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Agricultural emissions account for 53% of 2010 global non-CO2emissions and are projected to increase substantially over the next 20 years, especially in Asia, Latin America and Africa. While agriculture is a substantial source of emissions, it is also generally considered to be a potential source of cost-effective non-CO2GHG abatement. Previous “bottom-up” analyses provided marginal abatement cost (MAC) curves for use in modeling these options within economy-wide and global mitigation analyses. In this paper, we utilize updated economic and biophysical data and models developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate regional mitigation potential for major sources of agricultural GHG emissions. In addition, we explore mitigation potential available at costs at or below the estimated benefits of mitigation, as represented by the social cost of carbon. Key enhancements over previous regional assessments include incorporation of additional mitigation options, updated baseline emissions projections, greater spatial disaggregation, and development of MAC curves through 2030. For croplands and rice cultivation, biophysical, process-based models (DAYCENT and DNDC) are used to simulate yields and net GHG emissions under baseline and mitigation scenarios while the livestock sector is modeled by applying key mitigation options to baselines compiled by EPA. MAC curves are generated accounting for net GHG reductions, yield effects, livestock productivity effects, commodity prices, labor requirements, and capital costs where appropriate. MAC curves are developed at the regional level and reveal large potential for non-CO2GHG mitigation at low carbon prices, especially in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Better targeting of fertilizer application can result in yields that meet or exceed those achieved without improved targeting while reducing total fertilizer use. However, in many growing regions, it may be difficult for farmers to access the necessary data to inform improved fertilizer use. The GreenSeeker Handheld is a low-cost technology that can be used to improve the efficiency of fertilizer applications by providing farmers with recommendations for the amount of nitrogen (N) to apply mid-season to meet the needs of their crops. The technology has been utilized on nearly 2,000 farmer fields representing more than 60,000 hectares in three regions of Mexico. In this study, the net effects of this technology on economic and environmental outcomes for these farmers were assessed. Specifically, farmer field-level data and locally derived greenhouse gas emission factors were analyzed and use of the GreenSeeker Handheld was estimated to have led to a total of $2.6 M USD in additional profits and more than 14,300 tons CO2e of avoided emissions. However, not all farmers utilizing this technology followed the resulting recommendations. Participating farmers that did not follow the recommendations experienced lower profits, indicating that benefits would have been larger had participants applied fertilizer at the levels recommended for their fields. In addition, the total benefits of higher farm profits and reduced emissions could be scaled up significantly if this technology were applied more broadly. However, development and implementation of the technology had been supported by subsidies and further efforts would be needed to make it sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic economic theory predicts that a consumer's willingness to pay for a good is affected by the availability of complements and substitutes. In an auction setting, this theory implies that the presence of complements would increase bid prices for a good, while the presence of substitutes would decrease bid prices for a good. We designed an experiment that allows the calculation of inverse elasticities, the inverse-demand equivalent of conventional price elasticities. Our results show that the availability of complements and substitutes affects bids in the expected directions. This finding has important implications for researchers who design experimental auctions. Selon la théorie économique de base, la volonté de payer d'un consommateur pour obtenir un bien est influencée par la disponibilité de compléments et de substituts. Dans un scénario de vente aux enchères, cette théorie implique que la présence de compléments ferait augmenter le prix offert pour un bien, tandis que la présence de substituts ferait diminuer le prix offert. Nous avons conçu une expérience qui a permis de calculer les élasticités inverses, l'équivalent de la demande inverse des élasticités-prix classiques. Nos résultats ont montré que la disponibilité de compléments et de substituts influence les offres d'achat dans les directions prévues. Cette observation a d'importantes répercussions pour les chercheurs qui conçoivent des ventes aux enchères expérimentales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks of infectious animal diseases represent a major threat to agriculture and can impose significant social and economic costs. The potential for devastating epidemics, such as the recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Asia, Europe, and Africa, has prompted major global investments in animal disease prevention and control, both public and private. However, there has been little research into the effects of alternative