Social Costs Research Articles

Assessing the impact of urbanization on forest carbon stocks and social costs using a machine learning approach

Urbanization frequently precipitates urban sprawl, resulting in deforestation and alterations in landscape and land alterations. Such transformations profoundly impact the carbon stocks within metropolitan regions. This study examines the ramifications of urbanization on alterations in carbon stocks within urban forests across ten South Korean cities experiencing substantial urbanization over the past 15 years. Leveraging machine learning techniques and high-resolution satellite imagery, we scrutinize changes in land usage and urban forests, utilizing them to gauge the societal costs linked with shifts in urban carbon stocks. Furthermore, we integrate regional-level data sourced from national forests to enhance the precision of carbon stock estimations. Data analysis reveals that over the 15 years, urban areas expanded at an average rate of 4.43 km2 annually. In comparison, forested areas decreased by an average of −2.19 km2 per year, resulting in an average annual decline of −3171 tC in forest carbon stocks due to urbanization. The fluctuation in carbon stocks across the urban forests of the ten cities ranged from −68 % to 48 % over 15 years, primarily influenced by the extent of preserved forest area, with forest composition playing a secondary role. Concurrently, carbon sequestration efficiency varied between cities, ranging from 8 % to 57 % over 15 years, contingent upon tree type and forest age composition. An approximate loss of 174,380 tCO2eq of carbon stocks attributable to urbanization is estimated, with the associated social cost of increased emissions estimated at $8,893,396. Effective management of carbon emissions and sinks within urban locales is paramount for climate change mitigation, given the substantial contribution of urban areas to global carbon emissions. This study underscores the significance of urban forest management in carbon governance and furnishes valuable insights into nations undergoing rapid urban expansion.

Mental health in a post-pandemic perspective: economic and social costs

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant increase in the number of mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD, leading to higher treatment costs and placing a burden on social insurance systems. The aim of this literature review was to examine the economic costs of the pandemic related to mental health and assess its impact on social insurance systems. The review also analyzed the growing demand for mental health services during different phases of the pandemic. The methodology included an analysis of scientific literature from 2020-2023, with sources from databases like PubMed, Scopus, and JSTOR. The focus was on studies that provided a detailed examination of the economic aspects of the pandemic in the context of mental health, including both direct costs (consultations, medications) and indirect costs (reduced productivity, work absences). The findings indicate significant economic burdens for both healthcare and social insurance systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the cost of treating mental health disorders globally. Both WHO and OECD highlight that global indirect costs related to lost productivity amount to approximately $1 trillion annually. Additionally, the pandemic exposed weaknesses in social insurance systems, which need to be reformed to address new health challenges. Key conclusions emphasize the need for further investment in mental health care, particularly in prevention and early intervention. Such investments could lead to significant economic savings by reducing treatment costs and improving productivity. Reforming social insurance systems is also recommended to better accommodate the needs of individuals suffering from mental health disorders.

Social sustainability: employment of former-offenders by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Czech Republic

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the recruitment practice of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Czech Republic to learn whether it encourages or discourages former offenders from attempting to attain work after release. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was taken to understand the perspective of SME company owners and decision-makers within the Czech Republic. In all, 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted which examined the current recruitment practice and individual attitudes towards employing former offenders. Findings Through a change of employer perception, working with support agencies and amending recruitment practice, opportunities can be created for former offenders in the workplace to assist their rehabilitation. This would assist with overcoming employer attitudes which have little sense of responsibility to helping former offenders with reintegration through employment. Recruitment practices focus heavily on past accomplishments and the existence of a criminal record which can disincentivise former offenders from applying for work because of their stigmatised identity. Prior experience with offenders can lead to a change of attitude and offers a vector for changing employer attitudes. In combination with linkage to agencies which work with former offenders, small businesses could amend their recruitment practice and provide support for former offenders on their rehabilitation journey. Research limitations/implications This study is based on a limited sample size, only 25 responses, and the need for translation from English to Czech could have led to a loss of nuance in the responses gathered. With asynchronous interviews also being used, some brief responses limited the insight which could have been gained. Practical implications The findings of this study highlight areas of practice which can be amended to better attract former offenders, being future-focused rather than past-focused. Social implications Enhancing employment opportunities for former offenders would be a major enhancer for their reintegration efforts and lower the associated social costs to society. Originality/value Prior research has been conducted into the offender experience, with recruiter/owner receiving far less attention. Most prior studies have been quantitative in nature, with few using a qualitative approach.

