics and Policy is a best-selling text for environmental economics courses. Offering a policy-oriented approach, it introduces economic theory, empirical fieldwork, and case studies that show how underlying economic principles provided the foundation for environmental policies. Key features include: Introductions to the theory and method of environmental economics, including externalities, benefit-cost analysis, valuation methods, and ecosystem goods and services. Extensive coverage of the major issues including climate change mitigation and adaptation, air and water pollution, and environmental justice. Boxed "Examples" and "Debates" throughout the text, which highlight global examples and major talking points. This text will be of use to undergraduate students of economics. Students will leave the course with a global perspective of how environmental economics has played and can continue to play a role in promoting fair and efficient environmental management. The text is fully supported with end-of-chapter summaries, discussion questions, and self-test exercises in the book. Additional online resources include references, as well as PowerPoint slides for each chapter.