Economics of the Environment

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XIV

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2. Introduction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. The Problem

      • Horst Siebert

      Pages 3-7

   3. Using the Environment—An Allocation Problem

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      Pages 9-26

3. Static Allocation Aspect

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 27-27

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   2. Production Theory and Transformation Space

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      Pages 29-44

   3. Optimal Environmental Use

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      Pages 45-62

   4. Environmental Quality as a Public Good

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      Pages 63-97

   5. Property-Rights Approach to the Environmental Problem

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      Pages 99-106

4. Environmental-Policy Instruments

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 107-107

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   2. Incidence of an Emission Tax

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      Pages 109-125

   3. Policy Instruments

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      Pages 127-149

   4. The Political Economy of Environmental Scarcity

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      Pages 151-157

5. Environmental Allocation in Space

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 159-159

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   2. Environmental Endowment, Competitiveness and Trade

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      Pages 161-174

   3. Transfrontier Pollution and Global Issues

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      Pages 175-190

   4. Regional Aspects of Environmental Allocation

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      Pages 191-211

6. Environmental Allocation in Time and under Uncertainty

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 213-213

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   2. Long-Term Aspects of Environmental Quality

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      Pages 215-231

   3. Economic Growth and Environmental Quality

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      Pages 233-247

"The IIlbor of nature is paid, not because she does little. In proportion as she becomes niggardly in her gifts, she exacts a greater price for her work. Where she is munificently benefi­ cient, she always works gratis. " David Ricardo * This book interprets nature and the environment as a scarce resource. Whereas in the past people lived in a paradise of environmental superabundance, at present environmental goods and services are no longer in ample supply. The environ­ ment fulfIlls many functions for the economy: it serves as a public-consumption good, as a provider of natural resources, and as receptacle of wastes. These dif­ ferent functions compete with each other. Releasing more pollutants into the environment reduces environmental quality, and a better environmental quality implies that the environment's use as a receptacle of wastes has to be restrained. Consequently, environmental disruption and environmental use are by nature allocation problems. This is the basic message of this book. If a resources is scarce and if a zero price is charged for its use, then misal­ location will result. The environment as a receptacle of wastes is heavily over­ used, and consequently environmental quality declines. Scarcity requires a price. This book analyzes how this price should be set, whether a correct price can be established through the market mechanism, and what role the government should play. The book offers a theoretical study of the allocation problem and describes different policy approaches to the environmental problem.

• Envirnomental Economics
• Umwelt
• Umweltpolitik
• Umweltökonomie
• allocation theory
• environment
• environmental economics
• environmental policy

• Kiel Institute of World Economics, Kiel 1, Germany

  Horst Siebert

Policies and ethics