Thomas Rudel

Forests offer a natural solution to the climate crisis. Conserving and expanding them not only removes carbon from the atmosphere but also protects and fosters biodiversity. Yet the results of elite-driven reforestation initiatives have been disappointing, and in many world regions deforestation continues relentlessly. Thomas K. Rudel examines a wide range of conservation and reforestation efforts to shed new light on the social factors that lead to success. He details effective coalition-building strategies and organizational models that have protected, restored, and expanded forests around the world. Rudel argues that successful reforestation projects bring together diverse groups of people with a stake in the land and a commitment to collective decision making. They give voice to different economic and social interests, including small farmers, Indigenous peoples, loggers, ranchers, government officials, NGO personnel, international donors, and climate activists. These varied coalition members each make commitments to promote forests. Farmers limit the extent of lands under cultivation, governments protect land tenure for smallholders, and wealthy donors make payments for environmental protections. Timely and accessible, Reforesting the Earth offers a guide to scaling up local efforts to sequester carbon and makes a powerful case for a global reforestation movement.

Forests offer a natural solution to the climate crisis. Conserving and expanding them not only removes carbon from the atmosphere but also protects and fosters biodiversity. Yet the results of elite-driven reforestation initiatives have been disappointing, and in many world regions deforestation continues relentlessly. Thomas K. Rudel examines a wide range of conservation and reforestation efforts to shed new light on the social factors that lead to success. He details effective coalition-building strategies and organizational models that have protected, restored, and expanded forests around the world. Rudel argues that successful reforestation projects bring together diverse groups of people with a stake in the land and a commitment to collective decision making. They give voice to different economic and social interests, including small farmers, Indigenous peoples, loggers, ranchers, government officials, NGO personnel, international donors, and climate activists. These varied coalition members each make commitments to promote forests. Farmers limit the extent of lands under cultivation, governments protect land tenure for smallholders, and wealthy donors make payments for environmental protections. Timely and accessible, Reforesting the Earth offers a guide to scaling up local efforts to sequester carbon and makes a powerful case for a global reforestation movement.

As global environmental changes become increasingly evident and efforts to respond to these changes fall short of expectations, questions about the circumstances that generate environmental reforms become more pressing. Defensive Environmentalists and the Dynamics of Global Reform answers these questions through a historical analysis of two processes that have contributed to environmental reforms, one in which people become defensive environmentalists concerned about environmental problems close to home and another in which people become altruistic environmentalists intent on alleviating global problems after experiencing catastrophic events such as hurricanes, droughts and fires. These focusing events make reform more urgent and convince people to become altruistic environmentalists. Bolstered by defensive environmentalists, the altruists gain strength in environmental politics and reforms occur.

As global environmental changes become increasingly evident and efforts to respond to these changes fall short of expectations, questions about the circumstances that generate environmental reforms become more pressing. Defensive Environmentalists and the Dynamics of Global Reform answers these questions through a historical analysis of two processes that have contributed to environmental reforms, one in which people become defensive environmentalists concerned about environmental problems close to home and another in which people become altruistic environmentalists intent on alleviating global problems after experiencing catastrophic events such as hurricanes, droughts and fires. These focusing events make reform more urgent and convince people to become altruistic environmentalists. Bolstered by defensive environmentalists, the altruists gain strength in environmental politics and reforms occur.

In Tropical Forests, Rudel analyzes hundreds of local studies from the past twenty years to develop a much-needed, global perspective on deforestation. With separate chapters on individual regions, including South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Africa, Rudel's work offers an up-to-date assessment of the world's tropical forests. In the concluding chapter, Rudel considers the implications of these trends and describes policy directions for conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable development in each region.

In Tropical Forests, Rudel analyzes hundreds of local studies from the past twenty years to develop a much-needed, global perspective on deforestation. With separate chapters on individual regions, including South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Africa, Rudel's work offers an up-to-date assessment of the world's tropical forests. In the concluding chapter, Rudel considers the implications of these trends and describes policy directions for conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable development in each region.

