Record Detail  |  Perpustakaan

At a time when government and industry
are stepping back to re-examine
national environmental protectidn efforts,
reliable methods for assessing
the true costs and benefits of these
efforts are crucial if we are to make
rational decisions on environmental policy.
This book offers professionals involved
in environmental policy-making
a guide to the major approaches and
techniques used to evaluate the benefits
of pollution control, as well as a
critical survey of recent important
benefit-cost studies.
Based on Professor Myrick Freeman's
special report to the U.S. Council in
Environmental Quality, Air and Water
Pollution Control synthesizes a number
of important studies on pollution control.
These evaluate, on a national
scale, the monetary damages caused
by various categories of air and water
pollution, and estimate the monetary
benefits of pollution control. From his
own synthesis of these studies, Professor
Freeman develops a "best estimate"
and upper and lower bounds for the
actual benefits of controlling air and
water pollution, thus providing a sound,
empirical context for environmental
decisions.
For those not familiar with the economic
and econometric tools of empirical
benefit analysis, Professor Freeman
provides a "short course" in
benefit-cost assessment. He explains
the concept of "benefit" . . . the general
methodology for measuring benefits
. . . specific benefit estimation techniques
. . . and comparisons of benefits
and costs.
Air and Water Pollution Control: A
Benefit Cost Assessment goes well
beyond the usual treatment of benefit-
cost analysis theory found in most
books on the subject. It shows what
has already been done in estimating
benefits nationally, what technical and
empirical problems remain, and what
existing information on benefits suggests
about the policy choices we
face in coming years. And it provides
a practical source of guidance on
applications and major results for
state and federal planners and policy
makers . . . academic and research
scientists . . . and students and professors
of economics and environmental
management.