Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 7 September 2010

Javier, Lozano , Ester, Blanco , Javier, Rey-Maquieira

This paper analyzes the interaction between three environmental strategies within a population of firms: brown, green, and certified green strategies. We first present a restricted version of an evolutionary game where only brown and green strategies are possible. Next, the model is extended to allow green firms to certify their environmental strategies by joining an ecolabel. Our analysis shows that when it survives, the ecolabel tends to fully replace other uncertified environmental initiatives and to increase the proportion of firms implementing voluntary abatement. Nevertheless, the long-run survival of the ecolabel is not a necessary outcome of the model, although it...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 7 September 2010

Colin A., McMillan , Michael R., Moore , Gregory A., Keoleian , Jonathan W., Bulkley

A dynamic material flow analysis model is developed to quantify aluminum in-use stocks and old scrap recycling and recovery in the United States for the period of 1900 to 2007. The total in-use aluminum stock in 2007 is estimated as 93million metric tons, which represents approximately 34% of the cumulative apparent consumption since 1900. Alternately, since 1900 nearly 40% of the cumulative discarded aluminum has not been recycled for domestic use in the U.S. or for export to foreign consumers. Statistical time series analysis is used to explore the relationship between model results of in-use stocks and gross domestic product...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 7 September 2010

P., Mwebaze , A., MacLeod , D., Tomlinson , H., Barois , J., Rijpma

Biodiversity underpins most economic activities in Seychelles, and loss of biodiversity as a result of invasive alien species (IAS) could result in major negative economic impacts for the country. This paper assesses the value of impacts of IAS on biodiversity, natural resources and the national economy, using the principles of total economic value (TEV). The contingent valuation method was used to obtain a willingness to pay (WTP) estimate for a policy to protect important biodiversity from IAS. Tourists indicated a mean WTP of US$52–US$58 on top of their usual expenditures to fund conservation policy. At present approximately US$0.25million per year...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 7 September 2010

T.K., Ahn , Elinor, Ostrom , James, Walker

This study reports results from a new series of experiments that examine the robustness of face-to-face communication as a cooperation-facilitating institution in common-pool resource settings. Results are reported from nine experiment sessions, initially designed for pedagogical purposes. The sessions were conducted between 1998 and 2007 as part of a series of summer institutes on institutional analysis and environmental change. Subjects were graduate students and professionals from diverse disciplines, representing 41 countries of residence. The participants in this study stand in sharp contrast to most previous studies, which used undergraduates who self-select into experiments by volunteering to participate. Results from these...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 6 September 2010

Giuseppe, Feola , Claudia R., Binder

An effective approach to research on farmers' behaviour is based on: i) an explicit and well-motivated behavioural theory; ii) an integrative approach; and iii) understanding feedback processes and dynamics. While current approaches may effectively tackle some of them, they often fail to combine them together.The paper presents the integrative agent-centred (IAC) framework, which aims at filling this gap. It functions in accordance with these three pillars and provides a conceptual structure to understand farmers' behaviour in agricultural systems.The IAC framework is agent-centred and supports the understanding of farmers' behavior consistently with the perspective of agricultural systems as complex social–ecological systems....

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 6 September 2010

Stéphanie, Domptail , Ernst-August, Nuppenau

This paper presents a bio-economic optimization modeling approach for the simulation of land use decision making by farmers faced with climatic uncertainties. The approach is applied to the study of land use strategies on commercial ranches in Namibia. First, we compare two models differing in their structure: the first one is an inter-temporal optimization model (forward-looking with perfect foresight) while the second is recursive and it explicitly incorporates uncertainty in the decision making process. Second, we point out the structural advantage of the recursive optimization model in its ability to simulate how decision makers' perceptions on the occurrence of stochastic...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 2 September 2010

Eduardo, García-Frapolli , Astrid, Schilmann , Victor M., Berrueta , Horacio, Riojas-Rodríguez , Rufus D., Edwards , ...

