Assessing the welfare effects of promoting biomass growth and the use of bioenergy – A simple back-of-an-envelope calculation

Using a growth model that accounts for environmental and climate externalities, we take a closer look at the welfare e¤ects of promoting biomass growth and the use of bioenergy. As an illustration, a forest hypothetical intensive forest cultivation project is simulated. Costs and benefi…ts of the project show that we need not only determine the postive effects of promoting biomass growth and the use of bioenergy, such as substitution away from fossil fuels and carbon sequestration. But more importantly, to achieve a balanced measure of the e¤ects on the climate, we must also incorporate all carbon emissions that is associated with bioenergy. Not doing so will overestimate the positive climate e¤ects of increasing the use of bioenergy.Bioenergy

Climate Policy and Profit Efficiency

As widely recognized, human mankind stands before the most challenging problem of preventing anthropogenic climate change. As a response to this, the European Union advocates an ambitious climate policy mix. However, there is no consensus concerning the impact of stringent environmental policy on firms’ competitiveness and profitability. From the traditional ‘static’ point of view there are productivity losses to be expected. On the other hand, the so called Porter hypothesis suggests the opposite; i.e., due to ‘dynamic’ effects, ambitious climate and energy policies within the EU could actually be beneficial to firms in terms of enhanced profitability and competitiveness. Based on Sweden’s manufacturing industry, our main purpose is to specifically assess the impact of the CO2 tax scheme of Sweden on firms’ profit efficiency. The empirical methodology is based on stochastic frontier estimations and, in general, the results suggest we can neither reject nor confirm the Porter hypothesis across industry sectors. Therefore, we do not generally confirm the argument of stringent environmental policies having positive dynamic effects that potentially offset costs related to environmental policy.CO2 tax; efficiency; stochastic frontier analysis; Swedish industry

Climate Policy and Profit Efficiency

As widely recognized, human mankind stands before the most challenging problem of preventing anthropogenic climate change. As a response to this, the European Union advocates an ambitious climate policy mix. However, there is no consensus concerning the impact of stringent environmental policy on firms’ competitiveness and profitability. From the traditional ‘static’ point of view there are productivity losses to be expected. On the other hand, the so called Porter hypothesis suggests the opposite; i.e., due to ‘dynamic’ effects, ambitious climate and energy policies within the EU could actually be beneficial to firms in terms of enhanced profitability and competitiveness. Based on Sweden’s manufacturing industry, our main purpose is to specifically assess the impact of the CO2 tax scheme of Sweden on firms’ profit efficiency. The empirical methodology is based on stochastic frontier estimations and, in general, the results suggest we can neither reject nor confirm the Porter hypothesis across industry sectors. Therefore, we do not generally confirm the argument of stringent environmental policies having positive dynamic effects that potentially offset costs related to environmental policy.CO2 tax; efficiency; stochastic frontier analysis; Swedish industry

Prostate cancer : population-based screening and markers for long-term clinical outcome

