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on Environmental Economics |
| By: | OECD |
| Abstract: | This working paper assesses national policy and governance mechanisms that can influence green growth in Chinese cities. It applies the OECD conceptual framework for urban green growth to examine the potential challenges and opportunities for increasing economic growth through reducing the environmental impact of urban land use, transport and buildings; through improving water and air quality; and through fostering supply and demand of green products and services. The paper first situates the issue of green growth within the nexus of urbanisation and environmental challenges now facing China. This is followed by a review of environmental and quality of life challenges posed by rapid urbanisation. Opportunities for national policies to influence green growth in four key urban policy sectors are then examined. The paper concludes with an assessment of governance challenges and considers potential changes to facilitate economic growth while reducing the environmental impact of cities. |
| Keywords: | sustainable development, innovation, transport, renewable energy, China, climate change, energy efficiency, urban sustainability, cities, green technologies, green growth, green economy, multi-level governance, urban development, regional clusters, green cities, attractiveness, metro-region |
| JEL: | O18 O44 Q01 Q55 Q58 R11 R58 |
| Date: | 2013–05–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:govaab:2013/7-en&r=env |
| By: | Sen, Anindita |
| Abstract: | In this paper we study the effect of intra-industry trade in an environmental-quality differentiated good on the pollution level in a two-country framework when there are strategic interactions between the firms in the two countries. The pro-competitive effect of intra-industry trade expands the scale of production and, therefore, increases pollution in both the countries. Effect on the strategic choice of environmental qualities of the good is, on the other hand, asymmetric for the two producers. Impact of environmental policies like pollution content production tax and tariff on trade and pollution levels are also studied. . |
| Keywords: | Intra-Industry trade, environmental pollution, environmental standard |
| JEL: | F18 Q00 |
| Date: | 2013–06–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:49167&r=env |
| By: | Rabia Manzoor (Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad); Ghulam Samad (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) Islamabad.) |
| Abstract: | Policy-makers advocate a fundamental shift towards “Green Growth” as the new qualitatively different growth paradigm. This paper illustrates the green growth perspective of Pakistan to address the question of achieving sustainable green growth in the context of green/environmental technology to maintain and restore the environmental quality and ecological integrity, while meeting the needs of all people with the lowest possible environmental impacts. Pakistan needs both development and access to green technologies that will facilitate the transition to less carbon intensive economy to address the green growth. At this stage it is very important to understand the Pakistan existing level of organisations/institutions to understand their coping strategies. Therefore, the primarily objective of this study is sustainable development in the preamble of green growth/economy perspective of Pakistan. The focused area would be Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Research and Development (R&D), and Environmental Taxations. We will survey all the related organisations in Pakistan, which are directly or indirectly related to the green growth developmental agenda induced by IPRs, R&D, and Environmental Taxation. |
| Keywords: | Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation, Sustainable Development |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pid:ceeccp:2013:04&r=env |
| By: | Mareike Lange; César Freddy Suarez |
| Abstract: | It is still difficult for biofuel producers to prove the contribution of their biofuels to reducing carbon emissions because the production of biofuel feedstocks can cause land use change (LUC), which in turn causes carbon emissions. A carbon map can serve as a basis to proof such contribution. We show how to calculate a carbon map according to the sustainability requirements for biofuel production adopted by the European Commission (EU-RED) for the Llanos Orientales in Colombia. Based on the carbon map and the carbon balance of the production process we derive maps showing the possible emission savings that would be generated by biofuels based on palm, soy and sugar cane if an area were to be converted to produce feedstock for these biofuel options. We evaluate these maps according to the criterion contained in the EU-RED of 35% minimum emission savings for each biofuel option compared to its fossil alternative. In addition, to avoid indirect LUC effects of the EURED that might offset any contribution of biofuels to reducing carbon emissions, we argue that all agricultural production should be subject to sustainability assessments. In this effort, our carbon map can be the basis for a sustainable land use planning that is binding for all agricultural production in the coun |
