Finance and Pensions & Investments Blog

Dr. Azucena Gracia of the Economics Unit of the Agri-Food and Natural Resources of the CITA has led a research project on the social acceptance of biodiesel by the citizens of Aragon. The research team consists of Dr. Luis Perez y Perez y Gabriela Zeballos of CITA and Dr. Jesús Barreiro Hurlé of Research and Training Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries (IFAP).

The study was conducted based on the analysis of surveys of 400 residents of the city of Zaragoza in September last. The sample comprised 49 percent of women and 51 percent of men, all characterized on the basis of sociodemographic factors.

CITA research reveals very little knowledge about biodiesel in the population. The majority of respondents have never used due to lack of information and then not sold in regular duty station.

Individuals with greater knowledge about biodiesel have greater intention to use in general, even at a higher price. It is noteworthy that women are more willing to use biodiesel than men, and respondents with higher income and education.

Respondents are more concerned that biodiesel can be produced from raw materials produced in Aragon, his production will decrease dependence on oil imports from the countries, “is less polluting than traditional diesel,” his use decrease emissions to the environment “and” production can help increase farmers’ incomes and rural areas “and to a lesser extent that” more expensive to produce than diesel from fossil fuels “and” you can lead to an increase in food prices, “indicating that Aragon citizens have positive attitudes towards biodiesel.

Attitudes toward biodiesel impact on the intention to use and the aspects that influence are positively related to emissions, with the lowest energy dependence, the role he is called to play in rural and regional origin. That is, they intend to use more than those who think that is more environmentally friendly, reduces dependence on energy, promotes the development of rural and regional value origin.

Biofuels, particularly biodiesel, have become an alternative in the short to medium term, to partially replace traditional fuels.

Currently, both types of fuels coexist and compete in the market but with very different market shares. In Spain, biodiesel represents only 1% of consumption and the European Union (EU) has established that by the year 2020, the share of renewable energy (particularly biofuels) in transport sector to achieve at least 10%.

To reach this result, researchers have been calculating the price with a model that measures the number of medals in terms of government spending on sports, among other variables. “This model allows us to measure precisely how much extra spending is needed to win a medal,” explained UC3M teachers, Juan de Dios Tena and J. Ramón Flores, who have done this study within the research group in Economics of Sport, led by Professor David Forrest, University of Salford (England) and also comprises Ismael Sanz, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and Jaime Alvarez , University Complutense of Madrid.

“We have estimated the relationship between these costs and Olympic success once also takes into account the effect of economic variables, political and relevant demographic, as the size of the country,” said Tena. This work was presented at the workshop “The Economic of the Olympic Games in Groningen in July 2008 under the title” Can governments buy Olympic medals? ” and is currently under review in a research journal.

In the area of Economics of Sport these researchers use econometric models (usually regression type) to analyze sporting events in which conditions appear economic. The general idea of the hub is that there are many possible causes of a phenomenon. “A regression model provides an estimate of the individual effect of each of these cases once they control all the others,” says Professor Flores, allowing rigorous conclusions from statistical models that can determine the specific influence of a element in the sporting context.

The dilemma to fire coach

For football teams, for example, this group of researchers has analyzed the figure of technical trainer and found that the effect of firing a coach mid-season is more negative than positive when it tends to repeat this situation. “A coaching change reduces average number of points scored in eight games in a unit,” he commented.

From the results obtained for several seasons by the league clubs in Argentina, the econometric model developed shows an inverse relationship between the redundancy and performance. In short, the more layoffs, the worse results in the medium term. “Similar work done in European leagues, where the number of layoffs is lower, show no such effect, suggesting that the abuse of layoffs may generate negative consequences in this context,” they conclude these professors in the Department of Statistics UC3M.

Another related issue that these investigators have studied was the effect it had the Bosman ruling of 1995 in the competitiveness of major league soccer. Before it, in national competitions governed a very strong limitation on the number of foreigners per team fichables, resulting in the good foreign players landfall usually available at big clubs. With the new legislation removed that limitation, greatly increased the number of players available, which mid-level clubs could also be strengthened under properly and increase their level as well as the competitiveness of the tournaments.

“To measure this increased use measures well known in the literature, for example the percentage of the total points achieved by the two, four or ten best teams in the league, while taking into account other factors that influenced the change of market, such as the introduction of the Champions League and their subsequent rewards “they say. The conclusion: since the entry into force of the Bosman ruling reduced the ratio of points of the two best teams in 2 per cent and eight at 4 percent.

This type of data and research can provide guidance and assistance in the decision making process. In addition, the responses obtained can be extrapolated to broader contexts. “Our intention is to apply them profusely and assist in the resolution of questions that generate debate in society that produce interesting findings that are rarely studied with the rigor they deserve,” say these teachers on the campus of the UC3M Colmer, who have the impression that in this area are often presented as ‘analysis’ work goes beyond just mere opinion.

“Because of the media for everything related to sports – complain – usually appear low statistical studies or made directly by amateurs, Derived from pedestrians from samples that do not offer the slightest guarantee.”