DETERring more than Deforestation: Environmental Enforcement Reduces Violence in the Amazon

★

☆

SHARE

Overview

Paper Summary

Conflicts of Interest

Identified Weaknesses

Rating Explanation

Good to know

Topic Hierarchy

File Information

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title

Does Catching Illegal Loggers Reduce Amazon Violence? (Hint: Cloud Cover Helps Find Out!)

This study uses cloud cover as an instrument to examine the impact of environmental law enforcement on violence rates in the Brazilian Amazon, finding that increased enforcement correlates with a decrease in homicides. While the authors attempt to control for various factors, determining causality is always challenging in observational studies. This type of study can only show correlation, not causation.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified

Identified Weaknesses

Causality vs. Correlation

The study uses an instrumental variable approach (cloud cover affecting satellite monitoring and thus, enforcement) to suggest a causal link between enforcement and reduced violence. However, observational studies like this, even with clever instruments, can't definitively prove causality. Other unmeasured factors correlated with both cloud cover and violence could be at play.

Limited Scope of Enforcement Measure

The study focuses on deforestation-related fines as a proxy for enforcement intensity. This might not capture the full picture of enforcement activities or their impact. Other forms of environmental crime or enforcement strategies are not considered.

Potential for Omitted Variable Bias

Despite including various controls, there's always a risk of omitted variable bias in observational studies. Unmeasured factors correlated with both deforestation and violence could confound the estimated relationship. For example, the presence of organized crime could both drive deforestation and increase violence, independent of enforcement efforts.

Focus on Homicides

The study uses homicides as the primary measure of violence, potentially overlooking other forms of violence or conflict that might be affected by environmental enforcement. A more comprehensive approach would consider a wider range of violent and non-violent crimes.

Indirect Mechanisms

The study discusses several potential mechanisms linking enforcement to violence reduction but cannot definitively isolate their individual contributions or rule out alternative explanations. Further research is needed to precisely identify the causal pathways.

Rating Explanation

The study uses a generally sound methodology (instrumental variable approach) and attempts to address potential confounders. However, limitations inherent to observational data and the difficulty of establishing causality prevent a higher rating. The strong focus on correlation, with the difficulty of proving causality is the most significant drawback of the paper.

Good to know

This is our free standard analysis. Paperzilla Pro fact-checks every citation, researches author backgrounds and funding sources, and uses advanced AI reasoning for more thorough insights.

Explore Pro →