Archives for: August 2005

RAND STUDY SAYS HIGH WORLD OIL PRICES AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS COULD MAKE SHALE-DERIVED OIL COMPETITIVE

By CostBenefit on Aug 31, 2005 | In Energy, West, Regulatory Analysis, Research Institute NGO NonProfit, Costs and Benefits | Send feedback »

Oil shale from the Western United States could become the source of millions of barrels of competitively priced oil each day in 20 to 30 years if technological, environmental and governance issues are resolved, according to a RAND Corporation study issue… more »

Optimal Tracking and Testing of U.S. and Canadian Herds for BSE: A Value-of-Information (VOI) Approach

By CostBenefit on Aug 31, 2005 | In Non-Environmental, Academic Study/Journal Article, Agriculture, Forestry and Food | Send feedback »

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) tests a subset of cattle slaughtered in the United States for bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE). Knowing the origin of cattle (U.S. vs. Canadian) at testing could enable new testing or surveillance policies ba… more »

Vehicle Choices, Miles Driven, and Pollution Policies

By CostBenefit on Aug 31, 2005 | In Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, U.S., Academic Study/Journal Article, Transportation, Computer Software/Database/Model | Send feedback »

Mobile sources contribute large percentages of each pollutant, but technology is not yet available to measure and tax emissions from each vehicle. We build a behavioral model of household choices about vehicles and miles traveled. The ideal-but-unavailab… more »

Vehicle Choices, Miles Driven, and Pollution Policies

By CostBenefit on Aug 31, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Academic Study/Journal Article, Transportation, Regulatory Analysis | Send feedback »

Mobile sources contribute large percentages of each pollutant, but technology is not yet available to measure and tax emissions from each vehicle. Ye Feng, Don Fullerton and Li Gan build a behavioral model of household choices about vehicles and miles tr… more »

Dams

By CostBenefit on Aug 31, 2005 | In General, Water, Academic Study/Journal Article, Economic Development and Green Jobs, Agriculture, Forestry and Food, India | Send feedback »

The construction of large dams is one of the most costly and controversial forms of public infrastructure investment in developing countries, but little is known about their impact. This paper studies the productivity and distributional effects of larg… more »

Cost and Co2-Emission Reduction of Biomass Cascading: Methodological Aspects and Case Study of SRF Poplar

By CostBenefit on Aug 31, 2005 | In General, Land, Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Europe, Academic Study/Journal Article, Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

This study presents and applies a coherent methodological framework to compare biomass cascading chains, i.e. the subsequent use of biomass for materials, recycling and energy recovery, considering land use, CO2 emission reduction and economic performanc… more »

Otis to supply energy-efficient elevators for Beijing Fortune Plaza Phase 2, China Environmental Protection Foundation recognizes Otis as environmentally responsible company, Gen2 as ‘green machine’

By CostBenefit on Aug 31, 2005 | In Energy, Green Buildings, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, China, Savings | Send feedback »

Otis to supply energy-efficient elevators for Beijing Fortune Plaza Phase 2 Otis Elevator Company has won a contract to install 46 elevators and escalators, featuring the energy-efficient and environmentally friendly Gen2™ and Elevonic® elevator syste… more »

America's Top 10 Green Schools

By CostBenefit on Aug 30, 2005 | In General, Air, Water, Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Education, Green Buildings, Contaminated Properties, Green Roofs, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Savings | Send feedback »

The early-American school kids swaddled with scarves to within a breath of suffocating as they hiked to the little red school house didn't know that their classrooms suffered from faulty insulation and bad air. But that's because no one thought much abou… more »

City company takes the lead in recycling batteries, paying people $1.25 each for the value of the lead

By CostBenefit on Aug 30, 2005 | In Waste & Recycling, Lead, Indiana | Send feedback »

John Munson was doing his part to protect Fort Wayne when he stopped by Crown Battery Systems early last week. Stepping out of a brown vintage pickup with obvious durability, the avid recycler hefted two vehicle batteries from its bed and toted them over… more »

Palm Beach Post Editorial: Glades water plant $5 million closer

By CostBenefit on Aug 30, 2005 | In Water, Florida, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Regulatory Analysis, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

The 30,000 people living around polluted Lake Okeechobee could not afford to build a water treatment plant when bidders in April said it would cost at least $25 million. They still cannot afford to build the Lake Region Water Treatment Plant now that new… more »

Press Release from Pavilion Technologies: Dyckerhoff Achieves Success with Pavilion Technologies' Cement Solution: Germany's Second Largest Cement Producer Increases Use of Alternative Fuels and Production Simultaneously

By CostBenefit on Aug 30, 2005 | In General, Energy, Europe, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance | Send feedback »

Pavilion Technologies, a world leader in advanced process control (APC) and environmental compliance solutions, announced today that the first project at Dyckerhoff's Lengerich site has delivered benefits in excess of expectations. As part of the enterpr… more »

UD buys NCR property for $25M: The NCR property could provide a number of new opportunities for the University of Dayton

By CostBenefit on Aug 30, 2005 | In Lead, Brownfield Redevelopment, Midwest, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Arsenic | Send feedback »

