Drivers in CO2 emissions variation: A decomposition analysis for 33 world countries

A decomposition analysis of energy related CO2 emissions is carried out for 33 world countries. The data pertain to the period 1995–2007. The methodology used is the Index Decomposition Analysis that allows to investigate the contribution of the following factors: (i) changes in abatement technologies, fuel quality and fuel switching; (ii) changes in the structure and efficiency of the energy system; (iii) relative ranking of a country in terms of the total GDP (Gross Domestic Product) generation and (iv) changes of the country specific total economic activity. The WIOD (World Input Output Database) has been used together with Organization for the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data on GDP. Results show that economic growth has been the main driving factor of energy related CO2 emissions increase. However, in fast developing countries like India and China, an important contribution has also been the increasing role that these economies are playing in the global economic panorama. Improvements on energy efficiency have been the main element contributing to reduce the overall CO2 emission increase in all the countries considered in this study

Mapping socioeconomic well-being across EU regions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use multidimensional approach to provide a well-being description across European regions. Design/methodology/approach – By considering the set of socioeconomic indicators provided by Eurostat for the EU 266 NUTS-2 regions, three main analyses have been performed for the year 2009: first, the “ideal point” technique has been used to identify: the best EU performances; the number and type of indicators that needs to be improved in every European regions. Second, a map of well-being has been elaborated to provide a picture summarizing the regional values in comparison to the European average. Third, Gini coefficient has been calculated to identify the indicators performing the largest inequalities across EU. The method presented in this paper is suitable to be complemented with subjective ranking of values and preference, making the proposed methodology useful to investigate well-being in a national, regional or individual scale. Findings – By providing a multidimensional description of well-being across the 266 EU regions, the present paper identifies and maps the existing differences on socioeconomic performance. Originality/value – The results provided can be useful to design policies oriented to reduce inequalities and to promote socioeconomic and environmental convergences across European regions. As far as the authors know, this is the first paper that provides a map of regional socioeconomic well-being across Europe

Plasduino: an inexpensive, general purpose data acquisition framework for educational experiments

Based on the Arduino development platform, Plasduino is an open-source data acquisition framework specifically designed for educational physics experiments. The source code, schematics and documentation are in the public domain under a GPL license and the system, streamlined for low cost and ease of use, can be replicated on the scale of a typical didactic lab with minimal effort. We describe the basic architecture of the system and illustrate its potential with some real-life examples.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, presented at the XCIX conference of the Societ\`a Italiana di Fisic

Maritime Transport - Report 1: Review of the Measurement of External Costs of Transportation in Theory and Practice

In the last years public concerns regarding the environmental impacts of maritime transport have been increasing. This is due to the fact that, despite the better environmental performance of this mode of transport with respect to other modes, its overall impacts will be out weighted by the expected increase in the volume of ship movements. In order to define effective measures to internalise the external costs of maritime transport it is necessary to assess these costs and find adequate methodologies to evaluate them. Besides external costs estimation, it is important to understand the degree of internalization of such costs, so as to give some insights on how to apply policy instruments that should be informed by efficiency and equity principles. This report summarizes the state of the art in evaluation of transport externalities. Different transport modes have been considered through a comprehensive review of theoretical and empirical studies, by carrying out both EU funded research and national studies. the analytical approach adopted to assess environmental costs (with particular reference to those relating to air emissions) in order to be applicable to maritime transport have to be adjusted to consider the following aspects. 1. The existing literature on climate change external costs focus on shadow price of CO2. However, in maritime transport other GHGs, such as NOx, are relevant. As a consequence, a shadow price for NOx needs to be defined; 2.Health effects of ship emissions depend on exposure to pollutants. Of course this occurs only for activities at ports, whilst health effects of other activities (like cruising) could turn to be negligible to the absence of exposure. Dose response function should consider this aspect.JRC.H.4-Transport and air qualit

Primera secuencia antracológica de la localidad arqueológica Laguna del Diamante (San Carlos, Mendoza)

