Browsing by Subject "Houston"
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Item A comparison study of gravid and under house CO2 mosquito traps in Harris County, Texas(Texas A&M University, 2008-10-10) White, Stephanie LynHarris County Mosquito Control Division (HCMCD) is responsible for surveillance of mosquito species that are vectors of St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) virus and West Nile Virus (WNV) within Harris County, Texas, including the Houston metroplex. The metroplex area has some unique attributes and a vast variety of environmental habitats that are attractive to vectors of arboviruses and for the transmission of arboviruses to the human population. Data describing the efficacy of Gravid (GV) and Underhouse (UH) CO2 traps were analyzed to determine if there is a significant difference between these two trap types with respect to the number of mosquitoes and the variety of mosquito species caught. This study was conducted during the off-peak HCMCD trapping season, to gain information in preparation for a yearround trapping program utilizing Underhouse CO2 traps for WNV and SLE virus surveillance. Adjusting for the week of collection, results suggest that Gravid traps caught significantly (P = 0.009) more mosquitoes (mean = 23.134 per trap) in the study area than Underhouse traps (mean = 3.616 per trap), and that Underhouse Traps caught a larger variety of mosquito species (n = 13) than Gravid Traps (n = 11), out of 15 total different species caught. Gravid and Underhouse traps caught 9 out of 15 of the same mosquito species during the study period. Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito catches in Gravid traps and temperature were strongly correlated (Spearman's Correlation Coefficient = 0.707, P = 0.005). Geographic Information System spatial analysis indicated clustering of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito catches in both Gravid traps, week 9 and 21 (Moran's I = 0.69, P = 0.040 and 0.74, P = 0.021, respectfully ) and Underhouse traps, week 13 and 19 (Moran's I = 0.92, P = 0.002, and 0.89, P = 0.011, respectfully). It is recommended that Harris County Mosquito Control Division continue to utilize gravid traps as a primary method of surveillance. Gravid traps (16,194) caught 85% more mosquitoes than Underhouse traps (2,531) over the fourteen week study period. Their overall success far outweighs the additional materials or labor required for their use in a successful surveillance program.Item Air quality in the Houston Ship Channel region : an environmental and land use analysis(2008-08) Nasser, Omar Maher; Sletto, BjørnDespite federal, state, and local efforts to combat environmental injustices resulting from heavy industrial activity and high air pollution levels, there is a widespread tendency for hazardous industrial activities to locate near low-income, underrepresented ethnic populations in the United States. The Houston Ship Channel, a port containing the largest concentration of Petrochemical Facilities in the United States, evidences this tendency and provides a stellar example of the nexus between poverty, race, industrial location, and air pollution levels. As a result of the heavy industrial activities in the East Houston area adjacent to the Houston Ship Channel, the surrounding residential area’s air quality levels are significantly poor in relation to federal, state, and local standards. Not coincidentally, these neighborhoods are predominantly low-income and Hispanic in makeup. Unfortunately, there exist few or no federal or state accountability and enforcement mechanisms to resolve this serious problem. In addition, Houston’s lack of zoning and weak land use regulations provides little opportunity for the situation to improve. Although community organization efforts have succeeded in terms of mobilization, education, and consensus building, more effective local planning tools, supported by federal regulations and applied research, would serve to remove the roadblocks that have hindered the advancement of policies promoting enhanced air quality controls, and thus improve the quality of life of the residents of East Houston.Item Anthropogenic and Biogenic Carbon Dioxide Fluxes From Typical Land Uses in Houston, Texas(2013-04-29) Werner, Nicholas DA flux measurement setup was established at a communications tower north of downtown Houston, Texas, to measure energy and trace gas fluxes from a variety of emission sources in the urban surface layer. The first part of this study details the development of a correction for latent heat and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes due to a low-pass filtering of the true water vapor and CO2 atmospheric signals. A method of spectral analysis was used to develop a correction scheme for this flux underestimation through the observation that the low-pass filtering is a strong function of atmospheric relative humidity and wind speeds. The determined flux corrections for latent heat fluxes (average correction of 34%) were significantly larger than CO2 fluxes (3-4%), suggesting the low-pass filtering had a more dominant effect on the water vapor signal. For the second part of this study, we describe a quadrant analysis technique for separating measured net fluxes into their biogenic (c? < 0 and q? > 0 signals) and anthropogenic (c? > 0 and T? > 0 signals) components, and quantify these fluxes through the use of a refined relaxed eddy accumulation model. A method of minimizing a defined net ? (biogenic + anthropogenic) residual was used to determine an accurate ?hole? around the origin to exclude points in the desired quadrants that appear there randomly. The magnitude of the biogenic flux contribution showed expected relationships with temperature and irradiance. The anthropogenic flux contribution showed a strong correlation with measured traffic counts collected on local thoroughfares. Due to a presumed small bias in the flux calculation methodology, neither flux contribution truly measured zero, so anthropogenic and biogenic ?background? fluxes were calculated (0.01 ?mol mo^-1 m s^-1 and 0.01 ? 