The Value of Reducing Cancer Risks at Contaminated Sites: Are More Heavily Exposed People Willing to Pay More?

We use conjoint choice questions to investigate people’s tastes for cancer risk reductions and income in the context of public programs that would provide for remediation at abandoned industrial contaminated sites. Our survey was self-administered using the computer by persons living in the vicinity of an important contaminated site on the Italian National Priority List. The value of a prevented case of cancer is €2.6 million, but this figure does vary with income, perceived exposure to contaminants, and opinions about priorities that should be pursued by cleanup programs.Value of a Statistical Case of Cancer, Conjoint Choice Experiments, Contaminated Sites, Abandoned Sites, Reuse, Remediation

Rates of Time Preferences for Saving Lives in the Hazardous Waste Site Context

What is the rate at which people discount future lives saved? The answer to this question has important implications when comparing policies on the grounds of cost per life saved, especially in the context of hazardous waste site remediation, where risk reductions may occur at different times, depending on the permanence of the remedy. We estimate this rate by asking a sample of Italian residents to choose between saving 100 lives now and X lives in T years, where both X and T are varied to the respondents. Assuming constant exponential discounting, the responses to these questions imply a rate of time preference for saving lives of 12%. There is little evidence that this rate is systematically associated with observable individual characteristics of the respondent. There is, however, strong evidence that it declines with the time horizon when the lives would be saved, ranging from 16% for T=10 to less than 4% for T³40. We fit a hyperbolic discount model, finding that it yields a similar value of the discount function for T=10 (the shortest horizon we used in the survey), and that it discounts the future less heavily than the regular exponential discounting model for longer time horizon. We apply our estimated discount functions to two alternate remedial plans for a heavily contaminated area in Italy, and find that—due to the high estimated discount rates—the less permanent solution is found to be more cost-effective.Value of a Statistical Life, Latent Risk Reductions, Individual Discount Rates, Rate of Time Preference for Saving Lives, Contaminated Sites, Remediation

The Benefits of Contaminated Site Cleanup Revisited: The Case of Naples and Caserta, Italy

Guerriero and Cairns (2009) recently estimate that contaminated sites and improper waste management result in 848 excess deaths per year in the provinces of Naples and Caserta in Southern Italy, 403 of which are fatal cancers. In the absence of estimates of the Value of a Prevented Fatality (VPF) in Italy or specific to the hazardous waste context, they use figures recommended by DG-Environment. Contrary to their claims, estimates of the VPF are available for Italy that are specific to the hazardous waste context, and for causes of death that have been linked to contaminated site exposures. We review them in this paper. We also produce new estimates of the cancer VPF using data from a recent survey conducted in Milan, Italy, in late November to mid-December 2008. The evidence points to much higher VPF figures than the ones used by Guerriero and Cairns, and hence to much larger estimates of the reduced mortality benefits of remediating the hazardous waste in the Naples and Caserta areas. We also examine the importance of the discount rates, since the mortality benefits of remediation begin in 20 years and are assumed to continue over 30 years.Value of a Prevented Fatality, Stated Preferences, Hazardous Waste Sites, Contaminated Sites, Cancer, Mortality Benefits, Cost-Benefit Analysis

Paying for Permanence: Public Preferences for Contaminated Site Cleanup

We use conjoint choice questions to investigate people’s preferences for income and reductions in mortality risks delivered by contaminated site remediation policies. Our survey is self-administered using the computer by residents of four cities in Italy with severely contaminated sites. We estimate the Value of a Statistical Life to be about €5.6 million for an immediate risk reduction. If the risk reduction takes place 20 years from now, however, the implied VSL is about €1.26 million. The discount rate implicit in the responses to the conjoint choice questions is about 7%. People are willing to pay for permanent risk reductions, but not just any amount. Risk reductions in the nearer future are valued more highly than risk reductions in the more distant future. We also find that the VSL is “individuated,” in the sense that it depends on observable individual characteristics of the respondents, familiarity with contaminated sites, concern about the health effects of exposure to toxicants, having a family member with cancer, perceived usefulness of possible government actions, and the respondent’s beliefs about the goals of government remediation programs. Additional questions suggest that respondents discount lives, and do so at a discount rate in the ballpark of that implicit in their risk v. money tradeoffs.Value of a Statistical Life, Latent Risk Reductions, Individual Discount Rates, Conjoint Choice Questions, Contaminated Sites, Remediation

Public Policies for Contaminated Site Cleanup: The Opinions of the Italian Public

Cleaning up contaminated sites is one of the most important environmental policy priorities in many countries. Remediation of contaminated sites is attractive because it reduces risks to human health and ecological systems, and brings a host of potential social and economic benefits. Even when the burden of paying for cleanup is imposed on the parties that are responsible for the contaminated sites, in many countries government programs are established for enforcement purposes, to set cleanup standards, and to address contamination at those sites where the responsible parties are no longer in existence or do not have the means to pay for cleanup (“orphan” sites). This paper presents the results of a survey of the Italian public where we ask citizens to report their opinions about possible goals for such government programs and for cleanup. Our survey respondents are generally in favor of broad-based programs that protect the health of a diverse population—without restricting attention to cleanup beneficiaries in specific age groups or to specific exposure pathways. They also in favor of permanent remedies, even if they cost more, and of cleaning up sites even when the health risk reduction are experienced in the future, as is usually the case with carcinogenic contaminants.Public Policy, Contaminated Sites, Permanent Remedies, Protection of Health and Ecosystems at Contaminated Sites

Public Support for Policies Addressing Contaminated Sites: Evidence From a Survey of the Italian Public

Cleaning up contaminated sites is currently considered one of the most environmental policy priorities in many countries. Remediation of contaminated sites is attractive because it reduces risks to human health and ecological systems, and brings a host of potential social and economic benefits, because contaminated areas are often found in urban areas where the majority of Europe’s population resides. Yet, cleaning up is a costly and time consuming effort, and its benefits are incurred primarily in the future. Large costs are on public finance and in this paper we offer preliminary results of a survey conducted in 2005 in Italy (800 people). We address issues of people’s awareness of the problems related to contaminated sites, including their perceptions are about the health risks associated with contaminated site exposures, and an assessment of public’s preferences regarding various policies currently being considered in Italy and the European Commission .