Strategic decision-making for sustainable production and distribution in automotive industry: a machine learning enabled dynamic multi-objective optimisation

ABSTRACT Over the last decade, numerous researchers have disclosed that major automotive companies do not conform to regulatory or societal expectations regarding their environmental and social performances. This paper explores the dynamic capabilities of production distribution within the sustainability practices of automotive industries. It offers insights to better grasp and articulate the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainable supply chains. The research framework encloses all supply chain phases, from raw material sourcing to retailing finished products. Three conflicting objective functions are identified: social advantages maximisation, cost minimisation, and emission minimisation. Specifically, the study tackles a dynamic multi-objective optimisation model where each automobile type faces a series of dynamic demands. The dynamic nature of the problem poses significant challenges to conventional evolutionary algorithms for detecting the optimal solutions over time. Therefore, we introduce an interconnected prediction-based dynamic non-dominated sorting algorithm (ICP-DNSGA-II). Finally, extensive computational experiments are conducted to assess the effectiveness of this holistic approach. The findings offer valuable insights for automotive industry stakeholders and policymakers, illustrating its potential to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability performance across the supply chain. Most importantly, this paper proposes an automated decision-making approach to generate optimal solutions with dynamic changes in market demands.

Recovery at your fingertips: pilot study of an mHealth intervention for work-related stress among nursing students

BackgroundWork-related stress is detrimental to individual health and incurs substantial social costs. Interventions to tackle this problem are urgently needed, with mHealth solutions being a promising way of delivering accessible and standardized interventions on a wide scale. This study pilot tests a low-intensive mHealth intervention designed to mitigate the negative consequences of stress through promoting recovery strategies.MethodsNursing school students (N = 16) used the intervention for a month. Data were collected immediately before, immediately after, and one month after the end of the intervention. Additionally, intensive longitudinal data were collected daily during the time of the intervention. Primary outcome measures include recruitment and retention rates, engagement with and acceptability of the intervention, as well as evaluating the quality of measurement instruments.ResultsRecruitment and retention rates provide a benchmark that we need to invite 10–12 times the intended target sample size. Engagement and acceptability metrics are promising overall, showing key areas that need to be adapted to improve the intervention. Measurement quality is acceptable with instruments mostly functioning as intended.ConclusionResults show that the intervention and study protocol are feasible for conducting a randomized controlled trial given a few adjustments. The randomization algorithm needs to match the sample size in order to allocate evenly distributed experimental groups. Acceptability of the intervention may be improved through adapting the recommended recovery strategies. Some additional outcome measures are suggested to provide a more comprehensive picture of intervention effects.Trial registrationNCT06228495. Registered retrospectively 01/10/2024.

Gambling Economy and Social Protests in Macao: A Happy Problem?

Gambling has both negative and positive impacts on every economy. The existing literature of gambling-related protests has mostly centered on “cost-challenging protests,” referring to resistance against social costs such as legalized gambling, problem gambling, and environmental deterioration. In this article, we adopt alternative types of collective action, namely “benefit-sharing protests,” referring to those that seek state or casino companies to share economic benefits. By analyzing 754 protests in Macao from 2000 to 2021, this study examines the trends and characteristics of gambling-related movements in the Chinese special administrative region. The results indicate that most protests were benefits-sharing in nature rather than cost-challenging. The conclusion strongly supports the thesis that improved performance by the gambling sector can help alleviate conflicts within society. Interestingly, as revenue from the gambling sector increases, there is a corresponding rise in benefit-sharing protests, which acknowledge the contributions of the gambling industry and advocate for enhanced welfare transformation for residents. These findings offer a novel perspective on understanding protests related to gambling in the context of Macao’s well-established gambling economy.

