Environmental Principles and Policies: An Interdisciplinary Introduction

Environmental Principles and Policies uses environmental and social principles to analyse the latest wave of economic-based and market-orientated environmental policies currently being adopted around the world. This book provides an in-depth examination of six key principles that have been incorporated into international treaties and the national laws of many countries: * ecological sustainability * the polluter pays principle * the precautionary principle * equity * human rights * public participation These principles are then used to evaluate a range of policies including pollution charges, emissions, trading, water markets, biodiversity banks and tradable fishing rights. Environmental Principles and Policies is easily accessible, using non-technical language throughout, and - in what sets it apart from other books on environmental policy-making - it takes a critical and interdisciplinary approach. It does not set out policies in a descriptive or prescriptive way, but analyses and evaluates policy options from a variety of perspectives. This enables readers to gain a thorough grasp of important principles and current policies, as well as demonstrating how principles can be used to critically assess environmental policies.

Table of Contents:
Introduction * Part I: Environmental Protection Principles * The Sustainability Principle * The Polluter Pays Principle * The Precautionary Principle * Part II: Social Principles and Environmental Protection * The Equity Principle * Human Rights Principle * The Participation Principle * Part III: Economic Methods of Environmental Valuation * Measuring Environmental Value * Is Monetary Valuation Principled? * Part IV: Economic Instruments for Pollution Control * Prices and Pollution Rights * The Sustainability Principle and Economic Instruments * The Polluter Pays and Precautionary Principles Applied * Rights, Equity and Participation Principles Applied * Part V: Markets for Conservation * Quotas, Trades, Offsets and Banks * The Sustainability Principle and Conservation Markets * The Equity, Participation and Precautionary Principles Applied * Conclusion *

About the Author :
Sharon Beder, a professional engineer who researches and teaches environmental politics, is professor in the School of Social Sciences, Media and Communication at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She is an award-winning author of several successful books including Suiting Themselves (April 2006), Global Spin, Power Play and Selling the Work Ethic.

Review :
'A vigorous demolition of the pervasive neoliberal approach to environmental issues, which is marked by government policies of emissions trading, 'eco-taxes' and the like.' Green Left Weekly, # 698, February, 2007 'In Environmental Principles and Policies, Sharon Beder has carefully dissected the various trends and mechanisms of market-based environmental policy...For anyone who has to negotiate the fog of public environmental policy, it is essential reading: activists, journalists, students - and anyone actually working within the state or corporate bodies that deal with these issues could find an epiphany in its pages, too.' Green Left Weekly, # 698, February, 2007 'The growth of environmental issues has thrown up a series of concepts over the years. Often these are taken 'as-given' without seemingly any need for a more critical approach. The rise of econometric models of ecology and environment have also grown and have in many cases overtaken, in the popular mind, these more basic and fundamental ideas. However, with EU legislation increasing and a more mature approach to environmental policies there has been a return to some of the earlier key ideas. What is needed therefore is a text to describe and evaluate these in concepts in the context of current debates about the environment - which is where this text starts. This is a very useful reference for the educator. It deals with some of the current issues but blends them with the ideas, well developed in the past, that provide a more equitable distribution of resources. The book is, in effect, a critique of current views but using a framework of the older, more developed principles. As such it provides us with a very good reference and critique of these often-neglected areas.' Ecological and Environmental Education (British Ecological Society) 'The book is well researched, well written and is highly recommended' Livestock Science 'The book is remarkable...it is written in a clear, non-technical language, and the arguments are systematically structured.' Luc Hens, Environment and Pollution, 2010. 'A good, practical guide which will be valuable to environmental practitioners and managers.' AJH, Eagle Bulletin