The amenity value of English nature: a hedonic price approach

Using a hedonic property value price approach, we estimate the amenity value associated with proximity to habitats, designated areas, domestic gardens and other natural amenities in England. There is a long tradition of studies looking at the effect of a wide range of environmental amenities and disamenities on property prices. But, to our knowledge, this is the first nationwide study of the value of proximity to a large number of natural amenities in England. We analysed 1 million housing transactions over 1996- 2008 and considered a large number of environmental characteristics. Results reveal that the effects of many of these environmental variables are highly statistically significant, and are quite large in economic magnitude. Gardens, green space and areas of water within the census ward all attract a considerable positive price premium. There is also a strong positive effect from freshwater and flood plain locations, broadleaved woodland, coniferous woodland and enclosed farmland. Increasing distance to natural amenities such as rivers, National parks and National Trust sites is unambiguously associated with a fall in house prices. Our preferred regression specifications control for unobserved labour market and other geographical factors using Travel to Work Area fixed effects, and the estimates are fairly insensitive to changes in specification and sample. This provides some reassurance that the hedonic price results provide a useful representation of the values attached to proximity to environmental amenities in England. Overall, we conclude that the house market in England reveals substantial amenity value attached to a number of habitats, designations, private gardens and local environmental amenities

When people know how Covid-19 probably started, they are more likely to support wildlife conservation

While many scientists think COVID-19 jumped from animals to humans, which can be more likely to happen as we deplete natural environments, the idea that it came from a biosecurity lab in Wuhan persists. Ganga Shreedhar and Susana Mourato (LSE) showed people different articles about the origin of the virus and found that they were more likely to support wildlife conservation policies if the link with human actions was made clear. Telling them about the lab theory reduced that support, even when articles contained information about animal to human transmission

Credit-based payments for ecosystem services: evidence from a choice experiment in Ecuador

The original conceptualization of payments for ecosystem services (PES) promoted direct payments to motivate the provision of environmental public goods, but market imperfections and behavioral considerations can mean that PES that reduce market constraints are preferred. The main issue with the latter is how to include conditionality. We propose credit-based PES (CB-PES) as an incentive that links an environmental condition with the reduction of a key market constraint. Through a choice experiment in Ecuador, CB-PES was found to be a promising form of PES, with multiple desirable qualities of an incentive as cited in the behavioral economics and PES literatures

Experimental evidence on the impact of biodiversity conservation videos on charitable donations

We explored how different types of audio-visual media content impacted charitable donations using a lab experiment. Subjects chose to donate to a charity in a modified dictator game, after being randomly assigned to watch videos featuring either a non-charismatic species (Bats), a charismatic species (Lions) a composite habitat composed of both species (Bats and Lions in the Savanna), with and without additional content on the anthropogenic cause of endangerment. In addition to this, a subset of subjects was offered public recognition alongside videos. We found media content influences pro-social behaviour on both the intensive and extensive margins of giving: videos with charismatic Lions increased the probability of donating (intensive margin of giving), but content about human cause of endangerment, increased the amount donated conditional on having decided to donate (extensive margin of giving). There is heterogeneity in treatment effects based on past pro-social behaviour: public recognition increases donations only for those reporting donating to charities in the past

Linking human destruction of nature to COVID-19 increases support for wildlife conservation policies

This paper investigates if narratives varying the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic affects pro-wildlife conservation outcomes. In a pre-registered online experiment (N = 1081), we randomly allocated subjects to either a control group or to one of three narrative treatment groups, each presenting a different likely cause of the COVID-19 outbreak: an animal cause; an animal and human cause (AHC); and an animal, human or lab cause. We found that the AHC narrative elicited significantly greater pro-conservation policy support, especially for bans in the commercial trade of wildlife, when compared to the control group. Possible mechanisms driving this effect are that AHC narratives were less familiar, elicited higher mental and emotional engagement, and induced feelings that firms and governments are responsible for mitigating wildlife extinction

Special issue on applied environmental economics : Editors’ introduction

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investigating fishers' preferences for the design of marine payments for environmental services schemes

