We specify a stochastic economy-climate model, adapting Nordhaus' deterministic economy-climate model by allowing for Weitzman-type stochasticity. We show that, under expected power utility, the model is fragile to heavy-tailed distributional assumptions and we derive necessary and sufficient...

In the context of extreme climate change, we ask how to conduct expected utility analysis in the presence of catastrophic risks. Economists typically model decision making under risk and uncertainty by expected utility with constant relative risk aversion (power utility); statisticians typically...

This note proposes the Burr utility function. Burr utility is a flexible two-parameter family that behaves approximately power-like (CRRA) remote from the origin, while exhibiting exponential-like (CARA) features near the origin. It thus avoids the extreme behavior of the power family near the...

This paper studies the interplay between climate, health, and the economy in a stylized world with four heterogeneous regions, labeled ‘West' (cold and rich), ‘China' (cold and poor), ‘India' (warm and poor), and ‘Africa' (warm and very poor). We introduce health impacts into a simple...

This paper studies the interplay between climate, health, and the economy in a stylized world with four heterogeneous regions, labeled ‘West' (cold and rich), ‘China' (cold and poor), ‘India' (warm and poor), and ‘Africa' (warm and very poor). We introduce health impacts into a simple...

This paper studies the interplay between climate, health, and the economy in a stylized world with four heterogeneous regions, labeled ‘West’ (cold and rich), ‘China’ (cold and poor), ‘India’ (warm and poor), and ‘Africa’ (warm and very poor). We introduce health impacts into a...

An expected utility based cost-benefit analysis is in general fragile to its distributional assumptions. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions on the utility function of the expected utility model to avoid this. The conditions ensure that expected (marginal) utility remains finite also...