economy

In this installment of this occasional series, we hear from Shi-Ling Hsu, author of The Case for a Carbon Tax.

How can economics help the environment? Image by Grady Klein and Yoram Bauman.

If you're the kind of person who eagerly awaits the annual State of the Union speech, we have just what you need to tide you over until next January. State of the World 2014: Governing for Sustainability marks the 40th anniversary of Worldwatch Institute, one of the leading environmental think tanks. This year's book analyzes government structures on every scale, how they are—or aren't—addressing sustainability issues, and how they can be improved.

The World Bank Group proudly proclaims "our dream is a world without poverty." Supported by the U.S. and other rich industrialized nations, it lends more than $50 billion annually to developing countries-purportedly for projects and programs that help the poor while protecting the environment.