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This paper connects the concept of involvement with recreational fishing and decision rules, namely regret-minimizing vs. utility-maximizing when making choices related to the activity. We hypothesized that people who are more involved show regret-minimizing rather than utility-maximizing behavior. In support, we found that behavioral commitment, measured as avidity in fishing, and psychological involvement (measured by centrality of angling in the lifestyle of the respondent) was significantly related to the decision rule, correlating with regret-minimizing behavior, while skill, specific attitudes toward the catch and place attachment were unrelated to the decision rules that respondents followed. In our sample, regret-minimizers were dominant and preferred more restrictive harvest policies (i.e., lower daily bag limits or harvest slots over minimum-size limits). Welfare estimates of policy changes were sensitive to the decision rule and were substantially lower when assuming regret minimizing behavior than when assuming utility maximization. We conclude that regret-minimizing behavior may be a characteristic of more involved anglers, with relevant implications for welfare estimation and derivation of policy advice. • The random regret minimization model is applied to the recreational fishing context. • We conceptually and empirically connect involvement and regret minimization. • More involved anglers are more likely to be regret minimizers compared to utility maximizers. • Regret minimizing is associated with more conservation-oriented behavior. • Large difference in welfare changes between utility maximizers and regret minimizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the introduction of its energy concept in 2010, the German government set ambitious targets for the country's energy and climate policy. According to this concept, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will have to be reduced by 80% by 2050, as compared to 1990 levels, and renewables will have to supply 80% of all electricity needs by the same year. Additionally, Germany has decided to phase out its nuclear energy by 2022. This study investigates the possible components to achieve these targets. The analysis is based on an hourly simulation model EnergyPlan. Three scenarios are developed to investigate the potential development of the German energy supply system until 2050. The results indicate renewable shares of 92% and 81% for scenarios B and A, respectively, by 2050 compared to 69% in the reference scenario. The proposed renewable energy system is even found to involve lower costs than today's energy system (i.e. total annual cost for scenario B is € 260 bn compared to € 293 bn in the reference scenario). The results show that a massive decarbonization of the German energy system until 2050 seems technically and economically feasible, if smart grid costs are disregarded and if this sustainable energy transformation is accompanied by political and genuine public willingness to actually achieve the set goals and take the necessary steps. • In this paper low carbon technologies are used to estimate the CO 2 mitigation potential in Germany. • The EnergyPlan model has been used in this work. • Three scenarios are developed by considering different policies for Germany. • The result shows 90% CO 2 emission reduction and 92% renewable generation possible in B scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Participation processes can improve environmental decision-making. However, proving the impact of participation processes – i.e. decision-making involving diverse actors from civil society, business, state, and administration – is challenging. This paper therefore examines participation processes by applying proxy measures that are assumed to strongly correlate with improved environmental decision-making. Such indicators include the perception of the process as being fair and legitimate, the final outcomes being considered effective and efficient, satisfaction with one's own engagement and the development of trust, and conflict resolution. Participation process characteristics such as participation format and facilitation are assumed to have an impact on these indicators. This study examined participation processes in relation to the German energy transformation (Energiewende), asking respondents about their experience of participation, their perception of the process, and also about intermediate outcomes such as trust building and conflict resolution. An online survey was conducted, resulting in 516 valid responses. The results show that participation processes related to the Energiewende are often perceived as fair and legitimate. Moreover, the findings provide a better understanding of the relationships between participation process characteristics and desirable intermediate outcomes, such as trust and conflict resolution, as well as normative process factors. The intensity of a participation process – i.e. whether it is dialogic or a written consultation process – had no significant influence either on normative process factors, such as procedural fairness, or on trust or conflict resolution. Instead, a trustworthy moderator and the integration of all affected interests are important participation process characteristics that could determine the success of the decision-making process. Highlights • The results of an online Survey (N = 516) are presented. • Participation processes related to the German energy transformation are positively perceived. • Participatory approaches can enhance trust building. • Participation has limited capacity to resolve conflicts. • Participation intensity is less important than participants diversity and facilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the likelihood and timing of housing tenure choice dynamics including both the initial transition to homeownership, and possible transitions back to rental tenure and to an additional owned home. This is done across the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). Further, housing price data is added for both countries. For the US, data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and Census data were used construct measures of house price appreciation and the relative cost of owning to renting. For Germany, proprietary data from BulwienGesa AG was used to construct comparable indices. Observed differentials in tenure transitions appear to be consistent with the differences in housing and mortgage market conditions, as well as the tax treatment of owned homes across the two nations. In particular, while there is substantial house price appreciation in the US, on average house prices fall over the same period in Germany. In addition, mortgage interest is not tax deductible in Germany, alternative mortgage options available in the US are not prevalent there, and down payment requirements are much greater. Consequently, German households have a much lower probability of homeownership and there is only a small likelihood of those who initially achieve homeownership returning to rental tenure or moving to another owned home. In contrast, households in the United States have a very high likelihood of homeownership, but the housing market appears much more volatile with a high likelihood that households will return to rental tenure, and subsequently achieve homeownership for a second time during the period of observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The First World War hit Germany severely, particularly the agricultural sector, because the outbreak came unexpected and its duration exceeded all expectations. Many