Environmental economics Books

Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, and LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLERESSENTIAL READING.   — JANE GOODALLA CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BOOK.   — JACK WELCHFrom the leader of the nation’s most powerful animal-protection organization comes a frontline account of how conscience and creativity are driving a revolution in American business that is changing forever how we treat animals and create wealth. Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of the United States reveals how entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 CEOs, world-class scientists, philanthropists, and a new class of political leaders are driving the burgeoning, unstoppable growth of the “humane economy.”Every business grounded on animal exploitation, Pacelle argues, is ripe for disruption. Indeed each one of us is, and will be, touched by this far-reaching transformation in food and agriculture; in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetics industries; in film, television, and live entertainment; in tourism and wildlife management; in the pet trade for dogs and cats and exotic wildlife; and in fur and leather fashions. Collectively it promises to relieve or end the suffering of billions of creatures, while allowing businesses aligned with the best instincts and values of their customers to flourish. Pacelle shows, for instance, how the cruelties of industrial chicken farming are quickly becoming obsolete with a visit to Hampton Creek, the makers of a plant-based egg substitute and the world’s fastest-growing food startup ever.  Pacelle also recounts the stories of how established companies are joining in this economic transformation: from Petco and PetSmart, which have turned the conventional pet store model on its head by forswearing puppy mill suppliers in favor of shelter dogs; to John Paul Mitchell Systems, the Body Shop, and Lush, which use safe ingredients instead of animal tests for their cosmetics; to major food retailers like Whole Foods, Chipotle, and even Costco and Walmart, which are embracing animal welfare standards that are one by one unwinding the horrors of the factory farm.The Humane Economy is a clarion call to business leaders and to the world’s growing animal protection movement; it is equally a warning to the static thinking of animal-use industries and their apologists: “Here, in this humane economy,” Pacelle argues, “human ingenuity meets human virtue, and we discover at last that we can have it both ways — a better world for us and for animals, too.”

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"There is no doubt in my mind that the ocean plays the most massive role in our past, present, and future—from transportation to planet health to long term sustainability. The Deepest Map shines a light on this massive yet ever-changing force and helps bring into focus so many unanswered questions, while giving us a beautiful reminder of how important it is to educate and protect these waters to the best of our abilities." — Garrett McNamara, Big Wave surfer, co-creator of the documentary series 100 Foot Wave and author of Hound of the Sea "Wow, what a great adventure story. Shipwrecks, octopus gardens, coral reefs as tall as the Empire State Building, 11,000 year-old sponges, deep sea robots—it’s a trip to another world, right here on Earth. This is not just a book about the epic quest to map the ocean floor, but an exploration of the mysteries and life of a planet we hardly know. The Deepest Map is one of those rare books that will change the way you see our world." — Jeff Goodell, author of The Water Will Come "A riveting ocean of a book, packed with gripping adventures, high-stakes exploration and political intrigue. Trethewey leads us to the bottom of the sea and deftly shows why it all matters so much." — Helen Scales, author of The Brilliant Abyss "The Deepest Map is a fascinating, poetic love letter to our planet and to the scientists and explorers risking their lives to understand its unconscious. With exhaustive reporting, Trethewey takes us on an awe-inspiring and humbling adventure that makes us realize how much we still have to learn about our home." — Jaimal Yogis, author of All Our Waves Are Water "An engrossing look at deep-sea exploration. Essential reading for environmentalists, armchair adventure divers, and those who care about the world’s oceans." — Kirkus (Starred Review) "Trethewey’s sharp eye for character brings out the humanity in the marine moonshot. It’s worth exploring." — Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisDevoted to the environmental impacts of transport. This work looks at the various aspects of the subject such as environmental concepts, both physical and economic. It also examines environmental concerns such as: global warming, air quality, noise, safety, amenity, and severance; political settings and policies; and more.Trade Review"[T]he book contains valuable information and analyses covering a wide range of topics." - Paul M. Peeters, Tourism Review International, Vol. 8, 2004. "succinct but informative ... extremely useful ... as contemporary as possible ... particularly illuminating ... the choice of topics is itself of interest in helping the uninformed reader ... well-written with appropriate cross-references ... a balanced view ... the editors should be congratulated on achieving what they set out to achieve." Tim Powell CMILT, in Logistics & Transport Focus, Volume 7 Number 1, January/February 2005Table of ContentsEnvironmental concepts - physical and economic. Climate change. Air quality. The economics of noise. Safety. Amenity and severance. Transportation fuels - a system perspective. Fuel options. Cleaner vehicles. Carbon dioxide emissions from transportation: trends, driving factors, and forces for change. Transport energy and emissions: buses. Transport energy and emissions: urban public transport. Transport energy and emissions: aviation. Environmental impacts of shipping. Transport energy and emissions: rail. Environmental impact assessment for sustainable transport. Transport investment appraisal and the environment. Evaluation of environmental impacts. Valuation of environmental externalities. Valuation case studies. The health effects of motor vehicle-related air pollution. Environmental externalities of motor vehicle use. Valuation of safety. Location externalities: effects on modeling, infrastructure provision and optimal planning. Macroeconomic policies and the environment. History of environmental legislation. International coordination of environmental policies and multilateral environmental agreements. Environmental pricing in transport. Planning for sustainable environmental futures. Environmental justice applications in transport: the international perspective. Winners and losers in transport policy: on efficiency, equity, and compensation. Unintended effects of polices. Global warming and emission trading. Travel, tourism, and the environment. Gender, transportation, and the environment. Logistics and the environment. Reverse logistics: an overview and a causal model. Transportation of hazardous goods and materials. Public attitudes. Travel behavior change through individual engagement. Packaging policies to address environmental concerns. The street: integrating transport and urban environment. Integrated transport models for environmental assessment. Transportation demand management and "win-win" transportation solutions.

