nep-env New Economics Papers
on Environmental Economics
Issue of 2017‒02‒12
thirty papers chosen by
Francisco S. Ramos
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

  1. Bargaining over Natural Resources: Governments between Environmental Organizations and Extraction Firms By Schopf, Mark; Voss, Achim
  2. A Review on Sustainable Building (Green Building) By Neyestani, Behnam
  3. A Pathway toward Reducing CO2 Emissions from the Industrial Sector By Psarras, Peter C.; Bains, Praveen; Charoensawadpong, Panunya; Carrington, Mark; Comello, Stephen; Reichelstein, Stefan; Wilcox, Jennifer
  4. A bio-economic analysis for land-uses and biodiversity in metropolitan France By Lauriane MOUYSSET; Claire RAIS ASSA; Jean-Sauveur AY; Frédéric JIGUET; Romain LORRILIERE; Luc DOYEN
  5. CBO’s Approach to Estimating Expected Hurricane Damage: Working Paper 2016-02 By Terry Dinan
  6. On the relationship between GHGs and Global Temperature Anomalies: Multi-level rolling analysis and Copula calibration By Elettra Agliardi; Thomas Alexopoulos; Christian Cech
  7. Comparing Alternative Policies Against Environmental Catastrophes By Besley, Timothy J.; Dixit, Avinash K.
  8. Green tax reform, endogenous innovation and the growth dividend By Christos Karydas; Lin Zhang
  9. Coaseian biodiversity conservation. Who benefits? By Eichner, Thomas; Pethig, Rüdiger
  10. The inter-temporal dimension to knowledge spillovers: any non-environmental reason to support clean innovation? By Christos Karydas
  11. Conditions for effective risk sharing against marine pollution: the case of the Ría de Vigo By Grossmann, Schimon; Faure, Michael
  12. Clean up your own mess: An experimental study of moral responsibility and efficiency By Jakob, Michael; Kübler, Dorothea; Steckel, Jan Christoph; van Velduizen, Roel
  13. Local Climate Sensitivity: A Statistical Approach for a Spatially Heterogeneous Planet By J. Isaac Miller
  14. Externalities and foreign capital in aquaculture production in developing countries By Wisdom Akpalu; Worku T. Bitew
  15. Linking Emissions Trading Schemes in the Presence of Research and Develoment Spillovers By Nachtigall, Daniel
  16. A new approach to an age-old problem: solving externalities by incenting workers directly By Greer Gosnell; John List; Robert Metcalfe
  17. Estimating the Impact of Central Winter Heating on Air Quality in China By Wang, Meijuan
  18. Recreational Use of Public Waterways and the Impact of Water Quality By Breen, Benjamin; Curtis, John; Hynes, Stephen
  19. Governance, economic, social and environmental sustainability of farms of different luridical type in Bulgaria By Bachev, Hrabrin
  20. Trends in distributional characteristics : Existence of global warming By Gonzalo, Jesús; Gadea Rivas, María Dolores
  21. Incorporating New Crops into Traditional Crop Rotation and the Environmental Implication By Kim, GwanSeon; Mark, Tyler; Buck, Steven
  22. Does the political resource curse affect public finance? The vulnerability of tax revenue in resource-rich countries By Christian von Haldenwang; Maksym Ivanyna
  23. Was von Thünen right? Cattle intensification and deforestation in Brazil By Francisco Fontes; Charles Palmer
  24. Cambio climático y políticas públicas forestales en América Latina: una visión preliminar By Zanetti, Erson Augusto; Gómez García, José Javier; Mostacedo, Jessica; Reyes, Orlando
  25. A Proposed Sustainable Transportation and Urban Mobility Design By Neyestani, Behnam
  26. The Ant and the Grasshopper: Seasonality and the Invention of Agriculture By Matranga, Andrea
  27. Le emissioni di CO2 delle auto elettriche e delle auto con motore a combustione interna. Un confronto per l’Italia tramite l’analisi del ciclo di vita By Danielis, Romeo
  28. Does willingness to pay increase with the number and strictness of sustainability labels? Some initial evidence on embedding effects in laboratory experiments using the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak mechanism. By Tebbe, Eva; von Blanckenburg, Korbinian
  29. Is the tide is changing? Assessing costs and benefits of dam removal and river restoration: a case study in Florida By Borisova, Tatiana; Bi, Xiang; Hodges, Alan; Holland, Stephen
  30. The Willingness to Pay for Organic Attributes in the UK By Adelina Gschwandtner; Michael Burton

  1. By: Schopf, Mark; Voss, Achim
    Abstract: In this article, we propose a sequential Nash bargaining solution and apply it to a dynamic bargaining game on exhaustible-resource extraction. The government and two agents bargain via the asymmetric Nash bargaining solution. Should the trilateral negotiation fail, the government chooses one agent for a bilateral negotiation. In this negotiation, the disagreement point is to bargain with the other agent. Finally, should this second bilateral negotiation break down, the government chooses the welfare maximizing policy. In our dynamic bargaining game, the environmental organization is willing to pay for less extraction, because of stock-pollution effects, while the extraction firm is willing to pay for extraction per se. The government dislikes extraction, because of flow-pollution effects, but is willing to accept some if it is paid for it. It turns out that the disagreement point in the trilateral negotiation is always to bargain with the environmental organization. This is because there is no conflict of interest between the government and the environmental organization concerning extraction. However, as long as stock pollution is still low, it might be optimal for the environmental organization to let this bilateral negotiation break down. We demonstrate how these considerations shape the payments in case of agreement and disagreement, in total and over time.
