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This paper assesses the relationship between decision util-ity and experienced utility of recreational nature visits.The former is measured as the travel cost to reach that siteas routinely used by the travel cost method (TCM), andthe latter is operationalized through visit-related subjec-tive well-being (SWB). As such, the analysis is a test ofconvergent validity by examining whetherex anteTCM-based assessment of recreational value reflecting decisionutility corresponds to statedex postSWB, reflecting expe-rienced utility. It explores to what extent utility revealedby counts of nature visits are associated with self-reported,visit-related SWB relating to that same visited site. Theanalysis uses two existing datasets providing informationon (i) 3672 recreational visits to green/blue spaces inEngland over the course of four years and (ii) 5937 recrea-tional visits to bluespace sites across 14 European coun-tries over one year. Results show a positive associationbetween travel cost and visit-related SWB while control-ling for trip frequency and a large set of covariates,suggesting convergent validity of the two utility concepts.A breakdown by travel mode suggests this relationshiponly holds for trips involving motorized transport and isnot present for habitual, chore-like walking visits to therecreational site.
This paper examines empirically the importance of equity
preferences for the formation of international environmen-
tal agreements (IEA) for transboundary pollution control.
Although it has been shown theoretically that the existence
of equity preferences among countries considering an IEA
increases the chances for formation and stability of a coali-
tion, empirical assessments of such preferences have been
limited to climate change mitigation and single-country
studies. We consider the case of marine plastic pollution, of
which a large share consists of food and beverage con-
tainers, representing a transboundary pollution control
problem of increasing policy concern, with properties that
lead to distinct considerations for equity and the sharing of
abatement costs. We employ a coordinated choice experi-
ment in the United Kingdom and United States to assess
preferences for abatement-cost allocations in a marine plas-
tics IEA. Pairs of cooperating countries and the relative
allocation of abatement costs are varied experimentally.
Results show systematic aversion to both advantageous and
disadvantageous inequality with respect to abatement costs
but also that the relative strength of advantageous and dis-
advantageous inequality aversion differs across countries.
Across both countries, there is evidence that left-leaning
voters generally favor more equal international sharing of
abatement costs. Differences of these results from the case
of greenhouse gas emission reduction, and implications for
current efforts to establish a legally binding global treaty on
marine plastic pollution, are discussed.
Shark incidents are rare and graphic events, and their
consequences can influence the behavior of beach users,
including bathers, to a great extent. These incidents can
be thought of as a fearsome risk that may lead decision
makers to overreact or respond with inaction. This paper
examines the reaction of recreational beach users, includ-
ing bathers, to changes in the risk of shark incidents. In
addition to valuing recreational visits to Durban Beach,
South Africa, we study the reaction of beach visitors to a
hypothetical scenario in which protective shark nets,
deployed in coastal waters to protect bathers, are to be
removed. To examine potential heterogeneity of the treat-
ment effect in a travel cost-contingent behavior model, we
develop a semiparametric multivariate Poisson lognormal
(MPLN) model to jointly analyze observed and stated visit
counts. Results show that removing protective shark nets
at Durban beach would decrease recreational visits by
more than 20%. Applying the semiparametric MPLN
model we further find that both the value of a recreational
visit and the predicted change in visitation rates vary as a
function of whether recreationists usually enter the water,
whether they have heard of previous shark incidents, and
their general risk attitude.