Full suppression strategies remain the dominant option in wildfire management, despite a large body of research demonstrating the ecological and economic benefits of allowing unplanned wildfires to burn under favorable conditions. Consequently, empirical research identifying and understanding the factors that contribute to these decisions within public land management agencies has become of critical

Light pollution has significantly increased in recent years, in concert with urban sprawl. Light pollution consequences for nocturnal wildlife, human health, and energy consumption are numerous but are poorly tackled in urban policies. The regulation and mitigation of light pollution is possible, but requires an important shift in the lighting paradigm, including in public lighting often managed by

Social media generates a significant amount of information in terms of perceptions, emotions, and sentiments. We present an economic analysis using the information provided by Twitter messages, describing impressions and reactions to wildfires occurring in Spain and Portugal. We use natural language processing techniques to analyze this text information. We generate a hedonometer estimate on how sentiments

Decarbonizing transport is crucial for achieving climate targets, which is challenging because mobility is growing rapidly. Personal mobility is a key societal service and basic need, but currently not available to everyone with sufficient quality and quantity. The basis for mobility and accessibility of desired destinations is infrastructure, but its build-up and maintenance require a substantial

When people are given the opportunity to avoid unpleasant information about the possible negative consequences of their self-interested behavior on others, a significant number of people tend to avoid this information. Consequently, the choice to remain ignorant to the negative implications of one's actions has been shown to substantially reduce prosocial behavior when compared to situations in which

Protected areas offer unique opportunities for recreation, but the non-market nature of these benefits presents a significant challenge when trying to represent value in the decision-making processes. The most common techniques to value recreation are based on resource-intensive primary surveys which are difficult to perform at a large scale or in remote locations. This is true in the case of Italy

Personal carbon allowances have been of considerable interest in environmental research in the last decade, yet no policy implementations have been adopted, partly due to uncertainty around the political acceptability of equal allowances. We tackled this issue by surveying public perceptions of fairness in carbon allowance allocation in urban mobility. Qualitative and quantitative inquiry data of 304

Tourism sustainability has been extensively investigated in prior research. Yet, its relationships with social engagement remain unclear. The objective of this research is to investigate the direct and indirect effects of tourism sustainability and nature affinity on social engagement propensity. It relies on structural equation modeling and on three different studies across different time periods

The rational choice model of voluntary public good provision predicts that an individual's contribution to climate change mitigation responds negatively to larger contributions by others whereas social norm theory maintains that one's own contribution is positively related to that of others. This paper tests the competing hypotheses empirically using representative data for about 30,000 individuals

Greening employment is required to avoid multiple ecological crises but so far there exist different notions of what makes a job ecologically sustainable. The article portrays five theoretical perspectives and develops a framework to evaluate the environmental impact of employment in four dimensions: (1) output type: sustainable goods and services as the outputs from work, (2) occupation: green tasks

We examine how the frequency of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) generates economic costs through the mechanism of residential property values. We assemble nearly two decades worth of nationwide data on property sales near US inland lakes along as well as satellite-derived measures of the annual frequency of cyanoHABs in over 2000 large lakes during the years 2008–2011. We combine these

This paper studies the economic implications of the circular economy and recycling activities from a macroeconomic perspective. The paper incorporates the circular economy into an otherwise standard neoclassical dynamic general equilibrium linear economy model, in which the production function depends on capital, labor, and raw materials. Raw materials are a composite of natural resources (the linear

Science is increasingly warning that the Earth, as a result of human activity, is currently on a trajectory towards environmental collapse. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by UN member states in 2015 as a means to reconcile human activity with planetary boundaries, allowing humanity to thrive while safeguarding Earth's life support. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether

It remains unclear how COVID-19 has affected public engagement with the climate crisis. According to the finite-pool-of-worry hypothesis, concern about climate change should have decreased after the pandemic, in turn reducing climate-policy acceptance. Here we test these and several other conjectures by using survey data from 1172 Spanish participants who responded before and after the first wave of

