84 research outputs found
Government support for the commercialization of new energy technologies : an analysis and exploration of the issues
No full textThis report examines the issues associated with government programs proposed for the "commercialization" of new energy technologies; these programs
are intended to hasten the pace at which target technologies are adopted by
the private sector. The "commercial demonstration" is the principal tool used
in these programs. Most previous government interventions in support of technological change have focussed on R&D and left to the private sector the decision as to adoption for commercial utilization; thus there is relatively
little in the way of analysis or experience which bears direct application.
The analysis is divided into four sections. First, the role of R,D&D
within the structure of the national energy goals and policies is examined.
The issue or "prices versus gaps" is described as a crucial difference of viewpoint concerning the role of the government in the future of the energy system.
Second, the process of technological change as it occurs with respect to energy
technologies is then examined for possible sources of misaligment or social
and private incentives. The process is described as a series of investments.
Third, correction of these sources of misalignment then becomes the goal of
commercial demonstration programs as this goal and the means for attaining it
are explored. Government-supported commercialization may be viewed as a subsidy to the introduction stage of the process; the circumstances under which
such subsidies are likely to affect the success of the subsequent diffusion
stage are addressed. The discussion then turns to the political, legal, and
institutional problems. Finally, methods for the evaluation and planning of
commercial demonstration programs are analyzed. The critical areas of ignorance are highlighted and comprise a research agenda for improved analytical techniques to support decisions in this area.United States Energy Research and Development Administration under Contract no. E(49-18) 2295, Task Order
The FEA Project Independence report: an analytical review and evaluation
No full textFinal report to Office of Energy Research and Development Policy, National Science Foundation, Contract NSF C-103
Dynamics of petroleum industry investment in the North Sea
No full textOriginally presented as the author's thesis, (M.S.) in the M.I.T. Alfred P. Sloan School of ManagementThis investigation has attempted to provide acurrent estimate
of the oil potential of the northern North Sea from which estimates of
exploration investment, development investment, and accruing cash-flows
can be derived. Current proven reserves are estimated at 29.4 billion
barrels oil equivalent, of which 22.6 billion barrels are oil. Of the
59 discoveries documented, 8 can be classed as true gas accumulations.
Undiscovered potential for the area of study is estimated at 24.3
billion barrels, giving a most probable ultimate recoverable reserve of
53.7 billion barrels oil equivalent. Depending on minimum commercial
field size, recoverable oil reserves should vary between 33.7 and 39.2
billion barrels.
Current development of 14.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil
involves an estimated capital investment of 27 billion dollars for the total.
In order to develop current plus discovered plus future discoveries, private industry is estimated to require between 70 billion
dollars. Most of this investment, including approximately 30 and 83 and $222 billion dollars. Critical to this analysis are assumptions about host-government
tax policy and the world price of crude oil, especially as pertaining
to "marginal" North Sea fields. Utilizing an econometric model developed
by the Supply Analysis Group of the M.I.T. World Oil Project, investigation of discounted cash-flow profiles for various field sizes indicates
that access to crude supply and development of subsequent discoveries
appear to be the primary economic incentives for continuing to operate
smaller fields after peak production is obtained. Tax policy and high
operating costs relative to productive capacity tend to make small fields
less attractive investments. Finally, it is patently obvious that very
high per-well productivity is essential for viable development of North
Sea fields under current economic, political, fiscal, and technical
constraints
Climate Uncertainty and the Necessity to Transform Global Energy Supply
No full textThis paper analyses the policy relevance of the dominant uncertainties in our current scientific understanding of the terrestrial climate system, and provides further evidence for the need to radically transform - this century - our global infrastructure of energy supply, given the global average temperature increase as a result of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. We investigate the effect on required CO2 emission reduction efforts, both in terms of how much and when, of our uncertain knowledge today of the climate sensitivity to a doubling in them atmospheric CO2 concentration. Also the roles of carbon-free energy and energy savings, and their evolutions over time, are researched, as well as their dependence on some of our characteristic modelling features. We use a top-down model in which there are two competing energy sources, fossil and non-fossil. Technological change is represented endogenously through learning curves, and modest but non-zero demand exists for the relatively expensive carbon-free energy resource.Global warming, CO2 emissions, Climate sensitivity, Fossil to non-fossil transition, Carbon-free power, Energy savings
A Climate-Change Policy Induced Shift from Innovations in Energy Production to Energy Savings
