The Economics of a Lost Deal

This paper examines compromise spaces between competing perspectives on four key climate change issues: costs, level of domestic action, environmental integrity, and developing world involvement. Based on extensive simulations of a model integration tool, SAP12 (Stochastic Assessment of Climate Policies, 12 models), the analysis considers options for fine-tuning the Kyoto Protocol, such as concrete ceilings or levies on carbon imports; restoration payments to be made on excess emissions; credits for sequestration activities in Annex B countries; and others. It shows the critical importance of the baseline against which the performance of each tool has to be assessed in the absence of direct economic penalties for noncompliance. The restoration payment option (also known as a safety valve) emerges as a superior means of addressing the core policy issues, including environmental integrity, and provides a large compromise space between payments of $35 to$100 per ton of carbon.limate negotiations, 2010 carbon markets, uncertainty about abatement costs

The Economics of a Lost Deal : Kyoto - The Hague - Marrakesh

This paper examines prospects for compromise between competing perspectives on four key climate change issues: costs, level of domestic action, nvironmental integrity, and developing world involvement. It focuses on the policy issues stemming from the uncertainty about abatement costs. Based on extensive simulations of a model integration tool, SAP12 (Stochastic Assessment of Climate Policies, 12 models), the analysis considers options for fine-tuning the Kyoto Protocol, such as concrete ceilings or levies on carbon imports; "environmental restoration payments" to be made on excess emissions; and credits for equestration activities in Annex B countries. It demonstrates that the restoration payment (implemented through a safety valve) emerges as a superior means of addressing the cost uncertainty issue. The paper concludes that had this approach been taken at the COP6 climate negotiations, there would have been substantial room for compromise on payments of $35 to$100 per ton of carbon. Examining the Marrakech climate accord, it derives some lessons for attempts at completing Kyoto's unfinished business or at moving on to a new framework.climate negotiations; 2010 carbon markets; uncertainty about abatement costs

Vibrio proteases for biomedical applications: Modulating the proteolytic secretome of v. alginolyticus and v. parahaemolyticus for improved enzymes production

Proteolytic enzymes are of great interest for biotechnological purposes, and their large-scale production, as well as the discovery of strains producing new molecules, is a relevant issue. Collagenases are employed for biomedical and pharmaceutical purposes. The high specificity of collagenase-based preparations toward the substrate strongly relies on the enzyme purity. However, the overall activity may depend on the cooperation with other proteases, the presence of which may be essential for the overall enzymatic activity, but potentially harmful for cells and tissues. Vibrios produce some of the most promising bacterial proteases (including collagenases), and their exo-proteome includes several enzymes with different substrate specificities, the production and relative abundances of which strongly depend on growth conditions. We evaluated the effects of different media compositions on the proteolytic exo-proteome of Vibrio alginolyticus and its closely relative Vibrio parahaemolyticus, in order to improve the overall proteases production, as well as the yield of the desired enzymes subset. Substantial biological responses were achieved with all media, which allowed defining culture conditions for targeted improvement of selected enzyme classes, besides giving insights in possible regulatory mechanisms. In particular, we focused our efforts on collagenases production, because of the growing biotechnological interest due to their pharmaceutical/biomedical applications

Viable Responses to the equity-responsability dilemna : a consequentialist view.

This paper aims at clarifying some conceptual flaws blurring the equity-efficiency debates involved in the setting of objectives of GHGs emissions control beyond 2012. To this end, it carries out numerical experiments that test the viability of agreements grounded on two contrasting target allocation rules: a "Soft Landing" rule prolonging a Kyoto-type agreement; and a "Convergence" rule progressively re-directing Kyoto towards a per capita emissions endowment. The paper demonstrates the sensitivity of the impact to the metric used to assess it and to assumptions regarding the interaction between the cap and trade system and accompanying measures such as domestic policies (characterised as simple fiscal reforms) and international public funding. In a third step it derives some lessons about how to reconcile two political imperatives: (a) an ex-post or "consequentialist" approach to equity, which however cannot fully avoid relying on ex-ante rules, and (b) the necessity of an agreement on such stable ex-ante rules to set up emissions targets and efficient emissions trading. The latter step suggests a coming back to the environment/development "Gordian Knot", which underpins all global environmental affairs since the Stockholm Conference in 1972. We argue that the equity-efficiency dilemma has to be set in a broader sustainable development perspective whereby climate policies are integrated with development priorities of the poorest countries so as to create a leverage effect on development.Equity; Efficiency; Development; Quota allocation; Post-Kyoto; Welfare; Impacts; Emissions trading

Chapter Capo Mele: a story-telling experimental beach in Laigueglia (sv)

The transformation of the coastal landscape assumes a significant importance, as far as global changes and erosion risks are concerned. The experience at Capo Mele to stage a new approach to the beach, managed by a smart private agent, allows more readings and new possible strategic actions. The initiative promotes the beach area as an active museum, to test and monitor new mechanisms for the use, protection and narration of landscape values, in the various aspects of adaptability, socio-cultural development and enhancement of the potential of the beach as a treasure chest of biodiversity

Rethinking Live-Work in the Arts Industry & Arts Districts

Living, working, and collaborating in the same integrated environment engenders attachment to and pride in that place, resulting in the enrichment of both the quality of one\u27s place of living and place of work. As a demonstration of this principle, the thesis proposes an intervention prototype designed to consolidate and preserve the essence of the art districts by preventing emerging artists\u27 displacement. This new live/work/collaborate typology strives to aggregate positive outcomes from different approaches to similar uses. The result will be to improve to what is currently an inherently deficient typology. The test site for this intervention is the emergent arts district of Wynwood in Miami, FL