| Keywords: | biofuels, carbon emissions, Renewable Energy Directive, carbon map, land use change, Colombia |
| JEL: | Q42 Q58 Q56 Q16 |
| Date: | 2013–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kie:kieliw:1864&r=env |
| By: | Kristinn Hermannsson (Department of Economics, University of Strathclyde); Stuart G McIntyre |
| Abstract: | We examine the complications involved in attributing emissions at a sub-regional or local level. Specifically, we look at how functional specialisation embedded within the metropolitan area can, via trade between sub-regions, create intra- metropolitan emissions interdependencies; and how this complicates environmental policy implementation in an analogous manner to international trade at the national level. For this purpose we use a 3-region emissions extended input-output model of the Glasgow metropolitan area (2 regions: city and surrounding suburban area) and the rest of Scotland. The model utilises data on commuter flows and household consumption to capture income and consumption flows across sub-regions. This enables a carbon attribution analysis at the sub-regional level, allowing us to shed light on the signficant emissions interdependencies that can exist within metropolitan area. |
| Keywords: | CO2 emissions, environmental accounting, regional interdependencies, metropolitan areas, commuting |
| JEL: | H73 Q56 R12 R15 |
| Date: | 2013–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:str:wpaper:1315&r=env |
| By: | Blanco Orozco, Napoleón Vicente; Zuniga Gonzalez, Carlos Alberto |
| Abstract: | In this article the Bio economy of power plants connected to the national interconnected system of Nicaragua is analyzed, through the study of environmental effects of greenhouse gases emissions from the use of solid biomass from sugarcane bagasse and oil to generate electricity. In addition, an analysis of Cost - Benefit of investments to the electricity generation using fossil fuel and bagasse is done. The Methodology EX-Ante Carbon-balance Tool (EX-ACT) was used; this methodology was proposed by the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO) to determine the overall greenhouse gases (GHG) emission balance. Additionally, the WinDASI program, also developed by FAO, was used for the Cost - Benefit Analysis of investment in power plants. Furthermore, we performed marginal costing GHG reduction. The results show, that all plants are sources of GHG emissions, however the impact of sugar mills is partially positive by reforestation components and annual crops. However, the component inputs had negative environmental and socially impact. In the case of thermal power generation plants based on petroleum connected to the national grid, they were found to be sources of greenhouse gases. The analysis of the Benefit Cost in their investment indicates that there is a positive financially impact except in ALBANISA power plant and sugar Mills power plants. |
| Keywords: | WinDASI program, Biomass, Bio Economy, Oil fuel, Energy |
| JEL: | L23 L65 Q16 Q43 Q51 |
| Date: | 2013–05–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:49357&r=env |
| By: | Farhani, Sahbi; Shahbaz, Muhammad; AROURI, Mohamed El Hedi |
| Abstract: | This paper empirically parallels two approaches: The first one follows the studies of Halicioglu (2009), Jalil and Mahmud (2009), and Jayanthakumaran et al. (2012) which attempt to introduce energy consumption and trade into the environmental function (related carbon dioxide ‘CO2’ emissions to Gross Domestic Product ‘GDP’); whereas the second approach extends the single work of Hossain (2011) which attempts to introduce urbanization as a means to circumvent omitted variable bias. For 11 Middle East and North African (MENA) countries over the period 1980-2009, the empirical results appear to be relevant in light of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) literature based on the cointegrated and causal relationship. Policy implications indicate that: i) more energy use, higher GDP and greater trade openness tend to cause more CO2 emissions; ii) the inclusion of urbanization in the environmental function improves the final results and positively affects the pollution level; and iii) MENA countries should search the best policy which can stabilize the rise of growth GDP and trade openness, and which can also control the continuous increase in the use of energy. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) literature, Panel data analysis, Middle East and North African (MENA) countries |
| JEL: | C5 |
| Date: | 2013–08–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:49258&r=env |
| By: | Kostka, Genia |
| Abstract: | China's national leaders have recently set ambitious goals to restructure and diversify the economy towards a more resource-efficient and sustainable growth path. To address the growing national environment and energy concerns, leaders introduced several binding environmental targets for government departments and large enterprises. The heavy reliance on a target-based implementation approach raises questions about the effectiveness of this strategy in the short and long run for environmental governance in China. Based on fieldwork in Jiangsu, Hunan, and Shandong provinces in 2012, this paper studies the desirable and undesirable outcomes of binding environmental targets in China's evolving green planning system. This paper argues that environmental targets have a signaling function that has resulted in ecological issues movement onto local governments' core policy agendas. However, in the nascent green planning system, classic planning problems have generated undesirable consequences such that that environmental targets are not always achieving their intended goals. Strategic and cyclical behavior by local government officials in leadership positions often lead to short-term maximization actions instead of long-term innovative environmental management. This analysis of local leaders' responses to top-down targets aims to generate a more realistic picture of what binding environmental targets can and cannot achieve. -- |
| Keywords: | environmental policy implementation,regulation,command and control instruments,targets,China,authoritarian environmentalism |
| JEL: | Q48 Q28 Q00 P21 O21 R58 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fsfmwp:201&r=env |
| By: | Marcelo Caffera; Carlos Chávez; Analia Ardente |
| Abstract: | We study individual compliance behavior with respect to a legal norm in an experimental setting under two different regulatory instruments: emission standards and tradable pollution permits. Compliance to the same set of standards and expected permit holdings was induced with different structures of the fine schedule, namely: a linear and a strictly convex penalty function. Even though our design induces perfect compliance, we find that there are violations in both emissions standards and tradable permits systems, regardless of the penalty structure. Nevertheless, the extent of violations is affected by the penalty parameters under emissions standards, but not under a tradable pollution permits. Notwithstanding, we find that the penalty design has an effect on the average price of permits traded, its dispersion and the number of trades. |
| Keywords: | Environmental policy, enforcement, penalty structure, emissions standards, emissions trading, laboratory experiments |
| JEL: | C91 L51 Q58 K42 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mnt:wpaper:1305&r=env |
| By: | Ruiz Estrada, Mario Arturo |
| Abstract: | Global climate change has a potentially large impact on economic growth but measuring their economic impact is subject to a great deal of uncertainty. The central objective of our paper is to set forth a model – the macroeconomics evaluation of climate change (MECC) model – to evaluate the impact of climate change on GNP growth. The model is based on five basic indicators – (i) the climate change growth rates (αi); (ii) the national climate change vulnerability rate (ΩT); (iii) the climate change magnitude rate (Π); (iv) the economic desgrowth rate (δ); (v) and the CC-Surface. In addition, we apply the MECC Model to the case of China to evaluate its impact on the Chinese economy. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, economic desgrowth, China |
| JEL: | O4 O40 Q54 |
| Date: | 2013–08–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:49158&r=env |
| By: | di Cosmo, Valeria; Hyland, Marie |
| Abstract: | This paper uses data from the World Input Output Database (WIOD) to examine channels through which CO2 emissions are embodied within and imported into the European production process. We apply a metric to calculate sectoral emission intensity and thus rank countries and sectors in the EU in terms of their emission intensity, and look at the evolution of patterns of emission intensity in 2005 and in 2009. We use an input-output price model to simulate the effect that a rise in the price of EU-ETS allowances, from $17 to $25 /tonne, would have on the final price of goods in each EU country and sector. We find that all countries in the EU reduced the emission-intensity of their production processes from 2005 to 2009, and we find that the reduction was greatest in those sectors regulated under the ETS. Comparisons of emission intensity between countries show that industries in Central and Eastern Europe are more emission intensive than those of Northern Europe, where industries import emission-intensive goods rather than producing them domestically. Finally we examine the trade in intermediate goods from China into the EU to examine possible increases in carbon leakage from 2005 to 2009. Results show that while emissions embodied in imported intermediate goods have increased from 2005 to 2009, this increase is not limited to, nor particularly notable in, the sectors regulated by the ETS. |
| Keywords: | CO2 emissions/data/europe/Trade |
| Date: | 2013–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esr:wpaper:wp462&r=env |
| By: | Safir, Abla; Piza, Sharon Faye; Skoufias, Emmanuel |