    JEL: C71 D72 Q58
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:vfsc16:145496&r=env
  2. By: Neyestani, Behnam
    Abstract: scientific studies reported that different industries have huge roles to generate this condition. Specially, the construction industry has the most responsibility about these challenges on the earth. Doubtlessly, the utilization of inappropriate technologies, appliances, and materials in buildings have threatened the environment and human health today. So, there is a significant question, what is the appropriate way to solve these problems in construction industry? The engineers and technologists have realized the environmental problems are from using some technologies and materials in construction industry since over the past few decades. Scientists suggested the best way to overcome the aforementioned threats is to consider “sustainable” or “green” design for buildings. So, the main intention of sustainable building is to shift from harm to harmless technologies and materials in buildings. Thus, one of the main purposes of this study is to explore generally regarding sustainable technologies, standards, and materials, which help the buildings reduce consuming energy and resources, in order to generate the positive influences on people, nature, and society. Accordingly, “sustainable” buildings can be more friendly with environment and human, and use key resources, such as, energy, water, and materials more optimal than the conventional buildings. Furthermore, the study was to address the benefits of developing sustainability in buildings on different perspectives, based on the review and points out future directions of study.
    Keywords: Sustainability, Sustainable (Green) Building, Green Technologies/Materials, and LEED.
    JEL: Q01 Q5 Q56
    Date: 2017–01–30
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:76584&r=env
  3. By: Psarras, Peter C. (Stanford University); Bains, Praveen (Stanford University); Charoensawadpong, Panunya (Stanford University); Carrington, Mark (Stanford University); Comello, Stephen (Stanford University); Reichelstein, Stefan (Stanford University); Wilcox, Jennifer (CO School of Mines)
    Abstract: It is well documented that a concerted effort is required to reduce the threat of climate change. One vital component in this portfolio of solutions--carbon capture and utilization--has been stalled by significant economic and technical barriers. To overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to identify economically viable capture opportunities--targets that can serve as a driver to lower life cycle costs, increase commercialization efforts and provide an impetus for development in the utilization arena. This study presents a methodology for assessing the levelized cost of CO2 capture, compression, and transport from industrially-sourced capture to regional utilization (sink) opportunities. Industrial sources are targeted over coal and gas-fired power plants given industrial sources often have exhausts with higher CO2 purity, a factor that lends to a lower minimum work of separation and, hence, lower cost of capture. The greater concentration in CO2 results from combination of process emissions with those associated with stationary combustion. These industrial sources, together with a full inventory of geo-referenced utilization opportunities, serve as inputs to a robust cost model that accommodates for differences in source exhaust composition, flow rate, and source-sink geographical relationships. A case-study conducted for the US state of Pennsylvania yields a cost-based ranking of 47 industrial sites, whereby steel and cement manufacturing dominated the least levelized cost options, anchored by high CO2 exhaust content (14 - 33% CO2). Further, we find truck transport is cost-competitive with pipeline for small volumes (
    Date: 2017–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ecl:stabus:3493&r=env
  4. By: Lauriane MOUYSSET; Claire RAIS ASSA; Jean-Sauveur AY; Frédéric JIGUET; Romain LORRILIERE; Luc DOYEN
