Decisions on greenhouse gas emissions under uncertainty The concept of Choquet-expected utility maximization

'This paper addresses the question how today's decisions an greenhouse gas emissions under environmental uncertainty are affected by the possibility of getting new information in the future. We base our study an Choquet-expected utility maximization which allows us to study the impact of the degree of uncertainty an optimal decisions. For perfectly informative signals we show that optimal abatement effort increases with the ex ante level of uncertainty. The effect of learning can be explained by standard results from expected utility maximization. If, however, prospective information is not perfect, optimal decisions depend an the way the decision maker updates her beliefs after receiving new information. Abatement effort does not necessarily rise with the ex ante level of uncertainty. The effect of learning depends an the specific form of the utility function. For the quadratic case we show that the results from (risk neutral) expected utility maximization are reversed for high levels of uncertainty: The possibility of new information leads to a higher abatement effort. This result holds true for all studied updating rules.' (author's abstract)Der Verfasser setzt sich mit der Frage auseinander, wie die heute unter Unsicherheit in Bezug auf die Umwelt getroffenen Entscheidungen zur Emission von Treibhausgasen von der Moeglichkeit beeinflusst werden, in der Zukunft neue Informationen zu bekommen. Der Einfluss von Unsicherheit auf optimale Entscheidungen wird mit Hilfe des Verfahrens der Maximierung des Choquet-erwarteten Nutzens (CEU) untersucht. Bei vollstaendigen Informationssignalen, so wird gezeigt, steigt der optimale Aufwand fuer eine Reduktion der Emissionen mit dem ex ante-Niveau der Unsicherheit. Der Lerneffekt ergibt sich aus den Standardergebnissen der Maximierung des CEU. Ist die Information ueber die Zukunft jedoch unvollstaendig, haengen optimale Entscheidungen von der Art und Weise ab, in der die Entscheidungstraeger neue Informationen verarbeiten. Der Aufwand fuer eine Verringerung der Emissionen steigt nicht notwendigerweise mit dem ex ante-Niveau der Unsicherheit. Der Lerneffekt haengt von der spezifischen Form der Nutzenfunktion ab. Fuer den quadratischen Fall laesst sich zeigen, dass die Ergebnisse einer risikoneutralen Maximierung des erwarteten Nutzens sich bei hohen Niveaus von Unsicherheit umkehren: die Moeglichkeit neuer Informationen fuehrt zu einem hoeheren Verringerungsaufwand. Dieses Ergebnis stimmt fuer alle untersuchten Regeln der Informationsverarbeitung. (ICEUebers)German title: Entscheidungen ueber Treibhausgasemissionen unter Unsicherheit: das Konzept der Maximierung des Choquet-erwarteten NutzensAvailable from http://www.eco.uni-heidelberg.de/team/lange/CEU.pdf / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Das analytische Konzept 'Schluesselwort' in der linguistischen Tradition

UuStB Koeln(38)-950106120 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

P. Lorenz (Ed.): ICN 2001, LNCS 2094, pp. 488--496, 2001

An architecture enhancing the Intelligent Network to a Distributed IN is described. To this end, Distributed Processing Environment and Mobile Agent technologies have been employed. The added value, in the context of flexibility and manageability of the exertion of the aforementioned technologies, as well as the extent to which they can be utilized are discussed

Exposure to Bioaerosols during Fish Processing on Board Norwegian Fishing Trawlers

Objectives:The main objective was to gain more knowledge on exposure to bioaerosols in the processing area on board fishing trawlers. Methods: Exposure sampling was carried out during the work shifts when processing fish in the processing area on board five deep-sea fishing trawlers (trawlers 1–5). Exposure samples were collected from 64 fishermen breathing zone and from stationary sampling stations on board five deep-sea fishing trawlers (1–5). Trawlers 2, 3, and 4 were old ships, not originally built for on board processing of the catch. Trawlers 1 and 5 were relatively new and built to accommodate processing machineries. On trawlers 1–4 round fish was produced; the head and entrails were removed before the fishes were frozen in blocks. Trawler 5 had the most extensive processing, producing fish fillets. Samples were analysed for total protein, trypsin activity, parvalbumin, and endotoxin. One side analysis of variance and Kruskal–Wallis H test were used to compare levels of exposure on the different trawlers. Results: Personal exposure to total protein were higher on the three oldest trawlers (2, 3, and 4) compared with the two new trawlers (1 and 5). Highest activity of trypsin was detected on the four trawlers producing round fish (1–4). Parvalbumin was detected in 58% of samples from the fillet-trawler (5) compared with 13% of samples from the four trawlers producing round fish. The highest level of endotoxin was detected when using high-pressure water during cleaning machines and floors in the processing area. Conclusions: Fishermen in the processing area on board Norwegian trawlers are exposed to airborne bioaerosols as proteins, trypsin, fish allergen parvalbumin, and endotoxin. Levels varied between trawlers and type of production

Exposure to Bioaerosols during Fish Processing on Board Norwegian Fishing Trawlers

Objectives: The main objective was to gain more knowledge on exposure to bioaerosols in the processing area on board fishing trawlers. Methods: Exposure sampling was carried out during the work shifts when processing fish in the processing area on board five deep-sea fishing trawlers (trawlers 1-5). Exposure samples were collected from 64 fishermen breathing zone and from stationary sampling stations on board five deep-sea fishing trawlers (1-5). Trawlers 2, 3, and 4 were old ships, not originally built for on board processing of the catch. Trawlers 1 and 5 were relatively new and built to accommodate processing machineries. On trawlers 1-4 round fish was produced; the head and entrails were removed before the fishes were frozen in blocks. Trawler 5 had the most extensive processing, producing fish fillets. Samples were analysed for total protein, trypsin activity, parvalbumin, and endotoxin. One side analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to compare levels of exposure on the different trawlers. Results: Personal exposure to total protein were higher on the three oldest trawlers (2, 3, and 4) compared with the two new trawlers (1 and 5). Highest activity of trypsin was detected on the four trawlers producing round fish (1-4). Parvalbumin was detected in 58% of samples from the fillet-trawler (5) compared with 13% of samples from the four trawlers producing round fish. The highest level of endotoxin was detected when using high-pressure water during cleaning machines and floors in the processing area. Conclusions: Fishermen in the processing area on board Norwegian trawlers are exposed to airborne bioaerosols as proteins, trypsin, fish allergen parvalbumin, and endotoxin. Levels varied between trawlers and type of production