| Abstract: | Three recent rounds (2003, 2006, and 2009) of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey are matched to rainfall data from 43 rainfall stations in the Philippines to quantify the extent to which unusual weather has any negative effects on the consumption of Filipino households. It is found that negative rainfall shocks decrease consumption, in particular food consumption. Rainfall below one standard deviation of its long-run average causes food consumption to decrease by about 4 percent, when compared with rainfall within one standard deviation. Positive deviations above one standard deviation have a limited impact. Moreover, for households close to a highway or to a fixed-line phone, consumption appears to be fully protected from the impact of negative rainfall shocks. |
| Keywords: | Science of Climate Change,Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases,Water Conservation,Regional Economic Development,Climate Change Economics |
| Date: | 2013–08–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6579&r=env |
| By: | Maria Christidou (University of Macedonia, Greece); Theodore Panagiotidis (University of Macedonia, Greece); Abhijit Sharma (School of Management, University of Bradford, UK) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the stationarity of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita for a set of 36 countries covering the period 1870-2006. We employ recently developed unit root and stationarity tests that allow for the mean reverting process to be nonlinear and take into account cross sectional dependence. By grouping countries according to their geographical proximity the importance of cross sectional dependence in panel unit root and stationarity tests is revealed. Using a recently developed nonlinear panel unit root test, we nd strong evidence that the per capita carbon dioxide emissions over the last one hundred and fty years are stationary. Our nonlinear specication captures the dynamics of the emissions time series data more eectively and we obtain evidence supporting stationarity for all country groups under study. |
| Keywords: | convergence, nonlinear unit roots, panel unit roots, heterogeneous panels, cross-section dependence |
| JEL: | C32 C33 Q28 Q54 |
| Date: | 2013–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rim:rimwps:48_13&r=env |
| By: | Li, Ying Ming; Schwarze, Reimund |
| Abstract: | Economics is an important perspective of growing interest to analyze the climate change issues, especially, when we concentrate on the development of market-based instruments at the regional level. Starting from the fundamental characteristics of economic goods, the research put forwards a definition of climate change goods and, furthermore, builds a model of climate change policies in three transitional phases: from global public goods to regional private goods. Based on this model, the paper analyzes the development of climate change strategies in China and the EU, specifically considering the climate policies in Central and Eastern European economies in transition. While international climate negotiations remain important, the development of market-based instruments at the regional development is an important issue of transformation and social learning. From our comparative study, the transitional phase will last long period for all regions. Furthermore, the phase of a mature, perfectly functioning market, will never be reached because some public good elements of climate change will remain. There are many common issues faced by the EU and China, from a transitional perspective such as national harmonisation versus regional differentiation, and integration of top-down versus bottom-up strategies, and so on. Mutual learning on capacity development in China and the EU will be beneficial even if linking of climate change goods' markets in China and the EU will only be possible after 2020 due to divergent backgrounds. -- Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Perspektiven werden zunehmend bedeutsamer für die Klimapolitik, besonders wenn es um die Entwicklung von dezentralen marktbasierten Instrumenten geht. Ausgehend von der grundlegenden Typologie ökonomischer Güter wird ein konzeptioneller Rahmen für die Entwicklung von Klimagütern in drei Phasen skizziert. Auf dieser Grundlage werden die historischen und aktuellen Klimastrategien in China und der EU analysiert. Besondere Berücksichtigung finden dabei die Transformationsprozesse in der Klimapoltik der neuen Beitrittsländer in Mittel- und Osteuropa. Auch wenn eine weltweite Klimapolitik (Top down) unverzichtbar ist, müssen - parallel - regionale Transformations- und Lernprozesse stattfinden, deren Entwicklung lange Zeit braucht und am Ende immer Elemente staatlicher Regulierung und öffentlicher Gutsbereitstellung beinhalten. Eine reine Marktlösung ist nicht möglich. Aus dieser Transformationsperspektive entstehen zahlreiche gemeinsame Themen für die wissenschaftliche Zusammenarbeit zwischen China und der EU, z.B. die Frage der (inter)nationalen Harmonisierung versus regionalen Differenzierung und die Verbindung von Top-down und Bottom-Up Strategien. Die Perspektive der Verknüpfung von Klimagütermärkten zwischen der EU und China ist wegen der Ungleichzeitigkeit der Entwicklung und anhaltender Systemunterschiede allerdings nicht vor 2020 möglich. |
