WASHINGTON & LEE UNIVERSITY

Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics

 

ECONOMICS 395: Economic Values and the Environment in Developing Countries

  

Professor Jim Casey

                                                                           Rm. 205B, Ext. 8102

                                                                           Email: Caseyj

 

 

 

Background Reading:

 “Valuing the Environment for Environmental Decision Making” – James R. Kahn Ch.4, pp. 87-127.

Contingent Valuation

 

Travel Cost Method

 


WEEK 1

 April 22 –         Overall objective and expectations

                        Reading and Writing scientific papers

What do Economists do?

                        Discussion of Background Reading

 

April 24 –        The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM)
                       The Travel Cost Method (TCM)
 

 

                             http://www.ocean.udel.edu/level1/facultystaff/faculty/gparsons/ParsonsTravelCostText.pdf

                             Contingent Valuation: A User's Guide

 

 

April 25 -    3:30, Science Center, A-214    Gary S. Fields

 


WEEK 2

April 29 –    More CVM

                                        http://www.econ.ucsd.edu/~rcarson/cvconfinal.pdf

                                        Applications of the contingent valuation method in developing countries


                                                            

May 1 –  More TCM

 

    "International Ecotourism and the Valuation of Tropical Rainforests in Costa Rica."  Menkhaus and Lober, Journal of Environmental Management.  1996.JEM 1995

 

    "Valuing Ecotourism in Madagascar."  Maille and Mendelsohn, Journal of Environmental management.  1993. JEM 1993


    WEEK 3

 

 May 6 –        More on CVM

 

                                                http://www.rff.org/CFDOCS/disc_papers/PDF_files/9620.pdf

                                                what is it worth?

                                                http://personal.ecu.edu/whiteheadj/papers/sea00.pdf

    

May 8 –       

   1) regression review

   2) Logit and Probit

 

                             Logistic Regression

 

   

May 9 –  Bruce Johnsen - Williams School 327, 1:00 - GeneticSelection.doc

 

Literature Reviews are due


WEEK 4 -  UPDATES IN RED!!

May  13 –   No Class

 

May 15 –     1) regression review,  2) Logit     Logistic Regression

 

 


 WEEK  5

May 20 –      1) 90 minute exam   2) DATA Analysis    

 

 Valuing Environmental and Natural Resources

 

May 22 –         NO Class Today!!

 


WEEK 6

 

May 27 –         Presenting results - The Potential for Alternative Tourism.ppt

 

                                                      Willingness-to-Pay for safe,.ppt

 

May 29 -          PRESENTATIONS - 15 MINUTE POWERPOINT

 

May  31 -          PAPERS DUE AT 12 NOON


Requirements:

Individual Literature Review: 25%

Group Paper: 25%

Group Presentation: 25%

Class Participation: 10%

Exam: 15%


Travel Cost Team (4) Brian, Eden, Joe - 2003395\caseychetumal.xls

Ascending Bid CV Team (3) Katy, Heather, Andrew - 2003395\ABCV.xls

Descending Bid CV Team (4) David, Haile, Ned - 2003395\DBCV.xls

Open-ended CV Team (4) Laurence, Mack, Jenny, Cynthia - 2003395\openendedCV.xls

Augmented Open-ended CV Team (4) Hayes, Nancy, Damien, Emma - 2003395\PreOECV.xls

More to read

“The Contingent Valuation Debate: Why Economists Should Care.” – Paul R. Portney, The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Fall 1994, pp. 3-17.

“Valuing the Environment through Contingent Valuation.” – W. Michael Hanemenn, The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Fall 1994, pp. 19-43.

“Contingent Valuation: Is Some Number Better than No number?” – Peter A. Diamond & Jerry A. Hausman, The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Fall 1994, pp. 45-64.


WEBSITES of INTEREST

http://www.rff.org/

www.cbl.cees.edu/~dkingweb/contingent_valuation.htm

http://www.epa.gov/economics/

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/summaries/AER752.HTM

http://www.aere.org/