SOME MEASUREMENT CRITERIA FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE OUTPUT AND COSTS: THE CASE OF FIRE PROTECTION IN TEXAS

Public Economics,

Using stated preferences to estimate the environmental benefits of using biodiesel fuel in diesel engines

Using biodiesel fuel to reduce emissions from diesel engines is an area of increasing interest. Many environmental benefits associated with biodiesel are not traded in markets and their estimation requires economic valuation methods applied to non-market goods and services. This paper presents the results of a contingent valuation survey conducted in 2006 in two Ohio regions to estimate willingness to pay for air pollution reduction arising from using biodiesel fuel in diesel engines. The double bounded parametric formulation was used to estimate mean WTP ranging from $157 to$457. These results yield estimated aggregate benefits ranging from $123 to$429 million and can be used as a starting point for cost-benefit analysis.Biodiesel, diesel, air pollution, environmental benefits, contingent valuation, willingness to pay, double bounded model, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, I18, L91, Q42, Q51, Q53,

AGRICULTURAL SEDIMENTATION IMPACTS ON LAKESIDE PROPERTY VALUES

A hedonic pricing model is developed to estimate the effects of policies to control agricultural sedimentation on lakeside property values at 15 Ohio state park lakes, Using an LA/AIDS demand system, we estimate changes in social welfare that result from upstream soil conservation practices and/or lake dredging activity, while holding other property characteristics constant. Policy simulation results suggest that lakeside residents generally have a higher willingness to pay on an annualized basis for sediment reduction from upstream soil conservation than for lake dredging. This has important implications for soil conservation policy, particularly in targeting improvements in the economic efficiency of the Conservation Reserve Program.Land Economics/Use,

Assessing Ohio's Biomass Resources for Energy Potential Using GIS

This recently completed AEDE study funded by Ohio DOD involves a geo-referenced inventory by county of Ohio biomass resources for energy. Categories include forest and crop residues, livestock manure, municipal solid waste and food processing waste. This is an update and expansion of an earlier (1982) inventory of biomass by Hitzhusen et al. It also disaggregates and expands a study by Walsh et al. in 2000 which ranked Ohio 11th among the 50 states in total biomass availability. By estimating and geo-referencing the sustainable quantities of various categories of biomass for energy by county, it is possible to identify the spatial concentrations of various biomass renewable energy feedstocks that may be economically viable for various processes for conversion. These conversion processes in turn have implications for environmental improvement and reduced dependence on foreign oil imports. A better understanding of the technical and economic pros and cons of the most promising conversion processes will be required along with further data collection and refinements of this inventory (particularly the food processing waste subset) before detailed policy recommendations can be made. However, this study is hopefully a good start toward that goal and should provide direction and focus for future analysis and recommendations for a more renewable and sustainable energy and environmental future for Ohio.Availability, Biomass energy, Crop residues, Livestock manure, Wood wastes, Municipal solid wastes.

Understanding the Role of Spirituality and Theology in Outdoor Environmental Education: A Mixed-Method Characterization of 12 Christian and Jewish Outdoor Programs

This paper examines the role of spirituality in some explicitly religious outdoor environmental programs. As fitting for such a complex research topic that is not yet well understood, a mostly descriptive and narrative mixed methodology is used to characterize a set of Christian and Jewish outdoor programs that demonstrate an original combination of outdoor and environmental education within their spiritual context. Such analysis can help broaden the base of outdoor education spirituality research, can increase awareness of traditionally religious perspectives operative in outdoor education and environmental education and can suggest models for. outdoor educators within religious traditions. Finally, it can aid experimentation with spirituality, in non-religious outdoor education and environmental education programs by suggesting frameworks for integrating spiritual themes and practices into outdoor education

An Economic Analysis of Consumer Expenditures for Safe Drinking Water: Addressing Nitrogen Risk with an Averting Cost Approach

This article presents a procedure for estimating averting expenditures through the analyses of two data sources: (1) packaged water sales from 18 national supermarket chain stores in the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area (COMA); and (2) treatment expenditures for both high and low service water from a local drinking water treatment facility owned and operated by the Columbus, Ohio municipality. The averting behavior results from a nitrogen advisory for drinking water for 1/3 of the COMA. The study concentrates on estimating these averting expenditures as representative of averting behavior for a market and non-market good trade-off. This article concentrates on the economic consequences of the nitrogen pollution problem as it affects households through the water they drink. It measures the private and public averting for the remedies available to address this problem. Major findings are that consumers make significant expenditures on packaged water both inside and outside the nitrogen advisory area and the municipality also makes considerable averting expenditures. The results represent an averting behavior effect emanating through an area having experienced recent and historic nitrogen advisory events with significant implications for government and industrial strategies for identification and prevention of nitrogen contamination incidents.Averting Cost, Nitrogen Risk, Safe Drinking Water., Consumer/Household Economics,

BENEFIT CAPTURE: EVIDENCE FROM A RIVER CORRIDOR BENEFIT COST EVALUATION

The concept of and evidence for benefit capture are explored in a benefit cost analysis of selected water quality and infrastructure improvements in the Muskingum River corridor of South Eastern Ohio. Property tax revenues and CVM bid functions are estimated and implications for benefit capture and further research are developed.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,