Environmental Economics

What was it that I was supposed to do today?

From the inbox:

Dear John,

You recently agreed to review "Title of paper".

I just wanted to remind you that your report is due today.

Do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance.

Best wishes,

[Name]
Editorial Assistant
Journal of [...]

I'm glad we've cleared up the issue of what I'm doing today (or tomorrow).

Someone did!

From the inbox:

Someone should do a study on this....

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200906210345/NEWS08/906210357

Ahem: http://ideas.repec.org/p/apl/wpaper/05-01.html

Would you be willing to pay $3000 for my paper?

From the inbox (slash website):

Thank you for publishing with Springer. This message is to let you know that your article ... has gone into production. Before we can send you your proofs, we have to ask you to provide some additional information

Upon publication, your article will be available to all subscribers of this journal. If that is what you want, click the button 'No Open Access’ below. However, if you want your article to be available to everyone, wherever they are, whether they subscribe or not, then you should publish with Open Access. Springer operates a program called Open Choice that offers authors the option of having their articles published with Open Access in exchange for an article processing fee. The standard fee is US$3000. If you want to order Open Access, please click the button ‘Yes, I order Open Access’ below.

I clicked the "No Open Access" button.

I can't help a little boast about this one

From the inbox:

Dear Professor John Whitehead,

We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript, "Convergent Validity of Revealed and Stated Recreation Behavior with Quality Change: A Comparison of Multiple and Single Site Demands", has been accepted for publication in Environmental and Resource Economics.

Sometimes referees make you work really hard. This is one of those. Celebration time!

Note: Dan Phaneuf and Chris Dumas are co-authors (+ 3 more non-economists). Here is a link to an earlier version of the paper: http://econpapers.repec.org/paper/aplwpaper/07-17.htm.

My research proposal template

Just in case you were wondering, here is how I'd go about estimating some benefits of [ -- insert case study here -- ]. Very, very dang pathbreaking.

A love letter from grants.gov

From the inbox after submission of a revised draft final report, usually a time of joy and relief, (emphasis added):

This is a financial closeout/deobligation notification for Award NA06NMF4330055, which expired 03/31/2009.  This award was made to Appalachian State University.

NOAA is required to report on its stewardship of various assets entrusted to it by Congress through the Chief Financial Officers Audit Act.  The authority to expend Federal funds on grant related activities is one of those assets. Your grant has specific ongoing reporting requirements and closeout requirements that must be met by your organization within 90 days of expiration date of the award: 06/29/2009.

You have not submitted a final SF-269 by the due date, but you have drawn down $[all of the money]for this award.  You are not in compliance with the terms and conditions of the award and have not accounted for your expenditures. Therefore all funds must be returned.  Your Grants Specialist will contact you to discuss returning the funds to the Federal Government.

Your cooperation to properly account for tax payer funds is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Grants Online

I'll return to blogging as soon as I finish properly accounting for tax payer funds.

Environmental economics in the AER

Bento, Antonio M., Lawrence H. Goulder, Mark R. Jacobsen, and Roger H. von Haefen. 2009. "Distributional and Efficiency Impacts of Increased US Gasoline Taxes." American Economic Review, 99(3): 667–99.
 
DOI:10.1257/aer.99.3.667

Abstract
We examine the impacts of increased US gasoline taxes in a model that links the markets for new, used, and scrapped vehicles and recognizes the considerable heterogeneity among households and cars. Household choice parameters derive from an estimation procedure that integrates individual choices for car ownership and miles traveled. We find that each cent-per-gallon increase in the price of gasoline reduces the equilibrium gasoline consumption by about 0.2 percent. Taking account of revenue recycling, the impact of a 25-cent gasoline tax increase on the average household is about $30 per year (2001 dollars). Distributional impacts depend importantly on how additional revenues from the tax increase are recycled. (JEL D12, H22, H25, L62, L71)

It doesn't happen often so let's celebrate with a cold beer.
 

It would make me happy if I had time to read this

USING HAPPINESS DATA FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION: ISSUES AND APPLICATIONS

Heinz Welsch and Jan Kühling

Journal of Economic Surveys 23(2):385 - 406, 2009

KEYWORDS

Environmental quality • Happiness • Life satisfaction • Non-market valuation • Well-being

ABSTRACT

Abstract. In addition to standard methods of environmental valuation, a novel approach has recently emerged which models individuals' self-rated happiness as a function of their incomes and the prevailing environmental conditions. The estimated relationship is used to calculate the trade-off people would be willing to make between income and environmental conditions, i.e. the increase in income necessary to compensate individuals for any given decline in environmental quality. While the basic idea is simple, the theoretical and empirical details may be complex, and they may vary from application to application. This paper discusses the relevant conceptual and methodological issues and reviews applications to air and water pollution, noise nuisance, climate parameters, and natural hazards.

Act Local

A Cleaner, Greener Appalachian:

John Pine, Director of Appalachian’s Research Institute for Environment, Energy and Economics, talks about the vision of the newly formed institute on the university’s cable television program, “Appalachian Perspective.” (see video clip)

Pine says the institute will partner with existing components across campus and the community to identify cleaner and greener technology.  These partnerships will allow broader research that will help the university tackle critical environmental issues the world faces today.

Pine talks about some examples of renewable and sustainable energy sources that are being utilized on campus.  He mentioned the upcoming wind turbine project, funded by a student-initiated tax and this year’s senior class gift.  It will be the largest wind turbine on any campus across the state.  He says, it is exciting to see undergraduate students as well as graduate students engaged and committed to the environment.

In case you'd like to catch the entire show:

“Appalachian Perspective” airs in Watauga County at the following times: Charter Communication Channel 21 weekdays at 10:30 a.m., and 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. Channel 2 at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and on MTN’s Channel 18 Thursdays at 5:30, 6:30, 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. and Fridays at 12:30 p.m.

There will be a viewing party at my house next Thursday where we'll catch the 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 showings, take a break for pizza, and then wrap it up with the 9:30 and 10:30 showings. Everyone is welcome!

Personal note: Right before the "largest wind turbine on any campus across the state" was announced we finished up data collection to estimate its benefits to students (e.g., their willingnes-to-pay). Sweet timing!

JEEM tumbles in new journal rankings

In the current issue of The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review (A journal of national and international economic developments, particularly focusing on their monetary aspects), Engemann and Wall [PDF] rank journals for the "ambitious economist":

The authors devise an “ambition-adjusted” journal ranking based on citations from a short list of top general-interest journals in economics. Underlying this ranking is the notion that an ambitious economist wishes to be acknowledged not only in the highest reaches of the profession, but also outside his or her subfield. ...