Oral nutritional supplementation as an intervention in patients with hip fracture

Fragility hip fracture (FHR) is an increasingly prevalent pathology in industrialized countries, with high social and health costs. Malnutrition or the risk of malnutrition in the population with FHR is too common and negatively impacts the clinical course, the rehabilitation process, and the resulting quality of life after discharge. Technological advances applied to the diagnosis of the nutritional status of patients with FHR contribute to achieving an early intervention of malnutrition and reducing associated morbidity and mortality. Oral nutritional supplementation with a high energy and protein intake could be a safe and effective action to improve the prognosis of patients with FHR, but further research is required to confirm this.

Protective effects of alpinetin against interleukin-1β-exposed nucleus pulposus cells: Involvement of the TLR4/MyD88 pathway in a cellular model of intervertebral disc degeneration

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) causes a variety of symptoms such as low back pain, disc herniation, and spinal stenosis, which can lead to high social and economic costs. Alpinetin has an anti-inflammatory potential, but its effect on IDD is unclear. Herein, we investigated the effect of alpinetin on IDD. To mimic an in vitro model of IDD, nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) were exposed to interleukin 1β (IL-1β). The viability of NPCs was assessed by CCK-8 assay. The expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88), aggrecan, collagen-2, and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) was examined by qRT-PCR and western blotting. The protein levels of B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated protein X (Bax), and cleaved caspase-3 were scrutinized by western blotting. The flow cytometry assay was performed to assess apoptosis of NPCs. The contents of inflammatory factors were examined by ELISA kits. Results showed that alpinetin repressed IL-1β-tempted activation of the TLR4/MyD88 pathway and apoptosis in NPCs. Alpinetin alleviated IL-1β-tempted inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in NPCs. Moreover, alpinetin lessened IL-1β-tempted extracellular matrix (ECM) degeneration in NPCs by enhancing the expression of aggrecan and collagen-2 and reducing the expression of MMP-3. The effects of alpinetin on IL-1β-exposed NPCs were neutralized by TLR4 upregulation. In conclusion, alpinetin repressed IL-1β-tempted apoptosis, inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, and ECM degradation in NPCs through the inactivation of the TLR4/MyD88 pathway.

Transparency and altruistic punishment in an experimental model of cooperation to corruption through economic games

This work integrates cooperation, punishment, damage to the treasury, and the transgression of norms in a single experimental model of corruption. Participants formed words with predetermined letters, receiving a reward for each word, and, if they reached a goal, an extra taken from the common fund. Manipulation in the letters made it impossible to reach the goal, so reporting exceeding it implied cheating for a benefit. Three studies model the effects of signaling, descriptive norms, and the possibility of punishing or investigating (transparency) corruption acts. 248 participants were randomly assigned to the conditions of each study. Significant differences were found in reports of words and earnings in Studies 1 and 3, but not in Study 2. The experimental model reveals the potential of transparency as an alternative of lower social cost than altruistic punishment to diminish corruption. The relevance of these results for implementing public policies was discussed.

Social impact assessment of biofuel production for maritime and aviation sectors: a case study of a pilot biorefinery project

This work presents a comprehensive Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) and Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (S-CBA) conducted as part of a research project, studying biofuel production for the maritime and aviation sectors, from various types of non-food waste biomasses. The inclusion of social considerations complements and expands on the environmental and economic ones. The importance of social group criteria was determined through expert questionnaires, leading to the identification of social impacts groups and social criteria from stakeholders across participating countries. The results successfully identified and quantified social impacts, and align with those reported in similar cases in relevant literature. Social Cost-Benefits, monetarizing social factors, demonstrated several social benefits, including reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions. However, it also highlighted social costs, such as Economic Costs associated with the initial investment. The study revealed critical social hotspots within the impact categories, making significant strides in understanding the social impacts of biofuel production, providing valuable insights for decision-makers, and contributing to the broader goal of sustainable and socially responsible biofuel production.

