Yehuda L. Klein

Tourism-Generated Earnings in the Coastal Zone: A Regional Analysis

Abstract Over the past thirty years, the coastal counties have shifted from traditional maritime activities such as fishing and boating, to a more service-oriented, and tourism-dependent economy. A key to economic growth in the coastal states has been the strength of the travel and tourist industry. This study links a regional model of tourism-generated earnings to a GIS model to quantify the relationship between the relative size of the travel and tourism sector in each county and the countys proximity to the coast. We find that tourism-related earnings, as a percent of total earnings, are concentrated in counties that lie within forty km (25 miles) of the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts of the United States. In contrast, the share of earnings attributable to tourism is not sensitive to distance from the coast for counties that are further than forty km (25 miles) inland. The literature on beach quality suggests that coastal tourism is dependent on clean, broad and sandy beaches. Key unanswered questions are: 1, the importance of beach quality to the tourism industry, relative to other amenities such as weather and the presence of cultural attractions; and 2, the degree to which a common set of causes explains migration patterns, tourism, and economic development in the coastal zone.

Strategic state-level environmental policy with asymmetric pollution spillovers

This paper examines the strategic behavior of state-level utility regulators in the context of the federal tradable emissions permits market when state-to-state pollution spillovers are asymmetric. Strategic behavior is possible because a states environmental policy indirectly affects the price of permits and, therefore, abatement in other states. We show that the optimal pollution penalty is comprised of two parts: (i) a Pigouvian tax, adjusted for state-to-state spillovers; and (ii) an optimal tariff designed to improve the terms of trade in permits. Generally, abatement costs are not minimized and the outcome is Pareto inefficient, regardless of the size of the market.

Determinants of Coastal Tourism: A Case Study of Florida Beach Counties

Abstract The coastal zone of the United States is a major source of economic growth and as a result has seen significant increases in population over the past 50 years. Most aspects of the coastal economy—tourism and residential and commercial development—are heavily dependent upon the environmental preservation and recreational quality of ocean beaches. In earlier work, we documented the economic benefits of ocean beach enhancement projects on several important Florida tourism-dependent counties, which are reflected in greater-than-expected increased earnings in the tourism sector. However, the direction of causality of the analysis was somewhat ambiguous. Although we anticipated that beach nourishment projects would attract visitors, it is equally true that, in the allocation of scarce beach nourishment project dollars, it is likely that eroding beaches in areas that are already flourishing tourist destinations will attract beach nourishment funding to preserve their tourist industries. This article links an exploratory spatial data analysis of the tourism sector with a statistical study of the economic determinants of coastal tourism in Florida. Using the predicted likelihood of beach nourishment projects over the 1970–2000 study period as an explanatory variable, we estimate the growth in earnings in the tourism sector between 1970 and 2000. This gives us a clearer understanding of the complex temporal and spatial relationships that influence the coastal economy.

Respect for god's world: the Biblical and Rabbinic foundations of environmentalism

The ancients faced many of the same environmental issues that society is facing today. This paper demonstrates that the Bible and the Talmud are the ideal starting points for those interested in raising moral standards for business and society when it comes to the environment. Issues of concern to the ancients included conservation of resources, waste, pollution, animal rights, beautifying the environment and appreciating the world and improving it.

Solid waste disposal costs, product prices, and incentives for waste reduction

This paper uses a standard input-output technique to examine the impact of solid waste disposal costs on product prices for the years 1977, 1982, and 1985. Unlike air and water pollution, solid waste disposal is an example where markets, at least partially, deal with externality problems. As the cost of using land as a disposal site rises, firms are encouraged to improve efficiency, explore new technologies, and recycle materials to reduce the volume of wastes generated. Further, because the cost of waste disposal directly affects the price of the product, waste disposal costs also affect consumer demand. The findings of this study support the common notion that waste disposal costs are rising and leading firms are attempting to reduce waste volume.

Shore Protection: Choices and Benefits

The coastal zone of the United States is a major source of economic and population growth. All aspects of the coastal economy — tourism, residential and commercial development — are heavily dependent upon the environmental preservation and recreational quality of beaches. This study characterizes the linkages among beach quality, tourism, and the coastal economy. We document the empirical evidence for the economic and demographic importance of the coastal zone, and for the crucial role that tourism plays in its economy. The remaining piece of the puzzle — the link between beach protection activities on the one hand and tourism and the coastal economy on the other — is less-well substantiated. We identify two economic models that can be used to measure the strength of the relationship between beach quality and the coastal economy. We consider both cross-sectional differences, i.e., variation among coastal counties in recreational and property values as a function of beach quality; and temporal differences, i.e., recreational and property values along the coast both before and after placement of federal shore-protection projects.

Peak Electric Load Relief in Northern Manhattan: An Exploratory Data Analysis

The aphorism “Think globally, act locally,” attributed to René Dubos, reflects the vision that the solution to global environmental problems must begin with efforts within our communities. PlaNYC 2030, the New York City sustainability plan, is the starting point for this study. Results include (a) a case study based on the City College of New York (CCNY) energy audit, in which we model the impacts of green roofs on campus energy demand and (b) a case study of energy use at the neighborhood scale. We find that reducing the urban heat island effect can reduce building cooling requirements, peak electricity loads stress on the local electricity grid and improve urban livability.