The impact of Scotland’s economy on the environment : a response

This is a short response to the paper by Moffatt et al (2005) which comments on some of our earlier work. Our work uses a specific Input-Output (IO) based technique, labelled a Neo-Classical Linear Attribution System (NCLAS), to measure the impact of domestic consumption on the domestic environment. We have presented this as an alternative to the currently popular Ecological Footprint approach

Construction of a multi-sectoral inter-regional IO and SAM database for the UK

The purpose of this paper is to explain the construction of the input-output (IO) and social accounting matrix (SAM) databases for the inter-regional computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the UK developed as part of the project 'An Analysis of National and Devolved Economic Policies' undertaken as part of the ESRC Devolution and Constitutional Change research programme. We identify four main regions of the UK: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. However, in Section 2, we begin by constructing a set of two-region accounts where we focus on Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland with the other aggregate 'region' labelled 'rest of the UK' or RUK. Then, in Section 3, we extend to a three-region framework where we identify Scotland, Wales and RUK. Finally, in Section 4, we extend further to construct the full 4-region IO and SAM

Three and Four Region Multi-sector Linear Modelling Using UK Data : Some Preliminary Results

Scotland and Wales have relatively up-to-date, independently generated, IO tables. These can be separated out from a UK national IO table to construct an inter-regional table. We therefore undertake the detailed analysis at this three-region (Scotland, Wales and the Rest of the UK (RUK)) level, where the Rest of the UK is England and Northern Ireland. However, we also construct a more rudimentary four-region (Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland) set of IO and SAM accounts by constructing a separate Northern Ireland accounts. The inter-regional IO and SAM models are produced for the year 1999. This was determined by the availability of consistent data. In Section II we describe the construction of a three-region Input-Output model for the United Kingdom, which includes the regions of Scotland, Wales and the Rest of the UK (RUK). In Section III we extend the three-region model to construct an inter-regional Social Accounting Matrix. Section IV reports some results using the three-region IO and SAM models. In Section V, we generate a four-region IO and SAM model for the UK, which disaggregates Northern Ireland from the Rest of the UK, and provide some results using the four-region IO and SAM models. Section VI offers our conclusions

The Rebound Effect with Energy Production: A Partial Equilibrium Analysis

Rebound is the extent to which improvements in energy efficiency fail to translate fully into reductions in energy use because of the implicit fall in the price of energy, when measured in efficiency units. This paper discusses aspects of the rebound effect that are introduced once energy is considered as a domestically produced commodity. A partial equilibrium approach is adopted in order to incorporate both energy use and production in a conceptually tractable way. The paper explores analytically two interesting results revealed in previous numerical simulations. The first is the possibility that energy use could fall by more than the implied improvement in efficiency. This corresponds to negative rebound. The second is the finding that the short-run rebound value can be greater than the corresponding long-run value.Energy demand, energy efficiency, rebound, partial equilibrium

To What Extent Will Industrial Energy Efficiency Reduce Energy Use across the Economy?

Industrial energy efficiency policy is typically targeted at the most energy intensive sectorsin the economy. Less energy intensive sectors that use a relatively high level of energy due to the scale of their activity may also be targeted. Either of these types of sectors may be targeted on the basis that large energy savings could be realised at industry-level. However, particularly where national energy use and emissions are a policy concern, there is a need to consider how changes in energy efficiency in one industry may impact throughout the wider economy

An extension and application of the Leontief pollution model for waste generation and disposal in Scotland