Internalization of the social cost of carbon in each of the countries of the world—An economic assessment of its impacts

Internalization of the social cost of carbon in each of the countries of the world—An economic assessment of its impacts

From Farm to Fork: Addressing Food Waste in Households

With the rising environmental awareness, the issue of food waste is drawing considerable attention from civil society, scholars, industry practitioners and policymakers alike. Addressing food waste is crucial, as it incurs a variety of social, health, economic and environmental costs, including greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation and the depletion of natural resources. The objective of this study is to analyze processes in food waste management to gain insight into factors influencing consumer behaviour, attitudes, and practices regarding consumption and food waste and loss prevention in the supply chain. This requires the analysis of decision making methods and waste reduction strategies and approaches, particularly for households. The goal is to emphasize the importance of raising consumer awareness and sense of individual responsibility, especially given the recent surge in collective community intentions to live more sustainably. However, translating these intentions into tangible actions is uncertain and filled with socio-economic complexities. Reports indicate that, households are responsible for approximately half of all food waste generated. Therefore, it's important to review the literature on barriers and triggers related to behaviour patterns and variations in food related lifestyle dimensions, to determine the factors that might influence food handling and food waste knowledge. Targeting households presents a promising starting point for future interventions, highlighting actions that may influence the current food consumption model to reduce the amount of food wasted. The methodological approach was structured into three steps. First, a literature review was conducted to gather insights and identify factors and interconnections between consumer behaviour and food waste. Second, related drivers and triggers were analysed. Lastly, the findings were summarized to highlight gaps and opportunities for improving attitudes towards food waste prevention.

Factors Influencing the Interest of Prospective Students in Choosing the D3 Accounting Program at Politeknik Negeri Banjarmasin

Prospective students who wish to enter higher education must first choose the study program they desire, as this program will provide them with the knowledge and skills needed for their future. Selecting a study program may seem easy for prospective students, given the wide range of options available at a university. However, they also need to consider other factors, both internal and external, when making their choice. This study aims to identify the factors that influence the interest of prospective students in choosing the D3 Accounting Program at Politeknik Negeri Banjarmasin and to provide information regarding the profile of respondents based on student status, gender, and the level of decision-making in selecting the D3 Accounting Program at Politeknik Negeri Banjarmasin. The data analysis techniques used in this study include descriptive analysis, instrument testing, classical assumption testing, and hypothesis testing to analyze the effect of two or more independent variables on the dependent variable using regression equations for two or more variables. The t-test is used to examine the significance of each independent variable's constant, determining whether each variable has a partial (individual) effect on the dependent variable, while the F-test is used to assess the simultaneous impact of the independent variables on the dependent variable, determining whether the influence is significant or not. The results of the hypothesis testing using the F-test and t-test indicate that all alternative hypotheses (Ha) are accepted, and null hypotheses (Ho) are rejected. Thus, the findings reveal that social factors, job opportunities, accreditation, and education costs collectively influence the interest of prospective students in choosing the D3 Accounting Program at Poliban

The effect of a minor health shock on labor market outcomes: The case of concussions.

The literature on health shocks finds that minor injuries have only short-term labor market impacts. However, mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs, commonly referred to as concussions) may be different as the medical literature highlights that they can have longer-term health and cognitive effects. Moreover, TBIs are one of the most common causes of disability globally, with the vast majority being mild. Thus, it is important to understand the impact of mTBIs on labor market outcomes. We use administrative data on all medically-diagnosed mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) in New Zealand linked to monthly tax records to examine the labor market effects of a mTBI. We use a comparison group of those who suffer a mTBI at a later date to overcome potential endogeneity issues, and employ a doubly-robust difference-in-differences method. We find that suffering a mTBI has negative labor market effects. Rather than dissipating over time, these negative effects grow, representing a decrease in employment of 20 percentage points and earning losses of about a third after 48months. Our results highlight the need for timely diagnosis and treatment to mitigate the effect of mTBIs to reduce economic and social costs.

