Unemployment effects of climate policy

This paper models the unemployment effects of restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, embodying two of the most significant types of short-term economic imperfections that generate unemployment: sectoral rigidities in labor mobility and sectoral rigidities in wage adjustments. A labor policy is also analyzed that would reduce the direct negative economic effects of the emissions restrictions.The politics of limiting greenhouse gas emissions are often dominated by relatively short-term considerations. Yet the current economic modeling of emissions limitations does not embody economic features that are likely to be particularly important in the short term, in particular, the politically sensitive unemployment rate. Moreover, only a few of these studies also consider policies that would offset the negative direct economic effects of emissions restrictions. For plausible estimates of the parameters, the model shows that, with the labor market imperfections, if there were no offsetting policies, the reductions in GNP in the U.S. in the first 10 years after emissions restrictions were imposed would be as much as 4%. However, if there were two policies, instead of just one: a counteracting labor market policy, as well as the emissions restrictions, the negative direct economic effects could be completely eliminated.     

Aromatic free radicals in the gunflint chert

The Middle Precambrian chert of Gunflint formation contains an exceptionally high amount of bitumen free radicals. The Gunflint chert appears to be the oldest formation in which the presence of these radicals has been found. Their presence in this deposit constitutes evidence for the existence of primitive protovascular plants in the early Proterozoic environment of the Lake Superior Region of Canada.     

Study of Pollution of the Plitvice Lakes by Water and Sediment Analyses

The process of eutrophication in form of intense plant growth has been observed in some lakes and water streams at the Plitvice Lakes National Park in central Croatia. Here we investigate whether this phenomenon is a consequence of anthropogenic pollution or due to naturally produced organic matter in the lakes. We applied chemical analysis of water at two springs and four lakes (nutrients, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), trace elements) and measurements of surface lake sediments (mineral and organic fraction analyses, trace elements) in four different lakes/five sites. The chemical composition of water does not indicate recent anthropogenic pollution of water because the concentrations of most trace elements are below detection limits. The concentrations of DOC and nutrients are slightly higher in the area of increased eutrophication-plant growth. Also the content of organic matter in the sediment is at the highest level in areas with highest C/N ratio indicating that the organic fraction of this sediment is mainly of terrestrial origin. There is no significant difference among the trace element concentration in the upper segment of all cores, deposited approximately during last 50 years when higher anthropogenic influence is expected due to development and touristic activity, and the lower part of the cores, corresponding to the period approximately 100–200 years before present. The content of trace elements and organic matter in sediments decreases from the uppermost lake downstream. According to our results there is no indication of recent anthropogenic pollution in water and sediment. Higher concentrations of DOC in water as well as phosphorus and some other elements in the lake sediment can be a consequence of input of natural organic matter to the lake water.     

Mineral contents and proximate composition of Pistacia vera kernels

The mineral contents of Pistacia vera kernels were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The minimum and maximum values of K, P, Ca, Mg, and S elements ranged from 6,333 to 8,064 mg/kg, 3,630 to 5,228 mg/kg, 1,614 to 3,226 mg/kg, 1,716 to 2,402 mg/kg, and 1,417 to 1,825 mg/kg, respectively. In addition, the mean values of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, B, Mo, Cr and Ni elements were determined as 42.48, 20.52, 12.81, 7.48, 11.31, 0.106, 0.511 and 1.67 mg/kg, respectively. Ash levels of kernels were found between 2.28 % (Urfa) and 2.79 % (Halebi). In addition, crude oil and protein contents were determined between 48.8 % (Halebi) to 55.3 % (Siirt) and 23.33 % (Uzun) to 27.16 % (Halebi), respectively.