Science and the Environment

The majority of books listed here analyze the various eco-doomsdayers and catastrophists who warn that the earth's resources are almost depleted, that the earth is over populated, and so on.  The authors here present a mass of detailed evidence refuting such pessimistic prophecies.  The politics and ideology of the Green movement are also assessed.  For books on nuclear energy, see Section Five.

Baden, John and Richard L. Stroup, eds., Bureaucracy vs. Environment:  The Environmental Costs of Bureaucratic Governance.  Ann Arbor, Michigan:  The University of Michigan Press, 1981.  238pp.

In introducing the theme of this volume of essays, the editors state:  "we are increasingly convinced that both the environmental and the economic costs of bureaucratic management of natural resources are excessively and unnecessarily high.  These social costs are generated by perverse institutional structures that give authority to those who do not bear responsibility for the consequences of their action."  The authors featured here argue that the free market "may actually be the best available alternative" for proper resource management.  An important contribution to the issue of the relationship between economics and the environment.

Bandow, Doug, ed., Protecting the Environment:  A Free Market Strategy.  Washington:  Heritage Foundation, 1986.  88pp.

In this volume Bandow, Terry Anderson, John Baden and three other authors present the case for what they call the New Resource Economics -- a free market approach to environmental issues.  Arguing that governmental regulation is inefficient, costly and counter-productive, these authors argue that market forces and property rights are the best means of protecting the environment.  Subjects such as toxic waste disposal, wildlife refuges, air pollution and land conservation are covered in this brief but helpful volume.

Beckerman, Wilfred, Two Cheers for the Affluent Society:  A Spirited Defense of Economic Growth.  New York:  St. Martin's Press, 1974.  238pp.

Economic growth has always been a target of leftists, from J.K. Galbraith to the Club of Rome's The Limits of Growth.  The anti-growth movement is misguided, misinformed and often simply wrong, argues Beckerman.  Economic growth does not automatically result in a poorer quality of life, in environmental destruction, or in the depletion of resources.  The no-growth-ers fail to take into account human innovativeness and creativity which can lead to new usable resources and better pollution controls.  A lively and well-researched rebuttal to the "eco-doomsters".  Beckerman is the Head of the Department of Political Economy at University College, London.

Beisner, E. Calvin, Prospects For Growth:  A Biblical View of Population, Resources, and the Future.  Westchester, Illinois:  Crossway Books, 1990.  282pp.

Is the world overpopulated?  Are we running out of resources?  Are living conditions deteriorating?  No, says Beisner, supporting his conclusions by a wealth of data and information.  Besides dealing with the empirical facts, Beisner explores the Biblical view of issues like human population, resource use and environmental care.  A positive assessment of the world we live in, and a scholarly look at a number of complex problems.  A very fine study combining sound biblical and economic analysis.

Block, Walter E., Economics and the Environment:  A Reconciliation.  Vancouver:  The Fraser Institute, 1990.  332pp.

The theme of this book is that "it is possible to use economic means in order to obtain environmental ends ... By using such economic building blocks as free market prices, private property rights, and, most important, a legal system that carefully defines, delineates, and protects such rights, the goals of the environmentalists can be achieved."  Contributors include Terry Anderson, Murray Rothbard, Jane Shaw, Richard Stroup and John Baden.  An excellent collection of free market approaches to ecology.

Clark, Colin, Population Growth:  The Advantages.  Santa Ana, California:  A Life Quality Paperback, 1972.  108pp.

In response to the population alarmists, especially Paul Ehrlich, Clark argues that the scare about over-population is based very little upon fact, but much upon opinion and misinformation.  The truth is, supplies of food and raw materials are increasing faster than population.  Moreover, population growth is making the world richer and freer.  A helpful albeit dated corrective to the gloomy -- and false -- prophecies of Ehrlich and Co.  Clark, who is regarded by many to have been one of Australia's greatest economists, died in 1989.

Efron, Edith, The Apocalyptics:  How Environmental Politics Controls What We Know About Cancer.  New York:  Simon and Schuster, 1984.  589pp.