In 1988 and 1989 a large screening study for prostate cancer was launched in Stockholm, Sweden. At the time approximately 27 000 men between 55 and 70 years of age resided within a defined area of southern Stockholm. 2400 men were randomly selected to participate in the trial and those accepting (n=1782), were examined with digital rectal exam (DRE), transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and a PSA test. If DRE or TRUS indicated suspicious findings or if PSA levels were 10 ng/mL or greater quadrant core biopsies of the prostate were performed. Additionally, the screening algorithm employed stipulated reexamination with DRE and TRUS if PSA concentrations were between 7 ng/L and 10 ng/mL. The initial screening yielded 65 cases of prostate cancer. In this thesis the screening material have been assessed after 20 years (paper I) and 30 years (paper II-IV). In paper I the result of the one-time screening was evaluated after linking the background population, the participants of the study and the invited but not participating cohort to the Swedish cause of death registry and the Swedish cancer registry. Estimating the possible cancer-specific mortality reduction using the Poisson regression model resulted in no difference in prostate cancer-specific mortality between the screened population and the unscreened population, IRR= 0.97 (0.71-1.23; 95% CI). Paper II evaluated the association between the androgen DHT and prostate cancer incidence and mortality. High levels of DHT protected from lethal prostate cancer HR= 0.44 (0.25‐0.77; 95% CI), p=0.004 after 30 years of follow up. The association remained significant both for men seemingly heathy at time of inclusion HR=0.25 (0.07‐0.88; 95% CI), p= 0.032 and for those with a recently diagnosed cancer HR= 0.50 (0.26‐0.94; 95% CI), p=0.031. In paper III the threshold for PSA was examined and the proportions of its isoforms – free/bound PSA that is indicative for low, or negligible risk for prostate cancer death. The associations between both PSA and the ratio free/bound PSA and lethal prostate cancer were strong at long-term follow up. A baseline PSA of 2 ng/mL or less combined with ratio free/bound PSA of 0.25 or greater indicated a very low long-term risk for prostate cancer death and further screening in this cohort can be abstained or continued with lower frequency. In paper IV thawed serum from 330 men including 36 men with lethal prostate cancer was analysed. The aim was to estimate association between elevated levels of the enzyme Thymidine kinase (TK1), a phosphorylation enzyme important in DNA synthesis, and future risk for prostate cancer-specific mortality and overall mortality. The analyses were performed with a commercially available western blot kit. Preliminary estimates indicate that high levels of TK1 is associated with an increased risk for overall mortality irrespective of whether death occurred shortly after blood draw or after a period of follow up

Environmental performance and climate policy

This study’s ultimate goal is to analyze environmental performance (EP) at firm level and the effectiveness of environmental policy along with other possible determinants. Especially, the empirical analysis aims at exploring the relationship between the actual EP of firms in terms of CO2 emissions per output unit, and one aspect of Swedish environmental policy, the CO2- tax. Since Sweden was the first country to introduce a specific CO2-tax in 1991 we believe that the Swedish case may serve as an appropriate “test bench” for analyzing EP and the effectiveness of environmental policy in general. To achieve our objective we use a panel data of Swedish manufacturing spanning over the period 1990-2004. The results suggest that EP has improved in all sectors of manufacturing. We also see that production increases while emissions decrease in many sectors, indicating a decoupling of economic growth and environmental degradation. Furthermore, firms’ EP responds to changes in the CO2-tax and fossil fuel price, but is more sensitive to the tax, indicating different EP behavior among firms depending on why the cost of fossil fuels change. Several sectors also display a positive tendency over time in EP, which may suggest that EP is to some extent stimulated by an overall boost in environmental awareness in society and firms.CO2 emissions; CO2-tax; environmental performance

Environmental Performance and Climate Policy

This study’s ultimate goal is to analyze environmental performance (EP) at firm level and the effectiveness of environmental policy along with other possible determinants. Especially, the empirical analysis aims at exploring the relationship between the actual EP of firms in terms of CO2 emissions per output unit, and one aspect of Swedish environmental policy, the CO2-tax. Since Sweden was the first country to introduce a specific CO2-tax in 1991 we believe that the Swedish case may serve as an appropriate “test bench” for analyzing EP and the effectiveness of environmental policy in general. To achieve our objective we use a panel data of Swedish manufacturing spanning over the period 1990-2004. The results suggest that EP has improved in all sectors of manufacturing. We also see that production increases while emissions decrease in many sectors, indicating a decoupling of economic growth and environmental degradation. Furthermore, firms’ EP responds to changes in the CO2-tax and fossil fuel price, but is more sensitive to the tax, indicating different EP behavior among firms depending on why the cost of fossil fuels change. Several sectors also display a positive tendency over time in EP, which may suggest that EP is to some extent stimulated by an overall boost in environmental awareness in society and firms.CO2 emissions; CO2-tax; environmental performance

The costs and benefits of intensive forest management

This paper presents an approach for studying the socio-economic benefits and costs (CBA) of the introduction of intensified management measures in forestry. Besides from valuation of changes in timber production, assessments of different types of externalities are included in them assessment. The model is exemplified with the use of data from a Swedish governmental study undertaken in 2009 which present impacts on the Swedish forest sector if intensified management measures are applied on environmentally low-valued land and abandoned agricultural lands. The CBA shows that intensified management measures typically are private financially profitable. If these measures also become profitable from the society’s point of view depend on the size of the external effects including carbon balance.Cost-benefit analysis; external effect; timber production; carbon sequestration; fuel substitution

ECL Cell Histamine Mobilization Studied byGastric Submucosal Microdialysis in Awake Rats:Methodological Considerations.

