From Library Journal
Focusing on the economics of environmental issues, the authors of these books emphasize the need for developing nations to become wealthier. In his sequel to In Defense of Economic Growth (1974), Beckerman considers such issues as finite resources, biodiversity, global warming, and sustainable development in light of global economics. Rather than a single conflict concerning economic growth vs. the environment, he concludes that there are three conflicts: differing claims on an abundance of resources, the interests of different countries, and conflicting interests of different generations. The author's presentation of his case varies from strong, well reasoned, and easy to follow to sarcastic and trivial. Although he has some important points to make, his tone may at times alienate many readers. Dunn and Kinney's presentation is more balanced, with a generally alternative and more optimistic view, albeit one where the environment is completely under human control. The authors contrast the "liability culture" of environmentalists with the "asset culture" of economists, including themselves, in current approaches to environmental problems. The book opens by laying out current environmental "assets," then examines wealth and resources, and concludes with a section detailing their views on reaching a better environment. Given the wide range of areas, the necessarily brief presentations of the current "assets" are, in some cases, overly simplistic. The information presented is clearly documented, however, and the main points of each section are neatly summarized. For academic collections.
Jeanne Davidson, Oregon State Univ. Lib., Corvallis
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From the Back Cover
Public opinion surveys repeatedly show that a vast majority of Americans consider themselves "environmentalists", no doubt largely because "environmentalism" is widely thought to be synonymous with "caring about the environment". Wilfred Beckerman, however, points out that to many environmental activists environmentalism means the massive expansion of governmental power to protect environmental resources. In Through Green-Colored Glasses: Environmentalism Reconsidered, Beckerman provides a clear-eyed examination of the central tenets of environmental theory - sustainable development, the precautionary principle, and environmental crises - and concludes that the environmentalist worldview is cluttered with meaningless slogans and dangerously wrongheaded assessments of the state of humanity and the planet. That politicized agenda is not only shallow, ignorant, and contradictory; it is dangerous for the environment as well.
