Students' Thesis Research
See below for students' thesis abstracts
Economic Analysis of Mitigation Impacts in Pennsuco Wetlands of Northwest Dade County's Lake Belt Area, 2001
This study attempts to develop a framework for estimating the economic and environmental impacts of wetland mitigation activities in the Pennsuco Wetlands resulting from the expansion of rockmining in the Lake Belt area of Miami-Dade county. The study captures all mitigation benefits such as increased hydroperiod, improved water quality, improved wildlife habitat, and public and private recreation. The analysis also considers various costs of mitigation, in order to assess if the current wetland mitigation fee collected from rock miners is enough to cover the costs. Various sensitivity analyses are conducted by changing discount rate, wetland vegetation cover and other environmental and economic parameters. For all most every case, the benefits of mitigation far exceed the costs. However, the benefit-cost ratio will decrease with an increase in the likely infestation of invasive exotics in the area.
A Tradable Discharge Permitting System For Metals/Wastewater Producing Industrial Users Under The Pretreatment Approach, 2002
The
purpose of this study is to answer the question of whether or not a tradable
discharge permitting (TDP) system can be used as an alternative method
of regulating industrial users of the public sewer system, under the pretreatment
approach. We use the Exploratory Case Study Design to develop a hypothesis
and propositions for further inquiry. The specific methods being employed
are survey analysis, published technical data analysis, interviews, and
an economic model of optimal emission permit allocation. Results show
that, industry pollution control costs can be reduced by more than 41%.
In general, firms are willing to explore the possibility of a pollution
control alternative to the current regulatory control method, although
uncertainty about the TDP alternative appears to be a consideration for
firms. Finally, we conclude that the TDP system is a viable alternative
to the command-and-control method currently being used. This study provides
a foundation for further research in order to realize program implementation.
Water
Pricing as a Conservation Tool: An Economic Analysis of the Lower East
Coast of Florida Water Utilities, 2002
The Lower East Coast (LEC) of South Florida is characterized by fast population growth, high-income levels, and rising per-capita water demand. Water management agencies have been pushing for water conservation measures at utility and consumers' levels. One of the conservation measures that is often ignored is efficient water pricing practice. In Florida water utilities are mandated by County Board of Commissioners to follow specific regulations at the time of implementing effective price levels and structures. However, county governments have allowed water utilities to adopt no-profit-no-loss policies in fixing prices, which normally end up being lower than the true cost of water. The purposes of this research are (a) to review the current water pricing policies of selected water utilities in the LEC, (b) to estimate the gaps between the water prices under the revenue-neutral pricing structure and the 'true-cost' prices under the alternative scenarios of population growth, income growth, technology improvement, and the ongoing Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). It is claimed that the CERP projects would reduce the problems of water scarcity in the future. This research attempts to see if the new water supply to be generated by the Everglades restoration project will have any impact on the water prices.
A partial equilibrium model of water market is designed and simulated using data collected from selected water utilities, South Florida Water Management Districts and other sources. The model is simulated for 30 years to compute the market prices and demand for residential and industrial users. The simulated efficient water prices under the marginal cost pricing rule are found to be much higher than the estimated prices under the current pricing rule for both with- and without-CERP scenarios. The CERP-enhanced water supply does come at a cost to the environment. More so, the Congress mandates that 80 percent of the water generated by the CERP be used for environmental purpose. Therefore, the CERP may not alleviate the water scarcity problem completely. The continuation of the current pricing rule will only worsen the scarcity situation. An efficient water pricing structure is, therefore, recommended for the LEC water utilities.
The Sustainability of Aquaculture in Trinidad and Tobago: A Case Study of the County of Saint Patrick, 2002
The purpose of this study was to determine whether commercial aquaculture could be promoted as a sustainable development industry in Trinidad and Tobago. The main research premise was that commercial aquaculture cold be a profitable industry and meet existing standards of sustainability. An Analytical framework was developed by integrating Geographic Information Systems and an ecological-economics linear programming model, in order to test the hypothesis. The various model parameters were developed through the literature search with the intent of maximizing the total net profits by optimally allocating available land resources between alternative land uses. The model also included environmental and social parameters, linked to local standards.
The findings of the study supported the research premise and suggested the possibility of integrating a sustainable aquaculture industry into the development strategy. In conclusion, aquaculture might have the potential to be developed in Trinidad and Tobago as an economic alternative with proper environmental safeguards.
An Assessment of Public Engagement in the Everglades Restoration Projects, 2003
Soliciting public involvement in the development, implementation, and monitoring stages of environmental projects is a major challenge. A case in point is the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar restoration project in South Florida. CERP is an enormous undertaking that will impact the lives of South Florida's growing population for decades to come. This study examined the perceptions of citizens who participated in various forms of public engagement during CERP's development stage to assess their satisfaction with the logistics of the public engagement modes employed and the success of those modes in generating meaningful public involvement. Using data from a participant survey, Probit and Tobit multiple regression models were estimated to determine the effects of various demographic and engagement mode characteristics on the satisfaction and success variables. The results indicated that the respondents were generally satisfied (64.4 %) with the logistics of the public engagement modes employed. However, they rated success of the public engagement programs at a much lower level. The overall mean score for success was 2.39 out of 4.0, which was regarded as below the acceptable norm for the study. The results of this research suggest that public engagement modes could be improved upon for the implementation and monitoring stages of CERP. Information about the plan should be made easier to access, more innovative modes of public engagement must be employed, and greater trust must be fostered between governmental agencies and the citizenry. As this environmental restoration project moves out of the development phase and into the implementation and monitoring phases, employing more effective modes of public engagement might enhance the citizenry's satisfaction with the nature of their involvement in CERP and heighten their confidence that the final restoration plan reflects their input.
Social and economic sustainability of the renewable/diesel hybrid energy system in San Juanico, Mexico
Expected date of completion: Fall 2003
Wildlife Use of the Karen in Kaeng Krachan National Park
Expected date of completion: Fall 2003