John Talberth

Bio

John Talberth is shifting positions at World Resources Institute. Look for the new profile soon.

Blog Posts

By the Numbers: Economic Impacts of Climate Change in the Lower Mekong Basin
by John Talberth - February 24, 2015
The Lower Mekong River Basin (LMB) spans Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, and supports 60 million people. New research shows that climate change could damage $18 billion worth of infrastructure and decrease economic productivity in the region by $16 billion annually by 2050.
Green vs. Gray Infrastructure: When Nature Is Better than Concrete
by John Talberth and Craig Hanson - June 19, 2012
Infrastructure is essential for economic growth. But as governments debate the future of sustainable development at the Rio+20 conference, there is one infrastructure solution that can provide a good return on investment: nature.

People often don’t think of forests, wetlands, coral reefs, and other natural ecosystems as forms of infrastructure. But they are. Forests, for instance, can prevent silt and pollutants from entering streams that supply freshwater to downstream cities and businesses. They can act as natural water filtration plants. As such, they are a form of “green infrastructure” that can serve the same function as “gray infrastructure,” the human-engineered solutions that often involve concrete and steel. This example is not alone (see Table 1).
Rio+20: Moving Ahead with the Sustainable Development Goals
by Manish Bapna, Peter Hazlewood and John Talberth - June 11, 2012
As the global summit in Rio approaches, negotiations are still in flux, but some ideas that could advance the global sustainability agenda are gaining momentum.

One such idea is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are emerging as a potentially significant outcome with global policy implications for the post-2015 development agenda. With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set to expire in 2015, the idea is for governments to launch a process in Rio to develop broader SDGs that would complement or succeed them.

The MDGs have had a laudable impact on reducing the proportion of the world’s people living in extreme poverty. But they have also been criticized– fairly – for failing to address some key drivers of poverty. These include environmental issues—such as climate change and resource scarcity—that disproportionately impact the poor and most vulnerable, as well as the inequitable distribution of wealth, income, and opportunity.
Payments for Watershed Services: Pilot Projects for Watershed Protection
by Erin Gray and John Talberth - February 29, 2012
Forested watersheds of the southern United States provide numerous services to the region. At no cost, they purify water, control flooding and erosion, and provide places for people to relax and have fun. Yet despite their value, many watersheds are under threat from development and poor land management.

“Payments for Watershed Services” (PWS) programs are one strategy to keep watersheds healthy. Through a PWS program, landowners receive financial incentives to conserve, sustainably manage, and/or restore watersheds to yield the kinds of benefits described above.
What Woodland Owners Should Know About Forest Carbon Offsets in the U.S. South
by John Talberth and Logan Yonavjak - September 07, 2011
This piece was written with Paula Swedeen of the Pacific Forest Trust

A new issue brief, released today by the World Resources Institute and the Pacific Forest Trust, looks at the economic opportunities for southern landowners created by emerging forest carbon offset markets. This new revenue stream can offer real rewards to landowners who steward their forests for climate benefits.

Original economic analysis done by the authors suggests that under current market conditions (offset prices in the $8-$12/metric ton CO2e range), income from carbon offsets may be sufficient in some instances to pay property taxes or the “incremental” costs of sustainable forest management certification. From a purely financial perspective, however, revenue from offsets in today’s still-developing market is not likely sufficient to outcompete real estate development in the region.
Encouraging Green Industry Innovation
by Erin Gray and John Talberth - August 29, 2011
Recently, in the New York Times Green Column, Bettina Wassener wrote about the “Plastic Disclosure Project,” which annually surveys industry on their overall plastic use and reports back on consumption trends. The goal of the project is to raise awareness about plastic consumption, create a “plastic footprint” akin to a carbon footprint for business, and hopefully motivate industry to change their consumption habits.

This innovative idea is just one example of the movement towards “Green Industry,” a term which recognizes that in a world of increasing resource scarcity, climate change, pollution, and depletion of natural capital, economic growth must rely on clean and efficient production processes. But what exactly is “Green industry”? More importantly, given the wide variety of creative and green solutions available, how can national governments foster Green Industry to save natural resources?
Property Tax Incentives for Forest Conservation in the U.S. South
by John Talberth and Logan Yonavjak - June 15, 2011
Current use valuation programs can encourage landowners to resist development pressures and leave forest as forest.
Q&A: What is a "Green Economy?"
by Manish Bapna and John Talberth - April 05, 2011
The global recession has brought new attention to chronic structural flaws in current economic models and assumptions. As economies struggle to recover, many are taking a closer look at the broad concept of a "Green Economy," one that simultaneously promotes sustainability and economic growth What would this type of economy look like, and how could we get there? WRI Managing Director Manish Bapna responds to some of the most commonly-asked questions:
"Working Forests": How Land Protection Can Save and Even Make Money
by John Talberth - March 31, 2011
A new issue brief shows how public forestland can be “put to work” to increase revenue in the southern United States.
Q&A: World Bank Plan to Value Ecosystems
by John Talberth and Janet Ranganathan - November 01, 2010
Last week at the UN Convention on Biodiversity, the World Bank launched a new program that aims to put a value on a country’s ecosystems in the same way a country measures its national income and product accounts, or GNP and GDP.

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John Talberth

By the Numbers: Economic Impacts of Climate Change in the Lower Mekong Basin

Green vs. Gray Infrastructure: When Nature Is Better than Concrete

Rio+20: Moving Ahead with the Sustainable Development Goals

Payments for Watershed Services: Pilot Projects for Watershed Protection

What Woodland Owners Should Know About Forest Carbon Offsets in the U.S. South

Encouraging Green Industry Innovation

Property Tax Incentives for Forest Conservation in the U.S. South

Q&A: What is a "Green Economy?"

"Working Forests": How Land Protection Can Save and Even Make Money

Q&A: World Bank Plan to Value Ecosystems

Insights from the Field: Forests for Water

Forests for Carbon

Exploring Forest Carbon Offsets in the U.S. South

Current Use Valuation Programs

Property Tax Incentives for Preserving Local Benefits of Forests

Forests at Work

A New Model for Local Land Protection

Forests for Water

Exploring Payments for Watershed Services in the U.S. South

Keeping Forest as Forest

Incentives for the U.S. South

How Baywide Nutrient Trading Could Benefit Pennsylvania Farms

How Baywide Nutrient Trading Could Benefit Maryland Farms

How Baywide Nutrient Trading Could Benefit Virginia Farms

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Exploring Forest Carbon Offsets in the U.S. South

Property Tax Incentives for Preserving Local Benefits of Forests

A New Model for Local Land Protection

Exploring Payments for Watershed Services in the U.S. South

Incentives for the U.S. South

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