Category Archives: Environmental Economist

Environmental Economist

Introduction to Environmental Finance

Introduction to Environmental Finance
What is Environmental Finance? Environmental finance is a field that on the surface is unfamiliar to most practitioners.  However, most are familiar with some of the tools or products of environmental finance such as emissions trading and land trusts for conservation.   This field essentially takes a financial look and methodology to address environmental issues.  The…
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The Concrete Jungle: Study of Urban Landscapes as Environmental Science

The Concrete Jungle: Study of Urban Landscapes as Environmental Science
Many universities in North America and in Europe now offer studies of the urban environment BAs/BScs MAs/MScs in such subjects as Urban Studies and Urban Archaeology. The growing importance of our towns and cities means they are now a subject of major academic study – an area that is only expected to grow as we…
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Birds & Ecosystem Services

Birds & Ecosystem Services
The Value of Birds Birds are present throughout almost every habitat across the globe.  No matter where you go, there is always evidence of birds even if you don’t see the animals themselves.  Things like holes pecked in tree bark by woodpeckers or the remnants of a nest are indicative of the presence of birds. …
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Nuclear Energy 101

Nuclear Energy 101
Out of all the ways we power the planet, nuclear energy may be the most divisive. When it first began as an offshoot of nuclear weapons programs, it seemed to promise unlimited electricity that would power a new atomic age. The first nuclear power plant came online in the USSR in 1954, followed three years…
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Wind Power 101

Wind Power 101
Modern wind power is a recent development based on a very old technology. The wind has propelled sail boats for at least 5000 years, and turned windmills for perhaps 1500 years. Even the concept of generating electricity with wind power dates back to the first successful attempt in the late 1800s. But aside from the…
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NEPA 101: Introduction to United States Environmental Policy

NEPA 101: Introduction to United States Environmental Policy
What is NEPA? The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is one of the shortest laws to exist and is less than 6 pages in length.  NEPA was passed by Congress in 1969, signed into law on January 1, 1970 by President Richard Nixon and set the stage for environmental policy for the United States (1). …
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