| Keywords: | Climate Change Goods,Sustainable Development,Economies in Transition,Market-based Instrument,Comparative Study,China,EU |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ufzdps:122013&r=env |
| By: | Wayne B. Gray; Ronald J. Shadbegian; Chunbei Wang; Merve Cebi |
| Abstract: | The popular belief is that environmental regulation must reduce employment, since suchregulations are expected to increase production costs, which would raise prices and thus reducedemand for output, at least in a competitive market. Although this effect might seem obvious, a careful microeconomic analysis shows that it is not guaranteed. Even if environmental regulation reduces output in the regulated industry, abating pollution could require additional labor (e.g. to monitor the abatement capital and meet EPA reporting requirements). It is also possible for pollution abatement technologies to be labor enhancing. In this paper we analyze how a particular EPA regulation, the so-called “Cluster Rule” (CR) imposed on the pulp and paper industry in 2001, affected employment in that sector. Using establishment level data from the Census of Manufacturers and Annual Survey of Manufacturers at the U.S. Census Bureau from 1992-2007 we find evidence of small employment declines (on the order of 3%-7%), which are sometimes statistically significant, at a subset of the plants covered by the CR. |
| Date: | 2013–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cen:wpaper:13-39&r=env |
| By: | Patrick Gneuss (Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder)); Wolfgang Schmid (Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder)); Reimund Schwarze |
| Abstract: | Linear mixed effects models have been widely used in the spatial analysis of environmental processes. However, parameter estimation and spatial predictions involve the inversion and determinant of the n times n dimensional spatial covariance matrix of the data process, with n being the number of observations. Nowadays environmental variables are typically obtained through remote sensing and contain observations of the order of tens or hundreds of thousand on a single day, which quickly leads to bottlenecks in terms of computation speed and requirements in working memory. Therefore techniques for reducing the dimension of the problem are required. The present work analyzes approaches to approximate the spatial covariance function in a real dataset of remotely sensed carbon dioxide concentrations, obtained from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder of NASA's 'Aqua' satellite on the 1st of May 2009. In a cross-validation case study it is shown how fixed rank kriging, stationary covariance tapering and the full-scale approximation are able to notably speed up calculations. However the loss in predictive performance caused by the approximation strongly differs. The best results were obtained for the full-scale approximation, which was able to overcome the individual weaknesses of the fixed rank kriging and the covariance tapering. |
| Keywords: | spatial covariance function, fixed rank kriging, covariance tapering, full-scale approximation, large spatial data sets, mid-tropospheric CO2, remote sensing, efficient approximation |
| Date: | 2013–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:euv:dpaper:009&r=env |
| By: | Sarah L. Stafford (Department of Economics, College of William and Mary) |
| Abstract: | The goal of this paper is to examine the timing of environmental compliance inspections and determine the extent to which such inspections can be predicted. The paper focuses on modeling the inspections at hazardous waste facilities in the U.S. using detailed data on individual inspections and facilities. The paper uses a number of parametric and semi-parametric duration models to predict the timing of inspections and finds that the Exponential model provides the best balance in terms of the explanatory power and simplicity of the model. However, even with this model it is difficult to accurately predict the timing of most compliance inspections. The paper also examines the extent to which using data on individual inspections can improve empirical predictions about aggregate inspections. If the goal is to estimate the annual number of inspections at hazardous waste facilities, neither the Exponential model or a Poisson model is clearly superior. Which model is more appropriate depends on the question the researcher wants to answer. Similarly, if the focus is on whether any inspection occurred in a given time period, the benefits of using the Exponential model depend on the nature of the questions to be answered. While the Exponential model performs better than a Probit model in predicting which entities will be inspected, it also results in a higher number of "false positives," that is predicting an inspection when no inspection actually occurs. |
| Keywords: | Hazardous Waste, Duration Model, Inspection Timing |
| Date: | 2013–08–21 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cwm:wpaper:143&r=env |
