California Coastal Commission Sea Level Rise Policy Guidance: Interpretive Guidelines for Addressing Sea Level Rise in Local Coastal Programs and Coastal Development Permits

It provides an overview of the best available science on sea level rise for California and recommended methodology for addressing sea level rise in Coastal Commission planning and regulatory actions. It is a guidance document intended to serve as a multi-purpose resource for a variety of audiences. It does not include regulations and is not specific to a particular geographic location or development intensity

Forecasting Recharging Demand to Integrate Electric Vehicle Fleets in Smart Grids

Electric vehicle fleets and smart grids are two growing technologies. These technologies provided new possibilities to reduce pollution and increase energy efficiency. In this sense, electric vehicles are used as mobile loads in the power grid. A distributed charging prioritization methodology is proposed in this paper. The solution is based on the concept of virtual power plants and the usage of evolutionary computation algorithms. Additionally, the comparison of several evolutionary algorithms, genetic algorithm, genetic algorithm with evolution control, particle swarm optimization, and hybrid solution are shown in order to evaluate the proposed architecture. The proposed solution is presented to prevent the overload of the power grid

Single and Combined Effects of Nematode Communities and Pythium Arrhenomanes on the Growth and Yield of Sugarcane in Louisiana.

A survey conducted from May 1995 through August 1998 revealed diverse nematode communities in sugarcane fields in Louisiana. High populations of Mesocriconema, Paratrichodorus, Pratylenchus, and Tylenchorhynchus were widespread in nine sugarcane production parishes. Comparisons of plant cane and ratoon sugarcane crops indicated that nematode community levels increase significantly in successive ratoon crops. Greenhouse experiments evaluated the susceptibility of sugarcane cultivars to a nematode community comprised of Mesocriconema xenolax, Paratrichodorus minor, and Tylenchorhynchus annulatus. Across years (1995 and 1996) and cultivars (CP 65--357, CP 70--321, LCP 82--89, HoCP 85--845, and LCP 86--454), plant height, shoot length, top and root dry weight, and the number of tillers per plant were reduced by nematodes. Growth parameters of the LCP cultivars were most affected by the nematodes, and those of cultivars HoCP 85--845 and CP 65--357 were least affected. The susceptibility of cultivars to nematodes also was evaluated in microplot experiments. Across years (1995, 1996, and 1997) and cultivars (CP 70--321 and LCP 82--89), nematodes reduced top and root dry weight and number of tillers per plant. LCP 82--89 supported higher nematode community levels and sustained the greatest amount of root damage. Nematicide trials evaluated the efficacy of aldicarb, ethoprop, and phorate against indigenous nematode populations. Aldicarb consistently increased the number of millable stalks, cane tonnage, and the yield of sucrose in soils with a high sand content. Yield increases were concomitant with reductions in the density of the nematode community shortly after planting and at harvest. In soils with a higher clay content, the chemicals were less effective in controlling nematode populations, and as a result, yield increases were minimal. Greenhouse experiments conducted in 1996, 1997, and 1998 evaluated the single and combined effects of nematodes and the sugarcane root-rot pathogen, Pythium arrhenomanes. Individually, P. arrhenomanes and nematodes reduced top and root dry weight. Temperature had a significant influence on nematode reproduction and Pythium colonization. Interactions between P. arrhenomanes and nematodes were antagonistic with regard to root dry weight and nematode reproduction

Climate ambitious cities in Europe : Case study of motivational drivers behind urban climate response of Bologna and Turku

