Search results

The purpose of this research is to examine the validity of the agriculture-induced environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis with evidence from an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach with a structural break including real income and energy consumption in the model for Ghana over the period 1980–2014.

The ARDL approach with a structural break was used to analyze the agriculture-induced EKC model which has not been studied in Ghana. The dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), canonical cointegration regression (CCR) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) econometric methods were further used to validate the robustness of the estimates, and the direction of the relationship between the study variables was also clarified using the Toda–Yamamoto Granger causality test.

The ARDL results revealed that GDP, energy consumption and agricultural value added have significant positive effects on CO₂ emissions, while GDP² reduces CO₂ emissions. The Toda-Yamamoto causality test results show a bidirectional causality running from GDP and energy consumption to CO₂ emissions whereas a unidirectional long-term causality runs from GDP² and agriculture value-added to CO₂ emissions.

This finding validated the presence of the agriculture-induced EKC hypothesis in Ghana in both the short run and long run, and the important role of agriculture and energy consumption in economic growth was confirmed by the respective bidirectional and unidirectional causal relationships between the two variables and GDP. Thus, a reduction in unsustainable agricultural practices is recommended through specific policies to strengthen institutional quality in Ghana for a paradigm shift from rudimentary technology to modern sustainable agrarian technologies.

This study is novel in the EKC literature in Ghana, as no study has yet been done on agriculture-induced EKC in Ghana, and the other EKC studies also failed to account for structural breaks which have been done by this study. This study further includes a causality analysis to examine the direction of the relationship which the few EKC studies in Ghana failed to address. Finally, dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), canonical cointegration regression (CCR) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) methods are used for robustness check, unlike other studies with single methodologies.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a new entry board for drilling holes on the PCBs, superior in heat removal effect, lubricating effect and hole locating effect in forming holes, resulting in an excellent process of forming holes with a high quality.

With the mixture of PEG, PEO and adhesive used as endothermic and lubricant resins and aluminium foils used as baseplates, a series of coated and aluminous entry boards (CABs) for PCB drilling were successfully prepared. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to observe the surface appearance of the entry boards. The endothermic and lubricant effect of the resin applied on the CABs was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing microscope (POM). Moreover, the CABs' good drilling properties were tested when they were used for PCB drilling.

From the result of SEM analysis, it was found that compared to the common aluminium foil, the surfaces of the CABs were smoother and flatter, which could improve the hole location accuracy and reduce the drill breakage. By means of the DSC and POM, the endothermic and lubricant effect of the CABs was proved. The crystalline substances (PEG and PEO) in coated resin could absorb the heat of the drill bit from heat generation and lubricate it through the phase transition of they own when a hole was being made, which could give high‐quality holes with good production efficiency. The drilling tests showed that due to the endothermic and lubricant resins, the CABs were superior to the common aluminium foil, not only in hole location accuracy, but also in hole wall quality and protection of a drill bit.

This paper has a remarkably high industrial practicality in the PCB manufacture process.

This paper focuses on an analysis of the factors that contribute to differences in political attitudes and political participation of Russian capital owners. Such factors may include different size and type of capital, the degree of past political socialization, the respondents’ age and generational experiences, past/present well-being comparisons and education. The paper begins with a discussion of different theories that make hypotheses about the political behavior of capital owners. These hypotheses were tested in a small, exploratory study of Russian capital owners that I conducted in Russia in the late 1990s. The results of the study are then analyzed within two different but closely interrelated contexts: the wider historical context of social, political and economic changes of the first decade of post-Soviet transformation, and the micro-context of the respondents personal political, economic and social history. In the end, I return to the analyses of the original hypotheses and conclude with a discussion of which theory comes closest to predicting and explaining the results of the study.

The purpose of this paper is to explore and examine, in a systematic manner, possible preventive measures that commercial parties can take in order to prevent or reduce documentary letter of credit (L/C) fraud in international transactions.

In the context of international transactions, considering documentary L/C fraud as a risk, the paper searched preventive measures that different parties involved can adopt, from both business perspective and legal perspective.

The paper provides a number of specific measures which buyers, sellers, and banks in international L/C transactions can take in business to reduce L/C fraud. The option of banks providing additional services of checking further the validity or authenticity of some documents under the L/C, by charging additional prices, has reflected the needs of some business parties. However, this is proposed to be optional rather than compulsory for banks. The lawyers can also play an important role by adopting preventive legal mentality to help and provide advice to different parties in applying the preventive and proactive approach. More importantly, the author recommends that buyers or sellers maintain close cooperation with their banks and lawyers in implementing preventive and proactive measures.

The paper can be a helpful source of advice for business enterprises likely to be involved in international documentary L/C transactions.

This paper fulfils the gap of a holistic study on how to prevent international documentary letter of credit fraud.

Within an effort of European Union (EU) policy to achieve carbon-neutral agriculture, the present study intends to explore the impact of carbon emissions generated by different sources related to agriculture namely energy used in farming, by enteric fermentation and by fertilizers on agricultural income in 25 countries from EU.

In order to evaluate the environmental – economic performance linkage for EU agriculture, we employ a couple of different widely used panel unit root tests explicitly Levin, Li and Chu, Im, Pesaran and Shin, ADF and PP Fisher Chi-square test cointegration test (Pedroni and Kao cointegration tests) and model estimation methodologies namely the FMOLS and DOLS and ARDL – PMG models.

All the cointegration techniques employed namely Pedroni, Kao test and Johansen Pesaran cointegration tests validate the existence of long run relationships. The most significant finding is the model estimation based on three different methodologies namely FMOLS, DOLS and ARDL/PMG models. No convergence in the results was found by different estimation models. For the short term coefficients and more specifically for the case of carbon emissions generated by energy the impact on agricultural income seems to be decreasing with a decreasing trend, a result that validates the little effort made by farmers to limit carbon emissions along with the limited efficacy of the implementing policy. The same findings are valid for the first two estimation models while for the case of the third model the reversed relationship is validated. For the carbon emissions generated by enteric fermentation, the inverted-U pattern is validated with DOLS and ARDL/PMG model while for the case of fertilizers only the third model confirms the validity of inverted-U- pattern.

Based on the obtained empirical results, a list of policy implications is unveiled with multiple impacts on the strategy and practices adopted by farmers in order for the objective of eco efficieny to be achieved.

The conducted research is focusing on the environmental – economic performance linkages for EU agriculture and examines the role of agri – environmental policy in the evolution of the particular relationship for different sources of environmental pollution in agricultural activity.

The desire for a sustainable environment has led to the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase renewable energy usage. Empirical evidence generally shows that financial development has a significant effect on these two variables. However, little is known about how the financial strength of financial institutions influences them in the fight against climate change. This study aims to assess the effect of the financial strength of listed financial institutions on renewable energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in Ghana.

Regression analyses were used to estimate the effect of asset quality, credit management, return on equity/asset and firm size on renewable energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions for data covering from 2009 to 2018.

The results revealed that return on equity reduces renewable energy consumption and increases carbon dioxide emissions. It is also found that credit risk management and asset quality positively influence renewable energy consumption but reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Ghana.

Policymakers need to identify profitable but less polluting ventures and draw the attention of financial institutions in the country. This may cause banks and other lending-giving institutions to desist from giving credits to support environmentally harmful ventures.

The paper assessed the effect that the financial strength of financial institutions has on renewable energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.