About the Author
Robert N. Stavins is the Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government, Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, and Chairman of the Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Group.
Tag Archives: benefit-cost analysis
On the Origins of Research
In response to my last essay at this web site, “On Becoming an Environmental Economist,” several readers suggested that someday I should write about the origins of my various research initiatives over the past 25 years. Today, I’m doing that … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change Policy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Policy, Economic Stimulus Policy, Energy Economics, Energy Policy, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy, Fisheries Policy, Forest Policy, Health Policy, Natural Resource Economics, Natural Resource Policy, Politics, Positive Political Economy, Water Policy, Wine Economics
Tagged benefit-cost analysis, cap-and-trade, common property resources, cost-effectiveness, distributional analysis, distributional equity, economic valuation, efficiency, environmental politics, externalities, free rider problem, global climate policy, Kyoto Protocol, linkage of cap-and-trade systems, market failure, market-based environmental policies, regulation, revenue-neutral taxes
Leave a comment
On Becoming an Environmental Economist
My essay this month represents a departure from my standard blog posts about a contemporary environmental policy issue. Rather, it is of a more personal nature, and stems from the fact that the second volume of my collected papers has … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change Policy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Policy, Economic Stimulus Policy, Energy Economics, Energy Policy, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy, Fisheries Policy, Forest Policy, Health Policy, Natural Resource Economics, Natural Resource Policy, Politics, Positive Political Economy, Water Policy, Wine Economics
Tagged benefit-cost analysis, cap-and-trade, common property resources, cost-effectiveness, distributional analysis, distributional equity, economic valuation, efficiency, environmental politics, free rider problem, global climate policy, information problems, Kyoto Protocol, linkage of cap-and-trade systems, market failure, market-based environmental policies, public goods, regulation, revenue-neutral taxes
1 Comment
Economics of the Environment
The Sixth Edition of Economics of the Environment: Selected Readings has just been published by W. W. Norton & Company of New York and London. Through five previous editions, Economics of the Environment has served as a valuable supplement to … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change Policy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Policy, Economic Stimulus Policy, Energy Economics, Energy Policy, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy, Fisheries Policy, Forest Policy, Natural Resource Economics, Natural Resource Policy, Politics, Positive Political Economy, Water Policy
Tagged Australia, benefit-cost analysis, Brazil, California, cap-and-trade, China, common property resources, cost-effectiveness, distributional analysis, distributional equity, economic valuation, efficiency, environmental politics, European Union, externalities, free rider problem, global climate policy, import allowance requirement, India, information problems, Japan, Korea, Kyoto Protocol, linkage of cap-and-trade systems, market failure, market-based environmental policies, Mexico, Obama Administration, Office of Management and Budget, public goods, regulation, revenue-neutral taxes, sulfur dioxide
1 Comment
Good News from the Regulatory Front
As each day passes, the upcoming November 2012 general elections produce new stories about potential Republican candidates for President, as well as stories about President Obama’s anticipated re-election campaign. At the same time, the 2012 elections are already affecting Congressional … Continue reading
Posted in Energy Economics, Energy Policy, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy
Tagged benefit-cost analysis, cap-and-trade, cost-effectiveness, distributional analysis, distributional equity, economic valuation, efficiency, environmental politics, EPA, Exelon Corporation, green jobs, linkage of cap-and-trade systems, market failure, market-based environmental policies, Obama Administration, Office of Management and Budget, public goods, recession, regulation, Richard Schmalensee, Tea Party, Transport Rule
2 Comments
Reflecting on a Century of Progress and Problems
As the first decade of the twenty-first century comes to a close, the problem of the commons is more important to our lives – and more central to economics – than a century ago when the first issue of the … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change Policy, Energy Economics, Energy Policy, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy, Fisheries Policy, Natural Resource Economics, Natural Resource Policy, Positive Political Economy
Tagged A. C. Pigou, American Economic Review, benefit-cost analysis, cap-and-trade, China, common property resources, cost-effectiveness, distributional analysis, distributional equity, economic valuation, efficiency, Elinor Ostrom, environmental politics, excludable, externalities, fisheries, free rider problem, Garrett Hardin, global climate policy, India, Indiana University, Katharine Coman, market failure, market-based environmental policies, non-excludable, non-renewable natural resource, open-access resource, private property, public goods, regulation, renewable natural resource, revenue-neutral taxes, rivalness, Ronald Coase, sulfur dioxide, Wellesley College
4 Comments
Unintended Consequences of Government Policies: The Depletion of America’s Wetlands
Private land-use decisions can be affected dramatically by public investments in highways, waterways, flood control, or other infrastructure. The large movement of jobs from central cities to suburbs in the postwar United States and the ongoing destruction of Amazon rain … Continue reading
Posted in Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy, Forest Policy, Natural Resource Economics, Natural Resource Policy, Water Policy
Tagged benefit-cost analysis, Clean Water Act, common property resources, econometric analysis, economic valuation, environmental politics, externalities, free rider problem, infrastructure, land use, market failure, public goods, regulation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Soil Conservation Service, wetlands
2 Comments
Can Countries Cut Carbon Emissions Without Hurting Economic Growth?
In the September 21st issue of the Wall Street Journal, the editors pose the following question: can countries cut carbon emissions without hurting economic growth? In his introductory essay, Michael Totty frames the issues as follows: “There’s little doubt: Cutting … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change Policy, Energy Economics, Energy Policy, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy
Tagged American Enterprise Institute, Australia, benefit-cost analysis, Brazil, cap-and-trade, carbon leakage, China, COP-15, Copenhagen, cost-effectiveness, distributional equity, economic growth, environmental politics, European Union, global climate policy, India, Indonesia, linkage of cap-and-trade systems, Major Economies Forum, market-based environmental policies, Mexico, National Commission on Energy Policy, Obama Administration, revenue-neutral taxes, South Africa, South Korea, U.S. Climate Action Partnership, U.S. Congressional Budget Office, U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. House of Representatives, UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Wall Street Journal, Waxman-Markey legislation
6 Comments
Too Good to be True?
Global climate change is a serious environmental threat, and sound public policies are needed to address it effectively and sensibly. There is now significant interest and activity within both the U.S. Administration and the U.S. Congress to develop a meaningful … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change Policy, Energy Economics, Energy Policy, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy
Tagged AB 32, benefit-cost analysis, California, cap-and-trade, common property resources, cost-effectiveness, energy efficiency, environmental politics, externalities, free rider problem, global climate policy, market-based environmental policies, regulation, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, Waxman-Markey legislation
5 Comments
Is Benefit-Cost Analysis Helpful for Environmental Regulation?
With the locus of action on Federal climate policy moving this week from the House of Representatives to the Senate, this is a convenient moment to step back from the political fray and reflect on some fundamental questions about U.S. … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change Policy, Energy Economics, Energy Policy, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy, Natural Resource Economics, Natural Resource Policy
Tagged benefit-cost analysis, cost-effectiveness, distributional analysis, distributional equity, economic valuation, efficiency, environmental politics, externalities, first welfare theorem, global climate policy, information problems, market failure, monetary values, Obama Administration, Office of Management and Budget, regulation, Regulatory Impact Analysis, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, uncertainty, Waxman-Markey legislation
5 Comments
Does economic analysis shortchange the future?
Decisions made today usually have impacts both now and in the future. In the environmental realm, many of the future impacts are benefits, and such future benefits — as well as costs — are typically discounted by economists in their … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change Policy, Energy Economics, Energy Policy, Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy, Natural Resource Economics
Tagged benefit-cost analysis, discount rate, discounting, distributional analysis, distributional equity, economic valuation, efficiency, global climate policy, monetary values, Office of Management and Budget, regulation, Regulatory Impact Analysis, temporal analysis, time, uncertainty
1 Comment
What Baseball Can Teach Policymakers
With the Major League Baseball season having just begun, I’m reminded of the truism that the best teams win their divisions in the regular season, but the hot teams win in the post-season playoffs. Why the difference? The regular season … Continue reading
Posted in Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy
Tagged baseball, benefit-cost analysis, cost-effectiveness, efficiency, information problems, Monte Carlo analysis, Nonroad Diesel Rule, Obama Administration, Office of Management and Budget, regulation, Regulatory Impact Analysis, uncertainty
Leave a comment