Greenhouse Economics: Value and Ethics

by Spash; Clive L.

• ISBN13: 9780415127189
• ISBN10: 0415127181
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-10-18
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Greenhouse Economics: Values and Ethics examines the serious nature of global warming. In particular it explores the responsibilities the current generation might have to its successors, and how this should influence our economic approach. It challenges current literature on greenhouse economics, which has tended to shy away from these issues. The book will be of interest to advanced undergraduates and post graduates in environmental economics and ecological economics.

Author Biography

Professor Clive L. Spash holds the Research Chair in Environmental and Rural Economics at the University of Aberdeen. He is head of the Socio-Economic Research Programme at the Macaulay Institute and President of the European Society for Ecological Economics.

Table of Contents

List of figures	x
List of tables	xi
Acknowledgements	xiii
List of abbreviations	xv
Climate change: introducing some of the issues	1	(24)
Air pollution and the modern economy	2	(3)
Economic understanding of pollution	5	(1)
The scientific problem	6	(5)
A brief historical overview of developing awareness of the enhanced Greenhouse Effect	11	(9)
Values and ethical concerns	20	(1)
Conclusions	21	(4)
Scientific understanding of the enhanced Greenhouse Effect	25	(35)
Global climatic patterns	26	(6)
Sources and sinks of greenhouse gases	32	(8)
Greenhouse gas emission trends	40	(8)
Past and future trends in global climate	48	(5)
Conclusions	53	(7)
Impacts of global climate change	60	(37)
Regional impacts of greenhouse warming	63	(13)
Intertemporal impacts of global warming	76	(11)
Conclusions	87	(10)
Weak uncertainty: risk and imperfect information	97	(23)
The probability of the enhanced Greenhouse Effect	98	(9)
Measuring and predicting climatic change	107	(3)
The role of modelling	110	(5)
Conclusions	115	(5)
Strong uncertainty: ignorance and indeterminacy	120	(33)
Characterising future events	123	(5)
Economic use of weak uncertainty	128	(3)
How weak is weak uncertainty?	131	(3)
From weak to strong uncertainty	134	(7)
The changing perception of science	141	(6)
Conclusions	147	(6)
Calculating the cost and benefits of GHG control	153	(31)
The theory behind economic assessment	154	(6)
Studies using cost--benefit analysis	160	(17)
Conclusions	177	(7)
Loading the dice? Values, opinions and ethics	184	(17)
Inconsistency and disputed values	185	(7)
Strong uncertainty revisited	192	(5)
Conclusions	197	(4)
Dividing time and discounting the future	201	(20)
Discounting the future	203	(6)
Can the future be treated as less important?	209	(6)
Conclusions	215	(6)
Economics, ethics and future generations	221	(30)
Intergenerational ethical rules	223	(3)
Distinguishing basic and compensatory transfers	226	(5)
Harm and trade-offs	231	(2)
Rights versus consequences	233	(4)
Conflicting values and moral dilemmas	237	(5)
Conclusions	242	(9)
Science, economics and policy	251	(32)
Science and political economy	252	(6)
Choices and decisions	258	(7)
Redefining economic inquiry	265	(3)
Preferences, value and time	268	(9)
Concluding remarks	277	(6)
Glossary	283	(3)
Index	286