Oilsands Development or Conservation of Threatened Species?

Lise Thoen

Professor Vic Adamowicz is giving an open lecture on the economic costs and benefits of preserving biodiversity threatened by the controversial oil sand extraction in Alberta, Canada; where Statoil is involved. The lecture is given on December 2nd.

The title of his lecture is:

"Economic Analysis of Threatened Species Conservation: The Case of Woodland Caribou and Oilsands Development in Alberta, Canada"

The lecture takes place Friday December 2nd in the auditorium TU101 at the ground floor of the Tower Building at 9.00 - 10.00.

Professor Vic Adamowicz, Alberta, Oljesand, energiøkonomi, ressursøkonomi Photo: University of Alberta

Greenpeace and other environmental organizations has called on oil companies and the government to stop the olisands extraction and end the industrialization of a vast area of Indigenous territories, forests and wetlands in northern Alberta.

Adamowicz has been conducting research on the economics of environmental issues surrounding oilsands and other resource sectors in Alberta and Canada for several years. His research in the oilsands area has included an analysis of water use by oilsands mines, developing cost effective protected area strategies, and analysis of the economics of threatened species habitat. He has presented findings to various academic, government and NGO audiences.

Professor W.L. (Vic) Adamowicz, one of the most prominent researchers in resource economics and environmental valuation in general and Choice Experiments in particular, is visiting the UMB School of Economics and Business on Friday December 2nd.

He is a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Rural Economy, Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta in Canada.

Oljesandutvinning i Alberta Canada oljesand Photo: Peter Essick

ABSTRACT

This presentation examines the opportunity costs and economic benefits of the conservation of a threatened species, Woodland Caribou, in Alberta Canada. Woodland Caribou habitat comprises significant portions of the land in the northern half of Alberta, Canada, including regions where highly valued oilsands developments are occurring. The assessment of the opportunity costs of conservation strategies is complex – in part because the land is publically owned and also because of the complex linkages between ecological and economic systems required to identify cost effective strategies. To develop estimates of opportunity cost, and implicitly cost effective conservation strategies, we examine the impacts of forestry, conventional energy (gas, oil) and oilsands activities on Woodland Caribou in a spatial, dynamic programming model. A noteworthy aspect of our approach is that not only are the costs of conservation actions assessed in terms of ecological objectives, but also against temporal objectives (“when” the conservation goals are met). The interaction between conservation goals and timing of objectives is an issue that has received relatively little attention in the conservation design literature and our paper illustrates the relationship between these two important features. In addition to opportunity cost calculations we conduct an evaluation of the benefits of various levels of conservation action using environmental valuation techniques. The cost and benefit information provides input into the creation of Woodland Caribou conservation strategies. The economic analysis is discussed in terms of its role within the process of endangered species management and policy development.

If you have questions or would like information about the topic and/or the speaker, please contact Professor Ståle Navrud at the UMB School of Economics and Business; e-mail: stale.navrud@umb.no

For those interested in learning the basics of Stated Preference techniques and the role of environmental valuation in Cost-Benefit Analysis, Professor Adamowicz is also giving a guest lecture on "Cost Benefit Analysis and Valuing the Environment" in our course ECN 270: " Resource and Environmental Economics" the same day at 12.15 - 14.00 in Room T401 (4th floor of the Tower Building).

If you have practical questions regarding the open lecture or the course lecture, please contact the UMB School of Economics and Business by calling 64965700 or e-mail: lise_thoen@umb.no

Woodland Caribou Reinsdyr Canada Alberta Photo: WS Scans

Updated: 21.11.11
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