Emissions trading, carbon pricing, and the impact on carbon producing firms : a study of phase III of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business (Finance) at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

This thesis examines the firm level impact of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), the ability to hedge carbon price, and the determinants of carbon price. The analysis focuses on phase III of the EU ETS. The work of Koch and Bassen (2013) is extended by investigating whether carbon-adjusted expected returns differ post-2013, as the trading scheme shifted to full auctioning. The findings show a lack of significant exposure to carbon price for the majority of carbon producing European firms. For firms where significant exposure to the price of carbon was found, firms’ returns required on equity were substantially higher after carbon exposure was considered. Whether carbon could be hedged effectively using conventional techniques was investigated, and a simple ordinary least squares hedge ratio was found to be the most effective. Further, the hedge ratio for carbon was found to be within the normal 0.5-1 range of typically hedged commodities. Finally, the carbon price determinants were investigated to determine whether energy prices and weather explain the carbon price in phase III, and how this relationship changed since full auctioning came into place in 2013. Energy prices were found to impact carbon price in phase III, however, the best model explained only 12% of carbon price variation. Weather variables were not found to impact carbon price except in one case of unanticipated temperature change. The results indicate that it is not the temperatures themselves that impact carbon price, rather unanticipated changes in temperature

Sensitivity Of Cross-Tropopause Convective Transport To Tropopause Definition

An idealized three-dimensional cloud-resolving model is used to investigate the sensitivity of cross-tropopause convective mass transport to tropopause definition. A ten-hour simulation is conducted to encompass the growth and decay cycle, with focus on irreversible transport above the tropopause. Six previously published tropopause definitions are evaluated. These definitions include specific values of altitude, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) temperature lapse rate, potential vorticity, stratospheric tracer concentration, static stability, and curvature of the Brunt-Vaisala Frequency. This investigation highlights the challenge of defining a tropopause during active deep convection, and demonstrates the need of clearly communicating calculation methods and threshold choices in the literature. Definitions such as potential vorticity and stratospheric tracer are shown to perform poorly when analyzing deep convection. The WMO thermal tropopause and static stability tropopause definitions perform the best, providing similar tropopause placement and quantities of irreversible mass transport. An additional small investigation of the universality of tropopause definitions, including the WMO and static stability definitions, between the midlatitudes and tropics is performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting model. First, a thought experiment demonstrates that the WMO thermal tropopause identifies areas of similar temperature lapse rates, not necessarily similar stability, which plays an important role in mass transport. To investigate further, two case studies are analyzed to determine the tropopause placement in each region. Again, the WMO and static stability definitions provide similar placement of the tropopause in both regions

The Impact of the Via Bus System on Food Deserts

A variety of different methods have been used to analyze food deserts. One method, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), is particularly useful when trying to better visualize the impact an issue has on a region. GIS is a method of mapping which can be used to map food deserts or other social or medical issues, which allows for a better visualization of which regions are most impacted by such issues. This study used GIS to map all grocery stores, convenience stores, farmers markets, food pantries, WIC clinics, and Mobile Mercados in San Antonio, Texas to determine whether they were within walking distance, defined as ≤ 0.5 miles and ≤ 1 mile, of the bus stops. This was accomplished by placing a half-mile and one-mile buffer region around each bus stop and determining which location of interest fell within the buffer. It was found that the majority of the bus stops were within walking distance of the locations of interest, 95.93% in the half-mile buffer and 97.58% in the one-mile buffer. This indicates that public transportation is likely not a factor affecting the obesity rates in San Antonio, TX meaning that other factors such as socioeconomic status may have a larger impact

Becoming autistic: how do late diagnosed people assigned female at birth understand, discuss and create their gender identity through the discourses of autism?

The overarching concern of this thesis is discovering what it is that autism does to gender. This thesis argues that autism has come to constitute a form of gender trouble. Thus, the central question is how people assigned female at birth who have been formally diagnosed with autism as adults understand their gendered identity pre and post diagnosis. This thesis ascertains whether the diagnosis of autism holds any significance in how autistic individuals understand, think about and produce their gender. This thesis is interested in how an autistic identity is negotiated and how an autistic subjectivity emerges. It takes as its central proposition that autism is a masculinised diagnostic category and one which is produced and knowable through a masculinised discourse. Furthermore, autism is categorised as a neurodevelopmental disorder, thus, it becomes attached to the self or the ‘I’ of the person diagnosed through contemporary understandings of neurology and the self. This thesis determines if the gender trouble that is seemingly bound to autism plays out in the identity formation of those diagnosed and whether the diagnosis has any bearing on how they understand their gendered identity. Eight people assigned female at birth who reside in the United Kingdom and who have been diagnosed as autistic by services in the National Health Service at eighteen years old or over have been interviewed for this thesis. The purpose of speaking with this particular group of individuals is to understand whether autism becomes a lens through which identity is constructed and whether this identity becomes framed by, or is resistant to, the gendered discourses which produce autism. And, indeed, whether these discourses which are so commented upon in the academic literature and popular discourse alike actually have any bearing on how individuals come to understand themselves as autistic subjects. Thus, this mode of investigation pays specific attention to how one becomes autistic; which resources and knowledges are drawn upon to understand the self and whether these are used to create an understanding of the self-post diagnosis

