2007-02-24 papers

on Resource Economics

Issue of 2007‒02‒24
two papers chosen by

Economic and Poverty Impacts of a Voluntary Carbon Reduction for a Small Liberalized Developing Economy: The Case of the Philippines By Erwin L. Corong
Anonymity, Reciprocity, and Conformity: Evidence from Voluntary Contributions to a National Park in Costa Rica By Alpizar, Francisco; Carlsson, Fredrik; Johansson-Stenman, Olof

Economic and Poverty Impacts of a Voluntary Carbon Reduction for a Small Liberalized Developing Economy: The Case of the Philippines

By:	Erwin L. Corong (De La Salle University-Manila)
Abstract:	This paper analyzes the economic and poverty effects of a voluntary carbon emission reduction for a small liberalized economy—the Philippines. The simulation results indicate that tariff reductions undertaken by the Philippine government between 1994 and 2005 reduced the cost of fossil fuels thereby resulting in an increase in carbon emissions. The economic cost of reducing carbon emissions by imposing a carbon tax appears minimal as the reduction in consumer prices due to tariff reductions outweigh the increase in production cost from the imposition of a carbon tax. Overall results suggest that maintaining carbon emissions relative to 1994 levels appears to be a sensible alternative for the country
Keywords:	Climate Change, Carbon Emissions, International Trade, Computable General Equilibrium, Micro-Simulation, Macro-Micro Models, Philippines
JEL:	C68 D58 F18 I39 Q56
Date:	2007–01
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fem:femwpa:2007.9&r=res

Anonymity, Reciprocity, and Conformity: Evidence from Voluntary Contributions to a National Park in Costa Rica

By:	Alpizar, Francisco (Environment for Development Center, Tropical Agricultural and Higher Education Center (CATIE)); Carlsson, Fredrik (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University); Johansson-Stenman, Olof (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University)
Abstract:	We investigate the role of anonymity, reciprocity, and conformity for voluntary contributions, based on a natural field experiment conducted at a national park in Costa Rica. Contributions made in public in front of the solicitor are 25% higher than contributions made in private. Giving subjects a small gift before requesting a contribution increases the likelihood of a positive contribution. At the same time, the conditional contribution decreases. The total effect of giving a gift is positive but small, and taking the cost of the gift into account, it is far from profitable. When the subjects are told that the typical contribution of others is $2 (a small contribution), the probability of a contribution increases and the conditional contribution decreases, compared with providing no reference information. Providing a high reference level ($10) increases the conditional contributions. Overall, the total effects have the expected signs, although the magnitudes are smaller than what one might have expected based on existing evidence from laboratory experiments. <p>
Keywords:	Voluntary contributions; anonymity; reciprocity; conformity; natural field experiment
JEL:	C93 Q50
Date:	2007–02–21
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0245&r=res

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