Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Environmental Policy (environmental + policy)
Terms modified by Environmental Policy Selected AbstractsThe Paradoxes of Environmental Policy and Resource Management in Reform-Era China,ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2000Joshua Muldavin Abstract: Over the last 5,000 years serious environmental problems,deforestation, desertification, erosion, and widespread pollution of air, land, and water,have prevailed throughout most of China, brought about by a diverse set of social and political contexts. In this paper I focus on an enduring contradiction associated with the post-1978 reforms, namely accelerated environmental resource degradation in rural areas amid unprecedented national economic growth. Declining entitlements to assets and social capital in China's rural village populations are a crucial aspect of altered state-peasant relations, as these are increasingly mediated by the market during China's transition to a hybrid economy. This has resulted in changing patterns of resource use, impacting both the environment and peasant livelihoods. A brief assessment of China's postrevolutionary environmental policy and management practices provides the context for detailed case studies in Henan Province. These examples highlight the relationship between political-economic changes and environmental policy and management. Contrary to reform rhetoric, rural peasants' embracing of reform policies does not necessarily optimize their welfare or promote sustainable use of resources. The case studies reveal alternative pathways for villages, ones that ought to be brought into the policy debate spotlight. [source] Understanding the costs of an environmentally ,friendly' common agricultural policy for the European Union1,ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2001Pamela M. Barnes Part of the bedrock of the European Union's (EU's) Environmental Policy is the principle that those who pollute the environment should pay for the cost of remedying the damage they cause (the polluter pays principle) (Article 174 para. 2 TEC ex Article 130r TEC). In addition environmental objectives must be integrated into all the sectoral policies of the European Union (Article 6 TEC ex Article 3c TEC). The Common Agricultural Policy's (CAP's) role at the centre of the EU's sectoral policies would appear to make it an ideal focus for implementing Article 6 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC). If integration of environmental protection can be achieved in this central area of the EU's activities then a major source of environmental degradation could be overcome. However, if these requirements are applied to European agriculture the sector will face a budgetary and financial crisis of even greater magnitude than at the present time. Recent reforms of the CAP have been designed with the objective of achieving an agricultural sector that is moving towards sustainability. As this article argues the political, social and economic significance of the agriculture sector is such that national governments of the EU have repeatedly shied away from adopting the measures, which could significantly reduce the pollution from the sector. The proposals for reform made by the Agricultural Commissioner, Franz Fischler, were amended by the meeting of the European Council that took place in Berlin on 24/25 March 1999. These amendments substantially weakened the ambitions of the strategy for development of the EU, the ,Agenda 2000' adopted in 1997, for a number of reasons (CEC, 1997). This article examines the reasons for the disappointments with the amended reforms and speculates on the possible future path that may be taken to improve matters. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Making Eco-Efficiency the Foundation of Environmental Policy ReformENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2001Dennis A. Rondinelli Environmental policy in the United States should refocus on eco-efficiency and pollution prevention. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] SWAT2000: current capabilities and research opportunities in applied watershed modellingHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 3 2005J. G. Arnold Abstract SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) is a conceptual, continuous time model that was developed in the early 1990s to assist water resource managers in assessing the impact of management and climate on water supplies and non-point source pollution in watersheds and large river basins. SWAT is the continuation of over 30 years of model development within the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service and was developed to ,scale up' past field-scale models to large river basins. Model components include weather, hydrology, erosion/sedimentation, plant growth, nutrients, pesticides, agricultural management, stream routing and pond/reservoir routing. The latest version, SWAT2000, has several significant enhancements that include: bacteria transport routines; urban routines; Green and Ampt infiltration equation; improved weather generator; ability to read in daily solar radiation, relative humidity, wind speed and potential ET; Muskingum channel routing; and modified dormancy calculations for tropical areas. A complete set of model documentation for equations and algorithms, a user manual describing model inputs and outputs, and an ArcView interface manual are now complete for SWAT2000. The model has been recoded into Fortran 90 with a complete data dictionary, dynamic allocation of arrays and modular subroutines. Current research is focusing on bacteria, riparian