Upcoming TREE Seminar: Dr. Amy Ando (University of Illinois) — Happy Hour to follow!
Date & Time: Thursday, November 14th, 3:15-4:45 PM
Location: Cox Multipurpose Room, RTI International
Please join us for the next Triangle Resources and Environmental Economics (TREE) Seminar. The TREE Seminar Series, an ongoing forum co-sponsored by RTI International, Duke University, and the Center for Environmental and Resource Economic Policy (CEnREP), brings researchers from around the country to the Triangle to discuss a variety of economic and policy-based solutions to many of today’s most pressing environmental challenges. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend. This week features the following presentation:
Dr. Amy Ando, Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois
“Estimating Values of Water Quality: Local and Distant, Rural and Urban“
Abstract: Improvements in local surface water quality can contribute to regional environmental goals such as reducing hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. However, an environmental policy or program that affects both rural and urban populations might be inequitable if the policy benefits one group more than the other. We estimate local willingness to pay for changes that would improve local water quality and reduce hypoxia far downstream, and test for differences between rural and urban residents. We find that both groups have similar preferences, and simulations suggest rural areas of the watershed stand to benefit two to three times more than urban clusters.