Low-latitude boundary layer clouds as seen by CALIPSO

The distribution of low-level cloud in the tropical belt is investigated using 6 months of Level 2 retrievals from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) at 333 m and 1 km horizontal resolutions. Regional patterns of tropical clouds emerge from the data, matching expectations from existing observations. The advantage of the lidar is highlighted by the distribution of cloud-top height, revealing the preponderance of low-level clouds over the tropical oceans. Over land, cloud top is more uniformly distributed under the influence of diurnal variation. The integrated cloud-top distribution suggests tropical, marine low-cloud amount around 25-30%; a merged CALIPSO-CloudSat product has a similar cloud-top distribution and includes a complementary estimate of cloud fraction based on the lidar detections. The low-cloud distribution is similar to that found in fields of shallow cumulus observed during the Rain in Cumulus Over the Ocean (RICO) field study. The similarity is enhanced by sampling near the RICO site or sampling large-scale conditions similar to those during RICO. This finding shows how satellite observations can help to generalize findings from detailed field observations

The national debt: a secular perspective

An examination of the various factors that have determined the level and growth of the federal debt over the past 40 years, with some perspective on future levels of federal debt.Debts, Public ; Budget deficits

ANALYSING THE LOW ADOPTION OF WATER CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES BY SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Natural resource degradation and water scarcity are a global concern, which typically threatens the sustainability of smallholder farmers' livelihoods in semi-arid developing areas. As part of research efforts, a number of water-conservation technologies (WCT) have been developed, yet with low adoption rates in smallholder farming environments. This paper discusses the concepts of adoption and innovation, comparing the perspectives of research operators to the ones of smallholder farmers. Discrepancies are highlighted and ultimately explain low uptake of technologies by farmer. Then it addresses socio-economic factors affecting such adoption. It is argued that WCT show specific traits: (1) diversity and applicability to different time and spatial scales; (2) hence, the dependency upon a context. These traits influence dissemination and adoption of WCT, and should not be ignored, from the early stage of technology development. It is shown that adoption does not only depend on individual farmers willingness, but also upon the role of property rights on resources, and collective action at community level. Other specific issues and factors like the demand for WCT, the role of public sector and research, and related biases are also discusses. It finally draws some recommendations towards rural livelihoods that are more sustainable. Farmers' participation in technology development, taking account of local indigenous knowledge and sound institutional arrangements are among other the pathways that are suggested towards a better integration of technology development and innovation processes.adoption, innovation, water conservation, technologies, collective action, property rights, sustainability, livelihoods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

The 1974 outlook for food and agriculture

Food industry and trade ; Agriculture

Longevity Risk and Natural Hedge Potential in Portfolios Of Life Insurance Products: The Effect of Investment Risk

Payments of life insurance products depend on the uncertain future evolution of survival probabilities. This uncertainty is referred to as longevity risk. Existing literature shows that the effect of longevity risk on single life annuities can be substantial, and that there exists a (natural) hedge potential from combining single life annuities with death benefits or from investing in survivor swaps. The effect of financial risk on these hedge effects is typically ignored. The aim of this paper is to quantify longevity risk in portfolios of mortality-linked assets and liabilities, taking into account the effect of financial risk. We find that investment risk significantly affects the impact of longevity risk in life insurance products. It also significantly affects the hedge potential that arises from combining life insurance products, or from investing in longevity-linked assets. For example, our results suggest that ignoring the effect of financial risk can lead to severe overestimation of the natural hedge potential from death benefits, and underestimation of the hedge effects of survivor swaps.Life insurance;life annuities;death benefits;survivor swaps;risk management;financial risk;longevity risk;insolvency risk;capital adequacy

Outlook for food and agriculture - 1980

Agriculture ; Food prices

Prospects for food and agriculture in 1975

Agriculture ; Food industry and trade

Millions of Excess Trees Fuel Catastrophic Wildfires

Arizona wildlands are on fire and forest ecologist Dr. Wally Covington says millions of small diameter trees that have grown in during the last century have lined up like sticks of firewood ready to fuel unnaturally intense, destructive wildfires