A few pen-strokes have made the world of UD bigger. In June, the university finalized a $25 million purchase of a 49-acre parcel of property from NCR Corp. The property, which runs from Brown Street to the Great Miami River, will be used for academic… more »

Cattle Update: Australia's Ethanol Plan Could Hit Livestock Industry

By CostBenefit on Aug 30, 2005 | In Energy, Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Australia, New Zealand | Send feedback »

Australia's beef cattle industry, and other livestock industries that use feed grains, could be hit with sharply higher prices if proposals to mandate or subsidize ethanol use are introduced by the government, the industries warned this week. A study… more »

Car-Share Company Earns Nod for Reducing Impact of Own Employees' Commute

By CostBenefit on Aug 30, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Government Report, U.S., Transportation, West, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Savings | Send feedback »

Flexcar, a pioneer of car-sharing programs in the U.S., has been designated as one of the "Best Workplaces for Commuters" by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation. Best Workplaces for Commuters, a partnership program des… more »

Plastic-bag tax pig in a poke for Scottish environment, MSPs told

By CostBenefit on Aug 30, 2005 | In Government Report, U.K., Waste & Recycling, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Regulatory Analysis | Send feedback »

A 10p TAX on plastic bags would bring only limited environmental benefits to Scotland, researchers said yesterday. Full environment gains would be achieved only if paper bags were covered by the levy as well, according to the research commissioned by… more »

Local food waste now compost

By CostBenefit on Aug 30, 2005 | In Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Waste & Recycling, Colorado, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

Boulder-based Western Disposal Services, Inc., has been composting some of Boulder's yard waste since 2002, but a new program is experimenting with adding food waste to the recipe. The City of Boulder's Office of Environmental Affairs (OEA) is working… more »

Disease Management Study: Jury still out on disease-management ROI

By CostBenefit on Aug 29, 2005 | In Health, Academic Study/Journal Article, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Savings | Send feedback »

Disease management (DM) programs have been embraced by many businesses and nearly all health plans to reduce medical costs and help individuals manage their health. Some of these programs can save money, but evidence of their economic impact is scant,… more »

Vilas woman wins fuel spill lawsuit; retired teacher awarded $650,000

By CostBenefit on Aug 29, 2005 | In Contaminated Properties, Legal, Fines, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Groundwater, Oil/Gasoline/Benzene, South, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

A Vilas woman has won a lawsuit resulting from a fuel-tank spill in 2002. On Monday, a jury awarded Kate H. Ellison $650,000 in damages caused by leaking underground fuel storage tanks at the B & B Minimart on U.S. 321 west of Boone. The leaks are… more »

Wetlands erosion raises hurricane risks: Natural storm 'speed bump' around New Orleans now missing

By CostBenefit on Aug 29, 2005 | In Water, Wetlands, Floods, South, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Regulatory Analysis | Send feedback »

The very technology that protects New Orleans from flooding has backfired, environmental experts say. They say the levees that ring the city have led to the rapid decay of nearby wetlands during the past century, removing a crucial buffer zone that on… more »

Green cars fuel blue skies

By CostBenefit on Aug 29, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Savings, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

The Washington, DC-based non-profit American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) continues to lobby and educate automobile consumers to buy "green." Through a combination of research, speaking engagements, its annual evaluation of vehicles in… more »

Transaction costs of unilateral Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in India - results from an empirical survey

By CostBenefit on Aug 29, 2005 | In Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Academic Study/Journal Article, India | Send feedback »

Recently, transaction costs in the context of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) gained considerable attention as they were generally perceived to be significantly higher than for the other Kyoto Mechanisms. However, empirical evidence on the amount o… more »

The Economics of Urban Park : Urban park planning through strategic land use can lead to increased value for the community

By CostBenefit on Aug 29, 2005 | In General, Preservation & Open Space, Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Midwest, Colorado | Send feedback »

Trails, parks and playgrounds are among the five most important community amenities considered when selecting a home, according to 2,000 recent homebuyers surveyed in 2002 by the National Association of Home Builders and National Association of Realtors.… more »

Reducing Brightness to Make a Better Paper

By CostBenefit on Aug 29, 2005 | In Government Report, U.S., Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Savings, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

Researchers at the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) have joined with other federal agencies and the pulp and paper industry in an effort to reduce the economic costs and environmental impacts of the paper commonly used in business and… more »

Researchers float dry fuel cells for mobile apps

By CostBenefit on Aug 29, 2005 | In Energy, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

Touted as a future solution to automobile pollution, fuel cell technology may in the interim solve the portable-power problem that is pivotal to miniaturizing electronic systems. A number of companies and research groups are reporting steady progress in… more »

Traders slam environmental tax plan in Palawan

By CostBenefit on Aug 29, 2005 | In Water, Asia, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Regulatory Analysis | Send feedback »

A proposed revenue code that will impose an environmental protection tax on fish and other marine resources shipped out of Palawan for commercial purposes was opposed by businessmen here who claimed they were not invited to a public hearing on Aug. 25.… more »

Press Release from Global Environmental Energy Corp.: Global Environmental Energy Corp (GEECF), Subsidiary Biosphere Development Corp., Signs Cooperation Framework Agreement to Establish Chinese Joint Venture Companies

