UC San Diego

This dissertation is comprised of three essays which explore environmental economics topics using public finance tools. The first and third essays are applied theory papers examining two overlooked factors -- tax evasion and the shadow economy -- which sharply alter the calculus of carbon tax reform. The basic finding is that carbon taxes are much less costly than has previously been found, particularly in developing countries. The second essay is an empirical paper studying how China's tax system has impacted its rollout of sewage treatment plants