Around the world, over-fishing is leading to severe depletion of valuable fisheries. This is as true in U.S. coastal waters as it is in many other parts of the world. In New England waters, for example, after two decades of ever more intensive fishing, the groundfish fishery has essentially collapsed. But, we are not alone. According to the United Nations Environment Program, fully 25 percent of fisheries worldwide are in jeopardy of collapse due to over-fishing. Clearly, something needs to be done. Yet, what has long been considered the obvious answer -- restrictions on fishing -- has been shown time and time again to be the wrong answer. The right answer is enlightened use of markets.

The fundamental cause of the depletion of fish stocks is well known to economists: virtually all ocean fisheries are "open-access," that is, fishermen -- small operations or large corporations -- can fish all they want. These individuals and companies are no more greedy than the rest of us, but because no one holds title to fish stocks in the open ocean, everyone races to catch as much as possible. Each fisherman receives the full benefit of aggressive fishing (that is, a larger catch), but none pay the full cost (an imperiled fishery for everyone). One fisherman's choices have an effect on other fishermen (of this generation and the next), but in an open-access fishery -- unlike a privately-held copper mine, for example -- these impacts are not taken into account. What is individually rational adds up to collective foolishness, as the shared resource is over-exploited. This is the "tragedy of the commons." What to do?

Government intervention is, alas, required. Fishermen don't welcome such regulation in their economic sphere any more than anyone else does. And they have a point. Conventional regulatory approaches have driven up costs, but not solved the problem. And we know why. If the government limits the season, fishermen put out more boats. If the government limits net size, fishermen use more labor or buy more costly sonar. Economists call this over-capitalization. Costs go up for fishermen (as resources are squandered), but pressure on fish stocks is not relieved.

The answer is to adopt in fisheries management the same type of innovative policy that has been used for decades in the realm of pollution control -- tradeable permits, called "Individual Transferable Quotas" ( ITQs) in the fisheries realm. Sixteen countries -- some with economies much more dependent than ours on fishing -- have adopted such systems with great success. New Zealand regulates virtually its entire commercial fishery this way. It's had the system in place since 1986, and it's been a great success, putting a brake on over-fishing and restoring stocks to sustainable levels ­- while increasing fishermen's profitability!

There are several ITQ systems already in operation in the United States, including for Alaska's pacific halibut and Virginia's striped-bass fisheries. More important, the time is ripe for broader adoption of this innovative approach, because a short-sighted ban imposed by the U.S. Congress on the establishment of new ITQ systems has expired.

The first step in establishing an ITQ system is to establish the "total allowable catch." The next step -- and a crucial one -- is to allocate shares of that total limit to fishermen in individual quotas that are theirs and theirs alone (read: well-defined property rights). Setting the individual quotas will not be easy. The guiding principle should be simple pragmatism -- using the allocations to build political support for the system. Making the quotas transferable eliminates the problem of overcapitalization and increases efficiency, because the least efficient fishing operations find it more profitable to sell their quotas than to exploit them through continued fishing. If you can't catch your whole share, you can sell part of your quota to someone else, instead of buying a bigger boat.

In addition, these systems improve safety by reducing incentives for fishermen to go out (or stay out) when weather conditions are dangerous. And it was just such perverse incentives of conventional fisheries regulation that were blamed for the tragic loss of life when a fishing boat was lost in a storm off the New England coast just a few winters ago.

Further, because ITQ systems eliminate the motivation for government to limit the duration of the fishing season, supplies available to consumers improve in quality. Prior to the establishment of an ITQ system for Alaskan halibut, for example, the government had reduced the fishing season to just two days, but subsequent to the introduction of the system, the season length grew to more than 200 days.

A decade ago, environmental advocates -- led by the Environmental Defense Fund -- played a central role in the adoption of the sulfur dioxide allowance trading program that's cut acid rain by half and saved electricity generators and rate-payers nearly $1 billion annually, compared with conventional approaches. The time has come for environmentalists to join forces with progressive voices in the fishing industry and in government to set up ITQ systems that can keep fishermen in business while moving fisheries onto sustainable paths.