public policies on farm-level actions to prevent and control HPAI and the implications for disease impacts. Animal disease management involves both ex ante investments to reduce the probability of infection and ex post actions to contain the spread of disease once introduced. The public sector can play an important part in disease mitigation through provision of public disease prevention and control. Another vital role for government in mitigating the potential impacts of HPAI is in the development of well-designed policies to induce socially optimal ex ante private investment while providing incentives for truthful disclosure of disease status. This study employs an economic epidemiology framework to examine the effects of farmer behavior on disease introduction and transmission and to analyze the effects of public policy decisions under alternative scenarios. Les éclosions de maladies animales infectieuses représentent une menace importante pour l’agriculture et peuvent entraîner des coûts socio-économiques considérables. L’éventualité d’épidémies dévastatrices, telles que les récentes flambées d’influenza aviaire hautement pathogène (IAHP) en Asie, en Europe et en Afrique, a suscité d’importants investissements publics et privés à l’échelle mondiale pour prévenir et lutter contre ces maladies. Cependant, peu de recherches se sont penchées sur les effets des politiques publiques de rechange sur les mesures prises à la ferme pour prévenir et lutter contre l’IAHP et les répercussions des maladies. La gestion des maladies animales nécessite des investissements ex ante pour diminuer la probabilité d’infection et des mesures ex poste pour contenir la propagation d’une maladie une fois introduite. Le secteur public peut jouer un rôle important dans l’atténuation d’une maladie en instaurant des programmes publics de prévention et de lutte. Pour atténuer les conséquences potentielles de l’IAHP, le gouvernement peut élaborer des politiques efficaces pour inciter des investissements privés ex ante socialement optimaux tout en offrant des stimulants pour encourager la divulgation véridique de la situation zoosanitaire. Dans la présente étude, nous avons utilisé un cadre épidémiologique et économique pour examiner les conséquences du comportement de l’exploitant agricole sur l’introduction et la transmission des maladies et pour analyser les conséquences des décisions de politique publique selon divers scénarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the background, status, and potential for recognition of a basic right to education in the United States and the issues related to equitable opportunities for accessing that right. Importance of establishing a right to education; Possibility of judicial modification for inequities of education.

Recycling is generally recognized as a key component of strategies to achieve improved resource efficiency and reduce the environmental burden associated with resource use. However, to maximize the net benefits offered by recycling, one must understand the system-wide effects of substituting primary materials with recycled materials and how those effects vary under alternative strategies. Consequential life cycle assessment (cLCA) approaches to evaluate the impact of increasing use of recycled materials require identification of grades and sources of scrap materials used at the margin. Various grades of recycled materials differ in their substitution possibilities and supply limits. However, most studies of cLCA for material recycling overlook these aspects and typically assume a fixed set of marginal activities. This study develops a model to describe the resource consumption behaviors of material producers and the resulting cascade of material flows for the case of the United States (US) pulp and paper industry. We observe that grades and sources of scrap materials used at the margin dynamically change so as the resulting environmental impact when demand for recycled containerboard products increases. The results show that the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings effect of using recycled materials can be considerably larger when marginal recovered fiber comes from additional recovery from landfill rather than being diverted from the export market. Also, the results show that the behavior of international trade partners for recovered paper may offset GHG emission savings from the domestic replacement of virgin pulpwood with recovered paper. Most importantly, such behaviors are dependent on grades used at the margin. The developed model and results can help inform the US pulp and paper industry, policymakers, and other stakeholders about the system-wide effects of increasing use of recovered paper. • We develop a model to describe resource consumption behaviors of the US pulp and paper producers and resulting fiber flows. • This study suggests the importance of identifying the grade and source of scrap used at the margin in the recycling industry. • CLCA based on static marginal technologies may not correctly quantify the system-wide effect of material recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assisting tobacco farmers to transition to non-tobacco alternatives is a key element of comprehensive tobacco control's end-game strategy and specifically required by the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC). We examine the historical relationship between tobacco manufacturers