Richard B. Howarth

Richard B. Howarth serves as the Richard and Jane Pearl Professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College, where he co-chairs the PhD Program in Ecology, Evolution, Environment, and Society (EEES). His work integrates economic analysis with ecological, moral, and social dimensions of environmental governance, positioning him at the forefront of ecological economics research and policy application.

His academic foundation includes an A.B. in Biology and Society from Cornell University (1985, summa cum laude), an M.S. in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1987), and a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley's Energy and Resources Group (1990). Prior to joining Dartmouth in 1998, he held research positions at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Santa Cruz.

Professor Howarth's research centers on environmental valuation, particularly deliberative methods for ecosystem services assessment, and the ethical foundations of intergenerational justice in climate policy. His scholarship critically examines discounting theories, carbon pricing mechanisms, and the tension between economic growth and ecological sustainability, often incorporating Hans Jonas' Imperative of Responsibility as an ethical framework. Recent work emphasizes social norm dynamics in pro-environmental behavior and methodological innovations for integrating health, economic, and environmental trade-offs.

Analysis of his 2020-2024 publications reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) refinement of deliberative valuation techniques for ecosystem services, (2) dual-track approaches to global carbon pricing that address equity concerns, and (3) application of sociotechnical transition theory to climate stabilization. His work consistently bridges theoretical economics with practical policy design, particularly regarding New England's energy transition and Canadian hydropower integration.

As Co-Chair of Dartmouth's EEES PhD program, Howarth mentors doctoral candidates across interdisciplinary environmental research. He taught foundational courses including ENVS 3 (Environment & Society) and ENVS 55 (Ecological Economics), and served as Editor-in-Chief of Ecological Economics for 14 years (2008-2022), significantly shaping the field's scholarly discourse. His career demonstrates sustained commitment to transforming economic paradigms through ethical engagement with sustainability challenges.