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Shifting Perspectives: An Updated Survey of Environmental and Natural Resource Economists

Author

Listed:
  • Lea-Rachel Kosnik
  • John C. Whitehead
  • Timothy C. Haab

Abstract

In 2023, a survey was given to environmental and natural resource economists to gauge levels of consensus in the field. Respondents were queried on core topics in the discipline, including air quality, groundwater, climate change, natural resource management, land conservation, environmental justice, and more. Many of the survey questions mirrored questions from the first such survey of environmental and natural resource economists in 2012, but additional questions on newer topics were also added. From these survey results, we can determine contemporary levels of consensus in the field, as well as how these levels have changed over the last decade. We find, for the most part, significant levels of consensus today, and over time, on many key topics including the prevalence of market failures and support for policy interventions including Pigouvian taxes and cap-and-trade schemes. At the same time, some areas with lower levels of consensus today, and over time, include the effects of population growth on the environment, and what to do with revenues from policy interventions such as taxes or cap-and-trade schemes. Key Words: environmental policy, natural resources, professional consensus, survey, academic opinion, AERE

Suggested Citation

  • Lea-Rachel Kosnik & John C. Whitehead & Timothy C. Haab, 2025. "Shifting Perspectives: An Updated Survey of Environmental and Natural Resource Economists," Working Papers 25-02, Department of Economics, Appalachian State University.
    • Handle: RePEc:apl:wpaper:25-02
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    File URL: http://econ.appstate.edu/RePEc/pdf/wp2502.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Timothy C. Haab & John C. Whitehead, 2017. "What do Environmental and Resource Economists Think? Results from a Survey of AERE Members," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 11(1), pages 43-58.
    2. Ströbel, Johannes & Wurgler, Jeffrey, 2021. "What do you think about climate finance?," CEPR Discussion Papers 16622, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Alston, Richard M & Kearl, J R & Vaughan, Michael B, 1992. "Is There a Consensus among Economists in the 1990's?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(2), pages 203-209, May.
    4. Victor R. Fuchs & Alan B. Krueger & James M. Poterba, 1998. "Economists' Views about Parameters, Values, and Policies: Survey Results in Labor and Public Economics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 36(3), pages 1387-1425, September.
    5. Dan Fuller & Doris Geide-stevenson, 2003. "Consensus Among Economists: Revisited," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(4), pages 369-387, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    environmental policy; natural resources; professional consensus; survey; academic opinion; aere;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A1 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics
    • A2 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics

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