Excess manure nutrients transported off livestock farms can produce adverse environmental and health effects. Subsurface nitrate attenuation is a set of ecosystem services that livestock farms can harness to reduce their nitrate emissions. However, the capacity of the subsurface environment to attenuate nitrates is commonly either neglected or considered as exogenous to farm management and policymaking

There is evidence that pollution concentration impacts negatively on labor productivity, which has implications for the well-know Kaldor-Verdoorn law. While the growth rate of labor productivity varies positively with the growth rate of output, the growth rate of pollution concentration also varies positively with the latter. An increase in pollution concentration leading to environmental degradation

Water sensitive practices can improve water quality and city livability, but the extent to which these practices improve the welfare of residents is not well researched. We contribute to knowledge in this area using Singapore's Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Program as a case study. The program includes the renovation and integration of drains, canals, and reservoirs with the surrounding

Household consumption drives more than 65% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, most governments plan to meet the Paris Agreement based on production-based accounting (PBA), neglecting lifecycle emissions embodied in trade and consumption, as well as socio-spatial inequalities. This is a sub-city consumption-based accounting (CBA) analysis of Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (MAG), grounded

Albedo and CO2 sequestration are the two most important climate forcing factors in forestry. After harvest the albedo in boreal forests increases which has a cooling effect. Likewise, CO2 captured in the photosynthesis reduce atmospheric CO2 and thereby have a cooling effect. These effects have value to society, and they may affect optimal management. This article investigates the effect on economical

Since large-scale environmental disruptions have become chronic, policymakers need to consider the long-term consequences of urgent crisis decisions. We develop design principles for a decision platform addressing strategic environmental crisis management, by which we mean coordinated decisions during an environmental urgency that are sensitive to long-term path dependencies and policy errors. To enhance

Policymakers grappling with how to meet EPA water quality standards within the Chesapeake Bay must weigh the cost of water quality restoration against the benefits accrued to nearby homeowners. Missing from this analysis are the benefits homeowners receive from increased home liquidity – or how quickly a home is sold once listed. In this paper, we exploit variation in water clarity data to examine

This paper explores how farmers adapt to salinity and waterlogging conditions by selecting crops. In this context, this study identifies salinity and waterlogging tolerant crops essential for the sustained livelihood of crop farmers. We developed a multinomial logit model and a cost-benefit analysis for assessing the effectiveness of farmers' selection of crops. Estimating the regression model across

Using a randomized experimental design, real-time electronic stove surface temperature measurements and controlled cooking tests, we estimate fuelwood and CO2 savings from an improved cookstove (ICS) program in rural Ethiopia. Cooking uses a majority of the fuelwood in the country and therefore is a critical determinant of greenhouse gas emissions. Estimating fuelwood savings is therefore a key aspect

While the use of industrial robots (UIR) promotes economic growth, it inevitably also has an impact on the ecological environment. This research explores the relationship between UIR and ecological footprint based on data of 72 countries from 1993 to 2019. First, whether based on overall or sub-industry data we confirm that UIR reduces the ecological footprint. After considering a series of robustness

This paper investigates whether people value the environmental goods created as a result of the human-nature interaction. Using the novel face-to-face survey data collected in Vladivostok, the Far East of Russia, we examine the use and non-use value of a so-called Glass Beach. This beach is made of eroded glass fragments, a waste from human activities that has been recycled and processed by nature

Given the increasing energy needs for indoor cooling and the growing attention to energy poverty, it is important to understand how cooling energy needs in the hot summer season affect human well-being in relation to income level. Using Japan as a case country, this study examines how much energy consumption increases in response to higher temperatures in the summer season and how the additional energy

The paper introduces the methodology of partially ordered sets to evaluate sustainable human development indicators. It shows its importance to the integration of human and environmental indicators, clarifying the limitations of composite indicators and emphasising the need to move towards higher levels of conceptual consistency and solid informational pluralism, incorporating richer social and environmental

Rare earth (RE) trade competition is becoming fierce, and an investigation of the global value chain (GVC) of a country's RE industry should place it in a competitive network. This article adopts the complex network method to analyse the evolution of international RE competition patterns from the perspective of the industry chain, and evaluates the impact of RE competition on GVC status using a panel

