Author Archives: Adam Bailey

Water: a Commodity AND a Human Right

The European Union has established a procedure for citizens’ initiatives.  The first such initiative to meet the threshold of 1 million signatures asks the EU to legislate to implement the human right to water, and to promote the public provision … Continue reading →

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Do We Need a Renewables Policy?

Question: If an effective carbon tax or cap-and-trade policy is in place to limit greenhouse gas emissions, is there any point in having a separate policy to promote renewable energy sources? I have read several times recently that the answer … Continue reading →

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Groundwater Extraction and Sea-Level Rise

The global consequences of groundwater extraction have received less attention than many other environmental issues.  Here are the main points, in Question and Answer form. Does groundwater extraction contribute to sea-level rise? Yes, at a global level.  A basic principle … Continue reading →

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Cities and the Environment

Environmental economics can be an important tool in urban planning.  It can also inform discussion of the place of cities in a sustainable world. When I first studied environmental economics, cities seemed to make only the occasional guest appearance in … Continue reading →

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