Environmental and Natural Resources Economics: Theory, Policy, and the Sustainable Society

3rd Ed

Steven C. Hackett

 

Table of Contents

 

 

List of Tables and Figures

Forward

Preface

 

Part I. Theory and Fundamentals

 

1. Introduction to Environmental and Natural Resources Economics

Introduction

Fundamental Concepts

Some Reasons for Optimism and Some Reasons for Concern

            Reasons for Optimism

            Reasons for Concern

Overview

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

2. Value Systems and Economic Systems

Introduction

Fundamentals of Ethical Systems

            Deontological Ethics

            Teleological Ethics

                        A Closer Look at Utilitarianism

Self-Interest, the Common Good, and Social Order

Private Property

            Locke and the Liberal Society

            Rousseau and the Civil Society

On Positive and Normative Economics

Economic Questions That All Societies Must Answer

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

3. The Economics of Market Allocation

Introduction

Market Capitalism

Conditions Required for a Well-Functioning Competitive Market

Market Demand and Supply

            Market Demand

            Market Supply

Market Equilibrium and Efficiency

            Market Equilibrium

            Efficient Resource Allocation

Market Failure

            Monopoly, Cartels, and Market Power

            Externalities

            Common-Pool Resources and Public Goods: Collectively Produced and/or Consumed Goods

            Imperfect Information

            Fairness, Equity, and Distributive Justice

Perspectives on Market Failures and Government Intervention

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

Appendix: A Calculus-based Derivation of Supply Curves

 

4. Externalities, Market Failures, and Policy Interventions

Introduction

Positive Externalities

Negative Externalities

            Property Rights and Negative Externalities

            Social Cost as the Sum of Private and External Cost

            Competitive Markets Are Inefficient When There Are Negative Externalities

            Pigouvian Taxes: The Theory of Policy Interventions for Negative Externalities

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

5. The Economics of Natural Resource Systems Part I: Theory and Concepts

Introduction and Overview

Allocating Nonrenewable Resources

            The Industrial Organization of Energy Delivery in the United States

            The Theory of Dynamically Efficient Nonrenewable Resource Pricing

                        Present Value Analysis

                        Dynamic Efficiency

Allocating Recyclable Resources

Allocating Renewable Resources

Allocating Common-Pool Resources

Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital

Resources for the Future: Factors Affecting Future Resource Scarcity

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

Appendix: The Prisoner’s Dilemma and the Tragedy of the Commons

 

Part II. Policy

 

6. The Economics of Natural Resource Systems, Part II: Marine Capture Fisheries

Introduction

World Trends

Bioeconomic Model of a Fishery

Fishery Management

Individual Quotas

Aquaculture

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

7. Measurement and Analysis of Benefits and Costs

Introduction: Benefit/Cost Analysis

            Efficiency

            Maximizing Net Present Discounted Value (PV)

            An Illustrative Example of Benefit/Cost Analysis

            The Coase Theorem

            Operationalizing Benefit/Cost Analysis in U.S. Environmental Policy

Measuring Benefits

            Overview

            Measuring the Health and Ecological Benefits of Regulation: Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) and the Value of a Statistical Life

            Categories of Nonmarketed Environmental Benefits: Use and Nonuse Values

                        Use Values

                        Nonuse Values

            Measuring Nonmarketed Environmental Benefits: The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM)

                        Examples of CVM Studies

                        The CVM Debate

            Measuring Nonmarketed Environmental Benefits: The Travel Cost Method (TCM)

            Measuring Nonmarketed Environmental Benefits: Hedonic Regression Method (HRM)

            Other Valuation Approaches

Measuring Costs

            Direct Costs

            Indirect Costs

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

8. The Political Economy of Environmental Regulation and Resource Management

Introduction: What Is Political Economy?

