Natural Resources Publications
The Net Global Effects of Alternative U.S. Biofuel Mandates: Fossil Fuel Displacement, Indirect Land Use Change, and the Role of Agricultural Productivity Growth
January 2012 - by Aline Mosnier, Petr Havlík, Hugo Valin, Justin S. Baker, Brian C. Murray, Siyi Feng, Michael Obersteiner, Bruce A. McCarl, Steven K. Rose, and Uwe A. Schneider
One of the declared objectives of U.S. biofuel policy is the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel combustion, but many studies have questioned whether such a reduction would actually occur and, if so, how large it would be. This report describes the global market, land use, GHG emissions, and nitrogen use impacts of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) and several alternative biofuel policy designs, which differ in terms of mandate magnitude and feedstock composition, over the 2010–2030 period.
Financing Options for Blue Carbon: Opportunities and Lessons from the REDD+ Experience
November 2011 - by David Gordon, Brian C. Murray, Linwood Pendleton, and Britta Victor
When development pressures transform mangroves, seagrass, and coastal wetlands, carbon stored in their biomass and soil is released to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. One way to counter these pressures and thereby conserve the carbon stored in these habitats (referred to as “blue carbon”) is to provide payments for the environmental services they provide. This paper analyzes current and potential options for carbon mitigation payments as a source of blue carbon finance. With other work that has focused on the payments needed to secure blue carbon, this paper can help stakeholders assess funding gaps and direct scarce resources to those activities that will provide the greatest blue carbon benefits.
Estimating the potential economic impacts of climate change on Southern California beaches
November 2011
Climate change could substantially alter the width of beaches in Southern California. Climate-driven sea level rise will have at least two important impacts on beaches: (1) higher sea level will cause all beaches to become more narrow, all things being held constant, and (2) sea level rise may affect patterns of beach erosion and accretion when severe storms combine with higher high tides. To understand the potential economic impacts of these two outcomes, this study examined the physical and economic effects of permanent beach loss caused by inundation due to sea level rise of one meter and of erosion and accretion caused by a single, extremely stormy year (using a model of beach change based on the wave climate conditions of the El Niño year of 1982/1983.)
State of the Science on Coastal Blue Carbon: A Summary for Policy Makers
May 2011 - by Samantha Sifleet, Linwood Pendleton, and Brian C. Murray
The natural science of blue carbon is evolving rapidly, and many policy makers remain uncertain about the biophysical potential of these habitats as engines of carbon storage. To better manage the ecosystem services provided by coastal blue carbon, we need a good scientific understanding of how coastal habitats sequester and store carbon, where on the planet carbon is stored in these habitats, how rapidly the habitats are being modified with a risk of carbon release into the atmosphere or water column, and the mechanisms and rate of carbon emissions that follow habitat conversion. This report examines the current science as it relates to these topics. In doing so, it aims to give policy makers a feel for what is known and unknown about coastal blue carbon.
Green Payments for Blue Carbon: Economic Incentives for Protecting Threatened Coastal Habitats
April 2011 - by Brian C. Murray, Linwood Pendleton, W. Aaron Jenkins, and Samantha Sifleet
This report examines the critical question of whether monetary payments for blue carbon—carbon captured and stored by coastal marine and wetland ecosystems—can alter economic incentives to favor protection of coastal habitats such as mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes. This idea is analogous to payments for REDD+ (reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation), an instrument of global climate policy that aims to curtail forest clearing, especially in the tropics. Like payments for REDD+, incentives to retain rather than emit blue carbon would preserve biodiversity as well as a variety of other ecosystem services at local and regional scales.
An Interactive Assessment of Biomass Demand and Availability in the Southeastern United States
March 2011 - by Christopher S. Galik and Robert C. Abt
The following report evaluates the implications of biomass use at multiple levels of demand and under various policy scenarios across the southeastern United States. It represents the culmination of a four month joint research effort between North Carolina State University, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University, and Environmental Defense Fund. It provides background on the methodology used to conduct the analysis, as well as an overview of an associated Biomass Demand Interface Tool that can be used to view the results. Collectively, these allow for the simultaneous evaluation of dozens of demand scenarios on multiple metrics of concern, thus providing the beginnings of a comprehensive overview of the range of impacts that increasing demand for forest biomass may have in a given state or region.