0.02 ?mol mol^-1 m s^-1 respectively). Future work involves perfecting the model, with the goal being widespread use of the theory at urban flux sites. The accurate separation of the net flux gives a more complete picture of the carbon cycle and allows for more accurate analysis of the effects of increased temperature and CO2 concentration on urban vegetation as compared to non-urban vegetation.Item Assessment of Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) Downstream of Domestic Wastewater Effluents in the Bayous of Harris County(2012-02-14) Watkins, CrystalThe introduction of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) to aquatic systems has impacted development and reproductive health of fish in many regions of the world. This study investigated western mosquitofish in the bayou systems of Harris County, Texas for evidence of morphological and reproductive abnormalities. Mosquitofish were sampled above and below WWTPs on five streams during May and August 2010, and specimens were dissected and analyzed for reproductive (egg/embryo weight, embryo/egg number and embryos staging), morphological (liver and gonad weight, body length, gonadosomatic index and hepatosomatic index) and histological indicator variables. In addition, water samples were analyzed for concentrations of PPCPs. Spatial and temporal variation was observed among all indicator variables, however no consistent differences were found above versus below WWTP discharges. Histopathology showed no evidence of lesions or presence of intersex individuals. Chemical analysis revealed a variety of pharmaceuticals and anthropogenic chemicals present in the Houston area waterways, however all were at concentrations lower than those known to cause impacts to fishes. These results suggest that the current concentrations of chemicals being discharged from WWTPs into headwater reaches of streams in the suburban area of west Houston are below levels that impact the physiology of male and female mosquitofish.Item Buddhism east and west: Chinese Buddhism in Beijing and Houston(2009-05-15) Wilson, MelindaAlthough Buddhism was introduced in the United States over a century ago, only recently has it become part of the mainstream. In addition to the exponential increase in Buddhist practitioners in the United States, scholar Thomas Tweed argues that Buddhist images and references, devoid of religious context, have seeped into American society. The increasing popularity and prevalence of Buddhism in America is attributable to many factors including changes to the immigration laws in the 1960s and the episodic popularity of all things Eastern. This fascination with the East is epitomized by the current Dalai Lama, who has a pop-culture presence as well as political sway, as evidenced by his meeting with John McCain on July 25, 2008. Just as the pre-1965 immigration laws stifled Buddhism in the United States by limiting the number of Asian immigrants, Mao?s communist doctrines prevented the practice of Buddhism in China. As a result, in recent years Buddhism has emerged in the United States and remerged in China. By examining the state of Buddhism in Beijing and Chinese Buddhism in Houston this thesis shows that despite the comparable newness of the religion in both places, it is developing in very different ways, showing the impact region has on religion.Item COST-CUTTING AT THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE: WHAT IMPACT HAS DECLINING CIRCULATION HAD UPON CRIME COVERAGE?(2012-04-19) Smith, Kese; Olson, Beth; Vardeman, Jennifer; Curtis, RussellThis study investigated the effect declining circulation at the Houston Chronicle had upon local news coverage- especially crime coverage. In 1995, it became the sole daily metro newspaper in Houston. In the ensuing years it has seen a steady erosion of paid circulation and its publishers responded, as have many newspapers in the United States, by making a series of cost-cutting moves including closing news bureaus and laying off long-time editorial staff. Story content for the years 1996 (the first full year in which the Houston Chronicle became the sole daily) and 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 was examined using content analysis. Particular attention was paid to crime stories as the crime beat is an entry-level reporter position, one which pays less and requires less experience than other specialized beats. Cultivation theory postulates an increase in crime coverage, which is cheap and plentiful, can lead the public to view the world as a more dangerous place than statistics indicate. Two constructed weeks per year were examined. Layoffs at the Houston Chronicle coincided with a 40 percent decrease in local stories. During that same period, stories produced by wire services or other newspapers increased, indicating they replaced some, but not all, of the shortage of local stories. Crime stories accounted for a greater percentage of local stories, although not significantly. They were eight percent of local stories in 1996 rising to a high of 10 percent in 2009. However crime stories became significantly longer over that same v period of time, suggesting crime became a greater staple in filling the newspaper's newshole. Consistent with other literature, violent crime accounted for the clear majority of all crimes reported. Crime stories were also individually coded to determine to what extent details were included which would allow a reader to determine the randomness of the crime and be extension his/her own possible risk. Such variables did not go down as expected, and in some years were even higher than in 1996. This study suggests the Houston Chronicle has responded to declining circulation by cutting staff and local content. Crime coverage has helped fill the remaining local content, but not to the extent expected. Moreover, details which allow readers to gauge their personal risk were present in greater amounts than anticipated.Item An evaluation of potential benefits from the redevelopment of landfills into parks in Houston, Texas(2006-05) Taylor, Michael Lawrence; Parmenter, Barbara M., 1958-This report examines the potential benefits from the redevelopment of landfills into parks in Houston, Texas. Many Park and Recreation (P&R) Departments are unable to acquire and develop parkland at a rate on par with new residential construction. Parks provide economic, environmental, public health and aesthetic benefits. Despite these benefits, P&R Departments are often the target of budget cuts when city governments grapple with funding shortfalls. P&R Departments must pursue low value lands to meet parkland needs. Closed Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills are a source of low value land in, and surrounding urban areas. New regulatory framework in the form of the U.S. EPA’s Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Criteria ensures closed landfills may be safely and cost effectively redeveloped for recreational use with limited liability concerns for the P&R Department. This regulatory framework is discussed and Best Management Practices (BMPs) are outlined. These BMPs focus on accommodating the dynamic nature of landfills to minimize park development and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) costs. The substantial parkland deficit in the City of Houston is quantified. The findings of the needs assessment in the City’s Parks Master Plan are presented. A multi-tiered Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based analysis is utilized to evaluate the potential benefits from the redevelopment of existing landfills in the City into parks. The GIS analysis identified 8 landfills that, if redeveloped, will increase the distributional equity of City parkland holdings. Of these 8, the 4 landfills with the lowest expected total development costs and the highest expected savings over traditional greenfield development were identified. It is recommended the City adopt a thorough site characterization and planning process and pursue landfill redevelopment as a cost effective and beneficial way to increase parkland holdings.Item Flux Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds from an Urban Tower Platform in Houston, Texas: Trends and Tracers(2014-05-08) Hale, Martin CEnergy and trace gas fluxes were measured from anthropogenic and biogenic emission sources in the Houston urban surface layer. Air sampling from a tall tower platform began in 2008 and continued through April 2013. A relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) system combined with a dual channel GC-FID was used to measure the flux of 19 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from C4 through C8 species. We discuss a time series comparison of local concentrations and fluxes of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) from winter 2009 compared to spring 2013. Median concentrations over the four-year period fell between 20 to 34 percent, comparable to long-term VOC reduction trends observed in other major metropolitan areas. Emissions of these species fell accordingly with median flux reductions of 25 to 54 percent. For emissions inventory validation purposes, traffic counts were taken along major commuter roads surrounding the tower. We observed a strong correlation between selected vehicle exhaust VOC fluxes and traffic counts except during variable working hours. To assign measured fluxes to local sources, we tested a bulk flux footprint model (Kormann and Meixner model) designed for uniform emission surface areas in this urban, heterogeneous landscape. Tracer releases of known amounts of acetone and methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK) were performed within the footprint region to validate the model. Four out of six tracer releases matched the fluxes measured at the GC within the given levels of uncertainty for the footprint model and the REA GC-FID system. There were reasonable causes of error for the two releases that did not match. The footprint model was also tested using a known n-pentane emissions source approximately one mile SSE of the tower. Using modeled footprints under wind directions directly from this source, we calculated that the facility emitted an average of 6.35 ? 