The ECL cells are endocrine/paracrine cells in the acid-producing part of the stomach. They secrete histamine in response to circulating gastrin. Gastric submucosal microdialysis has been used to study ECL-cell histamine mobilization in awake rats. In the present study we assess the usefulness and limitations of the technique. Microdialysis probes were implanted in the gastric submucosa. Histological analysis of the stomach wall around the probe revealed a moderate, local inflammatory reaction 1-2 days after implantation; the inflammation persisted for at least 10 days. Experiments were conducted 3 days after the implantation. The "true" submucosal histamine concentration was determined by perfusing at different rates (the zero flow method) or with different concentrations of histamine at a constant rate (the no-net-flux method): in fasted rats it was calculated to be 87±5 (means±S.E.M.) nmol/l and 76±9 nmol/l, respectively. The corresponding histamine concentrations in fed rats were 93±5 and 102±8 nmol/l, respectively. With a perfusion rate of 74 mul/hr the recovery of submucosal histamine was 49%, at 34 mul/hr the recovery increased to 83%. At a perfusion rate below 20 mul/hr the microdialysate histamine concentration was close to the actual concentration in the submucosa. The ECL-cell histamine mobilization was independent of the concentrations of Ca2+ in the perfusion medium (0-3.4 mmol/l Ca2+). In one experiment, histamine mobilization in response to gastrin (10 nmol/kg/hr subcutaneously) was monitored in rats pretreated with prednisolone (60 mg/kg) or indomethacin (15 mg/kg). The two antiinflammatory agents failed to affect the concentration of histamine in the microdialysate either before or during the gastrin challenge, which was in accord with the observation that the inflammatory reaction was modest and that inflammatory cells were relatively few around the probe and in the wall of the probe. In another experiment, rats were given aminoguanidine (10 mg/kg) or metoprine (10 mg/kg) 4 hr before the start of gastrin infusion (5 nmol/kg/hr intravenously). Metoprine (inhibitor of histamine N-methyl transferase) did not affect the microdialysate histamine concentration, while aminoguanidine (inhibitor of diamine oxidase) raised both basal and gastrin-stimulated histamine concentrations. We conclude that microdialysis can be used to monitor changes in the concentration of histamine in the submucosa of the stomach, and that the inflammatory reaction to the probe is moderate and does not affect the submucosal histamine mobilization

Vertically aligned carbon based varactors

This paper gives an assessment of vertically aligned carbon based varactors and validates their potential for future applications. The varactors discussed here are nanoelectromechanical devices which are based on either vertically aligned carbon nanofibers or vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays. A generic analytical model for parallel plate nanoelectromechanical varactors based on previous works is developed and is used to formulate a universal expression for their voltage-capacitance relation. Specific expressions for the nanofiber based and the nanotube based varactors are then derived separately from the generic model. This paper also provides a detailed review on the fabrication of carbon based varactors and pays special attention to the challenges in realizing such devices. Finally, the performance of the carbon based varactor is assessed in accordance with four criteria: the static capacitance, the tuning ratio, the quality factor, and the operating voltage. Although the reported performance is still far inferior to other varactor technologies, our prognosis which stems from the analytical model shows a promise of a high quality factor as well as a potential for high power handling for carbon based varactors

Modelling and experimental verification of more efficient power harvesting by coupled piezoelectric cantilevers

A new piezoelectric energy harvester design is proposed in order to achieve a wider bandwidth without compromising energy conversion efficiency. By coupling two cantilevers where the tip of the bottom one is attached to the base of the upper one, the simulated harvester will have a wider bandwidth and higher power output compared with two simulated single tuned single cantilevers. This is a compact design, using only half the area compared to two parallel single cantilevers at the price of a small increase in height. The measured coupled harvester has approximately 1.7 times higher energy output than the combination of two measured tuned single cantilevers achieved by a coupling with less mechanical damping. With an improved coupling the power output is increased to 2.3 times higher than two single tuned cantilevers