Asymmetric effect of environmental cost of forest rents in the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic: The Nigerian experience

Several studies have identified deforestation as a major cause of environmental degradation, but little is known about the asymmetric effect of the environmental cost of forest rents. To fill this gap, our study uses the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model and asymmetric causality test to examine the environmental implication of forest rents in the Guinean Forest-Savanna Mosaic of Nigeria over the period 1990:Q1 to 2016:Q4. The empirical results show that forest rents increase CO₂ emissions when the shock to forest rents is positive and decreases CO₂ emissions when the shock to forest rents is negative. The results further show evidence of asymmetric effects of crop production, fossil fuel energy consumption, and economic growth on CO₂ emissions. Moreover, the effects of both positive and negative shocks in economic growth are elastic, suggesting that CO₂ emissions respond in a larger magnitude to a 1% positive or negative shock in economic growth. While the positive shock to crop production and economic growth stimulates CO₂ emissions, their negative shocks dampen CO₂ emissions. In addition, the positive (negative) shocks to fossil energy consumption exert upward (downward) pressure on CO₂ emissions. Furthermore, the asymmetric causality test divulges that a positive change in forest rents causes a negative change in CO₂ emissions and a negative change in forest rents causes a positive change in CO₂ emissions. Based on these findings, the study recommends the need for policymakers to formulate sound policies to protect the forests and transit toward clean energy consumption to minimize energy-related CO₂ emissions in the country.

Testing the asymmetric causal nexus of housing-oil prices and pandemic uncertainty in four major economies

The spread of COVID-19 worldwide has shown how quick global economy can become affected when ones' health and future are at risk. This paper examines the evidence of Granger causality among the housing price, the unemployment rate, crude oil price, and world pandemic uncertainty in France, Germany, the UK, and the USA over the period 1996Q1-2019Q2. In this case, the linear and asymmetric Granger causality approaches of Toda-Yamamoto and Hatemi-J are respectively applied to provide useful insight. Although only significant evidence of linear Granger causality is found among the unemployment rate and the house prices in all the four economies, the investigations revealed asymmetric evidence involving the world pandemic uncertainty. Specifically, there is a significant uni-directional asymmetric Granger causality from the world pandemic uncertainty to the house price in France, Germany, and the USA but not in the UK. The variation in the results among the examined countries is explained by potential differences in economic structures or business cycle and other social and economic factors. Thus, relevant policy guidance is implied from the results especially for the policymakers in the examined countries.

Do pandemics have an asymmetric effect on tourism in Italy?

In this study, the asymmetric Granger causality relationship between tourist arrivals and world pandemic uncertainty index is examined by controlling inflation, consumer confidence index, and industrial production for the period 2000M1 and 2020M1 in Italy. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is one of the few studies to investigate the relationship between tourist arrivals and world pandemic uncertainty in an asymmetric framework. The empirical results show that using the Granger causality test in a linear framework causes bias results due to misspecification. Therefore, the study relies on asymmetric Granger causality test results which reveal that the positive shock of world pandemic uncertainty Granger causes a negative shock of tourist arrivals. It is suggested that international tourist arrivals are sensitive to external shocks such as pandemics and in such instances the government of the concerned country can insulate the tourism-service and hospitality industry against the shocks by developing strategies to promote full information between all stakeholders.

The asymmetric relationship between globalization, tourism, CO2 emissions, and economic growth in Turkey: implications for environmental policy making

The current study examines the importance of asymmetric modelling of tourism-CO₂ emissions relationship by incorporating real income per capita and the newly developed globalization index in a multivariate time series model between 1970 and 2014 for Turkey. We used a non-linear autoregressive distributed lag model in analyzing the asymmetric cointegration association between the selected variables. Using Hatemi-J (2012) asymmetric causality testing method, we examined the asymmetric causal relationship among the variables. The empirical outcomes provide evidence for the existence of asymmetric long-run cointegration nexus among the variables. Asymmetric causality results show that both the positive and negative shock of tourism influence the CO₂ emissions in the long-term, while in the short-term, only the negative shock of tourism contributes to CO₂ emissions. Also discussed are the policy implications with regard to Turkey's environmental and economic policies.