    Abstract: Dealing with the erosion of terrestrial biodiversity has become of key importance in order to ensure ecosystems sustainability. Agricultural and forestry activities are one major anthropogenic driver of this decline. The underlying land-use changes result in the alteration of species habitats. Current agricultural and forestry public policies exhibit drawbacks in terms of biodiversity conservation. Reconciling economic and ecological objectives of such public policies thus remains an ongoing critical challenge. In that respect, this paper presents the impacts of contrasted public policy scenarios within a dynamic and spatialized bio-economic framework applied to metropolitan France. We assessed ecological performances through 5 indicators accounting for various structural and functional components of the biodiversity while economic performances refer to land-use incomes. We demonstrate that long-term synergies between ecological and economic performances can emerge, especially within extensive-farming scenarios. Our results underline the necessary adaptation of land-use public policies by taking into account the biodiversity component being supported. We advocate the use of biodiversity indicators into the public decision-making process.
    Keywords: Biodiversity, Bio-economics, Land-uses, Public policies, Scenarios, Climate
    JEL: Q24 Q57
    Date: 2017
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:grt:wpegrt:2017-05&r=env
  5. By: Terry Dinan
    Abstract: This working paper describes how the Congressional Budget Office estimates the effects of climate change and coastal development on hurricane damage. The estimates themselves are presented in a separate report—Potential Increases in Hurricane Damage in the United States: Implications for the Federal Budget—for three selected future years: 2025, 2050, and 2075. Climate change is projected to increase damage in two ways. First, climate change is projected to result in more frequent high-intensity hurricanes. Second, for any given storm, rising sea levels are projected to lead to increased
    JEL: H50 H84 Q54
    Date: 2016–06–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cbo:wpaper:51610&r=env
  6. By: Elettra Agliardi (Department of Economics, University of Bologna, Italy; The Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis, Italy); Thomas Alexopoulos (Department of Economics, University of Peloponnese, Greece; Department of Economics, University of Bologna, Italy); Christian Cech (University of Applied Sciences BFI, Austria)
    Abstract: The relationship between GHG emissions and global warming is studied through multi-level rolling analysis to assess whether or not there are increasing rates in global change as a result of higher levels of anthropogenic emissions, as we move forward in time. Furthermore, in order to assess whether we observe tail-dependence, representing simultaneous occurrence of extreme events, we employ copula methods. Our main findings do not support views of increasing rates in global climate change as a result of higher levels of emissions. On the contrary, they suggest a constant or even a decreasing effect of emissions on temperature anomalies especially from 2005 onward. At the same time, our copula calibration shows that the Frank copula achieves the best fit. Since the Frank copula is a copula that assigns a low probability to joint extreme events, our analysis does not show tail dependence.
    Keywords: GHGs, Global temperature anomalies, Rolling analysis, Copulas
    JEL: Q54 Q51 C53 C69
    Date: 2017–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rim:rimwps:17-05&r=env
  7. By: Besley, Timothy J.; Dixit, Avinash K.
    Abstract: We construct a model with three features important in the context of major environmental catastrophes: (1) the distribution of possible damage has a fat tail, (2) the probability of the catastrophic event increases as greenhouse gases accumulate, (3) a technological solution may emerge making conservation efforts unnecessary. We solve the model numerically for plausible values of the parameters, and evaluate the tradeoffs between alternative policies such as prevention, mitigation, and technological fixes.
    Keywords: catastrophic risk; climate change
    JEL: Q54 Q58
    Date: 2017–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:11802&r=env
  8. By: Christos Karydas (ETH Zurich, Switzerland); Lin Zhang (City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)
    Abstract: We study theoretically and numerically the effects of an environmental tax reform using endogenous growth theory. In the theoretical part, mobile labor between manufacturing and R&D activities, and elasticity of substitution between labor and energy in manufacturing lower than unity allow for a growth dividend, even if we consider preexisting tax distortions. The scope for innovation is reduced when we consider direct financial investment in the lab, or elastic labor supply. We then apply the core theoretical model to a real growing economy and find that a boost in economic growth following such a carbon policy is a possible outcome. Lump-sum redistribution performs best in terms of effciency measured by aggregate welfare, while in terms of equity among social segments its progressive character fails when we consider very high emissions reduction targets.
    Keywords: Climate Policy, Green Tax Reform, Induced Innovation, Endogenous Growth, Numerical Modelling
    JEL: C63 E62 O44 Q43 Q48
    Date: 2017–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eth:wpswif:17-266&r=env
  9. By: Eichner, Thomas; Pethig, Rüdiger
    Abstract: We analyze strategies to conserve worldwide biodiversity assuming that biodiversity and ecosystem services are positively correlated with that share of land that is effectively protected by land-use restrictions against the deterioration of ecosystems (land-use approach). The willingness-to-pay for biodiversity conservation is positive in developed countries (North), but zero in developing countries (South). The strategies of biodiversity conservation are cooperation among the North (Regime 2) and financial support of biodiversity conservation from North to South modeled as an international market for biodiversity conservation (Regime 3). We investigate the impact on biodiversity conservation and welfare when the world economy moves from business as usual (BAU, Regime 1) to the stand-alone Regimes 2 and 3 and to the combination of the Regimes 2 and 3, called Regime 4. Regime 4 turns out to be the Coaseian socially optimal solution to biodiversity conservation. In a parametric version of the model, we derive a number of unexpected results. The move from BAU to Regime 2 may reduce biodiversity conservation and welfare in North and South. Regime 3 fares better, but it hardly improves welfare and the conservation of biodiversity in our simulations. Although Regime 4 is socially optimal, its distributional effects may be undesirable, because the North or the South are worse off in Regime 4 than in BAU for some subsets of parameters.
    JEL: Q15 Q57 Q58
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:vfsc16:145745&r=env
  10. By: Christos Karydas (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
    Abstract: How should governments best allocate their budget to support private research activities? The consensus in the literature is that sector-specific R&D support policies should be increasing in the degree of compatibility of sectoral innovation with the practices of the wider economy. Using a multi-sector endogenous growth model with in-house R&D and knowledge spillovers, it is shown, that accounting for the time it takes for an innovation to diffuse modifies this widely-accepted result. Wide applicability of green innovations alone does not justify higher research subsidies.
    Keywords: Climate Policy, Industrial Policy, Innovation Spillovers, Technology Diffusion, Endogenous Growth
    JEL: O31 O33 Q54 Q55 Q58 H23
    Date: 2017–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eth:wpswif:17-267&r=env
  11. By: Grossmann, Schimon (Dept. of Business and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics); Faure, Michael (METRO, Faculty of Law, Maastricht University)
    Abstract: The question of how effective protection against environmental impairment can be provided has spawned much literature. One instrument that is often invoked to provide compensation for environmental damage is insurance. Traditionally, a distinction is made between first and third party insurance. First party insurance may be acquired by potential victims of marine pollution, such as fisheries seriously harmed by ship-source oil spills. Conversely, third party insurance is sought by polluters to cover their legal responsibility and, at the same time, protect the potential victims from polluters unable to meet their financial obligations.
    Keywords: Risk sharing; marine pollution
    JEL: Q50 Q53
    Date: 2017–01–31
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nhhfms:2017_001&r=env
  12. By: Jakob, Michael; Kübler, Dorothea; Steckel, Jan Christoph; van Velduizen, Roel
    Abstract: Although market-based environmental policy instruments feature prominently in economic theory and are widely employed, they often meet with public resistance. We argue that such resistance may be driven by a feeling of moral responsibility where citizens prefer to tackle environmental problems themselves, rather than delegating the task to others by means of a market mechanism. Using a laboratory experiment that isolates moral responsibility from alternative explanations, we show that moral responsibility induces participants to incur a sizable cost on themselves as well as on other participants. We discuss the implications of this finding for the design and implementation of environmental policies.