zones, pothole topography, forest growth, channel downcutting and widening, and input uncertainty analysis. The model SWAT is meanwhile used in many countries all over the world. Recent developments in European Environmental Policy, such as the adoption of the European Water Framework directive in December 2000, demand tools for integrative river basin management. The model SWAT is applicable for this purpose. It is a flexible model that can be used under a wide range of different environmental conditions, as this special issue will show. The papers compiled here are the result of the first International SWAT Conference held in August 2001 in Rauischholzhausen, Germany. More than 50 participants from 14 countries discussed their modelling experiences with the model development team from the USA. Nineteen selected papers with issues reaching from the newest developments, the evaluation of river basin management, interdisciplinary approaches for river basin management, the impact of land use change, methodical aspects and models derived from SWAT are published in this special issue. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] On Environmental Policy and PermittingJOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMIC THEORY, Issue 5 2007PHILIPPE BONTEMS The literature on environmental policy under adverse selection usually assumes that firms' profit vary monotonically with a private information parameter. However, it is easy to demonstrate using standard production setups that regularity is not the rule. We show that policy requirements are very sensitive to this assumption. In particular, the optimal instrument resembles more an "adaptable" pollution standard than the economic instrument of an environmental tax. We also show that permitting, which results in some firms overinvesting in pollution-control equipment, does not serve the objective of improving the environment but rather allows the agency to increase the proceeds of the policy. [source] Anthropology and Environmental Policy: What Counts?AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 3 2010Susan Charnley ABSTRACT, In this article, we call for enhanced quantitative and environmental analysis in the work of environmental anthropologists who wish to influence policy. Using a database of 77 leading monographs published between 1967 and 2006, 147 articles by the same authors, and a separate sample of 137 articles from the journal Human Organization, we document a sharp decline over the last ten years in the collection and use of quantitative and environmental data within environmental anthropology. These declines come at the same time that environmental anthropologists are aiming at greater policy relevance. We use the case of the Polonoroeste Project in the Brazilian Amazon and its impact on World Bank policy as a concrete example of the advantages of fortifying the quantitative and environmental side of our work. We conclude by discussing ways to strengthen environmental anthropology to further enhance its policy relevance and impact. [source] Key Considerations for the Future of American Environmental PolicyPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 5 2009Michelle C. Pautz First page of article [source] Reflections on Environmental Policy in CanadaCANADIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2007Wiktor Adamowicz First page of article [source] Making Eco-Efficiency the Foundation of Environmental Policy ReformENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2001Dennis A. Rondinelli Environmental policy in the United States should refocus on eco-efficiency and pollution prevention. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] A multicriterion classification approach for assessing the impact of environmental policies on the competitiveness of firmsCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2007V. Hontou Abstract The key objective of the European Union's environmental policy is to successfully combine environmental protection with sustainable economic growth in the long term. Nowadays, it is increasingly recognized that environmental policies, besides increasing production cost, may at the same time give incentives to firms for undertaking innovative actions and/or developing and exploiting differentiation opportunities. Both differentiation capacity and cost increase are strongly dependent on a multiplicity of internal and external factors, such as energy intensity, type of technology used, characteristics of the competitive environment etc. The present paper presents a multicriterion approach for classifying firms into discrete categories of possible impact, according to their sensitivity to cost increases and their differentiation potential. The resulting environment,competitiveness matrix can be exploited for establishing sustainability strategies and designing effective policies in the industrial sector. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] The evolution of Chinese policies and governance structures on environment, energy and climateENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2010Stephen Tsang Abstract Although a successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol has not yet materialized, the 2009 Copenhagen meeting underlined the importance of China in international debates on climate and energy. This is based not only on China's current climate emissions, but also on its expected energy use and economic growth. Within China, climate issues have, like environmental pollution more generally, received increasing government and societal attention, but so has energy , topics that relate to one other but also have different priorities and actor interests behind them. However, while climate change has become more prominent, as shown in the targets included in the current five-year plan, its institutional embeddedness in relation to particularly energy issues has received limited attention. This paper aims to help shed some light on how Chinese policies and governance structures on energy, climate and environment have evolved, particularly considering the roles of national and provincial authorities. Administrative structures and policy-making processes turn out to be very complex, with a range of units and bodies at different levels with distinct responsibilities as well as inter-linkages. Moreover, tensions and conflicts can be found regarding climate change and environmental policies on the one hand, and prevailing objectives to further economic development on the other. Energy policies serve the same economic goals, with climate change being most often operationalized in terms of energy conservation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Trust, public participation and environmental governance in Hong KongENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2009Stephen Tsang Abstract This paper explores the role of trust in environmental governance and its role in facilitating collective action through public participation in making decisions on environmental policies in Hong Kong. Opinions from key stakeholders with regard to the environmental performance of the Hong Kong government and public participation in Hong Kong were collected. Their opinions help to explain the hypothesized ,trust deficit' in Hong Kong. A trust-based framework was used to identify the appropriate stakeholder participation strategy for environmental governance in Hong Kong. Given that the level of trust in experts, trust between stakeholders and trust in government decision-makers are all low, a deliberation strategy using professional facilitation is recommended in implementing public participation in Hong Kong to rebuild trust. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] The determinants of environmental innovation: the impacts of environmental policies on the Nordic pulp, paper and packaging industriesENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2007Paula Kivimaa Abstract Innovations may have positive societal effects such as improved environmental performance, and they are often portrayed as solutions to environmental problems. However, the mechanisms through which innovations develop and the ways in which public incentives support improved environmental performance of innovations are complex. This paper uses empirical cases to examine how environmental policies, market factors and technological push affect process and product innovations in the Nordic pulp, paper and packaging industries. The results show that environmental improvements in technologies and products are simultaneously driven by all three of these factors. Environmental innovations are often developed in anticipation of future policy or as side-effects of existing policies. However, while environmental policy directly influences process innovations, its connection to product innovations is less clear. The study points towards the importance of gradually tightening and predictable environmental policies that are flexible enough to allow the exploration of new technological developments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Corruption and environmental policies: what are the implications for the enlarged EU?ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2006Lorenzo Pellegrini Abstract The paper discusses the prescription of EU environmental regulations for new member states. It has been argued that these countries should be allowed looser directives as a way to take into consideration their lower income levels and correspondingly different priorities. The paper estimates the determinants of environmental policies' stringency. We find that corruption levels are the most important factor in explaining the variance in environmental policies in the enlarged EU. Most notably, differences in corruption levels across countries appear to be more important than income differences. Thus, it is argued, lower environmental standards in new member states are not necessarily implied by lower income levels, but they are more likely to reflect low institutional quality. We argue that harmonization of environmental policies at the EU level can be a way to tackle this problem, and we provide a further rationale for new members states to adjust to existing EU environmental directives. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Policy profile: addressing environmental inequalities through UK research and policyENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 6 2005Helen Chalmers Abstract In the United Kingdom, political and governmental attention is being paid to the growing evidence that shows that the poorest people live in the worst quality environments. This paper will describe the development of work within the Environment Agency over the past three years to help understand such environmental inequalities, and how these can be addressed through UK policy for sustainable development. This paper will examine the following key areas of this work. iHow have we used the research process to understand environmental inequalities and develop evidence based policy? iiWhat progress have we made in shaping the Environment Agency's role, and ensuring that its environmental policies do not contribute to further environmental inequalities? iiiHow have we worked to ensure that environmental inequalities are addressed through wider government sustainable development policy? It concludes by exploring how research and policy development to address environmental inequalities requires integration across at least three fields of practice: different types of evidence; research and policy; and environment and social policy for sustainable development. © Crown copyright 2005. Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationary Office. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Regional sustainable development in France: assessing the environmental implicationsENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 5 2005F. Bertrand Abstract This article considers the environmental dimension of regional sustainable development in France. The first part evaluates the position of the environment in regional sustainable development policies using two levels of analysis. First, it examines the stated objectives for regional sustainable development that relate to a balanced integration of the environmental dimension in relation to the economic and social dimensions. Second, it demonstrates how efforts to implement regional sustainable development (RSD) invariably lead to domination by environmental factors, as a consequence of well established environmental policies. Thereafter, a critical analysis of this outcome is presented, illustrating how the disparity between what is said and done has produced an ambiguous notion of sustainable development (SD), and how different actors have adopted strongly opposing views. This confusion has created resistance by environmental actors, who perceive sustainable development as potentially diluting environmental demands. The article concludes by discussing the possible future role of the environment within regional sustainable development. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] The cost of spatial managementENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 4 2001Jesper S. Schou The spatial dimension of agri-environmental analysis has been recognized in a large number of studies, and the implications for the choice of analytical approaches and, further, environmental policies have been investigated both theoretically and empirically. Spatial management is an integrated part of Danish legislation, which, especially, is manifested in the land use policies. In this paper we analyse the opportunity costs of spatial management, as the costs of two strategies for establishing 400 ha of forest on existing agricultural land are assessed. The first ,planning' strategy involves establishment of the forest in afforestation zones designated by the local county based on the criteria of vicinity to cities and existing forest. The second strategy involves selecting afforestation areas based on a cost-minimizing approach using spatial variations in farm economic output in the study area. Results suggest that the opportunity costs of the planning strategy are 2.5 times higher than of the cost-minimizing strategy, indicating that the additional benefits of the planning strategy need to be significant in order to justify choosing this management approach. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [source] Making environment statistics useful: a Third World perspective,ENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 3 2006Thomas Polfeldt Abstract On a background of the growth of environmental awareness in developing countries, the data situation is briefly discussed, and the development of environment statistics is traced. It is argued that these statistics must be seen to be useful, and that vital steps to achieve this is through detailed analysis of environmental policies, training in environmental subjects and increased dialogue between users and producers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Development of an optimization model for energy systems planning in the Region of WaterlooINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 11 2008Y. P. Cai Abstract In this study, a large-scale dynamic optimization model (University of Regina Energy Model, UREM) has been developed for supporting long-term energy systems planning in the Region of Waterloo. The model can describe energy management systems as networks of a series of energy flows, transferring extracted/imported energy resources to end users through a variety of conversion and transmission technologies over a number of periods. It can successfully incorporate optimization models, scenario development and policy analysis within a general framework. Complexities in energy management systems can be systematically reflected; thus, the applicability of the modeling process can be highly enhanced. Four scenarios (including a reference case) are considered based on different energy management policies and sustainable development strategies for in-depth analysis of interactions existing among energy, socio-economy and environment in the Region. Useful solutions for the planning of energy management systems have been generated, reflecting trade-offs among energy-related, environmental and economic considerations. They are helpful for supporting (a) adjustment or justification of the existing allocation patterns of energy resources and services, (b) allocations of renewable energy resources, (c) formulation of local policies regarding energy consumption, economic development and energy structure, and (d) analysis of interactions among economic cost, system efficiency, emission mitigation and energy-supply security. Results also indicate that UREM can help tackle dynamic and interactive characteristics of the energy management system in the Region of Waterloo and can address issues concerning cost-effective allocation of energy resources and services. Thus, it can be used by decision makers as an effective technique in examining and visualizing impacts of energy and environmental policies, regional/community development strategies and emission reduction measures within an integrated and dynamic framework. