Reflections on Environmental Policy in Canada

摘要

In his presidential address, Weersink (2006) identified four types of addresses: a summary of research activity, an analysis of changes in industry structure, a discussion of new social or economic issues facing the profession, or an examination of the services the professional societies like the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society (CAES) provides to the profession. This presidential address will not be any one of these, but it may touch on some aspects of at least two or three of these typical topics. The issue I examine is not directly my area of research nor is it a topic directly associated with services of the CAES. However, it is a topic that is fertile ground for research and it is something that I hope that the members of CAES consider as part of the service that our society can provide to policymakers and the public. The topic I will investigate is whether Canadian natural resource and environmental policy requires a reframing toward increased use of market-based instruments and economic methods to aid in decision making.