Related Links:

Top 25 reasons to give a damn about climate change

Can EPA regulations on CO2 be blocked?

Cash for Clunkers brought us ... more clunkers!

New Zealand Prime Minister-Elect John Key has a goal to implement an emissions-trading scheme within nine months -- though he will face much pushback from the opposing ACT party.

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

Fair, Ambitious & Binding: Essentials for a Successful Climate Deal

Related Links:

Top 25 reasons to give a damn about climate change

Tweet for the bees

James Bond calls for more marine protected areas

Thursday is World Environment Day, and you will no doubt celebrate by donating to Grist. (Thank you!) Once you've got that out of the way, you can also help out our dear environment by packing a lighter suitcase when you travel, jogging in the park instead of on the treadmill, using a wind-up alarm clock, and ditching your electric toothbrush, says a 202-page United Nations report called "Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy." That kicky title is also the official slogan of this year's World Environment Day. New Zealand, which is striving to become a carbon-neutral country, will host the main international celebrations of the day. But if you don't live in Wellington, look for a rally, parade, concert, reading, tree planting, and/or clean-up campaign near you.

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

File this under "ew": Researchers in New Zealand have developed a process to convert animal protein waste -- that'd be blood and feathers -- into plastic. "The material we can produce has the strength of polyethylene, the plastic used in milk bottles and plastic supermarket bags, but it's fully biodegradable," says Dr. Johan Verbeek, adding, "Plant proteins have successfully been used to make bioplastics, but animal protein has always ended up gumming up the extruder." Mmm -- pass that milk bottle! The bioplastic would actually likely end up as agricultural sheeting, seedling trays, plant pots, and the like. Says Verbeek: "The aim is to stay away from any food packaging." That's probably for the best.

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

Related Links:

For McCain, it’s really all about the fake snow

Ask Umbra on trash, toxics, and tots

FOX News and TrollCat agree: Global warming is BUNK!

Related Links:

Climate Citizen: Mary Stuart Masterson

Host a viewing party for the must-see new film “Coal Country”

Happy birthday, EMA Awards ... and you other groups, too

Related Links:

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

Make the kids pay: The economic effects of climate change on future generations

Ask Umbra on bike helmets

Since humans began populating New Zealand, some 75 percent of the islands' indigenous bird species have gone extinct. Due to habitat loss and nonnative predators, it looks as though the same fate may befall the kiwi, New Zealand's iconic flightless bird. Kiwi populations are estimated to be declining by 2 to 5 percent each year; surveys suggest that in the wild, only one in 20 kiwi chicks survives to its first birthday. A partnership of government agencies, local communities, nonprofit groups, and commercial operations hopes to make a difference with Operation Nest Egg, a program that moves kiwi eggs to remote islands to hatch, then returns grown chicks to the wild. The program's success rate is rising, giving backers optimism that the bird that gives its name to the country's currency -- and, for that matter, its residents -- will persevere.

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

Related Links:

Obama takes on the anti-scientific delayers

Biochemist Oliver Peoples explains how his polymer-producing microbes could transform the plastics i

How industry pressures and competing national agendas dim prospects for a climate treaty

Related Links:

Is there a tradeoff between economics and the environment?

‘Heretic’ battles straw man

The Wind Kids: How high school students helped bring a wind farm to Milford, Utah

Related Links:

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

Is there a tradeoff between economics and the environment?

‘Heretic’ battles straw man

Leaders around the world leap into the climate-promise arena

Today we bring you another edition of Leaders Making Big Climate Promises! In New Zealand, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced a goal to make her country the world's first carbon-neutral nation. Zowie! British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell says he'll set up a climate team to cut vehicle and coal-plant emissions and push B.C.ers to conserve. Zoinks! In the U.S., New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) signed an executive order calling for an 80 percent cut in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, noting the "absence of leadership on the federal level." Ahem! And a high-profile meeting in the U.S. Senate finds bigwigs John McCain, Barbara Boxer, and others meeting with lawmakers from Europe and Asia to discuss the world's approach to climate change. Kapow! Organized by the U.K.-based GLOBE (Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment), the forum is backed by Prime Minister Tony Blair. President Bush, busy looking for a corner of the Oval Office to weep in, could not be reached for comment.