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Book SynopsisIn The Plundered Planet: How to Reconcile Prosperity with Nature Paul Collier proposes a radical and often counter-intuitive rethink of international policy in order to combat global poverty and environmental devastation. How can we help poorer countries become richer without harming the planet? Is there a way of reconciling prosperity with nature? World-renowned economist Paul Collier offers smart, surprising and above all realistic answers to this dilemma. Steering a path between the desires of unchecked profiteering and the romantic views of environmentalists, he explores creative ways to deal with poverty, overpopulation and climate change - showing that the solutions needn''t cost the earth. ''A practical handbook for ending world poverty. He wants us to read the evidence, not wear slogans on our T-shirts''   Sunday Times ''Collier and his team have researched the detail ... If you want to help the worldTrade ReviewA path-breaking book -- George SorosPaul Collier has written with great insight about the prospects of the bottom billion. In The Plundered Planet, he addresses himself to the complex opportunities, challenges and risks in managing the planet's natural resources. The bottom billion have a huge stake and an important role in the outcomes. Collier helps us see these issues through their eyes -- Michael Spence, winner of the Nobel Prize in EconomicsRead this book -- Sir Nicholas Stern, author of The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate ChangeOriginal, important and always thought-provoking. I learned a lot -- Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist and The Logic of LifeCollier's arguments are compassionate and convincing, and his straightforward explanations of economic principles are leavened with humor and impressively accessible * Publishers Weekly *Paul Collier must be read if one is to begin to understand the most vital contemporary arguments. -- Bob GeldofCollier and his team have researched the detail ... If you want to help the world, stem your bleeding heart and tell your broker to switch your funds to Emerging Markets (Africa) * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE WORLD IS FLATWe all sense it: something big is going on. Life is speeding up, and it is dizzying. Here Thomas L. Friedman reveals the tectonic movements that are reshaping our world, how to adapt to this new age and why, sometimes, we all need to be late.''A master class ... As a guide for perplexed Westerners, this book is very hard to beat ... an honest, cohesive explanation for why the world is the way it is, without miracle cures or scapegoats'' John Micklethwait, The New York Times Book Review''Wonderful ... admirably honest ... injects a badly needed dose of optimism into the modern debate'' Gillian Tett, Financial Times''His main piece of advice for individuals, corporations, and countries is clear: Take a deep breath and adapt. This world isn''t going to wait for you'' Fortune''A humane and empathetic book'' David Henkin, The Washington PostTrade ReviewHis most ambitious book - part personal odyssey, part commonsense manifesto ... An honest, cohesive explanation for why the world is the way it is, without miracle cures or scapegoats. And that is why everybody should hope this book does very well indeed -- John Micklethwait * The New York Times *Engaging ... In some senses Thank You For Being Late is an extension of [Friedman's] previous works, woven in with wonderful personal stories (including admirably honest discussions about the nature of being a columnist). What gives Friedman's book a new twist is his belief that upheaval in 2016 is actually far more dramatic than earlier phases. -- Gillian Tett * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGates' book is compulsively readable. His ambition was to 'cut through the noise' and give consumers better tools for understanding what works, an ambition he meets admirably. It more than that, however. Gates can get an audience with anyone, can marshal almost limitless resources, and is dogged in the detail. The result - particularly in the wake of the Trump presidency - is thrilling -- Emma Brockes * The Guardian *Of the many books I have come across recently making the case that climate change will be a catastrophe, but we can do something about it, this is the best ... The relentless practicality of the book combined with Gates's firm faith in innovation do not promote despair. He exudes optimism; things will get better, not least because, as John Lennon once sang, they can't get no worse -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *It is mostly concerned with solutions rather than problems. This already marks it out as something of an outlier within environmental literature... if you're after an approachable book about what needs to happen next, this is a great place to start -- Ed Conway * The Times *Bold but well argued ... a compelling explanation of how the world can stop global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions effectively to zero... [Gates] is a serious and genuine force for good on climate change -- Bob Ward * Observer *How to Avoid a Climate Disaster is clear, concise on a colossal subject, and intelligently holistic in its approach to the problem. -- Adam Vaughan * New Scientist *It all makes for a meaty manifesto which Gates hopes can offer sufficient variety to appeal across political divides and "shift the conversation" away from the polarisation and misinformation that has clouded discussion about climate change up until now. -- Martin Bentham * Evening Standard *Books about the environment can induce a paralysing despair. The billionaire Bill Gates is a can-do, problem-solving chap, and his book is full of detailed, practical plans * The Times *Gates's carefully packaged nuggets of information are not only easy to understand, but they aim to provide the reader with practical tools to engage with the density of climate change information ... What Gates has achieved with his book is something rare in the swelling arena of popular climate literature. The Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist has compiled a solutions-based strategy that is as informed on the commercial realities of scaling new technologies as it is on the environmental consequences of not doing so. -- Daniel Murray * The Business Post *The most refreshing aspect of this book is its bracing mix of cold-eyed realism and number-crunched optimism ... Ultimately [Gates's] book is a primer on how to reorganise the global economy so that innovation focuses on the world's gravest problems. It is a powerful reminder that if mankind is to get serious about tackling them, it must do more to harness the one natural resource available in infinite quantity-human ingenuity. * Economist *Gates plots out, in patient, simple prose, a pathway that would allow us to reduce carbon emissions from the current 51 billion tonnes a year to zero by 2050. -- Thomas Jones * London Review of Books *"System change not climate change!" cry the protesters, demanding that we choose between capitalism and a healthy planet. "Oh!" the less ascetically minded among us might pout. "Can't we have both?" Thankfully, according to Bill Gates, we can. In How to Avoid a Climate Disaster he outlines the new technologies we need to fight climate change, and how businesses can help to invent and deploy them. Capitalism is not only capable of stopping climate change, he says, it's also the only way to provide a decent standard of living to the world's poorest. -- Ben Cooke * The Times Books of the Year *This is an optimistic account of how climate change might be solved without destroying the world's economies in the process. * The Times *

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Book SynopsisIn twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement.In Hot Money Naomi Klein lays out the evidence that deregulated capitalism is waging war on the climate, and shows that, in order to stop the damage, we must change everything we think about how our world is run.Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement. Together, these books show the richness of environmental thought, and point the way to a fairer, saner, greener world.

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Book SynopsisThe NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA radically new understanding of and practical approach to climate change by noted environmentalist and creator of Drawdown, Paul Hawken The dangers of climate change and a warming world have been in the public eye for fifty years. For three decades, scientists and the United Nations have urged us to address future existential threats. In Regeneration Paul Hawken has flipped the narrative, bringing people back into the conversation by demonstrating that addressing current human needs rather than future threats is the only path to solving the climate crisis.From land to ocean, food to industries - Regeneration proposes an extensive menu of actions that collectively can reverse the overheating and degradation of our planet. The solutions, techniques, and practices range from solar power, electric vehicles, and tree planting to bioregions, azolla fern and forest farms; they are all doa

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Book SynopsisThe World Trade Organization (WTO) is scarcely ten years old, but even in these early years of its existence it has generated debate, controversy and even outrage. Rulings on beef hormones and tuna-dolphin cases provide graphic examples of how the organization regulates and intrudes into areas of individual consumer choice, ethical preferences, and cultural habits. This deep and far-ranging impact of the WTO on peoples'' everyday lives means that it is not just an institution of interest to economists, but to everyone, a fact that was perhaps most graphically illustrated in the popular demonstrations at the 1999 Seattle Ministerial. Such protests have become a regular feature associated with most high-level meetings of the WTO. This VSI will provide a timely and carefully considered explanation of what the WTO is, what it does, and how it goes about executing its tasks. A clear understanding of the mandate, structure and functioning of the WTO is essential to appreciate the controversyTrade Review'Narlikar's engagement with public debates is exemplary - a task too rarely attempted by critical scholars in this area. This book is a timely rejoinder to the fledgling study of global governance. An exceptional introduction to the WTO, it also succeeds in doing much more than is says on the tin.' * Craig Berry, Political Studies Review *'The author obviously knows her subject...she succeeds well in giving an account of the organization that is both accessible and engaging... If this is the first thing that a student reads on the WTO, then he or she will be well launched into their enquiry.' * Professor Tony Payne, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield. *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; Preface ; 1. Who Needs an International Trade Organization and Why? ; 2. The Formation of the World Trade Organization ; 3. Decision Making and Negotiation Processes in the WTO ; 4. The Mandate of the WTO ; 5. Enforcing the Agreements: Dispute Settlement and the WTO ; 6. The Doha Development Agenda ; 7. The Burden of Governance ; References ; Further Reading

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Book SynopsisCereal grains like wheat and rice are important, because they are the basis of most food supplies. Yields of such crops have increased dramatically during the past 100 years and especially since 1950, leading to what was often called the Green Revolution. This book examines why the United States, India, Britain and Mexico each sought to develop high yield wheat production. Although the increase in yield has been attributed to plant breeding science, security concerns and management of foreign exchange were prime motivators of the new technologies. This relationship has not been previously developed in studies of agricultural modernization, and will plague future efforts to make agriculture equitable and sustainable.Trade Review'...an important book on the development of wheat breeding in the United States, Great Britain, India and Mexico during the 20th century...The book's strength is its descriptive power, especially in intellectual hisotr...Throughout, Perkins provides his readers with an excellent introduction to a variety of complex topics...' * Kathy J Cooke, Endeavour Vol. 22 (3), 1998. *Table of Contents1. Political Ecology and Yield Transformation ; 2. Wheat, People, and Plant Breeding ; 3. Wheat Breeding: Coalescence of a Modern Science, 1900-1939 ; 4. Plant Breeding in its Institutional and Political Economic Setting, 1900-1940 ; 5. The Rockefeller Foundation in Mexico: The New International Politics for Plant Breeding, 1941-1945 ; 6. Hunger, Overpopulation, and Natural Security: A New Strategic Theory for Plant Breeding, 1945-1956 ; 7. Wheat Breeding and the Exercise of American Power, 1940-1970 ; 8. Wheat Breeding and the Consolidation of Indian Autonomy, 1940-1970 ; 9. Wheat Breeding and the Reconstruction of Post-Imperial Britain, 1935-1954 ; 10. Science and the Green Revolution, 1945-1975 ; Epilogue: Implications of History the Future

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Book SynopsisAs humanity presses down inexorably on the natural world, people debate the extent to which we can save the Earth''s millions of different species without sacrificing human economic welfare. But is this argument wise? Must the human and natural worlds be adversaries? In this book, ecologist Michael Rosenzweig finds that ecological science actually rejects such polarization. Instead it suggests that, to be successful, conservation must discover how we can blend a rich natural world into the world of economic activity. This revolutionary, common ground between development and conservation is called reconciliation ecology: creating and maintaining species-friendly habitats in the very places where people live, work, or play. The book offers many inspiring examples of the good results already achieved. The Nature Conservancy, for instance, has a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense, with more than 200 conservation projects taking place on more than 170 bases in 41 states. ITrade ReviewThis book seeks common ground between responsible forces for development, and conservationists, and gives a number of inspiring and empowering examples of what good ends can and have been achieved. * Ethology Ecology & Evolution *... a thoughtful discussion of how we can increase species diversity but using our settlements more effectively ... the easy writing style makes ideas accessible to a wide audience. * TEG News *This book is a stimulating 'wake-up' call to all of us. Read it but don't just weep, join in the crusade! * The International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology *

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Book SynopsisOver the last decade, market-based incentives have become the regulatory tool of choice when trying to solve difficult environmental problems. Evidence of their dominance can be seen in recent proposals for addressing global warming (through an emissions trading scheme in the Kyoto Protocol) and for amending the Clean Air Act (to add a new emissions trading systems for smog precursors and mercury--the Bush administration''s Clear Skies program). They are widely viewed as more efficient than traditional command and control regulation. This collection of essays takes a critical look at this question, and evaluates whether the promises of market-based regulation have been fulfilled. Contributors put forth the ideas that few regulatory instruments are actually purely market-based, or purely prescriptive, and that both approaches can be systematically undermined by insufficiently careful design and by failures of monitoring and enforcement. All in all, the essays recommend future research that no longer pits one kind of approach against the other, but instead examines their interaction and compatibility. This book should appeal to academics in environmental economics and law, along with policymakers in government agencies and advocates in non-governmental organizations.

