Evaluating the Impact of Government Land Use Policies on Tree Canopy Coverage

Many communities are experiencing the negative effects associated with not sustaining a sufficient level of tree canopy coverage. Tree canopy plays a crucial role in the environment, providing benefits such as clean water and air, erosion prevention, climate control, and sustained ecological resources and native species habitat. Additionally, tree canopy plays an economic role by increasing housing values, alleviating expenditures related to erosion destruction, decreasing spending on sewer standards, increasing energy efficiency, and reducing medical costs related to health issues, such as asthma, that are associated with environmental degradation. To study how local government policies may be related to changes in tree canopy, an empirical study was performed using Greater Metropolitan Atlanta as the study area. The statistical analysis identifies local government policies that are effective, such as specific tree ordinance clauses and zoning regulations. Policies that are ineffective (e.g., a tree board) are also identified.Land Economics/Use,

Economic Contributions of Winter Sports in a Changing Climate

In mountain towns across the United States that rely on winter tourism, snow is currency. For snow lovers and the winter sports industry, predictions of a future with warmer winters, reduced snowfall, and shorter snow seasons is inspiring them to innovate, increase their own efforts to address emissions, and speak publicly on the urgent need for action. This report examines the economic contribution of winter snow sports tourism to U.S. national and state-level economies. In a 2012 analysis, Protect Our Winters and the Natural Resources Defense Council found that the winter sports tourism industry generates $12.2 billion and 23 million Americans participate in winter sports annually. That study found that changes in the winter season driven by climate change were costing the downhill ski resort industry approximately$1.07 billion in aggregated revenue over high and low snow years over the last decade

Due Process at Low Cost: An Empirical Study of Employment Arbitration Under the Auspices of the American Arbitration Association

Published in cooperation with the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolutio

The childcare policy challenge in Australia

Australian newspapers often feature stories about child care and its potential benefits or hazards and many parents read them diligently, wondering if they are making the right decisions for their own children. Controversy over how to care for children has also given rise to new books by Australian authors, with some arguing that child care has negative effects on children (Biddulph 2006; Manne 2005). Pointing in the other direction are reports by international organisations that emphasise the positive and often critical impact that high quality early childhood education and care can have on children’s current and future development and wellbeing – particularly children from low-income households (OECD 2006; UNESCO 2006). Amid all this debate, however, a growing number and proportion of Australian infants and young children are using diverse forms of child care. This growth reflects changing economic, labour market and social factors, particularly the increasing rate of labour market participation of Australian women in the absence of universal paid parental leave. This makes the provision of a system of good early childhood education and care of pressing importance. In the chapters that follow, we take the demand for child care as a given, and we focus on how it can best be provided with the best outcomes. The provision of a good childcare system is far from the full picture of supports that Australian citizens and their children need. We recognise that there are very good arguments for discussion of other policies, especially leave arrangements that facilitate familial care. We strongly support the creation of a national system of paid parental leave. International evidence about its effects on child health (see for example The Economic Journal, February 2005) and maternal wellbeing is accumulating. We believe a good case exists for a period of at least a year of paid parental leave. To be meaningful for workers who depend upon their own earnings, this must be paid at a living wage level. Given the strong preference in Australia for parental care, a period of one or one and a half years paid parental leave would give many families a practical choice to care for their infants and young children. At present less than half of all working Australian women have access to any paid parental leave and only a small proportion for longer than a few weeks or months. This makes early childhood education and care a significant element of social policy in Australia. But it seems that policies around early childhood education and care in Australia are in a muddle, and that the costs of this muddle are very high for some. It is especially high for women who want to work and cannot, for the economy, for households and, in particular, for those who can speak least in their own defence – Australian infants and children, and their carers. It was concern about this muddle and its impact upon those who have least voice in the ‘system’ that led to the development of a research workshop on the issue, and this book

Academic Advantages of Increased Classroom Movement in Kindergarten

Modern kindergarten classrooms are academically rigorous learning environments with high expectations placed on young learners. Oftentimes, these students still receive an education based on traditional instructional strategies that no longer benefit and challenge young learners appropriately. This literature review examines the academic benefits of intentional classroom movement, kinesthetic learning, brain breaks and the impact they have on learning in the kindergarten setting. This literature review presents peer reviewed research studies conducted within the last ten years that investigate the most advantageous methods of movement incorporation in the classroom. The findings of this literature review conclude that, by increasing classroom movement, students benefit with greater cognitive ability, increased executive functioning skills, demonstrate higher levels of engagement, and can retain more academic material. In conclusion, current kindergarten classrooms benefit from and should integrate intentional movement, kinesthetic learning, and brain breaks as best practice instructional strategies to educate young learners appropriately

Use of the Hedonic Method to Estimate Lake Sedimentation Impacts on Property Values in Mountain Park and Roswell, GA

Metropolitan Atlanta has experienced explosive population growth in the past few decades, which has resulted in rapid residential growth. The City of Roswell is one the best examples of residential growth on the urban fringe of Atlanta, with its housing stock increasing by more than 50 percent from 1990 to 2000. Stormwater runoff created from these development sites is expected to be causing sedimentation accumulation in lakes within Roswell and a neighboring, downstream wildlife refuge located in the City of Mountain Park. Because sedimentation tends to fill-in and shrink lakes, our results provide some indication of the potential property damages associated with sedimentation. Furthermore, our results provide evidence that lake value is not monotonically increasing with lake size, which is believed to be due to the influence that geographic, environmental, and social factors have on the degree to which lakes add value to housing prices.Land Economics/Use,