Edward Elgar Publishing

Economic valuation of river systems.

Hitzhusen (environmental and natural resource economics, The Ohio State U.) presents a text reporting findings from a large, eight-year research program at The Ohio State U. to develop estimates of the benefits and costs of various water quality, infrastructure, scenic and historic river corridor impacts and improvements as a guide to economic analysis and public policy on river and related watershed restoration. The research focuses on evaluation of rivers in the Great Lakes region of the U.S. and involves a 17-person team of environmental economists, an ecological engineer and an aquatic biologist. The generally positive results have significant implications for public policy and future research. For academics, NGO and government agency staff, and citizen action groups concerned with the management and protection of rivers and other natural resource systems. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Environmental planning.

The 38 papers of this volume were selected to provide a one-stop overview of the basic thought and current state of research in the field of environmental planning. The material is divided into 8 subjects, including foundations, regulatory instruments and institutions, policy under bounded rationality, urban environmental planning, regulation of diffuse sources and land, and location and trade. The foundation articles include Ralph Turvey's seminal 1963 "On divergences between social cost and private cost", as well as the more recent "Ecological engineering; a field whose time has come" by W.J. Mitsch and S.E. Jørgensen, from the 2003 volume of Ecological engineering. The articles are reproduced in facsimile of the original. The volume includes a name, but no subject index. An introduction provides a summary of the material presented. The editors teach environmental economics and public policy, at the Free U. in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and George Mason U. in the US. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The impact of the WTO; the environment, public health and sovereignty.

Kelly (Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations, Vanderbilt U.) offers a well-researched and informative examination of the nine environmental protection and public health disputes adjudicated by the World Trade Organization (WTO). The disputes, ranging from gasoline to apples and from salmon to generic drugs, generated controversial rulings. Also, without a strong background in trade law, the language of the rulings has at times clouded their intent. The author interprets the rulings, explores the resolution process, examines the criticism leveled at the WTO, and offers a critical look at the organization's strengths and weaknesses. This volume would be of interest to anyone, from academics to policymakers, who has followed the long-running debate over the WTO's influence on public health and environmental regulations. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The technology imperative.

Tassey, Senior Economist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, analyzes the roll of technology in the economy, arguing that the model upon which many industrialized nations have based their behavior is out of date. He states that the rise of technology-based economies in Third World countries and the outsourcing of production to those countries mean that previous economic leaders, like the United States, are left with no actual products. One solution to this is to change the recent trend of funding only applied research and development and to begin investing in the experimental work that produced the technological breakthroughs of the past. He argues that the way business thinks of technology needs a radical reevaluation. The writing is accessible to the educated lay person. Tassey's work is timely and thought provoking. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)