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Economics of Sustainability
Watershed managers, like all environmental professionals,
often encounter decision points where economics and environmental
protection must be considered together. This module (PDF, 816KB, 61 pages) covers seven topics that are relevant to the socioeconomic aspects of the watershed approach in issue papers developed in EPA's former Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation. All are reproduced here in PDF file format.
The module's central theme is best expressed in The Economics of Sustainability Issue Brief, which reviews
the differences between traditional mainstream economic concepts
and economic viewpoints that incorporate more conscientious
stewardship of the "natural capital" which sustains all life. The Environmental Protection and Jobs brief attempts to
clarify the terms of the environment-employment debate, at local
scales and economy-wide scales. In The Use of Economics in Environmental Decision-Making, some
of the political history of environmental economics (particularly cost-benefit analysis) applied to government policy
making is reviewed.
The module also offers how-to guidance on
economic techniques. The Community Economic Profiles issue brief describes two
methods for organizing economic data to profile a community,
namely comparative benchmarking and trend analysis. The Value-Added Processing issue brief describes how
communities can approach economic activities in ways that alter
and add value to their resource base and local economy, and Conservation-Based Green Marketing illustrates three
communities' own experiences with marketing "eco-friendly"
products. Nature-Based Tourism describes the potential of this growing
industry to bolster local economies while supporting
environmental protection of some of our finest ecological
resources.
These and other elements make the module a valuable
stop for Watershed Academy visitors wishing to increase their
understanding of environmental economic perspectives that can be
applied to the long-term sustainability of watershed ecosystems
and communities.
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