resources necessary for agricultural production were required by the war economy and led to shortages and shrinking supplies. Many agricultural laborers were drafted and the blockade imposed by the allies prevented Germany from a great deal of imports. As a consequence, the nutritional situation was devastating, particularly after 1916, and hit all groups of the German society. The period under observation provides one of most drastic natural experiments in the 20th century. This study uses anthropometric data from German soldiers who served in the Second World War to trace living standards between the 1900s and the 1920s. In contrast to other approaches, this paper is able to distinguish between social groups by occupation, religious denomination, regional origin, and city size. The results suggest that although all social strata were hit by famine conditions, the height of farmers, urban citizens, Catholics, and especially individuals born in the highly integrated food-import regions along the coast and the banks of the Rhine declined most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes to exploit a reform in legal rules of corporate governance to identify contractual incentives from the correlation of executive pay and firm performance. In particular, we refer to a major shift in the legal and institutional environment, the reform of the German joint-stock companies act in 1884. We analyze a sample of executive pay for 46 firms for the years 1870–1911. In 1884, a legal reform substantially enhanced corporate control, strengthened the monitoring incentives of shareholders, and reduced the discretionary power of executives in Germany. The pay–performance sensitivity decreased significantly after this reform. While executives received a bonus of about 3–5% in profits before 1884, after the reform this parameter decreased to a profit share of about 2%. At least the profit share that is eliminated by the reform most likely was incentive pay before. This incentive mechanism was replaced by other elements of corporate governance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to recommend a rapid conceptual classification model for Sustainable Flood Retention Basins (SFRB) used to control runoff in a temperate climate. An SFRB is an aesthetically pleasing retention basin predominantly used for flood protection adhering to sustainable drainage and best management practices. The classification model was developed on the basis of a database of 141 SFRB using the River Rhine catchment in Baden (part of Baden-Württemberg, Germany) as a case study. It is based on an agglomerative cluster analysis and is intended to be used by engineers and scientists to adequately classify the following different types of SFRB: Hydraulic Flood Retention Basin, Traditional Flood Retention Basin, Sustainable Flood Retention Wetland, Aesthetic Flood Retention Wetland, Integrated Flood Retention Wetland and Natural Flood Retention Wetland. The selection of classification variables was supported by a principal component analysis. The identification of SFRB in the data set was based on a Ward cluster analysis of 34 weighted classification variables. Scoring tables were defined to enable the assignment of the six SFRB definitions to retention basins in the data set. The efficiency of these tables was based on a scoring system which gave the conceptual model for the example case study sites an overall efficiency of approximately 60% (as opposed to 17% by chance). This conceptual classification model should be utilized to improve communication by providing definitions for SFRB types. The classification definitions are likely to be applicable for other regions with both temperate oceanic and temperate continental climates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper studies the impact of Low Emission Zones, restricting the access of high-emission vehicles to inner-city areas, on hospitalizations. For identification, we exploit variation in the timing and the spatial distribution of the introduction of new Low Emission Zones across cities in Germany since 2008. We combine detailed geo-coded hospitalization data from the universe of German hospitals with the geographic coverage of Low Emission Zones over the period from 2006 to 2016. We find that Low Emission Zones reduce levels of air pollution in urban areas. These improvements in air quality translate into small but statistically significant population health benefits by lowering the share of diagnoses related to air pollution for hospitals located within a Low Emission Zone after it becomes effective. The results are mainly driven by reductions in circulatory and chronic lower respiratory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In spite of a food system which in many ways appear to be functioning very well, lower levels of consumer trust in food are found in Germany than in similar countries. The paper argues that this reflects the German food system in transition. An unclear division of responsibilities between state institutions from local to European level as well as between the state and the food industry made it possible for all actors to blame each other for food safety problems. German food crisis related to BSE opened a window of opportunity for change, but due to lack of cooperation and consensus consistent and profound changes are still somewhat missing. There is a need not only for new central institutions but as well for policies of transparency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we discuss the causal relationship between growth of bank assets and economic performance (economic growth, capital accumulation, productivity). We analyze new data for German banking (Burhop, C., 2002. Die Entwicklung der deutschen Aktienkreditbanken von 1848 bis 1913: Quantifizierungsversuche. Bankhistorisches Archiv 28, 103–128.) and improved national accounting data (Burhop, C., Wolff, G.B., 2005. A compromise estimate of Germany’s Net National Product 1851–1913 and its relevance for economic growth and cycles. forthcoming, Journal of Economic History.) with several recent VAR/VEC based causality tests. Only weak evidence for a causal influence of banks on economic performance on a nation-wide level is detected. On the other hand, the results support the bank-led growth hypothesis for the modern sector of the German economy. In particular, joint-stock credit banks positively influenced capital formation during the early decades of Germany’s industrialization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper aims to investigate the causal relationship among renewable energy technologies, biomass energy consumption, per capita GDP, and CO 2 emissions for Germany. We constructed an innovative algorithm, the Quantum model, and applied it with Machine Learning experiments – through a software capable of emulating a quantum system – to data over the period of 1990–2018. This process is possible after eliminating the "irreversibility" of classical computations (unitary transformations) by making the process "reversible". The empirical findings support the powerful role of biomass energy in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, although the effect of renewable energy technology displays a much stronger magnitude. Moreover, income remains an important determinant of environmental pollution in Germany. • An innovative Machine Learning algorithm (the Quantum model) has been constructed and applied. • The empirical findings support the powerful role of biomass energy in reducing CO 2 emissions. • GDP represents an important determinant of environmental pollution in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]