Economic Models of Political Economy and the Regulatory Process

            Introduction

            The Political Market for Regulation

The Political Economy of Environmental Regulation: A Selective Survey

The Political Economy of Locally Self-Governed Common-Pool Resources

The Political Economy of International Environmental Accords: The Case of the Montreal Protocol

            Theoretical Foundation

            Case Study: The International Political Economy of CFC Control

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

9. Motivating Regulatory Compliance: Monitoring, Enforcement, and Sanctions

Introduction

The Economics of Crime

            The Economics of Deterrence

            Criminal Penalties and Incarceration Versus Fines and Monetary Damages

            Market-based Reputational Enforcement and Voluntary Overcompliance

            Private Auditing

            Incentive Enforcement Systems

EPA Enforcement

Selected Civil and Criminal Case Summaries from the Department of Justice

California Enforcement

Compliance

Citizen Suits

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

10. Creating Economic Incentives for Environmental Protection and Resource Management

Introduction

Marketable Pollution Allowances

An Illustration of the Cost-Savings Potential from Marketable Pollution Allowances

            Case 1: Traditional Uniform Performance Standard and No Marketable Allowances

            Case 2: Cap and Trade

            Case 3: Limited Allowance Trading

            Advantages of Marketable Allowance Systems

            Disadvantages of Marketable Allowance Systems

Marketable Pollution Allowances and the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1990: The Acid Rain Program

Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)

Emissions Trading

Other Experiments with Marketable Allowances

Environmental Taxes

            Environmental Taxes in the United States

            Environmental Taxes Around the World

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

11. Global Climate Change: Science, Policy, and Economics

Introduction

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Global Climate Change

            Modeling Carbon Dioxide Emissions

            Trends in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

            Global Climate Change Predictions

The Evidence Regarding Global Climate Change

International Action on Global Climate Change

            The Earth Summit

            The Kyoto Protocol

Policy Studies: The Economics of Controlling Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

Part III. Topics on the Economics of Sustainability

 

12. Introduction to the Concept of Sustainability

Introduction

Sustainable Development

Conservation-based Development

A Working Definition of Sustainability

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

13. Recognizing Interdependencies and Thinking Long Term

Introduction

Recognizing Interdependencies

            The Industrial Revolution and the Agrarian Transition

            Income, Poverty, and Economic Growth

            Education, Empowerment, and Justice

            International Trade

                        The Argument for Free International Trade

                        The Argument Against Free International Trade

            Population

                        The Demographic Transition Model

                        Population Forecasts

            Taxes and Incentives

Thinking Long Term: Discounting and Policy Making

            The Effect of Discount Rates on Environmentally Friendly Investments and Sustainability: An Illustrative Example

            The Opportunity Cost of Capital and the Social Rate of Time Preference

                        The Opportunity Cost of Capital

                        The Social Rate of Time Preference

            Are the Discount Rates Associated with Competitive Financial Markets Consistent with Those Required for Sustainability?

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

14. Sustainable Economic Development

Introduction

Conventional Economic Development Strategies

            Conventional Economic Development Assistance Programs

            Case Studies

Envisioning Sustainable Development: The Brundtland Commission Report, the Earth Summit, the Millennium Development Goals, and Beyond

Theories of Sustainability

            Weak Sustainability

            Strong Sustainability

            Practical Policy Implications

Sustainability Indicators

            Indicators of Weak Sustainability

            Indicators of Strong Sustainability

Case Studies in Measuring Sustainable Economic Development

            Scotland

            United States

            Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

15. Issues in Sustainable Production and Consumption

Introduction

More Sustainable Energy Resources, Technologies, and Processes

            Solar Energy

            Industrial Ecology

Policies Promoting Sustainable Production and Consumption

            Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

            Ecolabels

                        Factors Relating to the Success of Ecolabel Programs

                        Three Examples of Ecolabeled Goods

            Taxes, Subsidies, and Ecological Tax Reform

            Government Research and Development Funding

            International Environmental Certification

Consumer Preferences and Sustainable Consumption

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

16. Issues in the Economics of Sustainable Local Communities

Introduction

Sustainable Local Self-Governance of CPR Systems

Examples of Sustainable Local Communities and the Systems They Use for Governing CPRs

            Törbel, Switzerland

            Japanese Village Commons

            Spanish Irrigation Commons

            Localized Self-Governance of Fisheries

            Fodder and Fuelwood Use in Panchayat Community Forests

            Ostrom’s Design Principles Associated with Sustainable Local Self-Governance of Common-Pool Resources

Retrospective on CPRs and Local Self-Governance

Integrating Sustainability into Local Economic Development

            A Model of the Local Economy

            Different Approaches to Economic Development

            Case Studies

                        Arcata

                        The Cogtong Bay Mangrove Management Project

                        Sustainable Local Economic Development in South Africa

                        Moving toward Sustainable Urban Planning in Curitiba, Brazil

Summary

Review Questions and Problems

Internet Links

References and Further Reading

 

Glossary

Index

About the Author