Agriculture as a source of fuel prospects and impacts, 2007 to 2017

Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

EVALUATING THE IMPACTS OF AN INCREASE IN FUEL-ETHANOL DEMAND ON AGRICULTURE AND THE ECONOMY

Fuel ethanol demand is projected to increase because of proposed ban on methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in gasoline, renewable fuels standard, and the revised eight-hour ozone standards. In this paper, several scenarios of increased fuel ethanol demand and its effects on crop and feed prices, farm income and state finances under current tax-subsidy structure, are analyzed using a multi-sector econometric model AGMOD.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Economic and humanistic impact of medication nonadherence in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly impact morbidity and mortality. In spite of the well-known benefits of prophylactic medication use, especially in asthma, the rate of medication nonadherence is more than 50%. In Phase I, this study examined the relationship between refill-based medication nonadherence and healthcare utilization/costs in patients with asthma, COPD, and those with both asthma and COPD from the West Virginia (WV) Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) program. In Phase II, the study measured the relationship between refill-based and self-reported medication nonadherence, health-related quality of life (HRQL), and losses in workplace productivity, all of which were determined via a mailed questionnaire to patients identified from Phase I. Phase I Results: The prevalence of asthma in the study population was similar to national estimates (203/10,000), whereas the prevalence of COPD was higher (598/10,000). Among asthma-only and those with both asthma and COPD, more than half the patients received medications according to NHLBI guidelines. Refill-based medication adherence was highest in patients having both asthma and COPD, as compared to asthma-only or COPD-only enrollees. The number of adverse outcomes such as hospitalizations and ED visits increased with increasing refill-based adherence for the COPD-only patients. Total healthcare costs increased with increasing medication adherence for all three groups. Thus, increasing medication adherence was possibly a reflection of increasing disease severity. Phase II Results: The overall response rate was almost 23% (N = 918), and was highest for the asthma-only group (25%), followed by the \u27both\u27 group (24%), and the COPD-only group (15%). The perception of HRQL among WV PEIA enrollees was similar to those found in other studies. Only 40% of all Phase II respondents reported themselves as high adherent; the prevalence of self-reported adherence being similar in all three sub-groups. The correlations between self-reported and refill-based adherence in the three groups were not clinically significant. Medication adherence was a significant predictor of HRQL for the COPD-only group, with HRQL worsening with increasing adherence. Self-reported health status was a significant predictor of HRQL for each of the three disease groups; and HRQL worsened with deteriorating health status. In all three groups, medication adherence was not significantly associated with losses in workplace productivity dollars

Selective tree thinning in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed for water yield augmentation

Water scarcity in southwestern United States is nothing new. It has been an issue since the southwest\u27s earliest settlements. However, this problem has gained increased notoriety due to greater demands on the finite resource . Increasing population and competing demands on water resources require new solutions to water scarcity. The threat of surface and underground water depletion has even catalyzed another round of experimentation in cloud seeding, one method, no matter how far-fetched, for augmenting supplies. Conservation programs have reduced domestic water usage by minimizing inefficient water usage, but few address the realistic possibilities of increasing water supplies. Tree thinning will increase water supplies and will concurrently return the forest to their natural densities and ensure watershed productivity. National Forest lands represent 8 percent of the contiguous U.S. land area and contribute 14 percent of the runoff. In the eleven western states, an even greater percentage (20%) of the land area lies within the National Forests. Waters originating from Forest Service lands are of the highest quality, unaffected by many anthropogenic elements. In addition, these lands constitute the largest single source of fresh water in the United States. Furthermore, in the west, federal lands contribute more than sixty percent of the West\u27s water supplies, and nearly eighty percent of that originates from National Forests. Locally, National Forest Service lands in New Mexico yield 29% of the total runoff flows in the state. However, overly dense stands are common on National Forest lands and impact those flows