No full textWe develop an endogenous growth model with capital, labor and energy as production factors and three productivity variables that measure accumulated innovations for energy production, energy savings, and neutral growth. All markets are complete and perfect, except for research, for which we assume that the marginal social value exceeds marginal costs by factor four. The model constants are calibrated so that the model reproduces the relevant trends over the 1970-2000 period. The model contains a simple climate module, and is used to assess the impact of Induced Technological Change (ITC) for a policy that aims at a maximum level of atmospheric CO2 concentration (450 ppmv). ITC is shown to reduce the required carbon tax by about a factor 2, and to reduce costs of such a policy by about factor 10. Numerical simulations show that knowledge accumulation shifts from energy production to energy saving technology.Induced technological change, Environmental taxes, Partial equilibrium
Physical therapist assistant students with learning disabilities: problem areas in content, teaching techniques and assessment
No full textPlan BIncreasing numbers of students with disabilities have entered post-secondary educational programs since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Individuals with learning disabilities (LD) make up the largest and fastest growing group among college students with disabilities. Students with LD have entered and succeeded as students and professionals in the fields of medicine and allied health. Schools and employers are now required by law to make reasonable accommodations to allow otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities to learn and work effectively and be protected from discrimination based on disability. This is a study of students with learning disabilities in an associate degree program for physical therapist assistants to determine the number and percent of individuals with learning disabilities within the program, the areas of difficulty for these students in the program, and accommodations which they believed helped them or would help other students with learning disabilities. A survey instrument was administered to six graduates or students with documented learning disabilities who completed at least one year of the program. 10.6 percent of the students who had completed at least one year received services for learning disabilities and revealed their disability to the investigator. A list of the most difficult content areas was developed from the difficulty ratings of the respondents. The greatest difficulty with learning was reported with competencies requiring memorization, competencies requiring precision and attention to multiple details, and general education competencies not mastered before entering the program. Mastery of performance competencies taught in laboratories was rated less difficult than academic competencies taught in lecture format. In the area of assessment, tests with time pressure and open-ended test questions presented the most problems for these students. Respondents’ ratings indicated that learning was made difficult by the program’s schedule which places an entire week’s instructor contact for a course on one day. A wide variety of accommodations and study suggestions are proposed and discussed
Decarbonizing development: three steps to a zero-carbon future
No full textThis report lays out three steps for a smooth transition to a zero-carbon future and provides data, examples and policy advice to help countries makes the shift.
Overview
Getting to zero net emissions and stabilizing climate change starts with planning for the long-term future and not stopping at short-term goals. It means getting prices right as part of a broad policy package that can trigger changes in both investments and behaviors, and it requires smoothing the transition for those most affected.
A new World Bank report walks policymakers through those three steps with data, examples and policy advice to help put countries on a path to decarbonizing their development in a smooth and orderly way.
The solutions exist, and they are affordable – if governments take action today, the report says
Climate politics in the multi-level governance system: emissions trading and institutional changes in environmental policy-making
No full textIn weniger als zehn Jahren reüssierte der Emissionshandel als klimapolitisches Instrument vom politischen Agenda-Setting über die Politikformulierung bis zu seiner Umsetzung - und das noch dazu in Form verschiedener Handelssysteme auf mehreren politischen Ebenen; zum einen als zwischenstaatlicher Emissionshandel im Rahmen des Kyoto-Protokolls, zum anderen als Emissionshandel für energieintensive Unternehmen innerhalb der Europäischen Union. Nicht nur wegen der Geschwindigkeit des Prozesses, sondern auch, weil der Emissionshandel als zielführendes und effizientes Instrument zur Vermeidung von Treibhausgasemissionen gilt, wird seine Einführung zumeist als Erfolgsstory betrachtet. Der vorliegende Beitrag beleuchtet diese Erfolgsstory kritisch auf der Grundlage von Hypothesen, die der Multi-Level-Governance-Forschung entlehnt wurden. Dabei erfolgt die theoretische Diskussion entlang einer deskriptiv-analytischen Wiedergabe des Einführungsprozesses, welcher die wichtigsten Akteure, Konflikte und zeitlichen Meilensteine in der Diskussion des Emissionshandels herausarbeitet. Welche Rückschlüsse lässt die rasante Einführung des Emissionshandels auf die Verflechtung von Akteuren und Institutionen im politischen Mehrebenensystem zu? Inwieweit geht mit ihr eine Kompetenzverlagerung von nationalen Regierungen auf supra- oder internationale Institutionen über, und kann man dabei von einem weiteren Souveränitätsverlust der Nationalstaaten sprechen? Bedingen Politikverflechtung und Souveränitätsverlust ein Demokratiedefizit, oder kann demokratische Legitimation durch die starke Partizipation von zivilgesellschaftlichen Organisationen oder der verstärkten Einbindung etwa des Europäischen Parlaments sichergestellt werden? Die Antworten auf diese Fragen bleiben durchaus ambivalent: Das Agenda-Setting des Emissionshandels kann als ein expertokratischer top-down-Prozess betrachtet werden, bei dem sich einige wenige wissensstarke Verhandlungsakteure gegen zahlreiche andere durchgesetzt haben. Andererseits ist der Prozess der Umsetzung durch eine beispiellose politische Partizipation gekennzeichnet, in der auch weiche Formen des Regierens zum Tragen kamen. Die Einführung des Emissionshandels zeigt deutlich, dass Nachhaltigkeit ein gesellschaftlicher Suchprozess ist, der stets neu die unterschiedlichen Machtverhältnisse ausbalancieren und eine Öffnung des politischen Prozesses erwirken muss. --
