Digital Commons Network^™

Renewable Portfolio Standards And Environmental Goals, Josh T. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are one of the most common state policies meant to encourage clean energy use. They require that utilities purchase electricity from certain qualifying electricity generators, usually with no reference to the cost of that electricity. AlthoughRPS are meant to clean up electricity generation through using clean energy sources instead of fossil fuels, they may not do so effectively. Further, some energy companies may lobby state legislators to include their energy sources regardless of their actual environmental benefit. The actual relationship between enacting an RPS and a state’s emissions from energy production is unclear. I explore RPS …

Examining Market Channels For Local Produce: Consumer Affordability And Producer Profitability, Karli A. Salisbury

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examines the price differences of commonly consumed produce between farmers’ markets and grocery stores in Utah. Our first objective is to compare price differences of a basket of produce between farmers’ markets and grocery stores. We compare these price differences in terms of low-income consumer affordability and if an individual can afford a market basket of produce using a combination of Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) dollars and Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) incentive dollars. Our second objective for this study is to establish the price premiums of individual produce items based on where the produce was sold, …

Institutional Adaptation To Water Scarcity In Utah Irrigation Companies, Grant Patty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A review of how water institutions in the American West have changed in response to arid conditions as a means of examining the possibility of further change as an adaptation to climate change induced water scarcity. Two institutions are examined, prior appropriation and shares.

While much of the American West operates under prior appropriation formally, irrigators have found Coasian methods of lowering transaction costs by forming irrigation companies. Irrigation companies own appropriative rights and redefine them, typically as shares. Lower transaction costs allow irrigators to trade more freely within companies, though trades between companies still face high transaction costs.

Using …

The Power Law Distribution Of Agricultural Land Size, Lauren Chamberlain

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper demonstrates that the distribution of county level agricultural land size in the United States is best described by a power-law distribution, a distribution that displays extremely heavy tails. This indicates that the majority of farmland exists in the upper tail. Our analysis indicates that the top 5% of agricultural counties account for about 25% of agricultural land between 1997-2012. The power-law distribution of farm size has important implications for the design of more efficient regional and national agricultural policies as counties close to the mean account for little of the cumulative distribution of total agricultural land. This has …

Three Essays On The Economics Of Controlling Mobile-Source Episodic Air Pollution, Ramjee Acharya

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cache County and the Wasatch Front, Utah have persistently experienced some of the nation’s worst air quality over the past decade. Elevated PM2.5 concentrations during wintertime “red air day” episodes frequently exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). We investigate the possible effects of two different economic policies in controlling these regional problems. Adapting a model originally developed to calculate the social investment necessary to control nationwide disease outbreaks, we estimate an optimal preventative capital stock (for example, investment in public transportation) of between $4.1 million and $14.1 million to control red air day episodes in Cache County, and …

Investing In Agribusiness Stocks And Farmland: A Boom Or Bust Analysis, Asif Rasool

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As intelligent investors, we should always consider holding assets of different classes. Investing in assets from various classes allows us to minimize portfolio risks. In this paper, we recommend a better way of devoting money, especially for the investors who are interested in the agricultural sector. Historically fund managers use Markowitz framework to create financial portfolios. However, that framework has some fundamental limitations. A copula is a modern approach that counters the disadvantages of the Markowitz framework, to deal with portfolio construction. Copula also identifies the downside risk (the maximum amount of money you can lose) of a portfolio.

We …

Essays On Natural Resources And Economic Development, Ahsan Kibria

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation studies the political economy of natural resources and how these resources may pose an opportunity or a threat to a country and comprises three essays.

The first essay explores how economic development can impact the consumption behavior of natural resources, with focus on fossil fuels. It suggests the existence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between fossil fuel share in the energy mix and economic development. Particularly, the essay illustrates an evidence that fossil fuel's share in the energy mix increases as a country develops, however, after reaching a real income per capita of around US$16,000, the country reduces …

Three Essays In Economics Of Prey-Predator Relation, Dong-Hun Go

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation explores how natural ecosystem can be integrated with economic system through two case studies of multiple species interactions, or predator-prey relations. By the inclusion of biological, ecological and economic aspects, the integrated approaches aim at more clearly understanding of how regional ecosystem and economy interact with each other, given threats of resource extinction and environmental shock. I also explain strategies and policy regimes that can be considered to achieve efficient and sustainable ecosystem management in those circumstances.

The first case study focuses on a predator-prey relation in the Pacific Ocean between the United States and Canada, where endangered/threatened …

Professional Development Needs Of Utah State University Extension Professionals, Callahan K. Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many Utah State University (USU) Extension personnel are nearing retirement age. The purpose of this study was to identify professional development needs of Extension professionals and assess USU Extension by evaluating competencies essential to be a successful Extension professional. USU Extension can conduct more beneficial professional development training by using identified high priority competencies and improve the on boarding process for new Extension professionals. With improvements as suggested, the effectiveness of professional development could be enhanced and produce Extension professionals who work more efficiently and are committed to the success of USU Extension.