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

U.S. environmental performance ranks below Malaysia, Chile, 25 others

We beat Cyprus! Yeah, boyee! The Mediterranean island nation comes in at 29th in a landmark pilot study ranking countries by their environmental performance. The U.S. comes in at a blazing 28th -- just behind most of Western Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Costa Rica, Chile, and, uh, Slovakia. The 2006 Environmental Performance Index -- jointly produced by Yale and Columbia Universities -- ranks New Zealand No. 1 for overall success in attaining such environmental goals as sustainable fisheries and greenhouse-gas emission cuts. The U.S. scored at the top for environmental health factors like indoor air pollution and sanitation, but poorly on agricultural, forest, and fisheries management. The final report will be released at the World Economic Forum, the exclusive annual summit of business and policy pooh-bahs taking place this week in Davos, Switzerland.

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

Dear Umbra,

I'm diligently avoiding PVC plastics, but cannot find a good quality non-PVC garden hose. We have particularly high water pressure, so we need a hose that can withstand the pressure. I only need to water the veggie garden a couple of times a week in summer, but it's not quite feasible to do it with a watering can. To further complicate matters for you, we live in New Zealand, though we are willing to try importing a non-PVC hose if such a thing exists.

Judi
Wellington, New Zealand

Dearest Judi,

I'd like to personally accompany a garden hose over to Wellington on your behalf. But that might be more than you want to spend.

Stream of consciousness.

© Corbis.

When it comes to hoses, rubber is our no-vinyl-that's-final stand-in for PVC. Rubber hoses are heavier than vinyl ones, and renowned for durability. They are often available in areas with active farming. In the U.S., we have at least two name brands available: Craftsman, by Sears, and Gilmour. I bet your local garden store or agricultural-supply shop will be able to help you out.

Just a brief segue about rubber: natural rubber is made from milky latex sap; synthetic rubber is made from oil products. The vulcanization process that makes this magical substance more durable (and also soft and unsticky) also makes it resistant to reprocessing -- it can't simply be melted down and reborn like glass, for instance. But most old rubber is tires, which can be cut up into ingenious new products, ground up or turned into "crumbs" for use in playgrounds and asphalt, chemically treated and included as filler in new rubber products, or even burned for fuel in factories (a trend that concerns some fans of clean air). Here in the U.S., we're getting better at making use of our millions of scrap tires: in 1990, 11 percent were recycled; by 2003, that number had grown to 80 percent.

Old tires (or tyres, if you prefer) play a part in my next piece of advice. If you don't irrigate, I heartily recommend doing so, with a second kind of rubber hose: a "drip" (or soaker) model. These recycled (yes! old tires!) hoses are perforated, and release droplets into the soil without drenching the foliage. Surface drip irrigation is much more efficient than overhead watering, and preferred by most veg plants. Simply lay one in and among your plants (you can cover it with a few inches of compost, soil, or mulch if you like). When the watering moment arrives -- the wee hours if you have an irrigation timer, otherwise the morning or evening, to avoid wasteful evaporation -- you will hook up your garden hose to the drip hose, turn the faucet a quarter turn, and rejoice. I even found a New Zealand source for you (not a product endorsement, mind you, but see the nice picture).

Here in the Northern Hemisphere we are heading into winter, but I hope this advice will reach you in time to be useful Down Under.

Coily,
Umbra

Related Links:

Ask Umbra’s video advice on composting

Turn your turkey carcass into a spectacular gumbo

This Friday, don’t just Buy Nothing—use nothing!

