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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Environmental economics
The development of a green and sustainable economy continues to
grow in awareness and popularity due to its promotion of a more
comprehensive way of achieving economic development through social
and environmental efficiency. Sustainable Technologies, Policies,
and Constraints in the Green Economy carefully investigates the
complex issues which surround the wide array of concepts, policies,
and measures that come into play when promoting this somewhat new
ideology. This publication covers over 50 years of research in the
field in order to provide the best theoretical frameworks and
empirical research to its readers. Professors, researchers,
practitioners, and students will all benefit from the relevant
discussions and diverse conclusions which are revealed in these
chapters.
While the effects of climate change become ever more apparent and
pressing, the discussion of sustainable practices and environmental
protection is a common overture among the academic and scientific
communities. However, in order to be truly effective, sustainable
solutions must be tested and applied in real-world situations.
Sustainability Science for Social, Economic, and Environmental
Development investigates the role of sustainability in the everyday
lives of ordinary citizens, including issues of economy, social
interaction, exploitation of natural resources, and sources of
renewable energy. In this book, researchers, policy makers,
economists, scientists, and general readers will all find crucial
insight into the parallels between theory and practice in
sustainable development.
Tourism is the world's largest industry and its fastest growing
one. It has the potential to contribute significantly to the
economic development of most economies, including those of less
developed countries and peripheral economic regions. However, it
depends heavily on environmental conditions, natural and man-made,
for its market and its sustainability. This book analyzes market
and political failures in relation to tourism development and the
environment, and the implications of those for national gains from
international tourism, for public finance and policy, and for the
sustainability of tourism. Particular emphasis is placed on
ecotourism and the sustainable use of natural sites, methods of
evaluating the sustainability of tourism and the impacts of
pollution on tourism. Case studies cover both large and small
developing countries e.g. Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India and the
Maldives, as well as more developed economies. While some attention
is given to the evaluation of protected areas, most attention is
given to policies in terms of the sustainable recreational use of
such areas - examples include scuba diving and encounters of
tourists with whale sharks and sea turtles. This is a fascinating
book that will be of great use to a wide readership including
economists, environmentalists, geographers, tourism scholars and
professionals, as well as academics in development studies.
Water covers some 75% of the earth's surface, while land covers
25%, approximately. Yet the former accounts for less than 1% of
world GDP, the latter 99% plus. Part of the reason for this
imbalance is that there are more people located on land than water.
But a more important explanation is that while land is privately
owned, water is unowned (with the exception of a few small lakes
and ponds), or governmentally owned (rivers, large lakes). This
gives rise to the tragedy of the commons: when something is
unowned, people have less of an incentive to care for it, preserve
it, and protect it, than when they own it. As a result we have oil
spills, depletion of fish stocks, threatened extinction of some
species (e.g. whales), shark attacks, polluted and dried-up rivers,
misallocated water, unsafe boating, piracy, and other indices of
economic disarray which, if they had occurred on the land, would
have been more easily identified as the result of the tragedy of
the commons and/or government ownership and mismanagement. The
purpose of this book is to make the case for privatization of all
bodies of water, without exception. In the tragic example of the
Soviet Union, the 97% of the land owned by the state accounted for
75% of the crops. On the 3% of the land privately owned, 25% of the
crops were grown. The obvious mandate requires that we privatize
the land, and prosper. The present volume applies this lesson, in
detail, to bodies of water.
The interaction between climate change and trade has grown in
prominence in recent years. This Research Handbook contains
authoritative original contributions from leading experts working
at the interface between climate change and trade rules. Regional
as well as international perspectives are taken into account to
inform the complex questions that arise and redirect research
efforts towards newly emerging issues. The Research Handbook on
Climate Change and Trade Law discusses some of the most important
challenges regarding conflicting interests at the intersection of
trade, climate change and investment. The insightful chapters map
from both regional and global perspectives the state of affairs in
such diverse areas as: carbon credits and taxes, sustainable
standard-setting, and trade in 'green' goods and services. This
timely book redefines the interrelationship of trade and climate
change for future scholarship and offers specific suggestions for
much-needed research in topics such as energy, carbon taxes and
credits, food, standardization, and investment. This Research
Handbook will be essential reading for researchers and advanced
students in international trade and investment law. It will also be
an invaluable resource for practitioners and policymakers in this
dynamic and highly significant area of law. Contributors include:
