The dates on my initial computer files remind me that I first developed the detailed argument and structure of this book in April 2001. I remember being concerned at the time that the book might take two years to write and publish – but I wanted it out more quickly than that. Such optimism.

Various commitments intervened. One was a book on costing greenhouse gas abatement policy that I wrote and published with two co-authors in the period 2001–02. There was also international and national advisory work related to climate change policy as well as my ongoing research, article writing and teaching responsibilities. If a manuscript is incomplete by the end of summer, there is little chance for significant progress during the following eight months of teaching. I finally had a virtually completed draft of the manuscript by mid-2004, but then I consumed almost a year eliciting feedback from various researchers, especially in areas that are peripheral to my expertise. This led to more research and significant rewriting in some sections. I am grateful to the many people who provided this service. Of course, I alone am responsible for remaining errors.

It is difficult to anticipate how this book will be received. I have always seen myself as strongly motivated by a concern for the environment, so I am predisposed to arguments that our economic system is unsustainable and that our policies for environmental protection need to be much stronger. I hope that message is clear in this book.