Research

California’s COVID-19 economic shutdown reveals the fingerprint of systemic environmental racism

Published in Nature Sustainability, 2022

We show that the initial sheltering-in-place period produced disproportionate air pollution reduction benefits for Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, and low-income communities.

Recommended citation: Bluhm, R., Polonik, P., Hemes, K.S. et al. Disparate air pollution reductions during California’s COVID-19 economic shutdown. Nat Sustain 5, 509–517 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-00856-1

Democratization, Elections, and Public Goods: The Evidence from Deforestation

Published in The American Journal of Political Science, 2021

I find that politicians exchange access to protected forests in exchange for political support, leading to higher rates of deforestation in the months surrounding competitive elections.

Recommended citation: Sanford, L. (2021), Democratization, Elections, and Public Goods: The Evidence from Deforestation. American Journal of Political Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12662 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajps.12662

Cookstoves illustrate the need for a comprehensive carbon market

Published in Environmental Research Letters, 2015

We conduct a meta-analysis of previous cookstove emissions studies to improve greenhouse gas emission estimates of different stove classes and use this to show that incentive structures provided by current carbon markets promote stoves that have a larger greenhouse gas footprint.

Recommended citation: Sanford, L. & Burney, J. (2015). "Cookstoves illustrate the need for a comprehensive carbon market" Environmental Research Letters,. 10(8). http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/8/084026/meta

Putting the cart before the horse: Water governance and IWRM

Published in Natural Resources Forum, 2011

This paper examines the use of the term “water governance” in recent literature and proposes a more refined definition.

Recommended citation: Lautze, J., de Silva, S., Giordano, M., & Sanford, L. (2011). "Putting the cart before the horse: Water governance and IWRM." Natural Resources Forum. 35(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1477-8947.2010.01339.x

Governing to Grow Enough Food without Enough Water—Second Best Solutions Show the Way.

Published in International Journal of Water Resources Development, 2010

Recommended citation: Molden, D., Lautze, J., Shah, T., Bin, D., Giordano, M., & Sanford, L. (2010). "Governing to Grow Enough Food without Enough Water—Second Best Solutions Show the Way." International Journal of Water Resources Development. 26(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/07900621003655643