Research and Markets: A Comprehensive Study on the Distributional Effects of Environmental and Energy Policy

2009-11-04 12:36:04 -

DUBLIN, Ireland (Research and Markets) Research and Markets ( www.researchandmarkets.com/research/02e34f/distributional_eff) has announced the addition of the "Distributional Effects of Environmental and Energy Policy" report to their offering.

Many effects of environmental and energy policy are likely to disproportionately burden those with low income. First, it raises the price of fossil-fuel-intensive products that constitute a high fraction of low-income budgets (like gasoline,

heating fuel and electricity). Second, the handout of pollution permits to firms provides value to those who own them. Third, low-income individuals may place more value on food and shelter than on improvements in environmental quality, so high-income individuals may get the most benefit of pollution abatement. Fourth, air quality improvements may raise the value of houses owned by landlords, rather than helping renters. These effects might all hurt the poor more than the rich.

This book brings together the seminal economics literature that studies whether these fears are valid and whether anything can be done about them.

Key Topics Covered:

Introduction;

Part I Conceptual Overview: A framework to compare environmental policies, Don Fullerton.

Part II Costs to Consumers: Is the gasoline tax regressive?, James M. Poterba;

Part III Costs to Producers or Factors: An overlapping generations model of growth and the environment, A. John and R. Pecchenino;

Part IV Benefits via Scarcity Rents: A positive theory of environmental quality regulation, Michael T. Maloney and Robert E. McCormick;

Part V Benefits of Protection: The distribution of pollution: community characteristics and exposure to air toxics, Nancy Brooks and Rajiv Sethi;

Part VI Effects via Land Prices: Neighborhood demographics and the distribution of hazardous waste risks: an instrumental variables estimation, Ted Gayer;

For more information visit www.researchandmarkets.com/research/02e34f/distributional_eff