Temporary growth pause in overall economic output

This article provides an estimate of the human capital value of migration to Reading in the period 1851-1871 to the town's economy. This is determined by estimating total net migration to the town across this period by age and sex and assigning all migrants a value for expected lifetime economic output less expected lifetime consumption costs. The final figures are contextualised by comparison with the value of social overhead capital used to fund significant local infrastructure projects in the same time period and show that, from a human capital perspective, the value of migration to Reading was very significant. This article thus addresses significant historiographical gaps in the study of Victorian labour migration to southern provincial towns and provides an original perspective to studies of the economic value of migration and its role in the growth of such communities.

Download Full-text

Cultural and Creative Cities and Regional Economic Efficiency: Context Conditions as Catalyzers of Cultural Vibrancy and Creative Economy

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137150 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7150

Author(s):

Silvia Cerisola ◽

Elisa Panzera

Keyword(s):

Fixed Effects ◽

Local Context ◽

Creative Economy ◽

Fixed Effects Model ◽

Creative Cities ◽

Economic Output ◽

Innovative Methodology ◽

Holistic Conception ◽

Panel Fixed Effects ◽

The Impact

Following the hype that has been given to culture and creativity as triggers and enhancers of local economic performance in the last 20 years, this work originally contributes to the literature with the objective of assessing the impact of cultural and creative cities (CCCs) on the economic output of their regions. In this sense, the cultural and creative character of cities is considered a strategic strength and opportunity that can spillover, favoring the economic system of the entire regions in which the cities are located. Through an innovative methodology that exploits a regional production function estimated by a panel fixed effects model, the effect of cities’ cultural vibrancy and creative economy on the output of their regions is econometrically explored. The data source is the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor (CCCM) provided by the JRC, which also allows the investigation of the possible role played by the enabling environment in catalyzing the action of cultural vibrancy and creative economy. The results are thoroughly examined: especially through cultural vibrancy, CCCs strategically support the output of their region. This is particularly the case when local context conditions—such as human capital and education, openness, tolerance and trust, and quality of governance—catalyze their effect. Overall, CCCs contribute to feeding a long-term self-supporting system, interpreted according to a holistic conception that includes economic, social, cultural, and environmental domains.

Download Full-text

1.5 °C degrowth scenarios suggest the need for new mitigation pathways

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-22884-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lorenz T. Keyßer ◽

Manfred Lenzen

Keyword(s):

Technological Change ◽

High Speed ◽

Large Scale ◽

High Energy ◽

Climate Mitigation ◽

Intergovernmental Panel ◽

Economic Output ◽

Integrated Assessment Modelling ◽

Negative Emissions ◽

Energy Emissions

Abstract1.5 °C scenarios reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) rely on combinations of controversial negative emissions and unprecedented technological change, while assuming continued growth in gross domestic product (GDP). Thus far, the integrated assessment modelling community and the IPCC have neglected to consider degrowth scenarios, where economic output declines due to stringent climate mitigation. Hence, their potential to avoid reliance on negative emissions and speculative rates of technological change remains unexplored. As a first step to address this gap, this paper compares 1.5 °C degrowth scenarios with IPCC archetype scenarios, using a simplified quantitative representation of the fuel-energy-emissions nexus. Here we find that the degrowth scenarios minimize many key risks for feasibility and sustainability compared to technology-driven pathways, such as the reliance on high energy-GDP decoupling, large-scale carbon dioxide removal and large-scale and high-speed renewable energy transformation. However, substantial challenges remain regarding political feasibility. Nevertheless, degrowth pathways should be thoroughly considered.

Download Full-text

Suppression of Weed Occurrence in a Five-year Corn-earthworm Coculture System

Weed Science ◽

10.1017/wsc.2020.90 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-23

Author(s):