Thirteen Plus One: A Comparison of Global Climate Policy Architectures
No full textWe critically review the Kyoto Protocol and thirteen alternative policy architectures for addressing the threat of global climate change. We employ six criteria to evaluate the policy proposals: environmental outcome, dynamic efficiency, cost effectiveness, equity, flexibility in the presence of new information, and incentives for participation and compliance. The Kyoto Protocol does not fare well on a number of criteria, but none of the alternative proposals fare well along all six dimensions. We identify several major themes among the alternative proposals: Kyoto is “too little, too fast”; developing countries should play a more substantial role and receive incentives to participate; implementation should focus on market-based approaches, especially those with price mechanisms; and participation and compliance incentives are inadequately addressed by most proposals. Our investigation reveals tensions among several of the evaluative criteria, such as between environmental outcome and efficiency, and between cost-effectiveness and incentives for participation and compliance.Policy architecture, Kyoto Protocol, Efficiency, Cost effectiveness, Equity, Participation, Compliance
Playing Ethnography: A study of emergent behaviour in online games and virtual worlds
No full textThis study concerns itself with the relationship between game design and emergent social behaviour in massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds. This thesis argues for a legitimisation of the study of ‘communities of play’, alongside communities perceived as more ‘serious’, such as communities of interest or practice. It also identifies six factors that contribute to emergent social behaviour and investigates the relationship between group and individual identity, and the emergent ways in which these arise from and intersect with the features and mechanics of the game worlds themselves.
Methodology: Under the rubric of ‘design research’, this study was conducted as an ethnographic intervention, an anthropological investigation that deliberately privileged the online experience whilst acknowledging the performative nature of both game play and the research process itself. The research was informed by years of professional practical experience in game design and playtesting, as well as by qualitative methods derived from the fields of Anthropology, Sociology, Computermediated Communications and the emerging field of Game Studies. The process of conducting the eighteen-month ethnographic study followed the progress of a sub-set of members of the ‘Uru Diaspora,’ a group of 10,000 players who were made refugees when the massively multiplayer game ‘Uru: Ages Beyond Myst’ was closed in February of 2004. Uru refugees immigrated into other virtual worlds, using their features and capabilities to create ethnic communities that emulated the culture, artefacts and environments of the original Uru world. Over time, players developed ‘hybrid’ cultures, integrating the Uru culture with that of their new homes, and eventually creating entirely new Uru and Myst-inspired content.
The outcome is the identification of six factors that serve as ‘engines for emergence’ and discusses their relationship to each other, to game design, and to emergent behaviour.
These include:
• Play Ecosystems: Fixed-Synthetic vs. Co-Created Worlds: Online games and virtual worlds exist along a spectrum, with environments entirely authored by the designer at one end, and those comprised primarily of player-created content and assets on the other, with a range of variations between. The type of world will impact the sort of emergent behaviour that occurs, and worlds that include player-created content will be more inclined to promote emergent behaviour.
• Communities of Play: Distributed groups formed around play demonstrate distinct characteristics based on shared values and play styles. The study describes in detail one such play community, and analyses the ways in which its characteristic play styles drove its emergent behaviours.
• The Social Construction of Avatar Identity: Individual avatar identity is constructed through an emergent process engaging social feedback.
• Intersubjective Flow: A social reading of the psychological notion of ‘flow’ that describes the way in which flow dynamics occur in a social context through play.
• Productive Play: Countering the traditional contention that play is inherently ‘unproductive’ as some scholars suggest, the thesis argues that play can be seen as a form of cultural production, as well as fulcrum for creative activity.
• Porous Magic Circles and the ‘Ludisphere’: The magic circle, which bounds play activities, is more porous than game scholars had previously believed. The term ‘ludisphere' is used to describe the larger context of aggregated play space via the Internet. Also identified are leakages between ‘virtual worlds’ and ‘real life’.
By identifying these factors and attempting to trace their roots in game design, the study aims to contribute a new approach to the making and analysis of user experience and creativity ‘in game’. The thesis posits that by achieving a deeper cultural understanding of the relationship between design and emergent behaviour, it is possible to make steps forward in the study of ‘emergence’ itself as a design
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