Demand for REDD Carbon Credits: A Primer on Buyers, Markets, and Factors Impacting Prices
February 2011 - by Joshua D. Schneck, Brian C. Murray, Christopher S. Galik, and W. Aaron Jenkins
This paper provides an overview of the demand for forest carbon, including potential buyers and their objectives, markets for forest carbon, and forces that affect the price of forest carbon. It is intended for parties and organizations who are considering developing forest carbon projects, as an aid to understanding the changing market and demand for forest carbon credits. While the primary focus of the paper is on markets and demand for REDD credits—credits arising from projects that reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation—much of the information is applicable to afforestation and reforestation projects, as well as improved forest management.
An Output-based Intensity Approach for Crediting Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in Agriculture: Explanation and Policy Implications
February 2011
Recent climate legislative proposals place a significant emphasis on greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets in uncapped sectors (e.g., agriculture and forestry) to reduce compliance costs of an economy‐wide cap‐and‐trade system, while incentivizing more environmentally friendly production. The most recent bill to be proposed is the Kerry‐Lieberman American Power Act. Section 734 of this bill establishes a comprehensive list of potentially eligible domestic offset activities. Among those included are “projects that reduce the greenhouse gas intensity per unit of agricultural production.” This output‐based intensity approach is a distinct departure from standard offset mechanisms for agriculture, which focus on absolute GHG reductions that are determined on a per unit area (acre or hectare) to which the practices are applied. While the focus of this discussion is offset mechanisms in regulatory or voluntary markets, insights can also be gained for low‐carbon fuel standards, supply chain requirements, and other low‐carbon strategies.
Policy Impacts on Deforestation: Lessons Learned from Past Experiences to Inform New Initiatives
June 2010 - by Alexander Pfaff, Erin O. Sills, Gregory S. Amacher, Michael J. Coren, Kathleen Lawlor, and Charlotte Streck
A new Nicholas Institute report looks at the successes and failures of previous policy attempts to stem deforestation and suggests a way forward for global policy efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas from deforestation.
Mid-Atlantic Catch Shares Workshop Summary
April 2010 - by Fisheries Leadership and Sustainability Forum
Summary of presentations and panel discussions at the Mid-Atlantic Catch Shares Workshop, March 16-18 in Williamsburg, VA.
The Effects of Low-Carbon Policies on Net Farm Income
February 2010 - by Justin S. Baker, Bruce A. McCarl, Brian C. Murray, Steven K. Rose, Ralph J. Alig, Darius Adams, Greg Latta, Robert Beach, Adam Daigneault
Expanding the Scope of International Terrestrial Carbon Options: Implications of REDD+ and Beyond
February 2010 - by Kathleen Lawlor, Aaron Jenkins, Lydia P. Olander, Brian C. Murray
Forging a Path for High-Quality Compliance REDD Credits
December 2009 - by Brian Murray, Lydia Olander, Donald P. Kanak
Valuing ecosystem services from wetlands restoration in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
November 2009
U.S. Government Funding for Forests in Developing Countries and the New REDD+ Landscape
October 2009 - by Kathleen Lawlor and Lydia Olander
The Effects of Performance Standards on Offsets Supply Under H.R. 2454
August 2009 - by David Cooley, Lydia Olander, Brian Murray
Nicholas Institute Discussion Memo on H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
Transaction Costs and Forest Management Carbon Offset Potential
July 2009 - by Christopher S. Galik, Justin S. Baker and Joseph L. Grinnell
The Economics of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Compliance Market
July 2009 - by Brian C. Murray and W. Aaron Jenkins
Mitigation Beyond the Cap: A Series of Briefs on Expanding Climate Mitigation Opportunities
Policy Impacts on Deforestation: Lessons from Past Experiences to Inform New Initiatives
June 2009 - by Alexander Pfaff, Gregory S. Amacher, Kathleen Lawlor, Erin O. Sills, Michael J. Coren, and Charlotte Streck
A policy brief exploring what has worked in reducing forest loss and degradation and what has not, and the reasons for these different outcomes.
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