Joint production and the natural environment

In this chapter, I want to give an empirical introduction into the complexity of economy-environment interactions as established by ambivalent joint production. I shall present a selection of exemplary environmental problems caused by joint production. In the study of these problems important characteristic features of the phenomenon of joint production will turn out to be crucial for an understanding of economy-environment interactions. The features identified here will then be at the center of attention in the subsequent analysis in the remainder of this work. At the same time, the examples illustrate that many important environmental problems have their origin in some process of joint production.