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on Resource Economics |
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Issue of 2016‒11‒20
five papers chosen by |
| By: | Aprile, Maria Carmela; Fiorillo, Damiano |
| Abstract: | Water conservation represents important pro-environmental behavior for a sustainable environment. This paper investigates the link between water conservation behavior and general environmental concerns using a large dataset from the Multipurpose Household Survey conducted annually by the Italian Central Statistics Office. Univariate probit models show that pollution and resource exhaustion are positively related to individual water conservation behavior while alteration of environmental heritage exhibits a negative relationship with water saving behavior. These findings are robust to the inclusion of environment knowledge and social capital variables. Robustness analysis also indicates that television and radio, participation in environmental initiatives, money for environmental protection and churchgoing are significant determinants of water conservation behavior. |
| Keywords: | Water conservation, environmental concerns, socio-economic characteristics, environmental knowledge, social capital, Italy. |
| JEL: | C2 C25 Q25 Q5 Z0 |
| Date: | 2016–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:75065&r=res |
| By: | Anna Alberini (AREC, University of Maryland and FEEM); Andrea Bigano (FEEM and CMCC); Milan Šcasný (Charles University, Environment Center); Iva Zverinová (Charles University, Environment Center) |
| Abstract: | Concerns about climate change are growing, and so is the demand for information about the costs and benefits of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. This paper seeks to estimate the benefits of climate change mitigation, as measured by the public’s willingness to pay for such policies. We investigate the preferences of Italian and Czech households towards climate change mitigation policy options directly related to residential energy use. We use discrete choice experiments, which are administered in a standardized fashion to representative samples in the two countries through computer-assisted web interviews. The willingness to pay per ton of CO2 emissions avoided is €132 Euro for the Italians and 94 Euro for the Czech respondents (at 2014 purchasing power parity). We find evidence of considerable heterogeneity in WTP driven by income. The two samples differ in their “domestic” income elasticities of WTP, but comparison across the two countries suggests an income elasticity of WTP of one. |
| Keywords: | Energy-efficiency Incentives, Stated Preferences, CO2 Emissions Reductions, CO2 Mitigation Policies, Conjoint Choice Experiments, WTP for CO2 Emissions Reductions |
| JEL: | Q41 Q48 Q54 Q51 |
| Date: | 2016–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fem:femwpa:2016.64&r=res |
| By: | Luca Di Corato (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences); Michele Moretto (University of Padova, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and Centro Studi Levi-Cases); Sergio Vergalli (University of Brescia and Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei) |
| Abstract: | In this article we study the long-run average rate of forest conversion in Brazil. Deforestation results from the following trade-off: on the one hand, the uncertain value of benefits associated with forest conservation (biodiversity, carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services), on the other hand, the economic profits associated with land development (agriculture, ranching, etc.). We adopt the model by Bulte et al. (2002) as theoretical frame for studying land conversion and then derive, following Di Corato et al. (2013), the associated long-run average rate of forest conversion. We then identify the parameters to be used in our model. The object of our simulation is Brazil and 27 states. Our aim is to compute under several scenarios the time required to develop the remaining forested land in these states. We provide potential future scenarios, in terms of forest coverage, for the next 20, 100 and 200 years. Our results suggest that the uncertainty characterizing forest benefits plays a relevant role in deterring deforestation. We find that these benefits, if growing at a sufficiently high rate, may significantly slow down the conversion process. In contrast, a higher volatility accelerates the process of deforestation. We indicate the Brazilian states where forests are expected to be saturated earlier. In this respect, we find that forestland currently available may be expected to be fully converted within a 200-year horizon. |
| Keywords: | Deforestation, Long-run, Natural Resources Management, Optimal Stopping |
| JEL: | C61 D81 Q24 Q58 |
| Date: | 2016–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fem:femwpa:2016.56&r=res |
| By: | Ewa Zawojska (Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw); Zbigniew Szkop (Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw); Mikołaj Czajkowski (Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw); Tomasz Żylicz (Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw) |
| Abstract: | The Wilanów royal residence – the palace, buildings, monuments and gardens located in the park – is a unique combination of magnificent architecture, historic tradition and nature. They provide multiple benefits to both tourists and inhabitants of Warsaw. In this study we aim at estimating the economic value of nature-related benefits of the Wilanów residence, namely the value of ecosystem services provided by the Park. We use a benefit transfer method and find the value of ecosystem services of the Wilanów Park at 500 thousand euro per year. This seems a significant amount, nevertheless it is much lower than the value of “services” provided by the non-biological assets of the residence. |
| Keywords: | economic valuation; ecosystem services; benefit transfer method; Wilanów Park |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:war:wpaper:2016-31&r=res |
| By: | Furtner, Nadja C. (University of Munich, Munich, Germany); Kocher, Martin G. (University of Munich, Munich, Germany); Martinsson, Peter (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University); Matzat, Dominik (University of Munich, Munich, Germany); Wollbrant, Conny (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University) |
| Abstract: | Evidence of gender differences in cooperation in social dilemmas is inconclusive. This paper experimentally elicits unconditional contributions, a contribution vector (cooperative preferences), and beliefs about the level of others’ contributions in variants of the public goods game. We show that existing inconclusive results can be understood and completely explained when controlling for beliefs and underlying cooperative preferences. Robustness checks based on data from around 450 additional independent observations around the world confirm our main empirical results: Women are significantly more often classified as conditionally cooperative than men, while men are more likely to be free riders. Beliefs play an important role in shaping unconditional contributions, and they seem to be more malleable or sensitive to subtle cues for women than for men. |
| Keywords: | Public goods; conditional cooperation; gender; experiment |
| JEL: | C91 D64 H41 |
| Date: | 2016–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0677&r=res |