Revisiting the causal nexus between coal energy consumption, economic growth, and pollutant emission: sorting out the causality

Anthropogenic activities in search of livelihood come with its environmental implications. This is in line with the current crusade of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) target 7 and 13 for effective clean energy access and mitigating the adverse effect of climate change issues. Since the seminal study of Kraft and Kraft (1978) on the nexus between energy and gross national product, there has been no consensus in the extant literature in the last four decades. To this end, the current study applies recent data for the case of Nigeria from 1970 to 2017 on an annual frequency. Modified Wald causality test of Toda-Yamamoto is in conjunction with the recent gradual shift causality test with Fourier approximation for robustness and precision of analysis. Empirical results show the pollutant driven economy as one-way causality is seen running from pollutant emission to economic growth. This suggests that economic growth is driven by dirty energy sources that are from non-renewable energy sources. This is further validated in the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) confirmed in the study by the causality seen running from foreign direct investment and carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, the exploration of natural resources also engenders economic expansion in Nigeria. Based on the current study findings, a couple of submissions are made such as the need for a paradigm shift to cleaner energy sources. More so, the need for the adoption of cleaner, eco-system friendlier innovations, and technologies will aid in the attainment of the SDGs of mitigating climate and pollution issues.

Tourist arrivals in four major economies: another side of economic policy uncertainty and fear

In this paper, we examine the direction of causal relationships among migration-related fear, economic policy uncertainty, tourism, and economic growth in the panel economies of France, Germany, the UK, and the USA. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to examine the interaction and interrelationship between these variables in a multivariate causality study, using a quarterly data over the period 1985Q1-2017Q4 via time-series causality approach as advanced by Emirmahmutoglu and Kose (Econ Model 28:870-876, 2011) that produces country-specific causality statistic and also captures slope heterogeneity in panel data. Empirical results show that migration-related fear is linked with EPU, tourism arrivals, and real income. Thus, we suggest fear-induced economic policy uncertainty, fear-induced tourism, and economic policy uncertainty-induced growth hypotheses with credible policy suggestions for tourist destinations.

Modeling the dynamic Nexus among coal consumption, pollutant emissions and real income: empirical evidence from South Africa

This study explores the interaction among coal consumption, pollutant emissions, and real income for South Africa in a multivariate setting. To achieve this objective, annual frequency data spanning from 1965 to 2017 is used for analysis. A series of econometrics tests were conducted ranging from stationarity and non-stationarity tests for unit root properties of the variables under consideration. Empirical evidence finds support for the inverted U-shaped pattern between energy consumption and environmental degradation in South Africa. The Toda-Yamamoto Granger causality test shows a feedback causality between economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions, as well as between GDP and coal consumption. All these highlighted findings have inherent environmental implications. Based on these outcomes, policy directions such as diversification of the South Africa energy mix to renewables and cleaner energy sources and also the adoption of carbon capturing and storage techniques were suggested to engender a cleaner and friendlier environment.

Trivariate modelling of the nexus between electricity consumption, urbanization and economic growth in Nigeria: fresh insights from Maki Cointegration and causality tests

In this era of intensive electricity utilization for economic development, the role of urbanization remains inconclusive, especially in developing economies. Here, this study examined the electricity consumption and economic growth nexus in a trivariate framework by incorporating urbanization as an additional variable. Using the recent novel Maki cointegration test, Ng-Perron, Zivot-Andrews, and Kwiatkowski unit root tests along with FMOLS, DOLS and the CCR estimation methods, we relied on an annual frequency data from 1971-2014. Results from FMOLS, DOLS and the CCR regression confirms the electricity consumption-driven economic growth. This is desirable as Nigeria is heavily dependent on energy (electricity) consumption. A unidirectional causality from urbanization to electricity consumption and economic growth was found but the long-run empirical findings revealed urbanization impedes growth - a situation that has policy implications. The study highlights that though urbanization is a good predictor of Nigeria's economic growth, however, the adjustment of the energy portfolio to meet the growing urban demand will curtail the adverse and far-reaching impact of urbanization on the economy.