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Book SynopsisAn accessible introduction to sustainable investing for investorsCan investors do well financially and do good for the world? Should they try? A common assumption about investors is that they don''t care who wins as long as they''re making money. For some investors, this mindset still rings true. Yet, many investors today want to make money and do good. Sustainable investing has gained considerable momentum in the last few decades. It delivers value by balancing traditional investing with environmental, social, and governance-related (ESG) insights to improve long-term outcomes. Sustainable Investing: What Everyone Needs to Know demystifies sustainable investing for investors. Using a user-friendly question-and-answer format and insights from noted investment professionals, this book explores some of sustainable investing''s most critical questions in a clear and concise manner. The book explains how this approach involves investing in sustainable companies or funds and can include any investment approach that considers ESG criteria when selecting and managing investments. It demystifies sustainable investing specifically for average investors and examines whether such investments have a place in their portfolios. By covering everything from the changing investment landscape and the roles of social and religious values in finance to how to build a portfolio with purpose, H. Kent Baker, Hunter M. Holzhauer, and John R. Nofsinger provide an essential introduction to sustainable investing.Table of ContentsWho Are the Authors? Why Did We Write This Book? Whom Do We Want to Thank? What is the Book About? Introduction Chapter One: The Changing Investment Landscape: The Past, Present, and Future 1.1. What are the earliest origins of socially responsible investing (SRI) and corporate social responsibility (CSR)? 1.2. Who were the first drivers of SRI and CSR, and how did their efforts help establish the ways social responsibility activists affect corporate behavior? 1.3. What is screening, and why is it important? 1.4. What are the most critical milestones in the 20th century for SRI? 1.5. How did these earlier milestones in the 20th-century help establish how SRI activists could affect corporate behavior? 1.6. Who created the first modern SRI index? 1.7. How did environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria become the three primary social responsibility factors? 1.8. What are other vital issues in the 21st century for SRI and CSR besides ESG criteria? 1.9. What are the main ways that investors can participate in SRI and SDG efforts? 1.10. What are the similarities and differences between sustainable investing and green investing? 1.11. What are the similarities and differences between impact investing and community investing? 1.12. How have risk tolerances and investment preferences changed from a generational perspective? 1.13. What impact are Millennials and progressive politics making on sustainable investing? 1.14. What are the conservative politics of sustainable investing in terms of advocacy agenda? 1.15. What is the divide between progressive and conservative investors? 1.16. What trends are likely to drive the future of the sustainable investing industry? Takeaways Chapter Two: Corporate Social Responsibility: Delivering Both Profit and Purpose 2.1. What's corporate social responsibility? 2.2. What's business ethics? 2.3. Who are a firm's stakeholders? 2.4. How can a firm demonstrate its social responsibility? 2.5. How can firms be environmentally sustainable? 2.6. How do firms demonstrate social responsibility to society? 2.7. What firm governance characteristics are responsible? 2.8. How can firms exhibit social responsibility to employees? 2.9. How can a firm be socially responsible in some areas and not in others? 2.10. How does doing good differ from avoiding doing harm? 2.11. What is corporate philanthropy, and should firms be engaged in it? 2.12. How can firms become involved in community engagement? 2.13. How can investors determine whether a firm is socially responsible? 2.14. How are firms held accountable for CSR? 2.15. What is a non-governmental organization, and how does it interact with companies? 2.16. How can a firm have a social purpose and earn a profit? 2.17. How is CSR viewed around the world? 2.18. What companies are known as leaders in CSR? 2.19. What online resources are available for researching socially responsible firms? Takeaways Chapter Three: Social and Religious Values: Aligning Values and Portfolio Assets 3.1. What is values-based investing? 3.2. What community values can investors use to select investments? 3.3. How can investing include human and civil rights values? 3.4. What is environmental sustainability, and how can investors incorporate it into a portfolio? 3.5. What firm products are inconsistent with social responsibility? 3.6. What religious values affect investing? 3.7. How can investors consider Christian values? 3.8. How can investors consider Islamic values? 3.9. How can investors consider Jewish faith-based values? 3.10. How might socially progressive values affect investment choice? 3.11. What is patriotic investing? 3.12. How are stocks found using negative and positive social screens? 3.13. What stock indices benchmark socially responsible firms? 3.14. What are Morningstar's Sustainability Scores? 3.15. What are Morningstar's Carbon Risk Scores? 3.16. Where can investors find socially responsible mutual funds? 3.17. What exchange-traded funds have socially responsible portfolios? 3.18. Where can investors find sustainable bonds and other fixed-income funds? 3.19. What are online resources available for researching a values-based investment approach? Takeaways Chapter Four: Sustainable Investing: Making Money While Doing Good 4.1. How does traditional investing differ from sustainable investing? 4.2. What are the potential concerns about sustainable investing? 4.3. What is the screening approach to sustainable investing? 4.4. What is the ESG integration approach to sustainable investing? 4.5. What is the socially responsible investing approach? 4.6. What are the shareholder engagement and activism approaches to sustainable investing? 4.7. What is the sustainable thematic investing approach? 4.8. What is the impact investing approach to sustainable investing? 4.9. What types of investors engage in sustainable investing? 4.10. How large is the sustainable investing marketplace? 4.11. How can investors get started with sustainable investing? 4.12. What vehicles are available for aligning values with investments? 4.13. What are the sources available for evaluating the social responsibility of a good versus bad company? 4.14. What are the pros and cons of investing in ESG stocks? 4.15. What are some examples of the largest ESG stocks? 4.17. What are the similarities and differences between mutual funds and ETFs engaged in sustainable investing? 4.18. What are the different types of funds engaging in sustainable investing, and examples of each? 4.19. What options are available for socially responsible investors interested in fixed-income investments? 4.20. What are green bonds and their pros and cons? 4.21. What are social impact bonds and their benefits and challenges? 4.23. What are the advantages and disadvantages of ESG TDFs? 4.24. What are some tips in selecting an ESG TDF? 4.25. What are the trade-offs between investing in stocks or bonds of socially responsible companies, mutual funds, and ETFs? 4.26. What are robo-advisors and the trade-offs of using them for sustainable investing? 4.27. What are some examples of robo-advisors for sustainable investing? 4.28. What is community investing? 4.29. What are online sources of information for sustainable investing? Takeaways Chapter Five: Performance Implications of Sustainable Investing: Can You Have Your Cake and Eat It Too? 5.1. What are the supply and demand dynamics for performance data for sustainable investing? 5.2. What are the concerns about the performance data for sustainable investing? 5.3. What is the total number of sustainable investment funds? 5.4. Have sustainable investment funds outperformed traditional funds? 5.5. How has the performance of sustainable funds changed over time? 5.6. What are the performance implications of sustainable investment indices? 5.7. How fast is investor demand for sustainable investing growing? 5.8. What factors are likely to affect the demand for sustainable investing going forward? 5.9. Has the growth in investor demand driven the recent outperformance in sustainable investing?? 5.10. Which of the three ESG criteria has historically performed better? 5.11. What are the performance implications of sustainable investing when analyzing the fixed-income market? 5.12. What performance critiques or implications relate to screening? 5.13. Do sin stocks outperform sustainable stocks? 5.14. Is sustainable investing ethical window dressing? 5.15. How has sustainable investing had a positive benefit on changing society or corporate behavior? 5.16. Can sustainable investors have their cake and eat it too? Takeaways Chapter Six: Building a Portfolio with a Purpose: How to Benefit You and Society 6.1. What are common misconceptions about sustainable investing? 6.2. Why should sustainable investors take a portfolio perspective? 6.3. What steps are in the portfolio management process? 6.4. What is an investment policy statement? 6.5. Why should sustainable investors have an investment policy statement? 6.6. What role does asset allocation play in the investment decision-making process? 6.7. What types or classes of assets are available to sustainable investors? 6.8. What are the main determinants of asset allocation? 6.9. What are the two most common strategies for asset allocation and their advantages and 6.11. What are other types of asset allocation strategies available? 6.12. What are some guidelines of asset allocation for

