Intensity Of Economic Activity Research Articles

Carbon Emissions and Its Relationship with Foreign Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment

Previous research has investigated the connections between foreign direct investment (FDI), carbon emissions (CO2), and foreign trade openness. However, these past studies did not specifically focus on industrial sectors in China and their carbon emissions, thus leaving a gap in understanding this relationship. In our study, we aim to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by employing a threshold regression model with a threshold variable. This model calculates how strongly carbon emissions are produced to assess the impact of the industrial sector on carbon emissions. Our findings reveal that foreign trade openness and FDI have a threefold threshold impact on industrial carbon emissions. The effect of FDI on carbon emissions in the industrial sector shows a pattern of initially lowering and then increasing the emissions, indicating potential harm. Conversely, the impact of foreign trade openness on carbon emissions exhibits both positive and negative effects. While foreign trade openness exacerbates carbon emissions in economic sectors with lower carbon intensity, it helps mitigate emissions in sectors with high- carbon emission levels. Furthermore, our study identifies that the intensity of economic activity, per capita GDP, and the number of employees all significantly influence the industrial sector’s carbon emissions. By employing the latest cutting-edge methodology, our research opens the door for extrapolating these findings to other nations for a comprehensive analysis.

The Role of Spatial Inequalities on Youth Migration Decisions: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria

We combine nationally representative data from Nigeria with spatiotemporal data from remote sensing and other sources to study how young migrants respond to observable characteristics of potential destinations, both in absolute terms and relative to origin locations. Migrants prefer destinations with better welfare, land availability and intensity of economic activity. We also find that migrants prefer shorter distances and those destinations with better urban amenities and infrastructure. However, responses vary by type of migrant and migration. For example, rural-rural migrants are more responsive to land availability and agricultural potential, while rural-urban and urban-urban migrants are more responsive to welfare and economic vibrancy (measured by nightlight intensity) in destinations. Distance induces varying impact on migration choices of poor and non-poor migrants as well as across more educated and less educated migrants. Longer distances discourage migration for female migrants, poorer migrants, and less educated migrant while the implication for the non-poor and more educated migrants appears to be negligible. This is intuitive because poorer and less educated migrants have liquidity constraints to finance high migration costs. Our results suggest potential scope for predicting how labour mobility responds to alternative regional development policies.

Convergence Analysis of the Overall Benefits of Returning Farmland into Forest in the Upper Yangtze River Basin, China

Returning farmland to the forest (RFTF) in the upper Yangtze River basin is a strategic measure to promote the sustainable development of ecological protection. The convergence analysis of the overall benefits of the upper Yangtze River basin provides a basis for a scientific and reasonable understanding of the improvement in the comprehensive benefits of RFTF in the basin. It provides policy suggestions for basin governance and sustainable development. Therefore, the convergence analysis and its spatial effect decomposition are carried out based on the entropy weight method to calculate the overall benefits of RFTF in the upper Yangtze River basin. The results indicate that there is no σ convergence in the overall benefits of RFTF in the upper Yangtze River basin, but there is significant absolute β convergence and significant conditional β convergence, and the overall development trend is stable. After thoroughly considering certain economic and social factors, especially the traffic infrastructure and the intensity of economic activities, the convergence rate of the overall benefits of RFTF in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River is accelerated. From the perspective of the spacing effect, the overall benefits of RFTF in this region and surrounding areas in the previous period significantly affected this region. As a result, sustainable development of the upper Yangtze River basin needs to include coordinated regional action to ensure ecological benefits, to improve transportation infrastructure, to scientifically recognize economic activities, and to guard against food security risks.

Review of A Framework for Sustainable Thinking: Is QL for Citizenship Even Possible?

Van Antwerp and Heun's A Framework for Sustainability Thinking offers an extensive collection of data related to sustainability with an emphasis on energy. Intended for a primary audience of undergraduate students, the authors set the data in the context of the IPARX identity which notes that impacts (I) are the product of population (P), affluence (A), resource intensity of economic activity (R), and impact of the resources (X). In addition to being a useful text for seminars focused on sustainability and energy use, the book provides a context for contemplating the roles of expertise vs. general quantitative literacy when addressing major questions of citizenship.

