Synopses & Reviews
As scientific and observational evidence on global warming piles up every day, questions of economic policy in this central environmental topic have taken center stage. But as author and prominent Yale economist William Nordhaus observes, the issues involved in understanding global warming andand#160;slowing its harmful effects are complex and cross disciplinary boundaries. For example, ecologists see global warming as a threat to ecosystems, utilities as a debit to their balance sheets, and farmers as a hazard to their livelihoods.
and#160;
In this important work, William Nordhaus integrates the entire spectrum of economic and scientific research to weigh the costs of reducing emissions against the benefits of reducing the long-run damages from global warming. The book offers one of the most extensive analyses of the economic and environmental dynamics of greenhouse-gas emissions and climate change and provides the tools to evaluate alternative approaches to slowing global warming. The author emphasizes the need to establish effective mechanisms, such as carbon taxes, to harness markets and harmonize the efforts of different countries. This book not only will shape discussion of one the worldand#8217;s most pressing problems but will provide the rationales and methods for achieving widespread agreement on our next best move in alleviating global warming.
Review
and#8220;Professor Nordhaus pioneered the integrated analysis of climate change, combining climatic and economic modeling.andnbsp; His . . . book shows that his work remains the standard of analysis by which the field may be judged.andnbsp;[The] exposition is very clear and thorough, showing all the relevant issues so that those who may disagree can pinpoint exactly the points at issue.and#8221;and#8212;Kenneth J. Arrow, StanfordUniversity, Nobel Laureate in Economics
Review
and#8220;William Nordhaus has, with the publication of
A Question of Balance, once again reestablished the gold standard for economic analysis of climate policy in an uncertain world where scientific understanding changes unexpectedly.and#8221;and#8212;Gary Yohe, Woodhouse/Sysco Professor of Economics at Wesleyan University
Review
"This book provides a forceful, insightful, and timely overview of climate change policy. Professor Nordhaus adroitly unravels the mysteries of global warming and lays bare the options before us."andshy;and#8212;John P. Weyant, Professor of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University
Review
and#8220;Nordhaus's careful modeling of the world climate and the world economy is a cool breeze of common sense in an arena of discourse often dominated by torrents of hot air.and#8221;and#8212;Dale Jorgenson, Samuel W. Morris University Professor of Economics, Harvard University
Review
andldquo;If you are skeptical of Lomborg and his branch of environmental skepticism, read . . .
A Question of Balance.andrdquo;andmdash;Michael Shermer,
Huffington PostSynopsis
The world s leading economic thinker on climate change analyzes the economics and politics of the central environmental issue of today and points the way to real solutions
Climate change is profoundly altering our world in ways that pose major risks to human societies and natural systems. We have entered the Climate Casino and are rolling the global-warming dice, warns economist William Nordhaus. But there is still time to turn around and walk back out of the casino, and in this essential book the author explains how.Bringing together all the important issues surrounding the climate debate, Nordhaus describes the science, economics, and politics involved and the steps necessary to reduce the perils of global warming. Using language accessible to any concerned citizen and taking care to present different points of view fairly, he discusses the problem from start to finish: from the beginning, where warming originates in our personal energy use, to the end, where societies employ regulations or taxes or subsidies to slow the emissions of gases responsible for climate change.Nordhaus offers a new analysis of why earlier policies, such as the Kyoto Protocol, failed to slow carbon dioxide emissions, how new approaches can succeed, and which policy tools will most effectively reduce emissions. In short, he clarifies a defining problem of our times and lays out the next critical steps for slowing the trajectory of global warming."
Synopsis
The 2018 Nobel laureate for economics analyzes the politics and economics of the central environmental issue of today and points the way to real solutions
Climate change is profoundly altering our world in ways that pose major risks to human societies and natural systems. We have entered the Climate Casino and are rolling the global-warming dice, warns economist William Nordhaus. But there is still time to turn around and walk back out of the casino, and in this essential book the author explains how.
Bringing together all the important issues surrounding the climate debate, Nordhaus describes the science, economics, and politics involved--and the steps necessary to reduce the perils of global warming. Using language accessible to any concerned citizen and taking care to present different points of view fairly, he discusses the problem from start to finish: from the beginning, where warming originates in our personal energy use, to the end, where societies employ regulations or taxes or subsidies to slow the emissions of gases responsible for climate change.
Nordhaus offers a new analysis of why earlier policies, such as the Kyoto Protocol, failed to slow carbon dioxide emissions, how new approaches can succeed, and which policy tools will most effectively reduce emissions. In short, he clarifies a defining problem of our times and lays out the next critical steps for slowing the trajectory of global warming.
Synopsis
Climate change is profoundly altering our world in ways that pose major risks to human societies and natural systems. We have entered the Climate Casino and are rolling the global-warming dice, warns economist William Nordhaus. But there is still time to turn around and walk back out of the casino, and in this essential book the author explains how.and#160;Bringing together all the important issues surrounding the climate debate, Nordhaus describes the science, economics, and politics involvedand#8212;and the steps necessary to reduce the perils of global warming. Using language accessible to any concerned citizen and taking care to present different points of view fairly, he discusses the problem from start to finish: from the beginning, where warming originates in our personal energy use, to the end, where societies employ regulations or taxes or subsidies to slow the emissions of gases responsible for climate change.and#160;Nordhaus offers a new analysis of why earlier policies, such as the Kyoto Protocol, failed to slow carbon dioxide emissions, how new approaches can succeed, and which policy tools will most effectively reduce emissions. In short, he clarifies a defining problem of our times and lays out the next critical steps for slowing the trajectory of global warming.
About the Author
William D. Nordhaus, Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale University, is the author of The Climate Casino: Risk, Uncertainty, and Economics for a Warming World. He lives in New Haven, CT.