Uncertainty and the Cost-Effectiveness of Regional NOx Emissions Reductions from Electricity Generation

This paper analyzes uncertainties surrounding the benefits and costs of a policy to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions from electricity generation in the eastern U.S. Under each of 18 scenarios examined, we find an annual policy would yield net benefits that are at least as great as those expected under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) currently planned seasonal policy. Preferred (midpoint) assumptions yield additional benefits of $724 million per year under an annual policy compared to a seasonal one (1997 dollars). The subset of 11 northeastern states benefit the most from an annual policy relative to a seasonal one, but relative net benefits are also positive in the remaining states in the region. An annual policy implemented on a national basis appears to be slightly less cost-effective than the EPA’s policy under midpoint assumptions but it is more cost-effective under half of the scenarios we examine.emissions trading, electricity, particulates, nitrogen oxides, NOX, health benefits, market structure, restructuring, deregulation, value of statistical life, uncertainty

The Benefits and Costs of Fish Consumption Advisories for Mercury

Mercury contamination of the Chesapeake Bay is a concern to health authorities in the region. We evaluate the economic and health effects of postulated recreational and commercial fishing advisories for striped bass on the Maryland portion of the bay. Awareness of and response to the advisory is estimated using a meta-analysis of the literature. Three values are estimated: welfare losses to recreational anglers, welfare losses in the commercial striped bass fishery, and health benefits. An estimate of percentage of consumer surplus loss is applied to the value of all fishing days in the bay to estimate recreational welfare loss. Welfare losses to the commercial fishery are estimated based on a model of supply and demand. Health benefits are estimated using estimated exposure and epidemiological relationships, and while potentially large, are highly uncertain. Results also suggest most individuals are below advisory standards ex ante, such that advisories should target high-frequency consumers.fisheries, mercury, advisories, recreation, health benefits

Adult Learning-Focused Professional Development for Dental Hygiene Clinical Instructors

At a dental hygiene program within a community college in New York State, clinical instructors are hired based on their expertise as practitioners. Most clinical instructors lack a background in adult learning theory and practice, which is an issue because their students are adult learners whose average age is 26. The instructors\u27 lack of knowledge in this area challenges their effectiveness. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore dental hygiene instructors\u27 views about what kind of professional development offerings related to adult learning might help improve their teaching effectiveness. The conceptual framework for this project study was Lave and Wenger\u27s situated learning theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 part-time clinical instructors from the same academic department. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five themes emerged from data analysis: participants\u27 commitment to teaching, experience with students\u27 attitudes, desire for communication, satisfaction with students\u27 successes, and need for professional development. These findings led to the design of a professional development program that includes content on behaviorism, humanism, social cognitive theory, cognitivism, constructivism, and experiential learning theory. The goals of the program include providing clinical instructors with a background in adult learning theory and identifying ways to implement adult learning theory into clinical instruction. In potentially improving the teaching effectiveness of clinical instructors, this study may result in the better preparation of dental hygiene students and, ultimately, lead to improved patient care

Technical memorandum on analysis of the EU ETS using the community independent transaction log

This memorandum provides an overview of three deficiencies within the current presentation of the Community Independent Transaction Log (CITL) data that have implications for researchers' ability to accurately analyze the impacts of the EU ETS. It evaluates the impact of these deficiencies on analyses of the UK, Spain, and France, three Member States with readily available installation-level data that can be compared against the CITL

CO2 Abatement in the UK Power Sector: Evidence from the EU ETS Trial Period

This paper provides an empirical assessment of CO2 emissions abatement in the UK power sector during the trial period of the EU ETS. Using an econometrically estimated model of fuel switching, it separates the impacts of changes in relative fuel prices and changes in the EUA price on the utilization and emissions of coal and natural gas-fired generating units. We find clear statistical evidence that the CO2 price did impact dispatch decisions, resulting in natural gas utilization that was from 19% to 24% higher and coal utilization that was 16% to 18% lower than would have otherwise occurred in 2005 and 2006. Abatement as a result of fuel switching in the power sector is estimated to have been between 13 million and 21 million tons of CO2 in 2005 and 14 and 21 million tons in 2006.Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research

The effects of interactions between federal and state climate policies

In the absence of a federal policy to cap carbon emissions many states are moving forward with their own initiatives, which currently range from announcements of commitments to reduce greenhouse gases to a regional multi-state cap-and-trade program slated to begin in 2009. While federal legislation is expected in the next few years, it is unclear how such legislation will define the relationship between a federal cap and trade program and other state regulations. Assuming the introduction of a cap-and-trade program at the federal level, this paper analyzes the economic and environmental impacts of the range of possible interactions between the federal program and state programs. We find that the impacts of interaction depend on relative stringency of the federal and state program and overlap in source coverage. Where state programs are both duplicative of and more demanding than the federal cap, the effect is entirely redistributive of costs and emissions, with in-state sources facing higher marginal abatement costs. Also, differing marginal abatement costs among states create economic inefficiencies that make achievement of the climate goal more costly than it need be. These redistributive effects and the associated economic inefficiency are avoided under either federal preemption of duplicative state programs or a 'carve out' of state programs from the federal cap with linkage to the federal allowance market

The effects of interactions between federal and state climate policies : implications for federal climate policy design

Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-88).In the absence of a federal policy to cap greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions many states are moving forward with their own initiatives, which currently range from announcements of commitments to reduce greenhouse gases to a regional multi-state cap-and-trade program slated to begin in 2009. As development of federal climate policy moves forward, federal policymakers must address how legislation or regulation capping GHG emissions will define the relationship between a federal cap and any existing state programs, particularly when state programs involve cap-and-trade. This thesis attempts to inform the policy debate on treatment of state programs under a federal cap-and-trade program through analysis of the economic, environmental, and distributional impacts of potential relationships between federal and state climate programs. Using economic theory, it considers the impacts and resulting implications for federal program design of four possible scenarios relating state and federal cap-and-trade programs: coexistence of state and federal programs resulting in separate but overlapping allowance markets; express federal preemption of state cap-and-trade programs; separate existence of state and federal programs via a 'carve-out' of the state program; and linkage between the federal program and carved-out state programs. This thesis demonstrates that the impacts of potential state and federal program interactions depend on the relative stringency of the federal and state program and overlap in source coverage. Common design elements of cap-and-trade programs, such as cost containment provisions, affect this interaction through their impact on relative stringency.(cont.) Where state programs are both duplicative of and more demanding than the federal cap, the effect is redistributive of costs and emissions; in-state sources face higher marginal abatement costs, leading to a loss of economic efficiency. These effects are avoided under either federal preemption of duplicative state programs or a 'carve-out' of state programs from the federal cap with linkage to the federal allowance market. While preemption is administratively straightforward for the federal government, it may come at a high political cost. On the other hand, the carve-out with linkage, while likely more politically feasible, may carry a high administrative burden. Policymakers determined to avoid the inefficiencies of overlapping programs will need to consider the tradeoffs between these two options.by Meghan C. McGuinness.S.M

Avian Influenza Pre-Pandemic Procurement: Recommendations for the US Federal Government

Many experts fear that an influenza pandemic will occur in the near future. There is currently much debate about how the US should best prepare. Previous US responses give only minimal guidance as the last major influenza pandemic occurred nearly a century ago—before flu viruses had ever been isolated

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570