Valuing the future : economic theory and sustainability

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

Valuing the future : economic theory and sustainability

Geoffrey Heal

(Economics for a sustainable earth)

Columbia University Press, 1998

  • : cloth
  • : pbk

Available at  / 41 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [213]-223) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

: cloth ISBN 9780231113069

Description

With issues like global warming and the loss of biodiversity becoming increasingly important to policymakers and scientists worldwide, the issue of sustainability cannot be ignored. Sustainable management of the biosphere has been the subject of much attention among ecologists, environmental engineers and other members of the scientific community. Yet although these issues are clearly rooted in economic behaviour and organization, the question of sustainability is not one that has been addressed directly by economists. This text presents a framework for understanding the Earth's future from an economic perspective. Geoffrey Heal's model begins with a reconciliation of the economist's and environmentalist's time horizon: in economics, discussions of "the long run" generally refer to a much shorter timeline than do those of the earth sciences. The work shows the benefits of viewing the environment as an economic asset that should be understood as part of a nation's income and explains how this approach can lead to more conservative patterns of resource use. It also provides complete mathematical templates for the valuation of a depletable stock and of renewable resources, the proper calculation of national income and the conduct of cost-benefit analysis.
Volume

: pbk ISBN 9780231113076

Description

With issues like global warming and the loss of biodiversity becoming increasingly important to policymakers and scientists worldwide, the issue of sustainability cannot be ignored as we move toward the twenty-first century. Not surprisingly, the sustainable management of the biosphere has in recent years been the subject of much attention among ecologists, environmental engineers, and other members of the scientific community. Yet although these issues are clearly rooted in economic behavior and organization, the question of sustainability is not one that has been addressed directly by economists. Now, with Valuing the Future, economist Geoffrey Heal presents a coherent framework for understanding the earth's future from an economic perspective. Heal's model begins with a reconciliation of the economist's and environmentalist's time horizon: in economics, discussions of "the long run" generally refer to a much shorter timeline than do those of the earth sciences. The book shows the benefits of viewing the environment as an economic asset that should be understood as a part of a nation's income and explains how this approach can lead to more conservative patterns of resource use. Stepping beyond merely theoretical generalities, Valuing the Future offers a dynamic new blueprint for comprehending sustainability. Chapters provide complete mathematical templates for the valuation of a depletable stock and of renewable resources, the proper calculation of national income, and the conduct of cost-benefit analysis. It will be of great value to economic theorists, environmental economists and policymakers, providing a powerful new model for scientists concerned with environmental sustainability.

Table of Contents

Appendix Project evaluation National welfare Measuring national income Policy issues Capital and renewable resources Exhaustibility and accumulation Capital accumulation Investment in a backstop Renewable resources revisited Depletion revisited Alternatives to utilitarianism A broader perspective Renewable resources Valuing a depletable stock The classical formulation Sustainability within a classical framework

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Details

  • NCID
    BA40109552
  • ISBN
    • 0231113064
    • 0231113072
  • LCCN
    98023479
  • Country Code
    us
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    New York
  • Pages/Volumes
    xiii, 226 p.
  • Size
    24 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
  • Parent Bibliography ID
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