Environment & Policy

While polluting industries in the U.S. continue to emit billions of pounds of toxic chemicals into the air, land and water every year, many economists and policy makers argue that environmental regulations stifle economic growth and reduce the standard of living for the American people.  This book takes a fresh look at this question through three case studies of highly regulated polluting industries in the Southern California region: metal finishing, wood furniture, and dry cleaning. The case studies are based on a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, including in-depth interviews with corporate managers and environmental regulators. The authors find that there is no universal pattern for predicting the effects of environmental regulations on industrial competitiveness, but that the outcomes depend on the structure of the industry being regulated, the design of the regulations, and the technologies that are available for compliance. The book is written in straight forwardlanguage that is accessible to the non-economist and will prove an essential resource for academics and students of all levels, and professionals and policy makers in the fields of environmental policy and regional economic development. 

With contributions from a wide range of thematic areas, this book provides a diverse perspective on the contemporary environmental challenges of Brazilian agriculture. Assessing existing experiences of governance interventions, implementation of inclusive and sustainable production practices, as well as technical innovations, this edited volume presents the reader with a nuanced perspective on sustainable future pathways for Brazilian agriculture. In many cases, actors within the agricultural sector stand in a key position to address environmental concerns, which often has generated important breakthroughs and improvement of production practices. Drawing on contributions from authors within a variety of fields, this contribution presents a trans-disciplinary perspective on the problems and pathways through which multi-level interventions can lead to sustainable solutions within the Brazilian agricultural and livestock sector. This book hereby constitutes an informed and timely contribution to the important debates about Brazil’s potential role in confronting environmental problems. More broadly, this volume also sheds light on the process of agricultural transitions in the Global South, and how food security concerns may be reconciled with sustainable production.