Modelling energy demand in the buildings sector within the EU

In the on-going effort within the EU to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and secure future energy supplies, the buildings sector is often referred to as offering a large potential for energy savings. The aim of this thesis is to produce scenarios that highlight the parameters that affect the energy demands and thus potentials for savings of the building sector. Top-down and bottom-up approaches to modelling energy demand in EU buildings are applied in this thesis. The top-down approach uses econometrics to establish the historical contribution of various parameters to energy demands for space and water heating in the residential sectors of four EU countries. The bottom-up approach models the explicit impact of trends in energy efficiency improvement on total energy demand in the EU buildings stock. The two approaches are implemented independently, i.e., the results from the top-down studies do not feed into those from the bottom-up studies or vice versa. The explanatory variables used in the top-down approach are: energy prices; heating degree days, as a proxy for outdoor climate; a linear time trend, as a proxy for technology development; and the lag of energy demand, as a proxy for inertia in the system. In this case, inertia refers to the time it takes to replace space and water heating systems in reaction to price changes. The analysis gives long-term price elasticities of demand as follows: for France, -0.17; for Italy, -0.35; for Sweden, -0.27; and for the UK, -0.35. These results reveal that the price elasticity of demand for space and water heating is inelastic in each of these cases. Nonetheless, scenarios created for the period up to 2050 using these elasticities and an annual price increase of 3 % show that demand can be reduced by more than 1 % per year in France and Sweden and by less than 1 % per year in Italy and the UK. In the bottom-up modelling, varying rates for conversion efficiencies, heating standards for new buildings, end-use efficiency, and fuel mixes are applied in three scenarios. The rates for expansion of floor area and increases in living standards are the same for all the scenarios. The model outputs predict that if energy efficiency remains at the current level, then expansion of the building floor area and other increases in living standards would increase final energy demand in the EU by almost 70 % by 2050. The other two scenarios reveal the levels of improvements in efficiency that are needed to maintain energy demand at current rates or reduce it by 20 %. The results of the modelling provide a conceptual framework for the development of fiscal and regulatory policy decisions in relation to energy prices and various categories of energy efficiency measures, with the overall objective of meeting future demand for energy services of the building sector within the EU in a sustainable manner

Neochelys sp. (Chelonii, Erymnochelyinae), from Silveirinha, early Eocene, Portugal

Constituted of isolated fragments with a smooth decoration, the turtle material from Silveirinha is examined in order to define its sure belonging to Neochelys, by comparison with other smooth turtles which may be present during the Palaeogene of Europe (freshwater Testudinidae, Erymnochelyinae, Bothremydidae). The elements are compared with the already known Neochelys species of the Eocene European localities. Questions are made about the possible geographical migrations of turtles between South and North during the early Eocene of western Europe. The phyletic relationships cannot be established but the species, seeming new and one of the more primitive as a whole (after the preserved elements), is the older from the Iberian Peninsula

Phylogeny, biogeography and diversification patterns of side-necked turtles (Testudines: Pleurodira)

Pleurodires or side-necked turtles are today restricted to freshwater environments of South America, Africa– Madagascar and Australia, but in the past they were distributed much more broadly, being found also on Eurasia, India and North America, and marine environments. Two hypotheses were proposed to explain this distribution; in the first, vicariance would have shaped the current geographical distribution and, in the second, extinctions constrained a previously widespread distribution. Here, we aim to reconstruct pleurodiran biogeographic history and diversification patterns based on a new phylogenetic hypothesis recovered from the analysis of the largest morphological dataset yet compiled for the lineage, testing which biogeographical process prevailed during its evolutionary history. The resulting topology generally agrees with previous hypotheses of the group and shows that most diversification shifts were related to the exploration of new niches, e.g. littoral or marine radiations. In addition, as other turtles, pleurodires do not seem to have been much affected by either the Cretaceous– Palaeogene or the Eocene–Oligocene mass extinctions. The biogeographic analyses highlight the predominance of both anagenetic and cladogenetic dispersal events and support the importance of transoceanic dispersals as a more common driver of area changes than previously thought, agreeing with previous studies with other non-turtle lineages.Fil: Ferreira, Gabriel S.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil. Senckenberg Centre For Human Evolution And Palaeoenvironment; Alemania. Universität Tübingen; AlemaniaFil: Bronzati Filho, Mario. Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie; AlemaniaFil: Langer, Max C.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Sterli, Juliana. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

La tortuga pre-Podocnemidid más antigua (Chelonii, Pleurodira), Cretácico inferior, estado de Ceará, Brasil, y su entorno

A new form of a chelonian Pleurodira is described, Brasilemys josai, n.g., n. sp. Its phyletic position is examined with respect to previously established phylogenies. It is situated with respect to recently described taxa whose position is not yet clearly established, such as Dortokidae, Hamadachelys and an unnamed form from Araripe. In the Podocnemidoidea, Brasilemys n.g. represents the earliest known specimen of the Podocnemidoidae, immediately after the divergence of the Bothremydidae. It is part of the formidable radiation in the Pelomedusoides which occurs during the early Cretaceous when South America separated from Africa. The turtle fauna in Chapada do Araripe includes four freshwater Pelomedusoides, samples of the ancient northern Gondwana fauna, as well as a cryptodiran turtle, possibly a littoral form belonging to a more cosmopolitan group. In agreement with the stratigrahical data as well as data from the study of fossil crocodiles, this turtle fauna dates between the late Aptian fauna of Gadoufaoua (Niger) and the late Albian-early Cenomanian fauna from the Sahara. Key words: Chelonians, New taxon, Phyletic relationships, Cretaceous, Brasil, Palaeoecolgical and Stratigraphical considerations.Se describe una nueva forma de tortuga pleurodira, Brasilemys josai, n.g., n. sp. Su posición filética se examina en relación con las filogenias establecidas anteriormente. Se sitúa también Brasilemys n.g. en relación con algunas formas recientemente descritas y aún no bien posicionadas en la filogenia de los Pleurodira, como son los Dortokidae, Hamadachelys y otra forma de la Chapada do Araripe sin nombre. En los Podocnemidoidea, Brasilemys n.g. aparece como el primer representante de los Podocnemidoidae, inmediatamente después de la derivación de los Bothremydidae. La aparición de este nuevo género forma parte de la extraordinaria radiación que ocurrió en los Pelomedusoides al inicio del Cretácico, cuando se separaron América del Sur y África. La fauna de tortugas de la Chapada do Araripe incluye cuatro taxones de Pelomedusoides de agua dulce, representantes de la fauna de la parte norte del antiguo continente Gondwana, además de una tortuga cryptodira, posiblemente litoral y perteneciente a un grupo más cosmopolita. De acuerdo con los datos de la estratigrafía y con los del estudio de los cocodrilos fósiles, la edad de la fauna de tortugas se situaría entre el Aptiense superior de Gadoufaoua (Niger) y el Albiense superior - base del Cenomaniense del Sáhara. Palabras clave: Quelonios, Nuevo taxón, Relaciones filéticas, Cretácico, Brasil, Consideraciones paleoecológicas y estratigráficas

Produire et transformer les feuilles de moringa

Ce guide vise à améliorer les pratiques de culture et de transformation des feuilles de moringa, afin d’assurer une meilleure qualité sanitaire et nutritionnelle du produit final..