Surrounded with a mountain of documentation, Efron here convincingly argues that the environmentalist movement with its anti-technology, anti-science biases, has created a host of myths regarding chemicals in general and carcinogens in particular.  This gloom and doom apocalyptic movement has misinformed the American public, and along with increasing government regulation, has kept the country in a stranglehold.  Meticulously documented and researched.  A groundbreaking book.

Eisenbud, Merril, Environment, Technology and Health:  Human Ecology in Historical Perspective.  New York:  New York University Press, 1978.  384pp.

Although dated, this is a careful study and "appraisal of the contemporary environmental movement insofar as public health is concerned".  After presenting a wealth of information, Eisenbud concludes that the shortcomings of the environmentalists can be attributed to a "lack of historical perspective, improper assignment of priorities, and attempts to do too much too soon".  Detailed, fact-filled chapters examine such topics as population growth, energy demand and supply, air pollution, and environmental cancer.  A very thorough work.

Kasun, Jacqueline, The War Against Population:  The Economics and Ideology of Population Control.  San Francisco:  Ignatius Press, 1988.  225pp.

The mad rush to curb population growth -- and the social and economic planning which it entails -- is the subject of this important book.  Kasun looks at the history, development, philosophy and goals of this movement.  She shows how its premises and prescriptions are fallacious and dangerous.  Armed with a mountain of data and documentation, she demonstrates that natural resources are not running out;  that world food production is in fact increasing;  and that the population controllers would radically undermine our free economic and political institutions by enforcing their programs.  An alarming expose of a threatening movement.  Kasun is an economics professor in California.

London, Herbert I., Why Are They Lying To Our Children?  New York:  Stein and Day, 1984.  197pp.

American education, from kindergarten to graduate school, is painting a morbid and bleak picture of the future.  It has accepted the "gloom and doom" , "limits-to-growth" philosophy and is propagating it to the full.  London examines the numerous dire prophecies -- i.e., the world is over-populated;  worldwide famine is near;  pollution is beyond repair -- and shows how each is misleading, misguided, or simply false.  He shows that we are better off today than ever before, and the future looks much more promising than the prophets of doom will admit.  An important look at how the schools are being inundated by an anti-growth, anti-technology and anti-Western ideology.  London is a Dean at New York University.

Maddox, John, The Doomsday Syndrome.  London:  Macmillan, 1972.  248pp.

This is one of the earlier rebuttals written against those who peddle the gospel of impending doom.  Says Maddox, "The doomsday cause would be more telling if it were more securely grounded in fact, better informed by a sense of history and an awareness of economics and less cataclysmic in temper."  A learned critique of the pessimism and negativism of many in the environmental movement, and an important defence of science, technology, progress and prosperity.

Maurice, Charles and Charles W. Smithson, The Doomsday Myth:  10,000 Years of Economic Crises.  Stanford, California:  Hoover Institution Press, 1984.  142pp.

This book is a challenge to the "gloom and doom" prophets who predict shortages, cataclysm and economic collapse.  These prophets have been around for centuries, argue the authors, and have consistently proven to be false prophets.  It is government intervention, not the free market, that causes shortages, and it is the free market, and not government intervention, that can best prevent shortages.  A well-written, well-researched, and well-reasoned book.  The authors both teach economics at Texas A & M University.

Schaeffer, Francis, Pollution and the Death of Man:  The Christian View of Ecology.  Wheaton, Illinois:  Tyndale House, 1970.  125pp.

In March of 1967 medieval historian Lynn White wrote an influential article entitled "The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis" in which he traced those roots to the Judeo-Christian tradition, with its emphasis on man's mastery over nature.  In this volume the Christian philosopher argues that Christianity is in fact the religion best able to produce a healthy respect for nature and the environment, and not some eastern or pantheistic religion as White proposes.

Simon, Julian L., The Ultimate Resource.  Princeton, New Jersey:  Princeton University Press, 1981.  415pp.

This is a powerful and fact-filled refutation of the "gloom and doom" promoters.  Simon contends that much of the hysteria of environmentalists is based on groundless theory.  Population growth is helpful;  natural resources are not running out;  the world's food supply is improving;  and U.S. pollution is decreasing, argues Simon.  The ultimate resource is people -- creative, skilled and helpful people.  Simon is a professor at the University of Maryland.

Simon, Julian L. and Herman Kahn, eds., The Resourceful Earth:  A Response to Global 2000.  New York:  Basil Blackwell, 1984.  585pp.

Simon, Kahn and 23 other contributors offer here an exhaustive and massive response to reports that environmental trends are deteriorating and that planet earth is running out of resources.  Every conceivable topic is covered here, including sea foods, forestry, agriculture, croplands, energy sources, climatic trends, minerals, soil erosion, nuclear power, air and water quality, cancer, and oil demand.  The book is crammed full of charts, figures, maps, statistics -- evidence of every kind.  This volume is of major importance in the growing amount of literature on the environmental debate.

Singer, Max, Passage to a Human World.  Indianapolis, Indiana:  Hudson Institute, 1987.  390pp.

In this important book Singer examines the dynamics of global wealth creation.  Mankind has made incredible economic progress during the past two centuries, says Singer.  He carefully examines how this has occurred, and argues that such progress will continue into the future.  A major refutation of pessimists who argue that we are over-populated, too polluted, and running out of resources.

Singer, S. Fred, ed., Free Market Energy:  The Way to Benefit Consumers.  New York:  Universe Books, 1984.  430pp.

In 1983 the Heritage Foundation asked twelve energy experts to discuss the appropriate governmental role in natural resources management.  "This volume was conceived as an effort to present to the open-minded person the advantages of free-market solutions for resource management."  Lower prices and increased efficiency would result if less government involvement was allowed in the energy market.  A well documented and well researched set of articles on the free-market approach to energy policy.  Singer teaches environmental sciences at the University of Virginia.

Smith, Fred Lee, ed., Readings in Free Market Environmentalism.  Washington, DC:  Competitive Enterprise Institute, 1989.

In this volume the Founder and President of the CEI has assembled together some of the best articles recently written which promote the private property/individual responsibility approach to environmental protection.  Says Smith, "In contrast to the 'market failure' approach, free market environmentalism believes environmental problems are caused by a failure to apply markets, not from any failure of the market to respect environmental values."  Some of the authors featured include Smith, Terry Anderson, John Baden and Randy Simmons.

Tucker, William, Progress and Privilege:  America in the Age of Environmentalism.  Garden City, New York:  Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1982, 314pp.

This is an important critique of the excesses of the environmentalist movement.  Tucker argues that environmental problems, though real, are solvable, and that many environmentalists distort and overstate the problems to serve their own purposes.  A number of issues are covered:  the environment;  population;  endangered species;  genetic engineering;  wilderness preservation;  ecology;  and the politics of environmentalism.  A challenging and much-needed book.

Wattenberg, Ben J., The Birth Dearth.  New York:  Pharos Books, 1987, 182pp.

Books like Ehrlich's The Population Bomb warned of the dangers of increasing population rates.  This book examines the problems of decreasing population rates.  In most Western nations the total fertility rate has fallen well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.  This birth dearth will have severe economic consequences for the West, argues Wattenberg.  Besides economic problems, geopolitical and personal problems will also arise, and "most importantly ... it will make it difficult to promote and defend liberty in the Western nations and in the rest of a modernizing world ... The key question it yields may well be this:  over time, will Western values prevail?"

Whelan, Elizabeth, Toxic Terror.  Ottawa, Illinois:  Jameson Books, 1985.  348pp.

This book is a rebuttal of alarmist groups who would have us return to a pre-technological world.  Environmentalists and consumer groups are especially taken to task, as Whelan shows how chemicals and technologies are an asset and not a liability.  Whelan discusses DDT, acid rain, nuclear energy, dioxin, pesticides, Love Canal, and Three Mile Island.  A very helpful book which dispels numerous myths.  Whelan is the Executive Director of the American Council on Science and Health.