ANALYSIS ON THE COREEELATION BETWEEN ROLE-PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND ENGLISH VOCABULARY RANGE

ANALYSIS ON THE COREEELATION BETWEEN ROLE-PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND ENGLISH VOCABULARY RANGE

Jihad and American Education: An Examination of Textbook Inclusion

This study investigates what impact has the American educational system had in conveying the religious ideals of Islam within high school classrooms and has classroom discussions dealing with the societal profiles of Muslims been proactive or passive in dealing with this controversial issue? The method in which traditional American scholarly mindsets have approached the Islamic religion in education is explored and compared to relatively recent conceptions of Muslims within American schools in order to shed light on an interesting modern topic with immense historical background. Finally, a professional development presentation, designed to show societal impact of nationalistic bias of textbook information on generational attitudes. The responsibilities to teachers to go beyond the textbook on debatable subject content in order to give students the tools they need to make educational approaches to topics is stressed

Kyoto and Mañana : A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) analysis of Spanish greenhouse gas targets to 2020

Employing a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the Spanish economy, this study explicitly aims to characterise the potential impact of Kyoto and European Union environmental policy targets on the Spanish economy up to 2020, with a particular focus on the agricultural sector. The model code is modified to characterise the emissions trading scheme (ETS), emissions quotas and carbon taxes, whilst emissions reductions are applied to all six registered greenhouse gases (GHGs). As extensions to this work, the study attempts to integrate both the use of ‘Marginal Abatement Cost’ (MAC) curves for potential emissions reductions within the agricultural sector, and econometric estimates of the effects of global warming on land productivity in Spain. The study includes a ‘no action’ baseline (with 2007 as the benchmark year), in which GHGs are not restricted in any sector of the economy. This is compared to an ‘emissions stabilisation’ scenario, in which the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is implemented, and all of Spain’s commitments under Kyoto, and various pieces of EU climate change legislation, are met. Under this scenario, the policy-induced price rises of polluting inputs and processes determine the allocation of emissions reductions amongst the various industries in the economy. Given the agricultural focus of the study, the modelling of emissions response in this sector is further enhanced by the inclusion of MAC curves. These map out an endogenous technological response to price rises, and the extent to which the emissions coefficient (e.g. N2O per Kg of fertiliser applied, or CH4 per head of cattle) can be reduced, such that the same quantity of input emits a smaller amount of GHGs. A flexible functional form is used to calibrate the MAC curves to data from the IIASA’s GAINS model, which includes potential emissions reductions, and associated costs, of all major technological advances in agriculture currently underway, or potentially viable. This greatly aids our ability to explore the distribution of the burden of emissions reductions across the agricultural sector. A further feature of the model is that both the ‘no action’ baseline and the ‘emissions stabilisation’ scenario include estimates of their impacts on land productivity. Data on projected temperatures associated with the two emissions pathways came from the ClimateCost project. In addition, historical data on temperatures and yields in the various regions of Spain, was used to econometrically estimate the responsiveness of land productivity in the production of different crops, to temperature changes. These two combined give an estimate of how yields in Spain are likely to respond to the emissions levels resulting from the two different scenarios. Preliminary results suggest that the emissions policy causes small falls in real GDP and employment relative to the baseline, and a rise in the consumer price index. Agricultural emissions must meet their ‘diffuse sector’ target of a 10% fall on 2005 levels by 2020. The land productivity declines in the ‘no action’ baseline increase the pressure on productive land in Spain (already at close to its limit), and drive the need for increased use of other inputs. Further, the results allow us to see, under a single reduction target for all agricultural emissions, which industries will bear the brunt of the reductions, and which will find it more difficult/costly to mitigate. Analysis of this kind is likely to be of great interest in the design of policies specifying how the aggregate emissions targets are to be met

Reaping what others have sown: Measuring the Impact of the global financial crisis on Spanish agriculture

Este estudio utiliza un modelo de equilibrio general computable recursivo y dinámico de España para caracterizar el impacto de la crisis financiera sobre la agricultura, centrándose en particular en los impactos divergentes sobre actividades agrarias específicas. Los resultados tienen implicaciones para los países mediterráneos vecinos de la UE, dadas las similitudes en la dimensión relativa y la estructura del sector agrario y las dificultades macroeconómicas a las que se enfrentan. Se estima que la crisis acarrea una contracción acumulativa del 8 por ciento en la actividad agraria española para 2015, con la consiguiente reducción en la renta real de los agricultores del 9%. Sin embargo, de acuerdo con la bibliografía anterior y con las expectativas a priori, esta contracción es considerablemente menor que en los sectores no alimentarios. Cuando se hacen comparaciones entre actividades agrarias, la respuesta de la oferta ante la crisis varía notablemente debido a la distinta intensidad con la que se utilizaban los inputs y los destinos de las ventas. Los sectores con mayor elasticidad de oferta son aquellos caracterizados por una mayor intensidad de capital o de mano de obra no cualificada, o aquellos sectores más expuestos a mercados con un comercio competitivo; mientras que los sectores que hacen un uso intensivo del suelo son más resistentes a la recesión económica. Finalmente, se observa que existen mayores desigualdades de rentas entre los hogares españoles, con una caída de la utilidad del consumo de productos alimentarios del 10% en el segmento más pobre, en comparación con sólo el 1% en el más rico.characterise the impact of the financial crisis on agriculture, with particular focus on the divergent impacts on specific agricultural activities. The results have broad implications for neighbouring Mediterranean EU economies given similarities in the relative size and structure of primary agriculture, and in the macroeconomic difficulties they face. Comparing with a baseline scenario, it is estimated that the crisis induces a cumulative contraction of 8 per cent in Spanish agricultural activity by 2015, with concomitant reductions in real farming incomes of 9 per cent. Notwithstanding, in accordance with previous literature and a priori expectations, this contraction is notably smaller than in non-food sectors. Comparing between agricultural activities, the supply response to the crisis varies considerably owing to differing input intensities and sales destinations. The highest supply responsiveness occurs in relatively capital or unskilled labour intensive sectors, or export orientated sectors; whilst land intensive sectors are more resistant to the economic downturn. Finally, we find greater income inequality across Spanish households, with utility from food consumption falling 10% in the poorest segment, compared with only 1% in the wealthiest.agriculturaequilibrio general computableagricultureComputable General EquilibriumPublishe

