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European Association
of Environmental and Resource Economists
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EAERE President Correspondence
Colleagues,
Coasts are where ecosystems, access and beauty conjoin, where, for most of us, productivity across all its dimensions is greatest. But they are also zones of vulnerability. Tragedy is a part of the human condition; searing loss comes to us all eventually. But the losses engendered by the recent earthquake and associated tsunami in Asia strike a special chord. Life and livelihoods extirpated with a suddenness, speed, and randomness which leaves us emotionally breathless. The geographic scope, demographic distribution and the sheer scale, all give this event a Titanic quality - invincibility suddenly rendered fallible.
It may seem premature in the emotional cycle to discuss the economic issues arising. But this discussion needs to be joined; economics is the science of scarcity, and as a profession we have much to offer in helping societies to identify and assess the implications of the incentives and the options facing them, and how to move forward to a better space in a world of uncertainty and scarcity. And we can learn from this experience how to better adapt to the coastal perturbances that will inevitably be associated with climate change. Ed Barbier has a nice piece in this Newsletter on how the removal of mangrove forests intensifies and makes more extensive the damage resulting from such events. As communities remake their shattered lives, they can design their futures with this awareness. And history teaches us that life goes on. Wislawa Szymborska makes the point in her beautiful poem 'Reality Demands':'Reality demands
That we also mention this:
Life goes on.
It continues at Cannae and Borodino,
At Kosovo, Polje and Guernica.
…………
Where Hiroshima had been
Hiroshima is again,
Producing many products
For everyday use.
…………
On tragic mountain passes
The wind rips hats off unwitting heads
And we can't help
Laughing at that.'
Bremen RemindersPut our Bremen conference (June 23-26, 2005) at the top of your intellectual and social calendar right now, and tell your friends to do the same. You still have time to submit a paper or two by February 1, 2005. But even in the event that you do not present a paper, do come along; we need audience, and where everyone gives one or more papers, the audience is inevitably very thinly spread. We expect that the focus of our evidence-based sessions will be of interest to those in the policy process. Wolfgang Pfaffenberger has organised a splendid social programme (which includes the Nick Hanley ensemble in at least one of its guises) and we'll be celebrating outstanding achievement by some of our intellectual (Karl-Göran Mäler and David Pearce) and policy leadership (Jos Delbeke). So don't even think of missing out on what will be a great celebratory festival. And spread the word.
Every one who has experienced our Venice Summer School knows that it provides an intellectual endowment and friendships that last a lifetime. The 2005 school led by Karl-Gustaf Löfgren will continue and enhance this proud tradition. The cut-off date for applications is February 1, 2005. Check out the programme, and if it fits your interests or that of your students, please encourage applications.An Inventory of Capacities in Resource and Environmental Economics
Where can one find out about the research and/or teaching programmes in environmental and resource economics, and what they have to offer? We intend compiling an inventory of such capacities, which our Secretary General Monica Eberle will administer and which will be available to all on our web site. These capacities can be anywhere in the world. We want it to be a global resource. You are invited to submit not more than 200 words giving a flavour of your institution's capacities, and the web site at which further details can be sourced. Our plan is to have this inventory complete not later than February 15, 2005, but submissions will be welcome at any time. In order to encourage others, and to kick start the inventory, I've put together 192 words below on some essentials of our department in UCD, and provided the web site address for further information.
The Department of Planning and Environmental Policy, University College, Dublin, Ireland
This department has two strands - planning, and environmental economics and policy analysis. Its work in environmental economics and policy analysis is led by three permanent full time academic staff - Professor Frank J. Convery (frank.convery@ucd.ie), Professor J. Peter Clinch (peter.clinch@ucd.ie) (Head of Department) and Dr. Susana Ferreira (susana.ferreira@ucd.ie) - and supported by a full time Research Manager, Dr. Louise Dunne (louise.dunne@ucd.ie). The director of Graduate Studies for the Department is Dr. Mark Scott (mark.scott@ucd.ie)
It has an active research programme focused on evidence based analyses of policy options, including policy instruments for environmental management, and assessment of benefits and costs to society of policy choices. Research students are well resourced in terms of office space, computer and IT services and funding. There are 12 full time PhD students in residence in environmental economics.
We teach courses in environmental economics at undergraduate and post graduate levels for the Department of Economics, and this department offers a wide range of post graduate course work, including a full time course work Masters degree in economics, which are widely availed of by our research students. See (www.ucd.ie/pepweb) for more details.
So send your informal description to Monica Eberle (eaere@eaere.org). There is only one condition. At least one of those individuals named in your description must be a current member of EAERE.
Our next Council meeting takes place in Dublin March 22-23, 2005 (sponsored by Guinness). If you have any issues you would like raised on the agenda, let Monica know, and we'll try to accommodate you.
Frank J. Convery
EAERE President
Past Correspondence
