Recent Research – Francisco Alpízar

Perceptions of the seriousness of major public health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in seven middle-income countries

Communications Medicine (2023) Carson, R.T., Hanemann, M., Köhlin, G. W. Adamowicz, T.Sterner, F. Amuakwa-Mensah, F. Alpizar, E. Khossravi, M. Jeuland, J.Bonilla, J.S. Sheng Tan-Soo, P. Khanh Nam, S. Wagura Ndiritu, S. Wadehra, M. Julius Chegere, M Visser, N. Andegbe Chukwuone and D. Whittington Abstract Introduction Public perception of the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to six other major public health problems (alcoholism and drug use, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, lungContinueContinue reading “Perceptions of the seriousness of major public health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in seven middle-income countries”

Can school environmental education programs make children and parents more pro-environmental?

Journal of Development Economics (2023) Jaime, M., C. Salazar, F. Alpizar and F. Carlsson. Abstract We evaluate the direct and indirect effects of an environmental educational program with value-laded content on children’s and parents’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the consumption and disposal of plastics.We do this using a randomized field experiment targeting fourth-grade childrenContinueContinue reading “Can school environmental education programs make children and parents more pro-environmental?”

High discount rates by private actors undermine climate change adaptation policies

Climate Risk Management. (2023) Alpizar, F., M. Bernedo, R. Cremades and P. Ferraro. Abstract Adaptation requires investing now to avoid future damages, and thus adaptation is shaped by discount rates. Although the role of social discount rates in climate policy design has been well documented, the role of private discount rates has been ignored. We illustrate theContinueContinue reading “High discount rates by private actors undermine climate change adaptation policies”

Celebrity Endorsement in Promoting Pro Environmental Behavior

Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (2022). Thong, H., Z. Nie, F. Alpizar, F. Carlsson and P.K. Nam. Celebrity Endorsement in Promoting Pro Environmental Behavior. . Vol. 198, pp. 68-86. Abstract This study uses a large field experiment linked to actual behavior to evaluate the effects of an information campaign with and without celebrity endorsementContinueContinue reading “Celebrity Endorsement in Promoting Pro Environmental Behavior”

Ecosystem-Based Practices for Smallholders’ Adaptation to Climate Extremes: Evidence of Benefits and Knowledge Gaps in Latin America

Agronomy (2022) Vignola, R.; Esquivel, M.J.; Harvey, C.; Rapidel, B.; Bautista-Solis, P.; Alpizar, F.; Donatti, C.; Avelino, J. Abstract Agricultural practices of smallholder farming systems of Latin America can play an important role in reducing their exposure to the risks associated with climate extremes. In this paper, we searched scientific databases to review scientific evidenceContinueContinue reading “Ecosystem-Based Practices for Smallholders’ Adaptation to Climate Extremes: Evidence of Benefits and Knowledge Gaps in Latin America”

Local Effects of Payments for Ecosystem Services on Rural Poverty

Environmetal and Resource Economics (2022) Villalobos, L., Robalino, J., Sandoval, C. and F. Alpizar Abstract This paper estimates the local effects of a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) program on income-based poverty rates in rural areas of Costa Rica between 2007–2009. Using household surveys and spatial geographic data, we are able to control for socioeconomic and geographicContinueContinue reading “Local Effects of Payments for Ecosystem Services on Rural Poverty”

Exposure-enhanced goods and technology disadoption∗

*Working paper (2018-2021). Francisco Alpízar, Maria Bernedo Del Carpio,Paul J. Ferraro, Ben S. Meiselman. Abstract Policymakers often subsidize goods that generate positive externalities, only to see these goods disadopted. We posit that disadoption can be mitigated by incentivizing longer exposure, which reduces disadoption via three mechanisms: information, taste, and ability. We develop a theoretical modelContinueContinue reading “Exposure-enhanced goods and technology disadoption∗”

Time-Varying Pricing May Increase Total Electricity Consumption: Evidence from Costa Rica

Resource and Energy Economics (2021) Tabaré Capitán, Francisco Alpízar, Róger Madrigal-Ballestero, Subhrendu K.Pattanayak. Abstract We study the implementation of a time-varying pricing (TVP) program by a major electricity utility in Costa Rica. Because of particular features of the data, we use recently developed understanding of the two-way fixed effects differences-in-differences estimator along with event-study specificationsContinueContinue reading “Time-Varying Pricing May Increase Total Electricity Consumption: Evidence from Costa Rica”

Community-based monitoring to facilitate water management by local institutions in Costa Rica

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) (2021) Bernedo del Carpio, M.; F.Alpizar & P.J. Ferraro. Abstract Water scarcity is a global problem that can be compounded by inefficient water management, including underinvestment in infrastructure, underpricing of water use, and underenforcement of user rules. Here, we explore whether these inefficiencies can be reduced inContinueContinue reading “Community-based monitoring to facilitate water management by local institutions in Costa Rica”