Economics and the Environment

Enables students to understand and shape environmental policy through economics

Economics and the Environment equips students with a structured and insightful approach to examining critical questions at the heart of contemporary policy and sustainability debates through the lens of economics. Empowering students to evaluate real-world issues while building a strong foundation in environmental economics, this popular textbook explores critical questions such as “How much pollution is too much?” and “Is the government up to the job?”

The fully updated tenth edition of Economics and the Environment combines theoretical rigor with practical application, employing case studies, illustrative examples, and end-of-chapter exercises that enhance understanding and retention. Each concise chapter is designed to foster critical thinking, covering topics including pollution control, government policy, clean technology, and sustainable development. Throughout the text, students are encouraged to consider economic incentives, ethical implications, and the role of global cooperation in the context of pressing environmental issues.

A vital tool for analyzing and addressing environmental issues in today’s world, Economics and the Environment, Tenth Edition is perfect for undergraduate and graduate courses on environmental economics, policy analysis, and sustainable development within economics, business, and environmental studies programs.

New to this Edition:

• New discussions on climate change, resource economics, and energy policy
• New coverage of the implications of rapidly declining costs for solar power, battery storage, and electric vehicles
• Up-to-date Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) estimates with the latest high-impact figures currently used in policy analysis
• Insights on the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and its technology-promotion strategies
• New analysis of the potential for a disruptive energy technology transition in the 2020s
• Revised content on “peak oil” centered on a demand-side peak rather than a supply-side peak
• Expanded coverage of the shifting regulatory environment at the Environmental Protection Agency
• Fully revised chapters on valuation of the environment and cost-benefit analysis
• New and updated data, examples, figures, and review questions throughout the text

Wiley Advantage:

• Presents the latest debates, standards, and regulations to provide an engaging and relevant experience for students and instructors alike
• Frames complex environmental issues through a unique four-question approach that strengthens critical thinking
• Emphasizes sustainability and ecological economics with a focus on strong sustainability principles
• Offers diverse perspectives on government roles and limitations in environmental regulation
• Highlights ethical foundations of environmental decision-making to support deeper discussions on policy impacts
• Explores ecological economic critiques of economic growth to prepare students for advanced environmental discussions
• Presents a rigorous approach to efficient pollution control, benefit-estimation procedures, and incentive-based regulation techniques

Eban S. Goodstein is Vice President for Environmental and Social Leadership and Director of Graduate Programs in Sustainability at Bard College. He has led numerous national educational initiatives on climate change involving over 2,500 institutions. He is the author of Fighting for Love in the Century of Extinction: How Passion and Politics Can Stop Global Warming and The Trade-off Myth: Fact and Fiction about Jobs and the Environment. His work has appeared in major publications such as The New York Times, Scientific American, and The Economist. He serves on the editorial board of Sustainability: The Journal of Record.

Jason C. Wong is Assistant Professor of Economics at Babson College, specializing in applied microeconomics with a focus on connectivity and sustainable development. His research has been published in World Development, Energy Economics, and Energy Policy, among others. A Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics, Wong has won numerous teaching awards, including the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching at Columbia University. He also served as an International Parliamentary Fellow at the German Bundestag.

Stephen Polasky is Regents Professor and Fesler-Lampert Professor of Ecological/Environmental Economics at the University of Minnesota. His research bridges ecology and economics, exploring ecosystem services, biodiversity, sustainability, and renewable energy. Polasky’s work has been featured in Environmental Science & Technology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Nature Sustainability. A sought-after expert on environmental policy, he has recently collaborated with the Central Bank of Chile and the National Academy of Sciences.