The Role of Liability, Regulation and Economic Incentives in Brownfield Remediation and Redevelopment: Evidence from Surveys of Developers

We examine different market-based mechanisms and other incentives intended to promote the environmental remediation and reuse of brownfields. Policies that encourage cleanup and re-use of brownfields offer real estate developers reductions in regulatory burden, relief from liability for future cleanups once certain mitigation standards are met, and/or financial support for regeneration of brownfields. We use conjoint choice experiments—a stated preference approach—to assess the responses of real estate developers to different mixes of these incentives. Our survey instrument was administered in person to a sample of developers and real estate professionals randomly intercepted at the Marché International des Professionnels de l’Immobilier (MIPIM) in Cannes, France, in March 2002. Conditional and random-coefficient logit models of the responses to the choice questions indicate that developers find sites with contamination problems less attractive than others, and that they value liability relief. This confirms our expectation that contaminated sites are less desirable because of the associated cleanup costs, but refutes earlier claims that liability does not matter. Our developers are not deterred by prior contamination, once it has been cleaned up, suggesting that “contamination stigma” is not very important, and appreciate fast-track review of development and remediation plans, direct financial incentives, and flexible (negotiable) cleanup standards. Developers with prior experience with contaminated sites are more responsive to the policies than are nexperienced developers, especially for subsidies. Inexperienced developers are more responsive to liability relief and regulatory relief than they are to subsidies. Similar considerations hold true for larger developers.Brownfields, contaminated sites, real estate developers, stated preferences, conjoint analysis, liability relief, regulatory relief, subsidies

La complessità della valutazione della CO2 nella pianificazione dei trasporti

La riduzione delle emissioni di CO2 è fondamentale per valutare la sostenibilità nella pianificazione dei trasporti. Tuttavia, la maggior parte dei piani di mobilità non è ancora riuscita a trovare una metodologia condivisa per internalizzare tali emissioni e renderle uno dei parametri in grado di influenzare attivamente le scelte finali sulle politiche e sulle misure da adottare. In particolare, risulta estremamente complesso dapprima quantificare, quindi attribuire un prezzo economico unitario alle emissioni di CO2. Il presente contributo indaga le problematiche relative alla loro monetizzazione, mostrando le metodologie attualmente in uso e il vasto grado di incertezza scientifica ed economica che le caratterizzano. Attraverso una meta-analisi compiuta su una raccolta di circa settecento casi, si è arrivati a limitare l’enorme intervallo attualmente esistente (fino a sei ordini di grandezza) e predire un modello in grado di definire un valore economico basato sugli obiettivi stabiliti preliminarmente dai decisori politici. In tale modo, la CO2 può essere inclusa attivamente nelle decisioni relative alle misure da intraprendere per una corretta allocazione delle risorse pubbliche, garantendo ai decisori una maggiore trasparenza nelle scelte

Mídias digitais na comunicação on-line entre líderes e liderados: Consequências nas relações interpessoais

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar as mídias digitais utilizadas na comunicação on-line entre líderes e liderados e suas consequências nas relações interpessoais em uma empresa do setor de varejo. A pesquisa é de natureza descritiva-exploratória e cunho qualitativo.  Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram 14 colaboradores com cargos de liderança de uma empresa do setor de varejo. Para a coleta de dados, utilizou-se um questionário com dados demográficos e indicadores da comunicação on-line e para a análise, realizou-se uma análise descritiva simplificada e aplicou-se a técnica de análise de conteúdo. Pôde-se observar que a comunicação on-line possui muito mais consequências contributivas do que fatores de preocupação que causem prejuízos nos processos que são compostos pelo relacionamento entre líderes e liderados.http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/21754977698

A Formação de Redes de Empresas: o Caso da Região Central do Rio Grande do Sul – RS

O presente trabalho  aborda o tema sobre o  processo de formação  de redes  entre Pequenas e Médias Empresas (PMEs). A partir de evidências teóricas, a questão da pesquisa confrontada foi compreender como ocorre a formação de redes interorganizacionais horizontais. A pesquisa estudou e qualificou os fatores subjacentes à formação de redes horizontais de cooperação. No estágio de formação da rede, são analisados os fatores de motivação, escolha do grupo, papel da liderança e a confiança. Para verificar a experiência da formação das redes, o delineamento da pesquisa é de um estudo exploratório, com abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa. A pesquisa empírica foi conduzida por meio de entrevistas com os primeiros e atuais presidentes de nove redes horizontais na Região Central do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (RS). Também, para melhor entender o fenômeno e aprofundar o estudo aplicou-se um questionário junto aos empresários fundadores das redes. Os resultados da pesquisa evidenciam que as pressões contingenciais, como a concorrência, a dificuldade de obter recursos tangíveis e intangíveis, a falta de crédito, o baixo volume de negócio, exercem influência na motivação para formar redes, que buscam complementaridade de conhecimentos e resultados econômicos