By CostBenefit on Aug 29, 2005 | In Energy, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Waste & Recycling, China | Send feedback »

Global Environmental Energy Corp. (Nasdaq OTC Bulletin Board: GEECF - Xetra Franfurt: GLI) confirmed today that its subsidiary, Biosphere Development Corp., a Corporation registered in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, has signed a Cooperation Framework A… more »

Land Economics August 2005 Table of Contents

By CostBenefit on Aug 28, 2005 | In General, Academic Study/Journal Article | Send feedback »

Land Economics August 2005 Table of Contents Volume 81, Issue 3 1. Assessing the Impact of Environmental Regulation on Industrial Water Use: Evidence from Brazil by Jose Feres, Arnaud Reynaud, page 396 2. Assessing the Investment Performance of S… more »

"An Environmental Time Bomb" In Japan: Tokyo ignored asbestos for years. Now it's paying the price

By CostBenefit on Aug 28, 2005 | In Contaminated Properties, Asia, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Asbestos, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Regulatory Analysis, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

For decades asbestos has been known to cause cancer in those who inhale its tiny fibers. That has triggered restrictions on its use and, ultimately, thousands of lawsuits in the U.S. and elsewhere. But in Japan, asbestos barely cracked the headlines over… more »

Dreading a Replay of the 1938 Hurricane

By CostBenefit on Aug 28, 2005 | In Long Island, Hurricanes, Floods, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Computer Software/Database/Model, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

THE national commission that studied the terror attacks of Sept. 11 concluded that the lapses in preventing or responding to the attacks stemmed from a collective failure to imagine that such a catastrophe could happen. Emergency officials and meteoro… more »

Rural, artsy island community eyes going 'off the grid'

By CostBenefit on Aug 28, 2005 | In Energy, West, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Savings | Send feedback »

Though it's just a few minutes from Seattle, this island has always remained a community apart, rural and artsy. Now an environmental research group is proposing that the island further separate itself by producing all its own energy. The Institute fo… more »

County seeks environmentally-friendly status for new administration building

By CostBenefit on Aug 27, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Green Buildings, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Savings, Southwest--AZ,TX,NM | Send feedback »

Mohave County is going green. County officials decided to pursue green building certification for the new $20 million county administration building through its contractor Opus West. "The developer we selected is noted for building and designing bu… more »

Desalination comes to Southwest County

By CostBenefit on Aug 27, 2005 | In Water, California, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

As efforts to turn sea water into drinking water struggle to get off the ground along the coast, the practice of removing salt from ground water is flourishing some 50 miles from the ocean. Eastern Municipal Water District, an agency that distributes… more »

Estimating the Recreational-Use Value for Hiking in Bellenden Ker National Park, Australia

By CostBenefit on Aug 27, 2005 | In Land, Academic Study/Journal Article, Australia, New Zealand, Travel Cost Method | Send feedback »

The recreational-use value of hiking in the Bellenden Ker National Park, Australia has been estimated using a zonal travel cost model. Multiple destination visitors have been accounted for by converting visitors’ own ordinal ranking of the various site… more »

Siting MSW landfills with a spatial multiple criteria analysis methodology

By CostBenefit on Aug 27, 2005 | In Land, Contaminated Properties, Europe, Academic Study/Journal Article, Waste & Recycling | Send feedback »

The present work describes a spatial methodology which comprises several methods from different scientific fields such as multiple criteria analysis, geographic information systems, spatial analysis and spatial statistics. The final goal of the methodolo… more »

Prospects of solar water heating for textile industry in Pakistan

By CostBenefit on Aug 27, 2005 | In Energy, Asia, Academic Study/Journal Article, Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Savings | Send feedback »

Energy is the prime source of human activities in all sectors of life. Traditionally fossil fuel has been the prime source of energy. However, there are two major concerns regarding fossil fuels, i.e. their rapid depletion and their contribution towards… more »

Kinder, costlier car checks start on Thursday: Exhaust checks will add $16 to inspections in Travis, Williamson counties

By CostBenefit on Aug 27, 2005 | In Air, Texas, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

Nothing in the storied history of Central Texas environmentalism quite matches what will arrive Thursday. Never have so many people — in this case, the owners of most of the cars and trucks in Central Texas — contributed so materially to a conserv… more »

Cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses of periodontitis prevention

By CostBenefit on Aug 27, 2005 | In Health, Academic Study/Journal Article | 1 feedback »

Objective: The aim of this paper was to determine whether there is evidence that periodontitis prevention is economically justified. Material and Methods: The characteristics of economic assessments such as cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness and cost-ut… more »

Storm runoff battle looms: Peninsula cities complain of cost, environmentalists of foot dragging

By CostBenefit on Aug 27, 2005 | In Water, California, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

With a state water board workshop slated for Wednesday, the battle over storm-water runoff into the Peninsula's coastal waters is heating up. Sen. Abel Maldonado and Monterey Mayor Dan Albert held a news conference Friday afternoon calling on the stat… more »

Press Release: Carrier Reinvents Air Conditioning Environmental Leap in Energy Efficiency

By CostBenefit on Aug 27, 2005 | In Energy, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Savings | Send feedback »

Carrier Corporation unveiled its newly designed central air conditioning system for the U.S. market, to be manufactured at its expanded facility in Collierville, TN. The new system will be optimized for the 13 SEER U.S. Department of Energy efficiency st… more »

Valley's greenest campus: Low pressure street lamps on the University of California, Merced campus are designed to be energy efficient and reduce light pollution

By CostBenefit on Aug 27, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Green Buildings, California, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Savings | Send feedback »

The country's first new research university of the 21st Century is also likely the greenest. Planners of the University of California, Merced, campus say it was built and will operate around the concept of sustainable development -- an eco-friendly id… more »

Mill to cut emissions, odor: International Paper plan to reduce pollutants by '07 approved

By CostBenefit on Aug 26, 2005 | In Air, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, South, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Contamination Cost, Sulfur, SO2 | Send feedback »

Georgetown residents could be breathing easier by 2007 when International Paper Co. starts a new air-pollution-control device that also will cut the plant's traditional burnt-cabbage scent. The aroma reduction is a side benefit of a $10 million projec… more »

CHINA PRODUCES MORE MACHINERY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

By CostBenefit on Aug 25, 2005 | In General, Water, Economic Development and Green Jobs, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, China | Send feedback »

Due to strong market demand, China's production of machinery for environmental protection recorded rapid growth in the first seven months of 2005, up 84.4% year-on-year, according to statistics released by the China Federation of Machine-building Industr… more »

Montana's governor eyes coal to solve U.S. fuel costs

By CostBenefit on Aug 25, 2005 | In Energy, West | Send feedback »

Montana's governor wants to solve America's rising energy costs using a technology discovered in Germany 80 years ago that converts coal into gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. The Fischer-Tropsch technology, discovered by German researchers in 1923… more »

Other NFL teams are watching Belichick's business model

By CostBenefit on Aug 25, 2005 | In Non-Environmental, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

A lot has been written about how the New England Patriots have been able to win three Super Bowls in the past four years in the face of free agency, the salary cap, the disappearance of loyalty in the NFL and the constant realignment of the stars. But… more »

Statement By Eric Haxthausen Of Environmental Defense On Bush Administration's Fuel Economy Proposal

By CostBenefit on Aug 24, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, U.S., Regulatory Analysis, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

“Although structural reform is an interesting idea that deserves consideration, the new proposal from the Bush Administration on CAFE fuel efficiency standards for SUVs and light trucks is almost embarrassingly inadequate in terms their impacts on U.S.… more »

New AQS Report Knocks Down Economic Stumbling Blocks to Green Building

By CostBenefit on Aug 24, 2005 | In Air, Health, Green Buildings, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance | Send feedback »

A new report from Air Quality Sciences, entitled "If You Build It Green, They Will Come," provides convincing evidence that building green is not as cost prohibitive as critics claim. "Although sustainable (green) building is catching on across the US… more »

PRESS RELEASE FROM Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER): SCHEDULING BARGES CAN REDUCE CONGESTION AND IMPROVE SAFETY

By CostBenefit on Aug 24, 2005 | In Air, Water, Government Report, Midwest, Regulatory Analysis, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

Scheduling slow-moving barges on the Upper Mississippi River has the potential to reduce congestion at locks, enhance homeland security and protect sensitive wildlife habitat, according to a university study funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Si… more »

Nurse-Supported Breastfeeding Promotion: A Framework for Economic Evaluation

By CostBenefit on Aug 24, 2005 | In Health, Academic Study/Journal Article | Send feedback »

IN A TIME OF CONSTRAINED public health budgets, economic analysis is a tool available to facilitate efficient resource allocation. Projects that clearly save lives appeal to policymakers and the public. In contrast, health promotion programs with less cl… more »

Settlement over toxic ash buried in Jacksonville

By CostBenefit on Aug 23, 2005 | In Air, Legal, Fines, Government Report, Hazardous Waste, Waste & Recycling, Florida, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

Residents who claimed they were exposed to toxic ash produced by municipal trash incinerators and buried in predominantly black neighborhoods have reached a $75 million settlement with the city of Jacksonville, officials said. The city also agreed to… more »

Noteworthy Valuation-Related Papers from the American Real Estate Society Annual Meeting

By CostBenefit on Aug 23, 2005 | In Contaminated Properties, Academic Study/Journal Article, Contamination Cost, Contingent Valuation, Surveys,.., Hedonic Analysis | Send feedback »

The Twenty-First Annual American Real Estate Society (ARES) Meeting was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on April 13-16, 2005. This year, 160 papers and eight panels were presented by academicians, PhD students, and researchers, as well as by practitioners… more »

Direct Energy Offers Renewable Energy Plans in Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex; Company Launches Two Renewable Energy Products

By CostBenefit on Aug 23, 2005 | In Energy, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Texas, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

Direct Energy announced today that it now offers a partial renewable energy plan to Texas consumers. The Clean Texas Wind Plan(TM) is 50 percent renewable and is one of two new renewable energy plans Direct Energy is launching. Both plans offer renewable… more »

Ethanol Supporters Argue During Debate That It's Time to Bury Energy Balance Discussion

