scholarly journals A Spatial Dynamic Model for Export Intensity of Hazardous Industrial Waste: The Incentive Effect of Regional Environmental Policies

Author(s):  
Jaime Vallés-Giménez ◽  
Anabel Zárate-Marco

AbstractThis paper analyses, in the context of the Environmental Kuznet Curve, the determinants of export intensity of hazardous industrial waste among Spanish regions, with particular attention to the influence of waste taxes and of environmental policies. This study is carried out for the first time in the literature with a spatial dynamic model, fixed effects and panel data for the 17 regions (Comunidades Autónomas) of Spain during the period 2007–2017. The results suggest there is a spatial-dynamic component to export intensity, and that both regional taxes on waste disposal and environmental policy stringency appear to encourage, albeit modestly, the rate of exported waste to other regions. The model also shows that the more regions recycle, and the greater the economies of scale arising from industrial agglomeration, the lower is the region’s waste export intensity, although increasing restrictions on the international trade in hazardous waste have intensified trading inside the country. Finally, the results suggest a non-linear relationship between growth and export intensity, although apparently we are still far from the absolute decoupling of the Environmental Kuznet Curve.

2019 ◽  
Vol 974 ◽  
pp. 267-272
Author(s):  
Ludmila A. Suleymanova ◽  
Inna A. Pogorelova ◽  
Andrey V. Kocherzhenko ◽  
Igor S. Ryabchevsky

The authors investigated the possibility of increasing the basic operational properties of polyurethane foam by introducing such mineral fillers as clay, loam, sand, and others, including man-made ones. For the first time polyurethane foam filling with industrial waste from mining and processing plants, in particular, wet magnetic separation of ferruginous quartzites (hereinafter - tailings) was proposed. The resulting insulating composites with improved performance properties will expand the use range of the material in construction.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo Klotzki ◽  
Alexander Bohnert ◽  
Nadine Gatzert ◽  
Ulrike Vogelgesang

Purpose Due to the continuing low interest rate environment as well as the increase in acquisition costs, price transparency, cost transparency and competition with banks, the cost of life insurance becomes increasingly important for customers, insurers and shareholders. Against this background, the purpose of this paper is to study the development of insurers’ economies of scale in regard to administrative costs for four of the largest European life insurance markets. Design/methodology/approach The analysis on economies of scale is based on a comprehensive set of 477 life insurers in Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, yearly data between 2000 and 2014, and regression calculations that are based on 4,855 observations. Findings The results show that economies of scale exist for all considered markets and for most of the considered years. However, the extent of economies of scale varies considerably across countries. Originality/value Overall, the existing academic literature on costs and corresponding economies of scale in life insurance primarily deals with analyses of total costs instead of administrative costs, a single year or a single market. This paper contributes to the existing literature by conducting an analysis of recent market dynamics and economies of scale in regard to administrative costs for the period from 2000 and 2014 for four of the largest European life insurance markets for which the respective data were available (Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) and 477 life insurers in total. This is done by means of a log-log transformation of premiums and costs and a fixed effects model based on these transformed figures for 4,855 observations. In addition, for each market, the authors analyze the development of administrative costs for a total of 477 insurers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga A. Shvetsova ◽  
Jang Hee Lee

This research deals with the theoretical and practical issues of investment support activities for industrial waste management in developed countries, based on the example of South Korea. The main goal of this research is the evaluation of waste treatment investment projects and understanding their impact on the development of environmental policies. The problems of forming the sustainable systems for controlling the disposal of industrial wastes are being studied. The authors discuss the practical application of environmental policies and modern technologies of South Korean companies in the field of industrial waste processing. The approaches of waste investment project’s evaluation are applied and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods were discussed for various cases and applications. Using MCDM methods, the authors study the effectiveness of investment projects in waste treatment activities in Korea. The analyses of MCDM methods are implemented in this research to provide some instructions on how to effectively apply these methods in waste treatment investment project analyses. Furthermore, the authors propose a combination of multi-criterial selection and interval preferences to evaluate waste treatment projects. The proposed approach improves the method of calculating economic efficiency based on a one-dimensional criterion and sensitivity analysis. The main results of this research perform the investment impact and risk-analysis on the environmental policies development.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-482
Author(s):  
Faith M Namayengo ◽  
Gerrit Antonides ◽  
Francesco Cecchi