Solid waste generation, treatment and disposal are important policy concerns for the Scottish Parliament. As a result of the Environment Act 1995, a National Waste Strategy for Scotland was introduced with the general aim of reducing the amount of waste produced and dealing with what is produced in more sustainable ways. This implies the need for an empirical framework to inform policymakers regarding the relationship between economic activity and waste generation, treatment and disposal and the likely impacts of any policy actions or other disturbances on all types of sustainability indicators. In this paper we report on a study to develop an extended input-output (IO) system of the type originally proposed in the seminal paper by Leontief (1970). This involves extending the standard IOaccounts to take account of pollution or waste generation as an additional output accompanying production and consumption activities in the economy and of the activity required to clean up (or prevent) these unwanted outputs. The extension of IO tables to take account of pollution/waste generation is relatively widespread in the literature. It is usually achieved through the introduction of physical pollution/waste-output coefficients, and has been previously applied to Scotland for the case ofair pollution (see McNicoll & Blackmore, 1993, McGregor et al, 2001). Such an approach allows us to examine the impact of the economy on the environment, in terms of the amount of pollution/waste emitted as a result of economic activity. However, it does not allow us to track the feedback from the environment to the economy in terms of the resources used in environmental cleaning. If we areinterested in this aspect, we need to identify the input structure of any pollution abatement or waste disposal activities and identify columns in the IO tables representing cleaning activities

A statistical study of the size of fat globules in cow's milk

Publication authorized October 8, 1929."The data presented in this paper were taken from a thesis submitted by the junior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Graduate School of the University of Missouri, 1928"--P. [3].Includes bibliographical references (page 11)

Tidal and marine energy in the uk– identifying the future challenges for supply chain development

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current technical and operational supply chain issues surrounding the development of tidal and marine energy production in the UK. The paper outlines the market and growth potential of tidal energy production in the UK before identifying the key supply chain themes surrounding tidal energy production including an analysis of the portability and transferability of current supply chain thinking and development from other renewable energy systems such as wind turbine technology towards the development of tidal energy supply chain systems. The paper closes by identifying the major challenges that the UK supply chain must overcome in order to develop a comprehensive and robust supply chain system

Effects of two training methods on flexibility

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two different flexibility training methods, 3S (Scientific Stretching for Sport) and SS (Slow Active Stretching). Warmup effects, differential joint responses, and the standardization of training procedures were controlled. Ss were 12 school girl basketball players, aged 12 to 1A. The research design consisted of four replications of a 3x3 Graeco-Latin square. Ss were assessed for flexibility at the beginning of a six week flexibility training program, at the conclusion of training and then after two two-week retention periods. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and Orthogonal Comparisons. Significance was determined at 0.05 level. Results showed: 1) flexibility training methods (3S and SS) improved flexibility, 2) the shoulder joint acquired more flexibility than either the knee or ankle joint, 3) neither flexibility training method was superior to the other, 4) within two weeks of training cessation, both 3S and SS effects were lost to a significant degree when compared to control effects. 5) after two weeks of training cessation, there was no difference between changes of the control and two training groups, and 6) there was no difference in loss of flexibility between the shoulder, the knee and ankle joints

A cohort study of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome and PCV2 in 178 pigs from birth to 14 weeks on a single farm in England

Our hypothesis was that pigs that develop post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) are detectable from an early age with signs of weight loss and other clinical and serological abnormalities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the temporally varying and fixed events linked with the clinical incidence of PMWS by comparing affected and unaffected pigs in a cohort of 178 male piglets. Piglets were enrolled at birth and examined each week. Samples of blood were collected at regular intervals. The exposures measured were porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) antibody titres in all 178 and PCV2 antigen in a subset of 75 piglets. We also observed piglet health and measured their weight, and a post-mortem examination was performed by an external laboratory on all pigs between 6 and 14 weeks of age that died. From the cohort, 14 (8%) pigs died from PMWS and 4% from other causes. A further 37 pigs between 6 and 14 weeks of age died from PMWS (30) and ileitis and other causes (7). PMWS was only apparent in pigs from 1 to 2 weeks before death when they wasted rapidly. There were no other characteristic clinical signs and no obvious gross clinical lesions post-mortem. There was no strong link with PCV2 antibody throughout life but PCV2 antigen level was higher from 4 to 6 weeks of age in pigs that died from PMWS compared with pigs that died from other causes