By CostBenefit on Aug 23, 2005 | In Energy, U.S., Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

It’s time to bury the ethanol net energy balance argument and focus instead on how to make ethanol a more important part of the country’s energy future. At least that’s what Dr. Bruce Dale, Michigan State University, argued during a debate Tuesday mor… more »

U.S. EPA reaches major settlement for cleanup of San Gabriel Valley Superfund site: Agreement calls for $26 million groundwater treatment system, innovative environmental project

By CostBenefit on Aug 22, 2005 | In Contaminated Properties, Legal, Fines, Government Report, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Groundwater, Wetlands, Preservation & Open Space, California, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with the Carrier Corporation and its parent company, United Technologies, Inc., that requires the companies to spend an estimated $27.8 million on projects and penalties for the cleanup of… more »

Environmental Case Studies: Ensuring Suitable Comparables

By CostBenefit on Aug 22, 2005 | In Contaminated Properties, Academic Study/Journal Article, Brownfield Redevelopment, Illinois, Research Institute NGO NonProfit, Contingent Valuation, Surveys,.. | Send feedback »

The appraisal of contaminated land or brownflelds is a topic regularly addressed in states with a history of substantial industrial activity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines brownfields as "real property, the expansion, redevelopme… more »

Economic viability study of a separate household waste collection in a developing country

By CostBenefit on Aug 22, 2005 | In Latin America, Academic Study/Journal Article, Waste & Recycling, Savings | Send feedback »

This article reports a study of the economic viability of a separate household waste collection project, and considers its social and environmental benefits. The study was developed from the database obtained through the pilot project on separate collect… more »

Promoting Geothermal Energy: Air Emissions Comparison and Externality Analysis

By CostBenefit on Aug 22, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Academic Study/Journal Article, Regulatory Analysis | Send feedback »

When compared to fossil fuel energy sources such as coal and natural gas, geothermal emerges as one of the least polluting forms of energy, producing virtually zero air emissions. Geothermal offers a baseload source of reliable power that compares favora… more »

Sensitivity and cost considerations for the detection and eradication of marine pests in ports

By CostBenefit on Aug 22, 2005 | In Water, Academic Study/Journal Article, Australia, New Zealand, Regulatory Analysis, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

Port surveys are being conducted in Australia, New Zealand and around the world to confirm the presence or absence of particular marine pests. The most critical aspect of these surveys is their sensitivity—the probability that they will correctly ident… more »

Making a case for green buildings

By CostBenefit on Aug 22, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Green Buildings, U.S., Real Estate Construction Housing, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Computer Software/Database/Model, Savings, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

Building green is both socially responsible and good for the bottom line, according to developers who recently spoke at the "Developing Green" conference sponsored by the Urban Land Institute. The two-day conference, chaired by Kenneth W. Hubbard, exe… more »

Project could boost bottom line for business 'blues': Depression study boosts bottom line: A national study will demonstrate how Australian employers can save up to $1 Billion lost every year by assisting employees with untreated depression.

By CostBenefit on Aug 22, 2005 | In Air, Health, Australia, New Zealand | Send feedback »

Depression is the leading cause of disability in Australia with one in five Australians suffering a major depression episode during their life time spelling a miserable time for a large group of people. The truly sad fact is that half of people that h… more »

Work & Money: "Ethical Investing": Good deeds, real estate, and you: People who want to be 'socially responsible' while taking advantage of rising property values can decide among a variety of real estate options.

By CostBenefit on Aug 21, 2005 | In General, Energy, Green Buildings, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Real Estate Construction Housing, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

Attention, ethically minded investors: One well-chosen investment could potentially help clean the environment, reduce crime, and appreciate by 10 percent or more each year. Experts say the place to seek this investment would be in real estate, a grow… more »

Around Asia's Markets: Oil costs stimulate quest for substitute

By CostBenefit on Aug 21, 2005 | In Energy, Asia, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance | Send feedback »

Shares of Asian bio-fuel companies, like the ethanol maker Khon Kaen Sugar Industry, may outpace oil producers, the region's best performers in the past year, as governments try to cut oil-import bills and consumers balk at record gasoline prices. "Y… more »

Monetization of health damages from road noise with implications for monetizing health impacts in life cycle assessment

By CostBenefit on Aug 21, 2005 | In General, Air, Health, Europe, Academic Study/Journal Article, Transportation, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

There are decision situations where environmental impacts need to be compared with other costs or benefits that by their nature are expressed in terms of money. Supporting these decisions may require the expression of environmental impacts in monetary un… more »

Rocky Mountain oil boom carries costs for cleanup: Study says drilling puts taxpayers at risk

By CostBenefit on Aug 20, 2005 | In Energy, Contaminated Properties, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, West, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

Taxpayers could be on the hook for the cost of cleaning up after drilling companies tap the Rocky Mountain region's oil and natural gas fields, a report warns. Drilling across the region is expected to boom in coming years amid growing demand for oil… more »

It ain't easy being green: City looking for overhaul of recycling program

By CostBenefit on Aug 20, 2005 | In Government Report, Waste & Recycling, West, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Regulatory Analysis, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