Abstract This study investigates the effect of participation into a microcredit program on household food security parameters of female borrowers in a rural setting in Uganda. We explore the modes of food acquisition, dietary diversity, caloric and protein intake, and qualitative food insecurity measures for different categories of respondents. We conduct a cross-sectional analysis comparing old clients to newly registered first time borrowers. Next, we compare first time borrowers and non-borrowers using a panel design. While the cross-sectional analysis allows the comparison of women that similarly self-selected into borrowing, the panel analysis complements by providing insights into changes of food security parameters. In both cases, we use Kernel matching, or difference-in-difference with Kernel matching, to control for potential bias in observables, and perform a sensitivity analysis with respect to unobservables using Rosenbaum bounds as well as an individual fixed effects panel analysis. Results show a decline in food security following the uptake of microcredit. In particular, the analysis reveals robustly lower dietary diversity among long-time borrowers than new borrowers, and larger reductions in dietary diversity scores among new borrowers, after 1 year, compared to controls. The reduction in dietary diversity was traced to a reduction in animal-source food, fruit and sugar intake. We find indicative evidence that this is partly explained by a shift from own production to reliance on food purchase by households. Other household members relegating the burden of food provision to women after borrowing may also help explain the observed result.


2001 ◽  
Vol 221 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Rübel ◽  
Anja Klüver

SummaryUsing empirical tests on 52 industrial sectors, this paper shows that industrial agglomeration has increased significantly in Europe since 1972. However, important differences can be observed between the sectors. These differences suggest that discrepancies between EU countries - which are emphasised as the Union becomes more integrated - cannot primarily be explained by economies of scale but could be explained by classic Heckscher-Ohlin theory. If so, the European Union is increasingly vulnerable to external asymmetric shocks: while integration progresses, the EU decreasingly fulfills the criteria of an optimal currency area.


2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander E. Hristov ◽  
Nelly E. Christova ◽  
Lyudmila V. Kabaivanova ◽  
Lilyana V. Nacheva ◽  
Ivanka B. Stoineva ◽  
...  

The capability of the biosurfactant-producing strain Rhodococcus wratislawiensis BN38 to mineralize both aromatic and aliphatic xenobiotics was proved. During semicontinuous cultivation 11 g/l phenol was completely degraded within 22 cycles by Rhodococcus free cells. Immobilization in a cryogel matrix was performed for the first time to enhance the biodegradation at multiple use. A stable simultaneous hydrocarbon biodegradation was achieved until the total depletion of 20 g/l phenol and 20 g/l n-hexadecane (40 cycles). The alkanotrophic strain R. wratislawiensis BN38 preferably degraded hexadecane rather than phenol. SEM revealed well preserved cells entrapped in the heterogeneous super-macroporous structure of the cryogel which allowed unhindered mass transfer of xenobiotics. The immobilized strain can be used in real conditions for the treatment of contaminated industrial waste water.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilla De-Leon ◽  
Francesco Pederiva

From the end of June 2021, the state of Israel, where ~60\% of the population is vaccinated with an mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine, has an increase in the daily morbidity. This increase may be a result of different events: a temporal decline of the vaccine's efficacy; Lower efficacy of the vaccine against the current Delta ( (B.1.617.2) variant (which is now the dominant strain in Israel); A result of lack of social restrictions, a highly contagious variant, or any combination of the above. We found, by using a novel spatial-dynamic model and recent {aggregate} data from Israel, that this new surge of cases is partiality due to a decline in the shielding of those who were vaccinated about six months ago. Also, we found a decrease in the vaccine's efficacy against severe morbidity for the early elderly population compared to the rest of the vaccinated population. These results, which are consistent with recent studies, emphasize the high ability of the model in evaluating the time- and age-dependent efficacy of the vaccine for different age groups and enables to predict the spread of the pandemic as a function of such efficacy.


Equilibrium ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Banaszewska

Research background: Local public investments satisfy basic local communities’ needs and are crucial from the perspective of regional convergence. Against this background, investments by the Polish local government pose as an interesting research subject. It is because, due to its size and dynamics, local public investments exert a considerably significant influence on the Polish economy. Self-government entities with primary responsibility for conducting local public in-vestments in Poland are municipalities. Purpose of the article: The paper aims to identify fiscal, demographic and infra-structural determinants of municipal investment spending in Poland. Methods: We use panel data for 2,412 Polish municipalities over the period 2007–2014. For institutional reasons, the sample excludes cities with county rights. The baseline specification employs two-way fixed-effects (FE) estimation that controls both for municipality and year fixed effects. To test for robustness, the sample is restricted to municipalities with up to 20,000; 10,000 and 5,000 inhabitants. For each considered sample, there are four regression specifications. Findings & Value added: Investment spending increases both in own revenues and grants. On the contrary, we document the negative impact of indebtedness level and the coverage of water supply and sewage systems. The coefficients on population size and the share of old inhabitants cease to be negative and statistically significant for municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. The results indicate that, apart from fiscal capacity, the investment policies of Polish municipalities are affected by economies of scale, local communities’ preferences and infrastructural endowment. The study also shows that incurring debt should be of particular concern for supervisory and control bodies.


Author(s):  
. Mustaruddin ◽  
Domu Simbolon ◽  
Mohammad Khotib

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>Segara Anakan, Cilacap Regency is an important marine fisheries producer in Central Java <br />Province, especially for shrimps. The objective of this study were to analyze the production and <br />fishing ground of shrimps, to analyze dynamic patterns of shrimps cat ch affected by sedimentation <br />and  industrial waste in Segara  Anakan, and to develop intervention option to the degradation  of <br />shrimp  catch  as  well.   Some  methods  were  used  in  this  study  such  as  descriptive  method, <br />geographic information system, and dynamic model approach included the test of model structural <br />stability and performance. In  2002–2013, the highest production of shrimps in the Segara Anakan <br />was in 2006 (2263.0 ton) and the lowest was in 2010 (884.7 ton). Fishing ground of shrimp in the <br />Segara  Anakan  already  had high total suspended solid, and also  low contaminated oil and  lead <br />(Pb). Results of dynamic model analysis showed that shrimp catch degraded exponentially along <br />with the increasing of sediment accumulation and industrial waste. Shrimps production in 2013 was <br />1147.8  tons,  and  might  decrease   43.04  %  to  be  653.8  tons  over  75  years  later  without <br />intervention. If the model was intervenced by fishing open -close system and limited acces fishing <br />ground,  hence  shrimps  catch  showing  stable  around  902.2–929.1  ton  every  year.  While  if  the <br />intervention was conducted by the stopping of industrial waste to Segara Anakan, hence shrimps <br />catch only decrease 13.00 % to be 998.6 tons over 75 years later.<br /><br />Keywords: dynamic model, fishing ground, industrial waste, shrimp catch</p><p><strong><br /></strong></p><p><strong>Abstrak</strong></p><p><strong></strong>ABSTRAK<br />Segara Anakan, Kabupaten Cilacap merupakan basis produksi perikanan laut yang penting <br />di  Provinsi  Jawa  Tengah  terutama  jenis  udang.   Penelitian  ini  bertujuan  menganalisis  kondisi <br />produksi dan daerah penangkapan udang, menganalisis pola dinamis penurunan hasil tangkapan <br />udang  akibat  pengaruh  pengendapan  dan  pembuangan  limbah  industri  di  kawasan  Segara <br />Anakan,  serta  mengembangkan  alternatif  intervensi  secara  modelling  terhadap  penurunan <br />tersebut.  Metode  yang  digunakan  terdiri  dari  metode  deskriptif,  sistem  informasi  geografi, <br />pendekatan  model  dinamis,  serta  uji  kestabilan  struktur  dan  kinerja  model.  Pada  periode  tahun <br />2002  –  2013, produksi tertinggi udang terjadi pada tahun 2006 (2263,0 ton) dan terendah terjadi <br />pada tahun 2010 (884,7 ton). Daerah penangkapan udang di kawasan Segara Anakan mempunyai <br />total padatan tersuspensi dan kekeruhan yang tinggi, serta tercemar ring an oleh minyak dan logam timbal. Analisis model dinamis menunjukkan bahwa hasil tangkapan udang cenderung menurun <br />secara eksponensial seiring meningkatnya akumulasi endapan  dan cemaran limbah industri dari <br />waktu  ke  waktu.  Hasil  tangkapan  udang  yang  saat  ini  (tahun  2013)  mencapai  1147,8  ton,  bisa <br />menurun 43,04 % menjadi 653,8 ton setelah 75 tahun kemudian. Bila model tersebut diintervensi <br />dalam  bentuk  penerapan  sistem  open-close  dan  pembatasan  daerah  penangkapan  yang  bisa <br />diakses,  maka  hasil  tangkapan  udang  cenderung  stabil  pada  kisaran  angka  902,2  –  929,1  ton <br />setiap  tahunnya.   Akan  tetapi  bila  intervensi  dilakukan  dalam  bentuk  penghentian  pembuangan <br />limbah industri ke kawasan Segara  Anakan  dan sekitarnya, maka hasil  tangkapan udang hanya <br />turun 13,00 % (menjadi 998,6 ton) setelah 75 tahun kemudian.<br /><br />Kata kunci: model dinamis, daerah penangkapan, limbah industri, hasil tangkapan udang</p>


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