Repelling global warming is no longer a question of political agreements under the United Nations and among nation states. From the beginning of 2000, cities have globally stepped up in the vanguard of the battle against climate change. This thesis concentrates on cities and motivation behind climate policy targets of urban climate governance. Why have cities set challenging climate targets that even more ambitious than similar targets of their nation states? To find out reasoning, I have sought to unwrap the theme of urban climate governance and environmental motivation with the assistance of perceptions of two case cities and drivers behind their climate policies and targets. These cities are Finnish city Turku, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become carbon neutral, along with Italian Bologna, which has drawn a comprehensive adaptation plan of climate change. Remarkably, the before mentioned cities have set stricter goals than their states in a similar field. Additional to findings of case cities, thesis leans upon previous results of climate and environmental motivation in cities. Through categorization of five motivational drivers: economic, ecological and liveability, political and cultural, framing and social, I have sought to explain, what kind of drivers have spurred cities for the collective expression of climate motivation and to establish climate policy objectives. This thesis explains how urban actors are motivated to take action in a global environmental challenge, which by no means is required field of policy practice. Case cities Turku and Bologna display rich insight on motivation towards policies, which aim to greenhouse gas emission reductions and adapting to climate-induced changes. Despite different goals, distinct drivers often coexist in harmony. Reasons for urban climate action in municipalities are multifaceted and plenty. Objectives are both in the prevention and creating new possibilities. Justifications vary between benefits for the local community to doing one’s share in global responsibility. Overall, mitigation policies are less justified with environmental and liveability than adaptation, and more often, drivers of economy and framing have a decisive role. By defining targets and measures, case cities have been able to create governability over the global issue. These cities have managed to turn global warming into wholeness, which impacts the urban environment, and local measures can be separated. In overall picture, without urban climate action, repelling global warming is next to an impossible task

Migrant Agricultural Workers and Their Socio-­‐economic, Occupational and Health Conditions– A Literature Review

Objective This study provides the summary of current knowledge about migrant work in agriculture available from journal articles, books, reports and other relevant academic publications, focusing on political, economic, legal, social and medical aspects of migrant work in agriculture. Methods A systematic search was carried out on the LibHub and Google Scholar databases in order to compile the existing peer-reviewed publications, research reports, and policy papers concerning migrant work in agriculture. The literatures was selected through the following process: (1) reading the title and abstract in English for the period 1960 – 2011; (2) reading the entire text of selected articles; (3) making a manual search of the relevant quotations in the selected articles; (4) eliminating articles without a focus on migrant populations and the themes of central interest, and then reading and analyzing the definitive set of articles. Results In spite of their varying geographical focus, scope, unit of analysis and settings, most of the studies reviewed highlighted that migrant farmworkers work under very poor working conditions and face numerous health and safety hazards, including occupational chemical and ergonomic exposures, various injuries and illnesses and even death, discrimination and social exclusion, poor pay and long working hours, and language and cultural barriers. Many studies also reported poor enforcement of labour regulations and a lack of health and safety training on the farms, difficulty accessing medical care and compensation when injured or ill. Conclusions The studies have also pointed out the lack of research in relation to labour, health, psychosocial, and wage conditions of migrant farmworkers. The accumulated results of the study indicate that the issues and problems migrant farmworkers face are multidimensional, and there is a need for both policy development and further research in order to address migrant workers’ problems

Ecosystem Services, Green Infrastructure and Spatial Planning

Ecosystem services and green infrastructure do not appear to inform spatial policies and plans. National governments hardly identify their ecological networks or make an effort to integrate them into their spatial policies and plans. Under this perspective, an important scientific and technical issue is to focus on preserving corridors for enabling species mobility and on achieving connectivity between natural protected areas. In this respect, this Special Issue takes a step forward insofar as it aims at proposing a theoretical and methodological discussion on the definition and implementation of ecological networks that, besides guaranteeing wildlife movements, also provide a wide range of ecosystem services. The social and economic profile of this question is also relevant since in the long run, savings in public spending (e.g., due to the reduced need for grey infrastructures aiming at contrasting soil erosion or at managing flood risk), savings in private spending (e.g., on water treatment costs) and the potential creation of green jobs are foreseeable. Moreover, indirect and less easily quantifiable social and health benefits (e.g., due to improved natural pollution abatement) are likely to occur as well

Aquaponics and global food challenges

As the world’s population grows, the demands for increased food production expand, and as the stresses on resources such as land, water and nutrients become ever greater, there is an urgent need to find alternative, sustainable and reliable methods to provide this food. The current strategies for supplying more produce are neither ecologically sound nor address the issues of the circular economy of reducing waste whilst meeting the WHO’s Millennium Development Goals of eradicating hunger and poverty by 2015. Aquaponics, a technology that integrates aquaculture and hydroponics, provides part of the solution. Although aquaponics has developed considerably over recent decades, there are a number of key issues that still need to be fully addressed, including the development of energy-efficient systems with optimized nutrient recycling and suitable pathogen controls. There is also a key issue of achieving profitability, which includes effective value chains and efficient supply chain management. Legislation, licensing and policy are also keys to the success of future aquaponics, as are the issues of education and research, which are discussed across this book.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio