• Energy Research
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Abstract The industry in China has been developing extensively in the last few decades. Large investments in China's industry may cause congestion because congestion is a widely observed economic phenomenon in such a scenario. In order to know the performance and allocate resources well, it is necessary for the Chinese government to measure congestion of the industry. Many scholars have studied this topic by means of data envelopment analysis (DEA). However, previous studies only pay attention to the framework of desirable outputs. In fact, undesirable outputs often accompany desirable outputs in production. Thus, in this study, a new approach for measuring congestion with undesirable outputs is proposed and applied to analyzing congestion of the industry in 31 administrative regions of China. The results show that five regions have congestion in their industry in 2010. Besides, the regions located in the east of the country perform the best in ecological efficiency, followed by regions in central and west China. Based on these findings, this paper proposes some political schemes to improve regional industrial efficiency.

Historical time trends indicate that both carbon and energy intensity have declined in the United States over the last several decades, while economic performance, as measured by per capita GSP, has improved. This observation indicates that it may be possible to reduce carbon intensity without a reduction in economic performance. This paper assesses using panel analysis, the empirical relationship between carbon emissions intensity and economic performance, and examines the direction of causality between the two variables. Data for the analysis covered 48 states, excluding Hawaii, Alaska, and Washington DC, from 1980 to 2000. The results indicate significant bi-directional relationship between carbon emissions intensity and state economic performance, both using an aggregate indicator for carbon emissions intensity, decomposed using Laspeyres indexes and disaggregated by sector. This implies that it should be possible to implement statewide and sector-specific policies to reduce energy and carbon intensity and at the same time improve economic performance.

The upsurge in higher education is considered a key determinant for enhancing green growth. Moreover, ICT development is also the main catalyst of green growth. This research explores the role of higher education and ICT on green growth for China from 1995 to 2020. The study employs auto-regressive distributive lag (ARDL) approach for short-run and long-run estimates of green growth. The effect of higher education and ICT on green growth is significantly positive in the long run and short run. The outcomes of the empirical models reveal that financial inclusion is positively associated with green growth in both long run and short run. Moreover, renewable energy consumption is found to have a positive impact on green growth. The findings thus point to the need for policies that promote human capital and ICT infrastructure as a way of accelerating green growth.

Abstract Some scholars have addressed the relationship between the Human Development Index (HDI) and energy consumption in terms of the semi-logarithmic or hyperbolic function. One of the results from this relationship is to divide the world countries into two categories, developed and developing countries. This classification considers pre-developing countries and developing countries into one category (developing) while the proportion of people with fundamental energy needs in the former is far higher than in the latter. The objective of this paper is to allocate a separate class for pre-developing which their fundamental energy needs have not completely satisfied. The methodology of the study is divided into two parts. Initially, based on the longitudinal data (112 country’s data during the period of 2005–2013), a linear Quality of Life (QoL) indicator is proposed in terms of six variables. Then an S-shape (sigmoid) curve is fitted to the QoL indicator data against energy consumption (total primary energy supply as a proxy) per capita (ECpc) and electricity consumption per capita (Elcpc) data. Three types of countries, developed, developing, and pre-developing are identified based on the sigmoid function. The results of the proposed model demonstrate that the “pre-developing” category has different QoL and ECpc as compared to developing and developed classes. Another result of the paper shows the entry of new technologies has influenced the QoL and Elcpc to a greater extent in developing countries than in developed countries. One-way analysis of variance is a method to shed light on the latter consequence. In the case of pre-developing countries, the pertinent analysis shows an insignificant impact. This paper concludes the new classification of countries appropriately addresses variation of QoL against ECpc in each class.

The relationship between exchange rate volatility (ERV) and other macroeconomic factors, including trade flows, domestic production, inflation, money demand, and economic growth, has remained a topic of a large number of studies in international finance. However, the research question that the past empirics have overlooked is whether ERV has any role in helping an emerging economy like China in its journey toward a renewable energy transition. To answer this question, this analysis intends to scrutinize the nexus between ERV and renewable energy investment (REI) in China over 1991Q1-2021Q4. Moreover, due to the asymmetric behavior of ERV, we have based our analysis on the asymmetric assumption. For analyzing the short and long-run impacts of ERV on REI in China, we used the linear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and nonlinear ARDL methods. In the long term, the ARDL model predicts that stricter environmental policies and higher GDP will lead to more investment in renewable energy. As far as the nonlinear model is concerned, the long-term negative change in ERV does not affect REIs, whereas a long-term positive change in ERV reduces such investments. Likewise, unfavorable short-term exchange rate shocks encourage REI while positive short-term shocks discourage such development. Moreover, investment in renewable energy is bolstered by GDP, environmental policy strictness, and financial development, but is dampened by CO2 emissions in the short term in both models. On the basis of these results, we suggest that policymakers should consider implementing measures to stabilize exchange rates to promote investment in renewable energy.