Environmentally sound but not so economically prudent, the feel-good practice of recycling is coming under scrutiny in Carson City and elsewhere as municipalities start paying more attention to the ever-growing price tag. "I notice a lot of cities are… more »

Jobs Scam' Costs Taxpayers, Author Says: Greg LeRoy says cities and states spend way too much money trying to create new jobs

By CostBenefit on Aug 20, 2005 | In Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Economic Development and Green Jobs, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Regulatory Analysis, Book | Send feedback »

All Things Considered, August 20, 2005 Efforts by states and cities to "create" jobs cost taxpayers $50 billion a year, author Greg LeRoy says. And given the nature of corporate America, there's no guarantee those jobs will stick around... or even mat… more »

Newly published workplace safety models help business safety professionals tell "safety pays" story

By CostBenefit on Aug 20, 2005 | In General, Non-Environmental, Health, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Academic Study/Journal Article, Regulatory Analysis, Computer Software/Database/Model, Savings | Send feedback »

Tools for assisting organizations in their efforts to more accurately calculate, analyze, interpret and communicate the costs and benefits of workplace safety and health programs are featured as part of published proceedings released on July 29th in the… more »

Who Pays? Who Gains? How do Costs and Benefits Shape the Policy Influence of the European Parliament?

By CostBenefit on Aug 20, 2005 | In General, Non-Environmental, Europe, Academic Study/Journal Article, Regulatory Analysis | Send feedback »

This article contributes to the burgeoning literature on the policy influence of the European Parliament (EP) by testing and further developing an analytical framework that investigates the links between EP influence and the costs and benefits delivered… more »

Economic analysis of energy use in groundwater irrigation of dry areas: a case study in Syria

By CostBenefit on Aug 20, 2005 | In Energy, Asia, Academic Study/Journal Article, Agriculture, Forestry and Food | Send feedback »

This study analyzed the relationship between the fuel-subsidy policy and groundwater-use expansion at macro level and water allocation to different crops at micro level in Syria. Energy uses for major crops were calculated, and a logistic equation fitted… more »

Search is on way to trap planet-heating carbon dioxide

By CostBenefit on Aug 19, 2005 | In Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Academic Study/Journal Article, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Contamination Cost, Savings, Southwest--AZ,TX,NM | Send feedback »

With the world poised to generate huge volumes of carbon dioxide in the next 25 years, experts say the need to capture the planet-heating gas and store it in safe places is becoming urgent — and increasingly feasible. Using available technologies, c… more »

Nano coalition unveils environmental, health and safety database

By CostBenefit on Aug 19, 2005 | In General, Non-Environmental, Health, Academic Study/Journal Article, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

The International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON) and Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN) today launched the world's first online database of scientific findings related to the benefits and risks of nanotechno… more »

Need for differential discounting of costs and health effects in cost effectiveness analyses

By CostBenefit on Aug 19, 2005 | In General, Health, Government Report, U.K., Academic Study/Journal Article, Regulatory Analysis, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

The decision of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to abandon differential discounting of future health is a step backwards and could change funding decisions. Discounting can have a strong influence on cost effectiveness ratios… more »

Economy-Wide Estimates of the Implications of Climate Change: Human Health

By CostBenefit on Aug 19, 2005 | In Air, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Health, Academic Study/Journal Article, Economic Development and Green Jobs, Computer Software/Database/Model, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

Francesco Bosello,Roberto Roson Ca'Foscari, and Richard S.J. Tol study the economic impacts of climate-change-induced change in human health, viz. cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, diarrhoea, malaria, dengue fever and schistosomiasis. Changes in… more »

Adoption of Clean Leather-Tanning Technologies in Mexico

By CostBenefit on Aug 19, 2005 | In General, Air, Latin America, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Academic Study/Journal Article, Regulatory Analysis, Contamination Cost, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

In many developing countries, a host of financial, institutional, and political factors hamstring conventional environmental regulation. Given these constraints, a promising strategy for controlling pollution is to promote the voluntary adoption of clean… more »

Climate Policy in the United States and Japan: Prospects in 2005 and Beyond, Workshop Summary

By CostBenefit on Aug 19, 2005 | In Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Academic Study/Journal Article, Regulatory Analysis, Conference/Meeting/Seminar, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

Resources for the Future and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies convened a one and one-half day workshop on domestic and international climate policy May 11–12, 2005, in Tokyo, Japan. The first day included 49 participants hearing presen… more »

Former homelands still paying the price

By CostBenefit on Aug 19, 2005 | In Land, Africa, Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

More than a decade after the advent of democracy, South Africa continues to pay a high price for the apartheid government's establishment of so-called homelands, says the department of environmental affairs. "Land policy drove land degradation in the… more »

Jury awards $2 million in Pigeon River lawsuit

By CostBenefit on Aug 18, 2005 | In Air, Water, Contaminated Properties, Legal, Fines, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Lead, Cadmium, South, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Arsenic, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

After a five-day trial and more than five hours of deliberations on Wednesday, a Cocke County Circuit Court jury found in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Blue Ridge Paper Products, but awarded a relatively small amount of damages. The six… more »

Secondhand Smoke Costs U.S. Economy $10 Billion Annually, According to New Study by Society of Actuaries

By CostBenefit on Aug 18, 2005 | In Air, Health, U.S., Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Contamination Cost, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

Secondhand smoke imposes significant costs on nonsmokers and society, according to a recent Society of Actuaries (SOA) study that concluded the annual cost of excess medical care, mortality and morbidity from secondhand smoke exposure in the U.S. is appr… more »

The Impact of Long-Term Generation Contracts on Valuation of Electricity Generating Assets under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

By CostBenefit on Aug 18, 2005 | In Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Academic Study/Journal Article, Regulatory Analysis, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is an effort by nine states to constrain carbon dioxide emissions from the electric power sector using a cap-and-trade program. This paper assesses the importance of long-term electricity contracts under the program… more »

Should Fuel Taxes Be Scrapped in Favor of Per-Mile Charges?