Half of the world population relies on biomass for cooking, with very significant health as well as climate change impacts. Improved cookstoves have been disseminated as an alternative to reduce these impacts. However, few detailed studies about the economic benefits of improved cookstoves (ICS) interventions, including environmental and health co-benefits, exist to date. In this paper we perform a comprehensive economic evaluation of a dissemination program of ICS in rural Mexico. The resulting cost–benefit analysis (CBA) of the Patsari improved cookstove is presented, utilizing estimation of direct costs and benefits, including fuelwood savings, income generation, health impacts, environmental conservation, and...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 31 August 2010

Massimiliano, Mazzanti , Anna, Montini

This paper provides new empirical evidence on regional–national disparities in environmental efficiency, based on analyses of NAMEA data referring to Italy and the Lazio region, where Rome is the main city. Shift-share analyses provide evidence on the drivers of environmental efficiency and on sector specificity. Our evidence shows that although the region around Rome has achieved higher environmental performance compared to Italy mainly thank to its being less industry based, some critical points in the energy sector and in some services should be taken into account in shaping the future development of the region. In addition, the use of regional...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 31 August 2010

Tobias, Menz , Heinz, Welsch

Most industrialized countries will experience a significant aging of their populations in the future. The consequences of this coming population aging for environmental preferences and environmental quality are ambiguous. This paper uses data on life satisfaction to investigate how preferences and willingness to pay for air quality depend on the age composition of the population. Our estimation results on a panel of 25 OECD countries, spanning the period from 1990 to 2004, indicate that preferences for air quality are U-shaped in age, consistent with epidemiological evidence on the age-specific health consequences of air pollution. We find the projected future evolution...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 31 August 2010

Andrew, Jorgenson , Ryan, Birkholz

The authors engage prior research and theoretical orientations to assess some of the known causes of anthropogenic methane emissions in comparative international contexts. Like carbon dioxide emissions, methane emissions are a known contributor to climate change. Results of cross-national fixed effects panel regression analyses indicate that population size, economic development, the production of cereals, cattle, natural gas and oil, and a reliance on food exports all contribute to methane emissions from 1990 to 2005. Most notably, additional findings suggest that the magnitude of the effects of multiple predictors modestly decreased during the period of investigation, while the impact of other...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 31 August 2010

Ariel, Dinar , Brian, Blankespoor , Shlomi, Dinar , Pradeep, Kurukulasuriya

Elevated world temperatures, as forecasted by the 4th IPCC report, are expected to increase the hydrological cycle activity, leading to a change in precipitation patterns and increase in evapotranspiration. These in turn are expected to affect river runoff and water variability, depending on basin latitude. In this paper, we assess the impact of water supply variability on ‘treaty cooperation’ (defined here as the likelihood of treaty formation and number of treaties formed) between international bilateral river basin riparian states. The water variability measure that we use captures both annual runoff variability and precipitation variability. We employ additional control variables adopted...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 31 August 2010

Jane V., Hall , Victor, Brajer , Frederick W., Lurmann

This paper reviews and compares two air quality benefit assessments completed for California's South Coast Air Basin in 1989 and 2008. Specifically, we separate the influence of changes in population and air quality from that of newer health concentration–response relationships and changing economic values. The dynamic interaction of key variables, including health and economic, as well as changes in population and air quality, lead to significant changes in results over time. Results show dramatic reductions in exposures to ozone and particulate concentrations between the two time periods, a continually evolving health literature, and in contrast, fairly constant real economic unit...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, Volume 69, Issue 11, 15 September 2010, Page IFC

[No author name available]

