Battle against smog will cost China heavily

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
National Oil Companies ◽  
Home Heating

Subject Air pollution in China. Significance Hundreds of factories in Shandong province, the country's third largest provincial economy, will remain closed this winter for between two and four months, state media reported today. Record levels of air pollution last winter forced local governments to suspend industrial production, close schools and reduce road traffic. Despite sustained efforts by central and local authorities since then, pollution levels rose in the first seven months of this year compared to last. The environment ministry has responded with a comprehensive plan to cut pollution before winter when burning fuel for heating makes pollution levels soar. Impacts The switch from coal to natural gas will raise China's total gas consumption and probably its gas imports. National oil companies will be squeezed between the high cost of domestic production and relatively low city-gate prices. Imported liquified natural gas imports may provide a more attractive source of supply than domestic resources. The shift from coal to gas in home heating will put a heavy burden on low-income households.

Exposure and Income: Preliminary Findings on Labor Supply on High Pollution Days

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridget Hoffmann ◽  
Juan Pablo Rud
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Labor Supply ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Pm 2.5 ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
High Pollution ◽  
Average Worker

We study labor supply decisions on days with high levels of air pollution in Mexico City's metropolitan area using hourly levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) air pollution at the locality level. We document a negative, non-linear relationship between PM 2.5 levels and daily labor supply, with strong effects on days with extremely high pollution levels. On these days, the average worker experiences a reduction of around 7.5% of working hours. Workers partially compensate for lost hours by increasing their labor supply on days that follow high pollution days. We provide evidence that income constraints may play an important role in workers labor supply decisions, as we find more moderate responses among informal and low-income workers.

scholarly journals Participatory Approach to Gap Analysis between Policy and Practice Regarding Air Pollution in Ger Areas of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3309
Author(s):  
Bonjun Koo ◽  
Jong-Il Na ◽  
Throstur Thorsteinsson ◽  
Ana Maria Cruz
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Government

Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, suffers from severe air pollution during the long winter months, and its air pollution levels are among the highest in the world. Residents in the ger areas of Ulaanbaatar are unable to take advantage of the laws and policy regulations to reduce air pollution despite years of efforts to address this issue by international and local organizations including the government of Mongolia (GoM). Important challenges and barriers that have limited the success of various governmental policies that tackle air pollution problems were identified through participatory approaches. In order to do this, personal interviews were conducted with various stakeholders such as officials from central and local governments, government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations, and academia. Moreover, a workshop was conducted to elucidate the views of ger area community members in Ulaanbaatar. Based on the results of these interviews and workshop, the gaps between the policy approaches of the government, the actual conditions, and the desired situations of the residents to improve air quality in Ulaanbaatar were analyzed. The large gaps that were identified between the national and local perspectives on air pollution issues demonstrated that the reduction of air pollution in Ulaanbaatar requires solving fundamental and complex problems based on a better understanding of the specific conditions and needs of the residents of the ger areas. Moreover, active participation and discussion of the residents at the workshop indicated that community-based approaches could be applied in the cultural context of Mongolia with promising results in finding solutions.

scholarly journals Acute Effects of Air Pollution and Noise from Road Traffic in a Panel of Young Healthy Subjects

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanns Moshammer ◽  
Julian Panholzer ◽  
Lisa Ulbing ◽  
Emanuel Udvarhelyi ◽  
Barbara Ebenbauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Busy Road

Twenty-four healthy students walked at least four times for 1 hour under each of the four settings: by a busy road; by a busy road wearing ear plugs; in a park; and in a park but exposed to traffic noise (65 dB) through speakers. Particle mass (smaller than 2.5 and 1 µm, PM1 and PM2.5, (respectively)particle number and noise levels were measured throughout each walk. Lung function and exhaled nitric oxide (NO) were measured before, immediately after, 1 hour after, and approximately 24 h after each walk. Blood pressure and heart-rate variability were measured every 15 min during each walk. Air pollution levels reduced lung function levels; noise levels reduced systolic blood pressure and heart-rate variability.