By CostBenefit on Aug 18, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, U.S., Academic Study/Journal Article, Transportation, Regulatory Analysis, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

This paper discusses the appropriate balance between traditional gasoline taxes and charging by the mile, focusing mainly on economic efficiency considerations. We begin with a brief discussion of the five major passenger vehicle externalities of concern… more »

Carbon Capture and Sequestration: How Much Does this Uncertain Option Affect Near-Term Policy Choices?

By CostBenefit on Aug 18, 2005 | In Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Academic Study/Journal Article, Regulatory Analysis, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

One of the main issues in the climate policy agenda, the timing of abatement efforts, hinges on the uncertainties of climate change risks and technological evolution. Valentina Bosetti and Laurent Gilotte use a stochastic optimization framework and joint… more »

Cosmed Group, Inc. Agrees to Pay $1.5 Million for Clean Air Act Violations

By CostBenefit on Aug 18, 2005 | In Air, Legal, Fines, Government Report, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Ozone, Texas, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

Dallas County and three other densely-populated urban areas in the United States will benefit from clean air projects valued at $1 million as part of an agreement the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached with Cosmed Group, Inc., resolving t… more »

Hanover Foods settles lawsuit filed locally

By CostBenefit on Aug 18, 2005 | In Water, Legal, Fines, Government Report, Pennsylvania, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

Hanover Foods Corp. has settled a federal lawsuit over illegal wastewater discharges from a food processing plant that killed thousands of fish last year. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Williamsport by the environmental advocacy group Citiz… more »

Assessing Climate Change Impacts: Agriculture

By CostBenefit on Aug 18, 2005 | In Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Academic Study/Journal Article, Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Computer Software/Database/Model, Research Institute NGO NonProfit | Send feedback »

The economy-wide implications of climate change on agricultural sectors in 2050 are estimated using a static computable general equilibrium model. Peculiar to this exercise is the coupling of the economic model with a climatic model forecasting temperatu… more »

Site cleaned

By CostBenefit on Aug 18, 2005 | In Contaminated Properties, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Real Estate Construction Housing, Brownfield Redevelopment, Massachusetts, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

ATTLEBORO --With the last load of polluted dirt expected to leave the site of the for mer Apco-Mossberg factory Friday, officials are turning their attention to the future of the 11-acre parcel. Mayor Kevin Dumas said plans are in the works to meet wi… more »

Free tire disposal is at an end: It costs more than $80,000 to finance the annual collection

By CostBenefit on Aug 17, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Government Report, Hazardous Waste, Waste & Recycling, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

Mid-Missouri residents will now be charged a fee to dispose of their used tires at annual tire collections. Previously, residents were permitted to dump old tires at no charge. Starting this fall, people will have to pay $1 to throw out tires measurin… more »

Benefits Transfer Workshop Proceedings: An EPA and Environment Canada International Workshop on Benefits Transfer and Valuation Databases: Are We Heading in the Right Direction?

By CostBenefit on Aug 17, 2005 | In General, Government Report, Academic Study/Journal Article, Conference/Meeting/Seminar, Computer Software/Database/Model, Methods | Send feedback »

This workshop was co-sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Center for Environmental Economics (NCEE) and Environment Canada. The objective of the workshop was to provide a forum for informed discussion regarding the practice of… more »

Coalition Formation under Uncertainty: The Stability Likelihood of an International Climate Agreement

By CostBenefit on Aug 17, 2005 | In Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Academic Study/Journal Article, Theory, Computer Software/Database/Model, Research Institute NGO NonProfit, Methods | Send feedback »

Results derived from empirical analyses on the stability of climate coalitions are usually very sensitive to the large uncertainties associated with the benefits and costs of climate policies. This paper provides the methodology of Stability Likelihood t… more »

Gracing the Land of Elvis and Beale Street: Historic Designation and Property Values in Memphis

By CostBenefit on Aug 17, 2005 | In Air, Academic Study/Journal Article, Preservation & Open Space, Midwest | Send feedback »

N. Edward Coulson* and Michael L. Lahr analyze appreciation rates across comparable designated and undesignated neighborhoods in Memphis, Tennessee. Using appreciation rates potentially nullifies the objection to using assessed values in such an analysis… more »

Conservation in Practice: Economics and Land-Use Change in Prioritizing Private Land Conservation

By CostBenefit on Aug 17, 2005 | In Air, Land, Academic Study/Journal Article, Preservation & Open Space, Sprawl & Smart Growth, Ecosystem Valuation, Regulatory Analysis | Send feedback »

