scholarly journals Does capacity increase compliance? Examining evidence from European cooperation against air pollution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Kokkvoll Tveit
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
International Agreements ◽  
European Cooperation ◽  
Capacity Increase ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Negative Effect

Abstract Scholars commonly hypothesize that enhanced capacity—improved ability to do as agreed—increases states’ compliance with international agreements. In contrast, using a novel dataset that covers 31 states and three decades of cooperation, I find a negative effect of capacity on compliance. To help explain this seemingly counterintuitive finding, I offer a novel conjecture of the capacity–compliance relationship. In particular, I argue that the effect of capacity may vary substantially across states, because states’ intention to comply constitutes a crucial intervening variable. Among reluctant states pursuing policy goals that affect compliance negatively, high capacity may in fact cause noncompliance. I exemplify the conjecture through evidence from a high-capacity noncompliant state (Norway).

scholarly journals Particulate matter air pollution offsets ozone damage to global crop production

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke D. Schiferl ◽  
Colette L. Heald
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Surface Ozone ◽  
Diffuse Radiation ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Global Food Security ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Pollution Exposure

Abstract. Ensuring global food security requires a comprehensive understanding of environmental pressures on food production, including the impacts of air quality. Surface ozone damages plants and decreases crop production; this effect has been extensively studied. In contrast, the presence of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere can be beneficial to crops given that enhanced light scattering leads to a more even and efficient distribution of photons which can outweigh total incoming radiation loss. This study quantifies the impacts of ozone and PM on the global production of maize, rice, and wheat in 2010 and 2050. We show that accounting for the growing season of these crops is an important factor in determining their air pollution exposure. We find that the effect of PM can offset much, if not all, of the reduction in yield associated with ozone damage. Assuming maximum sensitivity to PM, the current (2010) global net impact of air quality on crop production is positive (+6.0 %, +0.5 %, and +4.9 % for maize, wheat, and rice, respectively). Future emissions scenarios indicate that attempts to improve air quality can result in a net negative effect on crop production in areas dominated by the PM effect. However, we caution that the uncertainty in this assessment is large due to the uncertainty associated with crop response to changes in diffuse radiation; this highlights that more detailed physiological study of this response for common cultivars is crucial.

scholarly journals Pollution, Health, and the Moderating Role of Physical Activity Opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6272
Author(s):  
George B. Cunningham ◽  
Pamela Wicker ◽  
Brian P. McCullough
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Water Pollution ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
The United States ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Particle Matter ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Negative Effect

Air and water pollution have detrimental effects on health, while physical activity opportunities have a positive relationship. The purpose of this study was to explore whether physical activity opportunities moderate the relationships among air and water pollution, and measures of health. Aggregate data were collected at the county level in the United States (n = 3104). Variables included the mean daily density of fine particle matter (air pollution), reported cases of health-related drinking water violations (water pollution), subjective ratings of poor or fair health (overall health), the number of physically and mentally unhealthy (physical and mental health, respectively), and the percentage of people living in close proximity to a park or recreation facility (access to physical activity). Air and water pollution have a significant positive effect on all measures of residents’ poor health, while physical activity opportunities only have a negative effect on overall health and physical health. Access to physical activity only moderates the relationship between air pollution and all health outcomes. Since physical activity behavior can be more rapidly changed than some causes of pollution, providing the resident population with better access to physical activity can represent an effective tool in environmental health policy.

Emissions of Nanoparticles from Small Combustion Equipment with Regard to the Combustion Mode and Wood Humidity

2014 ◽  
Vol 1041 ◽  
pp. 226-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vendula Drastichová ◽  
Lubomír Martiník ◽  
Jiří Horák ◽  
Kamil Krpec ◽  
František Hopan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Flue Gas ◽  
Cascade Impactor ◽  
Solid Particles ◽  
Combustion Mode ◽  
Small Particles ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Combustion Modes ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
Negative Effect

Contamination of air by solid particles is serious problem for human health and also environment, especially in certain regions of the Czech Republic and Poland. Small particles in nano-sizes are more dangerous than same weight of larger size. Negative effect namely of the solid particles depends on number, specific surface area, respirability and bonding of others substances (e.g. PAH, As, Cd, Zn, Cu etc.) which are higher for smaller (nano-sizes) particles compared to larger one. With the approaching winter, yearly problems with distribution of particles from small combustion equipments arise. The annual emission balance indicate that the proportion of small sources to total air pollution (PAH, dust) is surprisingly expressive [1]. For this reason mentioned above this contribution deals with measuring of amount, and distribution of nanoparticles produced form combustion of wood in small combustion unit. <br />For combustion test in grave-free stoves were used three samples of wood (wet spruce, dry spruce and raw spruce) and two combustion modes. Nanoparticles from flue gas were characterized by the aperture low-pressure cascade impactor DLPI (separation and weighing of particles in sizes 30 ηm ÷ 10 µm). Wood were combusted in the form of ¼ logs.

Risk of damage to tomato crops by the generalist zoophytophagous predator Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae)

2009 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Arnó ◽  
C. Castañé ◽  
J. Riudavets ◽  
R. Gabarra
Keyword(s):  
Vegetative Growth ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Lower Number ◽  
Generalist Predator ◽  
Extreme Conditions ◽  
Tomato Crop ◽  
Nesidiocoris Tenuis ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Prey Scarcity

AbstractNesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hem. Miridae) is a native zoophytophagous predator of the Mediterranean region, and its populations colonize tomato crops when they are not heavily treated with insecticides. This generalist predator has a high capacity for controlling insect pests, and it is currently commercially produced and released in some areas to control Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hem. Aleyrodidae). However, its status as a pest and/or as beneficial is controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of damage to tomatoes in extreme conditions of prey scarcity, as well as high predator populations. Three predator densities were tested in a greenhouse cage experiment during a summer tomato crop. The crop did not display any negative effect caused by the predators during the first six weeks of interaction, independently of the density released. However, subsequently, the effect was dramatic, both on the vegetative growth of the plant and on the production of fruits. The reduction in vegetative growth was located at truss eight and it was expressed mainly by a lower number of leaves and a shorter length of the shoot above the truss. There was a significant reduction of yield with a lower number of fruits collected and a smaller mean weight, although this was not observable until truss seven. It seems that feeding on the plant by this mirid bug competed with the vegetative growth and fruiting processes of the plant in the extreme conditions of prey shortage maintained in our experiment.

scholarly journals Particulate matter air pollution may offset ozone damage to global crop production

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 5953-5966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke D. Schiferl ◽  
Colette L. Heald
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Surface Ozone ◽  
Diffuse Radiation ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Global Food Security ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Pollution Exposure

Abstract. Ensuring global food security requires a comprehensive understanding of environmental pressures on food production, including the impacts of air quality. Surface ozone damages plants and decreases crop production; this effect has been extensively studied. In contrast, the presence of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere can be beneficial to crops given that enhanced light scattering leads to a more even and efficient distribution of photons which can outweigh total incoming radiation loss. This study quantifies the impacts of ozone and PM on the global production of maize, rice, and wheat in 2010 and 2050. We show that accounting for the growing season of these crops is an important factor in determining their air pollution exposure. We find that the effect of PM can offset much, if not all, of the reduction in yield associated with ozone damage. Assuming maximum sensitivity to PM, the current (2010) global net impact of air quality on crop production varies by crop (+5.6, −3.7, and +4.5 % for maize, wheat, and rice, respectively). Future emissions scenarios indicate that attempts to improve air quality can result in a net negative effect on crop production in areas dominated by the PM effect. However, we caution that the uncertainty in this assessment is large, due to the uncertainty associated with crop response to changes in diffuse radiation; this highlights that a more detailed physiological study of this response for common cultivars is crucial.

scholarly journals The Impact of Air Pollution on the Development of Inbound Tourism in Chinese Megacities: The Case Study of Beijing, Guangzhou and Chongqing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nianlin Zhou ◽  
Yeli Gu ◽  
Manyuan Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Fixed Effects Model ◽  
Fixed Investment ◽  
Inbound Tourism ◽  
New Business ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact

The existing studies pay more attention to the impact of public transport and other public service facilities on urban air pollution and tourism, but less on the negative effect of air pollution caused by carbon emissions of business fixed investment on inbound tourism. This article attempts to make a supplementary analysis about the above point through examining the correlation between air pollution associate with business fixed investment and the size of inbound tourism based on panel data of three megacities (Beijing, Guangzhou and Chongqing) in China over the period from 2015 to 2019. The findings of this paper show that the effects of air pollution linked with carbon emissions from business fixed investment on the number of inbound tourists (NIT) is a negative correlation, while the influence of GDP per capita and tourism revenue on NIT reveal a positive relationship by applying fixed effects model for benchmark regression and the system-GMM estimator for robustness check. Moreover, the negative influence of PM 10 on sample cities is more than PM2.5. Some different results of core variables between benchmark and sub-sample regressions don’t imply the above conclusion to be substantively changed because of different distribution and concentration of nominal inbound tourists in specific sample megacities. In order to fundamentally improve air quality and to stimulate the development of inbound tourism, the suggestion of this study is to promote new business fixed investment with clean energy of renewable and low carbon.

Acute Diesel Exhaust Exposure Causes a Delayed Reduction in Cognitive Control

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Faherty ◽  
Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit ◽  
Rami Alfarra ◽  
Angus R MacKenzie ◽  
Gordon McFiggans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Diesel Exhaust ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Attention Task ◽  
Air Exposure ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
Pollution Exposure

Abstract Urban residents are frequently exposed to high levels of traffic-derived air pollution for short time periods, often (but not exclusively) during commuting. Although chronic air pollution exposure and health effects, including neurological effects on children and older adults, are known to be correlated, causal effects of acute pollution exposure on brain function in healthy young adults remain sparsely investigated. Neuroinflammatory accounts suggest effects could be delayed by several hours and could affect attention, especially in social contexts. Using a controlled atmosphere chamber, we exposed 81 healthy young adults to either diluted diesel exhaust (equivalent to polluted roadside environments) or clean air for one hour. Half of each group immediately completed a selective attention task to assess cognitive control; remaining participants completed the task after a 4-hour delay. Cognitive control was significantly poorer after diesel versus clean air exposure for those in the delay but not immediate test condition, suggesting an inflammatory basis for this acute negative effect of air pollution on cognition. These findings provide the first experimental evidence that acute diesel exposure, comparable to polluted city streets, causes a negative effect on cognitive control several hours later. These findings may explain commuter mental fatigue and support clean-air initiatives.

scholarly journals The Effects of Outdoor Air Pollution Concentrations and Lockdowns on Covid-19 Infections in Wuhan and Other Provincial Capitals in China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Han ◽  
Jacqueline CK Lam ◽  
Victor OK Li ◽  
Peiyang Guo ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Infection Rate ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Outdoor Air Pollution ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The City ◽  
Pollution Concentrations

Background: Covid-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China in Dec 2019. Since then, it has been transmitted rapidly in China and the rest of the world. While Covid-19 transmission rate has been declining in China, it is increasing exponentially in Europe and America. Although there are numerous studies examining Covid-19 infection, including an archived paper looking into the meteorological effect, the role of outdoor air pollution has yet to be explored rigorously. It has been shown that air pollution will weaken the immune system, and increase the rate of respiratory virus infection. We postulate that outdoor air pollution concentrations will have a negative effect on Covid-19 infections in China, whilst lockdowns, characterized by strong social distancing and home isolation measures, will help to moderate such negative effect. Methods: We will collect the number of daily confirmed Covid-19 cases in 31 provincial capital cities in China during the period of 1 Dec 2019 to 20 Mar 2020 (from a popular Chinese online platform which aggregates all cases reported by the Chinese national/provincial health authorities). We will also collect daily air pollution and meteorology data at the city-level (from the Chinese National Environmental Monitoring Center and the US National Climatic Data Center), daily inter-city migration flows and intra-city movements (from Baidu). City-level demographics including age distribution and gender, education, and median household income can be obtained from the statistical yearbooks. City-level co-morbidity indicators including rates of chronic disease and co-infection can be obtained from related research articles. A regression model is developed to model the relationship between the infection rate of Covid-19 (number of confirmed cases/population at the city level) and outdoor air pollution at the city level, after taking into account confounding factors such as meteorology, inter- and intra-city movements, demographics, and co-morbidity and co-infection rates. In particular, we shall study how air pollution affects infection rates across different cities, including Wuhan. Our model will also study air pollution would affect infection rates in Wuhan before and after the lockdown. Expected findings: We expect there be a correlation between Covid-19 infection rate and outdoor air pollution. We also expect that reduced intra-city movement after the lockdowns in Wuhan and the rest of China will play an important role in reducing the infection rate. Interpretation: Infection rate is growing exponentially in major cities worldwide. We expect Covid-19 infection rate is related to the air pollution concentration, and is strongly dependent on inter- and intra-city movements. To reduce the infection rate, the international community may deploy effective air pollution reduction plans and social distancing policies.

scholarly journals Sprayed Water Flowrate, Temperature and Drop Size Effects on Small Capacity Flue Gas Condenser’s Performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivita Priedniece ◽  
Elvis Kalnins ◽  
Vladimirs Kirsanovs ◽  
Mikelis Dzikevics ◽  
Dagnija Blumberga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Flue Gas ◽  
Operating Mode ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Treatment Technology ◽  
Optimal Operating ◽  
Gas Treatment ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Flue Gas Treatment

Abstract One of the main pollution types is air pollution, which has a significant impact on the surrounding environment and on living beings. Major source of air pollution is combustion processes. There are many flue gas treatment technologies around the world. In this paper a new, innovative flue gas treatment technology – fog unit – is introduced. The goal of the fog unit is to treat flue gases that are emitted from households. In the European Union, including Latvia, at the beginning of 2020, a directive will come into effect that will set limits for emissions and the effectiveness for incinerators in households. The main focus of this study was to determine the most optimal operating mode for the fog unit by changing different operating parameters: sprayed water temperature, sprayed water flowrate and types of nozzles (drop diameters). Results show that the most optimal operating mode in terms of flue gas treatment efficiency and recovered energy is at water temperature: 20 °C, sprayed water flowrate: 250 l/h and nozzle: MPL1.12 M. However, electrical consumption of water circulation pump leaves negative effect on this operating mode.

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