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New 2006 AERE Fellows
AERE Luncheon, Prepared Remarks
(Trudy Ann Cameron, AERE President, 2007-2008)
Clifford S. Russell
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This year's final new AERE Fellow cannot be here today to be honored in person,
but I will not stint on the fanfare.
In much of economics, there is a tendency for academics to utilize refereed journal
articles as the preferred medium for scholarly output. The most striking thing about
Cliff's inventory of scholarly contributions is the fact that he writes whole books...frequently
(i.e. eight books so far, and ten edited volumes). Perhaps the discipline needed for these
endeavors stems from Cliff's early years in the U.S. Navy. The impetus to pursue topics in
depth may reflect his seventeen years at RFF, along with the fact that he seems to have missed
the furious journal-article-writing phase associated with being a conventional Assistant Professor.
After teaching economics in various capacities in such far-flung places as Uganda, Maryland,
Michigan, Massachusetts, Norway, and Vermont, Cliff entered academe formally as a
Full Professor (and Institute Director) at Vanderbilt in 1986.
In addition to all of Cliff's books, there are some 70 articles in journals and other edited
volumes, and at least 40 notes, comments and reviews--disseminated to an audience much
broader than simply other academic economists in North America. His work appears
in a very wide-ranging variety of media. "Unconventional" may be a good adjective to
describe Cliff's career as an environmental economist, but "unselfish," "unfettered,"
and "unstinting"... in the provision of policy support and intellectual public goods... would
be appropriate descriptors as well.
For his many contributions to our understanding of non-market valuation related to
water quality, the monitoring and enforcement of environmental regulations, residuals
management in resource-based industries such as petroleum and steel, and
non-point source pollution, as well as his executive service to AERE, his leadership at
Resources for the Future and his service on National Academy/NRC committees,
national and regional advisory boards and panels, and boards of trustees, we induct
Clifford S. Russell as a 2006 Fellow of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists. Congratulations Cliff!
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A message, relayed from Cliff:
When I was asked if I wanted to send along any remarks to
be read in my absence, it first renewed and intensified my disappointment that I
can't be there. But then I got over it and realized that the least I could do would be
to thank Chuck Howe for going to the trouble of nominating me. At that point, I
realized I have several other reasons, going back quite a long way, for being
grateful to Chuck and that there would likely never be another chance to say so
publicly...
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In 1966, right after I had passed my general exams at Harvard, Chuck Howe was
instrumental in getting me involved with some geographers, at Clark
University, who were studying the severe mid-1960s drought in the Northeast on a
grant from RFF. That project led directly to a dissertation topic, which, with Bob
Dorfman's advice and cooperation, got me my PhD. The indirect involvement with
the RFF grant led to the offer of a year at RFF. This became two years and,
eventually, half a career.
My first boss at RFF was—as you might by now be able to guess—Chuck Howe. In
this role, he encouraged me to pursue the idea of building linear programming
models of water-using industrial processes, in part supported by money he had
from the National Water Commission. That, in turn, led to five or six years of really
absorbing activity...probably the most fun work I ever was lucky enough to do...in
which "water-using" became "pollution-generating" and processes became entire
refineries and steel mills.
On the non-professional side of life, Chuck introduced me to the infamous
underground DC YMCA squash courts, which got me playing again, an activity that
went on fairly seriously for fifteen or twenty years.
I guess it's fair to say that no other single person has been as important as Chuck to
my life in economics.
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* Ryan Bosworth and Erica Johnson were "volunteered" to take snapshots at the luncheon.
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