ABSTRACTSTaxes on environmental externalities have long been recognized in the economics literature as a cost-effective mechanism for reducing the costs of environmental degradation. However, in recent years there has been substantial interest in other possible benefits from environmental taxes,...

Traditionally, information collection for water quality management has been focused on biological data to describe environmental conditions, and stressor-condition-response relationships. While this kind of information is essential, other types of information e.g., economic information about the...

The dissertation consists of two major components on the topic of environmental valuation using spatial hedonic pricing models.The first component deals with the specification of a spatial hedonic model. The focus is on how to include the spatial effects of observed house prices into a hedonic...

Mobility and air quality have emerged in recent years as major concerns in Bogota. Even though government authorities recognize that pollution control and congestion reduction are priorities in their policy agenda, there is little local understanding of the monetary benefits from improving urban...

Motivated by the problem of deer overabundance in many areas of the United States, this thesis investigates innovative incentive-compatible policy options to address the problem. Economists view deer populations as a renewable resource, a composite asset that provides both benefits and costs to...

This dissertation investigates the coordination between new and used product sales using both empirical and analytical approaches.The first essay studies the potential for cannibalization of new product sales by remanufactured versions of the same product, which is a central issue in managing...

Energy conservation is a long-term strategic policy in China to support its economic and social development. This policy strategy is important for saving resources, protecting the environment, and ensuring the secure supply of energy to all economic activities. However, energy conservation often...

This dissertation consists of three essays in the field of environmental economics. The essays address issues in the economics of environmental investments under uncertainty, adaptation to climate change, and information in environmental management. The unifying theme across the three essays is...

Approximately 83 percent of the estimated 52,000 community water systems (CWS) in the United States serve fewer than 3,300 people. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, about 945,000 people receive their drinking water from smaller CWS, and the CWS of Centre County provide an excellent example of...

Agri-environmental programs have become popular in many countries as a means of improving environmental quality. In the United States, recent Farm Bills have progressively expanded the number and range of these programs beyond soil conservation to water quality and other issues. Economists have...