and tobacco farmers in the United States, where the duration of the relationship has been longest and use information obtained to inform possible end-game strategies for tobacco control advocates working with tobacco farmers in developing countries. Tobacco Documents obtained under the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) provide evidence of conflicts between tobacco manufacturers and tobacco farmers. Findings support WHO FCTC articles aimed at helping developing country tobacco farmers adversely affected by tobacco control efforts and highlight difficulties in discouraging tobacco cultivation as long as it remains relatively profitable. We conclude that successful end-game strategies should take a long-term approach aimed at building alliances with tobacco farmers and at creating mechanisms for tobacco farmer investment in local infrastructure.Journal of Public Health Policy (2008) 29, 406–423. doi:10.1057/jphp.2008.37 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing political and economic forces in 1 tobacco-dependent state, North Carolina, demonstrate how the interplay between these forces and public health priorities has shaped current allocation of Master Settlement Agreement funds. Allocation patterns demonstrate lawmakers' changing priorities in response to changes in the economic climate; some of the agreement's funds targeted to tobacco farmers appear to reflect objectives favored by tobacco manufacturers. Funds earmarked for health have underfunded youth tobacco prevention and tobacco control initiatives, and spending for tobacco farmers in North Carolina has not lived up to the rhetoric that accompanied the original agreement. We discuss the implications of these findings for future partnerships between public health advocates and workers as well as tobacco control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis presents cost estimates for mitigating nitrous oxide from cropland soils, and methane from livestock enteric fermentation, manure management and rice cultivation for major world regions. Total estimated global mitigation potential is approximately 64 MtCeq. in 2010 at negative or zero costs, 141 MtCeq. at $200/TCeq., and up to 168 MtCeq. at higher costs. Costs for individual options range from negative to positive in nearly every region, depending on emission, yield, input, labor, capital cost, and outside revenue effects. Future assessment requires improved accounting for multiple greenhouse gas effects, heterogeneity of emissions and yields, baseline management conditions, identification of options that generate farmer and societal benefits, adoption feasibility, and commodity market effects into mitigation decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Monte Carlo simulation methodology is suggested in order to assess the impact of ambient wind on a vehicle's performance and emissions. A large number of random wind profiles is generated by implementing the Weibull and uniform statistical distributions for wind speed and direction, respectively. Wind speed data are drawn from eight cities across Europe. The vehicle considered is a diesel-powered, turbocharged, light-commercial vehicle and the baseline trip is the worldwide harmonized light-duty vehicles WLTC cycle. A detailed engine-mapping approach is used as the basis for the results, complemented with experimentally derived correction coefficients to account for engine transients. The properties of interest are (engine-out) NO and soot emissions, as well as fuel and energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Results from this study show that there is an aggregate increase in all properties, vis-à-vis the reference case (i.e., zero wind), if ambient wind is to be accounted for in road load calculation. Mean wind speeds for the different sites examined range from 14.6 km/h to 24.2 km/h. The average increase in the properties studied, across all sites, ranges from 0.22% up to 2.52% depending on the trip and the property (CO2, soot, NO, energy consumption) examined. Based on individual trip assessment, it was found that especially at high vehicle speeds where wind drag becomes the major road load force, CO2 emissions may increase by 28%, NO emissions by 22%, and soot emissions by 13% in the presence of strong headwinds. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the adverse effect of headwinds far exceeds the positive effect of tailwinds, thus explaining the overall increase in fuel/energy consumption as well as emissions, while also highlighting the shortcomings of the current certification procedure, which neglects ambient wind effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper performs a multi-model comparison to assess strategies for adaptation to climate change impacts in hydropower generation in Brazil under two Representative Concentration Pathways. The approach used allows for evaluating the interactions between climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies under low and high impact scenarios through 2050. Climate change impact projections of sixteen General Circulation Models indicate that a global high emissions trajectory scenario would likely yield more severe impacts on hydropower generation than a mitigation scenario. Adaptation modeling suggests that climate change impacts can be compensated by a wide range of alternatives, whose optimality will depend on the level of mitigation effort