Abstract This paper uses previously unexploited data to examine polluters' compliance with point-source water pollution regulations, a line of inquiry motivated by widespread apparent overcompliance. We use a nationwide panel of monthly plant-level effluent concentrations from 1991-1999. These...

Clear Skies is an economist’s approach to pollution reduction. We heartily endorse its core approach, while recommending surgery for a few minor blemishes.

Agriculture is a source of greenhouse gas emissions that could be included as offsets in a cap-and-trade system. This paper describes offset rules that could be applied to reduced nitrogen fertilizer application on wheat, a source of nitrous oxide emissions. Unlike other papers that have...

We observe that identification of the discount rate from experimental data requires an assumption about the consumption period, the length of time over which a payment will be turned into utility-providing consumption. We show that the optimal consumption period is substantially longer than...

This paper uses a lottery-choice mechanism to measure farmer preferences over money-denominated risks. We look at the ability of these choice data to predict farming decisions for an in-person sample of 68 farmers. A coarse version of our risk preference measure has substantial explanatory power...

Weitzman's (2009) famous dismal theorem argues that “fat tails” in the distribution of warming may pose problems for cost–benefit analysis as it may imply that society might be willing to exchange today's consumption for future consumption at an infinite rate. His analysis is based on the...

This book explores frontier work at the intersection of experimental and environmental economics, with cutting edge research provided by premier scholars in the field. The book begins by focusing on improving benefit–cost analysis, which remains the hallmark of public policy...

This paper uses previously unexploited data to examine polluters' compliance with point-source water pollution regulations, a line of inquiry motivated by widespread apparent overcompliance. We use a nationwide panel of monthly plant-level effluent concentrations from 1991-1999. These monthly...

Clear Skies is an economist's approach to pollution reduction. We heartily endorse its core approach, while recommending surgery for a few minor blemishes.