3.63 (1 sd) kg of n-pentane per hour. These rates fell within the facility?s TCEQ permitted hourly emissions allowing 10.5 kg of VOC per hour. However, if occurring daily, the calculated emission would be above the permit?s yearly emission rate of 4.67 kg of VOC per hour at a 68% likelihood based on a normal distribution.Item Frequent network bus system : an analysis of Houston's bus re-imagining's impact access(2015-12) Pritchard, Gavin John; Jiao, Jungfeng; Paterson, RobertThe aim of this report is to demonstrate the potential impacts a from-scratch redesign of the Houston, Texas bus system will have communities within the city. It discusses the theory behind the new system, including the role of frequent networks, all-day service, gridded coverage, and perceptions of transfers. In addition, it reflects on the necessary political backing, technical expertise, and large scale public outreach efforts inherent in a successful transit system redesign for a city of over 2 million. Finally this paper analyses the impact of the new system by comparing how various Houston communities access has been altered though socio-economic, commute pattern, and employment lenses.Item Low-level convergence and its role in convective intensity and frequency over the Houston lightning and rainfall anomaly(Texas A&M University, 2007-09-17) McNear, Veronica AnnAn increase in the amount of lightning and rainfall over the Houston area, compared to the surrounding rural areas, has been well documented in previous studies. The placement of a Shared Mobile Atmospheric Research and Teaching Radar (SMART-R) in the Houston area during the summer season of 2005 presented a unique opportunity to investigate the role of boundary-layer convergence in modulating convective frequency and intensity and, thereby, likely causing the rainfall and lightning anomalies. The role of the urban heat island (UHI) and the sea-breeze, as a source of low-level convergence leading to enhanced convection over Houston, was examined. Hourly average dual-Doppler wind and convergence maps were created on 1 X 1 km grids for an eleven-week period. By using these images along with average lightning, rainfall, and reflectivity for a large Houston-centered domain, it was possible to discern a correlation between low-level convergence and convection. Also, past findings of enhancement in lightning and rainfall over Houston and downwind of Houston were validated. High convergence levels for the Houston area in the mid-morning were followed closely by a peak in convection in the early afternoon. The enhancement of rainfall and lightning over and downwind of downtown was found to be primarily from a large increase in frequency of deep convective events when compared to the surrounding domain. Also, it was found that UHI, rather than sea-breeze, was likely the primary causative mechanism in the development of convection over the Houston area because of the lack of deep convection in areas equally affected by the sea-breeze and the timing of the convection compared to time of peak sea-breeze. An area of weaker enhancement south of Houston, not discussed in previous studies, was found to be present, possibly from the interactions between the bay-breeze off of the Galveston Bay and the seabreeze.Item Modeling urban growth and land use/land cover change in the Houston Metropolitan Area from 2002 - 2030(Texas A&M University, 2005-08-29) Oguz, HakanThe Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (Houston CMSA) has experienced rapid population growth during the past decades and is the only major US metropolitan area with no zoning regulations. We use SLEUTH, a spatially explicit cellular automata model, to simulate future (2002-2030) urban growth in the Houston metropolitan area, one of the fastest growing metropolises in the United States during the past decades. The model is calibrated with historical data for the period 1974-2002 that are extracted from a time series of satellite images. The dataset consists of four historical urban extents (1974, 1984, 1992, 2002), two land use layers (1992, 2002), five transportation layers (1974, 1984, 1990, 2002, 2025), slope layer, hillshade layer, and excluded layer. Future growth patterns are predicted based on growth coefficients derived during the calibration phase. After calibrating the model successfully, the spatial pattern of urban growth of the Houston CMSA for the period from 2002 to 2030 is predicted. Within SLEUTH, growth in the Houston CMSA is predominately "organic" with most growth occurring along the urban/rural fringe. Projected increases in urban area from 2002 to 2030 parallel projected increases in population growth within the Houston CMSA. We design three specific scenarios to simulate the spatial consequences of urban growth under different environmental conditions. The first scenario is to simulate the unmanaged growth with no restrictions. The second scenario is to project the moderate growth trend by taking into consideration environmental protection, specifically for agricultural areas, forests and wetlands. The last scenario is to simulate the managed growth with maximum environmental protection. Adjusting the level of protection for different land cover types was found to markedly affect the land use changes in the Houston CMSA. Without any protection on resource lands, Houston CMSA is estimated to lose 2,000 km2 of forest land by 2030, about 600 km2 of agricultural land, and approximately 400 km2 of wetland. Approximately half of all resource land could be saved by the third scenario, managed growth with maximum protection.Item Potential shift from transit to single occupancy vehicle due to adaptation of a high occupancy vehicle lane to a high occupancy toll lane(2009-05-15) Chum, Geoffrey LinusModifying