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 24 August 2010

Md. R., Shammin , Robert A., Herendeen , Michelle J., Hanson , Eric J.H., Wilson

We explore the energy intensity of sprawl versus compact living by analyzing the total energy requirements of U.S. households for the year 2003. The methods used are based on previous studies on energy cost of living. Total energy requirement is calculated as a function of individual energy intensities of goods and services derived from economic input–output analysis and expenditures for those goods and services. We use multivariate regression analysis to estimate patterns in household energy intensities. We define sprawl in terms of location in rural areas or in areas with low population size. We find that even though sprawl-related factors...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 20 August 2010

S. Niggol, Seo , Bruce A., McCarl , Robert, Mendelsohn

This paper examines how South American farmers' choices of livestock species vary across the range of climate and in turn infer from them as to what would happen under climate changes. We examine the choice of five primary species using a multinomial logit model with and without climate variability measures based on 1300 livestock farm surveys in seven countries. The results indicate that climate variables are highly significant determinants of primary species choice after controlling for soils, geography, household characteristics, and country fixed effects. We find the probability of adopting any livestock increases with warming, but decreases when it becomes...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 19 August 2010

Wilfried, Rickels , Katrin, Rehdanz , Andreas, Oschlies

Reducing atmospheric carbon concentration by removing past emissions can extend our rapidly diminishing emission budgets corresponding to the target of limiting the temperature increase to 2°C above preindustrial levels. Forestation measures to offset carbon emissions have already entered the Kyoto Protocol. Other carbon offset options like ocean iron fertilization or chemically enhanced weathering are currently being analyzed. The analysis and comparison of such options requires determination of the amount of carbon credits generated that can be used for compliance. In our analysis we assess the impact of various accounting methods applied to large-scale sink enhancement projects, taking into account the...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 18 August 2010

Abdelaziz A., Gohar , Frank A., Ward

Economic development and population growth in Egypt continue to increase the demands for water. Meeting these demands places increasing stress on Egypt's water institutions to support the country's need for food, urban, industrial, and environmental water uses. Many studies have examined measures to increase Egypt's effective water supplies or reduce its water demands. However, no research to date has examined economically efficient and culturally acceptable water institutions for improving the economic performance of Egyptian agricultural water use. The aim of this study is to examine the potential for irrigation water trading as a measure to improve the economic efficiency of...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 17 August 2010

Jouni, Paavola

This article examines institutions for water pollution control and their interaction with water supply and sanitation technologies in the United States before the First World War. The article discusses how growth of settlements polluted waters and created pressure to adopt local institutional responses and networked water supply and sewerage technologies in the mid-19th century. However, the new urban technologies undermined local institutional responses and expanded the scale of water pollution problems they were expected to resolve. Water companies, households and local governments litigated their water pollution conflicts in the courts in the absence of other alternatives. In the end of...

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 16 August 2010

Olivier, Beaumais , Gildas, Appéré

This paper assesses the value of health risks related to recreational shellfish harvesting. Combining revealed and stated preferences data from an on-site survey and using a pseudo-panel approach shows that people significantly value health risks. The combination of stated and revealed preferences data is realised through the introduction of the concept of a “hypothetical twin site”. Addressing on-site sampling issues within the framework of a random-effect Poisson gamma model allows a derivation of more accurate estimates of welfare measures. Results also suggest that the demand for recreational shellfish harvesting is an inferior good.

Publication year: 2010
Source: Ecological Economics, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 16 August 2010

Norbert, Roeder , Dirk, Lederbogen , Juergen, Trautner , Ariel, Bergamini , Silvia, Stofer , ...

The paper assesses the impact of different policy options on the land use and associated biodiversity values of jointly organised low-intensity grazing systems (‘Allmende’) in Bavaria. We use an integrated economic and ecological modelling approach to compare three scenarios with the situation in 2003/05. We base the economic sub-model on single farms, which alter their land use in response to economic stimuli. Within the economic part, factors like the farm's endowment with machinery and quota are regarded. Within the rule-based ecological sub-model we analyse: area of protected habitats according to the EC Habitats Directive; biodiversity for selected taxonomic groups and...