takahashi-satoshi

[takahashi-satoshi]

Works Cited

Coase, R. (1960). The Problem of Social Cost. Journal of Law and Economics, 3(1), 1–44.

ZISSU. (2016). How to Tackle Fracking in Your Community. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-tackle-fracking-your-community

Environmental Defense Fund. (2015). Reginal Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI): An Emissions Trading Case Study. Retrieved from https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/rggi-ets-case-study-may2015.pdf

[takahashi-satoshi]

Fracking: An Economic Analysis of the Pros and Cons

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a technique used to extract natural gas and oil from shale rock formations. While it has been a source of controversy, some argue that it has economic benefits, such as providing a domestic source of energy and creating jobs. In this blog post, we will use economic concepts such as the Coase theorem and the taxonomy of value to analyze the pros and cons of fracking and its potential impacts on the environment.

One important economic concept to consider when analyzing the issue of fracking is externalities. Externalities are the costs or benefits of an economic activity that are not reflected in the market price of a good or service. In the case of fracking, the external costs may include the negative impacts on the environment and local communities, such as air and water pollution or the loss of property values. These external costs are not reflected in the market price of the extracted resources, meaning that the full costs of fracking are not being internalized by the companies engaged in the activity. This can lead to an inefficient allocation of resources, as the companies are not taking into account the full costs of their actions. Take the example of Fracking chemicals, which have been linked to various health problems, including cancer, although their specific combinations are frequently kept hidden. Fracking also poses environmental and health risks.(ZISSU, 2016)

The Coase theorem, named after economist Ronald Coase, can also be applied to the issue of fracking. The Coase theorem states that if property rights are well-defined and transaction costs are low, then the allocation of resources will be efficient, regardless of the initial allocation of property rights. In the context of fracking, this means that if the property rights to the land and resources are well-defined and the costs of negotiating agreements between stakeholders are low, then the allocation of resources through fracking will be efficient. However, in practice, the property rights to land and resources are often not well-defined, and the costs of negotiation can be high. This means that the allocation of resources through fracking may not be efficient (Coase, 1960).

One real-world example of the use of policy tools to address the negative impacts of fracking is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a voluntary program in the northeastern United States that aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector. Under RGGI, participating states issue a limited number of permits, or allowances, for power plants to emit CO2, and the allowances can be bought and sold on a market. The market price of the allowances reflects the costs and benefits of reducing CO2 emissions, and the program has been successful in reducing emissions and generating revenue for participating states. According to a report by the Environmental Defense Fund, the RGGI program has reduced CO2 emissions by 40% in the power sector and generated over $3 billion in net economic benefits for participating states between 2009 and 2018 (Environmental Defense Fund, 2015).

In conclusion, the issue of fracking is complex and has both benefits and costs. Economic concepts such as the Coase theorem and the taxonomy of value can help us to understand and weigh the pros and cons of fracking. Real-world examples such as the RGGI program demonstrate the potential of policy tools to address the negative impacts of fracking and promote more efficient resource allocation. However, it is important to carefully design and implement these policy tools to ensure that they are effective and fair, and to consider their potential impacts on different sectors and stakeholders. It is also important to consider the broader context in which fracking takes place, including the local and global environmental and social impacts of the extraction and use of fossil fuels.

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Credits

This story is a work of fiction. Name, characters, places and incidents are product of author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSgRKjqRmc4 “不了情” by 顧媚 Koo Mei before start for best experience. 

Photo: © 2022 NBC UNIVERSAL

Music：© ℗ 1994 EMI (HK) Ltd.

[takahashi-satoshi]

Door Closed

March 27th, 2022

Today is my birthday. The alarm clock rings at 8am and wakes me up. When I opened my eyes, I still couldn't hear the sound of the people in the street, there was no sound of cars honking, no sound of people walking. There was only a loud speaker repeating: "Either come downstairs have your PCR test done, or notify the Police."From far to near, then far again.

I have not gone to work for a week. Shanghai has recently locked down, forbidding everyone to leave their houses, or to even buy the necessities of life. The apartment rent is very high and my manager texted me yesterday and said I had been 'voluntarily resigned'. I am now without a job and I can't pay my mortgage.

The city has been closed for a week now and there is not much food left in the house. The government has been sending some food, but it is not enough and some of the meat is already stinking. For the past two days someone has locked the door downstairs with a lock and the door to my door flat has been sealed.

