Kenshi Itaoka

Age, Health and the Willingness to Pay for Mortality Risk Reductions: A Contingent Valuation Survey of Ontario Residents

A contingent valuation survey was conducted in Shizuoka, Japan, to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) for reductions in the risk of dying and calculate the value of statistical life (VSL) for use in environmental policy in Japan. Special attention was devoted to the effects of age and health characteristics on WTP. We find that the VSLs are somewhat lower (103 to 344 million yen) than those found in a virtually identical survey applied in some developed countries. These values were subject to a variety of validity tests, which they generally passed. We find that the WTP for those over age 70 is lower than that for younger adults, but that this effect is eliminated in multiple regressions. Rather, when accounting for other covariates, we find that WTP generally increases with age throughout the ages in our sample (age 40 and over). The effect of health status on WTP is mixed, with WTP of those with cancer being lower than that of healthy respondents, while the WTP of those with heart disease is greater. The VSLs for future risk changes are lower than those for contemporaneous risk reductions. The implicit discount rates of 5.8%–8.0% are relatively larger than the discount rate regularly used in environmental policy analyses. This survey is the first of its kind in Japan, and provides information that is directly useful for estimating the benefits of environmental and other policies that lower mortality risks to the general population and subgroups with a variety of specific traits.

Public acceptance of CO2 capture and storage technology: A survey of public opinion to explore influential factors

Publisher Summary CO2 capture and storage (CCS) technology is an emerging technology with large potential for CO2 emission mitigation. However, public acceptance is an unknown factor in developing public policy involving CCS technology. Characteristics of this technology substantially differ from other options for CO2 mitigation, particularly when assessing the risks of leakage and development of appropriate regulatory penalties in implementing some form of CCS. A comprehensive CO2 mitigation policy portfolio that includes CCS requires sufficient public outreach for assuring its political feasibility. In order to effectively design public outreach programs, it is useful to begin by assessing current potential acceptability of public on CCS and also to identify factors influencing public acceptance of this technology. Although a preliminary qualitative analysis on this matter based on focus group approach in U.K. is available, there has been little statistically based research on the matter in Japan and in other countries until now. The objective of this chapter is to provide such information.

Stakeholder Attitudes on Carbon Capture and Storage - an international comparison

Abstract This paper presents results from a survey on stakeholder attitudes towards Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The survey is the first to make a global comparison across three major regions; USA, Japan, and Europe. The 30-question survey targeted individuals working at stakeholder organizations that seek to shape, and will need to respond to, policy on CCS, including electric utilities, oil & gas companies, CO2-intensive industries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Stakeholder attitudes on Carbon Capture and Storage-An international comparison

This paper presents results from a Survey of stakeholder attitudes towards Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The Survey is the first to make a global comparison across three major regions North America, Japan, and Europe It is based on a 30-question survey which targeted individuals working at stakeholder organizations that seek to shape, and will need to respond to, policy on CCS, including electric utilities. oil and gas companies, CO2-intensive industries and non-govern mental organizations (NGOs). The paper reports results from the original survey carried out in 2006 and from a recent follow up on key CCS questions (April 2009). The results show generally small differences across the regions and between the different groups Of stakeholders All believed that the challenge of significant reductions in emissions using only current technologies was severe. There was a widespread belief that CCS as well as renewable technologies such as solar power will achieve major market entry into the electricity sector within the next 10-20 years, whereas there is more scepticism about the role of hydrogen and especially nuclear fusion in the next 50 years. All groups were generally positive towards renewable energy Yet, there were some notable areas of disagreement in the responses, for example, as expected, NGOs considered the threat of climate change to be more serious than the other groups. North American respondents were more likely to downplay the threat compared to those of the other regions The Japanese were more concerned about the burden that would be placed oil industry in the coming decade as a result of emissions constraints and NGOs were more likely to believe that the burden imposed would be light or very light. NGO respondents also believed CCS to be far more attractive than nuclear power (fission) but much less than renewables As expected, the risk for leakage from reservoirs was ranked number one of the risk options given The follow-up study generally confirmed the results of the original study with a few notable differences. As expected, the results of the follow-up shows that respondents consider CCS to play an increased role in the national climate debate In Japan, there was an increased fraction of respondents who claimed that their organization has a clear position on CCS.

