An Introduction to Ecological Economics was first published in 1997 by St. Lucie Press. At that time it was the first comprehensive overview of the rapidly growing field of ecological economics. Since then the field has expanded into new areas and attracted new scholars and professionals from many fields. Given this, and the growing importance of environmental issues, a second edition of An Introduction to Ecological Economics is clearly desirable.

The authors and publisher invite you to contribute to the revised edition. You can do so by editing and expanding the current chapters, adding a new chapter, or by writing new entries/informational boxes. When approved, your contribution will immediately become part of the online edition that is published in the Encyclopedia of Earth. The authors and publisher will also choose among the revised and edited chapters from the online edition to publish a second edition print version. You receive full attribution as a contributor to the book for the online and print editions.

Topics needed

Specific areas covered include: valuation of natural resources, sustainable agriculture and development, ecologically integrated technology, integrated ecologic-economic modelling at scales from local to regional to global, implications of thermodynamics for economics and ecology, renewable resource management and conservation, critical assessments of the basic assumptions underlying current economic and ecological paradigms and the implications of alternative assumptions, economic and ecological consequences of genetically engineered organisms, and gene pool inventory and management, alternative principles for valuing natural wealth, integrating natural resources and environmental services into national income and wealth accounts, methods of implementing efficient environmental policies, case studies of economic-ecologic conflict or harmony, etc.

Click here to see the current working Table of Contents.

Potential authors are encouraged to contact the lead author with additional suggestions or questions: Robert Costanza.

Types of Contributions

1. New entries. Entries are comprehensive introductions to and overviews of a topic or issue of relevance to ecological economics. They can be up to 5,000 words in length, be written for a general audience, and contain a minimum of mathematics, technical jargon, and buzzwords known only to specialists.
2. New Informational Boxes. Informational Boxes are supplemental material that will accompany the main text of the book. They should be between 250 and 1,000 words, be written for a general audience, and contain a minimum of mathematics, technical jargon, and buzzwords known only to specialists. You can see examples listed in the Table of Contents of the online edition.
3. Revision or extension of existing entries. You can edit or expand to existing entries after consultation with the current author.

How to Contribute

1. if you already are an EoE author, you can:
• Edit or add to an existing article by clicking on any of the entries in the Table of Contents. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on EoE Authors can click here to access this article within the editor wiki. This takes you to the authors' site where you can edit your selection.
• Create a new entry. See the topic areas above for suggestions, or contact the lead author if you would like to suggest a new topic: Robert Costanza. Once you have decided on a topic, go here to create your article.
2. If you are not an EoE Author but would like to contribute, click here and complete the contributor application form

Guidelines

In addition to falling under the scope of this book, all contributions must meet the editorial and stylistic guidelines for the EoE.

1. Audience Level
   
   • The level of writing should target the educated lay public, and thus should fall somewhere between that found in a good newspaper (e.g. NY Times, London Times) and that found in a good general encyclopedia (e.g. Encyclopedia Britannica).
   • Avoid jargon that only specialists will understand.
2. Article Format
   
   • Article length is 250 to 5,000 words.
     
   • The first sentence of an article should give a succinct definition of the article's topic.
   • Use headings and subheadings to organize your article.
   • Do not use in-text references.
   • Include a "Further Reading" section at the end of your entry. Wherever possible, include links to the resource itself.
   • The International System of Units (SI) is recommended.
   • The technical and mathematical details should be limited to that necessary for making your most fundamental points. Remember, the EoE is intended to reach a broad audience.
3. Neutrality Policy
   
   • In the interests of encouraging the broadest participation, of assisting people in making up their own minds about controversial issues, and of increasing the likelihood of articulating the whole truth about all subjects, the EoE has explicit policies regarding neutrality and fairness. These policies require that articles shall, when touching upon any issue of controversy, be fair and insofar as possible neutral. Articles shall recognize uncertainties in data, interpretation, and understanding, as well as other reasons for different perspectives on a subject, such as assumptions made.

Review and selection process

All entries are reviewed by a Topic Editor for the EoE. Approved articles become part of the general collection of the EoE. In addition, the authors of An Introduction to Ecological Economics will review those entries and, where appropriate, approve them for inclusion in the electronic version of the book that is published as part of the EoE. The authors may also choose some of these entries to be included in the print version of the second edition.

Attribution

You are listed as the author for any entry approved by a Topic Editor for inclusion in the EoE. An example of the recommended citation for an EoE entry is :

Costanza, Robert (Lead Author); Nancy Golubiewski (Topic Editor). 2007. "Value of the world’s ecosystem services: the influence of a single paper." In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [Published August 9, 2007; Retrieved August 20, 2007]. Value_of_the_world’s_ecosystem_services:_the_influence_of_a_single_paper

If your entry is selected for inclusion in the print version of the second edition, you will receive similar attribution.

Contact information

For any procedural or administrative questions, contact the Managing Editor of the EoE: Arielle Conti. For content questions or comments contact the lead author: Robert Costanza.