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Biodiversity banks, emissions trading, fishing quotas, water rights. A whole new suite of environmental policy instruments are being introduced in Australia and around the world. But can policies designed primarily to facilitate economic growth also protect the environment? Are they fair and equitable? Do they fit with the precautionary principle? Are they putting human rights at risk? These are the questions which Sharon Beder's latest book, Environmental Principles and Policies sets out to answer.

Environmental Principles and Policies examines six key environmental and social principles that have been incorporated into international treaties and national laws. It uses them to evaluate the new wave of economic-based and market-based policy instruments that are currently being introduced in many nations.

This book differs from other texts on environmental policy-making as a result of its critical and interdisciplinary approach. Rather than merely setting out policies in a descriptive or prescriptive way, it analyses and evaluates policy options from a variety of perspectives. This enables students and general readers not only to gain a thorough grasp of important principles and current policies, but also to be able to apply the principles and critically evaluate them.

Contents

Introduction

PART I ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PRINCIPLES

THE SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLE (download pdf)
Limits to growth
Sustainability in the 1980s
Carrying capacity
Ecological footprint
Continuing debate
Further Reading

THE POLLUTER PAYS PRINCIPLE
Functions of the PPP
Liability
Extended Producer Responsibility
Further Reading

THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
Shifting the burden of proof
Nature of the precautionary principle
Threat to desired level of protection
Scientific uncertainty
Measures to be taken
Legislation
Further Reading

PART II SOCIAL PRINCIPLES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

THE EQUITY PRINCIPLE
Intragenerational equity
Intergenerational equity
What should be sustained?
Further Reading

HUMAN RIGHTS PRINCIPLES
Role of environmental protection
Environmental human rights
Further Reading

THE PARTICIPATION PRINCIPLE
The Right to Know
Public participation
Further Reading

PART III ECONOMIC METHODS OF ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION

MEASURING ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE
National accounts
Cost–Benefit Analysis
Environmental valuation in practice
Further Reading

IS MONETARY VALUATION PRINCIPLED?
The participation principle
The equity principle
Human rights principles
The sustainability principle
The precautionary principle

PART IV ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS FOR POLLUTION CONTROL

PRICES AND POLLUTION RIGHTS
Price-based measures
Tradeable pollution rights
Global warming measures
Further Reading

THE SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLE AND ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS
Setting the baseline or cap
Phoney reductions
Monitoring and enforcement
Perpetuating bad practices

THE POLLUTER PAYS AND PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLES APPLIED
The polluter pays principle
The precautionary principle

RIGHTS, EQUITY AND PARTICIPATION PRINCIPLES APPLIED
Human rights principles
The equity principle
The participation principle

PART V MARKETS FOR CONSERVATION

QUOTAS, TRADES, OFFSETS AND BANKS
Tradeable fishing rights
Water trading
Salinity trading and offsets
Mitigation banking
Further Reading

THE SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLE AND CONSERVATION MARKETS
Fisheries trading
Water allowance trading
Mitigation banking

THE EQUITY, PARTICIPATION AND PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLES APPLIED
The equity principle and tradeable fishing quotas
The equity principle and water trading
The participation principle
The precautionary principle

CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX