In this paper we advocate a new initial allocation mechanism for a tradable pollution permit market. We outline a Permit Allocation Contest (PAC) that distributes permits to firms based on their rank relative to other firms. This ranking is achieved by ordering firms based on an observable...

Most work on valuing the recreational benefits of public forests has concentrated on arriving at consumers surplus per visit figures, using either the travel cost method, or contingent valuation. We use both methods to try and explain the variation in consumers surplus across different forest...

In this paper, we examine some popular "choice modelling" approaches to environmental valuation, which can be considered as alternatives to more familiar valuation techniques based on stated preferences such as the contingent valuation method. A number of choice modelling methods are consistent...

Recent moves in the European Union have been made towards a toughening of legislation on bathing water quality. This has focussed policy-makers thoughts on the welfare benefits resulting from such improvements, especially given their cost. Our paper uses a combined stated and revealed preference...

An economic analysis of policies to control nonpoint source nitrate pollution in the presence of minimum river flow restrictions was undertaken. A non-linear bio-physical economic optimisation model of an intensively cultivated Scottish agricultural catchment was constructed. The presence of...

Benefits from providing a local public good such as landscape protection may depend on individuals’ physical surroundings, as well as on socio-economic factors such as income. A framework is formulated that describes public support for regional landscape protection as a function of...

Controversy remains over the degree of hypothetical bias in contingent valutation method (CVM) estimates of values for public goods, especially for public goods with significant passive-use values. This paper uses an 'indifferent voter' approach to calibrate stated WTP for a proposed public good...

Nitrogen is essential to plant growth and, yet, excessive levels of nitrates in soil can cause problems of environmental pollution. In this paper, the author first considers the nitrogen cycles, tracing the movements of nitrogen to and from soils. The problems of excessive nitrate levels are...

Policymakers are increasingly making use of benefits transfer in benefit-cost assessments of environmental policy. An important question is how big the resultant errors are, and how sensitive errors are to how the transfer is conducted. We employ a choice experiment focusing on landscape...