Environmental Kuznets curve and domestic material consumption indicator: an European analysis

In our paper, we investigate the relation between per capita Domestic Material Consumption indicator (DMC) assumed as a potential environmental degradation indicator and per capita income. DMC is a physical measure developed by official statistics in recent years and derived from a Satellite Accounts System to evaluate the material dimension of human development and the environmental consequences of economic growth. While the literature has focused its attention on pollution and its measures, we consider as environmental degradation the impact of production and consumption on natural resources extracted from the global environment for the functioning of social-economic systems. In particular, we want to estimate if there exists a relationship similar to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) between per capita DMC Indicator and per capita GDP controlling for final Consumption expenditure, Openness index trade and national Research and Development expenditure by using a cross–European panel of countries over the period 2000-2010. Our results support the EKC hypothesis. However, the value of income at the turning point is high and probably there is a delink between DMC indicator and GDP as in the case of CO2 emissions and income literature

Climate change effects and agriculture in Italy: a stochastic frontier analysis at regional level

Climate changes, associated to atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases, could alter level of temperature at the surface, rainfalls and regional water supplies. There are many areas of the Earth that will cope with a rapid increasing of warming at the surface and with an extremization of weather conditions. Although many economic sectors are influenced, agriculture is the most susceptible as weather heavily affects crop production trends, yield variability and reduction of areas suitable to be cultivated. Climate change effects represent a “challenge” that European agriculture has to face in the immediate future. The aim of our work is to analyze the economic impacts of climate change on agricultural sector in Italy at regional scale (NUTS2) in the light of mitigation policies undertaken by Italy in accordance with the commitments made by the EU Policy in the struggle against climate change. Using the stochastic frontier approach, we investigate on the Italian Regions efficiency in the period 2000-2010. Considering that inefficiency could be influenced by two main meteorological factors – rainfall and minimum temperature– we find that rainfall variable has a positive impact on efficiency while minimum temperature variable reduces the efficiency of harvested production

Climate change effects and agriculture in Italy: a stochastic frontier analysis at regional level

Climate changes, associated to atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases, could alter level of temperature at the surface, rainfalls and regional water supplies. There are many areas of the Earth that will cope with a rapid increasing of warming at the surface and with an extremization of weather conditions. Although many economic sectors are influenced, agriculture is the most susceptible as weather heavily affects crop production trends, yield variability and reduction of areas suitable to be cultivated. Climate change effects represent a “challenge” that European agriculture has to face in the immediate future. The aim of our work is to analyze the economic impacts of climate change on agricultural sector in Italy at regional scale (NUTS2) in the light of mitigation policies undertaken by Italy in accordance with the commitments made by the EU Policy in the struggle against climate change. Using the stochastic frontier approach, we investigate on the Italian Regions efficiency in the period 2000-2010. Considering that inefficiency could be influenced by two main meteorological factors – rainfall and minimum temperature– we find that rainfall variable has a positive impact on efficiency while minimum temperature variable reduces the efficiency of harvested production

Local or national environmental spending in Italy: a stochastic frontier analysis

The design of environmental spending at the national or local level stands on the concept of subsidiarity and on the theory of fiscal federalism. The main question is, so forth, studying when centralization of a public economic function, such as the protection of the environment, is welfare improving. Using the stochastic frontier approach (SFA) on a panel of Italian regional data, this paper tries to test this issue, highlighting contrasting results. It seems in fact that, if Italy changes its administrative structure from a centralized to a decentralized government, and gives to local levels more autonomy in choosing how to spend public money, it is not certain if regional economic performance can improve

Local or national environmental spending in Italy: a stochastic frontier analysis

The design of environmental spending at the national or local level stands on the concept of subsidiarity and on the theory of fiscal federalism. The main question is, so forth, studying when centralization of a public economic function, such as the protection of the environment, is welfare improving. Using the stochastic frontier approach (SFA) on a panel of Italian regional data, this paper tries to test this issue, highlighting contrasting results. It seems in fact that, if Italy changes its administrative structure from a centralized to a decentralized government, and gives to local levels more autonomy in choosing how to spend public money, it is not certain if regional economic performance can improve

Detection of genetic diversity among clones of cv. Fortana (Vitis vinifera L.) by microsatellite DNA polymorphism analysis

Allelic polymorphism at 6 microsatellite loci was analyzed in 5 clones of cv. Fortana, which had been divided into two morphological groups (CAB 2, CAB 13, CAB 14, and CAB 1, CAB 3, respectively) by discriminant multivariate analysis of leaf traits. Of the 6 microsatellite loci, 5 (VVS1, VVS2, VVS4, VVMD3, VVMD6) showed polymorphism between clones and one (VVMD7) gave identical DNA profiles. Two genotypic patterns were found: clones CAB 2: CAB 13 and CAB 14 appeared identical and distinct from clones CAB 1 and CAB 3, but all of them shared at least one of the two alleles for each locus, thus showing a certain degree of genetic relatedness. The slight morphological differences of the two Fortana clone groups could thus be related to the diversity of their genotypic profiles. Thus, the two clone groups may have originated not via vegetative propagation of a single individual but from seedlings, parents or siblings of this progenitor. The present investigation supports the assumptions of the polyclonal origin of cv. Fortana and concludes that the strict definition of cultivar, which admits of clonal origin only, is not altogether adequate for the old varieties of unknown origin. The Italian term ''vitigno'' and the French ''cepage'', which do not imply genetic uniformity, would appear more appropriate than cultivar to indicate a winegrape variety