Addressing decades of rain forest destruction, concerned scientists, often in concert with various environmental movements, have amassed an impressive amount of information on deforestation in areas throughout the world. In Tropical Forests, Rudel draws upon hundreds of these studies to develop a broader perspective on the problem of deforestation. Through a meta-analysis, Rudel identifies the forces that have driven forest cover change since 1980 and spells out their implications for efforts to conserve biodiversity and expedite sustainable development in the tropics. Rudel builds on local studies to offer clear explanations of what has happened in each of the world's tropical forest regions. He assesses global trends while also offering vivid descriptions of the effects of deforestation in specific areas. His work concludes with a chapter that describes policy directions for conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable development in each region.

Addressing decades of rain forest destruction, concerned scientists, often in concert with various environmental movements, have amassed an impressive amount of information on deforestation in areas throughout the world. In Tropical Forests, Rudel draws upon hundreds of these studies to develop a broader perspective on the problem of deforestation. Through a meta-analysis, Rudel identifies the forces that have driven forest cover change since 1980 and spells out their implications for efforts to conserve biodiversity and expedite sustainable development in the tropics. Rudel builds on local studies to offer clear explanations of what has happened in each of the world's tropical forest regions. He assesses global trends while also offering vivid descriptions of the effects of deforestation in specific areas. His work concludes with a chapter that describes policy directions for conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable development in each region.

Das Freiburger Modell ist ein makroökonometrisches Simulations- und Prognosemodell für die Wirtschaft der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Es zeichnet sich durch einen langen Schätzzeitraum (1964 - 1987), einen angebotsorientierten theoretischen Aufbau und interessante methodische Neuheiten aus. Hierzu gehören die Schätzung zeitvariabler Parameter, eine getrennte Schätzung von Strukturparametern und Saisonfiguren sowie die Verwendung von Fehlerkorrekturmodellen. Das Buch enthält eine Darstellung der theoretischen Grundlagen des Modellaufbaus und der einzelnen Gleichungsspezifikationen. Die verwendeten Schätzverfahren werden in einem eigenen Kapitel dargestellt. Von weiterem Interesse sind die Ergebnisse zweier Simulationsstudien, die mit dem Freiburger Modell durchgeführt wurden. Die eine Studie untersucht die Auswirkungen einer Verkürzung der wöchentlichen Arbeitszeit, sowohl mit als auch ohne Lohnausgleich. Die zweite Studie befaßt sich mit den Auswirkungen der Steuerreform, die im Jahr 1990 abgeschlossen wird. Beides sind hochaktuelle politische Fragestellungen, zu denen das Freiburger Modell sowohl von den Ergebnissen als auch von der Betrachtungsweise her neue Beiträge und Einsichten bietet. Das Buch wendet sich an wirtschaftstheoretisch, wirtschaftspolitisch und ökonometrisch interessierte Leser sowie an Studenten.

In dieser Arbeit werden die wichtigsten Schätz- und Testverfahren für kointegrierte Zeitreihen dargestellt, wobei insbesondere ihre Vorzüge und Nachteile herausgestellt werden. Zu den behandelten Schätzverfahren gehören die zweistufige Methode von Granger und Engle sowie der Maximum-Likelihood-Schätzer von Johansen, bei den Tests stehen der Durbin-Watson-Test, der Dickey-Fuller-Test sowie der Likelihood-Ratio-Test im Vordergrund. Außer den methodischen Darstellungen enthält das Buch eine gründliche Analyse der Probleme ökonometrischer Modellbildung und der Eigenschaften von Fehlerkorrekturmodellen. Diese Untersuchungen werden durch ein Simulationsexperiment ergänzt, in dem die Prognoseeigenschaften verschiedener Modellformen miteinander verglichen werden. Eine empirische Untersuchung zur Geldnachfrage in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland macht das Buch auch für primär wirtschaftstheoretisch orientierte Leser interessant. Hier wird gezeigt, wie die dargestellten Methoden gewinnbringend eingesetzt werden können und dazu beitragen, neue Erkenntnisse insbesondere über die Stabilität der Geldnachfragefunktion zu bringen. Das Buch zeichnet sich dadurch aus, daß trotz seines teilweise technischen Themenbereichs auch nicht mathematisch versierte Leser den Darstellungen gut folgen können.