Rausser College on COVID-19

In a recent episode of Second Opinion, a film series produced by Los Angeles Times,  researchers discuss coronavirus vaccines, emergent variants, and long-term immunity. In the episode, Marc Hellerstein, a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, discusses public health guidelines, how vaccinations prevent infections, the prospects for immunity, and reasons for hope moving forward, among other topics. 

In the journal Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy,  three researchers in the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics published a paper assessing the economic and health costs of COVID, as well as policy responses to the pandemic. Graduate student Scott Kaplan, graduate student Jacob Lefler, and professor David Zilberman are co-authors of the study.

Professor Kate O'Neill and PhD candidate Jessica Heiges in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management analyze how the pandemic has altered waste management strategies, particularly when it comes to single-use disposable plastics.

Ellen Bruno, a Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, studies the effects of coronavirus on the demand for groceries. While the study acknowledges the trend of panic-buying, it suggests that U.S. consumers need not worry about food availability.

Researchers in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and the Energy Resources Group join the first peer-reviewed analysis of local, regional and national policies in response to the pandemic. The study, conducted by the Goldman School's Global Policy Laboratory and published in the journal Nature, finds that travel restrictions, business and school closures, shelter-in-place orders, and other non-pharmaceutical interventions averted roughly 530 million COVID-19 infections across the six countries. The study was also featured in The Washington Post,  MSNBC, and other publications.

In a special issue of ARE Update, professor of agricultural and resource economics Michael Anderson explores the impacts of recent stay-at-home orders on mobility, economic activity, and pollution across the state. The data shows decreases in travel, with evidence of recovery before the relaxation of the order, but without compelling evidence for certain air particulate reductions.

In an article about California’s move to hire hundreds of new firefighters during the COVID-19 crisis, Cooperative Extension specialist William Stewart discusses the upcoming wildfire season.

Nina Ichikawa, the executive director of the Berkeley Food Institute, speaks about how the current vulnerability of the United States' meat industry during the pandemic could influence sustainable livestock production in the future.

Climate experts, including Energy and Resources Group alum and CoolClimate Network director Christopher Jones, urge government officials to implement a green economic stimulus package following COVID-19. Such measures could mitigate climate change and help to rebuild the economy. 

Agricultural and resource economics Cooperative Extension specialist Ellen Bruno discusses how  shifts in where people buy food during COVID-19 has had major impacts on farmers and grocery suppliers.

Cooperative Extension specialist Ellen Bruno, with researchers at UC Davis, publishes a study on what has been happening within the food supply chain during the Covid-19 outbreak. The researchers also discuss what is likely to happen next, as society deals with the pandemic and its aftermath. 

A recent commentary on food supply and Covid-19 references research by Agricultural and Resource Economics professors David Sunding and David Roland-Holst. Sunding and Roland-Holst analyze how certain policies can make food production in California less certain while increasing reliance on imported food.

Agricultural and Resources Economics professor David Zilberman and alumnus Thomas Reardon explain the effects of the coronavirus on food supply chains, offering a general strategy that governments may use to handle the crisis.

In his recent blog post, Agricultural and Resources Economics professor James Sallee writes about both the short-term and long-term effects of Covid-19 on the climate and economy. In particular, Sallee explains how the coronavirus could impact investment, politics, and other behaviors.