Suchergebnisse

An investigation of the sensitivity of the A. C. Harberger monetarist model ("The Dynamics of Inflation in Chile" in Christ, C. F. [Ed], Measurement in Economics, Stanford, Calif: Stanford U Press, 1963, 219-250) to the definition of the inflation rate variable itself -- the dependent variable. Using a cross-section, time-series data set on 19 developing nations, it is shown that the Harberger model is sensitive to the manner in which inflation is defined. Another model of the inflationary process -- the J. A. Hanson model ("Inflation and Imported Input Prices in Some Inflationary Latin American Economies," Journal of Development Economics, 1985, 18, 395-410) -- is found to exhibit less sensitivity to the choice of inflation variable. 3 Tables, 34 References. Adapted from the source document.

Objective. We extend the scope of the often-asked question 'who talks more-men or women?' by analyzing gender differences in talking via electronic communication. We do this by conducting a controlled experiment to elicit email communications and personal characteristics from a sample of college students. Methods. integration of the disparate fields of communications, education, women's studies, and economics guides our approach, which uses multivariate regression to explain word counts from our electronic survey. Results. We find a positive and significant effect of being female on number of words used, especially when communication is with a female professor, consistent with a female role model hypothesis. Conclusion. than men-sometimes. The results depend on the topic of conversation and to whom they are talking. Electronic communications may level the playing field, or even give females an advantage, in certain communication situations. Adapted from the source document.

AbstractIn announcing its bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing chose a "Green Olympics" theme to indicate that hosting the Olympic Games would serve as a catalyst for environmental improvements and sustainable development. With the Olympics now just a short time away, it is appropriate to examine the city's cleanup progress to date. This article does so, and also quantifies some of the health benefits of these cleanup activities, placing an economic value on the gains. Results for air pollution cleanup indicate an economic gain of nearly 50 billion yuan over a ten-year period, with a potential annual gain of 3.5 billion yuan for reaching air quality standards. Water pollution results suggest a potential annual gain of another 2.6 billion yuan.

As China advances its overall program of economic development, many Chinese cities consistently suffer from unhealthy levels of air pollution. One of the groups most affected is children. This paper provides some quantification regarding the extent of various morbidity costs upon children in portions of urban China. Using China-based health-effects and valuation studies, the authors project, and value in dollar figures, the number of averted cases of childhood colds, bronchitis, asthma, and respiratory-related hospital visits resulting from a lowering of air pollution levels. The results indicate that these child morbidity benefits may be substantial, with a mid-range value of nearly $3.5 billion over the period 2002–2011.

This research assesses changes in the patterns of ozone and particulate concentrations and the associations of these pollutants with socioeconomic factors from 1990 to 1999 in the South Coast Air Basin of California. The results are somewhat different in 1999 than in 1990 and suggest that demographic changes, in concert with changes in emissions and resulting air pollution patterns, determine the pattern of air pollution exposure and how exposure changes over time. (JEL)

Although China has made tremendous economic progress in recent years, air pollution continues to exact significant health and economic costs. Using pollution data from 38 Chinese cities and China-based epidemiological functions, this paper estimates some of the economic benefits of reducing urban air pollution. It calculates the averted mortality which would result from the clean-up of particulates, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide—a pollutant not included in most previous China studies. The paper expands on earlier studies by examining the impact of seasonal variations in pollution levels. Finally, the monetary valuation of pollution-related averted mortality is developed using a China-based valuation study and, for a number of cities, the valuation is compared with city-level GDP.

As part of its preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing has undertaken significant environmental cleanup activities. These offer a potentially significant ancillary benefit—the improvements in health that result from a less polluted urban airshed. Using China-based health-effects studies, the authors project, and value in dollar figures, the number of averted deaths, hospital outpatient visits, and emergency room visits resulting from the lowered air pollution—what the authors call "the Olympic effect." Unlike previous studies on the health effects of pollution in China, they use seasonal breakdowns to isolate the impact of seasonal variations in pollution levels and to more accurately separate out the health impacts of the different types of pollutants. Their results indicate that the Olympic effect is substantial, with a midrange value of health improvements exceeding $29 billion in 2000 dollars over the period 1999-2008.