Blurred Borders: Trans-Boundary Impacts & Solutions in the San Diego-Tijuana Border Region

Over the years, the border has divided the people of San Diego County and Tijuana over language, culture, national security, public safety and a host of other cross-border issues ranging from human migration to the environment. For some, the 'us' versus 'them' mentality has become more pervasive following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, with a growing number of San Diegans focusing greater attention on terrorism and homeland security, as well as the need to re-think immigration policy in the United States as a means of fortifying the international border. This is validated by a recent KPBS/Competitive Edge research poll that found 46% of English-speaking San Diegans desiring that the U.S. impose tighter restrictions on the border. Yet the question remains: if San Diegans and Tijuana are so different, why is our shared port of entry the most busily crossed international border in the world with over 56 million crossings a year? The answer is simple. Opposites attract. The contrasts and complementarities between San Diego and Tijuana are so powerful that residents, as well as visiting tourists and business people, endure post-9/11 traffic and pedestrian delays to cross the border for work, school, cultural enrichment, maintaining family ties or sheer economic necessity

A Global Review of the Emerging concepts of Sustainability Assessment and Sustainability Indicators in Urban Neighbourhood

Urban neighbourhoods are coherent socio-spatial units which reflect the ever-changing nature of society in physical form and alongside the basic unit of urban form which is a key element of urban planning. Neighbourhoods are perceived as the key to achieving sustainability and social justice (Castrignano and Landi, 2013). Also neighbourhoods has the potential to be seen as the future of urban spaces tackling problems linked with the modern world which includes climate change, globalisation, population increase, rapid urbanisation and social ills linked with increased population diversity and mobility and pressure on the natural environment (McGuire, 2013). As towns transform into urban environment it becomes very vital that this urban area develops in relation to sustainability principles which can be measured through the use of sustainability indicators and assessment concepts. Sustainability assessment and its indicators are tools that help make, suggest, support and implement decision-making in order to achieve sustainable development which can be used in urban planning within various socioenvironmental contexts. Existing sustainability assessment tools have focused more on building’s assessment rather than developing neighbourhood sustainability assessment methods. Sustainability assessment in general has emerged as a vital decision and support process in the development of assessment methods. The emergence of these methods is in response to a growing environmental crisis including a vast socio-economic inequality in global development

A Comprehensive Review on Hybridization in Sustainable Desalination Systems

The contemporary era underscores the paramount significance of the water sector, largely due to dwindling resources and the exponential growth of the global population. Consequently, there is a pressing need to emphasis the vital role of desalination processes in addressing these challenges. In recent times, nations worldwide have shifted their focus towards optimizing treatment facilities. This optimization is pursued through the enhancement of plant efficiency and the amalgamation of diverse desalination technologies. The latter strategy has demonstrated its efficacy in augmenting on-ground productivity. Within this context, we embark on an exploration of the world\u27s foremost desalination facilities, delving into their production capacities and their hybridization status. Furthermore, we delve into the pivotal dimension of integrating renewable energy sources into these processes, acknowledging the substantial energy demands that desalination inherently entails. It is evident that countries in the Middle East have showcased a noteworthy inclination towards hybridization endeavors, which have yielded substantial improvements in station productivity. Notably, the RO-MSF hybrid system has emerged as a highly reliable choice among the various hybridization schemes employed in operational plants. The Middle East, in particular, has substantially bolstered its presence in the global landscape of operational hybrid plants, amassing a staggering total production capacity exceeding 17 million cubic meters per day. This attests to the region\u27s remarkable commitment to securing sustainable water resources through innovative desalination approaches

A Comprehensive Review on Hybridization in Sustainable Desalination Systems

The contemporary era underscores the paramount significance of the water sector, largely due to dwindling resources and the exponential growth of the global population. Consequently, there is a pressing need to emphasis the vital role of desalination processes in addressing these challenges. In recent times, nations worldwide have shifted their focus towards optimizing treatment facilities. This optimization is pursued through the enhancement of plant efficiency and the amalgamation of diverse desalination technologies. The latter strategy has demonstrated its efficacy in augmenting on-ground productivity. Within this context, we embark on an exploration of the world\u27s foremost desalination facilities, delving into their production capacities and their hybridization status. Furthermore, we delve into the pivotal dimension of integrating renewable energy sources into these processes, acknowledging the substantial energy demands that desalination inherently entails. It is evident that countries in the Middle East have showcased a noteworthy inclination towards hybridization endeavors, which have yielded substantial improvements in station productivity. Notably, the RO-MSF hybrid system has emerged as a highly reliable choice among the various hybridization schemes employed in operational plants. The Middle East, in particular, has substantially bolstered its presence in the global landscape of operational hybrid plants, amassing a staggering total production capacity exceeding 17 million cubic meters per day. This attests to the region\u27s remarkable commitment to securing sustainable water resources through innovative desalination approaches

Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in Mexico

The first year of cost-competitiveness, the market potential, and the environment in which PV systems would be marketed and employed were examined. Market elements specific to Mexico addressed include: (1) useful applications and estimates of the potential market for PV systems; (2) power requirements and load profiles for applications compatible with PV usage; (3) operating and cost characteristics of power systems that compete against PV; (4) national development goals in rural electrification and rural services, technology programs and government policies that influence the demand for PV in Mexico; (5) financing mechanisms and capital available for PV acquisition; (6) channels for distribution, installation and maintenance of PV systems; and (7) appropriate methods for conducting business in Mexico

01-03 "Community Control in a Global Economy: Lessons from Mexico's Economic Integration Process"

The North American Free Trade Agreement appeared to promise economic growth for Mexico and improved living conditions for its people. While the Mexican economy has recovered significantly from its post-NAFTA collapse, there is mounting evidence that many of the pre-NAFTA warnings of worsening poverty and deteriorating environmental conditions were true, if exaggerated. However one interprets the statistics, there is little doubt that the economic integration process, which began a full decade before NAFTA took effect, has created a significant restructuring of the Mexican economy, with some of the country's most vulnerable residents facing the harshest conditions. How have those most affected by the economic integration process responded to the challenges and opportunities posed by globalization? Based on a collaborative research project between U.S. and Mexican researchers, the authors provide an overview of the existing English-language research on the subject and suggest a research agenda to assess adaptive strategies and to draw from those experiences lessons for the construction of future trade agreements.

Optimal Transmission Tariff Regulation for the Southern Baja-Californian Electricity Network System

The tariff imposed over the use of electricity transmission networks is one critical factor to achieve efficiency in electricity markets. In Mexico, the current transmission network tariffs are based on long run marginal costs. We propose an incentive price-cap mechanism and apply it to the meshed network system in the isolated electricity system of Southern Baja California, Mexico. We further compare the current transmission tariffs set by the Mexican regulator (CRE) with the tariffs resulting from our regulatory scheme. We show that our mechanism prices the network at tariffs rendering superior welfare compared to the tariffs determined by Mexican authorities

Energy Transition in the global South – Editorial for the International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management Vol 35

This 35th volume of the International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management includes work investigating different biomass resource utilisation scenarios for Mexico as well as scenarios for the transition of Thailand. The latter finds significant photo voltaic requirements when factoring in the transition to green hydrogen for transportation. Transportation is also the focal point in a study of Indonesia, finding that cost and emission optimisation are pushing optimum in different directions. Continuing with Indonesia, the country is seeing a rapidly growing electricity demand, and Siregar investigates social, environmental, technical, and economic criteria for the development of the system towards a more sustainable electricity supply. The scenario analyses are largely based on larger societal transitions, but Appiah makes a more concerted effort to investigate the actual investments in renewable energy sources. Lastly, an article focuses on the industrial sector and how energy efficiency may be affected by policies

The New Legal and Regulatory Framework of the Mexican Electrical Sector: Possibilities of Inclusion of Small and Medium-sized Companies

This research paper analyzes portions of Mexico’s energy reform legislation related to increasing participation by small and medium-sized companies in the electrical market and the implications of including such businesses on strengthening the rule of law in Mexico. This paper is part of a Baker Institute Mexico Center research project (http://www.bakerinstitute.org/the-rule-of-law/) examining the rule of law in Mexico and the challenges it poses to implementing the country's energy reform