Tidal range energy resource assessment of the Gulf of California, Mexico

There is growing interest in harnessing renewable energy resources in Latin America. Converting the energy of the tides into electricity has the distinct advantage of being predictable, yet the tidal range resource of Latin America is largely unquantified. The northern part of the Gulf of California (GC) in Mexico has a relatively large mean tidal range (4m–5m), and so could be a potential site for tidal range energy exploitation. A detailed quantification of the theoretical tidal range energy resource was performed using tidal level predictions from a depth-averaged barotropic hydrodynamic model. In addition, a 0-D operation modelling approach was applied to determine the power that can be technically extracted at four key sites. The results show that the annual energy yield ranges from 20 to 50 kWh/m2, while the maximum values are between 45 and 50 kWh/m2 in the vicinity of the Gulf of Santa Clara. Within the region, the Gulf of Santa Clara is one of the most promising, delivering a technical annual energy output of 125 GWh (ebb-only generation), 159 GWh (two-way) and 174 GWh (two-way with pumping) within an impoundment area of 10 km2. This equates to 50%, 40% and 33% of the absolute energy conversion relative to a much-studied reference site (Swansea Bay, UK) that has been under consideration as the world’s first tidal lagoon power plant. This study provides the basis for more detailed analysis of the GC to guide selection of suitable sites for tidal range energy exploitation in the region

Pakistan Poverty Trends, Scenarios and Drivers

This policy paper examines recent poverty trends in Pakistan. Official statistics continue to indicate strong poverty reduction through 2010-11, thanks in large part to policies and investments that boosted productivity in the non-agricultural sector. Poverty fell a bit more than other countries with similar rates of growth, as growth was slightly pro-poor and also benefited the bottom 40 percent. Alternative indicators such as access to public services have also improved, though at a slower rate since 2008 the year of twin global and domestic crises that hardly hit Pakistan. While increased productivity among non-agricultural workers has been a key factor driving poverty reduction, cash transfers through the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) and workers' remittances from abroad also made moderate contributions. Simulations suggest that higher growth rates would further accelerate poverty reduction, but would have smaller effects on attaining other Millennium Development Goals. Despite this progress on poverty reductions, a major concern is that large numbers of people still remain concentrated just above the poverty line, thus remaining vulnerable to even small shocks, like natural disasters. Furthermore, the Pakistani economy has failed to create enough salaried and non-agricultural jobs, and female labor force participation remains unusually low by regional and worldwide standards. BISP cash transfers have helped reduce poverty and are well-targeted, but their coverage still is small; while remittances accrue mainly to non-poor households. If Pakistan can address these remaining constraints and also achieve more rapid growth, in particular with less frequent load-shedding and high levels of investment in human capital, the labor market has the potential to absorb new workers and further accelerate the improvement in living standards for the poor and near-poor

Morphology Control to Enable High Capacity Li-Rich Disordered Rock Salt Cathodes

Li-rich disordered rock salt (DRS) oxides are a promising class of cathode materials with the wide chemical space to be explored. The high capacity (>300mAh/g) of this class of material can be explained by the reversible redox chemistry of the oxide anions, which sets it apart from the conventional layered cathode materials that rely only on the transition metal redox. However, these materials suffer from poor ionic and electronic transport properties: Most previous studies report electrochemical performance at low current rate and elevated temperature. Even then, the particle size needs to be reduced to sub-micrometer size, often by high-energy ball milling, to get reasonable capacities. To mitigate this issue, we performed a detailed study of the synthesis of three different Nb-based Li-rich DRS materials - Li3NbO4, Li1.3Fe0.4Nb0.3O2, and Li1.3Mn0.4Nb0.3O2. Systematic evaluation shows that both the synthesis conditions and the reagents used have a large effect on the phase and morphology of the material synthetized, and therefore on its electrochemical performance. Without varying the synthesis method, the extent of cation ordering, the particle morphology, and the degree of elemental segregation can be controlled by a careful choice of the metal oxide precursors. This study helps the community to distinguish important synthesis criteria in order to design Li-rich DRS cathode materials with improved electrochemical performance

Final report of the SIM.QM-S7 supplementary comparison : Trace metals in drinking water

SIM.QM-S7 was performed to assess the analytical capabilities of National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and Designated Institutes (DIs) of SIM members (or other regions) for the accurate determination of trace metals in drinking water. The study was proposed by the coordinating laboratories National Research Council Canada (NRC) and Centro Nacional de Metrologia (CENAM) as an activity of Inorganic Analysis Working Group (IAWG) of Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance – Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM). Participants included 16 NMIs/DIs from 15 countries. No measurement method was prescribed by the coordinating laboratories. Therefore, NMIs used measurement methods of their choice. However, the majority of NMIs/DIs used ICP-MS. This SIM.QM-S7 Supplementary Comparison provides NMIs/DIs with the needed evidence for CMC claims for trace elements in fresh waters and similar matrices