Search

This paper addresses the economic and environmental effects of three scenarios of change for the electricity sector in Spain, in line with the European Union targets: (1) to address the low trade with the rest of Europe, increasing the integration with the European network; (2) to enhance environmental sustainability, increasing the use of renewable energy sources, while decreasing the use of brown energy sources; and (3) increasing the competitiveness of the Spanish electricity sector. To this end, we develop a computable general equilibrium model, with 72 productive sectors, eleven of which are energy sectors, where electricity is disaggregated into five production technologies and transmission, distribution, commercialization, and related activities. The model is calibrated on a previously developed input-output table with this detailed disaggregation for Spain for 2013. Our results suggest potential improvements in production and trade, and reductions in CO 2 emissions in scenario 2 are also observed. • We address the effects of three policy scenarios for electricity sector in Spain. • We analyze the effects of increasing trade, renewables, and competitiveness. • We construct and disaggregate a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. • CGE distinguishes the businesses of the sector and the production technologies. • We found improvements in production and trade and reductions in CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the construction and analysis of a disaggregated input-output model and its extension to a social accounting matrix (SAM) for the Spanish economy in 2013. Our focus is the specific disaggregation of the electricity industry into the generating, transmission, distribution and marketing businesses, which were decoupled in 1997 under legislation prohibiting any single company from conducting more than one of them. The multi-sectoral framework also allows disaggregation of electricity generating by production technologies (wind, nuclear, conventional thermal, hydropower, solar and other technologies). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper in which this information is presented in a multi-sectoral framework for the Spanish economy, which is enormously dependent on the electricity industry. The structural analysis reveals the industry's role in Spain and the importance of its activities. None of the electricity generating businesses is a Rasmussen key sector, and generating and distribution are both capital-intensive activities. Meanwhile, conventional thermal and hydropower generating together make up more than 50% of total output in value terms, while nuclear power accounts for only around 7%. Finally, imports and exports of electricity are small, and almost all demand is covered by domestic production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Households, as consumers of goods and services through their lifestyles and spending choices, drive environmental change. Using a recent (2008) social and environmental survey of Spanish households, we evaluate the effects of improvements in environmental awareness, and of changes induced by regulations and carbon taxes. We consider these drivers of behavioral change for different income levels. A range of scenarios including the adoption of energy efficient appliances, modal shift to public transport, healthier diets, and the associated carbon emissions and job effects, are estimated using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. Our results suggest that reductions in carbon dioxide, methane, and sulphur dioxide emissions may be compatible with increases in income and reductions in unemployment. Modal shift to public transport is shown as a successful economic and environmental policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While economic and environmental policies and strategies are largely designed at the international, national or regional level, the environmental impacts of these measures are often felt at a more geographically-localized level. In particular, the effects on water resources, especially regarding water pollution and water stress, are usually localized in very specific hotspots. In this work, we acknowledge these facts and attempt to identify the linkages among the 17 regions in Spain (a semi-arid country with significant geographical variations in water availability), the European Union (EU), and the Rest of the World (RW), while also looking at the local effects of those interactions. In particular, we study the grey water footprints (a measure of the assimilation capacity of water resources) of production, at both the regional and business level, with spatially explicit information, and the extension of those footprints throughout the supply chain, while also computing the water footprints of consumption at the regional level. This process is a combination of a detailed computation of grey water footprints from production, from agriculture (from diffuse pollution), and from more general economic activities (from point source pollution), with a multiregional input–output model that encompasses the 17 Spanish Regions, the EU, and the RW. We also identify hotspots and vulnerable areas, linking the grey water footprints from production originating in these areas to final-consumer responsibilities. As an example of the potential of the combined methodology, we design and evaluate the effects on grey water footprints of scenarios of import substitutions in Spain. Our results show strong final demand in regions such as Madrid and Catalonia, and in net exporting regions such as Andalusia, Aragon, Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Extremadura, and Navarre. Some of these regions contain areas that are clearly vulnerable to nitrates and other pollutants, and parts of these regions, most obviously in Andalusia and Extremadura, suffer water stress, which leads us to question the sustainability of the relationships between the structure of production and trade and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The globalization process of the last half century entailed a growing trade in agricultural and food products. As a result, water has been transferred among countries, embodied in these goods. This paper studies the evolution of virtual water flows over the long term, analyzing the main driving factors through Decomposition Analysis. It contributes to the existing literature by offering a dynamic and economic interpretation of the historical changes in virtual water trade flows. In particular, this study points to a gradual increase in virtual water exchange, related to the upsurge of agricultural and food products trade in the world from 1965 to 2010. Although the origins and destinations of virtual water have changed, North America stands out as the primary net exporter of virtual water. Europe and Asia, on the other hand, with a high dependency on foreign water resources, appear as net importers of virtual water. Despite improvements in agricultural yields and the reallocation of production, the virtual water trade continues to increase globally via these significant commercial exchanges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Changes in production structures and modifications of patterns of consumption are key factors in the fight against environmental harm. Initiatives such as Agenda 21, promoted by the UN, highlight the need to evaluate the relationships among factors of production and consumption, innovation and demographics, and the environment, in the attainment of sustainable development. In this context, our work studies in depth those factors underlying the economic activity of households, in a representative group of European Union countries and the US. Within the framework of an input–output model, a Structural Decomposition Analysis is considered in order to identify the weight that growth in demand, changes in patterns of consumption, changes in the distribution of income, the substitution of inputs, and changes in energy intensity have all had on the evolution of CO2 emissions. The work specifically seeks to identify common patterns and differential behaviors among productive sectors in the European social environment. The results show that growth in demand, and therefore in production, largely absorbs the limited effect of technological and efficiency improvements and the incipient changes observed in consumption patterns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the hypothetically bi-directional relationship which links marijuana consumption and school failure among students. To that end, we propose a simultaneous probability model, which is estimated by using the information provided by the three consecutive waves from the Spanish Surveys on Drug Use in the School Population [(1996, 1998 and 2000). Spanish Government''s Delegation for the National Plan On Drugs, Madrid, Spain]. Our results confirm that whilst marijuana consumption is a determinant for school failure among Spanish students, we do not find evidence in the opposite direction. Moreover, explanatory variables, such as the presence of smokers at home, a mono-parental situation or unhealthy habits, among others, are good predictors for both marijuana consumption and school failure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

How can science regarding water scarcity be reflected in informative indices to advance evidence-based water policies? Our research aimed to explore this by linking the water scarcity and virtual water (VW) flows assessments with the water policies in India. The novel contribution of the research is establishing the link between the hydrologic-economic use-institutions aspect of water scarcity. On a national scale, the assessment revealed an increase in net VW-imports embodied in food grains from 89,235 × 109 L, i.e., GL (1996–2005) to 207,452,974 GL (2005–2014). There was a shift from net VW-exports (−2124 GL) to net VW-imports (84,504 GL) embodied in oilseeds. Zooming into the sub-national scale we found that water scarcity is being concentrated in highly water-scarce zones due to their VW-exports to other highly water-scarce zones. A concerning finding was that states with highest net VW-exports lack governance of scarce water resources through a state-specific water policy, e.g. Punjab, Haryana. Our research concludes that the virtual nature of embodied water necessitates water policies to be reflective of the visible evidences of unsustainable VW-flows. It also points out an urgent need to rethink current water policies in the context of a science-policy interface, to inform decisions and actions on the mitigation of water scarcity. • Lack of assessment on differential water scarcity to support policy decisions. • Assessed inter-state virtual water flows to gauge concentration of water scarcity. • Identified highest outflows from highly water-scarce Punjab, India (−5.982 PL/yr). • Current water policies lack science-policy interface to mitigate water scarcity. • Scope for informing sub-national water policy responses through virtual water flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity prices have risen sharply in Spain in recent years, to the point where they are now among the highest in the EU. The scant competition between power utilities, changes in the law, and the tariff deficit (accumulated debt in favour, mainly, of the electricity firms), have driven up the cost of electricity, affecting numerous other industries such as irrigated agriculture, a sector that has significantly increased its electricity consumption as a result of modernization processes over the past twenty-five years. We examine these issues through a case study of an irrigation scheme in Spain that provides irrigation water and infrastructure to 58 farming communities in north-eastern Spain, and is highly representative of the Ebro Valley. Based on the results of direct estimations and simulations of different tariffs, we propose the lowering of capacity-based tariffs to reduce sector problems and cut energy costs, especially for farmers. We also raise the possibility of increasing self-consumption, a complementary measure for many farmers and for medium-size firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional raw-milk cheeses face a competitive market. To survive, they need to adapt to modern market demands without compromising their unique character. Adding autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as starter cultures to pasteurised milk has been contemplated to address this challenge. In this work, autochthonous Lactococcus lactis L1C21M1, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei L1B1E6, and Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides L1B1E6 from Pico cheese – a traditional product of the Azores Islands (Portugal), manufactured from raw cows' milk – were used with the goal of controlling the growth of coagulase-positive staphylococci and enhancing proteolysis. Addition of autochthonous LAB to pasteurised milk afforded control over coagulase-positive staphylococci. When pasteurised milk was inoculated with an autochthonous lactococcal or