Incentive-based strategies such as conservation easements and short-term management agreements are popular tools for conserving biodiversity on private lands. Billions of dollars are spent by government and private conservation organizations to support l… more »

Attleboro Cleanup Project Costs City $2 Million: Former Factory Believed To Be Responsible

By CostBenefit on Aug 17, 2005 | In Contaminated Properties, Massachusetts, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

A century-old factory that burned to the ground 18 years ago has had nearby residents concerned about what was left behind. No one really knew what was buried underneath the rubble, the last of which is being taken out this week. But the new mayor, a… more »

Context-Sensitive Benefit Transfer Using Stated Choice Models: Specification and Convergent Validity for Policy Analysis

By CostBenefit on Aug 17, 2005 | In General, Land, Land + Water, Academic Study/Journal Article, Theory, Beaches and Erosion, Northeast, Contingent Valuation, Surveys,.. | Send feedback »

Benefit transfer has been an important, practical policy tool appealing to government agencies, especially when time or budget is constrained. However, the literature fails to support convergent validity of benefit transfer using the stated-preference me… more »

CDC: Chickenpox Vaccine Cuts Hospitalizations

By CostBenefit on Aug 17, 2005 | In Health, Government Report, U.S., Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Savings | Send feedback »

In the decade since the chickenpox vaccine became available in the U.S., hospitalizations and deaths from the disease have dropped dramatically among infants, children, and adults, according to a new report from the CDC. Almost nine out of 10 eligible… more »

GAO blasts Superfund enforcement: Companies with money woes could follow Asarco and try to shirk cleanups, report says

By CostBenefit on Aug 17, 2005 | In Contaminated Properties, Government Report, Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

A week after Asarco filed for bankruptcy, congressional investigators are warning that other companies might take similar action to shed environmental responsibilities and leave taxpayers liable for billions in cleanup costs. In a report highly critic… more »

Valuing the Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater in Bangladesh

By CostBenefit on Aug 16, 2005 | In Water, Health, Asia, Academic Study/Journal Article, Groundwater, Arsenic, Contamination Cost, Contingent Valuation, Surveys,.. | Send feedback »

The use of groundwater in Bangladesh has in the past been promoted as a means of avoiding waterborne diseases associated with the consumption of untreated surface water. Unfortunately, the recent discovery of high levels of naturally occurring arsenic in… more »

Environmental and Resource Economics Table of Contents August 2005

By CostBenefit on Aug 16, 2005 | In General, Academic Study/Journal Article | Send feedback »

Double Dividend with Involuntary Unemployment: Efficiency and Intergenerational Equity page 389 Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline, Mouez Fodha Methods for Environmental and Economic Accounting for the Exploitation of Wild Fish Stocks and their Application… more »

Selbourne's brownfield bonanza

By CostBenefit on Aug 16, 2005 | In U.K., Companies,CSR,Business,Finance, Brownfield Redevelopment, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

Selbourne Homes - the company behind a number of Black Country urbanliving developments - has notched up a 43 per cent rise in turnover. The house-builder said it had also maintained profit margins equivalent to last year. Established in 2001 Hagle… more »

Health threat to cities from fast-growing superweeds

By CostBenefit on Aug 16, 2005 | In Contaminated Properties, U.S., U.K., Real Estate Construction Housing, Natural Hazards, Brownfield Redevelopment, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story, Contamination Cost | Send feedback »

AN epidemic of superweeds that can cause severe burns, lesions, and permanent blindness is threatening Scotland's cities. Giant hogweed, an exotic, invasive species, is spreading at an unprecedented rate as more gap sites and derelict areas are brough… more »

Peru to set satellites to spy on mine pollution

By CostBenefit on Aug 16, 2005 | In General, Air, Water, Contaminated Properties, Latin America, Newspaper/Mag/TV/Media Story | Send feedback »

Peru is planning to introduce satellite surveillance of mining operations to keep tabs on environmental damange in the wake of a wave of protests against the country''s most lucrative industry, a senior Energy and Mines Ministry official said on Tuesday.… more »

Mitigation of the heat island effect in urban New Jersey

By CostBenefit on Aug 16, 2005 | In Air, Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Academic Study/Journal Article, Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Green Roofs, New Jersey, Regulatory Analysis, Computer Software/Database/Model, Savings | Send feedback »

Implementation of urban heat island (UHI) mitigation strategies such as increased vegetative cover and higher-albedo surface materials can reduce the impacts of biophysical hazards in cities, including heat stress related to elevated temperatures, air po… more »

The impact of energy externalities on the cost effectiveness of energy efficiency measures applied to dwellings

By CostBenefit on Aug 16, 2005 | In General, Air, Energy, Climate Change GHG Carbon CO2, Green Buildings, U.K., Europe, Academic Study/Journal Article, Regulatory Analysis, Computer Software/Database/Model, Contamination Cost, Savings | Send feedback »

European Union and UK energy policy recognise the potential contribution the domestic housing sector can make in reducing energy consumption. In the UK, improvements to existing dwellings are likely to play a critical role in realising such potential. Th… more »
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