We determine the effects of various management restrictions on adoption rates of marine Payments for Environmental Services (PES) schemes. Choice experiments are used in order to determine how fisher participation rates change under different marine PES programme designs. Various designs, with differing restriction rates, show different rates of adoption. However, fishers show a high utility loss associated with any move away from the current management situation, irrespective of restriction levels. This indicates that PES scheme costs may be high and creating an enabling environment could be important to reducing perceived losses, as could investment into conditional in-kind compensation mechanisms. The paper also shows choice experiments to be a useful tool in marine PES design

Modeling individual preferences for energy sources: the case of IV generation nuclear energy in Italy

The planned re-introduction of nuclear energy in Italy was abandoned in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Twenty years earlier, soon after the Chernobyl accident, Italians had also voted against nuclear energy. However, a new nuclear energy technology, i.e. fourth generation, is under research and development. This paper investigates its social acceptance by means of a robust methodology, employing 1) choice experiments, 2) structural equation modeling and 3) information treatments within an online nation-wide survey. Results show a great deal of preference heterogeneity: the majority of the sampled respondents oppose new nuclear plants in Italy, with some not willing to accept any monetary compensation at all. However, another segment of respondents, more confident that fourth generation nuclear energy goals will be achieved, show a modest support towards the implementation of new nuclear projects. Additional variables were found to affect opposition

Individual preferences towards nuclear energy: the transient residency effect

Nuclear energy is an energy source that is usually unfavourable among the public due to its inherent risks. However, it presents a number of benefits, including the possibility to reduce emissions and the contribution to tackle climate change. Among the countries adopting nuclear energy, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is unusual in that a large share of its residents consists of expatriates who live only part of their lives in the country with no (or highly unlikely) access to citizenship. This distinctive population structure offers the opportunity to investigate the effect of transient residency on acceptance and preferences towards nuclear energy. We conducted this investigation by designing a stated preferences-based survey, targeting an online nationwide sample. The survey collected information on socio-economic characteristics and attitudes, including views on perceived risks and benefits of nuclear energy, views towards different energy sources and life satisfaction. Results indicate that transient individuals, especially those who are more satisfied with their lives in the UAE, are significantly less likely to oppose the construction of new nuclear plants. These individuals are characterized by a more positive perception of benefits over risks arising from nuclear energy. Policy implications are discussed

José e Asenet: uma criação peculiar da literatura antiga

Tese de mestrado em Estudos Clássicos apresentada à Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa, 2008Neste estudo pretendemos analisar José e Asenet, texto apócrifo do Antigo Testamento, à luz das diversas perspectivas espaciais onde se movem as personagens da narrativa. Ainda que José e Asenet continue a estar envolto em diversos problemas de datação, autoria e contexto literário, a verdade é que não deixa de ser um testemunho antigo que suscita as mais diversas interpretações da parte de quem o lê. Não é um texto que reúna um consenso em relação à sua intenção última e todo o simbolismo que o envolve continua a estar longe de uma única explicação. É nosso objectivo tomar por base a estrutura diegética onde o material alegórico do texto encaixa e estudar, especialmente, o papel das descrições espaciais e a sua função na construção da malha narrativa. À luz de outros exemplos da literatura antiga, principalmente da época helenística, José e Asenet aparece como uma criação peculiar no que diz respeito à forma como descreve diversos espaços de acção e à maneira como os gere na articulação de um todo literário. Num último momento, iremos analisar de que forma a originalidade imagética do texto se expressa, ou não, em termos de recepção artística.In the present study we deal with Joseph and Aseneth, an Old Testament apocryphon, regarding several spatial perspectives through which the characters move. Although Joseph and Aseneth remains wrapped in many authorship, date, and literary context discussions, it is an ancient work that awakes many interpretations on its readers. It is not a text that displays a broad consensus relatively to its sole purpose, and its evident symbolism is far from having a single explanation. It is our purpose to analyse the narrative structure, specifically the role of the space descriptions, and their function in the plot. Concerning some descriptions mainly belonging to the ancient Hellenistic literature, Joseph and Aseneth is an original creation. The space descriptions and the way they are used in the articulation of this literary whole make Joseph and Aseneth rather peculiar. Finally, we will study how the original text imagery may or not express itself relatively to its artistic reception