M. Alder, P. Arnaiz, S. Bigdeli, J. Chaisse, T. Cottier, P.
Delimatsis, A. Dimopoulos, F. Fleurke, A. Gourgourinis, A.H. Lim,
J. McMahon, S. Melnyk, J. Munro, K. Nadakavukaren Schefer, R.
Partain, T. Payosova, V. Pogoretskyy, D. Ramos, E. Reid, M. Rimmer,
L. Tamiotti, J.P. Trachtman, A. vanDuzer, E. Vranes, M. Wu, M.
Young, R. Zhang
This timely book offers a fresh view on how oceans and coasts are,
and should be, managed. The urgency of this issue is increasingly
being recognized, as critical limits to the economic exploitation
of our oceans and coasts are reached. The authors argue that
ecological economics is in a unique position to address this
problem given its particular focus on interconnected ecological and
economic systems. Four 'cornerstones' of this ecological economics
approach to the oceans and coasts are presented; most importantly,
sustainability is the overarching policy goal, rather than economic
efficiency, as I soften emphasized in mainstream economics.
Secondly, recognizing the biophysical limits and thresholds of
marine systems is fundamental. Thirdly, a complex systems view is
adopted, which has profound implications for managing marine
systems in the face of intrinsic uncertainty, irreversibility and
interdependent behaviour. Finally, the approach is necessarily
methodologically pluralistic, given the complexity and
multi-faceted character of marine ecological-economic systems.
Ecological Economics of the Oceans and Coasts is a unique book that
will be warmly welcomed by ecological economists, researchers and
academics of coastal and marine management and policy as well as
natural resource and environmental economists. Policy advisors on
oceans and coasts, coastal and marine managers will also find this
book of great interest and value.
Recent international appeals for sustainable development
policies have renewed efforts to explore the common ground between
economics and ecology. This volume presents a collection of papers
from leading researchers around the world, who evaluate the
analytical foundations and empirical systems that are being
developed to integrate economic and environmental indicators. These
specialists identify key data requirements and modeling systems.
Economists, ecologists, and policy makers will find this work
introducing integrated modeling systems thought-provoking and
useful.
The book addresses the gap that exists in sustainable value chain
development in the context of developing and emerging economies in
meeting the sustainable development goals. The book adopts a
holistic approach and discusses significant aspects of the topic
such as challenges, opportunities, best practices, technology and
innovation, business models, and policy formulation. The chapters
focus on all the existing and potential actors in the value chain.
Comprising invited chapters from leading researchers, policymakers,
practitioners, and academicians working on this topic, this edited
book is useful for scientists, researchers, students, research
scholars, and practitioners as it builds the latest
interdisciplinary knowledge in the area. An important aspect of the
book is the case studies of already ongoing projects from various
emerging economies around the world. Contributions are divided into
four sections-sustainable food systems and circular economy:
tackling resource use, efficiency, food loss, and waste problems;
technology and innovation for food value chain development; toward
responsible food consumption; linking small farmers to markets:
markets, institutions, and trade. Significantly, the book is
organized in the context of Sustainable Development Goals and has
direct relevance and linkages with SDG 1 (poverty alleviation), SDG
2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 4 (quality
education), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 12 (responsible
consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 17
(partnerships).
This book offers a comprehensive analysis of dynamic networks and
evolutionary variational inequalities, a topic of growing
prominence in the study of networks. The extraordinary importance
of networks in finance, mathematics, computer science and other
areas is well known but the relatively new concept of 'dynamic'
networks is less well understood. They become dynamic when the
constitutive elements of the phenomena associated with the fixed
geometry of networks are considered to be evolving over time.
Patrizia Daniele offers many numerical examples to illustrate the
issues discussed and provides a broad appendix to enrich this
challenging but deeply informative book. Researchers, students and
practitioners in the areas of finance, economics, computer science,
and mathematics will find this volume an indispensable resource in
understanding the use and development of networks in their
disciplines.
Worldwide demand for sand and gravel is increasing daily, as the
need for these materials continues to rise, for example in the
construction sector, in land filling and for transportation sector
based infrastructural projects. This results in over-extraction of
sand from channel beds, and hampers the natural renewal of
sediment, geological setup and morphological processes of the
riverine system. In India, illegal sand mining (of alluvial
channels) and gravel mining (of perennial channels) are two
anthropogenic issues that negatively affect the sustainable
drainage system. Along the Kangsabati River in India, the
consequences of sand mining are very serious. The construction of
Mukutmonipur Dam (1958) on the river causes huge sediment
deposition along the middle and downstream areas, these same areas
are also intensely mined for sand (instream and on the flood
plain). Geospatial models are applied in order to better understand
the state and the resilience of stream hydraulics, morphological
and river ecosystem variables during pre-mining and post-mining
stages, using micro-level datasets of the Kangsabati River. The
book also includes practicable measures to minimize the
environmental consequences of instream mining in respect to optimum
sand mining. It discusses the threshold limits of each variable in
stream hydraulics, morphological and river ecological regime, and
also discusses the most affected variables. Consequently, all
outputs will be very useful for students, researchers,
academicians, decision makers and practitioners and will facilitate
applying these techniques to create models for other river basins.
