Makoto Akai

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.

Performance evaluation of fossil power plant with CO2 recovery and sequestering system

Performace of various combinations of power generation, CO 2 capture and sequestering technologies which may become practicable in the first decade of the next century has been evaluated. The study gave a prediction that CO 2 recovery and sequestration would lower the net power generating efficiency by 12.5% to 32.8% and increase the power generation cost to between 1.3 to 2.3 times the level for reference case without CO 2 emission control

Life-cycle analysis of a fossil-fuel power plant with CO2 recovery and a sequestering system

Life-cycle energy balances and emissions of CO2 and other gases have been evaluated for the following systems: an LNG combined-cycle (LNG C/C), an integrated coal-gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) combined-cycle power-generation systems with CO2 capture and sequestration technologies. The predicted CO2 recovery and sequestration will lower the net energy ratio (which measures the total efficiency of a fossil-fuel system) by 16 to 38% for the LNG C/C system, by 21 to 57% for the IGCC system and by 17 to 56% for the MCFC system. The CO2-emission control potentials for the LNG C/C, IGCC and MCFC are in the range 64–72%, 65–76% and 57–68%, respectively. However, off-site power required for CO2 emission control increases NOx and SOx emissions by as much as a factor of 1.3 to 10.

Life-cycle emission of oxidic gases from power-generation systems

Life-cycle emissions of nitric oxide and sulphurous oxides from various types of electric-power generation systems have been estimated. Emissions from the process of building energy systems, as well as from the mining and transportation of the fuel were accounted for as well as the emissions from power stations. Two types of thermoelectric systems, namely a LNG-fuelled gas-turbine combined cycle and an integrated coal-gasification combined cycle, and four types of renewable energy systems -- photovoltaic, hydropower, wind power and ocean thermal energy conversion -- were evaluated. The estimated amounts of nitric oxide emitted per generated unit of electricity range from 0.06 to 0.3 g/kWh, while the amounts of suphur oxides range from 0.3 to 0.53 g/kWh. There is a tendency for renewable-energy systems to emit lower amounts of nitric oxide.

Life cycle analysis of fossil power plant with CO2 recovery and sequestering system

Life cycle energy balance and carbon dioxide emission have been evaluated for LNG combined cycle and integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power generation system with carbon dioxide capture and sequestering technologies. The gave study prediction that CO2 recovery and sequestration would lower net energy ratio by 6% to 61%. CO2 emission control potential was estimated to be in the range of 61% to 76%.

Measurement of the Density of CO2 Solution by Mach-Zehnder Interferometry

Abstract: The density of CO2 solution was measured by using Mach‐Zehnder interferometry in the pressure range from 5.0 to 12.5 MPa, at temperatures from 273.25 to 284.15 K, and CO2 mass fraction in solution up to 0.061. It was found that the density difference between the CO2 solution and pure water at the same pressure and temperature is monotonically linear with the CO2 mass fraction. The slope of this linear function, calculated by experimental data fitting, is 0.275.

Results of international field experiment on a natural CO2 analogue

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights an International field experiment that was conducted in order to investigate a natural analogue of CO 2 , and its effects on the surrounding marine biology. This natural CO 2 analogue was investigated as a first order proxy for a purposeful CO 2 injection in order to determine potential effects such as depressed pH and hypercapnia on existing marine ecosystems. Trapping rates at Loihi were much higher than anticipated with a minimum of 1,100 amphipods recovered after a 24 hour deployment despite the loss of many animals through the funnel opening. On all dives the amphipods remained continuously active during the ascent to the surface until ambient temperatures of between 10 and 11°C were reached at a depth of about 300 m. From that point activity decreased rapidly until all appeared to be dead soon after the temperature exceeded 13°C at depths of about 250 m. These data indicate that the state of torpor which the majority of amphipods experienced following a 10-minute exposure to the vent fluids was due to the high CO 2 content and not the elevated temperature.

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.