Three essays on environmental economics

This dissertation contains three essays on Environmental Economics with particular reference to Natural Resource Consumption in modern economic systems. The work is devoted to two main topics investigated in the theoretical aspects and empirically analyzed. The first analysis focuses on estimating if there exists a relationship similar to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) between Domestic Material Consumption indicator - provided by official statistics - and GDP using a cross-European panel of countries over the period 2000-2011. The second analysis focuses on the Regional management of mining and quarrying (m&q) resources in Italy. Under environmental federalism issues, the aim is to verify the relationship between quantities of these natural non-renewable resources extracted and m&q domestic price index and the effect of Regional Responsibility about m&q activity on m&q domestic producer price index over the period 1980-2010. The first essay: Domestic Material Consumption Indicator and Natural Resources: a European Analysis of the Environmental Kuznets Curve In this work, the relation between per capita Domestic Material Consumption indicator (DMC) assumed as a “potential environmental degradation” indicator and per capita income (GDP) is investigated. DMC is a physical measure developed by official statistics in recent years and derived from the Environmental Satellite Accounts System to evaluate the material dimension of human development and the environmental consequences of economic growth. While the economic literature has focused its attention mainly on pollution of air, water and land, we considered as environmental degradation the impact of production and consumption activities on natural resources extracted from the environment for the functioning of economic systems. In particular, we estimate if there exists a relationship similar to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) between DMCpc indicator and GDPpc using a cross–European panel of countries (period 2000-2011). The estimations are based on two comparisons: EU-27 and 30 European countries including three neighbouring countries and Western and Eastern European countries. The results do not support the EKC hypothesis in the panel estimations. Turning points are very high and it is present a delink between DMCpc and GDPpc as in the case of CO2 emissions and income literature. The second essay: Use of Natural Non-renewable Resources and Environmental Federalism in Italy. Evidence from Regional Management of Mining and Quarrying. The separation of powers and responsibilities has evolved over time in Italy given that Constitutional provisions and political reasons have been pushing towards a greater decentralization since last thirty years. Under environmental federalism issues, an interesting case of study - capable of being empirically treated - is the attribution of power to the Regional governments over the management of mining and quarrying (m&q). This process is started in the ’70s with the Presidential Decree N. 616 of 1977. By examining Regional Laws, this paper highlights how misleading is the perception of policy makers of the real value of raw minerals domestically extracted. Raw minerals are non-renewable resources that seem considered closer to free access goods by considering the low value of fees and tariffs of right of excavation set. Using official statistics, the aim of our econometric analysis is to verify which is the relationship between the quantity extracted of these exhaustible natural resources and the m&q domestic producer price index. Moreover, we investigate if the supply curve could be influenced by the effect of Italian Regions Responsibility about m&q activity management over the period 1980-2010. The third essay: The exploitation of mineral resources in Italy analyzed through national and regional legislation. In Italy, Constitutional provisions in implementing local autonomies and political reasons have been pushing towards a greater decentralization of powers and responsibilities in many subjects since 1970. In this work we analyze the attribution of powers to the Regional governments over the management of mining and quarrying (m&q). Under environmental federalism issues, this process started with the Presidential Decree N. 616 of 1977. By examining in detail the most relevant National and Regional Laws on m&q activities, this paper highlights what has been the ability of the Regions in the use of regulatory and administrative tools to manage the exploitation of these non-renewable natural resources and to protect the natural environment, over the period 1970-2010. The Regional legislative framework appears diverse and incomplete. Policy makers activity shows evident difficulties due to the absence in many Regions both of Regional Plans of Extractive Activities, as provided by law, and of the care of negative externalities against the environment. Local governance seems consider mineral resources as open access goods showing a misleading perception about the nature and the value of raw minerals domestically extracted. This perception is reflected in very low tariffs of the right of extraction, not incorporating the component of the scarcity of such exhaustible resources and forgoing government revenues

Defining Smart Cities: a Relative and Dynamic Approach

Although the level of interest in smart cities is growing, the main issue – the smart city concept – is still open. The definition of smart city is not shared as well as the way to measure city’s smartness. The main approach has developed the concept of an “ideal” city which every city should tend because it represents the optimal standard. In this context, the aim of our paper is to break with the traditional point of view in favour of a new concept of smartness which identifies a city specific value of smartness, based on the efficient use of its own resources and related to the different context in which a city is situated. Thus, in this way, the concept of smartness becomes relative. Moreover when a city is very close to optimal value (i.e. maximum efficient frontier) then the frontier will shift upward because of the more attractiveness of the city but after a while the performance of the city goes down and a new adjustment mechanism should be followed to become efficient again (virtuous cycle). The needed time to be close again to the frontier will be correlated to the degree of inertia (reaction time) of urban government. So the smartness concept becomes dynamic as well as relative because it depends on how long the city takes to react and change the direction of its own performance to become smart again