ПОДДЕРЖКА МАЛЫХ ФОРМ ПРОМЫШЛЕННОСТИ В АРКТИКЕ: РОССИЙСКИЙ И ЗАРУБЕЖНЫЙ ОПЫТ

The Russian Arctic is an industrially developed macro-region with a number of socio-economic features, which include low population density, high resource intensity of economic activity, low level of development of transport, logistics and social infrastructure, raw materials orientation of the economy. Analyzing the existing small forms of industry on the territory of the Russian Arctic, the authors divided them into three main categories: enterprises engaged in servicing the needs of large industrial facilities; industrial enterprises of local importance and enterprises producing products for export. The article considered the Russian and foreign practice small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) support in the field of industry in the Arctic territories. In Russia, the main measures to support small forms of industry are: the provision of preferential loans and loans; the provision of land plots, premises and other property owned by the state; consulting services for doing business. It is noted that the following support measures applied in Finland and Canada can be successfully adapted to the Russian practice of state support of small industrial enterprises: building interregional forms of cooperation (coordination and cooperation); support of enterprises on the sectoral principle; support of entrepreneurs, including representatives of the native people of the North.

Original

The first case of COVID-19 was reported in December 2019. However, in no time this local outbreak of the corona virus became a pandemic. Not only it has slowed down the intensity of economic activities across the globe, but it has also resulted in the restructuring of the economic space. Besides, it has also brought in the long term debate on the benefits of economic globalization. The article sketches the outlines for the re-examination of the economic space as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Five research themes are proposed for revisiting economic globalization, workers, inequality, neoliberal economic policies, and development. Studies on these themes will unfold our understanding of the ongoing economic changes from local to global level and we would be in a better position to explain the nature of emerging economic space.

SPREAD RATE OF ALIEN AMPHIPODS AND MYSIDS IN THE MAIN RIVERS OF BELARUS

The spread rates of alien species of Amphipoda and Mysida were calculated for the Dnieper, Pripyat and Neman rivers in the territory of Belarus. The maximal values of spread rate were obtained for Dikerogammarus villosus (in the Pripyat River - 37.8 km/year, in the Dnieper River - 17 km/year) and Dikerogammarus haemobaphes (in the Pripyat River - 53.6 km/year, in the Dnieper River - 17 km/year), while the minimal values of spread rate were calculated for mysids Paramysis lacustris (in the Dnieper River - 0.4 km/year) and Limnomysis benedeni (in the Dnieper River - 0.6 km/year), also for amphipods Chelicorophium robustum (in the Dnieper River - 0.5 km/year) and Echinogammarus trichiatus (in the Dnieper River - 1.3 km/year). The differences in the spread rates of species connected with the time of their first records at the monitoring points and the intensity of economic activities in the studied rivers.

Development of domestic tourism in the context of a pandemic

Preserving the health of the population occupies a special place at the legislative level, in the socio-economic strategies for the development of regions and the country as a whole. The preservation of human health depends not only on one’s own desire to preserve it, including the current state of the state and the development of the country’s tourism industry. Recreation and recreation for modern people, who mainly live in cities and megacities characterized by a high level of pollution due to the intensity of economic activity, are of particular importance for maintaining health and life expectancy. An increase in people’s life expectancy is considered at the state level as an important indicator of people’s well-being, improving the level and quality of life. Russia has created unique conditions and opportunities for the development of domestic tourism, which, with reasonable organization, investments, including the creation of public-private partnerships, and improving the efficiency of services provided, allow us to carry out our activities in the field of preserving and maintaining public health, increasing the duration and quality of life. Domestic Russian tourism can be considered as the basis for the socio-economic development of territories at any level, as well as as an industry whose contribution to the country’s GDP can be significant.

Investigating the determinant factors of environmental quality (based on ecological carbon footprint index).

