Nature in the Balance: The Economics of Biodiversity

This book sets out the building blocks of an economic approach to biodiversity, and in particular brings together conceptual and empirical work on valuation, international agreements, the policy instruments, and the institutions. The objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of the issues and evidence, and to suggest how this very urgent problem should be addressed. Whilst there has been an enormous growth and research focus on climate change, less attention has been paid to biodiversity. This collection of high-quality chapters addresses the economic issues involved in biodiversity protection. This book focuses on the economics, but incorporates the underpinning science and philosophy, combining the application of a number of theoretical ideas with a series of policy cases. The authors are drawn from leading scholars in their specific areas of economics, philosophy, and conservation biology. Contributors to this volume - Paul R. Armsworth, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Giles Atkinson, London School of Economics and Political Science Edward B. Barbier, University of Wyoming Ian J. Bateman, University of East Anglia Joanne C. Burgess, University of Wyoming Salvatore Di Falco, University of Geneva Paul J. Ferraro, Georgia State University Ben Groom, London School of Economics and Political Science Kirk Hamilton, The World Bank Nick Hanley, University of Stirling Dieter Helm, University of Oxford Cameron Hepburn, London School of Economics and Political Science Kris Johnson, The Nature Conservancy Chris J. Kennedy, George Mason University Georgina M. Mace, University College London Charles F. Mason, University of Wyoming Dustin Miller, United Nations Environment Programme Daniela A. Miteva, Duke University Susana Mourato, London School of Economics and Political Science Charles Palmer, London School of Economics and Political Science Subhrendu K. Pattanayak, Duke University Grischa Perino, University of Hamburg Stephen Polasky, University of Minnesota Pavan Sukhdev, Yale University Timothy Swanson, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva Kathy J. Willis, University of Oxford