pursued. Our results show that climate change impacts would lead to even higher emissions in the absence of climate change mitigation policies. On the other hand, mitigation strategies to pursue lower emissions are maintained under climate change impacts, meaning that mitigation strategies are robust when faced with adaptation challenges. Mitigation efforts could yield a more diverse and less carbon intensive mix of technological options for adaptation. When analyzing investment costs to adapt to climate change impacts, in some cases mitigation can lead to a lower total investment level. Highlights • Climate change impacts on hydropower are assessed for sixteen models and two scenarios. • Interactions between climate change mitigation and adaptation are analyzed. • Adaptation/mitigation strategies from six different energy models are compared. • Adaptation and mitigation investment costs are assessed and compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) other than carbon dioxide (CO2) play an important role in the effort to understand and address global climate change. Approximately 25% of Global warming potential-weighted GHG emissions in the year 2005 comprise the non-CO2GHGs. The report,Global Mitigation of Non-CO2Greenhouse Gases: 2010–2030provides a comprehensive global analysis and resulting data-set of marginal abatement cost curves that illustrate the abatement potential of non-CO2GHGs by sector and by region. The basic methodology – a bottom-up, engineering cost approach – builds on the baseline non-CO2emissions projections published by EPA, applying abatement options to the emissions baseline in each sector. The results of the analysis are MAC curves that reflect aggregated breakeven prices for implementing abatement options in a given sector and region. Among the key findings of the report is that significant, cost-effective abatement exists from non-CO2sources with abatement options that are available today. Without a price signal (i.e. at $0/tCO2e), the global abatement potential is greater than 1800 million metric tons of CO2equivalent. Globally, the energy and agriculture sectors have the greatest potential for abatement. Among the non-CO2GHGs, methane has the largest abatement potential. Despite the potential for project level cost savings and environmental benefits, barriers to mitigating non-CO2emissions continue to exist. This paper will provide an overview of the methods and key findings of the report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global spread of the COVID-19 virus has led to difficulties in many branches of the economy, including significant effects on the urban transport industry. Thus, countries around the world have introduced different mobility policies during the pandemic. Due to government restrictions and the changed behaviors of transport users, companies providing modern urban mobility solutions were forced to introduce new business practices to their services. These practices are also apparent in the context of the electric shared mobility industry. Although many aspects and problems of electric shared mobility have been addressed in scientific research, pandemic scenarios have not been taken into account. Noticing this research gap, we aimed to update a previously developed model of factors that influence the operation of electric shared mobility by incorporating aspects related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on this industry. This article aims to identify the main factors influencing the electric shared mobility industry during the COVID-19 and post-lockdown periods, together with their operation areas and the involved stakeholders. The research was carried out on the basis of expert interviews, social network analysis (SNA), and the use of the R environment. The article also presents sustainable transport management recommendations for cities and transport service operators, which can be implemented after a lockdown caused by an epidemic. The results in this paper can be used to support transport modeling and the creation of new policies, business models, and sustainable development recommendations. The contents will also be helpful to researchers worldwide in preparing literature reviews for articles related to sustainable management in the COVID-19 pandemic reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transportation sector is a major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions, and the resulting climate change. The diffusion of alternative fuel vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), is an important solution for these issues. This study aimed to evaluate the factors affecting the ownership ratio of HEVs, particularly passenger vehicles, and the regional differences in the purchase of HEVs in Japan. This study performed a fixed-effects regression analysis with panel data for 47 prefectures during the period 2005–2015 to evaluate the factors affecting the HEV ownership ratio and conducted three cluster analyses to investigate the regional differences in diffusion in terms of price categories, body types, and drive systems of HEVs. Some demographic and social factors were found to affect the ownership ratio in Japan, whereas economic factors, including prefecture-level subsidies for purchasing HEVs, were not. Regarding regional differences, prefectures in urban areas with higher income levels tend to purchase more expensive and large-sized