Redistribution as a Local Public Good Subject to Congestion

When analyzing migration policies, second best redistribution becomes a local public good subject to congestion. The remedial policy consists of a kind of second best finance for that good.migration, gains from trade.

Trade of Permits for Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Bilateral Trade Need not Be the Answer

The Kyoto Protocol sets national quotas on CO2 emissions and allows international trade of these quotas. We argue that this trade is characterized by asymmetric, identity-dependent externalities, and show that bilateral trade may not be sufficient for an efficient allocation of emissions. We derive conditions under which bilateral trade does improve the allocation of permits. The conditions are strong. In this sense, we argue that, for emissions permits, market design matters.Terms of trade, asymmetric externalities, permits trade

IS REGIONALISM BETTER FOR ECONOMIC INTEGRATION? NATIONS, REGIONS, AND RISK SHARING

Our analysis yields some conclusions about the political role of regions in the formation of supranational economic areas, which turns out to be quite different from the role of nations. The claim that regions have more incentives than nations to attain a fiscal agreement implying full economic integration is likely to be correct when nations are economic stable arrangements, i.e. when the rich region of a nation is not "exploited" by the poor region. When, on the other hand, it is not on the interest of a rich region to be part of a nation, attempts to achieve full economic integration among a group of nations is more likely to be successful if nations, instead of regions, are the decision makers.Federalism; Fiscal coinsurance; Migration.

Recreation of a Realistic Ecosystem

Treball final de Grau en Disseny i Desenvolupament de Videojocs. Codi: VJ1241. Curs acadèmic: 2019/2020As previously mentioned, the main goal of this Final Degree Project is to find a way to recreate ecosystems that act as close to real ecosystems as possible so that they can be applied to different video games in the future. In order to achieve this, the first point is to analyze which parts make up an ecosystem with the intention of establishing the objectives that this project must achieve to fulfill its goal

Desarrollo de material biodegradable basado en PLA para su uso en mobiliario

[ES] En los últimos años los materiales poliméricos han pasado a ser una de las principales preocupaciones medio ambientales. Los problemas están causados por su origen petroquímico sumado a que son materiales no biodegradables. Este problema provoca grandes acumulaciones de materiales, que afectan a la flora y fauna, tanto terrestre como marina. En el presente trabajo de Fin de Grado, se ha trabajado con materiales poliméricos de origen bio y biodegradables con el fin de obtener un material equilibrado entre propiedades resistentes y dúctiles para su uso en mobiliario, como pueden ser sillas o partes de sillas. Para tal fin se ha realizado el estudio y caracterización de PLA (ácido poliláctico), una mezcla de PLA y PHB (poli hidroxibutirato), con unos porcentajes en peso de 75 % y 25 % respectivamente y también se ha estudiado la utilización de aceite de maíz epoxidado (ECO) como plastificante en la mezcla PLA-PHB. Los materiales desarrollados han sido ensayados y caracterizados para obtener un equilibrio en las propiedades mecánicas que permita obtener un material con propiedades óptimas que faciliten su uso en mobiliario y que al final de su vida útil pueda ser compostado, consiguiendo una disminución de su impacto ambiental. El material seleccionado para su uso en mobiliario, debido a sus propiedades, ha sido PLA+PHB+5%ECO, que se ha utilizado para el diseño del asiento de un taburete debido a las propiedades que presenta, además se ha realizado la simulación del proceso de inyección para determinar si el material estudiado cumple con los requisitos industriales.[EN] In recent years polymeric materials have become one of the main environmental concerns. The problems are caused by their petrochemical origin coupled with the fact that they are non-biodegradable materials. This problem causes large accumulations of materials, which affects flora and fauna, both terrestrial and marine. In this Final Degree Project, we have worked with polymeric materials of bio and biodegradable origin in order to obtain a balanced material between resistant and ductile properties to use in furniture, such as chairs or chair parts. For this purpose, the study and characterization of PLA (polylactic acid), a mixture of PLA and PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate), with weight percentages of 75% and 25% respectively, and the use of oil epoxidized corn (ECO) as plasticizer in the PLA-PHB mixture. The developed materials have been tested and characterized to obtain a balance in the mechanical properties that allow to obtain a material with optimal properties that facilitate its use in furniture and that at the end of its useful life can be composted and diminishing its environmental impact. The material selected to use in furniture, due to its properties, has been PLA+PHB+5%ECObecause of the properties obtained has been considered the best to use for the design of the seat of a stool and the simulation of the injection process to determine if the material studied complies with the industrial requirements.Sempere Torregrosa, J. (2020). Desarrollo de material biodegradable basado en PLA para su uso en mobiliario. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/148644TFG

ITQs, Firm Dynamics and Wealth Distribution: Does full tradability increase inequality?

