Economics ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 5-11-2024

Abstract

The first essay examines the effect of individuals’ endogenously acquired beliefs about anthropogenic global warming on their support for renewable energy growth in the United States. Using the data from multiple rounds of National Surveys on Energy and the Environment for the falls of years 2015, 2016, and 2017. The results of the interval regressions show that those who believe in the existence of global warming are likely to pay more for renewable energy growth than those who do not and that those who believe that the primary cause of global warming is human activities are likely to pay the most.

The second essay analyzes recreational demand for wildlife watching activities in the United States using data from the 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR). Travel cost recreation demand functions are estimated using Negative Binomial and Zero Inflated Negative Binomial models. Estimated consumer surplus per trip for an average individual in the survey sample is between $233 and $667, which generates a total annual national consumer surplus for wildlife watching activities between $60 billion and $172 billion.

The third essay investigates the demand for a hypothetical weather index insurance product in rural Nepal. Using data from a contingent valuation survey and field experiment in 2014, the study examines the relationship between insurance demand and individual’s risk aversion level. The empirical results are compared with the predictions of a recently developed expected utility theory model of insurance demand. Consistent with the theoretical predictions, the results show that the demand is not a monotonic function of risk aversion.

Degree Name

Economics

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Department of Economics

First Committee Member (Chair)

Alok K. Bohara

Second Committee Member

Robert P. Berrens

Third Committee Member

Andrew L. Goodkind

Fourth Committee Member

Noah Painter-Davis

Language

English

Keywords

Global Warming, Belief, Renewable Energy, Wildlife Watching, Index Insurance, Risk Aversion

Document Type

Dissertation

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Economics Commons

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