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Sanitary versus environmental policies: fitting together two pieces of the puzzle of European vulture conservationJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Antoni Margalida Summary 1.,Between 1996 and 2000 the appearance of bovine spongiform encephalopathy swiftly became one of the most serious public health and political crises concerning food safety ever experienced in the European Union (EU). Subsequent sanitary regulations led to profound changes in the management of livestock carcasses (i.e. the industrial destruction of around 80% of all animal carcasses), thereby threatening the last remaining healthy scavenger populations of the Old World and thus contradicting the long-term environmental policies of the EU. 2.,Several warning signs such as a decrease in breeding success, an apparent increase in mortality in young age classes of vultures and an increase in the number of cases of vultures attacking and killing cattle, as well as a halt in population growth, suggest that the decrease in the availability of food resources has had harmful effects on vulture populations. 3.,Between 2002 and 2005, a number of dispositions to the EU regulations (2003/322/CE 2005/830/CE) enabled conservation managers to adopt rapid solutions (i.e. the creation of vulture restaurants) aimed at satisfying the food requirements of vultures. However, these conservation measures may seriously modify habitat quality and have indirect detrimental effects on avian scavenger populations and communities. 4.,Synthesis and applications.,Conservation managers and policy-makers need to balance the demands of public health protection and the long-term conservation of biodiversity. The regulations concerning carrion provisioning need to be more flexible and there needs to be greater compatibility between sanitary and environmental policies. We advocate policies that authorize the abandonment of livestock carcasses and favours populations of wild herbivores to help to maintain populations of avian scavengers. Conservation strategies should be incorporated into new European Commission regulations, which should be effective in 2011. [source] The ecological research needs of businessJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Paul R. Armsworth Summary 1.,Businesses have an unrivalled ability to mobilize human, physical and financial capital, often manage large land holdings, and draw on resources and supply products that impact a wide array of ecosystems. Businesses therefore have the potential to make a substantial contribution to arresting declines in biodiversity and ecosystem services. To realize this potential, businesses require support from researchers in applied ecology to inform how they measure and manage their impacts on, and opportunities presented to them by, biodiversity and ecosystem services. 2.,We reviewed papers in leading applied ecology journals to assess the research contribution from existing collaborations involving businesses. We reviewed applications to, and grants funded by, the UK's Natural Environment Research Council for evidence of public investment in such collaborations. To scope opportunities for expanding collaborations with businesses, we conducted workshops with three sectors (mining and quarrying, insurance and manufacturing) in which participants identified exemplar ecological research questions of interest to their sector. 3.,Ten to fifteen per cent of primary research papers in Journal of Applied Ecology and Ecological Applications evidenced business involvement, mostly focusing on traditional rural industries (farming, fisheries and forestry). The review of UK research council funding found that 35% of applications mentioned business engagement, while only 1% of awarded grants met stricter criteria of direct business involvement. 4.,Some questions identified in the workshops aim to reduce costs from businesses' impacts on the environment and others to allow businesses to exploit new opportunities. Some questions are designed to inform long-term planning undertaken by businesses, but others would have more immediate commercial applications. Finally, some research questions are designed to streamline and make more effective those environmental policies that affect businesses. 5.,Business participants were forward-looking regarding ecological questions and research. For example, representatives from mining and quarrying companies emphasized the need to move beyond biodiversity to consider how ecosystems function, while those from the insurance sector stressed the importance of ecology researchers entering into new types of interdisciplinary collaboration. 6.,Synthesis and applications. Businesses from a variety of sectors demonstrated a clear interest in managing their impacts on, and exploiting opportunities created by, ecosystem services and biodiversity. To achieve this, businesses are asking diverse ecological research questions, but publications in leading applied ecology journals and research council funding reveal limited evidence of direct engagement with businesses. This represents a missed opportunity for ecological research findings to see more widespread application. [source] The effect of habitat management on home-range size and survival of rural Norway rat populationsJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2008M. S. Lambert Summary 1Norway rat Rattus norvegicus populations are usually controlled with toxic baits, but this approach is increasingly recognized as having negative welfare and environmental impacts. An integrated strategy that relies less on rodenticides is therefore required. Here we investigate the possibility of using a resource-based approach to rat population management. 