leuconostoc culture, more extensive, deeper proteolysis resulted than in artisanal cheese. However, the values obtained were still too low compared with those of the corresponding PDO criteria. As such, there may be a need to revise these specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The etiology of preeclampsia (PE) is unknown and the only treatment is removal of the fetus and placenta. The critical changes of this state include the increase of vascular resistance and hypoperfusion in the uteroplacental microcirculation that predispose to hypoxia and ischemia and, therefore, increased oxidative stress through 8-isoprostane, which is characterized by damage to the placenta and endothelium. We undertook this study to compare oxidative stress in pregnant women with PE. Methods: A case-control, cross-sectional and comparative study was undertaken. Pregnant women between 28 and 38 weeks of gestation with and without PE were recruited. Venous blood samples were taken for determination of 8-isoprostane. Obstetrical variables were measured and 8-isoprostane by radioimmunoassay. SPSS v.11 for Windows was used for descriptive statistics. Mean ± standard deviation, correlation and χ2 were used for comparison between groups. Results: We studied 45 patients: 20 with PE (44.6%) and 25 without PE (55.4%). The average for 8-isoprostane in preeclamptic patients was 699.2 ± 38.6 pg/dl and without PE was 113.9 ± 52.4 pg/dL (p <0.01), gestational age 32.1 ± 2.6 and 35.1 ± 1.8 weeks, birth weight 1880 ± 238 g and 2787 ± 312 g, respectively. Apgar at birth was similar in both groups. Conclusions: We found statistical differences in the 8-isoprostane levels in both groups. There was no correlation in perinatal results in both groups according to 8-isoprostane levels. These results could be the basis for the use of antioxidants in the management of PE to counteract tissue damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Childhood obesity is an important risk factor for the development of insulin resistance (IR) and its co-morbidities. However, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) rather than obesity appears to have a determining role in the development of IR. Adiponectin is considered a key molecule for protection against metabolic abnormalities related to IR. Several studies have documented that lower adiponectin concentrations are related to VAT, but the results are still controversial. We undertook this study to assess the association between VAT and adiponectin concentrations with respect to body mass index (BMI) and pubertal stage in children and adolescents. Methods: Eighty five subjects were studied (46 prepubertal and 39 pubertal) and classified according to BMI into obese and normal weight groups. All participants were given a clinical examination. Glucose, insulin, lipid profile and adiponectin were measured. VAT was estimated using helical computed tomography. Results: In the prepubertal group, obese children had lower adiponectin concentrations than nonobese subjects (p <0.001) but not in pubertal group (p = 0.67). When the total population was subclassified according to VAT, those with higher VAT had greater systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, post-load glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR (p <0.001) compared to those with less VAT. HDL-C and adiponectin values trends to diminish as VAT increased (p = 0.005 and p = 0.015, respectively). Conclusions: Adiponectin concentrations are inversely associated with VAT in children. The higher amount of VAT is related to metabolic abnormalities including lower values of adiponectin, which could confer a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Honduras. With the availability of a vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), the causative agent for cervical cancer, the Honduran Secretary of Health undertook a cost-effectiveness analysis of introducing the HPV vaccine to support their national decision-making process. Methods A national multidisciplinary team conducted this analysis with the CERVIVAC model, developed by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization's ProVac Initiative. The cumulative costs and health benefits of introducing the HPV vaccine were assessed over the lifetime of one single cohort of 11-year-old girls. We assumed a three-dose series with 95% vaccination coverage of the cohort using a mixture of school-based and facility-based delivery. To estimate national cervical cancer cases and deaths, we used United Nations demographic projections and GLOBOCAN estimates based on registry data from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Based on estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Division of Intensified Cooperation with Countries (ICO), we assumed that 70% of cervical cancer would be due to vaccine types HPV16 and HPV18. We used a vaccine dose price of US$ 13.45 and evidence from the scientific literature to estimate vaccine effectiveness. National information was used to estimate health service utilization and costs of cervical cancer treatment. All costs and health benefits were discounted at 3%. Results Upon fully vaccinating 86,906 11-year old girls, 2250 (undiscounted) cervical cancer cases and 1336 (undiscounted) deaths would be prevented over the lifetime of the cohort. After discounting future health benefits at 3% per year, the equivalent cases and deaths prevented were 421 and 170. HPV vaccination is estimated to cost around US$ 5 million per vaccinated cohort, but this would be offset by around US$ 1 million in avoided costs borne by the government to treat cervical cancer. Furthermore, 4349 discounted disability adjusted life years (DALYs) could be avoided at a cost of US$ 926 per DALY avoided, making HPV vaccination in Honduras a highly cost-effective intervention. Discussion The net cost of HPV vaccination per DALY avoided is less than the WHO threshold for cost-effectiveness. However, at a cost of around US$ 5 million per vaccinated cohort, an important element to consider in this discussion is the budgetary implications that the introduction of the HPV vaccine would cause for the country. Conclusions When comparing the costs and benefits of HPV vaccine introduction in Honduras, it is clear that this intervention would be highly cost-effective and that the intervention would greatly reduce cervical cancer disease. For these reasons, it is in the country's best interest to explore financing opportunities that could support the vaccine's introduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]