New Zealand has unveiled a carbon tax to help it meet the goals of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, which the country expects to ratify by year's end. The tax, which would be implemented in 2007 assuming Kyoto has come into effect, would boost retail gas prices by up to 6 percent, diesel prices by up to 12 percent, and gas and electricity prices by as much as 9 percent, according to government documents. Coal users would be the hardest hit, with a 19 percent price hike. New Zealand emits between 70 and 90 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, making it the fourth-largest per capita producer after the United States, Australia, and Canada. But in Kiwi-land, the problem isn't only cars, but also farm animals: Half of New Zealand greenhouse gases come from the methane and CO2 emissions of the more than 50 million sheep and cattle that account for a third of the country's export earnings. New Zealand farmers would be exempt from the new tax plan. What revenue the tax generated would be used for climate-change projects and to offset cuts in other taxes.

Related Links:

Using markets to make fisheries sustainable

New Zealand’s new leader wants emissions-trading scheme

New Zealand conservative party introduces green agenda

New Zealand is one of the last countries in the world to have a food-production system entirely free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). But that could change when nearly 4 million voters go to the polls this Saturday to decide whether to lift a moratorium on the use of GMOs next year. In fact, the vote will decide more than that; it will also shape national politics in the country for years to come. The debate has split the ruling leftist coalition, with the Labor Party in favor of lifting the moratorium and the Green Party bitterly opposed. The divisions run deep, sometimes even dividing husbands and wives; the nation's Federated Farmers support GMOs, while the Rural Women's Association does not. This issue is particularly fraught because agriculture accounts for 50 percent of the country's economic activity.

Related Links:

Sen. Inhofe and U.S. Farm Bureau chief casually chat about destroying the climate bill

Michael Specter’s new book ‘Denialism’ misses its targets

Save us, [insert techno-fix here], you’re our only hope!

New Zealand is home to a staggering 45 million sheep and 8 million cattle, which together produce 90 percent of the country's methane emissions -- or about 43 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. To meet the terms of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, New Zealand has to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels -- but legislation proposed by the government last week would exempt the agricultural sector from any taxes levied to control the problem. The government has made clear, however, that the agricultural sector should focus on R&D to control methane emissions. New Zealand scientists say they know where to start: by altering the pastures in which sheep and cattle graze to include more of the legume lotus. According to the scientists, lotus contains tannin compounds that reduce methane emissions from ruminant animals by as much as 16 percent. The finding is a promising development in the effort to control agricultural contributions to global warming, which generally receive less attention than industrial pollution sources.

Related Links:

Ask Umbra on anti-idling campaigns

The courts weigh in: states win critical round in fight to slow global warming

Big biomass, bigger opposition

Seems like everyone but the U.S. is working on a way to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that fuel global warming. Yesterday, the New Zealand government proposed levying a tax of about $10 per ton of CO2 to meet the targets of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. The tax would go into effect in 2007 and would help the nation reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2012. According to government figures, the tax would raise the price of gasoline by 6 percent, diesel by 12 percent, electricity by 9 percent, natural gas by 8 percent, and coal by 19 percent. About half of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions come from the more than 50 million cattle and sheep raised in the country, but farmers would be exempt from the tax. The government is accepting public comments on the proposal and expects to make a final decision by August, when it is slated to ratify Kyoto.

Related Links:

Ask Umbra on anti-idling campaigns

The courts weigh in: states win critical round in fight to slow global warming

Big biomass, bigger opposition

In the midst of an expedition to document the impact of global warming and pollution on the Amazon Basin, America's Cup champion Sir Peter Blake was shot and killed yesterday, when pirates boarded his research boat at the mouth of the Amazon River. Blake, a 53-year-old native of Auckland, New Zealand, won the yacht race in 1995 and 2000, but had recently retired from competitive sailing to devote his time to studying ecological problems and launching an adventure travel company. Blake was revered in New Zealand, where flags are being flown at half-mast to mourn his death.

Related Links:

Toward a medically defensible energy policy

Growing up green: Breathing for two

Lawsuit accuses Virginia power company of poisoning Dominican community with toxic coal ash