| By: | Bekchanov, Maksud; Bhaduri, Anik; Ringler, Claudia |
| Abstract: | Increasing water demand due to population growth, irrigation expansion, industrial development, and the need for ecosystem improvements under mounting investment costs for developing new water sources calls for the efficient, equitable and sustainable management of water resources. This is particularly essential in the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) where ineffective institutions are the primary reason of intersectoral and inter-state water sharing conflicts and lack of sufficient investments for improving water use efficiency. This study examined market-based water allocation as an alternative option to the traditional administrative allocation to deal with water scarcity issues in the ASB. Potential economic gains of tradable water use rights were analyzed based on a newly constructed integrated hydro-economic river basin management model. The analysis differentiates between inter-catchment and intra-catchment water trading. The former does not consider any restrictions on water trading whereas the latter is based on the assumption that water trading is more likely to happen between neighboring water users located within the same catchment area. The analyses show that compared to fixed water allocation, inter-catchment water trading can improve basin-wide benefits by US$ 373 and US$ 476 million depending on water availability. Similarly, additional gains of US$ 259 to US$ 339 million are estimated under intra-catchment water trading depending on relative water availability. Trading gains are higher under drier conditions. However, water trading carries a series of transaction costs. We find that transaction costs exceeding US$0.05 per m3 of water traded wipe out the economic potential for water trading. Enforcement of the rule of law, infrastructural improvements, participation of representatives of all water stakeholders in decision making processes, and friendly relationships among the riparian countries are suggested as means for reducing transaction costs of water trading contracts. |
| Keywords: | inter-catchment and intra-catchment water trading, transaction costs, hydro-economic model, Agribusiness, International Development, International Relations/Trade, Land Economics/Use, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2013–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ubzefd:155504&r=env |
| By: | Banerjee, Simanti; de, Vries Frans; Hanley, Nicholas; van, Soest Daan |
| Abstract: | The Agglomeration Bonus (AB) is a mechanism to induce adjacent landowners to spatially coordinate their land use for the delivery of ecosystem services from farmland. This paper uses laboratory experiments to explore the performance of the AB in achieving the socially optimal land management configuration in a local network environment where the information available to subjects varies. The AB poses a coordination problem between two Nash equilibria: a Pareto dominant and a risk dominant equilibrium. The experiments indicate that if subjects are informed about both their direct and indirect neighbors' actions, they are more likely to coordinate on the Pareto dominant equilibrium relative to the case where subjects have information about their direct neighbors' action only. However, the extra information can only delay - and not prevent - the transition to the socially inferior risk dominant Nash equilibrium. In the long run, the AB mechanism may only be partially effective in enhancing delivery of ecosystem services on farming landscapes featuring local networks. |
| Keywords: | Agglomeration bonus, agri-environment schemes, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, information spillovers, Payments for Ecosystem Services, spatial coordination |
| Date: | 2013–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:stl:stledp:2013-09&r=env |
| By: | McKendree, Melissa G.S.; Ortega, David L.; Widmar, Nicole Olynk; Wang, H. Holly |
| Abstract: | The impact of environmental disasters on consumers’ perceptions and preferences for specific food items has seldom been studied in the applied economics literature. Recent aquatic disasters, namely the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, have had profound impacts on fisheries serving US consumers and on agribusinesses within the aquaculture industry. This study explores consumer preferences using a nation-wide representative sample, and finds that twenty-nine percent of US consumers sought to reduce their seafood consumption due to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and one-third of respondents indicated they sought to reduce their seafood consumption in the wake of the Daiichi nuclear disaster Additionally, over 50% believed that Asian seafood poses a consumer health risk because of the Japanese nuclear disaster. Understanding key factors that influence consumer behavior in the wake of environmental disasters can make fisheries, seafood industries and agribusiness more resilient when facing such catastrophic events. Our results find that key socio-demographic variables affect consumer behavior including gender, age, food safety concerns, value for country of origin labeling, and geographic location. Careful and efficient response by the seafood supply chain will enable effective communication with consumers and allow for optimal policy decision-making. |
