James K. Boyce to present "Environment vs. Economy" Jan. 11 at Michigan Tech

HOUGHTON -- James K. Boyce, professor of economics at University of Massachusetts Amherst, will present "Environment vs. Economy: Is it possible to advance environmental protection AND poverty reduction?" from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, in G002 Hesterburg Hall, Forestry Building at Michigan Tech University.

The presentation, open to all, will be followed by coffee, dessert and discussion.

Professor Boyce will discuss the following:

• Explore how to get beyond the common paradigm of environmental protection OR economic growth. How can economic investments enhance natural resource stewardship?
• Examine on-the-ground initiatives across the country and around the world.
  

Building natural assets in the hands of low-income households and communities can advance simultaneously the goals of environmental protection and poverty reduction. This is not merely a theoretical possibility -- it is a practical reality demonstrated by on-the-ground initiatives across the country and around the world.

James K. Boyce is director of the Program on Development, Peace-building and the Environment at the Political Economy Research Institute at University of Massachusetts Amherst. His books include Reclaiming Nature: Environmental Justice and Ecological Restoration (2007) and The Political Economy of the Environment (2002). His current work focuses on strategies for combining poverty reduction with environmental protection, and the economics of war and peace.

This event is co-sponsored by these groups: Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, Michigan Tech Center for Water and Society, Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and Keweenaw Land Trust.