Environmental Decision-Making in Context A Toolbox ASPA Series in Public Administration and Public Policy Series

Because of the complexity involved in understanding the environment, the choices made about environmental issues are often incomplete. In a perfect world, those who make environmental decisions would be armed with a foundation about the broad range of issues at stake when making such decisions. Offering a simple but comprehensive understanding of the critical roles science, economics, and values play in making informed environmental decisions, Environmental Decision-Making in Context: A Toolbox provides that foundation.

The author highlights a primary set of intellectual tools from different disciplines and places them into an environmental context through the use of case study examples. The case studies are designed to stimulate the analytical reasoning required to employ environmental decision-making and ultimately, help in establishing a framework for pursuing and solving environmental questions, issues, and problems. They create a framework individuals from various backgrounds can use to both identify and analyze environmental issues in the context of everyday environmental problems.

The book strikes a balance between being a tightly bound academic text and a loosely defined set of principles. It takes you beyond the traditional pillars of academic discipline to supply an understanding of the fundamental aspects of what is actually involved in making environmental decisions and building a set of skills for making those decisions.

Introduction. Science. Natural Systems. Systems Thinking. Economics. Categories Relevant to Environmental Decision-making. Defining Value - linking environment and human interactions. Total Valuation Technique (TV = DV + N + NUV). Benefit-Cost Analysis. Values. Objective Values. Subjective Values. Scaling Value Decisions. Conclusion. Appendix (Supplement - Case Problems).

Chad J. McGuire is a professor of environmental policy within the Department of Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. He background is in environmental law and environmental science. Chad writes extensively in the fields of environmental law, policy, sustainability and dispute resolution. He has worked on policy issues related to fisheries management, climate change, globalization and land use patterns. His expertise has been sought in both private and public forums, and he has served on public committees for both non-profit and government entities. He has over 15 years of experience in the environmental management field.