Decisions about the conservation and use of natural resources are made every day by individuals, communities, and nations. The latest edition of Field's acclaimed text highlights the incentives and trade-offs embedded in such decisions, providing a lucid introduction to natural resource issues using the analytical framework of economics.
Employing a logical structure and easy-to-understand descriptions, Field covers fundamental economic principles and their general application to natural resource use. These principles are further developed in chapters devoted to specific resources. Moreover, this up-to-date volume addresses the challenge of achieving socially beneficial utilization rates in the twenty-first century amid continuing population growth, urbanization, and global climate change.
Topics new to the Third Edition include:
• implications of climate change on resources
• fracking
• energy intensity and the energy efficiency gap
• reducing fossil energy
• forests and carbon
• international water issues
• globalization and trade in natural resources
Not-for-sale instructor's resource materials available online to college and university faculty only; contact publisher directly.
Also by Barry C. Field and available from Waveland Press: Environmental Policy: An Introduction (ISBN 9781577664284).
"Very readable and informative. It is great to have a book on natural resource economics for noneconomics majors that is not so quantitative. Its extensive coverage of topics makes it easy for an instructor to pick and choose chapters to fit his/her interest." --Molly Espey, Clemson University
"The design of the book with sections on economic building blocks and natural resource analysis coming before specific application chapters on minerals, energy, water, agriculture, etc. is a good pedagogic tool." --N. Eric Hampton, St. Cloud State University
"Field presents all of the important topics and issues related to natural resource use, as well as a nice balance of theoretical principles and policy analysis." --Paul M. Comolli, University of Kansas