This book offers an assessment of new opportunities available for
the agricultural sector and provides technical assistance to the
Greek authorities with regards to its rural development and fishery
sector. Karantininis follows a value chain approach and analyzes
the Greek agri-food industry, breaking it down vertically and
horizontally. Vertically, the Greek agri-food chain is stripped to
its main upstream and downstream components: inputs, primary
production, distribution and retail. Horizontally, the agri-food
value chain is analyzed in terms of size, ownership, governance and
space. The author pays special attention to policy formation,
policy implementation, the political and industrial structure, land
and credit markets, education, extension and research. The author
focuses on this through three subcategories of fruits and
vegetables, aquaculture and olive oil. A number of opinions and
recommendations are presented in each section, concluding with
propositions for a new institutional structure for Greek
agriculture.
This volume is the first to provide a comprehensive analysis of the
nine environmental and health disputes that have been adjudicated
at the WTO since 1995. The investigation concludes that criticism
of the WTO has been overstated and, surprisingly, nations do in
fact retain sovereignty over environmental and health policy. The
disputes explored suggest that the WTO has been able to balance
trade, environmental and health objectives. The discussion
illuminates the strengths and weaknesses of the dispute resolution
process and closes with suggestions for improving it. The Impact of
the WTO will appeal not only to academics, be they economists,
lawyers, political scientists, and academic libraries, but also
practitioners, policymakers, and members of consumer,
environmental, and business organizations who follow the debates
surrounding the WTO's influence on environmental and health
regulations.
Climate change and energy consumption are at the forefront of
current environmental debate. Whilst energy is essential to the
functioning and survival of our societies, the environmental impact
that energy consumption is having, particularly on climate change,
is a growing concern and the design and practicalities of energy
and energy-related environmental policies are under constant
scrutiny. This innovative new book not only addresses the economic
assessment of environmental and energy policies but also discusses
the efficiency and distributional consequences these policies have
for producers and consumers. With contributions from leading
academics in the field, this comprehensive volume uses a variety of
methodological approaches with which to explore a number of
pertinent issues, including several studies on the EU Emission
Trading System, as well as more advanced topics such as
indeterminacy and optimal environmental public policies,
energy-saving technological progress, oil shocks and energy
transitions and policy design. Combining theoretical and empirical
work, this timely book is a significant contribution to the
existing literature and deals with issues at the frontier of
current economic knowledge. Economic Modelling of Climate Change
and Energy Policies is a unique and informative book and will have
widespread appeal amongst scholars, students and policymakers.
This unique book examines the role of institutions in transport
regulation within a sustainability and comparative Trans-Atlantic
framework. With contributions from leading experts in the field,
three areas of analysis are provided: barriers to implementation of
reforms, regulatory issues and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
The discussion on barriers focuses on political and public
acceptance, as well as equity and environmental justice. Regulatory
reform analyses include comparative discussions of railroad and
airline deregulation in North America and Europe which are
complimented with analyses of EU integration and transport
regulation for sustainability, transport pricing and inter country
competition. Finally, infrastructure finance and evaluation
frameworks for PPP form the topical focus for a comprehensive
assessment of PPP within the transport sector. Scholars and
advanced students in engineering, public policy, planning, policy
and international business will find Institutions and Sustainable
Transport of great interest, as will national and sub-national
transport senior planners and policy advisors in Europe and North
America, and analysts and strategic planners for logistics
organizations.
* New edition fully updated and revised with new chapters on
regenerative tourism and disruptors including the impact of
COVID-19 * Combines theoretical and applied knowledge with a
scaffolded learning approach to develop student knowledge, all
illustrated with real world case studies; * Looks at the whole
tourism supply chain to provide an integrated perspective of
sustainability in tourism; * Lists practical tools and
industry-relevant certifications. Fully revised and updated for a
second edition Introduction to Sustainable Tourism provides a
comprehensive, pragmatic, and realistic look at integrating
sustainability into tourism. It now includes two new chapters on
regenerative tourism and disruptors including the impact of
COVID-19 as well as new material on systems thinking, influencing
behaviours and green marketing. It adopts a systems-perspective,
looking at the whole tourism supply chain to provide an integrated
viewpoint of sustainability in the tourism industry and asks: * How
does policy encourage or discourage sustainability? * How do
intermediaries influence the sale of sustainable tourism? * What
are the operator's concerns, how do tourists themselves respond to
it? * What are the values of sustainability in tourism and what are
the impacts 'trade-offs' to the tourist experience? Using
first-hand research projects and packed with international case
studies, it combines theoretical and applied knowledge with a
scaffolded learning approach and takes a comprehensive look at
practical management tools, certifications and innovation as part
of the process of operationalising and implementing sustainable
tourism. An Introduction to Sustainable Tourism is an essential
text for tourism students across all levels, undergraduate and
postgraduate studies.
The edited volume explores the topic of experiential walks, which
is the practice of multi- or mono-sensory and in-motion immersion
into an urban or natural environment. The act of walking is hence
intended as a process of (re-)discovering, reflecting and learning
through an embodied experience. Specific attention is devoted to
the investigation of the ambiance of places and its dynamic
atmospheric perception that contribute to generating the social
experience. This topic is gaining increasing attention and has been
studied in several forms in different disciplines to investigate
the particular spatial, social, sensory and atmospheric character
of places. The book contains chapters by experts in the field and
covers both the theory and the practice of innovative methods,
techniques, and technologies. It examines experiential walks in the
perspective of an interdisciplinary approach to environmental and
sensory urban design by organising the contributions according to
three specific interrelated focuses, namely the exploration and
investigation of the multisensory dimension of public spaces, the
different ways to grasp and communicate the in-motion experience
through traditional and novel forms of representation, and the
application of the approach to urban participatory planning and
higher education. Shedding new light on the topic, the book offers
both a reference guide for those engaged in applied research, and a
toolkit for professionals and students.
Of the global population of more than 7 billion people, some 800
million do not have enough to eat today. By 2050, the population is
expected to exceed 9 billion. It has been estimated that some 15%
of food production is lost to plant diseases; in developing
countries losses may be much higher. Historically, plant diseases
have had catastrophic impact on food production. For example:
potato blight caused the Irish famine in 1845; brown spot of rice
caused the Great Bengal Famine of 1943; southern corn leaf blight
caused a devastating epidemic on the US corn crop in 1970. Food
security is threatened by an ongoing sequence of plant diseases,
some persistent for decades or centuries, others more
opportunistic. Wheat blast and banana xanthomonas wilt are two
contrasting examples of many that currently threaten food
production. Other emerging diseases will follow. The proposed title
aims to provide a synthesis of expert knowledge to address this
central challenge to food security for the 21st century. Chapters
[5] and [11] are available open access under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.
The increasing demands which society places on the natural
environment have led us to seek new ways of estimating the monetary
costs of environmental degradation so that they can be compared
with the benefits of development. This book provides a
comprehensive and readable examination of the major techniques used
in cost-benefit analysis and project appraisal to value
environmental goods and services.Written by two leading
practitioners in environmental valuation, the book includes
detailed examinations of the theory and practice of a wide range of
valuation techniques including contingent valuation, hedonic
pricing, choice experiments and travel cost methods. Complementing
the theory are case studies on various policy areas such as water
quality, recreation, landscape and biodiversity drawn from Europe,
the United States and Asia. The book concludes with an informative
and provocative review of important contemporary issues as well as
suggesting areas of future research in the practice of
environmental valuation. Economic Valuation of the Environment will
be essential reading for environmental and ecological economists
and those practising resource management as well as for planners
and policymakers.
Research on the cutting edge of economics, ecology, and ethics is
presented in this timely study. Building from a theoretical
critique of the tradition of cost-benefit analysis, the
contributors lay the foundation for a macroeconomics of
environmental sustainability and distributive justice. Attention is
then turned to three of the most critical areas of social and
environmental applied research - biodiversity, climate change, and
energy. The contributors redefine progress away from growth and
toward development. To this end, the first section of the book
tackles the dominant framework used in the US today to evaluate
tradeoffs between economic growth and its inherent externalities.
Succeeding chapters cover a wide variety of studies related to
biodiversity health and energy. Each section is anchored with
overviews by top scholars in these areas - including Herman Daly,
Carl McDaniel, Stephen Schneider, and Nathan Hagens - and followed
by detailed analyses reflecting the transdisciplinary approach of
ecological economics. Students and scholars of ecological,
environmental, and natural resource economics, sustainability
sciences, and environmental studies will find this book of great
interest. Non-profit and government agencies in search of methods
and cases that merge the study of ecology and economics will also
find the analyses of great practical value.
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