Reaping What Others Have Sown: Measuring the Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Spanish Agriculture

Employing a dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the Spanish economy, this study explicitly aims to characterise in detail the impact of the crisis on Spanish agrofood activities. In particular, we focus on the extent to which primary agricultural sectors are insulated from the broader macroeconomic effects of the crisis and consequently the limit of the agrofood sectors’ stabilising role within the wider economy. The results have broad implications for neighbouring Mediterranean EU economies given similarities in the relative size and structure of primary agriculture, and in the macroeconomic difficulties they face. Comparing with a status quo (i.e., no crisis) baseline, we estimate that the conditions of the crisis lead to a cumulative contraction of 10 per cent in Spanish agricultural activity by 2015, with concomitant reductions in real farming incomes of 17%. Notwithstanding, in accordance with previous studies and a priori expectations, this contraction is notably smaller than in non-food sectors. Comparing between agricultural activities, those with smaller land cost shares exhibit greater supply responsiveness, particularly rice, raw sugar and intensive livestock sectors. Finally, the crisis induces greater income inequality across Spanish households, with utility from food consumption falling 11% in the poorest segment, compared with only 1% in the wealthiest

A computable general equilibrium assessment of Spanish greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets, including the incorporation of marginal abatement cost curves

En esta tesis se presenta un modelo modificado de Equilibrio General Computable (CGE) de la economía española, y se utiliza para explorar los efectos de la política de cambio climático en España, con referencia específica al sector agrícola. El capítulo 1 proporciona algunos antecedentes en torno a la amenaza del cambio climático y los intentos hasta ahora para reducir gases de efecto invernadero (GEI), especialmente en la Unión Europea (UE). El capítulo 2 presenta una revisión detallada de la literatura sobre las aplicaciones ambientales de los modelos CGE, incluyendo temas tales como el agotamiento de los combustibles fósiles y la política energética, y más recientemente, la reducción de emisiones de GEI, y los efectos del cambio climático. El capítulo 3 describe las diversas fuentes de datos utilizados en la construcción del modelo. La fuente más importante son las Tablas Input-Output (IO) suministradas por el Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). Otras fuentes de datos incluyen la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático (CMNUCC) para las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero procedentes de fuentes específicas, y el Fondo Español de Garantía Agraria (FEGA) para los valores de los subsidios agrícolas en España. El capítulo 4 está dedicado a una documentación completa del modelo Orani-ESP-Green (OEG), que se utiliza para ejecutar los distintos escenarios de política climática. El Capítulo 5 describe los escenarios que sirven para evaluar el impacto de las políticas alternativas modelizadas. El primero es un marco de referencia de continuidad –(en inglés, 'business as usual' baseline)-, presentando un mundo en el que ni los gobiernos españoles ni extranjeros toman ninguna acción para mitigar las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Todos los demás escenarios imponen compromisos de reducción de emisiones de España en virtud de la legislación del cambio climático de la UE. Esto se traduce en una reducción del 21% en el régimen de comercio de emisiones (ETS) entre 2005-2020, y una reducción del 10% en las emisiones del 'sector difuso' - transporte, desechos, los edificios y la agricultura - de acuerdo con la Decisión sobre esfuerzo compartido. Estas simulaciones se ejecutan en versiones del modelo con y sin curvas de coste marginal de reducción (CMR) para el sector agrícola, calibradas con datos de ingeniería relacionados con el potencial y el coste de diversas tecnologías de reducción. En este capítulo también se presentan los resultados, con una discusión de los principales impulsores, y las implicaciones de la incorporación de las curvas CMR en el modelo, las cuales constituyen una aportación metodológica importante. El Capítulo 6 presenta una serie de escenarios adicionales y resultados, extrayendo varias opciones para la reinversión de los ingresos procedentes de los impuestos ambientales para promover ciertos objetivos de política, por ejemplo el aumento del empleo rural. Capítulo 7 concluye con un resumen de los principales mensajes de la tesis, advertencias y recomendaciones para futuras investigaciones