    Keywords: Laboratory Experiment,Moral Responsibility,Environmental Policy,Market Mechanism,Climate Change
    JEL: C90 H23 Q53 Q54 Q58
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:wzbmbh:spii2016215&r=env
  13. By: J. Isaac Miller (Department of Economics, University of Missouri)
    Abstract: Climate sensitivity relates total radiative forcing from anthropogenic and other sources to global mean temperature, and it depends on both changes in net heat transports and changes in the spatial distribution of temperature anomalies. An energy balance model, an easily implemented statistical methodology, and a supplementary inferential procedure are proposed to estimate local climate sensitivity using the historical record and to assess the contribution to overall climate sensitivity. Results are roughly comparable with extant findings from simulations using more complicated models. In particular, areas over ocean tend to import energy, they are relatively more sensitive to forcings, but they warm more slowly than those over land. Increases in the variation of predicted local temperature anomalies are estimated to be proportional to increases in forcings, and economic implications are discussed.
    Keywords: local climate sensitivity, energy balance model, historical temperature anomaly distributions, partially linear semiparametric model
    JEL: C14 C23 Q54
    Date: 2017–01–31
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:umc:wpaper:1702&r=env
  14. By: Wisdom Akpalu; Worku T. Bitew
    Abstract: Most developing countries are increasingly dependent on fresh water based aquaculture (cage culture) to supplement the declining catch from capture fisheries. Yet, the competition for space between capture fisheries and cage culture, pollution generated by cage culture, and fish markets interaction effects have yet to be clearly conceptualized in a bioeconomic framework. Furthermore, the economic viability of cage culture depends on substantial investment thresholds, engendering foreign direct investment in the industry in developing countries. This paper develops a conceptual model for fresh water based aquaculture that account for (i) space allocation, pollution, and interaction of markets for fish; and (ii) foreign capital financing aquaculture production. We found that a Pigouvian tax (optimum ad valorem tax) that corrects the externalities depends on economic and biological parameters in aquaculture and capture fisheries. Correcting for the externalities results in a reduction in aquaculture production but not optimum wild catch. Furthermore, if the aquaculture is financed with foreign capital, then the Pigouvian tax equals the ratio of net to total benefit from aquaculture. Numerical values are used to illustrate the results.
    Keywords: aquaculture, externalities, Pigouvian tax, ad valorem tax
    Date: 2017
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2017-1&r=env
  15. By: Nachtigall, Daniel
    Abstract: I analyze the role of research and development (R&D) spillovers on the incentives to link emissions trading schemes (ETSs) under different timings with respect to the determination of the emissions reduction target (ERT) and to the linking decision. When countries decide upon linking their ETSs prior to setting their ERTs, the permit importing country may not consent to link in the absence of R&D spillovers. The reason is that the other country strategically decreases its ERT to increase its revenues from permit trading, thereby increasing the costs for the permit importing country. However, in the presence of R&D spillovers, the permit importing country benefits from higher R&D spillovers and from lower environmental damage under linking relative to autarky and is therefore willing to link. When countries determine their ERTs prior to the linking decision, the role of R&D spillovers on the linking decision reverses. In the absence of R&D spillovers, both countries unambiguously are willing to link their ETSs due to the efficiency gains from trade. However, if R&D spillovers are relevant, the permit exporting country may be worse off under linking because its R&D spillovers deteriorate due to lower abatement effort by the other country. Hence, there is a trade-off between the efficiency gains from trade and the reduced R&D spillovers, causing the permit exporting country to reject linking if the spillover effect is sufficiently large.
    JEL: H41 Q54 Q56
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:vfsc16:145721&r=env
  16. By: Greer Gosnell; John List; Robert Metcalfe
    Abstract: Understanding motivations in the workplace remains of utmost import as economies around the world rely on increases in labor productivity to foster sustainable economic growth. The authors of this paper created a unique opportunity in partnering with Virgin Atlantic Airways to test a role for the monitoring, performance information, personal targets and prosocial incentives on fuel efficiency of their captains. Monitoring and targets were found to induce captains to improve efficiency in all three key flight areas: pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight. The study provided the lowest calculated marginal abatement cost per ton of CO2, at negative $250 (i.e. $250 savings per ton abated). Methodologically, the authors’ approach has implications for climate policy and suggests a new way to combat firm-level externalities: by targeting workers rather than the firm as a whole.