The main objective of this study is to evaluate 22 explanatory variables on ecological footprints and rank each of them by using the two approaches of Bayesian model averaging and weighted averaging least square in developing countries. The data is in a 20-year period of 1996-2016. According to the negative weighted averaging coefficient of square of gross domestic production (GDP), the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis can be confirmed with a high degree of certainty. The probability of the effect of this variable is 95% and is part of the components of all five optimal models. The two variables of energy consumption and population density were ranked second and third with the probability of the effectiveness of 0.89 and 0.75, respectively. They have positive effects on ecological footprint index. Population growth and value added of the industrial sector have a positive and almost important relationship with ecological footprint. Other variables in this study are not strongly related to the quality of the environment. For example, the variables such as urbanization rate, literacy rate, and foreign direct investment acquired the next ranking with respect to affecting the ecological footprint, respectively. Regarding the positive effect of foreign direct investment, we can say that this leads to environmental degradation. Human development with inclusion probability of 0.26 and a coefficient of 0.009 has resulted in the reduction of environmental degradation. The intensity of economic activities has inclusion probability of 0.48 and a negative impact, which is unexpected. Indicators of financial openness and trade openness have positive and negative coefficients with fewer probabilities. The square of the capital to labor ratio has a negative sign. The square of the capital to relative labor ratio has a negative coefficient and reduces environmental degradation. The product of the trade openness in the capital to relative labor ratio (and its square) is increasing the degradation of the environment. The square of the financial development has a negative sign. This is indicative of a non-uniform relationship between financial development and the ecological footprint, which follows a U-inverse form. The interaction of financial development-economic growth has a negative sign and the inclusion probability of it is 0.31 in the model, which indicates its weak relationship with the ecological footprint. In addition, the results of the analysis of optimal models confirm largely the previous findings based on BMA and weighted averaging least squares methods.

Air pollution terrain nexus: A review considering energy generation and consumption

Air pollution caused by energy generation and consumption is both a global as well as localised issue. It contributes to global warming along with degradation in human health, ecosystem health, local and global sustainable development. About 75% of the global GHG emissions, 66% of NOx emissions and most of the PM emissions are from energy sectors. Energy sectors have also been reported as the main contributors (90%) of SO2 emission in China. Among various influential factors (like energy utilisation, the intensity of economic activities, climatic conditions), the terrain is one of the key elements for the formation and dispersion of air pollution. The relationship between air pollution and terrain requires to be more deeply studied. The main contributions of this review include: 1) Summarising the main sources and types of air pollutants as well as the emission characteristics of different sector groups; 2) Proposing the mechanism of air pollution terrain nexus; 3) Reviewing modelling and experiments approaches for air pollution terrain nexus simulation; 4) Highlighting the existing limitations and challenges. This review provides a better understanding of the air pollution terrain nexus. It can contribute to mitigating the air pollution problems.

Managing conflicts between economic activities and threatened migratory marine species toward creating a multiobjective blue economy.

Harnessing the economic potential of the oceans is key to combating poverty, enhancing food security, and strengthening economies. But the concomitant risk of intensified resource extraction to migratory species is worrying given these species contribute to important ecological processes, often underpin alternative livelihoods, and are mostly already threatened. We thus sought to quantify the potential conflict between key economic activities (5 fisheries and hydrocarbon exploitation) and sea turtle migration corridors in a region with rapid economic development: southern and eastern Africa. We satellite tracked the movement of 20 loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and 14 leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) turtles during their postnesting migrations. We used movement-based kernel density estimation to identify migration corridors for each species. We overlaid these corridors on maps of the distribution and intensity of economic activities, quantified the extent of overlap and threat posed by each activity on each species, and compared the effects of activities. These results were compared with annual bycatch rates in the respective fisheries. Both species' 3 corridors overlapped most with longline fishing, but the effect was worse for leatherbacks: their bycatch rates of approximately 1500/year were substantial relative to the regional population size of <100 nesting females/annum. This bycatch rate is likely slowing population growth. Artisanal fisheries may be of greater concern for loggerheads than for leatherbacks, but the population appears to be withstanding the high bycatch rates because it is increasing exponentially. The hydrocarbon industry currently has a moderately low impact on both species, but mining in key areas (e.g., Southern Mozambique) may undermine >50 years of conservation, potentially affecting >80% of loggerheads, 33% of the (critically endangered) leatherbacks, and their nesting beaches. We support establishing blue economies (i.e., generating wealth from the ocean), but oceans need to be carefully zoned and responsibly managed in both space and time to achieve economic (resource extraction), ecological (conservation, maintenance of processes), and social (maintenance of alternative livelihood opportunities, alleviate poverty) objectives.