HEVs. These results suggest that a strategy to sell the right vehicle to the right person and region is essential for further promoting HEVs in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive surfaces of land are currently under-utilized, marginal and/or contaminated (MUC) in many EU and neighbouring countries. In the past few years, scientific research has demonstrated that bioenergy crops can potentially render this land profitable, generating income for the local populations and, at the same time, reaching the goals of the new Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) without interfering with food production. The main purpose of this paper is to measure net economic returns by computing benefits and costs of low indirect Land Use Change (iLUC) biofuel production on MUC land from the perspective of both the private investors and social welfare. A standard cost-benefit technique was applied to analyse and compare net returns of different advanced bioenergy value-chains in monetary terms. Productivity, economic feasibility and green-house gas (GHG) emissions impact were assessed and considered for the economic analysis. The considered pathways were cellulosic or second generation (2G) ethanol from Giant reed (Arundo donax) in Italy, electricity from miscanthus, biochemicals from spontaneous grass and cultivated Lucerne (Alpha-alfae) with sorghum for biomethane in Germany, and 2G ethanol from Willow (Salix viminalis) in Ukraine. For the risk assessment, Monte Carlo simulation was applied. The results indicated that in Italy and Ukraine, although the production of 2G ethanol would allow positive net yearly margins, the investments will not be profitable compared to the baseline scenarios. In Germany, the work showed good profitability for combined heat and power (CHP) and biochemicals. On the other hand, investments in biomethane showed negative results compared with the baseline scenarios. Finally, the Monte Carlo simulation enabled us to identify the range of possible economic results that could be attained once volatility is factored in. While for Italy the likelihood of yielding positive results remains lower than 20 percent, case studies in Ukraine and Germany showed higher certainty levels, ranging from 49 to 91 percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution caused by traffic and other sources remains a challenge in big cities and urbanized areas in Germany and abroad. Nitrogen dioxide emissions, particulate matter, noise emissions, and ozone are still problematic issues with negative impacts on both the environment and human health. In 2018, the German Federal Government launched the "Lead City Program," a €130-million fund to support five selected so-called Lead Cities in developing and implementing air quality policies. This article comparatively analyzes the policy-making process and policy content for better air quality in the three (out of five) Lead Cities—Essen, Herrenberg, and Reutlingen. Conceptually, we rely on two theoretical frameworks—the policy package approach (PPA) and the multiple streams framework (MSF). The objective, thus, is an ex-post analysis of policy development by means of two policy science-based concepts. Based on document-based desk research and qualitative interviews with policymakers and stakeholders in each of the three cities, we identified a number of key variables that created a window of opportunity and paved the way for the selection of the policy packages. The resulting five key variables are direct interaction between the different governance levels, long-standing non-compliance with the European Union (EU) NO2 limit values in many German cities, the resulting European and national infringement proceedings, the diesel scandal, and the Lead City Program as overall multiple stream-coupling facilitators. The results are then discussed regarding the explanatory power of MSF and PPA and the mutual potential linkages these concepts offer for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely and accurate agricultural information is needed to inform resource allocation and sustainable practices to improve food security in the developing world. Obtaining this information through traditional surveys is time consuming and labor intensive, making it difficult to collect data at the frequency and resolution needed to accurately estimate the planted areas of key crops and their distribution during the growing season. Remote sensing technologies can be leveraged to provide consistent, cost-effective, and spatially disaggregated data at high temporal frequency. In this study, we used imagery acquired from unmanned aerial vehicles to create a high-fidelity ground-truth dataset that included examples of large mono-cropped fields, small intercropped fields, and natural vegetation. The imagery was acquired in three rounds of flights at six sites in different agro-ecological zones to capture growing conditions. This dataset was used to train and test a random forest model that was implemented in Google Earth Engine for classifying cropped land using freely available Sentinel-1 and -2 data. This model achieved an overall accuracy of 83%, and a 91% accuracy for maize specifically. The model results were compared with Rwanda's Seasonal Agricultural Survey, which highlighted biases in the dataset including a lack of examples of mixed land cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]