Revisiting the economic growth and electricity consumption nexus in Pakistan

This paper revisits the interaction between electricity consumption, real gross domestic product, and carbon dioxide emissions in Pakistan. To this end, our study relies on annual data from 1971 to 2014 for the econometric analysis while accounting for structural break(s). According to the Maki cointegration test, a cointegration equilibrium relationship exists among electricity consumption, economic growth, and carbon dioxide emissions. The empirical findings from Toda-Yamamoto causality test provided the following insights: (i) unidirectional causality was found running from economic growth to electricity consumption. Thus, this study validates the conservative hypothesis, meaning that in Pakistan, conservative energy strategies cannot harm economic progress. (ii) Causality was also found running from electricity consumption to carbon dioxide emissions. This implies that industrial activities trigger an increase in carbon emissions flaring which in return translates into environmental degradation. This outcome has inherent policy implications which are further discussed in the conclusion section.

Examining the impact of globalization in the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis: the case of tourist destination states

This paper examines the relationship between carbon emissions and international tourism growth through the channels of globalization, energy consumption, and real income via testing the environmental Kuznets curve over the periods of 1995 to 2014 for 15 selected tourism destination states that prioritized tourism as a means of maximizing economic growth. Using the panel data analysis, results confirm globalization-tourism-induced EKC hypothesis for tourist destination states. This implies international tourism growth and carbon emissions, through the channels of energy consumption, globalization, and real income, are in a long-term equilibrium relationship. International tourism and squared term of real income have an inverse significant effect on carbon emission level, while energy consumption, globalization, and real income without squared term exert positive and significant effects on carbon emission level in the long-run. Thus, globalization-tourism-induced EKC hypothesis is suggested with credible policy suggestions in the case of tourist destination states.

Does asymmetric nexus exist between agricultural land and the housing market? Evidence from non-linear ARDL approach

Expectedly, urbanization is often associated with constant degradation of natural habitat. In most cases, as demand for housing increases, natural habitat like agricultural land, forestry, and water bodies gradually gives way to building structures. Against this backdrop, the current study investigates the asymmetric nexus of agricultural land and housing market vis-à-vis house prices. The study employed the yearly data from 1976 to 2015 for the case of Sweden and used economic policy uncertainty (EPU) as a control variable in non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) approach. The finding notes a significant and positive short- and long-run relationship between housing price and agricultural land especially when there is a negative shock on agricultural land. But when there is a negative shock on EPU, the impact on housing price is significant and negative for both short run and long run. While an asymmetric long-run relationship is significant and positive between EPU and housing price, such significant occurrence do not exist for agricultural land. Hence, in meeting housing demand and mitigating an escalated growth in house prices, implementation of effective land use policy is encouraged.

[Frequency of obsessive compulsive symptoms and disorder in patients with schizophrenia: importence for prognosis]

OBJECTIVE

The objective is to study the comorbidity rate of obsessive compulsive disorder and obsessive compulsive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and their relation with the course of this illness.

DESIGN

73 out-patients from Istanbul Medical Faculty Department of Psychiatry and 4th Unit of Bakirköy Mental Hospital who met the DSM III-R criteria for schizophrenia were recruited for this study. Other inclusion criteria were being out of acute exacerbation phase of schizophrenia. Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Symptom Screening Inventory were applied to patients.

RESULTS

Comorbidity rate of obsessive-compulsive disorder in patients with schizophrenia was 9.6%, and also obsessive compulsive symptoms were detected 31% of patients. Aggressive obsessions were seen most frequently. These symptoms were also reported more frequently in the patients whose Global Assessment of Functionality score was higher than 45 points. Suicide attempts in psychiatric history were significantly higher for patients with obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that obsessive-compulsive symptoms are seen more frequently than previously reported, and have no major effect upon the course of schizophrenia.