The Law and Policy of Ecosystem Services or On Staffing

The Law and Policy of Ecosystem Services

Author: J B Ruhl

The Law and Policy of Ecosystem Services is the first comprehensive exploration of the status and future of natural capital and ecosystem services in American law and policy. The book develops a framework for thinking about ecosystem services across their ecologic, geographic, economic, social, and legal dimensions and evaluates the prospects of crafting a legal infrastructure that can help build an ecosystem service economy that is as robust as existing economies for manufactured goods, natural resource commodities, and human-provided services. The book examines the geographic, ecological, and economic context of ecosystem services and provides a baseline of the current status of ecosystem services in law and society. It identifies shortcomings of current law and policy and the critical areas for improvement and forges an approach for the design of new law and policy for ecosystem services. Included are a series of nine empirical case studies that explore the problems caused by society’s failure to properly value natural capital. Among the case study topics considered are water issues, The Conservation Reserve Program, the National Conservation Buffer Initiative, the agricultural policy of the European Union, wetland mitigation, and pollution trading. The Law and Policy of Ecosystem Services is a groundbreaking look at the question of whether and how law and policy can shape a sustainable system of ecosystem service management. It is an accessible and informative work for faculty, students, and policy makers concerned with ecology, economics, geography, political science, environmental studies, law, and related fields.

Table of Contents:

Preface     ix
Introduction     1
The Context of Ecosystem Services     13
Ecology     15
Geography     36
Economics     57
The Status of Ecosystem Services in Law and Policy     85
Property Rights     87
Regulation     127
Social Norms     158
Empirical Case Studies in Ecosystem Services Law and Policy     169
An Odyssey on 6,000 Acres: Pre-1670 to 2006     171
Water: Blue, Green, and Virtual     177
The Conservation Reserve Program 1985-2006: From Soil Erosion to Ecosystem Services     186
The National Conservation Buffer Initiative: Ecosystem Services from Riparian Buffers     193
From Amber to Green: The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union     198
Ecosystem Services from an Agricultural Watershed: The Case of Big Creek     205
Wetland Mitigation Banking: An Ecosystem Market without Ecosystem Services     213
Ecosystem Services and Pollution Trading I: A Sulfurous Success and a Nutritious Failure     222
Ecosystem Services and Pollution Trading II: Carbon Trading to Ameliorate Global Warming     231
Designing New Law and Policy for Ecosystem Services     249
Drivers and Models     251
Trade-Offs and Transitions     258
Instruments and Institutions     265
Conclusion     293
Endnotes     297
References     305
About the Authors     333
Index     335

Interesting book: Survey of Accounting or The Budget Book for Film and Television

On Staffing: Advice and Perspectives from HR Leaders

Author: Nicholas C Burkholder

As HR leaders know, successful staffing is about much more than just hiring qualified people. Its about hiring the right qualified people-and keeping them. To help you do that, On Staffing covers the new and innovative business initiatives managers from leading companies are using to assess the potential of people and place them in positions in which they can maximize that potential. It analyzes the practices that work, offers strategies for dealing with rapidly changing business and hiring environments, and helps HR leaders prepare for the changes and challenges to come.

Robert Pike

On Staffing is an absolutely essential resource for anyone with recruiting, development, or retention responsibilities. It should be no more than an arm’s length away from every HR professional and in every manager’s office. (College Relations Director, Associate Director, Global Talent Supply, The Procter & Gamble Company)

Dave Ulrich

On Staffing will become the bible for staffing professionals. The essays cover from the beginning (finding) to the end (retaining) of staffing procedures. The timely, realistic, practical, and enduring essays will define the standard for the staffing process. This book will serve as a resource guide for staffing professionals who seek best practices and line managers who realize that staffing is the key to their success. The editors have done a masterful job selecting thoughtful writers who have both good ideas and experience implementing the ideas. They have also ensured that each essay offers practical advice. (Professor of Business, University of Michigan, author, "Why the Bottom Line Isn't")