Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
| Environmental Policy |
| Water Resources |
| Land Use |
| Nonmarket Valuation |
| Climatic Change |
| Energy |
| Fisheries |
| Agricultural Production and the Environment |
| Biosecurity |
| Community Resource Development |
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Environmental Policy Faculty work on a wide range of issues related to the economics of environmental policy. This research is concerned with the analysis and design of policies in light of tradeoffs that decision makers must make. International Trade and Environmental Policy - Frederick O. Boadu Market-based Policies and Sustainability - Richard T. Woodward Agricultural and Natural Resource Conservation - Bruce A. McCarl Policy/Project Analysis and Welfare Measurement - Ronald C. Griffin Environmental Health Risks - W. Douglass Shaw Economics of Forest Resource Policies - Diana M. Burton Forest Product Trade and Environmental Policy - Jianbang Gan |
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| Water Resources Water is a major focus of study at Texas A&M through the Texas Water Resources Institute and The Water Program, which offers interdisciplinary graduate degrees. Faculty in the Natural Resource and Environmental Economics Working Group study a range of economic issues associated with water management. Our faculty have authored two text books in water resource economics: Water Resource Economics and Policy by W. Douglass Shaw Water Resource Economics: The Analysis of Scarcity, Policies and Projects by Ron C. Griffin Policy, Markets, Pricing, and Demand - Ronald C. Griffin Water Management - Bruce A. McCarl, David Newburn Irrigation and Water Quality - Ronald D. Lacewell Water Quality Policies - Richard T. Woodward, W. Douglass Shaw, David Newburn |
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| Land Use Faculty research focuses on spatially explicit models of land-use change, relying on the application of geographic information systems (GIS). Recent work has included theoretical and empirical models of residential land markets in the rural-urban fringe. Furthermore, these empirical land-use models are being used to forecast cumulative watershed effects and to assess the impacts to species habitat. Land-use Regulation and Housing Development - David Newburn Targeting Strategies for Land Conservation - David Newburn |
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| Nonmarket Valuation Faculty have contributed to the literature on nonmarket valuation through the use and development of travel cost and contingent valuation models. Recent work in the area of valuation under uncertainty is the focus of much of the work in the Department. W. Douglass Shaw Richard T. Woodward |
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| Climatic Change
Global Climate Change Effects |
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| Climate Change Mitigation Through Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Part of the policy response to climate change might involve the sequestration of carbon in soils and plants. Faculty have contributed to the research on this issue through involvement in the CASMGS and CSITE carbon sequestration centers as well as the USDA/USEPA sponsored Agricultural and Forestry Modeling Forum. Bruce A. McCarl Frederick O. Boadu J. Richard Conner Richard T. Woodward |
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The Value of Climate Forecasting Faculty and staff have participated in numerous studies involving Oceanic Oscillation on climate including studies on El Niño and the North Atalantic Oscillation. Considerable work has also been done on the valuation of, and producer response to, climate forecasts. James W. Mjelde Bruce A. McCarl |
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| Air Quality Issues Faculty have contributed to the study of the economics of air quality including issues of acid deposition, surface level ozone, and atmospheric ozone. Bruce A. McCarl W. Douglass Shaw |
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| Energy Faculty conduct research on several issues related to energy, from biofuels to nuclear waste disposal. Biofuels - Bruce A. McCarl Electricity Pricing - James W. Mjelde, David A. Bessler Environmental Impacts of Nuclear Wastes - W. Douglass Shaw Forest Biomass and Bioenergy - Jianbang Gan |
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| Fisheries Faculty research involves policy evaluation to address management issues in fisheries. Faculty expertise covers, dynamic modeling, recreational demand estimation and bioeconomic simulation modeling (The General Bioeconomic Fisheries Simulation Model) Additional expertise involves developing financial feasibility analysis of aquaculture ventures. Wade L. Griffin Richard T. Woodward |
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| Agricultural Production and the Environment Faculty research focuses on the interaction between agricultural production (crop or animal) and the environment. Faculty expertise covers pollution externalities from animal wastes, fertilizer, and pesticides and the environmental impacts of land use changes. Additional expertise exists in the ecology of agricultural production in crop and rangeland systems and the impact of risk and new technologies. Ecology and Agricultural Production - J. Richard Conner Irrigation and Waste Management - Ronald D. Lacewell Farm and Land Management - J. Richard Conner Risk, Insurance, and Agricultural Production - Bruce A. McCarl Wildlife and Natural Area Policy and Management - J. Richard Conner, James W. Mjelde |
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| Biosecurity For more in-depth information about this research area, click here. Faculty research involves participation in the National Center for Foreign and Zoonotic Terrorism and Accidental Disease Prevention and Management. Areas of study include animal disease defense, including work on demand effects of outbreaks, policy, and disease/terrorism related strategy formation, carcus disposal, and approaches to non-cooperative behavior. Bruce A. McCarl |
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