[Thanks to Peter (Edwards) and Franklin (McDonald) for passing this along — I strongly second Peter’s points about why EE is important. When I returned from overseas many years ago I couldn’t figure why people were talking about sustainable development — what other kind was there? Unsustainable development?
  Later I came to feel the same way about ecological economics, which was largely developed near here. (Well, the Odum brothers invented it in Florida, but Robert Costanza certainly was the big “popularizer,” not far from Solomon’s Island where we used to sail on the Chesapeake.)
 
A second important point is that SMALL ISLANDS require their own, special ecological economic studies, for precisely the reasons that small island studies are important. Island systems are not just different in scale from continental systems, they differ qualitatively and require re-arrangement of some of the basic tools of EE.
 
Go to it.
 
Bruce Potter]
 
At 4:53 AM -0500 6/25/09, Franklin McDonald wrote:
>fyi
>
>———- Forwarded message ———-
>From: Peter Edwards
>Date: Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 8:13 PM
>Subject: Case Studies in Latin American >Environmental Economics – Policy Relevant for >Jamaica and Caribbean
>
>Hello All,
>
>Please see below. Two web links. The first >will take you to a page that has policy briefs >and working papers that have come out of the >Latin American and Caribbean Environmental >Economics Programme (LACEEP). My own policy >brief and working paper on tourist user fees are >included. Some of you may have seen various >versions of both.
>
>Of note there are other studies that are >very applicable to Jamaica and the Caribbean >region. I have been trying to get the UWI Econ >folks in Jamaica interested in the LACEEP > programme, not sure how successful I have been. >It is a great medium to get “junior >economists/policy trained” professionals >involved in doing policy relevant projects in >their home countries. Even a marine scientist – >turned economist like me benefited greatly from >participating.
>
>Please spread the word. Forward to CaPRI folks >and any others not on this mailing list. Mr >Mac…I know you are well connected.
>
>If you go to the first link, you will see from >the policy briefs and working papers that the >studies utilize a wide range of environmental >economics techniques. These range from >Contingent Valuation (My paper, Enrique >Sanjurio, Carlos Saldariaga) methodologies to >Experimental Economics (Rocio Moreno, Alejandra >Velez – Fisheries management/co-management >issues – relevant to Pedro Banks?- Nathalie).
>
>Other topics include policy analyses of fuel >switching gas to LNG (Jessica Coria) this topic >is notably very relevant to Jamaica right now >(see attached), also water management in Brazil >(Jose Gustavo Feres), and Payment for >Environmental Services in Costa Rica (Rodrigo >Arriagada)- this one looks at forest ecosystem >services (Cockpit Country relevant? Mike and >Susan).
>
>Please take a look at the policy briefs and then >if you need more details look at the working >papers. Please also forward to >the relevant government ministries, industry >players and think tanks. UWI needs to take the >lead and catch up with the rest of Latin >America. Our governments need balanced >information to properly manage and allocate our >scarce resources.
>
>See below
>
>Link to the list of policy briefs and working papers
>
>http://www.laceep.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=48
>
>LACEEP main web page
>
>http://www.laceep.org/
>
>By the way….
>
>For those who know me….I have decided to take >up a job offer at NOAA (National Atmospheric and >Oceanic Administration), National Marine >Fisheries Service (NMFS) working in the Office >of Habitat Conservation – my title is Natural >Resource Economist. I’ll be doing environmental >impact analyses and resource valuation stuff. I >am employed thru a NOAA contractor as us >non-nationals can’t be directly employed by the >federal government. Its been a long journey >this PhD but, the plan is to get some “foreign” >experience, and see how government can work >given the resources and legislative teeth. I’ll >do this for a bit before deciding to come >back home and run for Minister of Environment or >Prime Minister (hah hah).
 
>Again please forward these very useful links.
 
>Regards
 
>PETER
 
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Peter E.T. Edwards, PhD.
University of Delaware
Graduate College of Marine and Earth Studies
Room 312 Robinson Hall
Newark, DE 19716
http://www.ocean.udel.edu/
 
—
FJMcDonald Kingston Jamaica