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGrand Transitions shows Vaclav Smil truly to be Bringing It All Back Home * John Roy Porter, Natures Sciences Sociétés *Vaclav Smil is my favorite author. * Bill Gates, GatesNotes *His book roams impressively around the globe and across five centuries as it asks big questions and searches for big answers. . . .His five-pack of grand transitions encompasses population, agriculture and diets, energy, economy, and environment. . . . anyone who hasn't read about these subjects since graduation will be awestruck by the amount of research that has gone into these vaguely familiar stories. Smil pulls recent studies together, throws in a few of his own, offers interpretive twists, and fills his account with delicious nuggets of information. (This book actually got me in trouble at home, as I kept asking my family, "Did you know..." about some gem of an anecdote.) * Andre Schmid, Literary Review of Canada *No one writes about the great issues of our time with more rigor or erudition than Vaclav Smil. Grand Transitions is at once sweeping, sobering, and profoundly informative. * Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction, winner of the Pulitzer Prize *An expert portrait of spectacular technical and economic advances that many in the 21st century enjoy but which exclude large segments of the population and are creating problems that may or may not be solvable. Ingenious, insightful, and disturbing. * Kirkus *Underpinned by mesmerizing data and deep analysis, Grand Transitions provides a clear and compelling framework for thinking about the future of energy, the environment, and the economy. A feast for anyone interested in the future of energy. A must read. * Atul Arya, Chief Energy Strategist, IHS Markit *Grand Transitions is the epitome of excellence in integrative systemic scientific analysis, anchored in a magisterial exploration of the main five transitions of mankind since civilizations emerged. And it provides a healthy antidote to the wishful thinking so prevalent today. Decision makers and the public should educate themselves with this authoritative evaluation, which will shape their decisions on how to ensure a harmonious, sustainable future for all. * Didier Sornette, Professor of Entrepreneurial Risks and Finance, ETH Zurich *For a generation, polymath Vaclav Smil has expounded on the big patterns in energy, food, and other means through which humans have transformed their environment. In Grand Transitions he has zoomed out even further to paint a picture of how the pieces fit together and to explain how the modern world works. In elegant prose with relentless attention to fact and reality-rare these days-he has written a masterpiece that forces you to think, disagree, wonder, and grapple with the accomplishments and challenges of today's industrial society. * David G. Victor, Professor of International Relations, University of California, San Diego *In Grand Transitions, Vaclav Smil reminds us of the fundamental point that the economy cannot be untethered from nature. Technological ingenuity has loosened the links, but the outlook for economic gains--or losses--is inextricably tied to the dynamics of population change, and of food and energy production. * Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge *Investing requires quantification of impact. But Vaclav Smil convincingly challenges the increased reliance on applying mathematical modelling to single-frame narratives. He steadily illustrates why such approaches seldom provide useful enough insights, as they tend to ignore technical constraints and biospheric limits. * Philippe Rohner, Pictet Asset Management *Smil offers a sweeping account of the deep material forces that have shaped the modern world... He tells a remarkable story of the human capacity to innovate, build, and integrate societies across vast distances. * Foreign Affairs *Smil is a conjurer with numbers. In Grand Transitions, he works to show just how thoroughly this is now a planet of our making--and how rapidly the transformation is still happening. * Washington Post *Table of Contents1. Epochal Transitions 2. Populations 3. Agricultures and Diets 4. Energies 5. Economies 6. Environment 7. Outcomes and Outlooks

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Book SynopsisIn Human Well-Being and the Natural Environment, Partha Dasgupta explores ways to measure the quality of life. Although the problem pervades a number of academic disciplines, it is not confined to the academic realm. International organizations regularly publish cross-country estimates of the quality of life, journalists and commentators publicize them, and national governments are obliged to take note of them. Today, quality-of-life indices broker political arguments and together form a coin that even helps purchase economic and social policy.It is therefore ironic that indices of human well-being in current use are notably insensitive to our dependence on the natural environment, both at a moment in time and across generations. Moreover, international discussions on economic development in poor regions all too frequently ignore the natural resource base. In developing quality-of-life measures, Professor Dasgupta pays particular attention to the natural environment, illustrating how iTrade ReviewPartha Dasgupta is a very highly regarded economic theorist, and this book shows why. Dasgupta writes more clearly, and in a more acessible manner than most highly regarded economic theorists ... this book has much to recommend it ... elegant and incisive analysis. * Journal of Public Policy *A very interesting and stimulating book. * Journal of Economics *Exemplary exposition of the environment's role in fostering socio-economic advance as part of human well-being ... enlightening from start to finish. * Nature *Building on his classic magnum opus ... Partha Dasgupta has joined this rethink in an intellectually rich, thought-provoking and occasionally metaphysical work. His new book probes many issues beyond those that might be anticipated from the title and confirms his position as one of the most exciting economic thinkers today ... we can ask why so many feel we need reforms in ethical behaviour to ensure sustainability. Dasgupta touches on some of the framework needed to answer this question. More is needed. If anyone is going to supply it is is likely to be Dasgupta. * Times Higher Education Supplement *Concepts like GDP focus on easily measurable things, whilst omitting ecosystem services and other environmental factors on which life ultimately depends. Partha Dasgupta is a seminal figure in his discipline, taking on the difficult, yet hugely important, task of trying meaningfully to measure ''quality of life''. This book will, I hope, set the tone for the new millennium, melding conventional economic concepts, ecological and environmental science, and a great deal of plain commonsense. Read it. * Lord Robert May, University of Oxford *Table of ContentsSummary and Guide ; Introduction: Means and Ends ; PROLOGUE ; 1. The Notion of Well-Being ; *1 Ordering Social States ; 2. Why Measure Well-Being? ; 3. Constituents and Determinants of Well-Being ; PROLOGUE ; 4. Theory ; 5. Current Quality of Life in Poor Countries ; PROLOGUE ; 6. Intergenerational Well-Being ; *6 Intergenerational Conflicts ; 7. Economic Institutions and the Natural Environment ; 8. Valuing Goods ; 9. Wealth and Well-Being ; PROLOGUE ; 10. Policy Reforms ; 11. Discounting Future Consumption: How and Why ; 12. Institutional Responses to Policy Change ; PROLOGUE ; 13. Some Views ; 14. Classical Utilitarianism and the Genesis Problem ; *14 Numbers and Well-Being under Classical Utilitarianism ; 15. Actual versus Potential Lives ; *15 Generation-Relative Utilitarianism ; Appendix

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Book Synopsis''Grow first, clean up later'' environmental strategies in the developing economies of East Asia - China, Korea, and Taiwan in Northeast Asia and Indonesia, Malaysia, the Phillippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in Southeast Asia - pose a critical regional and global sustainability challenge in this area of continuing rapid urban-based industrial growth. It is the most polluted region in the world.Whilst being at the leading edge of the processes of urbanization, industrialization, and globalization these economies are in the midst, not at the end, of their urban-industrial transformations. During the next 25 years urban populations in the region are expected roughly to double, and most of the industrial capital stock that will be on the ground by 2030 has not yet been built. Given East Asia''s growing size in the world''s economy and ecology, and its increasingly polluted environment, this looming urban-industrial transformation is both a challenge and an opportunity. Unless steps are taken now to make this transformation more sustainable, East Asia''s, and the world''s, environmental future is likely to deteriorate seriously.Using detailed case studies and rigorous empirical analyses Rock and Angel, leading experts in this field, show that East Asian governments have found institutionally unique ways to overcome the sustainability challenge. As a result of these findings, they demonstrate how even low income economies in the rest of the world can use regulatory polices, industrial policies, and an openness to trade and foreign investment that will increase the competitiveness of their firms whilst improving their environmental performance, thus proving an important antidote to those who argue that poor countries cannot afford to clean up their environment whilst their economies remain under-developed.Table of Contents1. East Asia's Sustainability Challenge ; 2. Late Industrialization and Technological Capabilities Building ; 3. Policy Integration: From Technology Upgrading to Industrial Environmental Improvement ; 4. The Role of Environmental Regulatory Agencies in Sustainability: Korea and Indonesia ; 5. Globalization, Opennes to Trade and Investment, Technology Transfer and Technology and the Environment: The Cement Industry in East Asia ; 6. Win-Win Environmental Intensity or Technique Effects and Technological Learning: Evidence from Siam City Cement ; 7. Impact of Multinational Corporations' Firm-Based Environmental Standards on Subsidiaries and their Suppliers: Evidence from Motorola-Penang ; 8. Global Standards and the Environmental Performance of Industry ; 9. Implications for other Industrializing Economies ; 10. Prospects for Policy Integration in Low Income Economies ; 11. Bibliography

