More water for everything? The problem of bogus water savings in northern Victoria, Australia

The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) spent the latter decades of the 20th century fully integrating the surface and sub-surface drainage systems with the water distribution network in northern Victoria, thereby enabling complete recycling of outfalls, leaks and seepage from its channels. Yet in 2007, in repudiation of this recycling capacity, DSE announced a multibillion dollar modernisation project it claims will “create” 450 GL of “new water” by reducing “inefficiencies” in the channel distribution system. Examination of the northern Victorian irrigation supply system shows it was fully integrated with more than adequate recycling capacity before the project began. In a classic case of double counting, DSE was already delivering the illusory “new water” to regional irrigators and billing them for it. Thus the project cannot deliver real water savings and the Government must effectively reduce irrigation entitlement to increase entitlements for urban consumption and environmental flows. The financial and economic impact of bogus water savings on stakeholders is discussed in terms of the opportunity cost of appropriated irrigation entitlement and of the effect of overcapitalisation of the distribution system on annual capital charges and thus the viability of irrigation and the operating water authority.double counting, opportunity cost, real water savings, recycling, Political Economy, Public Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Economic Evaluation of Irrigated Dairy Forage Production.

An optimisation model was developed to compare the profitability of different forage species on irrigated dairy farms. The model is driven by the energy and protein requirements of the milking cow. The objective of the model is to maximise income, after herd and feed costs, by selecting the area of the farm sown to particular forage species. Different forage species may require different animal production systems to optimise their profitability. In order to achieve this, the model can alter the herd size and structure, level of production, concentrate feeding regime and forage conservation and feeding on a monthly basis.Dairy cows, Modelling, Forage., Farm Management,

POTENTIAL HEALTHCARE SAVINGS FROM PLANT STEROL ENRICHED FOODS IN CANADA

Increased consumption of foods containing plant sterols has the potential to reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and thus reduce costs associated with treating that disease in a significant way. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the potential monetary benefits of allowing foods enriched with plant sterols to be marketed in Canada. The objective of this research was to estimate the annual savings that would accrue to Canada’s single-payer publicly funded health care system if plant sterols were approved for use. If foods containing plant sterols are consumed at a sufficient rate, a reduction in CHD should follow. This research employs a variation of traditional cost-of-illness analysis entailing four steps: (i) estimation of a “success rate” (proportion of persons who would consume plant sterols at the necessary rate); (ii) presumption of blood cholesterol reduction due to plant sterol consumption; (iii) assumption of reduction in CHD that follows from blood cholesterol reduction; (iv) calculation of cost savings associated with reduced incidence of CHD. Calculations were carried out for four scenarios: ideal, optimistic, pessimistic, and very pessimistic. It was estimated that between $38 million (very pessimistic scenario) and$2.45 billion (ideal scenario) could be saved annually by Canada’s health care system with plant sterol enriched food products being made available for sale.coronary heart disease, cost of illness analysis, health care costs, success rate, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Health Economics and Policy, I18,

General hospital care for people with intellectual disabilities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent of compliance of commissioners and providers of hospital services in England with their duty under equalities legislation to be aware of patients with intellectual disabilities as a first step to making appropriate provision for their consequent specific needs. Design/methodology/approach – National survey of healthcare commissioners undertaken as part of an annual learning disabilities services audit. Findings – In total, 41.4 per cent of local areas were unable to supply information about numbers of people with intellectual disabilities among those admitted to hospital, 46.7 and 48 per cent, respectively, could not supply this information about out-patient and accident and emergency department attenders. Figures supplied by those able to provide data varied very substantially and overall were so low as to suggest considerable numbers had been missed. Research limitations/implications – The study is testing what local health commissioners are able to find out from hospitals. The authors do not know the accuracy of the data they reported. Practical implications – The study suggests approaching half of healthcare commissioners in England have little or no information about the extent of proper adjustment of hospital care for people with intellectual disability in their area. Their responsibility to assure this has been repeatedly asserted by government. Social implications – The study indicates a need for more work to improve hospital care for people with intellectual disabilities. Originality/value – This was a government sponsored national study to which local healthcare commissioners were expected to contribute

Cost-of-illness analysis reveals potential healthcare savings with reductions in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease following recommended intakes of dietary fiber in Canada

Background: Consumption of fibre-rich diets is associated with favourable impacts on type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), two of the most costly ailments worldwide, however the economic value of altered fibre intakes remains poorly understood. Methods: A cost-of-illness analysis was conducted to identify the percentage of adults expected to consume fibre-rich diets in Canada, estimate fibre intakes in relation to T2D and CVD reductions, and assess the potential annual savings in healthcare costs with reductions in rates of these two epidemics. Results: Non-trivial healthcare and related savings of CAD$35.9-$718.8 million in T2D costs and CAD$64.8-$1,295.7 million in CVD costs were calculated under a scenario where cereal fibre was used to increase current intakes of dietary fibre to the recommended levels of 38 g per day for men and 25 g per day for women. Each 1 g per day increase in fibre consumption resulted in annual CAD$2.6-$51.1 and $4.6-$92.1 million savings for T2D and CVD, respectively. Conclusions: Strategies to increase consumers’ knowledge of the recommended dietary fibre intakes, as part of healthy diet, and to facilitate stakeholder synergy are warranted to enable better management of costs associated with T2D and CVD in Canada

Managing Nitrogen for Optimum Profit and Minimum Environmental Loss

With volatile crop and nitrogen prices, greater environmental concerns and awareness, and increasing efforts to minimize risk, farmers are searching for information to establish an effective and profitable N management game plan. However, the N management game plan is not simple. It becomes complex as various uncontrollable soil and weather factors are involved as well as the controllable factors of N rate, time and method of application, N source, nitrification inhibitors, etc. Best management practices (BMPs) for N are broadly defined as economically sound, voluntary practices that are capable of optimizing profitability, minimizing the loss of nitrate to surface and ground water, and reducing risk. In Minnesota, BMPs have been identified for various areas of the state depending on climate, soil, and geologic features. Management practices are placed into three categories

AN EXAMINATION OF THE CULTURAL COMPETENCIES AND PRACTICES OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS ENROLLED IN NONURBAN ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS

The critical shortage of qualified teachers in hard to staff urban schools has been a persistent issue in the U.S. for decades. Teachers and researchers have pointed to the inadequacy of teacher preparation programs to prepare teacher candidates to address the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students and special education students as the catalyst of the teacher shortage in urban schools. Urban school systems, like the New York City Department of Education, have had success in filling their teacher shortages through alternative teacher certification programs. Through these programs, teacher candidates are given a preservice teacher preparation that incorporates three components: college/university coursework, mentorship, and school-based fieldwork. Theoretically frameworks, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Culturally Responsive Teaching, are incorporated in the objective of each component and serve as a method of preparing teacher candidates to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students. The success of NYC has generated a significant response from colleges and universities across New York State (NYS), with many adopting some version of an alternative pathway or courses for teacher certification. However, there is little to no research on whether alternative teacher certification pathways outside of NYC are designed to address the same population and needs of students as NYC alternative teacher certification programs were designed to do. This study examines the cultural competencies and practices of preservice teachers enrolled in a NYS rural and suburban college or university alternative teacher certification program. This current study seeks to understand whether the components, like in NYC, of alternative teacher certification programs in rural and suburban NYS address the culturally relevant competencies and culturally responsive practices needed to teach students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and students classified as special education