Natural resources have been studied by economists from the earliest days of the profession. They have been seen as providing the basis for national prosperity, power, and wealth. The ability to harness energy in new ways has been recognized as a major, if not the major, factor underlying the...

This chapter discusses several efforts by economists and others to develop criteria of sustainability with respect to both particular resources and the whole economic system. These are meant to provide ethical guidance concerning appropriate behavior where resource depletion or environmental...

The research questions and topics most likely to emerge in the near term future are assessed. A common theme is that policy issues will be an important driving force, as has generally been true in the past. More specifically, future theoretical advances are expected to occur in the treatment of...