Concerns over the distributive effects of ITQ’s lead to restrictions on their tradability. We consider a general equilibrium model with firm dynamics. In contrast with the standard framework, the distribution of firms is not exogenous, but is instead determined endogenously by entry/exit decisions made by firms. We show that the stationary wealth distribution depends on whether the ITQs are fully tradable or not. We calibrate our model to match the observed increase in revenue inequality in the Northeast Multispecies (ground-fish) U.S. Fishery. We show that although observed revenue inequality increases, wealth inequality is reduced by 40%

Migration with local public goods and the gains from changing places

Without public goods and under fairly standard assumptions, in Hammond and Sempere (J Pub Econ Theory, 8: 145–170, 2006) we show that freeing migration enhances the potential Pareto gains from free trade. Here, we present a generalization allowing local public goods subject to congestion. Unlike the standard literature on fiscal externalities, our result relies on fixing both local public goods and congestion levels at their status quo values. This allows constrained efficient and potentially Pareto improving population exchanges regulated only through appropriate residence charges, which can be regarded as Pigouvian congestion taxes

Effect of Epoxidized and Maleinized Corn Oil on Properties of Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) Blend

[EN] The present work analyzes the influence of modified, epoxidized and maleinized corn oil as a plasticizing and/or compatibilizing agent in the PLA¿PHB blend (75% PLA and 25% PHB wt.%). The chemical modification processes of corn oil were successfully carried out and different quantities were used, between 0 and 10% wt.%. The different blends obtained were characterized by thermal, mechanical, morphological, and disintegration tests under composting conditions. It was observed that to achieve the same plasticizing effect, less maleinized corn oil (MCO) is needed than epoxidized corn oil (ECO). Both oils improve the ductile properties of the PLA¿PHB blend, such as elongation at break and impact absorb energy, however, the strength properties decrease. The ones that show the highest ductility values are those that contain 10% ECO and 5% MCO, improving the elongation of the break of the PLA¿PHB blend by more than 400% and by more than 800% for the sample PLA.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, NANOCIRCOIL (PID2021-123753NA-C33)Sempere-Torregrosa, J.; Ferri, J.; Rosa-Ramírez, HDL.; Pavón-Vargas, CP.; Samper, M. (2022). Effect of Epoxidized and Maleinized Corn Oil on Properties of Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) Blend. Polymers. 14(19):1-16. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194205116141

Caps on working hours per vessel: A general equilibrium analysis

General equilibrium analysis shows that regulation based on caps on working hours per vessel affect the entry/exit margin (more low productivity vessels stay in the fishery), wages (a less productive fleet implies lower equilibrium wages) and aggregate employment allocated to the sector. Although the total number of vessels increases, total employment in the fishery is reduced and the aggregate rents generated in the fishery are lower. Moreover, regulatory policies based on input controls also affect capital dynamics across the stock recovery phases. In comparison with a fishery regulated via efficient instruments, we find that those dynamics are characterized by fewer exits of vessels. Finally, using data from the Western Mediterranean Sea, we show that the use of input controls gives rise to a Spanish fleet around 14 percent larger than the one that would result from a non-distortionary instrument

Fleet dynamics and capital malleability

When individual stay/exit decisions depend on the opportunity cost of exiting, capital malleability is endogenously determined by the instruments used for stock rehabilitation. In a General Equilibrium framework, we characterize the transitional dynamics caused by stock rehabilitation policies. We show that a management policy based on input controls generates less exit, a less productive fleet, and overcapitalization, as input controls require a higher number of firms to achieve the same biological targets. Using data from the Multiannual Plan for the Western Mediterranean, we show that the use of input controls generates a Spanish fleet around 14 percent higher than the one that would result from a non distortionary instrument