    Date: 2017–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lsg:lsgwps:wp262&r=env
  17. By: Wang, Meijuan
    Abstract: We use a difference in difference model to examine the impact of central winter heating on air pollution in China. The estimation includes how does the winter heating affect (i) air quality, and (ii) hazard level of pollutants. Our data are daily Air Quality Index (AQI) records in mid-November when the heat is turned on and mid-March when heat is turned off in over 150 cities. Both Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and Ordered Logit model show that winter heating contributes significantly to air pollution, especially in the period when central heating is switched on. The central heating causes 51.3% higher AQI, and the air is 13% more likely to be hazardous to the sensitive group (hazard level=3). Northern cities are more polluted than southern ones. It is also found that air quality in cities with higher GDP per capita is better; population, number of cars and electricity used by industry also contribute to air pollution.
    Keywords: Air pollution, winter heating, Huai-River policy, urban development, Environmental Economics and Policy, Public Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q53, Q58, R1,
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea17:252667&r=env
  18. By: Breen, Benjamin; Curtis, John; Hynes, Stephen
    Abstract: This study combines routinely collected water quality data from Ireland and an on-site survey of waterway users to evaluate how water quality affects trip days demanded for recreational activities. Water quality measures employed in the analysis include Water Framework Directive (WFD) ecological status as well as several physio-chemical measures. The analysis finds some evidence that higher levels of recreational demand occur at sites with the highest quality metric measures. However, in many of the estimated models there is no statistical association between the water quality metric (e.g. WFD status, BOD, ammonia, etc.) and the duration of the recreational trip. As most sites considered in the analysis have relatively high levels of water quality this result possibly suggests that above an unspecified threshold level that water quality is not a significant determinant of recreational trip duration. Model estimates also reveal a relatively high valuation among participants for water-based recreational activity with an estimate of mean willingness to pay equivalent to €204/day
    Date: 2017–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esr:wpaper:wp552&r=env
  19. By: Bachev, Hrabrin
    Abstract: The issue of assessment of absolute and comparative sustainability of major farming structures is among the most topical for researchers, farmers, investors, administrators, politicians, interests groups and public at large. Despite that practically there are no assessments on sustainability level of Bulgarian farms of different juridical type in conditions of European Union Common Agricultural Policy implementation. This article applies a holistic framework and assesses absolute and comparative sustainability of Bulgarian farming enterprises of different juridical type. Initially the method of the study is outlined, and overall characteristics of surveyed holdings presented. After that an assessment is made of integral, governance, economic, social, environmental sustainability of farming structures of different juridical type. Next, structure of farms with different sustainability levels is analyzed. Finally, conclusion from the study and directions for further research and amelioration of sustainability assessments suggested.
    Keywords: farm sustainability, governance, economic, social, ecological aspects, Bulgaria
    JEL: D1 D2 D23 Q12 Q15 Q18
    Date: 2017–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:76654&r=env
  20. By: Gonzalo, Jesús; Gadea Rivas, María Dolores
    Abstract: Does global warming exist? The answer to this question is the starting point for all the other issues involved in climate change analysis. In this paper, global warming is defined as an increasing trend in certain distributional characteristics (moments, quantiles, etc) of global temperatures, and not only on the average. Temperatures are seen as a functional stochastic process from which we obtain distributional characteristics as time series objects. We present a simple robust trend test and prove that it is able to detect the existence of an unknown trend component (deterministic or stochastic) in these characteristics. Applying this trend test to daily Central England temperatures (1772-2016) and to Global cross-sectional temperatures (1880-2015), we obtain the same strong conclusions: (i) there is an increasing trend in all the distributional characteristics (time series and cross-sectional) and this trend is larger in the lower quantiles than in the mean, median and upper quantiles; (ii) there is a negative trend in the characteristics measuring dispersion (lower temperatures approach the median faster than the higher ones).The paper concludes by clearly answering the opening question in the afirmative and showing that global-local warming is not only a phenomenon of an increase in the average temperature but also of a larger increase in the lower temperatures producing a decreasing dispersion. This type of warming has more serious consequences than the one found by using only the average.
    Keywords: Temperature distributions; Quantiles; Trends; Distributional characteristics; Functional stochastic processes; Global-Local warming; Climate change
    JEL: Q54 C32 C31
    Date: 2017–01–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cte:werepe:24121&r=env
  21. By: Kim, GwanSeon; Mark, Tyler; Buck, Steven
    Keywords: Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Production Economics, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,
    Date: 2017
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea17:252787&r=env
  22. By: Christian von Haldenwang; Maksym Ivanyna
    Abstract: This paper explores the extent to which government revenue is affected by external shocks, and whether these effects are different for resource-rich as compared with non-resource-rich countries. We are particularly interested in the fate of poorer countries, as we assume they will find it more difficult to implement the policies needed to offset the effect of shocks. Based on data from the International Centre for Taxation and Development Government Revenue Dataset for 1980–2010, we measure the elasticity of tax revenue with respect to terms-of-trade shocks. We find that revenue in resource-rich countries is more vulnerable to such shocks. Interestingly, it is above all the richer countries that appear to be adversely affected. Also, resource-rich countries became less vulnerable in the 2000s as compared with previous decades. When we look at the poorer resource-rich countries, we find that a country’s general institutional characteristics may not always reflect the quality of its management of natural resources.
    Keywords: taxes, natural resources, terms-of-trade shocks, developing countries, government revenue, volatility
    Date: 2017
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2017-7&r=env
  23. By: Francisco Fontes; Charles Palmer
    Abstract: This paper examines whether patterns of cattle intensification, deforestation and pasture expansion in the Brazilian state of Rondonia are consistent with the land rent framework, in which location and distance to markets are key determinants of rents. A panel dataset of household lots, collected between 1996 and 2009, is used to test the hypothesis that the further a household is from market the more likely it will extensify cattle production, deforest, and expand pasture in response to rising demand for beef and milk. Results from a fixed effects model suggest empirical support for the theory. Pasture area is significantly increasing while forest is significantly decreasing in lots located further away from the market relative to those closer to the market. Patterns of land use differ, however, depending upon the forest type and commodity considered. Primary forest may be ‘spared’ closer to market though perhaps at the cost of greater conversion of secondary forest. Households with greater endowments of forest tend to deforest more than those with smaller ones.
    Date: 2017–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lsg:lsgwps:wp261&r=env
  24. By: Zanetti, Erson Augusto; Gómez García, José Javier; Mostacedo, Jessica; Reyes, Orlando
    Abstract: El principal objetivo de este documento es analizar algunas de las principales políticas públicas sobre cambio climático y bosques en América Latina. Ello incluye la revisión de los posibles impactos del en el sector forestal de América Latina, así como su papel tanto en mitigación como adaptación al cambio climático.
    Date: 2017–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ecr:col022:40922&r=env
  25. By: Neyestani, Behnam
    Abstract: The Urban Mobility Design is city's comprehensive resource on street design guidelines, policies, and processes. It aggregates a broad range of resources from nationally recognized engineering and design guidelines. It supplements rather than replaces existing engineering and environmental standards, requirements, or guidelines, such as the Manual on Traffic Control Devices and Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets. In a city with as many varied and complex conditions as Metro Manila, designs should be tailored to the particular needs and opportunities created by the local context, uses, and dimensions of streets. The purpose of this study is to find the problems of transportation and mobility, and likewise propose the appropriate solutions based on principles of sustainability in city's transportation.
    Keywords: Sustainable Transportation, Urban Mobility Design, Sustainability, Sustainable Mobility.
    JEL: Q01 Q56
    Date: 2015–08–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:76571&r=env
  26. By: Matranga, Andrea
    Abstract: During the Neolithic Revolution, seven populations independently invented agriculture. In this paper, I argue that this innovation was a response to a large increase in climatic seasonality. In the most affected regions, hunter-gatherers abandoned their traditional nomadism in order to store food and smooth their consumption. Their new sedentary lifestyle greatly simplified the invention and adoption of agriculture. I present a model that captures the key incentives for adopting agriculture, and I test the resultant predictions against a global panel dataset of climate conditions and Neolithic adoption dates. I find that invention and adoption were both systematically more likely in places with higher seasonality. The findings of this paper imply that seasonality patterns 10,000 years ago were amongst the major determinants of the present day global distribution of crop productivities, ethnic groups, cultural traditions, and political institutions.