The Lasting Effects of Learning Communities

A majority of the research on the impact of learning communities has focused on the positive outcomes for students in their first year of study (Andrade, 2007; Goldman, 2012; Laverick, 2018; Wathington, Pretlow, & Mitchell, 2010). Less is known about the impact of learning community involvement as students complete their enrollment and persist through their next three (or more) years of education. Recent studies have addressed learning community involvement using qualitative measures. This article adds to the literature on learning community impact by describing an investigation of how juniors and seniors characterize the influence of their first-year learning community participation. Findings from the study illuminated the importance of faculty involvement and preparation, the use of High-Impact Practices (HIPS), and ways we might attend to peer dynamics in our learning community classrooms. The practice of following students to determine the possible lasting effects of learning communities has informed our work, and we argue that this practice should be included in learning community program assessment

Deadly news: the downward trend continues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking 2004-2019

Smoking is the leading contributor to the burden of disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and one of the largest causes of preventable morbidity and mortality. Reducing exposure to tobacco provides substantial opportunity for improving the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and is reflected in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The FCTC acknowledges concern "about the high levels of smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption by indigenous peoples"(FCTC, Preamble). It is important to continue the focus on reducing tobacco use and promoting smoke-]free environments, consequently improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes

Combo Night 2011

UNF Music Flagship Program Presents Combo Night Featuring UNF Jazz Studies Students Wednesday, October 5, 2011 UNF Fine Arts Center - Choir Room, 140

Evidence for a comprehensive approach to Aboriginal tobacco control to maintain the decline in smoking: an overview of reviews among Indigenous peoples

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking is a leading cause of disease and premature mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians. While the daily smoking prevalence among Indigenous Australians has declined significantly from 49% in 2001, it remains about three times higher than that of non-Indigenous Australians (39 and 14%, respectively, for age ≥15 years in 2014-15). This overview of systematic reviews aimed to synthesise evidence about reducing tobacco consumption among Indigenous peoples using a comprehensive framework for Indigenous tobacco control in Australia comprised of the National Tobacco Strategy (NTS) and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan (NATSIHP) principles and priorities. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, systematic review and Indigenous health databases were searched (2000 to Jan 2016) for reviews examining the effects of tobacco control interventions among Indigenous peoples. Two reviewers independently screened reviews, extracted data, and assessed review quality using Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews. Data were synthesised narratively by framework domain. Reporting followed the PRISMA statement. RESULTS: Twenty-one reviews of varying quality were included. There was generally limited Indigenous-specific evidence of effective interventions for reducing smoking; however, many reviewers recommended multifaceted interventions which incorporate Indigenous leadership, partnership and engagement and cultural tailoring. Under the NTS priority areas, reviewers reported evidence for brief smoking cessation interventions and pharmacological support, mass media campaigns (on knowledge and attitudes) and reducing affordability and regulation of tobacco sales. Aspects of intervention implementation related to the NATSIHP domains were less well described and evidence was limited; however, reviewers suggested that cultural tailoring, holistic approaches and building workforce capacity were important strategies to address barriers. There was limited evidence regarding social media and mobile applications, for Indigenous youth, pregnant women and prisoners, and no evidence regarding interventions to protect communities from industry interference, the use of electronic cigarettes, interventions for people experiencing mental illness, juvenile justice, linguistic diversity or 'pubs, clubs and restaurants'. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited Indigenous-specific evidence for most tobacco interventions. A 'comprehensive approach' incorporating NTS and NATSIHP Principles and Priorities of partnership and engagement, evidence from other settings, programme logic and responsive evaluation plans may improve intervention acceptability, effectiveness and implementation and mitigate risks of adapting tobacco evidence for Indigenous Australians.This overview was supported by The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre through the NHMRC partnership centre grant scheme (Grant ID: GNT9100001) with the Australian Government Department of Health, NSW Health, ACT Health, HCF, and the HCF Research Foundation. Catherine Chamberlain is supported by an NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (1088813). Emily Banks is supported by an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (1402717)

Adoption of preventive behaviors in response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic: a multiethnic perspective

Background: As public health leaders prepare for possible future influenza pandemics, the rapid spread of 2009 H1N1 influenza highlights the need to focus on measures the public can adopt to help slow disease transmission. Such measures may relate to hygiene (e.g., hand washing), social distancing (e.g., avoiding places where many people gather), and pharmaceutical interventions (e.g., vaccination). Given the disproportionate impact of public health emergencies on minority communities in the United States, it is important to understand whether there are differences in acceptance across racial/ethnic groups that could lead to targeted and more effective policies and communications. Objectives: This study explores racial/ethnic differences in the adoption of preventive behaviors during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Patients/Methods Data are from a national telephone poll conducted March 17 to April 11, 2010, among a representative sample of 1123 white, 330 African American, 317 Hispanic, 268 Asian, and 262 American Indian/Alaska Native adults in the USA. Results: People in at least one racial/ethnic minority group were more likely than whites to adopt several behaviors related to hygiene, social distancing, and healthcare access, including increased hand washing and talking with a healthcare provider (P-values <0·05). Exceptions included avoiding others with influenza-like illnesses and receiving 2009 H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccinations. After we controlled the data for socioeconomic status, demographic factors, healthcare access, and illness- and vaccine-related attitudes, nearly all racial/ethnic differences in behaviors persisted. Conclusions: Minority groups appear to be receptive to several preventive behaviors, but barriers to vaccination are more pervasive