a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane into a high occupancy/toll (HOT) lane generally involves allowing single occupant vehicles (SOVs) to travel on the free-flow HOV lane for a toll. This may entice some former transit riders to pay the toll to obtain the benefits of traveling in their own vehicle on the HOV lane. Thus, the introduction of a HOT lane has the potential to impact transit ridership, dramatically lowering the average vehicle occupancy of the lane. In 2003, surveys were distributed to park-and-ride bus passengers on the Katy Freeway and Northwest Freeway corridors in Houston. Passengers? responses to questions regarding their trip characteristics, their socioeconomic characteristics, and stated preference scenarios were used to develop a mode choice model. To determine how transit passengers might react to a proposed HOT lane, HOT lane scenarios with varying tolls and travel time savings were simulated using this model. For all scenarios, only a small percentage of transit passengers were estimated to switch to driving alone on the HOV lane. Fewer people would switch during the peak period than during the off-peak period. Transit passengers shifting to SOV on the HOV lane would reduce the average vehicle occupancy (AVO) only about 1 percent to 2 percent. SOV drivers shifting from the general purpose lanes to the HOV lanes are likely to affect AVO much more. However, as long as free-flow conditions are maintained, this analysis shows that the HOV lane can be successfully adapted to a HOT lane and move more people, even if a few transit passengers choose to drive alone.Item Regression model ridership forecasts for Houston light rail(2012-12) Sides, Patton Christopher; Evans, Angela M.; McCray, TaliaThe 4-step process has been the standard procedure for transit forecasting for over 50 years. In recent decades, researchers have developed ridership forecasting regression models as alternatives to the costly and time consuming 4-step process. The model created by Lane, DiCarlantonio, and Usvyat in 2006 is among the most recent and most widely accepted. It includes station area demographics, central business district (CBD) employment, and the station areas’ built environments to estimate ridership. This report applies the Lane, DiCarlantonio, and Usvyat model to the North Line of Houston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO). The report compares the 2030 ridership forecast created by METRO using the 4-step process with the LDU model forecasts. For the 2030 projections, this report obtained population and employment estimates from the Houston-Galveston Area Council and analyzed the data using Esri ArcMap and Caliper TRANSCadGIS software programs. The LDU model produced unrealistically high ridership numbers for the North Line. It estimated 108,430,481 daily boardings. METRO’s 4-step process predicted 29,900 daily boardings. The results suggest that the LDU model is not applicable to the Houston light rail system and is not a viable alternative to the 4-step process for this specific metropolitan area. The LDU method for defining Houston’s CBD was the main problem in applying the model. It calculated an extremely high CBD employment density compared to other cities of similar size. Even when the CBD size was manipulated to decrease employment density, the model still predicted 212,210 daily boardings for the North Line, nearly 10 times higher than METRO’s 4-step process estimate. In addition to the problems with the definition of the CBD, the creators of the LU model did not specifically explain how to define a metropolitan area. Multiple inconsistent and subjective definitions of a metro area can be used. This report employs three different definitions of the Houston metro, all of which produced three significantly different ridership forecasts in the LDU model. As a result of these flaws, the LDU model does not accurately apply to METRO’s North Line, and it does not serve as a viable alternative to METRO’s 4-step process.Item Rising tide : stormwater management, historic preservation, and sustainable redevelopment in Houston’s Fifth Ward(2014-05) Kobetis, Sarah Bridget; Holleran, MichaelHouston's Fifth Ward neighborhood is one of the last remaining areas of the inner city to have not yet seen large-scale redevelopment. Situated just northeast of downtown, the neighborhood's population is predominantly low- to mid-income African Americans; demographics are similar today as they were during the neighborhood's prime, from the 1920s-60s, when the Fifth Ward was a cultural hub of Houston famous for its musical culture of zydeco and blues. The ward's rich history also has dark spots, however, specifically its longstanding reputation as a center of poverty and violent crime, and its physical vulnerability to damaging floods. Much of the neighborhood's built history is unpreserved and unprotected, at risk of being wiped off the map by both development interests and extreme weather events. By modernizing the city's approach to stormwater management and infrastructure and strengthening its historic preservation and emergency management practices, Houston could help preserve one of its oldest communities, while also decreasing flood volumes, improving air and water quality, saving money, and establishing a pattern of smart growth citywide. In addition, neighborhood level efforts to promote placemaking via preservation and sustainability efforts can help the Fifth Ward leverage the redevelopment process to change its reputation, ensuring a future for the