Location
USU Eccles Conference Center
Event Website
http://www.restoringthewest.org/
Abstract
High quality outdoor recreation, open space and scenic vistas, clean air, clean water, abundant wildlife and biodiversity are representative of the “natural amenities” that have been major drivers of economic development in the Rockies over the last 30 years. While the economic role of natural amenities varies across the “new western” landscape, in many communities protecting the environment is a prerequisite for sustainable economic success. In Colorado and other western states, public concerns are increasing about oil and natural gas drilling generally and hydraulic fracturing specifically. While oil and natural gas development does generate economic benefits, as the pace and scale of drilling increases so do the cumulative risks. While Colorado has some of the strongest laws in the U.S. – many residents and local elected officials do not believe they go far enough – as evidenced by the intra-jurisdictional legal battles currently brewing. One strategy for moving forward is to implement phased energy development guided by the precautionary principle and backed by a suite of economic instruments.
Pete Morton, Environmental Consultant, Boulder, CO, 80301, peteinboulder@gmail.com, 303-993-3727
Pete Morton has a BA in Accounting and Business Administration, a Masters of Forestry with an emphasis on quantitative modeling, and a PhD in Natural Resource Economics. Pete has 20 years of professional work experience in the private, academic, and non-profit sectors, most recently as the Director of Economic Research at The Wilderness Society. In addition to publishing numerous academic and legal papers, Pete has testified before the United States Congress and in Federal Court on economic, energy and environmental issues. When he’s not skiing or hiking, Pete works as a consultant in Boulder, Colorado.
Phased Energy Development and the Precautionary Principle: Good for Critters and Communities
USU Eccles Conference Center
High quality outdoor recreation, open space and scenic vistas, clean air, clean water, abundant wildlife and biodiversity are representative of the “natural amenities” that have been major drivers of economic development in the Rockies over the last 30 years. While the economic role of natural amenities varies across the “new western” landscape, in many communities protecting the environment is a prerequisite for sustainable economic success. In Colorado and other western states, public concerns are increasing about oil and natural gas drilling generally and hydraulic fracturing specifically. While oil and natural gas development does generate economic benefits, as the pace and scale of drilling increases so do the cumulative risks. While Colorado has some of the strongest laws in the U.S. – many residents and local elected officials do not believe they go far enough – as evidenced by the intra-jurisdictional legal battles currently brewing. One strategy for moving forward is to implement phased energy development guided by the precautionary principle and backed by a suite of economic instruments.
Pete Morton, Environmental Consultant, Boulder, CO, 80301, peteinboulder@gmail.com, 303-993-3727
Pete Morton has a BA in Accounting and Business Administration, a Masters of Forestry with an emphasis on quantitative modeling, and a PhD in Natural Resource Economics. Pete has 20 years of professional work experience in the private, academic, and non-profit sectors, most recently as the Director of Economic Research at The Wilderness Society. In addition to publishing numerous academic and legal papers, Pete has testified before the United States Congress and in Federal Court on economic, energy and environmental issues. When he’s not skiing or hiking, Pete works as a consultant in Boulder, Colorado.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/rtw/2012/october30/9