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Book SynopsisEconomists studying environmental collective action and green governance have paid little attention to gender. Research on gender and green governance in other disciplines has focused mainly on women''s near absence from forestry institutions. This interdisciplinary book turns that focus on its head to ask: what if women were present in these institutions? What difference would that make? Would women''s inclusion in forest governance - undeniably important for equity - also affect decisions on forest use and outcomes for conservation and subsistence? Are women''s interests in forests different from men''s? Would women''s presence lead to better forests and more equitable access? Does it matter which class of women governs? And how large a presence of women would make an impact? Answers to these questions can prove foundational for effective environmental governance. Yet they have hardly been empirically investigated. In an analysis that is conceptually sophisticated and statistically rTrade ReviewGender and Green Governance is a magisterial work of astounding erudition. While resplendent with field interviews and statistical tables, its ultimate significance is as a thought-provoking examination of political institutionswhat makes them legitimate, efficient, inclusive, representative and stable over time. * Studies in Indian Politics *Gender and Green Governance will rightly be acknowledged as a classic not just in environmental studies, but in studies of development, governance, public action and public service delivery more broadly ... It is a rigorous, engaged and deeply serious exploration of the conditions under which the greater involvement of women in forest management committees improves the quality of environmental (or green) governance ... it is a landmark text. * Stuart Corbridge, The Journal of Development Studies *[A] tour de force ... rigorous, insightful and broad-ranging ... The book is innovative at more levels than one can list. * Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Indian Express *An impressive study of women and community forestry in India and Nepal. * Nancy Folbre, The New York Times *Path-breaking...an immense contribution not only to ecological economics but also to political science, rural sociology, and energy studies...a landmark contribution with depth and insight. * Joan Martinez-Alier, Economic and Political Weekly *An immense, novel contribution to the literature and a milestone in the ongoing debate on forest governance, gender, rural energy and political economy...exceptional. * Kanchana Wickramasinghe, South Asia Economic Journal *A timely reminder of the need for broad-based "Green Governance" which is inclusive of women. While focused on the forestry sector, the book very convincingly establishes the principle of community participation in management, conservation and sustainable use of dwindling natural resources. * Khawar Mumtaz, The Friday Times *Bina Agarwal has crafted a book of central importance in today's world. Both women and their connections with forests have been under-represented in the field, in academic research, and in policy. With analytical rigour and originality, Agarwal bridges these major gaps in our understanding of the difference women can make, when they are actively involved in forest governance. * Elinor Ostrom, Nobel Laureate in Economics 2009 *Beautifully written and soundly argued, this book makes an outstanding contribution to the fields of both environmental economics and governance. Drawing on over a decade of fieldwork in India and Nepal, and eschewing easy generalizations, Bina Agarwal offers a richly layered and insightful treatment of the effects of women's presence in local bodies governing village forests. * Jean-Philippe Platteau, University of Namur and co-author of Halting Degradation of Natural Resources *A nuanced analysis that demonstrates the value of mixed-methods approaches ... an important book. * Ruth Meinzein-Dick, Feminist Economics *Cutting across areas of economics, environmental studies, political economy, gender studies, local green governance and public policy, this book needs to be read by all...this is a book for the people. * Manju Chellani, Indian Journal of Gender Studies *Table of ContentsPART 1: THE POTENTIAL OF PRESENCE; PART 2: THE IMPACT OF PRESENCE; PART 3: BEYOND PRESENCE

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Book SynopsisAccelerating energy innovation could be an important part of an effective response to the threat of climate change. This book explores the role that public and private policy have played in enabling - and sustaining - swift innovation in a variety of industries, from agriculture and the life sciences to information technology.

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Book SynopsisExamines literary evidence and government and scientific documents to uncover the history of changing attitudes towards wetlands in the American Midwest. This text charts the changes brought about in scientific research agendas, government policies, and farmers' strategies for managing their land.Table of ContentsList of figures List of tables Preface 1: Changing Attitudes 2: Physical Characteristics of Wet Prairies and Bogs 3: Native American Occupation 4: Early Nineteenth-century Views of Wetlands 5: Landowners, Cattlemen, Railroads, and Tenants on Wet Prairies 6: Draining and Agricultural Change on Wet Prairies 7: Occupying, Draining, and Abandoning Northern Bogs and Swamps 8: Utilizing and Conserving Wet Prairies since 1930 9: Changing Wetland Images and Values Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisUsing economic models and empirical analysis, this title examines a range of agricultural and biofuel policy issues with regard to their effects on American agricultural and agrarian insurance markets.

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Book SynopsisBringing together contributions from leading researchers, this volume reflects on the political, institutional and social factors that have shaped the recent expansion of wind energy, and to consider what lessons this experience may provide for the future expansion of other renewable technologies.Trade Review'What the book does well is to identify and disucss several barriers to making wind projects more acceptable for communities and environmental groups...Learning from Wind Power is an accessible and weighty contribution to the field.' - Ralitsa Hiteva, Sustainable Consumption Institute and School of Environment and Development, University of Manchester, Environment and PlanningTable of ContentsWind Power: Towards a Sustainable Energy Future?; C.Warren , R.Cowell , G.Ellis , P.A.Strachan & J.Szarka PART I: GOVERNANCE AND POLICY LEARNING Wind Power: Opportunities, Limits and Challenges; D.Elliott Wind Power Policy in Germany and the UK; V.Lauber Wind Power and Spatial Planning in the UK; S.Power & R.Cowell From Laggard to World Leader: the United Kingdom's Adoption of MarineWind Energy; S.Jay Planning with the Missing Masses: Innovative Wind Power Planning in France; A.Nadai PART II: SOCIETAL ENGAGEMENT WITH WIND POWER The Misdirected Opposition to Wind Energy; M.J.Pasqualletti The Social Experience of Noise from Wind Farms; C.Haggett Navigating a Minefield? Wind Power and Local Community BenefitFunds; P.A.Strachan & D.Jones Fostering Public Engagement in Wind Energy Development: the Role of Intermediaries and Community Benefits; P.Devine-Wright Social Acceptance of Wind Energy Projects: Learning from Trans-national Experience; S.Huber , R.Hobarty & G.Ellis Drawing Lessons from Wind Power for Future Sustainable Energy; J.Szarka , G.Ellis , R.Cowell , P.A.Strachan & C.Warren

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Book SynopsisThe human imprint on the biosphere has become so pronounced in recent years that there has been talk of a new geological era, the 'Anthropocene'. Gathering contributions from some of the world's foremost heterodox economists, this book explores the new economic directionsandparadigmsthat are required to respond to this crisis.Table of ContentsThe Integration of Social, Ecological and Economic Knowledge; C. Spash The Fog of Economics; R. Ayres New Narratives for Sustainability: The Red Pill for Economists; M. Giampietro & K. Mayumi Social Metabolism, Environmental Cost-Shifting and Valuation Languages; J. Martinez-Alier Meanings and Significance of Property with Reference to Today's Three Major Eco-Institutional Crises; R. Steppacher & J. Gerber An Institutional and Evolutionary Critique of Natural Capital; L. Krall & J. Gowdy From Utilitarianism to Evolution in Ecological Economics; G. Hodgson Economics: The Dismal Science? S. Marglin Moving from a Failed Growth Economy to a Steady-State Economy; H. Daly Global Poverty and Financial Crisis: Are We Trapped in an Obsolete Economic Order? D. Bromley

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Book SynopsisThe Third Industrial Revolution is an insider's account of the next great economic era, including a look into the personalities and players - heads of state, global CEOs, social entrepreneurs, and NGOs - who are pioneering its implementation around the world.Table of ContentsIntroduction PART I: THE THIRD INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION The Real Economic Crisis Everyone Missed A New Narrative Turning Theory to Practice PART II: LATERAL POWER Distributed Capitalism Beyond Right and Left From Globalization to Continentalization PART III: THE COLLABORATIVE AGE Retiring Adam Smith A Classroom Makeover Morphing from the Industrial to the Collaborative Era

