The contradictions of economic growth: Environmental pollution, ill-health and economic development in Houston, Texas.

The core theme of this thesis is the potential contradiction between the objective of economic growth in terms of the sustenance of the natural environment and human health. The basic research theme is the identification of the underlying political and economic processes that relate to rising air pollution and corresponding ill-health in cities. It explores the relationship between air pollution and child ill-health in Houston, a highly developed US city. The analysis points out that since the early 1900s, there has been rampant unregulated economic growth in Houston and that weak environmental protection has contributed to both past and current concentrations of industrial pollution, the net result of which is that the environment is severely damaged and human health is deleteriously affected. The thesis indicates theoretical and epistemological limitations in emerging interpretations and highlights that air pollution and ill-health are not simply physical or social problems but they reflect the integration of biological mechanisms and political and economic priorities. This thesis reconceptualizes the connection between the economy and the environment, integrates abstract and empirical investigation, defines the structural character of spatial relations, combines global economic processes with local patterns of environmental degradation, and links historical growth to ecological and health changes. The field-work consisted of a large comparative household survey to examine local air pollution and child ill-health. It was informed by investigations of institutions and documents and complemented by semi-structured interviews. Clusters of child ill-health were found in low-and high-income households in areas near petrochemicals. While it is clear that the socio-economic circumstances of each household influenced the state of child health, this study demonstrates that spatial relations also played a significant role in the relationship. The procedures and analyses are conceptualized through a critical realist methodology, contextualized in a political-economy approach and framed within a theoretical perspective of historical social relations

Efficacy and safety of a novel oral isoxazoline, sarolaner (Simparica™), for the treatment of sarcoptic mange in dogs

AbstractThe efficacy of the novel isoxazoline, sarolaner (Simparica™) was investigated in dogs with clinical signs consistent with sarcoptic mange and harbouring natural infestations of Sarcoptes scabiei. One placebo-controlled laboratory study and one multi-centred field study with a commercial comparator containing imidacloprid/moxidectin (Advocate® spot-on) were conducted. Oral or topical treatments were administered on Days 0 and 30. Up to 10 skin scrapings were taken for the assessment of S. scabiei infestations from each dog before treatment and on Days 14, 30, 44 and 60 in the laboratory study, and on Days 30 and 60 in the field study. In the laboratory study, efficacy was calculated based on the percent reduction of mean live mite counts compared to the placebo group. In the field study parasitological cure rate (% dogs free of mites) was determined and non-inferiority of sarolaner to the control product was assessed.In the laboratory study 44 mixed breed dogs were enrolled in four batches. Due to decreasing mite counts in the placebo treated dogs, immunosuppression with dexamethasone (0.4mg/kg three times per week for two weeks) was initiated in all dogs on study at that time (n=6) and those subsequently enrolled (n=14). In the field study, dogs were enrolled in a 2:1 ratio (sarolaner:comparator); 79 dogs were assessed for efficacy and safety, and an additional 45 dogs were assessed for safety only. There were no treatment related adverse events in either study.In the laboratory study, no mites were found on any sarolaner-treated dogs 14 days after the first treatment except for one dog that had a single mite on Day 44. In the field study, the parasitological cure rate was 88.7% and 100% in the sarolaner group and 84.6% and 96.0% in the imidacloprid/moxidectin group, on Days 30 and 60, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that sarolaner was non-inferior to imidacloprid/moxidectin at both time points. The clinical signs of sarcoptic mange, including hair loss, papules, pruritus, erythema, and scaling/crusting improved throughout the study.Sarolaner was safe, achieved 100% reduction in the numbers of S. scabiei detected and resulted in marked improvement of the clinical signs of sarcoptic mange in dogs following two monthly oral administrations

Desarrollo y crisis en el capitalismo

Revisión realizada en 2012, del desenvolvimiento de la economía mundial y los cambios que se han venido dando en el contexto de la crisis reciente, así como diversos aspectos de las transformaciones en proceso y de la situación económica y social en América Latina. La primera parte está dedicada a la crisis mundial en el marco del funcionamiento del capitalismo y la globalización, y de la permanencia de los factores económicos y financieros que propiciaron su estallido. Se consideran los efectos de la misma según los países y regiones, y se observa su incidencia en los procesos de reconfiguración en marcha, así como las estrategias y políticas seguidas para hacerle frente, sin olvidar las propuestas que se han adelantado para explicarla. En la segunda parte de la obra se analizan los problemas de la región latinoamericana y los de algunos de los países que la integran. Los temas incluyen el desempleo juvenil y el modelo agro-exportador, la inversión extranjera directa y las elecciones presidenciales, entre otros

Globalisation and Environmental Sustainabiliy in cities of Developed and Developing Countries

This paper shows how a serious disregard for the environmental impact of economic activity characterises the process of globalisation and which is conspicuously evident in the case of large cities. Focusing on air pollution, the paper offers evidence from cities of developed and developing countries alike concentrating particularly on Mexico City, Houston, Sao Paulo and London. Despite that environmental contamination is certainly not a new phenomenon and globalisation has not initiated it, it has accelerated dramatically in recent years. To better contextualise these changes, the paper looks into various explaination of globalisation, but a political and economic historical analysis is employed as it is thought that it offers more insights into the causes of changes and the favourable and unfavourable environmental impacts of globalisation. The paper raises the increasing demand of fossil fuel as a central issue typical of economic growth and urban pollution. The similarities, but also deep structural differences found between developed and less developed countries are highlighted as central to any discussion of future sustainability. Political analysis as well as scientific information are viewed as necessary to approach the rampant nature of the current process of economic growth and environmental damag

The long-term effects of cautious feed-in tariff reductions on photovoltaic generation in the UK residential sector

In recent years, the UK electricity sector has been seeking to achieve its environmental targets through subsidies to renewables. Although subsidies, through feed-in tariffs, to promote the adoption of photovoltaic (PV) systems by UK households had been successful, the government decided to significantly reduce these incentives. As these tariffs were precisely aimed to incentivise households to adopt PV systems, cutting those fees may have conflicted with the stated purpose of the policy, and its impact on industry participants is in turn uncertain. This paper seeks to contribute to the understanding of the long-term effects of cautious feed-in tariff reductions on household’s PV adoption, utilities and solar companies by considering a systems approach. This is important to ascertain counterintuitive effects. System Dynamics simulation, the chosen quantitative methodology in this paper, establishes that cutting subsidies to PV users could result in the reduction of PV installations and lower benefits for solar companies. Despite reductions in PV installations, this study finds that the market would still have potential for solar energy-related technology growth in the UK. For instance, lower feed-in tariffs are likely to promote the adoption of PV-battery systems to maximise self-consumption

A multicriteria approach to sustainable energy supply for the rural poor

Despite significant progress in energy technology, about two billion people worldwide, particularly the poor in rural areas of developing countries, have no access to electricity. Decision-making concerning the most appropriate energy technology for supplying these areas has been difficult; existing energy decision-support tools have been useful but are mostly incomplete. Trade-offs, as well as impacts that can be positive or negative, may emerge as a result of implementing modern forms of energy. These can affect both community's livelihoods as well as the confidence of decision-makers in relation to alternative technologies. The paper discusses a newly designed multicriteria approach and its novel robustness analysis for selecting energy generation systems for the improvement of livelihoods in rural areas. The proposed methodology builds upon a sustainable rural livelihoods framework to address multiple interactions and calculate trade-offs aimed at boosting decision-makers' confidence in the selected technologies. The methodology is tested via a case study in Colombia. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved