Michelle Marcus (Vanderbilt University)

Event
Friday, November 12, 2021 - 3:40 pm to 5:00 pm
Event Type: 

Michelle MarcusDescription: Virtual Department Seminar: Michelle Marcus

Location: Virtual

Title: "Uncharted Waters: Effects of Maritime Emission Regulation"
Abstract: Pollution from ship exhaust is a main component of poor air quality in coastal areas and represents a significant threat to human and ecosystem health. Unlike land-based pollution sources, maritime emissions are mobile and off-shore, making the distributional equity of maritime emissions regulation unique. This paper is the first to quantify the effectiveness and distributional equity of US maritime fuel emissions standards on air quality, human health, and behavior. By employing the predictions of an atmospheric aerosol transport model to quantify exposure to the policy, we find that the introduction of maritime emissions control areas in the US led to significant declines in fine particulate matter, low birth weight infants, and mortality. Roughly 51 percent of the forecasted fine particulate matter abatement was achieved by the policy. We show evidence consistent with behavioral responses among ships and individuals, which were not incorporated in ex-ante models, but that contribute to ex-post policy effectiveness and highlight the importance of policy evaluation.

Contact Person: Irene Jacqz

Category: