PRICE AND NON-PRICE INFLUENCES ON WATER CONSERVATION: AN ECONOMETRIC MODEL OF AGGREGATE DEMAND UNDER NONLINEAR BUDGET CONSTRAINT

We study the influence of prices and non-price conservation programs on water consumption and conservation behavior during a drought in the San Francisco Bay Area. The empirical results show that pricing can be effective in reducing water consumption. Use restrictions and landscaping audits are also effective in inducing conservation from consumers.Demand and Price Analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy,

Spatial Distribution of Artesian Conditions within the Niles Cone Basin, Alameda County, California

The Niles Cone Basin (NCB) within Alameda County, California, contains portions of the basin under perennial and ephemeral artesian groundwater conditions. This study used 349 wells installed throughout the basin’s four-aquifer system to delineate the spatial distribution of the 86 wells that have gone artesian between 1995 and 2015. Artesian wells within all four aquifers occur at elevations below 5.2 meters above sea level (MASL) but predominantly below 3.0 MASL. Even at lower elevations, artesian conditions do not occur in regions of major pumping owing to significant drawdown. Within topographically-low regions, wells may not be artesian where well-heads are located at higher elevations, such as on a levee or other elevated landforms. This can be observed throughout the Newark and Centerville aquifers where artesian wells are located near non-artesian wells during the same monitoring event. Precipitation influences artesian conditions with artesian events correlated with increases in precipitation generally during, but not limited to, the early spring months. The water levels of the shallow Newark Aquifer were found to respond independently from the three deeper aquifers. Those deeper aquifers were observed to be in hydraulic connection with one another, displaying synchronous water level changes with time across the basin

HIV and condoms within marriage

In this essay I revisit the issue of whether an agency or a professional, including doctors, nurses, pastors, counselors and educators, may assist the condomizing of intercourse – as I will call it for short – in order to reduce HIV transmission within marriage. There are parallel but also distinct arguments to be made outside of marriage, e.g. in homosexual intercourse. There are also many ways to ‘assist’. Most Catholic agencies will not actually distribute condoms. But may they take part in an ‘ABC’ program which promotes ‘A’ for Abstinence, ‘B’ for Be Faithful to one’s spouse (what I call ‘B+’) or at least to one partner (what I call ‘B–’), but which also encourages ‘C’ for Condoms, especially as ‘a last resort’ or ‘the lesser of two evils’? Is this co-operation in evil and, if so, is it permissible? Might an agency or individual at least provide ‘scientific’ information about the use and benefits of condoms HIV-discordant couples, i.e. married couples only one of whom is HIV+