Book Details

The first edition of this pragmatic course text emphasized the policy value of a “big picture” approach to the ethical, political, technological, scientific, economic, and management aspects of environmental issues. The text then applied this approach to real-world case examples involving leaks in underground storage tanks, toxic waste cleanup, and the effects of global climate change. 

This second edition demonstrates the ongoing effectiveness of the book’s framework in generating meaningful action and policy solutions to current environmental issues. The text adds case examples concerning congestion taxes, e-waste, hydrofracking, and recent developments in global climate change, updating references and other materials throughout and incorporating the political and policy changes of the Obama administration’s first term and developments in national and global environmental issues.

Steven Cohen is the executive director of Columbia University’s Earth Institute and a professor in the practice of public affairs at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He is also director of the Master of Public Administration Program in Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and the director of the Masters of Science in Sustainability Management at Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education. He is a consultant, former policy analyst, and former member of the Advisory Council on Environmental Policy and Technology for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.