Agriculture is the largest sector of Pakistan’s economy, contributing almost 22% to the GDP and employing almost 45% of the total labor force. The two largest food crops, wheat and rice, contribute 3.1% and 1.4% to the GDP, respectively. The objective of this research was to calculate the energy return on investment (EROI) of these crops on a national scale from 1999 to 2009 to understand the size of various energy inputs and to discuss their contributions to the energy output. Energy inputs accounted for within the cropping systems included seed, fertilizer, pesticide, human labor, tractor diesel, irrigation pump electricity and diesel, the transport of fertilizer and pesticide, and the embodied energy of tractors and irrigation pumps. The largest per-hectare energy inputs to wheat were nitrogen fertilizer (52.6%), seed (17.9%), and tractor diesel (9.1%). For rice, the largest per-hectare energy inputs were nitrogen fertilizer (32%), tube well diesel (19.8%), and pesticide (17.6%). The EROI of wheat showed a gradual downward trend between 2000 and 2006 of 21.3%. The trend was erratic thereafter. Overall, it ranged from 2.7 to 3.4 with an average of 2.9 over the 11-year study period. The overall trend was fairly consistent compared to that of rice which ranged between 3.1 and 4.9, and averaged 3.9. Rice’s EROI dipped sharply in 2002, was erratic, and remained below four until 2007. It rose sharply after that. As energy inputs increased, wheat outputs increased, but rice outputs decreased slightly. Rice responded to inputs with greater output and an increase in EROI. The same was not true for wheat, which showed little change in EROI in the face of increasing inputs. This suggests that additional investments of energy in rice production are not improving yields but for wheat, these investments are still generating benefits. The analysis shows quantitatively how fossil energy is a key driver of the Pakistani agricultural system as it traces direct and indirect energy inputs to two major food crops.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, and a health problem in low- and middle-income as well as high-income countries. They also constitute the main cause of death in Latin America, with ischemic heart disease as the principal cause in most countries of the region. In Cuba, heart disease is the first cause of death, followed by cancer and stroke. In its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN recognizes the importance of chronic non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. Cuba has participated actively as lead partner in design and implementation of the two regional technical cooperation projects conducted over the last six years by the International Atomic Energy Agency to address cardiovascular diseases in Latin American and Caribbean member states. These projects have generated greater interest among participating countries in the use of myocardial perfusion for dilated cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease compared to other imaging techniques; disseminated knowledge about nuclear cardiology techniques and clinical applications in heart failure and coronary artery disease; and made important contributions to implementing harmonized, appropriate and safe clinical protocols. Cuba's contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency's regional cardiology projects has fostered development of human resources and harmonized protocols both nationally and regionally, and demonstrated the importance of region-based scientific cooperation that ensures greater opportunities and more equitable access to resources. This participation has also accrued important benefits to Cuba's own nuclear cardiology program. KEYWORDS Cardiovascular disease, myocardial perfusion imaging, nuclear cardiology, scientific cooperation, low-income populations, Latin America, Caribbean region, Cuba.

Abstract Increasing fuel prices, concern about climate change and future energy security have led to tremendous global interest in the use of liquid biofuels in the transport sector which, in turn, has driven large-scale land acquisitions in developing countries for biofuel feedstock production. However, regardless of the vast nature of reported land deals and widespread concern about their potential negative consequences, implementation of most of the reported biofuel land deals in Ethiopia has not yet happened. Using a case study of large-scale jatropha plantation in Ethiopia, this paper examines the main causes underpinning the disappointing agronomic performance and finally termination of large-scale jatropha plantations. Although it has been argued that jatropha can be commercially grown well on marginal land without irrigation, this study indicates that moisture stress was the key factor in the failure of many large-scale jatropha plantations in Ethiopia. Furthermore, the use of untested planting material and conflict with local communities over the land were other important factors that contributed to termination of jatropha projects.

The perception that there were rapidly growing demands for woodfuel in developing countries was an early driver of policies and measures which had the objectives of increasing wood energy supplies or of attenuating demand. A series of compelling narratives developed around the "woodfuel crisis," in support of technocratic responses. Their shortcomings became evident with experience gained in implementation, and new narratives and counternarratives emerged, building on a growing body of research about the dynamics of woodfuel supply and demand.<br/> This paper examines the role of woodfuel narratives and counternarratives, and how they continue to inform policy. Evidence suggests that after nearly 40 years of focusing narrowly on woodfuel, policy makers remain poorly equipped to respond to the problem. Effective solutions to the problem of woodfuel must be rooted in a broader reframing of the role of trees, woodlands and forests in the rural economy, and how rights of use and access to these important resources can be mediated by policy and legislation, and supported by development investment.