Paul Mark Jakus

Socioeconomic Consequences of Mercury Use and Pollution

Abstract In the past, human activities often resulted in mercury releases to the biosphere with little consideration of undesirable consequences for the health of humans and wildlife. This paper outlines the pathways through which humans and wildlife are exposed to mercury. Fish consumption is the major route of exposure to methylmercury. Humans can also receive toxic doses of mercury through inhalation of elevated concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury. We propose that any effective strategy for reducing mercury exposures requires an examination of the complete life cycle of mercury. This paper examines the life cycle of mercury from a global perspective and then identifies several approaches to measuring the benefits of reducing mercury exposure, policy options for reducing Hg emissions, possible exposure reduction mechanisms, and issues associated with mercury risk assessment and communication for different populations.

Travel cost models of the demand for rock climbing.

In this paper we estimate the demand for rock climbing and calculate welfare measures for changing access to a number of climbs at a climbing area. In addition to the novel recreation application, we extend the travel cost methodology by combining the double hurdle count data model (DH) with a multinomial logit model of site-choice. The combined model allows us simultaneously to explain the decision to participate and to allocate trips among sites. The application is to climbers who visit one of the premiere rock-climbing areas in the northeastern United States and its important substitute sites. We also estimate a conventional welfare measure, which is the maximum WTP to avoid loss of access to the climbing site.

Waste Not or Want Not? A Contingent Ranking Analysis of Curbside Waste Disposal Options

Abstract Recent growth in the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream nationwide has prompted considerable research into alternative waste management programs that would divert a portion of the MSW stream from landfills. Using a sample of 350 individuals from a random digit-dialed telephone survey, a discrete choice contingent ranking (CR) approach is used to estimate households willingness-to-pay for various curbside trash-separation services in Ogden, UT. Results indicate that Ogden residents are willing to pay approximately 3.7–4.6 cents per gallon of waste diverted for a curbside service that enables separation of green waste and recyclable material from other solid waste. Relative to costly waste diversion experiments conducted by other municipalities, the Ogden experience suggests CR is a cost-effective means for municipalities to evaluate waste disposal options.

Risk perceptions of arsenic in tap water and consumption of bottled water

The demand for bottled water has increased rapidly over the past decade, but bottled water is extremely costly compared to tap water. The convenience of bottled water surely matters to consumers, but are others factors at work? This manuscript examines whether purchases of bottled water are associated with the perceived risk of tap water. All of the past studies on bottled water consumption have used simple scale measures of perceived risk that do not correspond to risk measures used by risk analysts. We elicit a probability-based measure of risk and find that as perceived risks rise, expenditures for bottled water rise.

Valuing the Loss of Rock Climbing Access in Wilderness Areas: A National-Level, Random-Utility Model

Given potential growth in outdoor rock climbing and its concentration on public lands, the management of climbing access in wilderness areas is an issue of considerable national controversy in the United States. A proposed rule change by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) would prohibit the use of fixed climbing protection in wilderness areas—effectively eliminating safe access to many sites. Using a unique data set on rock climbing trips, a repeated-nested logit, random-utility model is used to analyze economic losses to climbers resulting from the USFS proposal. Results indicate that the USFS proposal may constitute a major regulatory change. (JEL Q26)

Combining Farrell Frontier and Hedonic Travel Cost Models for Valuing Estuarine Quality

This paper extends the Brown-Mendelsohn hedonic travel cost model by estimating the travel cost function for each recreationist as a technically efficient frontier. It also constrains the marginal prices for desirable characteristics to be nonnegative. The model is used to value improvements in the quality of sport fishing in the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary in North Carolina. The application compares the performance of the frontier hedonic travel cost with ordinary least squares estimates, and finds the former to be free of problems identified in the literature and to provide more plausible and robust benefit estimates for quality improvements. Copyright 1991 by MIT Press.

Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Eco-Certified Wood Products

We use Kristrom’s simple spike model to assess the factors influencing consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for a variety of certified wood products. A survey of over 1,600 Pennsylvania and Tennessee residents found that approximately 35% were willing to pay some positive “premium†for environmentally certified wood products. For three types of weed products (a

Valuing Environmental Changes in the Presence of Risk: A Review and Discussion of Some Empirical Issues

28.80 shelf, a

The Welfare Effects of Restricting Off-Highway Vehicle Access to Public Lands

199 chair, and a

Explaining public support for fisheries management alternatives.

799 table), we find the estimated market premiums to be