Green and Prosperous Land: A Blueprint for Rescuing the British Countryside

by Dieter Helm

Overview

Country Life

Finally, a practical, realistic plan to rescue, preserve and enhance nature.

News about Britain’s wildlife and ecosystems tends to be grim. In Green and Prosperous Land, Oxford economist and Natural Capital Committee chair Dieter Helm shares his radical but tangible plan for positive change.

This pragmatic approach to environmentalism includes a summary of Britain’s green assets, a look towards possible futures and an achievable 25-year plan for a green and prosperous country. The bold generational plan assesses the environment as a whole, explains the necessity of protecting and enhancing our green spaces and offers a clear, financially sound strategy to put Britain on a greener path.

Helm’s arguments expose the economic inefficiencies in our environmental policies and thus highlight the need for change. Leaving behind the current sterile and ineffective battle between the environment and the economy, this revolutionary plan champions the integration of the economy and the environment together to deliver sustainable, eco-friendly economic growth. There is hope, and there is time, but we must act now.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780008304485
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	03/07/2019
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishers
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	734 KB

About the Author

Professor Dieter Helm is Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford and Fellow in Economics at New College, Oxford. He specialises in the environment, notably in climate change, biodiversity, water, energy and agriculture. Previous books have included Burn Out: The Endgame of Fossil Fuels, The Carbon Crunch and Natural Capital: Valuing the Planet.
In December 2015, Dieter was reappointed as Independent Chair of the Natural Capital Committee. He is also an Honorary Vice President of the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.

Dieter Helm is Fellow in Economics, New College, Oxford. He is also Professor of Energy Policy and Professorial Research Fellow, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford. He lives in Oxfordshire, UK.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

List of abbreviations xvii

Introduction: Our natural capital inheritance 1

Part 1 The Prize and the Risks

Chapter 1 The prize 17

Chapter 2 Business-as-usual 37

Part 2 Building a Greener Economy

Chapter 3 Restoring rivers 61

Chapter 4 Green agriculture 79

Chapter 5 The uplands 105

Chapter 6 The coasts 127

Chapter 7 Nature in the towns and cities 152

Part 3 Principles, Paying and the Plan

Chapter 8 Public goods 175

Chapter 9 Paying for pollution 195

Chapter 10 Natural capital markets, auctions and the net zero example 219

Chapter 11 A Nature Fund 240

Chapter 12 The plan 262

Conclusions: Securing the prize 285

Acknowledgements 291

Endnotes 293

Bibliography 315

Index 327

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Green and Prosperous Land:

‘Dieter Helm has taken a good, hard look at the state of our natural environment and the result could be one of the most important books of the decade’ Country Life

‘Helm’s solutions are refreshingly straightforward … The notion of the financial value of nature is long established. Helm takes this further to present a pure economic argument for conservation. We all need to listen to that’ Simon Barnes, Sunday Times

‘[Helm is] as eloquent with his recommendations as in analysis of the problem … This is an important analysis, argued with passion, intelligence and rigour. It is timely too, because – as Helm makes compellingly clear – of the urgency of the problem’ Financial Times

‘A trenchant manifesto for change … visionary, pragmatic and context-rich’ Nature

‘Delivers handsomely on the promise of its title’ New Scientist

There is an enormous amount to admire’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Hooray for this book! An economist dispensing with the usual nonsense, and applying his mind to the task of devising a sound economic plan for the protection and restoration of Britain’s wildlife … [This is a] brave and forthright attempt to begin a new conversation on how to pay to keep our wildlife’ British Wildlife

‘A tough-minded and eminently practical plan for the recovery of our natural capital and the protection of our renewables … that might just make the Britain of 2050 a success story’ The Herald Magazine

‘A good read and an important one too. I loved it, as I agreed with much of it and was interested by all of it’ Mark Avery

‘This book is urgent. It should be required reading for all interested in turning the 25YEP into reality. I wonder if the next generation will recognise this book as a Rachel Carson-style moment that helped to kick-start the wholesale recover of nature: I hope so’ BTO News

From the Publisher