    Keywords: Neolithic, Agriculture, Technological Progress
    JEL: N50 O33 O44
    Date: 2017–02–05
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:76626&r=env
  27. By: Danielis, Romeo
    Abstract: Il tema se le auto elettriche emettano più o meno CO2 delle automobili con motori a combustione interna, considerando l’intero ciclo di vita, è largamente dibattuto nella letteratura scientifica e in diversi articoli giornalistici, spesso con riferimento alla realtà statunitense o a quella europea. Almeno a nostra conoscenza, non sono ancora state presentate stime riguardanti l’Italia. Questo contributo propone una stima comparativa: a) basata sul database VCA che ha catalogato le informazioni tecniche relative ai consumi energetici ed alle emissioni di CO2 per più di 45 mila automobili in vendita nel Regno Unito (e molte di queste anche in Italia), aggiornato all’agosto 2016; b) si concentra sulle principali automobili vendute in Italia nel 2016 per tipologia di alimentazione (a benzina, diesel, ibrida ed elettrica); c) tiene conto delle emissioni di CO2 durante la produzione di energia elettrica; d) incorpora le stime sulle emissioni di CO2 nella fase di produzione delle automobili e delle batterie proposte nella letteratura internazionale. Il risultato principale è che le auto elettriche emettono complessivamente meno CO2 delle automobili con motori a combustione interna: il 19% in meno delle auto a benzina, il 18% in meno delle auto diesel ed il 9% in meno delle ibride.
    Date: 2017
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sit:wpaper:17_1&r=env
  28. By: Tebbe, Eva; von Blanckenburg, Korbinian
    Abstract: The environmental need for and economic opportunities provided by sustainability in food production are becoming increasingly popular in both society and research. Interacting with this, labels signaling sustainable product attributes are gaining importance, although uncertainty concerning the environmental, micro- and macroeconomic benefits of such labels persist. One of the questions still incompletely answered is whether consumers are willing to pay more for labeled than for unlabeled products and whether this willingness increases with the number of labels on a food product. To tackle this question, we conduct a laboratory experiment, testing consumer valuations of different labeling strategies. Using the Becker-deGroot-Marschak mechanism, consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for 15 food products is measured. The products were endowed with up to six different sustainability labels, such that each grocery item was available in eight product versions. 191 respondents were allocated to groups, of which each was confronted with a different set of product versions. In order to compare labeling schemes across all products, we calculated an aggregated standardized relativized WTP. The results indicate that participants are prone to allocating WTP premiums to labeled products, more than to unlabeled products. However, the premiums do not vary with an increasing number of labels, independent of whether the labels signal substitute or complementary sustainability information. Thus, the results are not entirely in line with normative notions of magnitude variation, but rather with behavioral economic concepts.
    JEL: L15 D12 D44
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:vfsc16:145556&r=env
  29. By: Borisova, Tatiana; Bi, Xiang; Hodges, Alan; Holland, Stephen
    Keywords: dam removal, recreation, visitor survey, opinions, economic impact assessment, Environmental Economics and Policy,
    Date: 2017
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea17:252833&r=env
  30. By: Adelina Gschwandtner; Michael Burton
    Abstract: There has been almost no recent formal economic analysis of the WTP of British consumers for organic products. Given the rising demand for organic products on one hand and the decline in the organically farmed area in the UK on the other hand, this is an important topic to address. The present paper analyses the demand for organic products using both stated and revealed preferences from exactly the same consumers. The stated preference model is based on the respondent’s choice from hypothetical choice sets. Attributes in the stated preference model are based on the ranges of the actual levels of attributes found in shops and are presented to respondents using a fractional factorial statistical design. Three different hypothetical bias treatments are applied in order to reduce hypothetical bias. The stated preference results are validated with the help of actual consumption data from the weekly shopping of the same consumers. The results show that there exists a core of organic consumers of about 20-30% of the sample that have a positive willingness to pay for the organic label. However, consumers seem to be willing to pay mor e for other attributes such as a higher quality, environmentally friendly production and no chemical usage. Attributes such as animal welfare, and a longer expiry date do not seem to have the same relevance for the UK consumers.
    Date: 2017–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ukc:ukcedp:1702&r=env

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