Energy-Efficiency: The Best Option for a Secure, Clean, Healthy Future

The risks of dependence on traditional fuels have never been greater or more obvious. Modern civilization and the world economy are facing imminent and clear threats of worldwide terrorism. The oil producing countries of the Middle East are increasingly unstable, confronting the world with potentially calamitous energy and economic disruptions. Domestically, our limited refining capacity creates shortages when demand is high and increases prices even when petroleum supplies are plentiful. Yet most of the world is in a state of denial, happy to bask in the illusory security of temporary Saudi oil production increases. Moreover, these new dangers sit on top of the imperatives of addressing the formidable consequences of global warming and pollution that emanate from use of these traditional fuels

Universities, knowledge networks and regional policy

As knowledge becomes an increasingly important part of regional innovation and development processes, the role of universities has come to the fore of regional innovation and economic development policy The objective of this paper is to critically review and assess the structure and function of knowledge networks and modes of engagement between universities and the business community in regional settings and contexts. It is argued that while regional knowledge networks and modes of engagement between universities and the business community are becoming increasingly prevalent, it is often difficult to ascribe investments in knowledge-based infrastructure to improved regional competitiveness. It is concluded that in a globalised knowledge environment the engagement between universities and regional business communities must be based on a mutual understanding of the role of both network and market-based knowledge interactions

Regional integration among developing countries, revisited

Economic integration among developing countries became an important policy issue in the 1960s and early 1970s. But although intraregional trade increased in some trading groups, it remained a modest share of total trade. However, dramatic changes in the world economy have affected the environment for regional integration and cooperation. The formation of new, powerful economic and trading blocs, such as the single market of the European Community, the US-Canada free trade area, initiatives in the Pacific basin, and the transition to market economies in Central and perhaps Eastern Europe, seems to have fostered a trend toward new regionalism in the world economy. The virtual failure of the GATT negotiations may speed this up. To minimize economic losses and avoid marginalization, regional groups of developing countries must increasingly work out common positions and join one of the influential groups. Both factors require the gradual yet rapid dismantling of barriers to the free flow of production factors within regional groups. Obviously, intraregional trade cannot become an alternative to trade flows that are basically oriented to the world market. But in the 1990s, intraregional trade and economic relations are likely to grow parallel to, or even at a higher rate than, extraregional contacts.TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Trade and Regional Integration,Trade Policy

An ever More Polarized Union: The Greek Problem and the Failure of EU Economic Governance. CES Open Forum Series #14 2018-2019

As the Greek economy continues on its downward trajectory, the policy debate has degenerated into a re-enactment of the neoclassics versus Keynesians controversy. Yet, the Greek crisis can be solved neither by more austerity and structural reforms nor by Keynesian reflation. The core problem lies in a form of integration that has systematically weakened the Greek economy while stabilizing a clientelistic mode of interest intermediation. In order to recover, Greece needs a substantial devaluation plus an interventionist industrial policy. Yet, such a form of integration is not palatable to the North West European creditor countries, nor is it attractive to the Greek government as it would require a break with the clientelistic organization of political power while removing the scapegoat of the EU

Defining, Valuing, and Providing Ecosystem Goods and Services

Ecosystem services are the specific results of ecosystem processes that either directly sustain or enhance human life (as does natural protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays) or maintain the quality of ecosystem goods (as water purification maintains the quality of streamflow). "Ecosystem service" has come to represent several related topics ranging from the measurement to the marketing of ecosystem service flows. In this article we examine several of these topics by first clarifying the meaning of "ecosystem service" and then (1) placing ecosystem goods and services within an economic framework, emphasizing the role and limitations of substitutes; (2) summarizing the methods for valuation of ecosystem goods and services; and (3) reviewing the various approaches for their provision and financing.Many ecosystem services and some ecosystem goods are received without monetary payment. The "marketing" of ecosystem goods and services is basically an effort to turn such recipients - those who benefit without ownership- into buyers, thereby providing market signals that serve to help protect valuable goods and services. We review various formal arrangements for making this happen

Catching-up Industrial Development of East Asian Economies and its Application to Vietnam

ٛ ٛ ٛ Abstract: This paper attempts to examine the catching-up process in industrial development of East Asian economies. For this purpose, RCA curve will be used to depict this process and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient will be employed as a supporting evidence for the catching-up. The paper shows that the evolving specialization patterns of East Asian economies are in accordance with the prediction of Catching-up Product Cycle (CPC). The specialization patterns of these economies differ according to their level of development. Japan has th