community that respects its past.Item Spatial attainment trends of racial and ethnic groups in Houston, Texas, 1970 to 2000(2009-05-15) Waren, WarrenPrevious research in the spatial assimilation of racial and ethnic groups has not assessed trends over time due to methodological difficulties and data limitations. I use an innovative method to assess the intercensal changes in neighborhood spatial attainment for African Americans, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites in Houston, Texas, between 1970 and 2000. I extend the current literature by showing that an accepted and commonly used method for assessing longitudinal change in spatial attainment is flawed and yields incorrect results. I highlight an alternative approach which makes use of data readily available in Census Summary Files to estimate individual-level spatial attainment regressions. I also show that the choice of neighborhood size affects estimates of spatial attainment effects. Although the influence of spatial scale has been demonstrated in the segregation literature, its consequences for spatial attainment research have not. I investigate and report findings from four geographic scales useful to and commonly used by spatial attainment researchers: the block group, the Census tract, the Zip Code Tabulated Area, and the Public Use Micro Data Area. I compare the benefits and drawbacks of estimating spatial attainment at each level of geography.Item The warning time for cloud-to-ground lightning in isolated, ordinary thunderstorms over Houston, Texas(2009-05-15) Clements, Nathan ChaseLightning detection over Houston, Texas is possible with the Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR-II) network and the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN). A comparison of the two datasets in conjunction with 37 isolated, ordinary thunderstorms reveals a time separation of 3.1 minutes between the first detected Very High Frequency (VHF) source (i.e. first intracloud discharge) and the first cloud-toground (CG) lightning flash. This CG warning time is increased to 16.1 minutes when using the radar-defined criterion of when the 30-dBZ contour first reaches the -10?C isotherm level. Several attempts were made to establish a similar characteristic that could be used to forewarn the occurrence of the final CG in this storm type. Based on the average radar characteristics during the last CG flash in each thunderstorm case, CG activity comes to an end when the 45-dBZ echo falls below the -10?C isotherm. Detection efficiencies that remain slightly less than perfect for each network may have allowed for some error when analyzing VHF sources and ground flashes for each convective case. Exhibiting this possible error, four cases actually recorded a greater number of CG flashes than intracloud flashes, which is contrary to typical lightning characteristics. Future studies hope to increase the number of thunderstorm cases to analyze as the LDAR network continues to observe more lightning events. Also, similar approaches could be implemented in differing geographic regions of the country to observe if these lightning characteristics vary depending on latitude, longitude, or climate.Item Three Essays on Energy Economics and Forecasting(2012-02-14) Shin, Yoon SungThis dissertation contains three independent essays relating energy economics. The first essay investigates price asymmetry of diesel in South Korea by using the error correction model. Analyzing weekly market prices in the pass-through of crude oil, this model shows asymmetric price response does not exist at the upstream market but at the downstream market. Since time-variant residuals are found by the specified models for both weekly and daily retail prices at the downstream level, these models are implemented by a Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) process. The estimated results reveal that retail prices increase fast in the rise of crude oil prices but decrease slowly in the fall of those. Surprisingly, retail prices rarely respond to changes of crude oil prices for the first five days. Based on collusive behaviors of retailers, this price asymmetry in Korea diesel market is explained. The second essay aims to evaluate the new incentive system for biodiesel in South Korea, which keeps the blend mandate but abolishes tax credits for government revenues. To estimate changed welfare from the new policy, a multivariate stochastic simulation method is applied into time-series data for the last five years. From the simulation results, the new biodiesel policy will lead government revenues to increases with the abolishment of tax credit. However, increased prices of blended diesel will cause to decrease demands of both biodiesel and blended diesel, so consumer and producer surplus in the transport fuel market will decrease. In the third essay, the Regression - Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (REGSARIMA) model is employed to predict the impact of air temperature on daily peak load demand in Houston. Compared with ARIMA and Seasonal Model, a REGARIMA model provides the more accurate prediction for daily peak load demand for the short term. The estimated results reveal air temperature in the Houston areas causes an increase in electricity consumption for cooling but to save that for heating. Since the daily peak electricity consumption is significantly affected by hot air temperature, this study makes a conclusion that it is necessary to establish policies to reduce urban heat island phenomena in Houston.