Energy Efficiency Economics and Policy

Energy efficiency and conservation are considered key means for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving other energy policy goals, but associated market behavior and policy responses have engendered debates in the economic literature. We review economic concepts underlying consumer decisionmaking in energy efficiency and conservation and examine related empirical literature. In particular, we provide an economic perspective on the range of market barriers, market failures, and behavioral failures that have been cited in the energy efficiency context. We assess the extent to which these conditions provide a motivation for policy intervention in energy-using product markets, including an examination of the evidence on policy effectiveness and cost. While theory and empirical evidence suggest there is potential for welfare-enhancing energy efficiency policies, many open questions remain, particularly relating to the extent of some of the key market and behavioral failures.energy efficiency, appliance standards, energy policy, market failures, behavioral failures

Modeling Endogenous Technological Change for Climate Policy Analysis

The approach used to model technological change in a climate policy model is a critical determinant of its results. We provide an overview of the different approaches used in the literature, with an emphasis on recent developments regarding endogenous technological change, research and development, and learning. Detailed examination sheds light on the salient features of each approach, including strengths, limitations, and policy implications. Key issues include proper accounting for the opportunity costs of climate-related knowledge generation, treatment of knowledge spillovers and appropriability, and the empirical basis for parameterizing technological relationships. No single approach appears to dominate on all these dimensions, and different approaches may be preferred depending on the purpose of the analysis, be it positive or normative.exogenous, technology, R&D, learning, induced

Changes in Understorey Pasture Composition in Agroforestry Regimes in New Zealand

Long term Agroforestry trials were established in the North and South Islands of New Zealand between 1971-76. They compared a range of final tree stockings of Pinus radiata planted into pasture with open pasture control plots and were measured for tree growth parameters and agricultural production. This paper presents the results of pasture species changes over the period of tree age 10-22 years. Pasture species composition under Pinus radiata changed with time, dependent primarily on the rate of canopy closure. Changes occurred relatively rapidly in high tree stocked areas of 400 stems per hectare (sph) in the North Island trials where ryegrass (Lolium perenne L) and white clover (Trifolium repens L) were replaced with annual and native grass until canopy closure resulted in loss of all pasture by tree age 13 years. In lower tree stocked areas these changes occurred more slowly so that by tree age 19 years, pasture species such as Yorkshire Fog (Holcus lanatus) and annual grasses (Poa Species) still contributed to the ground cover. In the South Island trials, pasture persisted longer into the tree rotation. Open pasture (0 sph) retained similar pasture species to that at the trial commencement in all locations. A point analysis technique at one North Island site gave a good measure of ground surface cover over time

The Effects of Shelterbelts on Adjacent Pastures and Soils in a Temperate Climate

Two trials were conducted to differentiate the direct (exposure) from the indirect (modified soil fertility due to nutrient transfer by grazing animals) effects of farm shelterbelts on associated pasture growth.Soil from close to “unmanaged”shelterbelts with dense shelter to ground level had relatively high potassium (K) levels and, in a glasshouse situation, provided more pasture growth than soil from further distances, or from adjacent to “managed” shelterbelts. Pasture grown in boxes of a common soil implanted at increasing distances from a shelterbelt also produced highest growth rates close to shelter. These results generally explain the pattern of resident pasture growth, except for the closest (5 metre) distance which had the lowest pasture growth.This appears related to relatively low soil moisture levels at these sites, due either to rain shelter or tree root competition effects

Energy Efficiency Economics and Policy

Energy efficiency and conservation are considered key means for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving other energy policy goals, but associated market behavior and policy responses have engendered debates in the economic literature. We review economic concepts underlying consumer decision making in energy efficiency and conservation and examine related empirical literature. In particular, we provide an economic perspective on the range of market barriers, market failures, and behavioral failures that have been cited in the energy efficiency context. We assess the extent to which these conditions provide a motivation for policy intervention in energy-using product markets, including an examination of the evidence on policy effectiveness and cost. Although theory and empirical evidence suggests there is potential for welfare-enhancing energy efficiency policies, many open questions remain, particularly relating to the extent of some key market and behavioral failures.

The role of the grazing animal in nutrient cycling in hill pastures and implications for management

The International Hill Land Symposium was held at Oregon State University in April 1983.In New Zealand, phosphorus (P) is the major fertilizer nutrient applied to pasture although it is recognized that nitrogen (N) defici­ency also is widespread. In assessing the significance of management on fertilizer nutrient efficiency in hill pastures, there is a need to better understand the role of the grazing animal, with respect to both nutrient intake and redistribution and the manner in which hill lands differ from flat lands. Although animals prefer grazing flat or gentle slopes it is poss­ible to obtain uniformly high levels of utilization from hill pastures. In complex topography with variable pasture species composition, this can be achieved most easily by imposing high grazing pressures for short durations. The nutrient content of excreta from animals grazing hill land represents an integration of the various types and quantities of pas­ture consumed over a range of locations. Therefore, the major impact of the grazing animal on the nutrient cycle is through the excretal distribution pattern. Detailed measurements of P uptake and return to contrasting hill sites showed that annual above-ground losses of P per stock unit {SU) in both animal products and by transfer was more than 50 percent higher on steep hill country than from flat land. It is expected that the pattern of N transfer is similar. Management features which affect the level of nutrient transfer include soil nutrient status, grazing management system and fencing subdivision pattern of the property. Increased pasture production and/or nutrient content will contri­bute to increased transfer losses and must be accepted as an additional cost of pasture improvement. This points to a need to accurately match fertilizer application rates with requirements so that significant "luxury uptake" by pasture is avoided. In complex hill country, the matching of fertilizer rate to the mosaic of requirements is impossi­ble, although well-defined broad zones can receive differential fer­tilization. The use of slow release fertilizers is an alternative strategy currently being examined in New Zealand. Contrasting grazing.management systems appear to have little effect on dung distribution patterns when the level of pasture utiliza­tion by each is the same. Complete subdivision of slope classes into separate paddocks appears necessary before significant reductions in P transfer from steep slopes can be obtained. The full implications, however, of contrasting paddock topography on excretal distribution patterns and associated pasture production from various slopes has yet to be evalu­ated

High Sensitivity of Human Translesion DNA Synthesis Polymerase κ to Variation in O6-Carboxymethylguanine Structures

Carboxymethylation of DNA, including the formation of the DNA adduct O6-carboxymethylguanine (O6-CMG), is associated with lifestyle factors, such as diet. It can impede replicative polymerases (Pols) and lead to replication fork stalling, or an alternative means for replication to proceed by translesion DNA synthesis (TLS). TLS requires specialized DNA Pols characterized by open and preformed active sites capable of preferential bypass of alkylated DNA adducts but that have high error rates, leading to mutations. Human TLS Pols can bypass O6-CMG with varying degrees of accuracy, but it is not known how the chemical structure of the O6-CMG adduct influences polymerase proficiency or fidelity. To better understand how adduct structure determines dNTP selection at lesion sites, we prepared DNA templates with a series of O6-CMG structural analogs and compared the primer extension patterns of Y- and X-family Pols in response to these modifications. The results indicate that the structure of the DNA adduct had a striking effect on dNTP selection by Pol κ and that an increased steric size influences the fidelity of Pol η, whereas Pol ι and β function were only marginally affected. To test the hypothesis that specific hydrogen bonding interactions between the templating base and the incoming dNTP are a basis of this selection, we modeled the structural analogs with incoming dNTP in the Pol κ active site. These data indicate that the base pairing geometry and stabilization by a dense hydrogen bonding network are important molecular features for dNTP incorporation, providing a basis for understanding error-free bypass of O6-CMG by Pol κ

Modeling Uncertainty in Climate Change: A Multi-Model Comparison

The economics of climate change involves a vast array of uncertainties, complicating both the analysis and development of climate policy. This study presents the results of the first comprehensive study of uncertainty in climate change using multiple integrated assessment models. The study looks at model and parametric uncertainties for population, total factor productivity, and climate sensitivity. It estimates the pdfs of key output variables, including CO2 concentrations, temperature, damages, and the social cost of carbon (SCC). One key finding is that parametric uncertainty is more important than uncertainty in model structure. Our resulting pdfs also provide insights on tail events

Smart Focal Plane Technologies for VLT Instruments

As we move towards the era of ELTs, it is timely to think about the future role of the 8-m class telescopes. Under the OPTICON programme, novel technologies have been developed that are intended for use in multi-object and integral-field spectrographs. To date, these have been targeted at instrument concepts for the European ELT, but there are also significant possibilities for their inclusion in new VLT instruments, ensuring the continued success and productivity of these unique telescopes.Comment: 5 pages, to appear in the proceedings of the ESO Workshop "Science with the VLT in the ELT era