Towards Sustainable Aquaculture in Armenia: Strengthening Capacity through Advanced Technologies of Trout-Farm Management for Small-Scale Producers

The present study examines the possibility of introducing a new approach for rainbow trout production for small scale producers in Armenia. This approach is based on the intensity of economic activity by modernizing the production processes leading to measurable economic and environmental benefits. The study shows that the modernization of the standard model of the enterprise, which initially produces two tons, results in an increase of the annual performance of the module up to eight tons. By investing; slightly over 25,000 USD; in modernizing the production processes, it becomes possible to reduce the production cost (USD/kg fish) from 3.04 USD using the traditional approach to 2.68 USD in the first year reaching 2.24 USD by the fourth. At the same time, the production technology changes; during the implementation of the pilot module (including change of water disinfection technology); result in a water consumption reduction of the enterprise of more than 300,000 m3 per year, along with the pollution reduction of natural water bodies by persistent disinfectants. Thus, introducing the advanced technology leads to: a. A significant reduction in the production costs, which in turn increases the income for small scale producers b.Rationalizes the consumption of limited resources of artesian water which reduces the pressure on the freshwater ecosystems c. Increasing the level of environmental sustainability.

Economic Structure and Intensity Influence Air Pollution Model

Abstract This study analyzes the impact of economic structure and intensity on the level of air pollution. This is done by the estimation of Structural Equation Model with two latent variables describing the economic structure and the intensity of economic activity, which influence air pollution. It is further assumed that there are causal link with these two factors, one of them is influenced by international trade intensity, per capita income and the level of trade liberalization, the other is influenced by urban percentage and industry. The estimation results suggest that the impact of economic growth on air pollution intensity varies in the structure and the intensity of economic activity. The estimation results show that the structure effect which is 0.85 is higher than intensity which is 0.05 on the level of air pollution. Model with the better fit to the data, indices of goodness-offit are relatively satisfaction and meet the requirements. This results show that for many developing countries, urbanization and industrialization change economic structure-as a consequence-to increase air pollution.

Economic Activity and Transportation Access

Several studies of transportation and economic development impacts have recognized the extent to which changes in accessibility triggered by transportation improvements may translate into business cost savings and contribute to a region's economic competitiveness. This paper specifies and empirically tests a general model that captures the intensity of business activity (at the zip code level) as a function of local and regional accessibility, agglomeration economies, and region-specific effects. The geographic area of analysis is a four-county region in Maryland. The econometric analysis establishes a significant association between transportation supply and business activity in the study area. The findings suggest a clear positive association between access to primary highway facilities and the level of economic activity. The results also confirm expectations that roads with higher functional form and capacity are likely to be spatially associated with a higher intensity of economic activity. The models described in the paper provide the basis for examining regional economic effects related to new transportation facilities.

Economic Activity and Transportation Access: An Econometric Analysis of Business Spatial Patterns

Several studies of transportation and economic development impacts have recognized the extent to which changes in accessibility triggered by transportation improvements may translate into business cost savings and contribute to a region's economic competitiveness. This paper specifies and empirically tests a general model that captures the intensity of business activity (at the zip code level) as a function of local and regional accessibility, agglomeration economies, and region-specific effects. The geographic area of analysis is a four-county region in Maryland. The econometric analysis establishes a significant association between transportation supply and business activity in the study area. The findings suggest a clear positive association between access to primary highway facilities and the level of economic activity. The results also confirm expectations that roads with higher functional form and capacity are likely to be spatially associated with a higher intensity of economic activity. The models...

Identifying urban boundaries: application of remote sensing and geographic information system technologies

This paper focuses on a new definition of urbanization trends by investigating the concept of a fuzzy urban boundary (UB) that assigns different membership levels to urbanized aggregates based on a proposed composite index. The research work builds on this logic to investigate a new approach in defining urbanized areas by compounding the characteristics of the fuzzy density of an urban agglomeration with land use variation and intensity of economic activity. Spatial overlaying capabilities of geographic information system (GIS) are used to model the urbanization trend in the case study of Greater Beirut. The UB is defined using a multispectral high resolution visible (HRV) Satellite Pour L'observation de la Terre (SPOT) satellite image. The challenges of urban modelling using satellite images are addressed through an investigative approach in cartographic feature extraction and delineation of the urban agglomeration. This entails image treatment of the spot HRV image, defining internal characteristics of the urban agglomeration and constructing spatially continuous socio-economic data sets that can be combined with the digital remotely sensed image.Key words: fuzzy logic, GIS, remote sensing, spatial urban modelling, urban boundary, urbanization trends.

Public health quintet

This week The Lancet launches a series of papers aiming to refocus public health around a world social, economic, and political agenda that is not only unstable but also becoming harder to tailor to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable individuals in society. The opening article, by Anthony McMichael and Robert Beaglehole, sets an international context for the evolving concerns of doctors with a social impulse. Inevitably, globalisation and environmental change are central issues. Subsequent papers will address the health status of the world's population, public health in Europe, a North American perspective, and particular problems facing the developing world. The Lancet thanks Ruth Bonita and Robert Beaglehole for their work on this series, which gathered pace during their residency at the Rockefeller Foundation Research and Conference Center at Bellagio, Italy. The changing global context of public healthFuture health prospects depend increasingly on globalisation processes and on the impact of global environmental change. Economic globalisation—entailing deregulated trade and investment—is a mixed blessing for health. Economic growth and the dissemination of technologies have widely enhanced life expectancy. However, aspects of globalisation are jeopardising health by eroding social and environmental conditions, exacerbating the rich-poor gap, and disseminating consumerism. Global environmental changes reflect the growth of populations and the intensity of economic activity. Full-Text PDF

The changing global context of public health

Future health prospects depend increasingly on globalisation processes and on the impact of global environmental change. Economic globalisation--entailng deregulated trade and investment--is a mixed blessing for health. Economic growth and the dissemination of technologies have widely enhanced life expectancy. However, aspects of globalisation are jeopardising health by eroding social and environmental conditions, exacerbating the rich-poor gap, and disseminating consumerism. Global environmental changes reflect the growth of populations and the intensity of economic activity. These changes include altered composition of the atmosphere, land degradation, depletion of terrestrial aquifers and ocean fisheries, and loss of biodiversity. This weakening of life-supporting systems poses health risks. Contemporary public health must therefore encompass the interrelated tasks of reducing social and health inequalities and achieving health-sustaining environments.

Lost land and limits to growth: Conceptual problems for sustainable land use change

Drawing on recent work in environmental economics, this paper introduces the concept of the land use intensity of economic activity, analogous to the more familiar materials and energy intensities. It then considers how this might be measured, looking at a range of economic and land use change statistics, and how it might be reduced. Environmental compensation is seen as a possible means of achieving the latter objective. It is argued that no single measure of land use Intensity would be meaningful, because concern about ‘lost land’ Is typically not about land in terms of hectares or economic value, but about the environmental significance of land use change. This in turn reflects a variety of material, post-material and non-instrumental values. The paper concludes that composite measures of the land use intensity of economic activity are likely to be the most useful; that environmental compensation may be a useful policy instrument within a carefully formulated framework; and that differences in values have to be confronted if sustainable land use change is ever to be defined.

Patterns of Change in the Use of Energy in the New Zealand Economy

The relationships between economic activity and energy use have been a matter of interest, in particular since the disruptions to energy markets in the 1970s. Input — Output models provide a convenient methodology by which to identify energy-use intensities of economic sectors at a disaggregate level. Moreover, if there exist at least two compatible tables displaced temporally, it is possible to identify changes in the energy intensity of economic activity through time. The use of energy in the New Zealand economy is estimated for each of the years 1971/72 and 1981/82 by means of Input — Output tables. Subsequent analysis is directed at identifying the relative contributions of changes in the technological coefficients and changes in the pattern of final demand to overall change in energy intensity over the ten-year period. Results suggest that the energy intensity of economic activity in New Zealand, unlike many other industrialised nations, has increased appreciably during the decade under consideration.