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Book SynopsisDemonstrates that the claim that neoclassical economics is a science comparable to the physical sciences is totally bogus and that our failure to recognize and deal with this fact constitutes the greatest single barrier to the timely resolution of the crisis in the global environment.Trade ReviewOf inputs, outputs, and invisible hands: a prolegomenon to a future economics that takes environmental costs fully into account... there's a new accountant in town, and he's counting megawatts and felled forests. Kirkus Reviews This well-annotated, scholarly treatment of a dense subject is written in a lively style. Publisher's Weekly The Wealth of Nature makes a convincing case that there is no logic in assuming that neoclassical economics can account for the environmental impacts of economic activities or indeed find economic solutions to environmental problems... The book has already been acclaimed as 'an important book on a critical issue' that will help readers to understand the weakness of much of the argument that surrounds conventional economic thinking. -- J. N. R. Jeffers International Journal of Sustainable Development A valuable and very timely book, one that should be read by anyone interested in economics and ecology in our rapidly changing global economy. -- Dale Toweill Science Books & Films ...effective introductions to vitally important topics notoriously difficult to do justice to... -- Zoe Young Times Literary Supplement (Economics) The connections he makes between economies and the natural sciences are as fascintating as they are inspired. His ideas are unique, packed with substance, and bundled together with persuasive arguments. -- Todd Wellnitz Ecology This author is to be applauded for...initiating what should be a new conciliatory dialogue on economics and the environment -- Christopher P. Dunn Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Spaceship Earth: Homo economicus and the Environmental Crisis 2. The Not So Worldly Philosophers: Metaphysics, Newtonian Physics, and Classical Economics 3. The Emperor Has No Clothes: The Neoclassical Economists and Mid-Nineteenth Century Physics 4. No Free Lunch: Mainstream Economics and Globalization 5. A Green Thumb on the Invisible Hand: Environmental Economics 6. Schisms, Heresies, and Keeping the Faith: Ecological Economics 7. The Real Economy in Biology: Emergence and a New View of Order 8. The Real Economy in Physics: Cosmic Connections 9. Toward a New Theory of Economics: The Costs of Doing Business in the Global Environment 10. The Ceremony of Innocence: Science, Ethics, and the Environmental Crisis

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Book SynopsisA landmark, data-driven assessment for decision makers intent on insuring their interests against climate change.Trade ReviewPoints the way toward a new era in climate-risk analysis... [T]he authors not only provide a basis for rational judgments by policy makers but also open a new avenue toward progressive improvement in our understanding of risk. -- From the opening commentary by Michael Oppenheimer, Princeton University Solid scholarship shows that we can improve the economy through wise use of our knowledge of climate change and energy. Better quantifying the uncertainties and near-certainties will help guide wise policies. Economic Risks of Climate Change: An American Prospectus is an important step forward. -- Richard Alley, Pennsylvania State University, author of Earth: The Operators' Manual This report has changed my understanding of what climate change means for the United States, providing incredibly detailed visibility into regional changes in climate and their economic consequences to specific sectors. Given its unique ability to touch home for so many, I suspect the study will ultimately be considered a landmark contribution in our understanding of this complex and vital subject. -- From the opening commentary by Michael Greenstone, University of Chicago This report is a careful, very timely and fundamentally important contribution... Its legacy should be continued research to assess and, where possible, quantify those impacts that cannot now be avoided, and which must be adapted to, as well as to gain a better grasp of just how huge the risks of unmanaged climate change are likely to be, even for a superpower. -- From the opening commentary by Lord Nicholas Stern and Bob Ward, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the EnvironmentTable of ContentsForeword, by Michael R. Bloomberg, Henry M. Paulson Jr., and Thomas F. Steyer Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Part 1. America's Climate Future Opening Commentary, by Michael Oppenheimer 2. What We Know 3. What Comes Next 4. U.S. Climate Projections Part 2. Assessing the Impact of America's Changing Climate Opening Commentary, by Michael Greenstone 5. An Evidence-Based Approach 6. Agriculture 7. Labor 8. Health 9. Crime 10. Energy 11. Coastal Communities Part 3. Pricing Climate Risk Opening Commentary, by Geoffrey Heal 12. From Impacts to Economics 13. Direct Costs and Benefits 14. Macroeconomic Effects 15. Valuing Risk and Inequality Part 4. Unquantified Impacts Opening Commentary, by Nicholas Stern and Bob Ward 16. What We Miss 17. Water 18. Forests 19. Tourism 20. National Security Part 5. Insights for Climate-Risk Management Opening Commentary, by Karen Fisher-Vanden 21. Mitigation 22. Adaptation Technical Appendixes Appendix A. Physical Climate Projections Appendix B. Climate Impacts Appendix C. Detailed Sectoral Models Appendix D. Integrated Economic Analysis Appendix E. Valuing Risk and Unequal Impacts References About the Authors Index

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Book SynopsisRevolutionizing the way we approach international development, poverty, disease, and disaster relief.Trade ReviewCapital and the Common Good shows we are living in a time where financial tools can expand to solve some of the world's most vexing problems. This book is packed with information and inspiration. -- Robert J. Shiller, Nobel Laureate in Economics Georgia Levenson Keohane weaves together case studies from around the globe that illustrate the immense potential of market mechanisms to more effectively use public, philanthropic, and private sector funds to address the world's seismic challenges. Capital and the Common Good should be read by policy makers, philanthropic funders, and private investors alike-anyone looking for practical approaches to improve outcomes on the pressing issues of our day, from climate change to public health to economic inequality to urban revitalization. -- Robert E. Rubin, cochairman of the Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Development assistance and philanthropy are vital resources in the campaign to solve the world's big developmental and social issues. But they are not enough. There has never been a greater need for innovative finance to meet the scale of economic and social disparities. In this exceptional work, Keohane shows us how we can make capitalism work better for all. -- Philippe Douste-Blazy, under-secretary-general and special adviser on innovative financing for development, United Nations Keohane shows how market-based solutions can be applied to some of our most pressing global challenges through public-private partnerships. She does an excellent job of bridging the world of academia, finance, philanthropy, and policy, providing examples of some of the most impactful partnerships. -- Sonal Shah, executive director, Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation With the wave of some visible hands, innovative financiers are turning their skills and tools to poverty, global health, and climate change. Keohane dives into this work with relish, detail, and insight-guiding us deftly through the complex world of impact investing. -- Sheryl WuDunn, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author of A Path Appears and Half the Sky Keohane is an engaging writer, a strong storyteller, an incisive and expansive thinker, and has, in this book, provided an unprecedented collection of innovative finance approaches for social impact. -- Ben Mangan, executive director, Center for Social Sector Leadership, Haas School of Business, Berkeley [Capital and the Common Good] shows that finance can be, and often is, allied with the interests of the public good. -- Brenda Jubin Investing.com An enlightening choice, the likely audience of which is finance and economic development professionals. Library Journal An impressively written, organized and presented study... A critically important and seminal work of exceptional scholarship that is unreservedly recommended, especially for community and academic library Contemporary Economics collections and supplemental studies reading lists. Midwest Book Review Ms. Keohane has many ideas that could do much good and could conceivably be pursued much further under a business-oriented president. -- Robert J. Shiller New York Times: Upshot Immensely informative, easily readable, and definitive... This is definitely a must-read for anyone wishing to undertand the background and efects of innovative financing... Essential. CHOICETable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Innovative Finance and the Visible Hand 1. REDD Forests, Green Bonds, and the Price of Carbon 2. Health: Medicine for Market Failure 3. Financial Inclusion and Access to Capital 4. Toward a New Disaster Finance: Redefining Risk, Response, and Resilience 5. Innovative Finance in Communities Across the United States Conclusion: Financing the Future: The Lessons of Innovative Finance and the TIES That Bind Epilogue: The Road Ahead Notes Index

