Green clothes : A survey of people’s willingness to pay for environmentally friendly clothes

To engage in environmental and social issues is getting more important for companies, and many companies have integrated environmental considerations into their business. Consumers have a strong influence on companies and their environmental awareness and willingness to pay affects the companies work within the environmental field. The consumption of clothes has grown rapidly and the average Swede spends 3.9 percent of their income on clothes. The production process of clothes can harm the environment, society and the consumers themselves. So the purpose of this thesis is to see if consumers have a willingness to pay extra for an environmentally friendly garment. The aim is also to identify what factors that may influence consumers’ decisions. A survey containing a contingent valuation has been conducted. The results show that a prominent majority, 89 percent, of the respondents stated that they would pay extra to make sure the garment they buy is eco-friendly, and the median for the amount they are willing to spend is 65 SEK extra. This indicates that there is an interest from the consumers to pay extra to make sure environmental consideration is taken in production of clothes. The awareness of the indirect harm that purchasing clothes can cause themselves, others and the environment and how intensely consumers feel that it is their own responsibility not to cause that harm, probably have an influence on peoples’ willingness to pay extra

Regeringens transportinfrastruktursatsningar : En studie av tågtrafikens utrymme i regeringsanslagen för transportsektorn

In the government's bill on infrastructure for 2010-2021, the government presents that road investments should be prioritized before investments in the railway. The grants for operation and maintenance of the railways are much higher then in the last government's bill. Furthermore the current founding of investment in railways is higher then for road investment which is in opposite of the bill on infrastructure's directives. Therefore the purpose with my thesis is to find which factors that can explain how come the government has chosen to take these actions. As a model to help me achieve my purpose I have been using a modified version of the DBO-theory, where the basic factors to explain an action is Desire, Belief and Opportunities. My result shows that the government probably increased the founding for operation and maintenance because of two main reasons. The last government's grant wasn't enough according to the government, so the condition of the current rails is bad. Also, maintenance of the existing rail are more economic profitable for the society, then new investments, to create an infrastructure that is effective. Furthermore, the explanation for that road investments are prioritized, in the bill on infrastructure, may be that the government advocate that the investments that are most economic profitable for society is chosen. According to studies of prior projects, investments in roads give a higher economic profit for society. One probable explanation for that the government is doing the opposite in current grants, and priorities railways, may be because the international negotiation of a new climate agreement is coming up this December where Sweden is the chairman of EU. Therefore it can be in the government's interest to show that they conduct environmental friendly national politics

The C-terminal Src Inhibitory Kinase (Csk)-mediated Tyrosine Phosphorylation Is a Novel Molecular Mechanism to Limit P2X3 Receptor Function in Mouse Sensory Neurons*

On sensory neurons, sensitization of P2X3 receptors gated by extracellular ATP contributes to chronic pain. We explored the possibility that receptor sensitization may arise from down-regulation of an intracellular signal negatively controlling receptor function. In view of the structural modeling between the Src region phosphorylated by the C-terminal Src inhibitory kinase (Csk) and the intracellular C terminus domain of the P2X3 receptor, we investigated how Csk might regulate receptor activity. Using HEK cells and the in vitro kinase assay, we observed that Csk directly phosphorylated the tyrosine 393 residue of the P2X3 receptor and strongly inhibited receptor currents. On mouse trigeminal sensory neurons, the role of Csk was tightly controlled by the extracellular level of nerve growth factor, a known algogen. Furthermore, silencing endogenous Csk in HEK or trigeminal cells potentiated P2X3 receptor responses, confirming constitutive Csk-mediated inhibition. The present study provides the first demonstration of an original molecular mechanism responsible for negative control over P2X3 receptor function and outlines a potential new target for trigeminal pain suppression