Adaptation to Environmental Change: Agriculture and the Unexpected Incidence of the Acid Rain Program / Nicholas J. Sanders, Alan Barreca.

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Sanders, Nicholas J

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Material type: Text

TextSeries: Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) ; no. w28591.Publication details: Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2021.Description: 1 online resource: illustrations (black and white)Subject(s):

Q15 - Land Ownership and Tenure • Land Reform • Land Use • Irrigation • Agriculture and Environment
Q53 - Air Pollution • Water Pollution • Noise • Hazardous Waste • Solid Waste • Recycling

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Abstract: The Acid Rain Program (ARP) cut sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from power plants in the United States, with considerable benefits. We show this also reduced ambient sulfate levels, which lowered agriculture productivity through decreased soil sulfur. Using plant-level SO2 emissions and an atmospheric transport model, we estimate the relationship between airborne sulfate levels and yields for corn and soybean. We estimate crop revenue losses for these two crops around $1-1.5 billion per year, with accompanying decreases in land value. Back of the envelope calculations of the costs to replace lost sulfur suggest producer responses were limited and suboptimal.

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Holdings
Item type	Home library	Collection	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Working Paper	Biblioteca Digital	Colección NBER	nber w28698 (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Not For Loan

Total holds: 0

March 2021.

The Acid Rain Program (ARP) cut sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from power plants in the United States, with considerable benefits. We show this also reduced ambient sulfate levels, which lowered agriculture productivity through decreased soil sulfur. Using plant-level SO2 emissions and an atmospheric transport model, we estimate the relationship between airborne sulfate levels and yields for corn and soybean. We estimate crop revenue losses for these two crops around $1-1.5 billion per year, with accompanying decreases in land value. Back of the envelope calculations of the costs to replace lost sulfur suggest producer responses were limited and suboptimal.