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Book SynopsisConfronting the Climate Challenge presents a unique framework for evaluating the impacts of U.S. climate-policy options. Lawrence Goulder and Marc Hafstead demonstrate that these policies—if designed correctly—not only can reduce emissions at low cost but also can avoid burdening low-income households or especially vulnerable industries.Trade ReviewCurbing greenhouse gases is one of the most challenging issues we face. While the benefits are potentially huge, developing policies to keep costs down is urgent. Goulder and Hafstead's well-written and accessible book carefully explains the issue and evaluates the main policy proposals. It is a must read for anyone interested in the details of climate mitigation. I strongly recommend it. -- Robert Mendelsohn, Yale UniversityTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsI: Introduction And Analytical Background1. Introduction2. Climate Policy, Fiscal Interactions, and Economic OutcomesII: The Model’s Structure, Inputs, and Baseline Output3. Structure of the E3 Model4. Data, Parameters, and the Reference Case PathIII: Policy Approaches And Outcomes5. Two Approaches to Carbon Dioxide Emissions Pricing: A Carbon Tax and a Cap-And-Trade System6. Alternatives to Emissions Pricing: A Clean Energy Standard and a Gasoline Tax Increase7. Distribution of Policy Impacts Across Industries and HouseholdsIV: Conclusions8. Key InsightsAppendix AAppendix BAppendix CAppendix DNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisWhat Really Counts is an essential, firsthand story of the promise and challenges of accounting for social, economic, and environmental benefits. Ronald Colman recounts two decades of working with three governments to adopt measures capable of quantifying factors that GDP overlooks.Trade ReviewThis moving firsthand saga explains why brilliant solutions so often languish on the periphery of public policy. What Really Counts is the compelling and inspiring story of a life dedicated to promoting holistic progress measures. It charts a practical and painfully learned path to the saner sustainable future we all need. -- Jigmi Y. Thinley, former prime minister of BhutanWhat Really Counts is a fantastic journey on a topic that should be at the core of the transformation of our economies and societies. We urgently need this perspective, especially after our COVID-19 shutdowns, to take our world onto a sustainable development path. -- Enrico Giovannini, Italian minister for sustainable infrastructures and mobility and former OECD chief statisticianRonald Colman is an unstoppable pioneer recognizing the need to “measure what you treasure.” His roadmap, built on creating a Genuine Progress Index in Canada and on his many years working with the government of Bhutan, is a must-read for anyone interested in building a future that works for all. A page-turner! -- Mathis Wackernagel, cocreator of the Ecological Footprint and cofounder of the Global Footprint NetworkUnique, important, compelling, and timely, What Really Counts gets below the surface of what keeps our misguided reliance on GDP in place. Colman uncovers the political forces and vested interests involved with GDP measures and how they work together to stifle meaningful change toward a sustainable well-being economy and planet. -- Robert Costanza, University College London, cofounder of the field of ecological economicsI had the pleasure of working with Ronald Colman on the establishment of GPI Atlantic. He worked tirelessly on this mission in Nova Scotia and Bhutan, producing first-class, thoroughly researched reports that push for political change on levels from local to international. This book is timely and readable in its understanding measures of progress in terms of social and intergenerational equity. -- Hans Messinger, former director of industry measures, Statistics CanadaTable of ContentsA Note to Readers: Coronavirus—a Turning Point for Humanity?Prologue1. The Magic Number2. Counting What Matters3. A Nova Scotia Start4. The New Measures in Action5. Scaling Up6. Challenges Behind the Scenes7. Genuine Progress Meets Politics8. A New Zealand Interlude9. Invitation to Bhutan10. (Mis)Measuring Gross National Happiness11. Educating for Gross National Happiness12. The Gap Between Words and Action13. A “New Economic Paradigm” for the World14. Can Genuine Progress Really Happen?15. Forging a New EconomyAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a positive vision of an environmentally sustainable future and lays out the steps ahead as we make the transition. Steven Cohen explores the causes of environmental degradation and examines what sustainability looks like in practice.Trade ReviewAs a preeminent scholar of environmental science and policy, Steven Cohen is uniquely qualified to assess the major question of this extraordinary book: ‘How do we realistically get from the current economic paradigm to one that permits economic growth while protecting the planet’s ecosystems?’ With rigor and nuance, he analyzes the challenges, assesses the competing ideological positions, and proposes pragmatic responses that can help us achieve a growing economy within the limits of environmental sustainability. His levelheaded and well-founded evaluations provide workable responses to the competing economic and environmental forces that face society. I salute his optimistic outlook and urge that stakeholders at all levels heed his carefully balanced recommendations. -- Michael M. Crow, president and professor of science and technology policy, Arizona State UniversityEnvironmentally Sustainable Growth offers a comprehensive yet digestible approach to building a sustainable future. Cohen’s deep expertise working in the field of environmental sustainability shines through in this book. He synthesizes several decades of knowledge while incorporating timely lessons and examples that illustrate his pragmatic approach. These lessons include strategic investments in infrastructure, technology, industrial processes, political processes, and organizational capacity, which are all necessary for overcoming the barriers we face in achieving a sustainable future. Anyone interested in understanding how to minimize the impacts of human consumption and production on environmental health without sacrificing the vibrancy of our economy should read Environmentally Sustainable Growth. -- Tanya Heikkila, codirector of the Center for Policy and Democracy, University of Colorado DenverEnvironmentally Sustainable Growth offers an ambitious framework and road map for how societies can transform themselves to become more sustainable. An original and significant contribution to the literature on sustainable development. -- Sheldon Kamieniecki, dean emeritus, Division of Social Sciences at the University of California, Santa CruzCohen does a marvelous job of illustrating case examples, drawing on years of research on environmental sustainability, stressing especially those issues most relevant to younger generations. Libraries with collections on environmental studies, the sciences, and natural resource policy and management should have a copy of this text. Highly recommended. * Choice Reviews *Highly recommended. * American Library Association (ALA) *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. Defining and Understanding Environmental Sustainability2. The Current State of Environmental Degradation3. The Fundamental Causes of Environmental Degradation4. A Strategy for Reducing Pollution and Growing a Renewable Resource-Based Economy5. Building Public Sector Infrastructure to Support Environmental Sustainability6. Changing the Politics and Communication of Environmental SustainabilityConclusion: The Long Transition to Environmental Sustainability Is Already UnderwayIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a positive vision of an environmentally sustainable future and lays out the steps ahead as we make the transition. Steven Cohen explores the causes of environmental degradation and examines what sustainability looks like in practice.Trade ReviewAs a preeminent scholar of environmental science and policy, Steven Cohen is uniquely qualified to assess the major question of this extraordinary book: ‘How do we realistically get from the current economic paradigm to one that permits economic growth while protecting the planet’s ecosystems?’ With rigor and nuance, he analyzes the challenges, assesses the competing ideological positions, and proposes pragmatic responses that can help us achieve a growing economy within the limits of environmental sustainability. His levelheaded and well-founded evaluations provide workable responses to the competing economic and environmental forces that face society. I salute his optimistic outlook and urge that stakeholders at all levels heed his carefully balanced recommendations. -- Michael M. Crow, president and professor of science and technology policy, Arizona State UniversityEnvironmentally Sustainable Growth offers a comprehensive yet digestible approach to building a sustainable future. Cohen’s deep expertise working in the field of environmental sustainability shines through in this book. He synthesizes several decades of knowledge while incorporating timely lessons and examples that illustrate his pragmatic approach. These lessons include strategic investments in infrastructure, technology, industrial processes, political processes, and organizational capacity, which are all necessary for overcoming the barriers we face in achieving a sustainable future. Anyone interested in understanding how to minimize the impacts of human consumption and production on environmental health without sacrificing the vibrancy of our economy should read Environmentally Sustainable Growth. -- Tanya Heikkila, codirector of the Center for Policy and Democracy, University of Colorado DenverEnvironmentally Sustainable Growth offers an ambitious framework and road map for how societies can transform themselves to become more sustainable. An original and significant contribution to the literature on sustainable development. -- Sheldon Kamieniecki, dean emeritus, Division of Social Sciences at the University of California, Santa CruzCohen does a marvelous job of illustrating case examples, drawing on years of research on environmental sustainability, stressing especially those issues most relevant to younger generations. Libraries with collections on environmental studies, the sciences, and natural resource policy and management should have a copy of this text. Highly recommended. * Choice Reviews *Highly recommended. * American Library Association (ALA) *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. Defining and Understanding Environmental Sustainability2. The Current State of Environmental Degradation3. The Fundamental Causes of Environmental Degradation4. A Strategy for Reducing Pollution and Growing a Renewable Resource-Based Economy5. Building Public Sector Infrastructure to Support Environmental Sustainability6. Changing the Politics and Communication of Environmental SustainabilityConclusion: The Long Transition to Environmental Sustainability Is Already UnderwayIndex

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES BEST ECONOMICS BOOK OF 2022 ''A landmark book... The Blue Commons is at once a brilliant synthesis, a searing analysis, and an inspiring call to action.'' - David Bollier''With remarkable erudition, passion and lyricism, Guy Standing commands the reader to wake up to the threat posed by rentier capitalism''s violent policies for extraction, exploitation and depletion of that which is both common to us all, but also vital to our survival: the sea and all within it.'' - Ann Pettifor ''Shines a bright light on the economy of the oceans, directing us brilliantly towards where a sustainable future lies.'' - Danny Dorling''This is a powerful, visionary book - essential reading for all who yearn for a better world.'' - Jason HickelThe sea provides more than half the oxygen we breathe, food for billions of people and livelihoods for hundreds of millions. But giant corporations are plundering the world''s oceans, ai

