Environmental Economics

From this point forward we will be known as the 'Human-Habitat Social Science' blog

An exclusive from The Guardian:

Staff at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been told to avoid using the term climate change in their work, with the officials instructed to reference “weather extremes” instead.

A series of emails obtained by the Guardian between staff at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a USDA unit that oversees farmers’ land conservation, show that the incoming Trump administration has had a stark impact on the language used by some federal employees around climate change.

Among the other recommendations:

'Climate change adaptation' is now 'resilience to weather extremes/intense weather events: drought, heavy rain, spring ponding'

'Reduce greenhouse gases' is now 'build soil organic matter, increase nutrient use efficiency'

'Sequester carbon' is now 'build soil organic matter'

'Science' is now 'Wishy-washy fake news'

I only made one of those up.

Ever wonder how to read a Regulatory Impact Analysis?

Here you go:

Consumer’s Guide to Regulatory Impact Analysis: Ten Tips for Being an Informed Policymaker

Dudley, S., et al. (2017). Consumer’s Guide to Regulatory Impact Analysis: Ten Tips for Being an Informed Policymaker. Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, 1-18. doi:10.1017/bca.2017.11

Abstract

Regulatory impact analyses (RIAs) weigh the benefits of regulations against the burdens they impose and are invaluable tools for informing decision makers. We offer 10 tips for nonspecialist policymakers and interested stakeholders who will be reading RIAs as consumers.

1. Core problem: Determine whether the RIA identifies the core problem (compelling public need) the regulation is intended to address.
2. Alternatives: Look for an objective, policy-neutral evaluation of the relative merits of reasonable alternatives.
3. Baseline: Check whether the RIA presents a reasonable “counterfactual” against which benefits and costs are measured.
4. Increments: Evaluate whether totals and averages obscure relevant distinctions and trade-offs.
5. Uncertainty: Recognize that all estimates involve uncertainty, and ask what effect key assumptions, data, and models have on those estimates.
6. Transparency: Look for transparency and objectivity of analytical inputs.
7. Benefits: Examine how projected benefits relate to stated objectives.
8. Costs: Understand what costs are included.
9. Distribution: Consider how benefits and costs are distributed.
10. Symmetrical treatment: Ensure that benefits and costs are presented symmetrically.

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

You can download the article here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-benefit-cost-analysis/article/consumers-guide-to-regulatory-impact-analysis-ten-tips-for-being-an-informed-policymaker/FAF984595B822A70495621AEA7EF7DEB?platform=hootsuite