Low oil prices put pressure on China's energy policy

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Prices ◽  
International Market ◽  
Domestic Demand ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
National Oil Companies ◽  
Financial Pressure ◽  
Difficult Time

Subject Effect of low oil prices on China. Significance China is the world's second-largest oil user and imports nearly 60% of its annual requirements. If oil prices remain below 50 dollars per barrel, China's import bill for crude oil will fall by tens of billions of dollars in 2015, while the national oil companies (NOCs) face a difficult time as their profits from oil production are squeezed. However, the consequences are not straightforward due to the government's role in setting energy prices and the mix of commercial and state objectives of the NOCs. Impacts Financial pressure on China's NOCs will not be as great as on their international counterparts. The NOCs are likely to embark on a spree of buying overseas oil and gas assets. With contracted gas supplies exceeding domestic demand, Chinese LNG importers will sell surplus on the international market.

Entrepreneurial implications of Nigeria's oil industry local content policy

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ugwushi Bellema Ihua ◽  
Olatunde Abiodun Olabowale ◽  
Kamdi Nnanna Eloji ◽  
Chris Ajayi
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
General Level ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Local Content ◽  
National Oil Companies ◽  
Indigenous Entrepreneurs ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficacy of Nigeria's oil and gas industry local content (LC) policy, with particular reference to how the policy has enhanced entrepreneurial activities and served as panacea to resolving some of the country's socio‐economic challenges within the oil‐producing Niger Delta region.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were randomly obtained from a questionnaire sample of 120 indigenes in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states; and subjected to factor‐analysis using varimax rotation to identify the most crucial factors likely to influence the success of the policy. Cronbach's α was also applied to ascertain the reliability of the data and overall agreement amongst respondents.FindingsThe study reveals a general level of indifference amongst the respondents, and an insignificant level of entrepreneurial implication, regarding the LC policy. Notwithstanding, the need to create business prospects, jobs opportunities, and establish special quota arrangements to benefit indigenes of the oil producing host‐communities were found to be most crucial in their assessment of the policy's efficacy.Practical implicationsIt is expected that the policy should stimulate and open up more channels for budding entrepreneurial activities, job opportunities and wealth generation. These would mitigate situations of unwarranted militant activities, social disorder and disguised criminalities such as kidnapping and destruction of oil installations, resulting from perceived marginalisation, massive unemployment and poor living standards experienced within the region.Originality/valueThe study provides insights into how the LC policy, if properly harnessed and judiciously implemented, can generate win‐win outcomes for the nation, multi‐national oil companies, host communities and indigenous entrepreneurs.

scholarly journals Congestion charge, air pollution and children’s school attendance: benefitting the poor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Risto CONTE KEIVABU ◽  
Tobias Rüttenauer
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
The Poor ◽  
School Absences

Air pollution negatively affects individuals’ health and human capital accumulation. For example, students school performance is hampered by air pollution as it decreases cognitive abilities and increases absences. Moreover, low-income students are the most exposed and vulnerable to the negative effects of air pollution lacking protective resources and suffering from pre-existing health conditions. Here, we inquire how more stringent traffic regulations implemented in Central London from late 2015 affected pollution levels and school absences. First, we observe a substantive decrease in pollution in the area affected by the regulations from 2016. Secondly, we use a Difference in Difference approach to estimate the causal effect of the policy on air pollution and school absences. For all schools combined, findings do not show any substantive improvement in attendance. However, when looking at the heterogeneous effects of the policy, we observe a larger decrease in absences for Low socioeconomic status (SES) students. Moreover, we find a positive spillover effect for schools just outside the area targeted by the policy. Consequently, the findings highlight the efficacy of environmental policy in diminishing pollution levels and to benefit the poor.

scholarly journals Do segregated housing markets have a spillover effect on housing prices in nearby residential areas?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ismail ◽  
Abukar Warsame ◽  
Mats Wilhelmsson
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Housing Prices ◽  
Spillover Effect ◽  
Housing Markets ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
High Income ◽  
Housing Values ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Property Assessment