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES BEST ECONOMICS BOOK OF 2022 ''A landmark book... The Blue Commons is at once a brilliant synthesis, a searing analysis, and an inspiring call to action.'' - David Bollier''With remarkable erudition, passion and lyricism, Guy Standing commands the reader to wake up to the threat posed by rentier capitalism''s violent policies for extraction, exploitation and depletion of that which is both common to us all, but also vital to our survival: the sea and all within it.'' - Ann Pettifor ''Shines a bright light on the economy of the oceans, directing us brilliantly towards where a sustainable future lies.'' - Danny Dorling''This is a powerful, visionary book - essential reading for all who yearn for a better world.'' - Jason HickelThe sea provides more than half the oxygen we breathe, food for billions of people and livelihoods for hundreds of millions. But giant corporations are plundering the world''s oceans, aided by global finance and complicit states, following the neoliberal maxim of Blue Growth. The situation is dire: rampant exploitation and corruption now drive all aspects of the ocean economy, destroying communities, intensifying inequalities, and driving fish populations and other ocean life towards extinction.The Blue Commons is an urgent call for change, from a campaigning economist responsible for some of the most innovative solutions to inequality of recent times. From large nations bullying smaller nations into giving up eco-friendly fishing policies to the profiteering by the Crown Estate in commandeering much of the British seabed, the scale of the global problem is synthesised here for the first time, as well as a toolkit for all of us to rise up and tackle it.The oceans have been left out of calls for a Green New Deal but must be at the centre of the fight against climate change. How do we do it? By building a Blue Commons alternative: a transformative worldview and new set of proposals that prioritise the historic rights of local communities, the wellbeing of all people and, with it, the health of our oceans.Trade ReviewIn this landmark book, Guy Standing not only documents how state-corporate collusion is destroying fragile ocean ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal communities. He explains how degrowth economics and fishery commons could restore the 'Blue Commons-Wealth' that belongs to all of us. The Blue Commons is at once a brilliant synthesis, a searing analysis, and an inspiring call to action -- David Bollier * author of The Commoner’s Catalog for Changemaking *Shines a bright light on the economy of the oceans, directing us brilliantly towards where a sustainable future lies -- Danny DorlingGuy Standing writes with remarkable erudition, but also with passion and lyricism about the Blue Commons. He commands the reader to wake up to the threat posed by rentier capitalism's violent policies for extraction, exploitation and depletion of that which is both common to us all, but also vital to our survival: the sea and all within it. He offers radical and hopeful alternatives to the dominant economics for 'making a killing' from the commodification of nature - giving hope to the dedicated stewards of the seas - fishers and 'blue commoners' - but also to his readers -- Ann PettiforAs capital sets its sights on the seas, our planet's final frontier, the struggle for the commons becomes all the more urgent. This is a powerful, visionary book - essential reading for all who yearn for a better world -- Jason HickelA powerful indictment of all that has gone wrong with contemporary oceanic governance, and an inspiring account of how it can be put right. Guy Standing shows how local communities can turn the tide on neoliberal excess and put a vibrant and inclusive politics in its place -- Chris ArmstrongLooking out of my window at the radiant blue of the Aegean Sea, I surrender to the dream of a near future where Guy Standing's Blue Commons proposals have been implemented - an indispensable blue section of any genuine Green New Deal. It is a good dream, one that deserves a shot at infecting our sad reality -- Yanis VaroufakisStanding makes an urgent case for a new politics of the ocean . . . For anyone who has watched a David Attenborough documentary and wished it made a clearer appeal for a change in ocean governance, this is the book for you -- India Bourke * New Statesman *

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Book Synopsis#1 bestselling author and acclaimed venture capitalist John Doerr reveals a sweeping action plan to conquer humanity''s greatest challenge: climate change.In 2006, John Doerr was moved by Al Gore''s An Inconvenient Truth and a challenge from his teenage daughter: Dad, your generation created this problem. You better fix it. Since then, Doerr has searched for solutions to this existential problem-as an investor, an advocate and a philanthropist. Fifteen years later, despite breakthroughs in batteries, electric vehicles, plant-based proteins and solar and wind power, global warming continues to get worse. Its impact is all around us: droughts, floods, wildfires, the melting of the polar ice caps. Our world is squarely in a climate crisis and on the brink of a climate disaster. Yet despite our state of emergency, climate change has yet to be tackled with the urgency and ambition it demands. More than ever, we need a clear course of action. Fueled Trade ReviewThis book is a critical blueprint for anyone looking to take concrete steps to reach net-zero emissions. Unlike many who simply issue ambiguous long-dated pledges to help solve the climate crisis, John Doerr understands the urgent need to ACT quickly and decisively. With Speed & Scale, he combines his extensive experience as a legendary technology expert and investor with his tried-and-true management methods to put forward a clear, detailed, and comprehensive plan for climate action exactly when we need it most. * Al Gore, former U.S. Vice President *John Doerr is the world's leading mind on turning truly audacious goals into objectives and key results. In this culminating contribution, he performs an inspired act of world leadership: plying his craft to create a comprehensive plan to tackle one of the most vexing challenges in human history. * Jim Collins, author of Good to Great and Built to Last *With personal insight and visionary foresight, Doerr provides us with a practical guide for both public and private sector participation in decarbonizing the global economy, a task as challenging as it is urgent. * Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the UN Climate Change Convention *Speed & Scale is critical reading for anyone who wants to take action on the most important issue of our time: climate change. It's a challenge that feels impossible to solve, but Doerr outlines a clear path forward and how we can get involved to make an impact. * Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube *A practical path inthe fight against climate change...Doerr approaches the problem as a hard-nosed businessman who sees an opportunity, creates a plan, and organizes resources before moving ahead. Using this approach and prose that is superior to many similar books, the author crafts a specific, comprehensible description of the elements that contribute to climate change and what needs to be done...Throughout, readers are guided by ingenious illustrations and often startling facts. * Kirkus *John Doerr is a man with a plan for our planet - and boy do we need one. Keep away if you don't think commerce can play a creative role... or don't want deep dive analytics from someone who is always measuring what matters. He matters. * Bono *A brilliant, unputdownable treatise to focus attention on the most important problem of our times. * Business Standard *Immaculately researched [and] eminently readable. -- Jon Swarz * MarketWatch *A clear, accessible and actionable plan...the single best guide to thinking about climate policy. -- Fareed Zakaria * The Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisWhen it comes to the climate, we don''t need more marketing or anxiety. We need established facts and a plan for collective action.The climate is the fundamental issue of our time, yet it seems we can barely agree on what is really going on, let alone what needs to be done. We urgently need facts, not opinions. Insights, not statistics.The Carbon Almanac is a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between hundreds of writers, researchers, thinkers, and leaders that focuses on what we know, what has come before, and what might happen next. With thousands of data points, articles and charts explaining carbon''s impact on everything in our society, from our the economy to extreme weather events, it is the definitive source for facts and the basis for a global movement to fight climate change. This book isn''t what the oil companies, marketers, activists, or politicians want you to believe. This is what''s really happening, right now. Our planet is in trTrade ReviewA valuable tool in fighting the (mis)information wars that are part of a strategy to dilute, confuse and diminish the climate change narrative. A valuable, timely and important book. Buy it and give it to your children and relevant policy makers too. -- Simon Cocking * Irish Tech News *

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Book SynopsisDambisa Moyo is the critically acclaimed author of How The West Was Lost and Dead Aid. She was chosen as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009. She holds a PhD in Economics from Oxford University and a Masters from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and has worked at the World Bank and Goldman Sachs. She was born and raised in Lusaka, Zambia.Trade ReviewIf Moyo's calculations are correct, we are in big trouble - which makes the central premise of her book all the more arresting...It's not hard to see why Moyo is such a hit as a public intellectual -- Decca Aitkenhead * Guardian *Written to clarify important global questions, this book deserves a wide audience * Kirkus Reviews *With Winner Take All, Dambisa Moyo offers a timely and provocative answer to two crucial questions: How are China's leaders rushing to meet their country's exploding demand for energy, and what does this mean for the rest of us? It's a recipe for conflict-and at a crucial moment for the future of the global economy -- Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and author of 'The End of the Free Market'For anyone longing to make sense of tectonic, eco-political shifts occurring in the commodities market, Winner Takes All is a fascinating and important book. By focusing her razor-sharp mind on China's central role in the new commodities rush, Moyo sheds light on and makes sense of a profound and dramatic moment in our history. Her book is a must-read -- Peter Munk, Chairman and Founder, Barrick Gold Corporation[Praise for How The West Was Lost] Moyo is a very serious lady indeed -- Dominic Lawson * The Times *Moyo's diagnosis of the recent disasters in financial markets is succinct and sophisticated...I applaud her brave alarum -- Paul Collier * The Observer *

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Book Synopsis

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