Dynamic adjustment to land taxation policy: Neutrality and welfare implications

In this paper we use a dynamic three sector model to examine the neutrality and welfare effects of land income taxes. We find that (1) taxes that are neutral in long run equilibrium need not be neutral in the short run; (2) short run neutrality depends upon the tax treatment of development costs and losses; and (3) many of the neutrality results hold under both static and rational expectations assumptions. We also find that, even without externality assumptions, nonneutrality in the short run does not necessarily entail a welfare cost and may be welfare-enhancing when agents have less-than-perfect foresight.     

Effects of Impervious Cover at Multiple Spatial Scales on Coastal Watershed Streams1

Abstract: The spatial scale and location of land whose development has the strongest influence on aquatic ecosystems must be known to support land use decisions that protect water resources in urbanizing watersheds. We explored impacts of urbanization on streams in the West River watershed, New Haven, Connecticut, to identify the spatial scale of watershed imperviousness that was most strongly related to water chemistry, macroinvertebrates, and physical habitat. A multiparameter water quality index was used to characterize regional urban nonpoint source pollution levels. We identified a critical level of 5% impervious cover, above which stream health declined. Conditions declined with increasing imperviousness and leveled off in a constant state of impairment at 10%. Instream variables were most correlated (0.77 ≤ |r| ≤ 0.92, p < 0.0125) to total impervious area (TIA) in the 100‐m buffer of local contributing areas (～5‐km² drainage area immediately upstream of each study site). Water and habitat quality had a relatively consistent strong relationship with TIA across each of the spatial scales of investigation, whereas macroinvertebrate metrics produced noticeably weaker relationships at the larger scales. Our findings illustrate the need for multiscale watershed management of aquatic ecosystems in small streams flowing through the spatial hierarchies that comprise watersheds with forest‐urban land use gradients.     

PATTERNS OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN A COASTAL ALASKA STREAM1

Suspended sediment data from a 154 ha watershed on northeast Chichagof Island, Alaska, were collected over three fall storm seasons from 1980 to 1982. Sediment rating curves for nine pooled storms explained less than 34 percent of the variation in total suspended solids (TSS). Significantly higher concentrations of suspended sediment occurred during the rising limb of storm hydrographs than for similar flows on the falling limb, accounting for hysteresis loops in TSS versus streamflow plots for individual storms. These hysteresis loops were wider during early season storms, indicating that easily transportable fine sediment may have been flushed from the upper portion of channel banks and from behind large organic debris during early season peak flows. Regression relationships (TSS versus Q) developed for the highest stormflows (> 1 m³/s) had steeper slopes than the lower stormflows (< 1 m³/s). Turbidity correlated well (r=0.94) with TSS for all storm-flow data combined. Organic matter constituted an average of 35 percent (by weight) of TSS for all water quality samples.     

COMPARATIVE BASES OF INDUSTRY POLLUTION ABATEMENT AND COMMERCIAL INNOVATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT: Adoption, maintenance, and operation of pollution control technology by manufacturing firms is essential to effective water resource management. In this study of 102 industries, we find that company adoption of pollution control technology and practices is primarily associated with two factors: (1) the overall company capacity for innovation in its production technology; and (2) company relationships with state and federal pollution control agencies, local government officials and professionals. Managerial attitudes about pollution and government regulation are not associated with either pollution control or commercial innovation, but are seen as basic to industry-government relationships. The data suggest an important regulatory dilemma, the problem of regulating a large number of small companies with a low capacity for innovation, but which when taken together account for large volumes of toxic effluent.     

Role stress—a methodological trap?

This study explores the notion that many existing studies which show moderate relationships between role variables and stress symptoms are doing so because of the operational similarity of independent and dependent variables. It was predicted that the removal of such an artefact by clearly separating the two sets of variables would result in a nil relationship. Matched ‘cases’ and ‘controls’ were compared in two different organizations. The independent judgments of occupational health specialists were used to measure stress on a number of agreed dimensions, and role measurements were taken by the researchers in three different ways. On all comparisons made there was a strong trend suggesting no role/stress associations. The implications of the results for role stress studies are discussed.     

