Many critics of mainstream economics have been calling for a new compass to guide national economic policies because the existing one, the GNP, is broken. They propose a 'green national product' which would address the long-term health of the planet and its inhabitants, and focus on sustainability. Toward this end, they propose an Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW), which takes into account such elements as adjustments for income distribution, environmental damage, the value of housework, and resource depletion. Experts in the field of economic development present comments and criticisms regarding the creation of the ISEW and its outcome. The book concludes with the authors' direct response to those critical suggestions, culminating with a revised Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare. Contributors: Robert Eisner, Alan H. Young, Carol S. Carson, Robert R. Gottfried, Thomas Michael Power, E.J. Mishan, Jan Tinbergen, Richard D. Lamm, and Hans Diefenbacher. Co-published with the Human Economy Center.

The Handbook of Green Economics reveals the breadth and depth of advanced research on sustainability and growth while identifying opportunities for future developments. Through its multidimensional examination, it demonstrates how overarching concepts such as green growth, low carbon economy, circular economy, and others work together. Some chapters reflect on different discourses on the green economy, including pro-growth perspectives and transformative approaches that entail de-growth. Others argue that green policies can spark economic innovation, particularly in developing and emerging market economies. Part literature summary, part analysis, and part argument, The Handbook of Green Economics shows how the right conditions can stimulate economic growth while achieving environmental sustainability. The Handbook of Green Economics is a valuable resource for graduate students and academic researchers focusing on the green economy. With an increasing interest in the topic among researchers and policy makers, this book will set out different theoretical perspectives and explore the policy implications in this growing subject area. Covers the failures of the past, the challenges of the present, and the opportunities of the future Surveys 10 aspects of the green economy, including conceptualization, natural capital, poverty and inequality, employment, and finance Emphasizes the theoretical and empirical aspects of greening approaches that are policy-relevant

In order to really see the forest, what's the best way to count the trees? Understanding how the economy interacts with the environment has important implications for policy, regulatory, and business decisions. How should our national economic accounts recognize the increasing interest in and importance of the environment? Nature's Numbers responds to concerns about how the United States should make these measurements. The book recommends how to incorporate environmental and other non-market measures into the nation's income and product accounts. The panel explores alternative approaches to environmental accounting, including those used in other countries, and addresses thorny issues such as how to measure the stocks of natural resources and how to value non-market activities and assets. Specific applications to subsoil minerals, forests, and clean air show how the general principles can be applied. The analysis and insights provided in this book will be of interest to economists, policymakers, environmental advocates, economics faculty, businesses based on natural resources, and managers concerned with the role of the environment in our economic affairs.

From a Nobel Prize–winning pioneer in environmental economics, an innovative account of how and why “green thinking” could cure many of the world’s most serious problems—from global warming to pandemics Solving the world’s biggest problems—from climate catastrophe and pandemics to wildfires and corporate malfeasance—requires, more than anything else, coming up with new ways to manage the powerful interactions that surround us. For carbon emissions and other environmental damage, this means ensuring that those responsible pay their full costs rather than continuing to pass them along to others, including future generations. In The Spirit of Green, Nobel Prize–winning economist William Nordhaus describes a new way of green thinking that would help us overcome our biggest challenges without sacrificing economic prosperity, in large part by accounting for the spillover costs of economic collisions. In a discussion that ranges from the history of the environmental movement to the Green New Deal, Nordhaus explains how the spirit of green thinking provides a compelling and hopeful new perspective on modern life. At the heart of green thinking is a recognition that the globalized world is shaped not by isolated individuals but rather by innumerable interactions inside and outside the economy. He shows how rethinking economic efficiency, sustainability, politics, profits, taxes, individual ethics, corporate social responsibility, finance, and more would improve the effectiveness and equity of our society. And he offers specific solutions—on how to price carbon, how to pursue low-carbon technologies, how to design an efficient tax system, and how to foster international cooperation through climate clubs. The result is a groundbreaking new vision of how we can have our environment and our economy too.

Concerns about natural resource scarcity, together with the increased awareness of environmental problems, has led to widespread interest in green accounting, which attempts to extend the standard national accounts to include the yields from natural and environmental resources. For this volume, Professors Lofgren and Li have selected the classic articles in this rapidly growing area, with particular reference to sustainability. They have also written an authoritative new introduction which offers a comprehensive overview of the literature both from a historical and a formal theoretical perspective. This volume will be an invaluable reference source for scholars and practitioners seeking an in-depth understanding of the main issues in this important field.