Simple estimation methodology of leakage from geologic storage of CO2

Publisher Summary This chapter develops a simple methodology based on quality of cap rocks to estimate amount of CO2 leakages. To quantify quality of cap rocks, Cap-rock Quality Factors (CQF) is developed. CQF is calculated reflecting features of site, height of cap rock, depth of the site and possibility of three types of leakage, leakage via matrix of cap-rock, leakage via fracture of cap-rock, and leakage via wells. Two different interpretations of CQF, Conduit Model and Membrane Model are used to estimate amount of leakage by each categories. Conduit Model can be generally applicable to certain structural seal category and Membrane Model applicable to uncertain seal category. The methodology can be utilized by those who do not have sufficient simulation resources and provide the first order estimate of leakage of classified geologic storage of CO2 that would be a basis for developing accounting methodology. In particular, this is intended to contribute to accounting rules for CO2 capture and storage (CCS) proposed by research project. Moreover, project planners and policy makers would utilize the methodology to examine the feasibility of some CO2 geologic storage projects.

Draft accounting rules for carbon capture and storage technology

Publisher Summary In this chapter, a framework of accounting rule of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology is proposed based mainly on leakage estimation using newly developed models. These rules follow identified priority factors with which emphasize estimation and accounting of yearly leakage in the near term as a conservative basis for rule making. In avoided emission estimation methodology, the net stored amount of CO2 is defined and a three-level-methodology is proposed for estimating yearly physical leakage. The proposed accounting rules for CCS consists of avoided emission estimation methodology, accounting rules for national inventories, and accounting rules for project-based activities. In suggesting accounting rules for use in national inventories, an accounting method is recommended that presumes 100% of stored CO2 at the time of injection with summing up of emissions afterwards when gradual leakage or sudden release occurs. In establishing accounting rules for project-based activities, a compensation rule is proposed for CCS in general or a discounting rule for geologic CCS with a very rigid structural seal.

CO2 capture, transportation, and storage technology

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage (CCS) can be deployed primarily at major point sources of CO2, such as fossil fuel-fired power plants. For CO2 capture, solution absorption as represented by liquid amine scrubbing is the most widely investigated. Membrane separation in pressurized flue gas, such as in an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), is expected to reduce energy and cost. The majority of energy and cost during CCS is in the capture process. The roadmap of CO2 capture targets a cost reduction from 4200 JPY (current references) to 1000 JPY by 2030.

A risk analysis scheme of the CO2 leakage from geologic sequestration

Publisher Summary This chapter evaluates a scheme of the leakage risk that is proposed with the scenarios based on the knowledge of geomechanics and experience in the petroleum industry. For gaining public acceptance, risk analysis on the leakage of stored CO 2 in underground formations is not avoidable for geological sequestration program. However, the word “leakage” contains wide spectrum of possible risks and mechanisms. The occurrence and its mechanism are highly dependent on the geological conditions of storage structure, and uncertainties of them are great. The time range considered for this purpose covers years of injection operation to thousands of years of post shut-in period. Effects of the rapid gas release also have wide spectrum. Therefore, it is worth to makeup a framework of the risk evaluation with possible leakage scenarios that include paths of CO 2 , and leakage mechanism and conditions that cause the leakages, and also the effects of leakage. The probability and leakage volume should be evaluated with fully scientific manners in this framework.

Simple estimation methodology of leakage from ocean storage of CO2 for policy makers

Publisher Summary This chapter develop a simple methodology to estimate amount of long-term leakage, which can be utilized by those who do not have sufficient simulation resources to create a basis for CO2 capture and storage (CCS) accounting. The leakage coefficients for estimation are derived based on storage curve calculated by each characteristic. These are location and depth of injection. The methodology can provide the first order estimate of leakage of classified ocean storage of CO2 that would be a basis for developing accounting methodology. In particular, this is intended to contribute to accounting rules for CO2 capture storage proposed by the research project discussed in the chapter. Moreover, project planners and policy makers would utilize the methodology to examine the feasibility of some CO2 ocean storage projects. Difficulty of defining the leakage in ocean storage is due to the reservoirs open structure against atmosphere and continuous interaction between ocean and atmosphere. Under the current inventory system, “emission” is supposed to be counted. When this concept of emission is applied to the leakage in ocean storage straightforwardly, emission or leakage, which means that injected CO2 into ocean reservoir is released to the atmosphere, would not be observed because the partial pressure of CO2 in the atmosphere is higher than that of ocean constantly when viewed as a whole ocean and not local area, so that ocean consistently keeps absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere.