Environment
Ordering the extraction of renewable resources: The case of multiple aquifers
We provide conditions for optimal use of multiple sources of a renewable resource and characterize the resulting extraction sequence, resource scarcity values, and (single) efficiency price path for two groundwater aquifers and an abundant alternative resource. A numerical simulation for the South O‘ahu aquifer system, which also allows for different distribution costs, illustrates the case […]
Read MoreIslands of Sustainability in Time and Space
We review the economics perspective on sustainable resource use and sustainable development. Under standard conditions, dynamic efficiency leads to sustainability of renewable resources but not the other way around. For the economic‐ecological system as a whole, dynamic efficiency and intergenerational fairness similarly lead to sustainability, but ad hoc rules of sustainability may well lead to […]
Read MoreEfficient Management of Coastal Marine Nutrient Loads with Multiple Sources of Abatement Instruments
Pollution management based on marginal abatement costs is optimal only if those abatement costs are specified correctly. Using the example of nitrogen pollution in groundwater, we show that the marginal abatement cost function for any given pollution source can be directly derived from a social-welfare maximization problem, wherein controls include both abatement instruments and inputs […]
Read MoreOrdering Renewable Resources: Groundwater, Recycling, and Desalination
In this paper, we consider the role that wastewater recycling plays in the optimal extraction of groundwater, a renewable resource. We develop a two-sector dynamic optimization model to solve for the optimal trajectories of groundwater extraction and water recycling. For the case of spatially increasing recycling costs, recycled water serves as a supplemental resource in […]
Read MoreOrdering Renewables: Groundwater, Recycling and Desalination
Optimal recycling of minerals can be thought of as an integral part of the theory of the mine. In this paper, we consider the role that wastewater recycling plays in the optimal extraction of groundwater, a renewable resource. We develop a two-sector dynamic optimization model to solve for the optimal trajectories of groundwater extraction and […]
Read MoreUHERO EGGS Team Presents On Capitol Hill
March 27 – 29, 2011: Members of the UHERO EGGS team went to Washington DC to present at a symposium and Capitol Hill poster session hosted by the National Science Foundation supported program, SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities). The 2011 Washington Symposium and Capitol Hill Poster Session theme was “Students as […]
Read MorePublication: Optimal Management of a Hawaiian Coastal Aquifer with Nearshore Marine Ecological Interactions
We optimize groundwater management in the presence of marine consequences of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Concern for marine biota increases the optimal steady-state head level of the aquifer. The model is discussed in general terms for any coastal groundwater resource where SGD has a positive impact on valuable nearshore resources. Our application focuses on the […]
Read MorePublication: Spatial Economic Analysis of Early Detection and Rapid Response Strategies for an Invasive Species
Economic impacts from invasive species, conveyed as expected damages to assets from invasion and expected costs of successful prevention and/or removal, may vary significantly across spatially differentiated landscapes. We develop a spatial–dynamic model for optimal early detection and rapid response (EDRR) policies, commonly exploited in the management of potential invaders around the world, and apply […]
Read MorePublication: Optimal and Sustainable Groundwater Extraction
With climate change exacerbating over-exploitation, groundwater scarcity looms as an increasingly critical issue worldwide. Minimizing the adverse effects of scarcity requires optimal as well as sustainable patterns of groundwater management. We review the many sustainable paths for groundwater extraction from a coastal aquifer and show how to find the particular sustainable path that is welfare […]
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