2Structurally complex habitats provide rat populations with nest sites and opportunities to avoid predators; modifying habitats to reduce structural complexity might reduce their potential to support rat populations. As part of an integrated approach, this could be more sustainable than relying exclusively on lethal control. However, in order to target habitat management efforts most effectively with minimum impact on other species, an understanding of habitat utilization by Norway rats is required. 3In this study, rat populations on farms in the north-east of England were monitored by radio-tracking and population counts before and after a single phase of habitat modification. Rats living near farm buildings utilized areas with high levels of cover; habitat modification reduced the survival rate and size of these rat populations. Rats living in field margins also preferred areas with high levels of cover, but they had significantly bigger home ranges than rats living near farm buildings and were largely unaffected by small-scale habitat management. 4Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that habitat management near farm buildings has the potential to reduce the size of rat populations. As part of an integrated approach, this technique offers a way of reducing reliance on rodenticides. Habitat use by rats within the wider farm landscape suggests that land management practices have the potential to influence the size and distribution of rat populations; many game-rearing practices and environmental policies designed to create habitats for ,desirable' farm wildlife, inadvertently create desirable habitats for rats. [source] Ecology, politics and policyJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2007JOHN H. LAWTON Summary 1,The British Ecological Society aims to promote the science of ecology through research and to use the findings of such research to educate the public and influence policy decisions which involve ecological matters.' Yet, how successful have we been in influencing UK and EU environmental policy? 2Many scientists hold to the ,deficit model' of turning science into policy, the view that if only politicians are told what the science reveals, ,correct' policies will automatically follow. Nothing could be further from the truth. Politicians have all kinds of reasons, some valid, some less valid, not to adopt what often seem to us to be common sense policies to protect the environment. 3Here, I explore some of the successes and failures of ecologists to influence UK and European environmental policy, using acid deposition, the collapse of global marine fisheries, GM crops and climate change, carbon dioxide and ocean acidification as examples. I briefly review the extensive literature (largely ignored by natural scientists) on what social scientists have to say about evidence-based policy-making (or the lack of it) and why it often appears to be so difficult to persuade politicians to adopt sound environmental policies. 4Synthesis and applications. Ecologists can, and do, influence government policy on the environment, but often via complex and iterative interactions that can be painfully slow, and may require fundamental changes in politicians' belief systems, values and norms. [source] A Dynamic Integrated Analysis of Truck Tires in Western EuropeJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2000Pieter J. H. van Beukering Summary By evaluating tires from a perspective of industrial metabolism, potential novel and practical ways to reduce their environmental impact can be found. This may be achieved by focusing on technological issues such as choosing materials, designing products, and recovering materials, or by looking at institutional and social barriers and incentives such as opening waste markets or changing consumer behavior. A model is presented for the life cycle of truck tires in Western Europe that is dynamic in nature and values both environmental and economic consequences. Various scenarios are simulated including longer tire lifetimes, better maintenance of tire pressure, increased use of less-expensive Asian tires, and increased use of fuel efficiency-enhancing tires ("eco-tires"). Tentative results indicate that, among other things, more than 95% of the overall environmental impact during the life of a tire occurs during the use of the tire, due to the impact of tires on automotive fuel efficiency. Better maintenance of tire pressure and use of eco-tires produce greater environmental and economics benefits than more-durable and/or less-expensive (Asian) tires. These results imply that the emphasis in environmental policies related to tires should shift from the production and the waste stages to the consumption stage. It also suggests that the focus on materials throughput and associated improvements through factor 4 or factor 10 advances in reduction in mass are less important than the quality of the tires and their management. [source] Market Access and WTO Border Tax Adjustments for Environmental Excise Taxes under Imperfect CompetitionJOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMIC THEORY, Issue 4 2005STEVE McCORRISTON The literature identifies linkages between domestic environmental policies and trade, the treatment of imports being an important issue in administration of domestic environmental excise taxes. With the aim of ensuring foreign exporters do not attain a competitive advantage, border tax adjustments are used. Since most environmental excise taxes apply to intermediate goods, the relevant border tax adjustment applies to final imported goods. However, when both intermediate and final goods markets are oligopolistic, border tax adjustments may be non-neutral. Moreover, even if market access is unchanged, border tax adjustments can still lead to redistribution of profits between domestic and foreign firms. [source] Regulated Firms with Transboundary Pollution: Does International Competition Improve Efficiency?JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMIC THEORY, Issue 3 2003Isabelle Péchoux We consider a model of strategic trade and environmental policies with transboundary pollution. A regulated monopoly produces in each country and emits pollution. Under complete information, opening borders leads to a reallocation of the production from the large country to the small one. Total production increases, leading to an increase in the total level of pollution. The creation of a common market sometimes leads to a deterioration of total welfare. Under asymmetric information, the international competition generated by the common market decreases the informational rents of the firms, thereby reinforcing the potential gain to open markets to international competition. [source] FOREIGN INVESTMENT POLICIES AND ENVIRONMENTNATURAL RESOURCE MODELING, Issue 2 2005HAMID BELADI ABSTRACT. We consider a North-South model of capital mobility in which foreign investment adversely impacts the environment in South. By focusing on the strategic aspects of environmental policies, among other things, we compare different policy regimes, i.e., different combinations of tax and quota. More specifically, we investigate the (non)equivalence of these policy regimes. [source] Using environmental accounts to promote sustainable development: Experience in southern AfricaNATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 1 2003Glenn-Marie Lange Environmental accounts bring together economic and environmental information in a common framework to measure the contribution of the environment to the economy and the impact of the economy on the environment. They enable governments to set priorities, monitor economic policies more precisely, enact more effective environmental regulations and resource management strategies, and design more efficient market instruments for environmental policies. This article uses examples from the regional environmental accounting programme in southern Africa to demonstrate the usefulness of environmental accounts to policy-making and natural resource management. The examples address the contribution of natural capital endowments (minerals and fisheries) to sustainable development in Botswana and Namibia; the economic importance of non-market forest goods and services in South Africa; and the socio-economic impact of current water allocation and pricing policies in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. While there are many additional policy applications, these few provide a powerful argument for the use of environmental accounts in all countries. [source] Uncertainty as Environmental EducationPOLICY STUDIES JOURNAL, Issue 3 2000Walter A. Rosenbaum Here we focus particularly upon some implications of the symposium articles for future research agendas and priorities in environmental policy. First, however, we return to the central question posed by this symposium: "How can environmental policies achieve a combination of democracy with legitimacy and adequacy with effectiveness under conditions of great uncertainty?" In different ways, all articles addressed this problem in reconciling democracy with competent environmental management under conditions of uncertainty. Together, they provide the rudiments of an answer. [source] How can Political Liberals be Environmentalists?POLITICAL STUDIES, Issue 4 2002Derek Bell It is often assumed that neutralist liberalism and environmentalism are incompatible because promoting environmentally friendly policies involves endorsing a particular conception of the good life. This paper questions that assumption by showing that one important version of neutralist liberalism, John Rawls's ,justice as fairness', can allow two kinds of justification for environmental policies. First, public reason arguments can be used to justify conceptions of sustainability and environmental justice. Second, comprehensive ideals (including non-anthropocentric ideals) can be used to justify more ambitious environmental policies when two conditions are met, namely, the issue under discussion does not concern constitutional essentials or matters of basic justice; and the policy is endorsed by a majority of citizens. Rawls's willingness to allow this second kind of justification for environmental (and other) policies is defended against two objections, which claim that Rawls's ,democratic liberalism' is incoherent. The first objection , the ,justice' objection , is that to spend public money promoting comprehensive (environmental) ideals is inconsistent with the ,difference principle'. The ,justice' objection depends on a common misunderstanding of the difference principle. The second objection , the ,neutrality' objection , claims that ,democratic liberalism' is inconsistent with Rawls's commitment to neutrality. The ,neutrality' objection is unconvincing because ,democratic liberalism' is ,fundamentally neutral' whereas the leading alternative is not. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||