Reducing single-use plastic consumption in the food and beverage industry has become increasingly important to policymakers as non-recycled plastic waste escapes into ecosystems. Plastic waste may pose direct and indirect threats to human, animal, and ecosystem health. In this paper we examine how warning labels on plastic packaging affects consumer valuation for packaged food products. Using a choice

Diversified crop production is a key agroecological practice that enhances ecosystem functions and reduces reliance on costly external inputs, such as for plant protection and nutrition but might also increase labour costs and lower crop yields. We investigate if functional diversification, i.e., cultivation of crop species with contrasting ecological functions, is associated with a higher growth in

The presence of large predators entails a range of costs and some benefits for the communities that live alongside them. The cost in terms of the value of livestock lost to predation is well known, but this represents only a part of the costs that people experience, as it does not account for non-market costs such as fear, avoidance behaviours and threat to human life. We quantify the total cost of

This paper relies on a natural experiment to study the short-term consequences of a reduction of the trawler fleet on the economic situation of fisheries. In the context of the Covid pandemic, a scenario of cooperation leading to a weekly rotation of trawlers was set up for four weeks in May 2020 in the port of Le Grau-du-Roi located on the Mediterranean Sea. However, this scenario was not utilized

The reduction of pesticide use is a prime issue on policy agendas worldwide. However, existing policies often fail to promote widespread adoption of low-pesticide or no-pesticide production practices. Therefore, in order to overcome this obstacle, it is important to understand why farmers hesitate to use more sustainable pest management. To this end, we investigate the relationship between farmers'

We explore how three parties bargain over a windfall created by a development project given negative spillover on only one party's property. We compare how weak and strong property rights affect negotiation outcomes and fairness. With strong property rights, parties secure equal payment. With weak rights, parties reimburse costs and divide surplus so the developer is simply indifferent, nothing more

Governments promote pro-environmental behavior explicitly, through regulatory provisions, or implicitly, by setting general environmental objectives without explicit requirements. Shared values and commitment to government objectives supposedly help towards greener behavior. We argue that the lack of explicit guidance counteracts, especially if green options are perceived as conflicting with strict

Despite substantial policy efforts made by the French government to reduce dependence on pesticides, farming practices are only changing slowly. This paper analyses the socio-economic trade-offs that 110 farmers are currently facing in the transition to agro-ecological practices. A mixed-method approach - a quantitative discrete choice experiment (DCE) and qualitative interviews - was set up to understand

The use of disposable packaging is essential to the performance of global food systems, but it has led to global environmental problems. There is a recognised need for collaborative governance, because authoritative governance alone cannot push forward the systemic sustainability transformations required to resolve these challenges. In this qualitative case study, we apply interpretive policy analysis

Proponents of distributive justice with regard to energy hold that every household has the right to affordable access to energy. However, when passively participating in clean energy reform policies, households, and especially low-income households, are often forced to use energy beyond the scope of affordability, resulting in distributive injustice. However, research on the quantitative estimation

Activists and scholars increasingly blame neoliberalism for the failure to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but there is insufficient research that investigates the theoretical link between neoliberalism and climate paralysis. This paper seeks to fill that gap by presenting a coherent account of how neoliberal ideology has constrained policies to address climate change in the United States

The social consequences of carbon taxation are closely related to the income and expenditure patterns of private households. This paper combines the national Household Budget Survey with EXIOBASE3 emissions data to analyse the distribution of the carbon footprint and differences in the exposure to carbon taxation in Austria. The results indicate a strong variation in greenhouse gas (CO2e) emissions

This paper investigates the environmental and financial performance of investments in energy firms. For this purpose, we form portfolios of green energy European stocks compared to their non-green counterparts from January 2008 to November 2020 and assess their environmental and financial performance. Within firms with environmental ratings, those that are green perform better in environmental terms

Professional fishing activities are subject to spatial pressures. The cohabitation between a traditional fishing activity and development of the offshore wind energy industry raises questions about space sharing and rules of use. This paper proposes to adapt the vulnerability methodology developed to deal with global threats of climate change to this example of local, non-climatic change using the

