This paper examines how robust economic, political, and demographic variables are related to water and air pollution. Employing Bayesian Averaging of Classical Estimates (BACE) for a cross section of up to 74 countries, 33 variables and 3 proxies for air and water pollution over a period from 1980 to 1995 we confirm the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, highlight the relevance of efficien...

A growing literature documents that air pollution adversely impacts health, productivity, and cognition. This paper provides the first evidence of a causal link between aggressive behavior, as documented by violent crime. Using geolocation crimes in Chicago from 2001–2012, we compare crime upwind downwind major highways on days when wind blows orthogonally to road. Consistent with research link...

We examine how transmission congestion alters the environmental benefits provided by renewable generation. Using hourly data from Texas and midcontinent electricity markets, we find that relaxing constraints between wind-rich areas demand centers of respective markets conservatively increases nonmarket value wind 30 percent for 17 markets. Much this increase in arises a redistribution where air...

This study examines the effect of a tightening US air quality standard for lead in 2009 on relocation battery recycling to Mexico and infant health Mexico. In United States, airborne dropped sharply near affected plants, most which were battery-recycling plants. Exports used batteries rose markedly. Mexico, production increased at plants relative comparable industries, birth outcomes deteriorat...

This project links administrative census microdata to spatially continuous measures of particulate pollution (PM2.5) first document and then decompose the key drivers convergence in black-white exposure differences. We use quantile regression show that a significant portion Black-White is attributable differential impacts Clean Air Act (CAA) Black White communities. Areas with larger population...

The Acid Rain Program (ARP) cut sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions from power plants in the United States, with considerable benefits. We show this also reduced ambient sulfate levels, which lowered agriculture productivity through decreased soil sulfur. Using plant-level SO and an atmospheric transport model, we estimate relationship between airborne levels yields for corn soybeans. crop revenue...

Firms sometimes comply with externality-correcting policies by gaming the measure that determines policy. This harms buyers eroding information, but it benefits them when cost savings are passed through into prices. We develop a model highlights this tension and use to analyze of automobile carbon emission ratings in EU. document startling increases using novel data. then effects calibrated sim...

Economists generally view environmental enforcement as a tool to secure compliance with regulations. This paper demonstrates that credible enforcement significantly increases statutory over-compliance with regulations as well. We find that many plants with discharges typically below legally permitted levels reduce discharges further when regulators issue fines, even on other plants. Also, non-c...

We use variation in weather to study the long-term effects of activism during original Earth Day on attitudes, environmental outcomes, and children’s health. Unusually bad April 22, 1970 is associated with weaker support for environment 10 20 years later, particularly among those who were school aged 1970. Bad also higher levels carbon monoxide air greater risk congenital abnormalities infants ...