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To attain cleaner air, it is important that authorities make informed decisions when selecting a strategy. Concentrations of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM 2.5) are high in the Tokyo metropolitan area, even though concentrations of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to 10 μm (PM10) have dropped dramatically since the implementation of the NOx-PM Act. Currently, monitored concentration levels continue to exceed the designated ambient air quality standard set by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. To our knowledge, no study has investigated a cost-efficient strategy for reducing PM 2.5 concentration levels in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This is the first study to examine a proper control strategy for Japan by developing an integrated model that includes both aerosol and economic models. The simulation results show that prefectures in the Tokyo metropolitan area cannot achieve the standards by relying on their own efforts to reduce PM 2.5. That is, prefectural governments in the Tokyo metropolitan areas need to cooperate with prefectures outside of the area to improve their PM 2.5 concentration levels. Thus, we simulated policies under the assumption that emissions from other sources are reduced to levels such that the PM 2.5 concentration declines by approximately 18 μg/m3. We first simulated an efficient policy, i.e., the implementation of a pollution tax. We found that the total abatement cost to meet the air quality standard using the cost-efficient strategy is approximately 142.7 billion yen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyzed the external effects of wind turbines, which are often considered detrimental to the promotion of wind power generation. Understanding these externalities is essential to reaching a consensus with residents who live near the site of a planned wind turbine. Our research objective was to determine the relationship between wind turbines and people's well-being in areas where they have been installed for a long time. We hypothesized that wind turbines would have a negative impact on people's well-being. We conducted a survey by postal mail in Chōshi City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, to examine the external effects of wind turbines, adopting a subjective well-being index to measure respondents' well-being. Regression analysis suggests that having a view of wind power turbines has a positive effect on the subjective well-being of local residents. Moreover, the results indicate that such well-being increases with increasing distance from the turbines. Except for scenic elements, we found that wind turbines are not always considered desirable by residents. Therefore, it is important to further clarify the external influence of wind turbines and other facilities in local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]