As the circular economy (CE) is a viable solution to address environmental issues, academics and policy makers aim to have a better understanding of the drivers and barriers related to its development. Nonetheless, what is still missing in this discussion is what governance arrangements at the micro level would be conducive for the CE. In other words, how actors should interact to apply, form, and

The relationship between the exploitation and scarcity of fishery resources is a complex phenomenon that has been broadly examined by studies on fishing sustainability, the governance of the commons and ecology. This study furthers this line of inquiry using a systemic coevolutionary approach that enables the time perspective to be used to examine the negative effects on artisanal fishing. Through

Unconventional energy extraction has been accompanied by a faster increase in aggregate wastewater generation compared with conventional practice. Understanding the extent to which it is due to technologies, energy production, or geological characteristics has implications for reducing the associated environmental risks. We analyze how wastewater generation patterns differ between unconventional wells

A large discrepancy exists between the dire impacts that most natural scientists project we could face from climate change and the modest estimates of damages calculated by mainstream economists. Economic assessments of climate change risks are intended to be comprehensive, covering the full range of physical impacts and their associated market and non-market costs, considering the greater vulnerability

The circular economy (CE) has gained prominence in recent years in government and business policies, as well as academic research. Yet, its alleged wholesomeness is increasingly questioned and few quantitative studies include both the outer (e.g. recycling) and inner circles (e.g. reduce or reuse), respectively the ex-ante least and most efficient CE strategies. By developing a supply chain equilibrium

Our meta-analysis uses 21 hedonic property value studies and 157 unique observations to study the influence of tree cover on the value of homes in the United States. We construct elasticity estimates of the percentage change in home value for a 1% change in the percentage of tree cover around a home. Cluster weighted averages of the elasticities account for the housing market and the precision of the

This paper uses the Q methodology to identify and analyze the diverse perspectives different stakeholders held about Hawane Dam and Nature Reserve (HDNR) wetland ecosystem services (ESS), to guide conservation management actions. Using 72 representative stakeholders to sort 40 statements describing ESS into a predefined distribution and a by-person factor analysis, the results show that stakeholders

Welfare States are considered key tools to provide just transitions. The hypothesis of synergy states that Social-democratic regimes are in a better position to accomplish them. While synergy has been widely theorised, its empirical verification has remained less studied and provided contradictory results. The weaknesses detected in the state-of-the-art, such as the misalignment of empirical testing

Governments often cannot use prices to induce water conservation, and the need to understand the impacts of alternate methods is growing due to increased variability in water resources. During the 2012–2016 drought in California, a period that may presage the future of water management in a warmer climate, the state attempted to manage water use through a set of mandatory restrictions that assigned

An in-depth understanding of the complex patterns of ecosystem services (ESs) interactions (i.e., synergies or trade-offs) based on social-ecological conditions is an important prerequisite for achieving sustainable and multifunctional landscapes. This study aimed to explore how ESs interactions are influenced by social-ecological factors. Taking the Sutlej-Beas River Basin as a case study area, where

Energy efficiency programs for industry are important to reduce energy demand and GHG emissions. Rebound effects reduce intended energy savings. Against this background, various policy measures are modeled and combined for German industry to see how they can counter rebound effects. The efficiency program itself, the reinvestment requirement and carbon prices reduce energy use in industry. Higher carbon

Downstream companies in chocolate supply chains are increasingly engaged in improving the sustainability of cocoa production, which requires a multidimensional understanding of cocoa farms' sustainability performance. However, prior research has insufficiently addressed the multiple sustainability dimensions of cocoa production or the interrelationships between dimensions. This study explores farm

Global biodiversity is in decline due to factors such as land-use change, pollution, and climate change. Birds contribute to biodiversity in several ways; one way, in particular, is by cultivating public support for habitat conservation by being a socially desirable category of wildlife. To understand the social value of bird conservation on private forest lands in Pennsylvania, a statewide web survey

The sustainability challenges facing societies call for policies and governance systems that are attuned to the diversity of goods that support and enrich human life via ecological, technical and other kinds of systems, and to the plurality of values that people hold across diverse cultures and belief systems. A pluralistic evaluation framework (PEF) is here presented as a tool for considering diverse