52 research outputs found
Options for emissions reduction from power plants: An economic evaluation
No full textThe electric power sector is regarded globally as the major contributor to local air quality degradation and to global environmental impacts such as acid rain and greenhouse phenomenon. Several mitigation technologies are available to reduce the different emissions, mainly sulfur dioxide, from power plants. The most pronounced ones are switching to low-sulfur fuel oil, filtering stack emissions using flue gas desulfurization systems, and shifting to natural gas as an alternative fuel for thermal power plants. The objective of this paper is to present an economic model that can be used for evaluating and comparing the three alternatives under consideration, so as to determine the most economically feasible option taking into account various cost parameters. This evaluation will incorporate assessment on the environmental damages caused by these emissions and an economic model representing uncertainties in different parameters involved. A case study was conducted on an existing power plant including a sensitivity analysis to examine the impact of different parameters with high levels of uncertainty. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.ABBOUD N, 2000, INT J ENVIRON STUD, V57, P225, DOI 10.1080-00207230008711268; Burtraw D, 1997, COSTS BENEFITS REDUC; CHAABAN FB, 2002, WORLD RESOUR REV, V14, P88; Chedid R, 1999, INT J ENERG RES, V23, P303, DOI 10.1002-(SICI)1099-114X(19990325)23:4303::AID-ER4793.0.CO;2-1; Chedid R, 2001, ENERG CONVERS MANAGE, V42, P373, DOI 10.1016-S0196-8904(00)00060-1; Ghaddar N, 1999, APPL ENERG, V63, P53, DOI 10.1016-S0306-2619(99)00018-5; HAFNER M, 1993, TRANSPORT GAZ NATURA; *INT EN AG, 1994, NAT GAS TRANSP PRG R; Jepma Catrinus J., 1998, CLIMATE CHANGE POLIC; LOTT R, NATURAL GAS STRATEGY; Mezher T, 1998, APPL ENERG, V61, P175, DOI 10.1016-S0306-2619(98)00043-9; Park C.S., 1997, CONT ENG EC; TAUD R, 2001, GAB TURBINE POWER PL; *TECHN, 2001, ALT FUL POW NAT GAS; 2001, INT ENERGY OUTLOOK 228191
Transitioning to the green economy: The Arab transport sector policy brief
No full textThis paper highlights the existing policies, current practices, and major trends for the transport sector in Arab countries, and then discusses their current implications on development, social integration, and the environment and the need to adopt non-conventional approaches and measures to provide transport systems that promote sustainable development. The paper explores the potential of developing policies, incentive measures, and green strategies to promote innovative practices for the movement of people and goods, including public transport and, as a result, eliminate the negative impacts from the inappropriate practices nationwide. The paper also addresses establishing a green transport infrastructure network at the regional scale. © 2013 WIT Press
The economics of tobacco in Lebanon: An estimation of the social costs of tobacco consumption
No full textObjectives: Assess the socioeconomic costs of smoking in Lebanon and understand the tobacco market and identify the winners and losers from the Lebanese tobacco trade. Methods: We take a close look at the market for tobacco and related markets to identify the main stakeholders and estimate the direct costs and benefits of tobacco. We also estimate lower bounds for the costs of tobacco, in terms of lost productivity, the cost of medical treatment, lost production due to premature death, and environmental damage. The paucity of data means our cost estimates are conservative lower bounds and we explicitly list the effects that we are unable to include. Results: We identify the main actors in the tobacco trade: the Régie (the state-owned monopoly which regulates the tobacco trade), tobacco farmers, international tobacco companies, local distributors, retailers, consumers, and advertising firms. We identify as proximate actors the Ministries of Finance and Health, employers, and patients of smoking-related illnesses. In 2008, tobacco trade in Lebanon led to a total social cost of $326.7 million (1.1percent of GDP). Conclusion: Low price tags on imported cigarettes not only increase smoking prevalence, but they also result in a net economic loss. Lebanese policymakers should consider the overall deficit from tobacco trade and implement the guidelines presented in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to at once increase government revenue and reduce government outlays, and save the labor market and the