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyse the trends regarding housing segregation over the past 10–20 years and determine whether housing segregation has a spillover effect on neighbouring housing areas. Namely, the authors set out to determine whether proximity to a specific type of segregated housing market has a negative impact on nearby housing markets while proximity to another type of segregated market has a positive impact. Design/methodology/approach For the purposes of this paper, the authors must combine information on segregation within a city with information on property values in the city. The authors have, therefore, used data on the income of the population and data on housing values taken from housing transactions. The case study used is the city of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The empirical analysis will be the estimation of the traditional hedonic pricing model. It will be estimated for the condominium market. Findings The results indicate that segregation, when measured as income sorting, has increased over time in some of the housing markets. Its effects on housing values in neighbouring housing areas are significant and statistically significant. Research limitations/implications A better understanding of the different potential spillover effects on housing prices in relation to the spatial distribution of various income groups would be beneficial in determining appropriate property assessment levels. In other words, awareness of this spillover effect could improve existing property assessment methods and provide local governments with extra information to make an informed decision on policies and services needed in different neighbourhoods. Practical implications On housing prices emanating from proximity to segregated areas with high income differs from segregated areas with low income, policies that address socio-economic costs and benefits, as well as property assessment levels, should reflect this pronounced difference. On the property level, positive spillover on housing prices near high-income segregated areas will cause an increase in the number of higher income groups and exacerbate segregation based on income. Contrarily, negative spillover on housing prices near low-income areas might discourage high-income households from moving to a location near low-income segregated areas. Local government should be aware of these spillover effects on housing prices to ensure that policies intended to reduce socioeconomic segregation, such as residential and income segregation, produce desirable results. Social implications Furthermore, a good estimation of these spillover effects on housing prices would allow local governments to carry out a cost–benefit analysis for policies intended to combat segregation and invest in deprived communities. Originality/value The main contribution of this paper is to go beyond the traditional studies of segregation that mainly emphasise residential segregation based on income levels, i.e. low-income or high-income households. The authors have analysed the spillover effect of proximity to hot spots (high income) and cold spots (low income) on the housing values of nearby condominiums or single-family homes within segregated areas in Stockholm Municipality in 2013.

Local determinants of road traffic noise levels versus determinants of air pollution levels in a Mediterranean city

2011 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Foraster ◽  
Alexandre Deltell ◽  
Xavier Basagaña ◽  
Mercedes Medina-Ramón ◽  
Inmaculada Aguilera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Road Traffic Noise ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Mediterranean City

scholarly journals Air Quality Measurement using Computer Vision and CCTV Footage of Road Traffic

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 4177-4181
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Quality Measurement ◽  
Indian Government ◽  
Vehicular Pollution ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Robust Model ◽  
Video Feed ◽  
Monitoring Stations

Air Quality is at a steady state of decline throughout the world. While the Indian government, in particular, has been deploying monitoring stations across multiple cities to not only monitor but also establish a cause and effect relationship when it comes to air pollution, these monitoring stations clearly, don’t suffice the actual demands for building a robust model for Air Quality Index. Our goal here is to reduce costs in terms of hardware deployment while, at the same time, provide a higher number of data points of collection on pre-existing infrastructure. The project aims at calculating the air pollution factors at the suburban level using Vehicular Emissions. The idea is to identify the number and type of vehicles from a video feed and then estimate the vehicular pollution levels using the data collected.

South Asia explores LNG for commercial transport

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Liquefied Natural Gas ◽  
Domestic Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inland Waterways ◽  
Cheap Alternative

Subject LNG use in transport. Significance The expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) import infrastructure in South Asia was designed to address natural gas deficits as consumption was constrained by a lack of domestic production. However, it has also created the opportunity to use LNG as a relatively clean and cheap alternative to diesel for trucks, buses and vessels in inland waterways. Impacts India is a particularly promising growth market for LNG equipment suppliers. LNG use in transport would help reduce city air pollution. The shift to LNG would help South Asia cut its oil import bill.

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