[OPE] New Book on the Economics of Climate Change

Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:24:43 -0500From: GDAEAnnounce@tufts.eduSubject: New Book on the Economics of Climate Change

Can We Afford the Future?The Economics of a Warming World
By Frank Ackerman
According to many scientists, climate change is a growing threat to life as we know it, requiring a large-scale, immediate response. According to many economists, climate change is a moderately important problem; the best policy is a slow, gradual start, to avoid spending too much. They can't both be right.
In this book, Frank Ackerman, Senior Research Fellow at GDAE, offers a refreshing look at the economics of climate change, explaining how the arbitrary assumptions of conventional theories get in the way of understanding this urgent problem. The benefits of climate protection are vital but priceless, and hence often devalued in cost-benefit calculations. Preparation for the most predictable outcomes of global warming is less important than protection against the growing risk of catastrophic change; massive investment in new, low carbon technologies and industries should be thought of as life insurance for the planet.
Ackerman makes an impassioned plea to construct a better economics, arguing that the solutions are affordable and the alternative is unthinkable. If we can't afford the future, what are we saving our money for?
For information on how to order the book, visithttp://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/publications/other_books/can_we_afford_future.htm
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Status Quo is not an OptionYour Grandchildren’s Lives are ImportantWe Need to Buy Insurance for the PlanetClimate Damages are too Valuable to Have PricesSome Costs are Better than OthersHot, it’s Not: Climate Economics According to LombergMuch Less Wrong: The Stern Review vs its CriticsClimate, Equity and DevelopmentWhat is to Be Done?
 
Praise for Can we Afford the Future?
“Frank Ackerman provides the much-needed ammunition for advocates of strong climate policy to debunk the conclusion that stabilizing our future climate is ‘too expensive.’”Stephen H. Schneider, Stanford University
“This book is essential reading for anyone trying to understand the major economic debates around the major new long-term change of our times – global warming. Frank Ackerman has done us all a great service with this very accessible critical survey of the varied and complicated issues involved.”Jomo Kwame Sundaram, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development
“This is a clear, readable first book for the non-economist, to start understanding the economics around climate change, and the various differing arguments by economists…”John Mashey (unsolicited customer review on amazon.com)
 

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Received on Tue Jan 27 13:54:25 2009