Week 2 Applied Problems Essay

Replace the remainder of coal plants with clean energy solutions that consist of wind, solar, and geothermal within the United

a) Using 2010 as a base year, compute the following statistics for each year: nominal GDP, real GDP, and GDP deflator. Please show your work to get full credit.

Ken is 63 years old and unmarried. He retired at age 55 when he sold his business, Understock.com. Though Ken is retired, he is still very active.

Clean coal technology usually addresses atmospheric problems resulting from burning coal. Historically, the primary focus was on sulfur dioxide and particulates, since it is the most important gas in the causation of acid rain. More recent focus has been on carbon dioxide (due to its impact on global warming) as well as other pollutants. Concerns exist regarding the economic viability of these technologies and the timeframe of delivery, potentially high hidden economic costs in terms of social and environmental damage, and the costs and viability of disposing of removed carbon and other toxic matter. More, the byproducts of coal power production range from fly ash sludge ponds full of mercury, arsenic, and sulfur in unlined ponds that can leak into the water supply.

The heavy usage of machinery and fossil fuels required in industrialization leads to high amounts of carbon emissions. The mass amount of raw materials used in each industry accumulates and

Many companies have made money from the coal industry; however, the money has not stayed within the state. Big businesses have exploited the resources creating rich executives and leaving the Appalachian area stripped of its bounty. Currently, big businesses are involved in mountain-top removal to remove resources from our mountains. This leaves many of the beautiful mountains destroyed, pollutes the water systems and kills the wildlife and vegetation. The coal industry which once supported many families in the Appalachian area is now becoming the downfall of our tourist

You are the legal counsel to the newly elected governor of the State of NewLand. The governor wants to attract more industry to the state as part of his plan of improvements for the state. The state is divided into several Air Quality Control Regions (AQCRs). The governor wants to alter the parameters of pollution control monitoring so as to attract more industry. Please, advise him as to whether he may do the following and if so, how.

Some argue that, economically, the mining operation will be a net gain in money for the working class and that 75 to 80 percent of the jobs in northern Minnesota will be local [1]. However, for the project to fully go through, it requires “$200 million to $400 million in financial protections, and would overall be a financial liability for taxpayers” [2]. So despite how many jobs the project will create, it could result in a net loss of money for the people living in that area. Another problem that PolyMet thinks they have solved is the mass amount of pollution that will surface during the mining process. They say they will “use the most advanced mining procedures to extract the materials and prevent pollution during the mines 20 year life” [3]. Not only is this solution incredibly vague in its description, but many argue that “the pollution will be a problem long after the mine plays out and PolyMet is gone. The latest studies shows a possibility that the mine’s wastewater could flow north to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness” [3]. The argument that advanced procedures would be used against pollution falls short of satisfactory when their description is so ill-defined.

if the coal mines start laying people off. When coal has a boom or bust, so does the communities as well (Roenker, 2002). This dependency on coal production has left many communities and parts of the region without a diverse economy, and the economy that is in these towns were depend on coal production and jobs. The more depend on coal a community, county, or region is, the more dependent on social services and government assistance (Roenker, 2002). One of the barriers in the region of Appalachia is the coal dependency. While it does bring great jobs and good economy, the busts are almost too hard for many in Appalachia to handle. Opening up to more job diversities are that more stable would be very beneficial in West

Problem Set 2 is to be completed by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of Module/Week 4.

Brown (2014) used an instrumental variables (IV) estimation to calculate that 12.7 additional jobs is associated with every billion cubic feet of natural gas production with 7.3 of these created in the mining sector, meaning there is little economic spill over into other sectors. The average county experienced an increase in wage per job of 5.8% and a 13.5% increase in population. However one instrument may not be exogenous if shale formations are known before in a county, production will more likely occur. Another problem is using the change in natural gas production as an instrument does not take into account the economic effects which come from exploration and construction before production starts.

A controversial topic commonly debated among society is the construction of coal mines. Although they potentially contain great economic promise and access to more resources, they also harm the surrounding environment and increase carbon dioxide emissions.

In order to minimize cost, the 500,000 gallons of cleaning fluid from the Cincinnati plant will be distributed as follows:

This source discuss about how mountaintop removal coal mining is a common procedure that has been carried out at least 500 appalachian peaks. Mountaintop removal is extremely costly to the environment since the debris from mining has buried most of the streams that are crucial to the mississippi river. The residue from cleaning coal have contaminated ponds and underground mines which is dangerous since it can release toxic acid that may end up in groundwater. Individuals are prone to health issues when working in the mines. Sulfide is an occupational hazard and exposure to sulfur can make an individual have headache, irritability and poor memory. Coal dust exposure can cause cardiovascular and lung disease, and cancer. The source stated that

The mining industry has seen an explosive growth from the past few decades. It has played an important role in economic growth, infrastructure development and a raise in the living standard of the whole world. According to the Australian National Accounting System, the mining sector has made contributions of 9.8% GDP growth to the Australian economy between 2008 to 2009 (Australia Bureau of Statistics, 2012). However, the mining industry has caused many environmental issues such as adverse effect to air, land and water quality and continues to affect global environment as a whole. According to the World Health Organization, it evaluated that 25% of worldwide death are directly associated with environmental pollution (Blacksmith Institute, n.d). This essay will outline the environmental issue raised by the mining industry with pinpoint focus on the effects to air, water and land. It will also provide strategies for mining companies to improve the environmental conditions.