environment substantial costs. © 2014 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.Ammar W., 2009, HLTH POLITICS; [Anonymous], 2007, STAT B; Byblos Bank, 2010, LEB THIS WEEK; Chaaban J, 2010, EC TOBACCO LEBANON E; Chaaban J., 2008, ARE STAKEHOLDERS RAS; Chaaya M, 2004, ADDICT BEHAV, V29, P1821, DOI 10.1016-j.addbeh.2004.04.008; Collins D. J., 2010, SOCIAL COSTS SMOKING; Easton B., 1997, PUBLIC HLTH MONOGRAP, V2; Eriksen M., 2012, TOBACCO ATLAS; Global Burden of Diseases Injuries and Risk Factors Study, 2010, GBD PROF LEB; Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), 1996, RESTR REG; Lebanese Customs, 2007, TRAD STAT; Lebanese Fire Prevention Committee (LFPC), 2010, EFF FOR FIR; Ministry of Finance, 2010, PUBL FIN REV 2008; Saade G, 2005, PREV MED, V47, pS15; Salti N., 2013, TOBACCO CONTROL; Sibai A. M., 2009, COMMUNICATION; Tiihonen J., BMJ OPEN, V2, DOI [10.1136-bmjopen-2012-001678, DOI 10.1136-BMJ0PEN-2012-001678]; World Bank, 2006, LEB PROD INV CLIM PR; World Bank, 2008, WORLD DEV IND; World Bank, 2010, DEC INC SUPP TOB PRO; World Health Organization, 2013, ENF BANS TOB ADV PRO0
Sustainability of engineering education in the Gulf Cooperation Council region
No full textAt the turn of the 21st century, many universities have been established in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, many of which are branches of universities from the USA, Europe, Australia, and other regions. In 2004, Dhofar University (DU), in collaboration and partnership with the American University of Beirut (AUB), opened its doors in Oman to follow the American model of higher education in many programs including engineering. Making use of AUB's well known engineering programs in the Middle East, founders of DU have planned to satisfy the demand for a sustainable institution that can serve students as well as society as a whole. This paper presents DU's experience in developing sustainable education institution in a region that lacked for long time private universities. The paper presents the model of collaboration between DU and AUB, and DU's efforts in preparing for accreditation. The paper also presents DU practices in balancing core academics and non-technical skills of engineering students. The cases studied are mainly from the academic programs of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at the College of Engineering. © 2011 IEEE
The economic cost of physical inactivity in China
No full textObjective: To estimate the total economic burden of physical inactivity in China. Method: The costs of physical inactivity combine the medical and non-medical costs of five major Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) associated with inactivity. The national data from the Chinese Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Surveys (2007) and the National Health Service Survey (2003) are used to compute population attributable risks (PARs) of inactivity for each major NCD. Costs specific to inactivity are obtained by multiplying each disease costs by the PAR for each NCD, by incorporating the inactivity effects through overweight and obesity. Results: Physical inactivity contributes between 12percent and 19percent to the risks associated with the five major NCDs in China, namely coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Physical inactivity is imposing a substantial economic burden on the country, as it is responsible alone for more than 15percent of the medical and non-medical yearly costs of the main NCDs in the country. Conclusions: The high economic burden of physical inactivity implies the need to develop more programs and interventions that address this modifiable behavioral risk, in order to curb the rising NCDs epidemic in China. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.Allender S, 2007, J EPIDEMIOL COMMUN H, V61, P344, DOI 10.1136-jech.2006.050807; Cao H, 2011, PREV MED, V53, P316, DOI 10.1016-j.ypmed.2011.09.002; China CDC, 2010, REP 2007 BEH RISK FA; China CDC, 2011, REP 2010 BEH RISK FA; Colditz GA, 1999, MED SCI SPORT EXER, V31, pS663, DOI 10.1097-00005768-199911001-00026; Das P, 2012, LANCET, V380, P189, DOI 10.1016-S0140-6736(12)61024-1; Hu FB, 2011, OBES REV, V12, P552, DOI 10.1111-j.1467-789X.2011.00863.x; Hu J, 2007, CHINA J PREVENTION C, V15, P189; Katzmarzyk PT, 2010, DIABETES, V59, P2717, DOI 10.2337-db10-0822; Katzmarzyk PT, 2000, CAN MED ASSOC J, V163, P1435; Katzmarzyk PT, 2004, CAN J APPL PHYSIOL, V29, P90; Lee IM, 2012, LANCET, V380, P219, DOI 10.1016-S0140-6736(12)61031-9; Ma GuanSheng, 2007, Acta Nutrimenta