I like to sit by the window and look down at the street. Every now and then, over the past few days, someone down there has walked down to the waste container and rummaged around for something, and they have been searching for ages to find a radish or bamboo shoot from the pile of junk. There are also people who fall asleep on cardboard on the side of the road, covered with a layer of plastic bags. I would really like to do something for them, but I can't leave this prison myself.

Afternoon, I heard a government officer shouting from downstairs, "Food packages for￥200, first come, first served." I was hungry, but I couldn't leave the place because the door was chained.

I read online that food donated voluntarily from other cities was brought to Shanghai but buried in the landfill, and I wondered why.

Every day I have to worry about whether I will have food tomorrow. I still have my wife and daughter at home and they are much more optimistic than me in believing that one day the problem will be solved.

The door there is locked， it cannot be opened - even with a key.

[takahashi-satoshi]

[takahashi-satoshi]

HER

April 1st, 2022

My daughter, she is 11 years old. She is a lovely, adorable girl. She has a congenital kidney disease and she has to take medication every day. She has to go for kidney dialysis twice a week. But now, no hospital is willing to take patient.

She loves the braised pork I made. Yesterday I made it for her and she ate very little. She said to me and mum: ‘Have some more, I' m not that hungry.’

We all know she is hungry. 

She has not taken her medication for a week and has skipped two dialysis sessions. Her lips are pale and she speaks in a whisper, but her eyes keep smiling.

Last night before bed, she asked me, " Papa can you stay with me a little longer? ". I knew she must have been scared so I stayed with her at the foot of the bed until she fell asleep.

I was looking at the photo album she had put together. 2017 we went to Tokyo together, to Disney where she wanted to go the most, she was 6 years old and she was very polite and didn't cry or make a fuss. The Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear she was holding in the photograph is still at the foot of her bed.

In 2018, we went to South Korea for a concert of her favourite band, BTS. Her mum loves the band too and the two of them have been hogging the stereo in the home. She has many posters in her room.

I look at these pictures and look forward to life changing for the better and pray that my daughter's illness can be cured soon.

This morning I got up and called out her name as usual to have breakfast. But She did not reply. I went into the room and found her lying in bed, and I couldn't wake her up no matter how hard I called.

It turned out that she had passed away.

I couldn't believe it. I looked at her childish face, with tear stains in the corners of her eyes. And I asked myself: Did she suffer so much?

I held her in my arms, I could still feel the warmth of the blanket in my hands. I let out a loud cry.

My mind was in a mess, I wanted to vent but was powerless.

Spring had passed and the Sakura drops, a petal floating with the wind to the chain on the door.

[takahashi-satoshi]

[takahashi-satoshi]

Mind the Gap

??? ???th, 20??

I don't know what day of the month it is. A few days ago I heard a knock at the door and when I opened it I saw 4 men in white protective suits coming to the door to collect my daughter's body. I refused to give them my daughter when I held her and they snatched her away, pushed me to the floor and left.

I sat in her room. I didn't cry, and I didn't dare to cry. I stayed there, staring at the bed. I didn't move a muscle, I couldn't think of anything. On the desk lay her homework, and stationary. I didn't sort out her desk because she hated it when I sorted things out for her.

I went to her room every day and sat there, thinking of nothing, just staring. It smelled like her.

I don't know how long it has been, maybe long, maybe short. This morning the sun shone on my face , it was warm. I heard someone downstairs shouting, "The lockdown is over! Praise the country, thanks the government!"

I opened the door and ran all the way to the market. On the street, it was so bustling as if it was back in the old days.

I went into the market and bought lots of food, and my daughter's favourite sweets, a kind of Japanese sweets.

I have to hurry home I said to myself. As I ran, a motorbike drove towards me and I was knocked to the ground. I got up quickly and continued running towards home.

When I got home, I went into the kitchen, cleaned the food, chopped it and cooked it. At that moment someone was knocking on the door. I went to the door and opened it, only to see my daughter smiling at me and saying, "It's the weekend! "

She said, "It smells so delicious, is it braised pork? "

I said, " It is!"

While we were eating, she told me that she wanted to go to Disneyland because her friend had been there and said it was fun. I promised her that we would go tomorrow.

In the evening, I washed all the plates and she went back to her room. I went into her room and sat in the chair waiting for her to fall asleep and I said to her, Good night sweetie.

She didn't reply.

Outside the window came the sound of a loudspeaker: "Either come downstairs have your PCR test done, or notify the Police. "From far to near, then far again.

[takahashi-satoshi]