| Keywords: | Seafood, Consumer perceptions, Deepwater Horizon, Fukushima Daiichi, Aquatic disaster, Agribusiness, Environmental Economics and Policy, Livestock Production/Industries, Marketing, Q00, Q18, Q22, |
| Date: | 2013–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:midasp:155582&r=env |
| By: | de, Vries Frans; Ellis, Ciaran; Goulson, Dave; Hanley, Nicholas; Kleczkowski, Adam |
| Abstract: | The decline in extent of wild pollinators in recent years has been partly associated with changing farm practices and in particular with increase of pesticide use. In this paper we combine ecological modelling with economic analysis of a single farm output under the assumption that both pollination and pest control are essential inputs. We show that the drive to increase farm output can lead to a local decline in the wild bee population. Commercial bees are often considered an alternative to wild pollinators, but we show that their introduction can lead to further decline and finally local extinction of wild bees. The transitions between different outcomes are characterised by threshold behaviour and are potentially difficult to predict and detect in advance. Small changes in economic (input prices) and ecological (wild bees carrying capacity and effect of pesticides on bees) can move the economic-ecological system beyond the extinction threshold. We also show that increasing the pesticide price or decreasing the commercial bee price might lead to reestablishment of wild bees following their local extinction. Thus, we demonstrate the importance of combining ecological modelling with economics to study the provision of ecosystem services and to inform sustainable management of ecosystem service providers. |
| Keywords: | Ecology; Bioeconomic modelling; Food security; Pollination; Ecosystem services |
| Date: | 2013–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:stl:stledp:2013-10&r=env |
| By: | Pestel, Nico (IZA) |
| Abstract: | Die Politik hat es sich zum Ziel gesetzt, die deutsche Volkswirtschaft langfristig zu einer Green Economy zu wandeln. Das beinhaltet nicht nur die zunehmende Umstellung der Energieversorgung auf erneuerbare Quellen, sondern soll auch zusätzliche Arbeitsplätze – Green Jobs – schaffen. Aus Sicht der Arbeitsmarktforschung stellt sich die Frage, ob diese Strategie erfolgreich ist. Für eine Evaluierung sind eine klare Definition von Green Jobs sowie hochwertige Mikrodaten unabdingbar. In diesem Beitrag wird die gegenwärtige Daten- und Faktenlage im Hinblick auf Green Jobs in Deutschland dargestellt. Es zeigt sich, dass das Konzept „grüner Arbeitsplätze“ wenig trennscharf ist und sich das Datenangebot als sehr unbefriedigend darstellt. Bestehende Untersuchungen, die allerdings aus methodischen Gründen mit großer Unsicherheit behaftet sind, kommen zu dem Ergebnis, dass grüne Beschäftigung mit weniger als 5% der Erwerbstätigen – trotz aller Euphorie – nur einen kleinen Ausschnitt des deutschen Arbeitsmarkts darstellt. Daher ist es fraglich, ob tatsächlich große Brutto-Beschäftigungszuwächse im grünen Sektor zu erwarten sind. Die Frage, ob Deutschland sein „grünes Beschäftigungswunder“ erlebt, bleibt (noch) offen. |
| Keywords: | Green Jobs, Green Economy, Arbeitsmarkt, Beschäftigung, Deutschland |
| JEL: | J08 J23 Q48 Q58 |
| Date: | 2013–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izasps:sp58&r=env |
| By: | Blanco Orozco, Napoleón Vicente; Zuniga Gonzalez, Carlos Alberto |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper was to study the productivity where renewable energy resources and non-renewable resources for generating electricity in power plants connected to the national grid of Nicaragua were used. This article analyzed the total factor productivity of Bioeconomy for the generation of electricity from plants using sugarcane bagasse (biomass) as a renewable resource and petroleum. The data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist index were used to measure the total factor productivity of power generation utilities connected to the national grid of Nicaragua. The results obtained by comparing sugar mills connected to the SIN was that Monte Rosa mill has a higher rate of increase in productivity due to the change of total factor productivity and when comparing thermal plants that employ petroleum products in power generation, the more efficient were ALBANISA, GECSA and TIPITAPA POWER; but when comparing thermal plants and some using renewable energy San Antonio sugar mill and ALBANISA were more efficient. |
| Keywords: | Productivity, Malmquist index, Biomass, Bio Economy, Oil fuel, Energy |
| JEL: | O14 O43 Q20 Q28 |
| Date: | 2013–02–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:49356&r=env |
| By: | Yuntong Wang (Department of Economics, University of Windsor) |
| Abstract: | An airline lands in a number of airports in a region. An airport serves a number of airlines. Each airport charges a given amount of emission fees to those airlines using the airport. The total emission fees from all airports in the region must be shared among all airlines. We propose an axiomatic approach to this airline emission fees problem. We suggest a sharing rule called the Decomposition rule that is based on a few simple axioms. The Decomposition rule coincides with the Shapley value of the game associated with the problem and is shown in the core. Thus, no alliance of airlines can reduce their emission fees by forming an independent coalition. On the other hand, we also show that the Decomposition rule is split-proof. In other words, no airline has an incentive to split into two or more airlines. |
| Keywords: | Airline emission fees; Shapley value; core; split-proofness. |
| JEL: | C71 D61 D62 |
| Date: | 2013–08–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wis:wpaper:1308&r=env |
| By: | Theodore H. Moran (Peterson Institute for International Economics) |
| Abstract: | Located in north central Asia, Mongolia is on the verge of an economic boom as foreign investors extract and exploit its rich deposits of natural resources, among them copper, gold, and coal. But the onset of a mining boom in Mongolia has also generated widespread concerns about the potential damage to traditional agriculture and the environment, the lack of infrastructure and water resources, and the dangers of increased economic inequality, inflation, fiscal instability, corruption, and lack of transparency. The reelection of President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj on June 26, 2013, provides an opportunity to reassess how the country has fared in dealing with the mining boom and identify the best policy options to avoid the "resource curse." |
| Date: | 2013–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iie:pbrief:pb13-18&r=env |
| By: | Philippe Polomé (GATE Lyon Saint-Etienne - Groupe d'analyse et de théorie économique - CNRS : UMR5824 - Université Lumière - Lyon II - École Normale Supérieure - Lyon) |
| Abstract: | We present results of a household-level survey on behaviors regarding refuses in the home waste-waters network. Interpreting survey results in a panel-data logit results show that most socio-economic and public good-related respondent's characteristics do not play a significant role in explaining choices to discard in the home waste-waters network. The only significant regressor, apart from the nature of the refuse itself, is, by far, the belief that the respondent has about her neighbors' and relatives' discarding behavior. We use Dong's endogeneity test [7] to show that that regressor is not endogenous. We argue that these results may be used by policymakers to reduce undesirable refuses in the home waste-waters network by means of properly designed nudges. |
| Keywords: | Behavior; Endogeneity; Nonparametric; Panel data; Public good; Reputation; Waste-waters |
| Date: | 2013–08–28 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00855051&r=env |
| By: | Michel Damian (PACTE - Politiques publiques, ACtion politique, TErritoires - Institut d'Études Politiques [IEP] - Grenoble - CNRS : UMR5194 - Université Pierre-Mendès-France - Grenoble II - Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble I) |
| Abstract: | Ce texte présente la proposition Daly-Correa de taxe et de compensation internationales pour un gel de l'exploitation pétrolière en Amazonie équatorienne - Initiative Yasuni-ITT -, jusqu'à son abandon par le Président de l'Equateur, Rafael Correa, le 15 août 2013. Les enjeux concernent le développement des peuples autochtones, la politique des pays exportateurs de pétrole, la gouvernance internationale, les négociations climatiques et le maintien du carbone en terre, les luttes internes pour le Buen Vivir, mais également l'économie politique de chacune de ces questions, avec tout particulièrement les positions et engagements d'économistes écologiques. Le texte suggère que la diplomatie française pourrait mettre le projet Yasuni-ITT - ainsi que la proposition Daly-Correa de taxation du pétrole exporté, et il conviendrait d'y ajouter des mesures pour le charbon - à l'agenda de la Conférence climatique qui se tiendra à Paris à la fin de l'année 2015. On peut douter que la compensation de projets de ce type devienne un jour réalité. Il faut cependant parler de cela à Paris en 2015. Pour ne pas évacuer un double défi : 1) celui du maintien d'une partie du carbone en terre et, 2) celui du " développement " - quelle que soit la définition que l'on en donne, sans retomber dans les naïvetés développementistes - respectueux des communautés et des populations. Les conflits et négociations contemporains - c'est aussi vrai pour le climat - se rapprochent des sociétés et des acteurs sociaux, qui en deviennent les principaux protagonistes, il est nécessaire d'intégrer ces acteurs extraétatiques, fussent-ils localisés au cœur de l'Amazonie équatorienne. |
| Keywords: | Yasuni-ITT ; économie écologique ; post-extractivisme ; OPEP ; changement climatique |
| Date: | 2013–08–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00854211&r=env |