The association of economic difficulties with social and health care costs of children-target trial emulation using complete birth cohort data in Finland.

It is unclear how much costs economic difficulties in families with children incur to the health and social care sector. We examined the health and social service costs after families entered into, and transitioned out of, social assistance used as a proxy measure for economic difficulties. We analyzed register data on all Finnish children born in 1997 and used the non-randomized target trial framework. The two target trials of entry to economic difficulties (social assistance) and continued economic difficulties included 697 680 and 71 131 children-year observations, respectively, in total. Inverse probability treatment weighting techniques were used to make the comparison group similar to the treatment group in terms of health, socioeconomic and demographic-related pretreatment variables. Entry to social assistance use was associated with some 1511-2619€ (50% compared to the control group) higher cumulative health and social care costs of the children three years after their families transitioned to social assistance, compared to the group that did not enter to social assistance system. This difference was primarily attributed to higher social care costs. Continued social assistance use was associated with some 1007-2709€ (31%) higher costs compared to the comparison group that exited social assistance. These findings support an economic argument to prevent families from entering economic difficulties and to help those in such situations to transition out.

The ocean carbon sink enhances countries’ inclusive wealth and reduces the cost of national climate policies

Improving our understanding of future ocean carbon uptake requires a nuanced understanding of the value of the annual ocean sink. Here, we combine an abatement cost-based approach and a climate damage-based approach to assess the value of the annual ocean sink. The former shows that the aggregate cost of national climate policies could increase by up to USD 80 billion if the ocean carbon sink weakens by 10 percent. As a complementary perspective, the damage-based approach shows that the annual ocean carbon sink contributes between USD 300 billion and USD 2,332 billion to countries’ inclusive wealth. Despite the conceptual appeal of the damage-based approach for its potential insights into regional wealth redistribution, uncertainties in national social cost of carbon estimates make it less reliable than the abatement cost-based approach, which in turn provides more reliable estimates for a fiscal cost assessment of improved monitoring services of the ocean carbon sink.

Association between ambient temperature and economic burden of unintentional injury in Tianjin: a case-crossover study

ObjectiveUnintentional injuries constitute a significant global public health issue with significant social and economic costs. Previous evidence suggests ambient temperatures are associated with unintentional injury occurrences. However, the impacts of...

The Value of Life in the Social Cost of Carbon: A Critique and a Proposal

The Value of Life in the Social Cost of Carbon: A Critique and a Proposal

Towards a social cost of carbon with national characteristics

The majority of estimates of the social cost of carbon use preference parameters calibrated to data for North America and Europe. We here use statistically representative data for attitudes to time and risk across the world. The social cost of carbon is substantially higher in the global north than in the south. The difference is more pronounced if we count people rather than countries.

The effect of incorporating infectious disease dynamics into a social cost–benefit framework for COVID-19 policy decisions

In ‘A social cost–benefit framework for COVID-19 policy decisions', Heatley proposes a framework for cost–benefit analyses for policy decisions regarding COVID-19 responses. He illustrates this in a worked example, considering the New Zealand Cabinet’s decision in April 2020 to extend alert level 4 restrictions by five days. In his analysis he compares the extension to a counterfactual scenario where alert level 3 is resumed immediately, finding that this scenario outperforms the extension made by Cabinet. However, using a simple extension of Heatley’s method that better captures the stochastic dynamics towards the end of an outbreak, I find the opposite: Cabinet’s decision significantly outperforms Heatley’s counterfactual. I conclude that an improved treatment of disease dynamics better describes the costs and benefits of the policy choices facing Cabinet in April 2020. This improved framework or similar may be of use to future decision-makers.