The role of diversity, reserve margin and system structure on retail electricity tariffs in Kenya.

Electricity bills in Kenya have been an issue of concern to electricity consumers in the recent past. Highly volatile oil prices and unprecedented weather fluctuations have acted as significant shocks for electricity generation, influencing electricity pricing. This study sought to investigate the contribution of diversity, spare capacity, and system structure as metrics in determining energy resilience. We contend that electricity prices represent the underlying fleet structure's ability to adjust to change and, therefore, can be used to predict energy resilience. Resilience metrics were determined using electricity generation data, electricity sales, electricity installed capacities, and electricity imports, while electricity prices represented the response variable. A regression model was fitted between the response variable and resilience metrics. Diversity, spare capacity, and import metrics play a significant role in predicting electricity prices. However, the diversity metric's role depends on the portfolio mix and requires further comparative empirical evidence.

An econometric analysis of the macroeconomic determinants of carbon dioxide emissions in Nigeria.

This study examined an econometric analysis of the macroeconomic determinants of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in Nigeria, covering the periods between 1981 and 2016, employing both linear and non-linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL & NARDL) models. The time series data used were sourced from the database of the World Bank Development Indicators, 2016 and Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin, 2017 edition. The main macroeconomic variables driving CO2 emissions in Nigeria were considered. The time series properties of the data were examined using the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root tests for stationarity, and it was found that all the variables were first differenced stationary, except financial development and population density that were stationary at the level form. The finding from environment-economic relationship refutes the validity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and found N-shaped relationship in Nigeria. Overall changes in GDP per capita showed strong magnitudes of impacts on CO2 emission and GDP per capita bi-directionally granger caused energy consumption, which reversely caused increase in CO2 emission. Trend analyses revealed that emission fell from 0.64 metric tons between 2005 and 2010 to 0.52 metric tons between 2011 and 2016. Based on these results, a concerted effort of Ministry of finance in partnership with the ministry of environment in strengthening green bond issuance, subsidies and incentives to encourage the competitiveness of renewable energy technologies is paramount. The government must also initiate carbon tax for polluting industries and increase energy supply to stimulate industrial production since increase in energy consumption exhibited negative relationship with CO2 emissions.

Standards Compliance and Health Implications of Bottled Water in Malawi.

Many people around the globe prefer bottled water especially in developing countries, where tap water is not drinkable. This study investigated the quality of bottled drinking water sold in Lilongwe city, Malawi. Compliance with Malawi Standards (MS) 560 (2004) for natural mineral water, MS 699 (2004) for bottled water and the World Health Organisation guidelines for drinking water were examined. Bottled water from different 12 brands was purchased from local stores and analysed for its pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), EC, turbidity, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, NO3-, Cl-, F-, SO42-, hardness, alkalinity, and Escherichia coli. A Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) resulted in two clusters in which most of the brands (92%, n = 12) belonged to one group. The two clusters and significant differences (ANOVA p < 0.05) in chemical compositions among the brands were attributed to the variations in the water source and the treatment processes. The results showed that 10 brands did not comply with the MS 699 (2004) turbidity standard (1 NTU) and the pH of one of the brands was below the minimum MS 699 (2004) standard of 6.50. This research showed that 12 brands had bottle labelling errors and discrepancies in chemical composition. The article highlighted the need for a strict inspection from the responsible governmental ministry to improve water quality and to adjust water bottles' labels according to water characteristics.