Synopses & Reviews
As a nation, we are committed in principle to environmental protection. But on a practical level, bitter debates continue to rage over exactly what that means. Eco-pragmatism takes on the most critical controversies in environmental law today: how to assess the values of future environmental benefits; how to use economic measurements of environmental values; and how to streamline the regulatory process to respond to changing scientific data. Farber steers a middle course between the "bean counters," who advocate strict cost-benefit analysis, and the "tree huggers," who favor environmental protection at any cost. Eco-pragmatism explores--clearly and accessibly--the fundamental issues in environmental economics, the philosophical disputes over the legitimacy of cost-benefit analysis, and the legal issues involved in applying and interpreting complex environmental statues. Synthesizing the best of our existing regulatory regime, Farber's analysis cuts a clear and sensible path through the thickets surrounding environmental policy.
Synopsis
Eco-pragmatism takes on the most critical controversies in environmental law today: how to weigh economic costs against environmental quality and human life, how to assess the long time horizons of environmental problems, and how to make appropriate decisions in the face of scientific uncertainty about the scope of environmental problems.
"A comprehensive well-argued effort to address many of the most difficult issues facing legislators concerned with environmental issues."—Stephen P. Adamian, Boston Book Review
"A timely and well-argued contribution."—Calestous Juma, Nature
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. A Case of Uncertainty
2. Economics versus Politics
3. The Risk Dilemma
4. An Environmental Baseline
5. The Shadow of the Future
6. Dynamic Environmental Regulation
Conclusion
Index