En el presente trabajo se exponen los resultados del análisis antracológico del sitio Laguna del Diamante 4 (LD-S4), emplazado a 3290 msnm, en ambiente Altoandino. Cronológicamente comprende desde 1100 años AP a c.a.200 años AP. Este sitio y otros ubicados en la Localidad Laguna del Diamante, consisten en recintos pircados, donde se ha recuperado cerámica con características estilísticas y tecnológicas propias de complejos culturales de Chile Central (i.e. Llolleo, Aconcagua e Inca). El principal objetivo es caracterizar cualicuantitativamente el registro antracológico del sitio y comparar los resultados con otros de sitios con características similares previamente estudiados (i.e. El Indígeno).Trabajo publicado en Gómez Otero, Julieta (comp.). X Jornadas de Arqueología de la Patagonia. Libro de resúmenes. Puerto Madryn: Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral, 2017.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Arsenic resistant bacteria isolated from agricultural soils of Bangladesh and characterization of arsenate reducing strains

Aims: To analyse the arsenic-resistant bacterial communities of two agricultural soils of Bangladesh, to isolate arsenic-resistant bacteria, to study their potential role in arsenic transformation and to investigate the genetic determinants for arsenic resistance among the isolates. Methods and Results: Enrichment cultures were performed in a minimal medium in the presence of As(III) and As(V) to isolate resistant bacteria. Twenty-one arsenic-resistant bacteria belonging to different genera of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were isolated. The isolates, with the exception of Oceanimonas doudoroffii Dhal Rw, reduced 2 mmol l 121 As(V) completely to As(III) in aerobic conditions. Putative gene fragments for arsenite efflux pumps were amplified in isolates from Dhal soil and a putative arsenate reductase gene fragment was amplified from a Bacillus sp. from Rice soil. Conclusions: Phylogenetically diverse arsenic-resistant bacteria present in agricultural soils of Bangladesh are capable of reducing arsenate to arsenite under aerobic conditions apparently for detoxification purpose. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study provides results on identification, levels of arsenic resistance and reduction of arsenate by the bacterial isolates which could play an important role in arsenic cycling in the two arsenic-contaminated soils in Bangladesh

Primera secuencia antracológica de la localidad arqueológica Laguna del Diamante (San Carlos, Mendoza)

En el presente trabajo se exponen los resultados del análisis antracológico del sitio Laguna del Diamante 4 (LD-S4), emplazado a 3290 msnm, en ambiente Altoandino. Cronológicamente comprende desde 1100 años AP a c.a.200 años AP. Este sitio y otros ubicados en la Localidad Laguna del Diamante, consisten en recintos pircados, donde se ha recuperado cerámica con características estilísticas y tecnológicas propias de complejos culturales de Chile Central (i.e. Llolleo, Aconcagua e Inca). El principal objetivo es caracterizar cualicuantitativamente el registro antracológico del sitio y comparar los resultados con otros de sitios con características similares previamente estudiados (i.e. El Indígeno).Trabajo publicado en Gómez Otero, Julieta (comp.). X Jornadas de Arqueología de la Patagonia. Libro de resúmenes. Puerto Madryn: Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral, 2017.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Polyethylene recycling: waste policy scenario analysis for the EU-27.

This paper quantifies the main impacts that the adoption of the best recycling practices together with a reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic bags and the adoption of a kerbside collection system could have on the 27 Member States of the EU. The main consequences in terms of employment, waste management costs, emissions and energy use have been quantified for two scenarios of polyethylene (PE) waste production and recycling. That is to say, a “business as usual scenario”, where the 2012 performances of PE waste production and recycling are extrapolated to 2020, is compared to a “best practice scenario”, where the best available recycling practices are modelled together with the possible adoption of the amended Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive related to the consumption of single-use plastic bags and the implementation of a kerbside collection system. The main results show that socio-economic and environmental benefits can be generated across the EU by the implementation of the best practice scenario. In particular, estimations show a possible reduction of 4.4 million tonnes of non-recycled PE waste, together with a reduction of around €90 million in waste management costs in 2020 for the best practice scenario versus the business as usual scenario. An additional 35,622 jobs are also expected to be created. In environmental terms, the quantity of CO2 equivalent emissions could be reduced by around 1.46 million tonnes and the net energy requirements are expected to increase by 16.5 million GJ as a consequence of the reduction in the energy produced from waste. The main analysis provided in this paper, together with the data and the model presented, can be useful to identify the possible costs and benefits that the implementation of PE waste policies and Directives could generate for the EU