In this paper, we explore the association between air pollution and the mental health and depression of older adults in China. Along with the rapid economic development, concerns about air pollution and recognition of the importance of mental health have risen remarkably in China. Although no firm evidence of an association between air pollution and overall mental health has been found, the results show significant evidence of a positive relationship between air pollution and depression. Moreover, we observe the presence of concerns about environmental inequality, as people are more sensitive to contaminations caused by pollutants with high variation in densities across counties, such as PM2.5, PM10, and SO2. Although O3 has a high average absolute density, the impact on mental health is low due to the limited variations nationwide. Physical fitness, gender, relative income, marital status, and social contacts are also found to be related to mental health and depression of older adults.

Small modular reactors (SMR) (<300 MW) offer a potentially attractive nuclear energy option for the middle-east region (MER). Currently, the MER uses a significant amount of fossil fuel to process heat applications such as water desalination and in petroleum refineries and chemical plants, besides generating electricity. SMR technologies represent an opportunity to meet future energy demand in the MER. This paper discusses issues related to the future development and use of SMR technology in nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems for application in the middle east. SMRs have also been examined as part of a resilient hybrid energy system that combines nuclear energy with renewable energy and traditional fossil energy to produce chemicals, fuels, and electricity. This paper presents the results of a techno-economic analysis of a Nuclear-Renewable-Conventional Hybrid Energy System. The paper concludes that SMR technology will be an essential feature of future hybrid energy systems for the MER.

No abstract

Within the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) electricity market, Delaware and Maryland participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) but other states do not, providing a quasi-experiment setting to study the effectiveness of the RGGI program. Using a difference-indifference framework, we find that overall the RGGI program leads to 7.72 million short tons of CO 2 reduction per year in Delaware and Maryland, or about 34.36% of the average total annual emissions in these two states from 2009 to 2013. We find little evidence that utilities adjust their capacities within five years after program implementation except natural gas-only utilities. All utilities respond to the program by decreasing their heat input per capacity even including natural gas utilities. Counter-intuitively, the reduction is mainly achieved through reduction of coal and natural gas input and emission leakage instead of fuel switching from coal to natural gas or from fossil fuel (coal and natural gas) to non-fossil fuel. The results suggest that the power utilities do respond to the emission trading program with current carbon prices, but tremendous fuel switching did not occur before 2013 due to the program as it is less costly to leak the emissions under the regional regime.

No abstract