CV Analysis- When to Use, When Not to Use

In short, I believe CV evaluations can be used for environmental problems that are localized in nature and minute in comparison. The “not in my backyard” mentality is very motivating to people. The majority of people in the community are aware of these situations, are affected by them, and thus to some degree (faulty survey are not) are able to assign monetary value to situations:

1) Local Park Clean-up: Parks are used typically utilized solely by the community that surrounds them. Because of government budget cuts or poor maintenance, some parks are not maintained, endangering the environment and wildlife. For example, my parents took part in a CV study when I was young. A park across the street, Sandborn Park, was left in a state of ruin. The grass, trees, and shrubs were not cared for, and the bacteria festering in the man-made pond was killing geese, ducks, and completely eliminated fish. My parents, being well-acquainted with the park and thus frequently seeing its state of disarray, were able to assign a monetary value to its clean-up.

2) Local Air Shed Clean up: through various methods, people have told their governments they are tired of the amount of pollution in their city. Nobody likes to breath in thick, disgusting air. Furthermore, seeing a cloud of gunk hanging over the buildings does not beautify a city. Through various market incentives, or direct regulations, governments are beginning to respond to the demands of the people. Again, because these citizens are constantly exposed to the affects of pollution, and by the fact they live in a democracy and thus exercise some power through the vote, they are able to properly ascertain a monetary value to air pollution. Although, admittedly, this problem is not minute, it is comparatively easier to deal with than the problems listed below.

Precautionary environmental polices or those that are on a national, or global scale and are very large in complex in nature, are harder for average citizens to assign monetary values. Not everyone is directly exposed (or even knows about) serious environmental problems that may affect us all, thus they cannot, and perhaps should not be able to quantify environmental values.

1) Global Warming- the full affects of global warming are not currently felt. For many people, global warming represents a theory pushed on them by marketing strategies and certain political and research elites. Climatologists even disagree about a) whether or not global warming is even a threat (I read that some were more afraid of a global cooling) b) The degree to which manmade green house gases actually affect global warming and c) what people can do about it. Thus, because experts are themselves cannot assign a value to global warming, it is hard for citizens, with much less knowledge about the phenomenon, to do so. Furthermore, people tend to have a short time-horizon. Thus, they may not place much value on an environmental problem that will not fully occur until long after they are dead. In short, using CV analysis on global warming it is a precautionary principle, its full affects are not yet felt, and it is an international problem.

2) Droughts in Northern Africa- what used to be a fertile land, is now an extension of the Sahara. Rapid deforestation and excessive grazing have subjected the land to desertification. People and wildlife alike have died. It would be more suitable to conduct CV analysis on the people who have been affected by this profound loss of environment; however, that too would be difficult. How do you put a monetary value on the home of you and your ancestors? How could you quantify the loss of something so extensive? It would be especially hard to conduct a CV analysis or somebody in the United States as it would be more difficult for them to quantify the damage since they are not directly affected by it.