The potential of water markets to allocate water between industry,agriculture, and public water utilities as an adaptation mechanism to climate change

One of the climate change scenarios that have been developed for the Netherlands predicts hotter and drier summers and a substantial drop in river discharge. This might lead to water scarcity with detrimental economic and environmental effects. Among the possible adaptation responses to climate change-induced water scarcity, the re-allocation of water resources among competing uses should also be considered. In this paper, we extend and apply a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to assess the potential of water markets (water allocation according to its shadow price) to guide the allocation of scarce water across agriculture, manufacturing, and public water supply. We develop four scenarios in which the scope of water markets is increased from industry-specific to economy-wide. The results show that the agricultural sector bears nearly all of the losses from a new water-scarce climate, while the manufacturing sectors are able to mitigate their losses to a large extent by technical measures. Extending the scope of water markets unambiguously increases economic output and results in a re-allocation of water to the manufacturing sector from the agricultural sector and from public water services. If, perhaps for political reasons, public water services are excluded from water trading, water is re-allocated from agriculture to manufacturing. Depending on which sectors are included, the construction of a water market can have negative or positive effects on a sector’s output, and although the implementation of water markets may be positive for overall economic output and can hence assist adaptation, the effect on vulnerable or societally sensitive economic sectors, such as public water, should be taken into account when implementing such a market.     

Is there a commercially viable market for crop insurance in rural Bangladesh?

The study aims to assess the commercial viability of a potential crop insurance market in Bangladesh. In a large scale household survey, agricultural farm households were asked for their preferences for a hypothetical crop insurance scheme using double bounded (DB) contingent valuation (CV) method. Both revenue and production cost based indemnity payment approaches were applied to assess the commercial viability of a crop insurance program assuming a partner-agent (PA) model of insurance supply. Crop insurance is found marginally commercially viable in riverine flood plain areas. The expected indemnity payable consistently exceeds the expected insurance premium receivable by the insurer for the households living in wetland basin and coastal floodplain. We conclude that a uniform structure of crop insurance market does not exist in Bangladesh. The nature of the disaster risks faced by the farm households and the socio-economic characteristics of the rural farm communities need to be taken into careful consideration while designing such an insurance scheme.

Bacteriological challenges to asbestos cement water distribution pipelines

Asbestos cement (AC) pipes were commonly installed in the drinking water distribution systems from the mid 1920s to the late 1980s. In recent years, an increase in the number of water main breaks has occurred in the AC portions of some pipe networks, which can be partially attributed to the corrosion of the aged pipes. This study evaluated the potential role that microorganisms may have played in the degeneration and failure of AC pipes. In this study, a fresh AC pipe section was collected from the distribution network of the City of Regina, Canada and examined for microbiological activities and growth on inside surfaces of pipe sample. Black slime bacterial growths were found to be attached to inner pipe surfaces and a distinctively fibrous internal coating (patina) with iron oxides was formed over the time. The microbial populations inside the patina and the black slime were tested with BART(tm) testers. Heterotrophic aerobic bacteria (HAB) and slime forming bacteria (SLYM) dominated in both the black growths and inside the patina. Iron related bacteria, denitrification bacteria and sulfate reducing bacteria were also commonly present. Microbial challenge assays were conducted by submerging the cut segments of the AC pipe into selected bacterial cultures for a period of 10 days under both aerobic and anaerobic environments. Weight changes were determined and the surface morphology was examined for each of the assayed pipe segments. Results indicated that acid producing bacteria, SLYM and HAB could facilitate the pipe weight loss under anaerobic environments.     

Integration of pen aquaculture into ecosystem-based enhancement of small-scale fisheries in a macrophyte dominated floodplain wetland of India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The rapid degradation, overexploitation, and encroachment of floodplain wetlands have led to considerable decline in fish diversity and production...     

A Study of Physicomechanical and Morphological Properties of Starch/Poly(vinylalcohol) Based Films

Starch/Poly(vinylalcohol) blends in two different ratios (60:40 and 50:50) were prepared with glycerol as a plasticizer. Films were cast by a solution casting method. One set of films were filled with 10 wt% of unmodified bentonite clay and another set of films were crosslinked with epichlorohydrin in an alkaline medium. The prepared film samples were subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mechanical characterization and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Significant changes in the tensile properties were observed depending on the different chemical constituents of the films. The presence of clay and crosslinking with epichlorohydrin were both found to have considerable effect on the morphology and mechanical property of the films. The SEM investigations, XRD analysis and FTIR studies revealed the interaction between the various chemical components of the films.