Suggested Readings: Environmentalism

The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World
By Bjørn Lomborg
ISBN: 0-521-80447-7

"Bjørn Lomborg is an outstanding representative of the 'new breed' of political scientists—mathematically skilled and computer-adept. In this book, he shows himself also to be a hard-headed, empirically-oriented analyst. Surveying a vast amount of data and taking account of a wide range of more or less informed opinion about environmental threats facing the planet, he comes to a balanced assessment of which ones are real and which over-hyped.
—Professor Lewis Wolpert, department of anatomy and biology, University College, London

Bountiful Harvest: Technology, Food Safety, and the Environment
By Thomas R. DeGregori
ISBN: 1-930865-31-7

"Professor DeGregori presents a powerful argument that technology, like art, expresses the creativity of human beings. Being human means creating and using technology. From this correct understanding of the human relationship to technology, DeGregori shows that 'we need not less technology but more intelligent use of it.' Whether we make intelligent use of our creative capacities depends on whether we use them for the betterment of others, our societies, and ourselves."
—Professor Drew L. Kershen, University of Oklahoma College of Law

Cutting Green Tape: Toxic Pollutants, Environmental Regulation, and the Law
Edited by Richard L. Stroup and Roger E. Meiners
ISBN: 0-7658-0618-5

"During my own days of studying economics, I remember how effluent limits were the regulatory norm and how textbook stories about possibly trading pollution rights were met with chuckles or snickers. Yet here we are today trading rights to sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. Cutting Green Tape would seem to be the ideal textbook applied to today. Professors Stroup and Meiners have assembled an interesting book that presents a convincing case for the massive inefficiencies in current regulatory schemes."
—Professor Harris Schlesinger, University of Alabama, Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration

In a Dark Wood: The Fight over Forests and the Rising Tyranny of Ecology
By Alston Chase
ISBN: 0-395-60837-6

"Alston Chase tells a story that needs to be told. Passion, thought, and action on both sides of the 'green' debate too often pit true believers against true believers. This book sends a bright bolt of rationality into public discussion right when it is needed most. He provides us all the opportunity to reflect on our values and tactics."
—Professor Joseph P. Kalt, environmental and natural resources program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University