Sinica, V29, P426; Ministry of Health MOH and China CDC, 2011, CHINA NCDS REP; Ng SW, 2009, SOC SCI MED, V68, P1305, DOI 10.1016-j.socscimed.2009.01.035; Ng SW, 2012, OBES REV, V13, P659, DOI 10.1111-j.1467-789X.2011.00982.x; Oldridge NB, 2008, EUR J CARDIOV PREV R, V15, P130, DOI 10.1097-HJR.0b013e3282f19d42; Popkin BM, 2008, HEALTH AFFAIR, V27, P1064, DOI [10.1377-hlthaff.27.4.1064, 10.1377-hlthaff.274.1064]; Popkin BM, 2006, OBES REV, V7, P271, DOI 10.1111-j.1467-789X.2006.00230.x; RISSANEN AM, 1991, EUR J CLIN NUTR, V45, P419; Wang LD, 2005, LANCET, V366, P1821, DOI 10.1016-S0140-6736(05)67344-8; Wang Y, 2007, INT J OBESITY, V31, P177, DOI 10.1038-sj.ijo.0803354; Yang L, 2011, TOB CONTROL, V20, P266, DOI 10.1136-tc.2010.042028; Yang ZY, 2011, INT J BEHAV MED, V18, P295, DOI 10.1007-s12529-011-9187-0; Zhao W, 2008, OBES REV, V9, P62, DOI 10.1111-j.1467-789X.2007.00440.x46
Determinants of adoption of protected designation of origin label: Evidence from the french brie cheese industry
No full textThis paper investigates empirically the determinants of agro-food firms' adoption of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label. A unique dataset containing firm-level cost and production information on the French Brie cheese is used, covering the period 1980-2000. The Brie cheese data are especially relevant as PDO Brie producers have coexisted with other non-PDO producers since 1981. To evaluate the producers' incentive to opt for PDO certification, we use a structural switching regression model which incorporates cost and production structure variables. Results show that PDO certification is less attractive the higher the costs of raw materials and the greater the size of the company. PDO Brie cheese production costs are estimated to be on average 40percent higher than those for non-PDO Brie. The PDO production process could be technically inefficient when compared with the unconstrained non-PDO manufacturing; yet, PDO producers benefit from a price premium on their product which offsets their higher production cost. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 The Agricultural Economics Society.Ali A. I., 1993, MEASUREMENT PRODUCTI, P120; Arfini F., 2006, CASE STUDY PARMIGIAN; BABCOCK BA, 2003, IOWA AG REV, V9; BANKER RD, 1984, MANAGE SCI, V30, P1078, DOI 10.1287-mnsc.30.9.1078; Bonnet C, 2001, EUR REV AGRIC ECON, V28, P433, DOI 10.1093-erae-28.4.433; BOWLIN WF, 1998, J COST ANAL FAL, P3; Coelli T, 1999, EUR J OPER RES, V117, P326, DOI 10.1016-S0377-2217(98)00271-9; Colinet P., 2006, CASE STUDY COMTE CHE; Collado R., 2006, CASE STUDY DEHESA EX; Fare R., 1994, PRODUCTION FRONTIERS; FARRELL MJ, 1957, J R STAT SOC SER A-G, V120, P253, DOI 10.2307-2343100; HASSAN D, 2002, CAHIERS EC SOCIOLOGI, V65, P23; Huang MY, 2002, J PROD ANAL, V18, P223, DOI 10.1023-A:1020686610802; Marette S, 2005, 05WP406 IOW STAT U C; Rosen Sherwin, 1979, J POLITICAL EC, V87, P507; Sauer J, 2006, J APPL ECON, V9, P139; SEIFORD LM, 1990, J ECONOMETRICS, V46, P7, DOI 10.1016-0304-4076(90)90045-U; van Ittersum K, 2007, J AGR ECON, V58, P1, DOI 10.1111-j.1477-9552.2007.00080.x108
A Simplified Electric Circuit Model for the Analysis of Hybrid Wind-Fuel Cell Systems
No full textThis paper proposes a simulation methodology for a Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS) incorporating fuel cells as a backup generator. A complete mathematical model for each component of the wind-fuel cell hybrid system is presented, and a simplified electric circuit is developed. The complete electric circuit is composed of two parts; the first part models a wind turbine driving a three-phase permanent magnet alternator connected to a rectifier and an electrolyzer, and the second part models the fuel cell and the load. Simulations are then carried out using SIMULINK to determine the current flowing though the electrolyzer, the amount of hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer, the amount of hydrogen consumed by the fuel cell and the current drawn by the load. Although the paper focuses only on the steady state analysis of the system, the model can also be used to conduct dynamic studies. © 2007 IEEE
The use of sildenafil in pediatric Takayasu arteritis
No full text[No abstract available]Kumana CR, 2004, ANN RHEUM DIS, V63, P1522, DOI 10.1136-ard.2003.015677; Lichtenstein JR, 2003, ARTHRITIS RHEUM, V48, P282, DOI 10.1002-art.1062833
The Impact of Migrant Remittances on School Attendance and Education Attainment: Evidence from Jordan
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