Introduction: Control and regulation

In the themes on energy, metabolism and growth, the focus is on environmental problems in an overall perspective: changing the energy basis in a long-term perspective, growth of the economy as a metabolic organism and the ethical problems that are associated with the challenges. The themes also discuss how researchers have attempted to highlight the biophysical growth of the economy and the planetary boundaries we have either exceeded or are about to exceed. However, when it comes to environmental policy in practice, more delimited problems are often in focus. One can say that the overall growth of the metabolism is reflected in a wide range of specific environmental problems which have emerged over the years and demand attention. In this theme, we look at different methods of controlling and regulating these problems.

Next: Specific environmental problems