Option Wealth and Bequest Values: The Value of Protecting Future Generations from the Health Risks of Nuclear Waste Storage Academic Article

abstract

• To assess the relative importance of current costs and future benefits of nuclear waste storage, we develop a simple model of bequest value. The basic model of nonparternalistic altruism is extended to account for the uncertain nature of the externality. The model is applied estimating the social costs of storing high-level nuclear waste at a central repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. We find that the total ex ante social cost per household associated with health and safety risks is $17,128 annually. Over half is attributed to a desire to protect future generations from the risk of nuclear waste storage.

authors

• Shaw, Douglass

published proceedings

• Land Economics

author list (cited authors)

• Riddel, M., & Shaw, W. D.

citation count

• 20

complete list of authors

• Riddel, Mary||Shaw, W Douglass

publication date

• November 2003

publisher

• University of Wisconsin Press  Publisher

published in

• Land Economics: a quarterly journal devoted to the study of economic and social institutions  Journal

keywords

• 7 Affordable And Clean Energy

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.2307/3147298

start page

• 537

end page

• 548

volume

• 79

issue

• 4

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3147298

user-defined tag

• 7 Affordable and Clean Energy