ABSTRACT
As the scale of economic activity has proceeded steadily upward, the scope of environmental problems triggered by that activity has transcended both geographical and generational boundaries. How can society respond to these challenges? This chapter introduces a brief overview of a few illustrative examples of the type of challenges being faced as well as a broad overview of how economic analysis provides an incredibly useful basis not only for understanding how these problems have evolved, but also for understanding how to manage them in a sustainable and just way. It closes with an overview of the rest of the book.