Tao Li ◽

Jiequn Fan ◽

Zhenguan Qian ◽

Guohui Yuan ◽

Dandan Meng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weed Species ◽

Ecological Benefits ◽

Economic Output ◽

Green Foxtail ◽

Weed Diversity ◽

The Mean ◽

Common Purslane ◽

Species Specific ◽

Density And Biomass ◽

Successive Experiment

Abstract The use of a corn-earthworm coculture (CE) system is an eco-agricultural technology that has been gradually extended due to its high economic output and diverse ecological benefits for urban agriculture in China. However, the effect of CE on weed occurrence has received little attention. A five-year successive experiment (2015 to 2019) was conducted to compare weed occurrence in CE and a corn (Zea mays L.) monoculture (CM). The results show that CE significantly decreased weed diversity, the dominance index, total weed density and biomass, but increased the weed evenness index. The five-year mean number of weed species per plot was 8.4 in CE and 10.7 in CM. Compared to those in CM, the five-year mean density and biomass of total weeds in CE decreased by 59.2% and 66.6%, respectively. The effect of CE on weed occurrence was species specific. The mean density of large crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.], green foxtail [Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv.], goosegrass [Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.], and common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) in CE decreased by 94.5, 78.1, 75.0, and 45.8%, whereas the mean biomass decreased by 96.2, 80.8, 76.9, and 41.4%, respectively. Our study suggests that the use of CE could suppress weed occurrence and reduce herbicide inputs in agriculture.

Download Full-text

Life Cycle Blue and Grey Water in the Supply Chain of China’s Apparel Manufacturing

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr9071212 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 1212

Author(s):

Ao Liu ◽

Aixi Han ◽

Li Chai

Keyword(s):

Water Pollution ◽

Supply Chain ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Water Consumption ◽

Agricultural Sector ◽

Oxygen Demand ◽

High Water ◽

Grey Water ◽

Apparel Manufacturing ◽

Economic Output

Apparel manufacturing involves high water consumption and heavy water pollution in its supply chain, e.g., planting cotton, producing chemical fibers, and dyeing. This study employs a multi-regional input–output (MRIO) model to (1) assess the life cycle of blue and grey water (chemical oxygen demand (COD) specific) of China’s apparel manufacturing; (2) reveal the hidden linkage among sectors and regions in the whole supply chain; and (3) identify the key regions and upstream sectors with the most water consumption and heaviest water pollution. We found that the agricultural sector (i.e., planting fiber crops) is responsible for primary water consumption and water pollution. In addition, different provinces assume different production roles. Guangdong is a major output province in apparel manufacturing. However, its economic output is contributed to by other regions, such as blue water from Xinjiang and Jiangsu and grey water from Hebei and Shandong. Our research reveals the significance of taking an inter-regional perspective on water resource issues throughout the supply chain in apparel manufacturing. The sustainable development of China’s apparel manufacturing relies on improving water-use efficiency and reasonable industrial layout. The results are of significance and informative for policymakers to build a water-sustainable apparel industry.

Download Full-text

A Bootstrap Method to Test Granger-Causality in the Frequency Domain

Computational Economics ◽

10.1007/s10614-021-10112-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matteo Farnè ◽

Angela Montanari

Keyword(s):

Stochastic Process ◽

Frequency Domain ◽

Granger Causality ◽

Bootstrap Method ◽

Money Stock ◽

Bootstrap Test ◽

Low Frequencies ◽

Economic Output ◽

Stationary Bootstrap ◽

The Relationship

AbstractWe propose a bootstrap test for unconditional and conditional Granger-causality spectra in the frequency domain. Our test aims to detect if the causality at a particular frequency is systematically different from zero. In particular, we consider a stochastic process derived applying independently the stationary bootstrap to the original series. At each frequency, we test the sample causality against the distribution of the median causality across frequencies estimated for that process. Via our procedure, we infer about the relationship between money stock and GDP in the Euro Area during the period 1999–2017. We point out that the money stock aggregate M1 had a significant impact on economic output at all frequencies, while the opposite relationship is significant only at low frequencies.

Download Full-text

Take it to the (public) bank: The efficiency of public bank loans to private firms

German Economic Review ◽

10.1515/ger-2019-0023 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anders Kärnä

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Capital Markets ◽

Firm Growth ◽

Bank Loans ◽

Government Interventions ◽

The Public ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Economic Output ◽

Unique Dataset

AbstractIncomplete capital markets and credit constraints for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often considered obstacles to economic growth, thus motivating government interventions in capital markets. While such policies are common, it is less clear to what extent these interventions result in firm growth or to which firms interventions should be targeted. Using a unique dataset with information about state bank loans targeting credit-constrained SMEs in Sweden with and without complementary private bank loans, this paper contributes to the literature by studying how these loans affect the targeted firms for several outcome variables. The results suggest that the loans create a one-off increase in investments, with long-term, positive effects for sales and labor productivity but only for firms with 10 or fewer employees. Increased access to capital by firms can therefore produce increases in economic output but only in a specific type of firm. This insight is of key importance in designing policy if the aim is to increase economic growth.

Download Full-text