Use of Sewage Sludge in the Production of Plant Biomass for Energy: Biological and Economic Conditions

The goal of this article is a presentation of the legal, biological, and economic conditions of energy production using biomass, especially taking into account the application of sewage sludge certified for natural use in agriculture. Any increase in the production of biomass necessitates the introduction of cheap and highly-efficient plant production technologies that are environmentally- friendly. Use of certified sewage sludge can increase the economic efficiency of energy crops and have a beneficial impact on the environment.Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie prawnych, biologicznych i ekonomicznych uwarunkowań produkcji energii z biomasy roślinnej, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem zastosowania osadów ściekowych mających certyfikat przyrodniczego wykorzystania w rolnictwie. Zwiększenie produkcji biomasy wymaga wprowadzenia tanich i wysokowydajnych technologii produkcji roślin przyjaznych środowisku. Zastosowanie certyfikowanych osadów ściekowych zwiększa efektywność ekonomiczną upraw energetycznych i korzystnie wpływa na środowisko

mFish Alpha Pilot: Building a Roadmap for Effective Mobile Technology to Sustain Fisheries and Improve Fisher Livelihoods.

In June 2014 at the Our Ocean Conference in Washington, DC, United States Secretary of State John Kerry announced the ambitious goal of ending overfishing by 2020. To support that goal, the Secretary's Office of Global Partnerships launched mFish, a public-private partnership to harness the power of mobile technology to improve fisher livelihoods and increase the sustainability of fisheries around the world. The US Department of State provided a grant to 50in10 to create a pilot of mFish that would allow for the identification of behaviors and incentives that might drive more fishers to adopt novel technology. In May 2015 50in10 and Future of Fish designed a pilot to evaluate how to improve adoption of a new mobile technology platform aimed at improving fisheries data capture and fisher livelihoods. Full report

Economic Effects of Renewable Energy Expansion: A Model-Based Analysis for Germany

Increasing utilization of renewable energy sources (RES) is a priority worldwide. Germany has been a forerunner in the deployment of RES and has ambitious goals for the future. The support and use of renewables affects the economy: It creates business opportunities in sectors producing renewable energy facilities, but also comes along with costs for supporting the deployment of renewables. This paper analyses and quantifies the net balance of economic effects associated with renewable energy deployment in Germany until 2030. To this end, we use a novel model, the 'Sectoral Energy-Economic Econometric Model' (SEEEM). SEEEM is an econometric multi-country model which, for Germany, contains a detailed representation of industries, including 14 renewable energy technology sectors. Our results show that renewable energy expansion can be achieved without compromising growth or employment. The analysis reveals a positive net effect on economic growth in Germany. Net employment effects are positive. Their size depends strongly on labour market conditions and policies. Results at the industry level indicate the size and direction of the need for restructuring across the sectors of the Germany economy.

Science diplomacy. Foundations and practice

What is science diplomacy? Why is it important in a world marked by global challenges such as climate change and confrontation between great powers? What knowledge can be mobilised to study this emerging field of practice and research? The chapters in this volume provide initial answers to these questions, examining different aspects of science diplomacy, both from a theoretical point of view and by presenting real world case studies. The intent of the book is to offer an introduction to an increasingly important theme in the relations between science, society and politics. Consequently, it is addressed to all those (students, researchers, decision-makers) who are approaching science diplomacy for the first time

Physical distribution in South Africa : a review and a system design for hanging textile merchandise

Bibliography: pages 149-150.The subject of physical distribution was first examined in the early 1900s. It was developed and refined especially during World II under the name of 'Logistics', and began to be adopted in the field of business from the 1950s. From the 1960s onwards, national bodies have been established, both in the U.S. and the U.K., and works and theories have been published leading to the establishment of journals and the establishment of formal education programmes all dealing with physical distribution. A review of published works on the subject was undertaken. Some books were studied, as well as a number of journal articles dating from the early 1970s. No suitable references were obtained dealing with the subject in a South African context. A project was also carried out to design a system for distributing garments in a hanging mode. The thesis thus concerns a general review of physical distribution management and the distribution of goods and services throughout business and industry, with an emphasis being placed on south African conditions. The principal objectives of this study were to examine and review the state-of-the-art of the general theory and the use of physical distribution, to suggest means of applying it in South Africa and to briefly examine future trends and developments. These objectives were achieved by examining from books and articles the concept and theory of distribution, its interrelationships with aspects such as marketing, production and business organisations, and its management in business organisations: by discussing some characteristics of South African business and industry; by examining certain areas that provide the greatest potential for improvements: by discussing a project carried out to design a distribution system for hanging garments merchandise; and by examining future trends both overseas and in South Africa. Physical distribution is shown to be an important subject for business and society and for the economy as a whole. It is always changing in a dynamic environment and requires constant monitoring. This thesis shows how this field, which has been researched and developed overseas, is affected by local conditions and should be applied to specific areas in South Africa

Co-constructing a new framework for evaluating social innovation in marginalized rural areas

The EU funded H2020 project \u2018Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas\u2019 (SIMRA; www.simra-h2020.eu) has the overall objective of advancing the state-of-the-art in social innovation. This paper outlines the process for co- developing an evaluation framework with stakeholders, drawn from across Europe and the Mediterranean area, in the fields of agriculture, forestry and rural development. Preliminary results show the importance of integrating process and outcome-oriented evaluations, and implementing participatory approaches in evaluation practice. They also raise critical issues related to the comparability of primary data in diverse regional contexts and highlight the need for mixed methods approaches in evaluation

Water resource mangement in Ethiopia : the case of Addis Ababa.

Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.The provision of an improved water supply service to the poor urban areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is essential, given that large numbers of people living in the city have problems of access to a reliable and adequate potable water supply. Only 62% of residents receive an adequate water supply in the City. Clearly, much still needs to be done in this regard. Additionally, water resources need to be managed far more efficiently. This study examines water resource management in Ethiopia using the political ecology framework focusing on issues of equity with regard to access to safe and clean water in the poor areas of the city of Addis Ababa. The key objectives of this study are: to evaluate existing water resource management practices in Ethiopia; assess access to drinking water and; propose sustainable and social justice based management strategies to water resources in Addis Ababa. Qualitative and quantitative research techniques within a purposive sampling methodology are used in this study. The study covers water use and consumption patterns; availability and reliability of water; gender; income; monthly water expenditure and time taken to fetch water from existing sources. The results indicated that more than 37% of the sample households use less than 20 litres per person per day. Most households pay a relatively high price for drinking water with the average cost of ETB 12.87/m3, or 9.19/m3 Rands for water. The majority of households are willing to pay for a new improved water supply. However, the initial connection fee has to be in small instalments linked to their level of income. An innovative financing and cost recovery mechanism is required to increase the coverage of a reliable and safe water supply at an affordable price