A Closer Look at the Brazilian Social Fuel Seal: Uptake, Operation and Dysfunctions

"This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Biofuels on 2018, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/17597269.2016.1274163"[EN] The Brazilian government created the Social Fuel Seal (SFS) within the framework of the National Program of Production and Use of Biodiesel (PNPB) launched in 2004. The SFS is a certification standard aimed at upgrading small farmers in the biodiesel value chain, and it was conceived as a response to the increasing concerns about the social aspects of biofuel production. In this article we discuss the institutional settings and explore the uptake, achievements and shortcomings of this instrument in the light of the official data and the academic literature. Specific aspects of the practical implementation of SFS are examined upon the base of interviews conducted with different stakeholders in the state of São Paulo. Dysfunctions in the overall operation of the SFS put under question the accomplishment of the social inclusion objective and awaken concerns about the sustainability of the role of family farmers in it.This work was supported by CAPES Foundation - Ministry of Education (Brazil) [grant number BEX 9604/13-8].Planchez De Carvalho-Marcossi, G.; Moreno-Pérez, OM. (2018). A Closer Look at the Brazilian Social Fuel Seal: Uptake, Operation and Dysfunctions. Biofuels. 9(4):429-439. https://doi.org/10.1080/17597269.2016.1274163S42943994Huang, J., Yang, J., Msangi, S., Rozelle, S., & Weersink, A. (2012). Biofuels and the poor: Global impact pathways of biofuels on agricultural markets. Food Policy, 37(4), 439-451. doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2012.04.004Augusto Horta Nogueira, L., & Silva Capaz, R. (2013). Biofuels in Brazil: Evolution, achievements and perspectives on food security. Global Food Security, 2(2), 117-125. doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2013.04.001Labruto, N. (2014). Experimental biofuel governance: Historicizing social certification in Brazilian ethanol production. Geoforum, 54, 272-281. doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2014.02.011Stattman, S. L., & Mol, A. P. J. (2014). Social sustainability of Brazilian biodiesel: The role of agricultural cooperatives. Geoforum, 54, 282-294. doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2014.04.001Hall, J., Matos, S., Severino, L., & Beltrão, N. (2009). Brazilian biofuels and social exclusion: established and concentrated ethanol versus emerging and dispersed biodiesel. Journal of Cleaner Production, 17, S77-S85. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2009.01.003Soriano, B., & Garrido, A. (2015). The role of private sector in development: The relation between public-private investment in infrastructure and agricultural exports in developing countries. Economia Agraria y Recursos Naturales, 15(2), 93-117. doi:10.7201/earn.2015.02.05Silveira, S., & Johnson, F. X. (2016). Navigating the transition to sustainable bioenergy in Sweden and Brazil: Lessons learned in a European and International context. Energy Research & Social Science, 13, 180-193. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2015.12.021Selbmann, K., & Ide, T. (2015). Between redeemer and work of the devil: The transnational Brazilian biofuel discourse. Energy for Sustainable Development, 29, 118-126. doi:10.1016/j.esd.2015.10.006Khanna, M., Nuñez, H. M., & Zilberman, D. (2016). Who pays and who gains from fuel policies in Brazil? Energy Economics, 54, 133-143. doi:10.1016/j.eneco.2015.11.001Silva Junior, D. (2013). Impacts of biodiesel on the Brazilian fuel market. Energy Economics, 36, 666-675. doi:10.1016/j.eneco.2012.11.008Rico, J. A. P., & Sauer, I. L. (2015). A review of Brazilian biodiesel experiences. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 45, 513-529. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2015.01.028Hunsberger, C., Bolwig, S., Corbera, E., & Creutzig, F. (2014). Livelihood impacts of biofuel crop production: Implications for governance. Geoforum, 54, 248-260. doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2013.09.022Fernandes, B. M., Welch, C. A., & Gonçalves, E. C. (2010). Agrofuel policies in Brazil: paradigmatic and territorial disputes. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 37(4), 793-819. doi:10.1080/03066150.2010.512459Marcossi, G., Ortiz, D., & Moreno, O. (2015). Effects of the Brazilian biodiesel certification in the relationship between the biodiesel industry and small-scale farmers. Ecosystems and Sustainable Development X. doi:10.2495/eco150261Stattman, S. L., Hospes, O., & Mol, A. P. J. (2013). Governing biofuels in Brazil: A comparison of ethanol and biodiesel policies. Energy Policy, 61, 22-30. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2013.06.005Bergmann, J. ., Tupinambá, D. ., Costa, O. Y. ., Almeida, J. R. ., Barreto, C. ., & Quirino, B. . (2013). Biodiesel production in Brazil and alternative biomass feedstocks. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 21, 411-420. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2012.12.058André Cremonez, P., Feroldi, M., Cézar Nadaleti, W., de Rossi, E., Feiden, A., de Camargo, M. P., … Klajn, F. F. (2015). Biodiesel production in Brazil: Current scenario and perspectives. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 42, 415-428. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2014.10.004Geraldes Castanheira, É., Grisoli, R., Freire, F., Pecora, V., & Coelho, S. T. (2014). Environmental sustainability of biodiesel in Brazil. Energy Policy, 65, 680-691. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2013.09.062Schaffel, S., Herrera, S., Obermaier, M., & Lèbre La Rovere, E. (2012). Can family farmers benefit from biofuel sustainability standards? Evidence from the Brazilian Social Fuel Certificate. Biofuels, 3(6), 725-736. doi:10.4155/bfs.12.67César, A. da S., Batalha, M. O., & Zopelari, A. L. M. S. (2013). Oil palm biodiesel: Brazil’s main challenges. Energy, 60, 485-491. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2013.08.014Wilkinson, J., & Herrera, S. (2010). Biofuels in Brazil: debates and impacts. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 37(4), 749-768. doi:10.1080/03066150.2010.512457Padula, A. D., Santos, M. S., Ferreira, L., & Borenstein, D. (2012). The emergence of the biodiesel industry in Brazil: Current figures and future prospects. Energy Policy, 44, 395-405. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2012.02.003César, A. da S., & Batalha, M. O. (2013). Brazilian biodiesel: The case of the palm’s social projects. Energy Policy, 56, 165-174. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2012.12.014MME – Ministério de Minas e Energia, Secretaria de Petróleo, Gás Natural e Combustíveis Renováveis, Departamento de Combustíveis Renováveis. Boletim Mensal dos Combustíveis Renováveis, 2015. Available from: http://www.mme.gov.br.MDA – Ministério do Desenvolvimento Agrário. Selo Combustível Social, Balanço 2015, Gráficos ajustados. 2016. Available from: http://www.mda.gov.br/sitemda/sites/sitemda/files/user_img_21/SCS_BALANCO_2015_PARA_PUBLICACAO.pdf

Landscape variables influencing forest fires in central Spain

n/

The dust environment of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko: results from Monte Carlo dust tail modelling applied to a large ground-based observation data set

We present an extensive data set of ground-based observations and models of the dust environment of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko covering a large portion of the orbital arc from about 4.5 au pre-perihelion through 3.0 au post-perihelion, acquired during the current orbit. In addition, we have also applied the model to a dust trail image acquired during this orbit, as well as to dust trail observations obtained during previous orbits, in both the visible and the infrared. The results of the Monte Carlo modelling of the dust tail and trail data are generally consistent with the in situ results reported so far by the Rosetta instruments Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) and Grain Impact Analyser and Dust Accumulator (GIADA). We found the comet nucleus already active at 4.5 au pre-perihelion, with a dust production rate increasing up to ∼3000 kg s−1 some 20 d after perihelion passage. The dust size distribution at sizes smaller than r = 1 mm is linked to the nucleus seasons, being described by a power law of index −3.0 during the comet nucleus southern hemisphere winter but becoming considerably steeper, with values between −3.6 and −4.3, during the nucleus southern hemisphere summer, which includes perihelion passage (from about 1.7 au inbound to 2.4 au outbound). This agrees with the increase of the steepness of the dust size distribution found from GIADA measurements at perihelion showing a power index of −3.7. The size distribution at sizes larger than 1 mm for the current orbit is set to a power law of index −3.6, which is near the average value of in situ measurements by OSIRIS on large particles. However, in order to fit the trail data acquired during past orbits previous to the 2009 perihelion passage, a steeper power-law index of −4.1 has been set at those dates, in agreement with previous trail modelling. The particle sizes are set at a minimum of r = 10 μm, and a maximum size, which increases with decreasing heliocentric distance, in the 1–40 cm radius domain. The particle terminal velocities are found to be consistent with the in situ measurements as derived from the instrument GIADA on board Rosetta

Mechanical properties and coefficient of thermal expansion of β-eucryptite sintered by microwave technique

[ES]: La técnica de sinterización no convencional de microondas permite obtener materiales de ß-eucriptita en estado sólido cristalino con densidades cercanas a la teórica (~99 %). Se ha observado una diferencia considerable en estos materiales respecto a la técnica convencional en términos de densificación, microestructura, coeficiente de expansión térmica y propiedades mecánicas. Los valores de dureza y módulo de Young obtenidos mediante sinterización por microondas a 1200 ºC-5 min han sido relativamente altos, 6.8 GPa y 101 GPa, respectivamente, en comparación con el material obtenido mediante horno convencional (3.9 GPa y 58 GPa, respectivamente). Los datos dilatométricos obtenidos, incluyendo el intervalo de temperatura criogénica (-150 ºC a +150 ºC), muestran un coeficiente de expansión térmica controlado y negativo en todo el rango de temperaturas. La combinación de un calentamiento rápido junto con la reducción drástica en el tiempo de ciclo y el ahorro energético, hace que la técnica de microondas sean una clara alternativa a otro tipo de calentamientos.[EN]: Microwave non-conventional sintering technique allows obtaining fully dense glass-free β-eucryptite bulk material (∼99 %). A considerable difference in the densification, microstructure, coefficient of thermal expansion behaviour and mechanical properties, between conventional and non-conventional sintered specimens was observed. The hardness and Young’s modulus values obtained by microwaves at 1200 °C-5min have been relatively high, 6.8 GPa and 101 GPa, respectively, compared to conventional sintering (3.9 GPa and 58 GPa, respectively). Very low thermal expansion materials have been obtained in a wide temperature range including cryogenic temperatures (from -150 ºC to 150 ºC). The high heating rate along with the lower energy consumption makes microwave technique a clear alternative to other types of sintering methods.Los autores desean agradecer el apoyo financiero recibido de la UPV dentro de los proyectos SP20120621 y SP20120677 y, al gobierno español a través del proyecto (TEC2012-37532-C02-01). A. Borrell, agradece al Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación su contrato de Juan la Cierva (JCI-2011-10498).Peer Reviewe

Tolerancia al alcohol en ratas sometidas a diferentes períodos de consumo agudo y crónico de etanol

The development of tolerance to the effects of ethanol is not uniform and may vary according to the actual and previous pattern of consumption. In this experiment we assessed body temperature and the recovery of two reflexes after a high dose of ethanol in rats submitted to chronic and acute ethanol consumption. Animals were previously submitted to chronic or acute alcohol consumption from postnatal day 21 until postnatal days 56 and 84. On the testing days, the animals received a single dose of 25% ethanol (5 g/kg, i.p.) or the same amount of saline solution. The results showed that animals were affected in the day 56 to a greater extent than in the day 84 by chronic heavy consumption of ethanol solution. With moderate and acute ethanol consumption, the 56-day-old animals developed greater tolerance. However, tolerance was not developed for the motor-impairing effects, since all groups required a long time to recover reflexesEl desarrollo de tolerancia a los efectos del alcohol no es uniforme, y suele variar según el patrón de consumo previo y actual. En este trabajo se evaluó la temperatura corporal y el tiempo de recuperación de dos reflejos tras el consumo crónico y agudo de elevadas dosis de etanol. Previamente, los animales bebieron alcohol de forma crónica o aguda desde los 21 hasta los 56 y 84 días de edad. Durante los días de evaluación, los animales recibieron una única dosis de etanol al 25% (5 g/kg, i.p.), o la misma cantidad de solución salina. Los resultados mostraron una mayor afectación a los 56 días de consumo crónico elevado de etanol respecto a los 84 días. Con un consumo moderado o agudo de etanol, los animales de 56 días desarrollaron una mayor tolerancia. Sin embargo, esta tolerancia no se observó en cuanto a los déficits motores, dado que todos los grupos necesitaron un largo período de tiempo para recuperar los reflejosThis work was supported by grants PR78/02-10972 (Complutense University), MCYT BSO 2001-2757 (Ministry of Science and Technology, Spain) and PR-01-GE-2 (Principado de Asturias, Spain

Presentación. Agricultura familiar a debate

[ES] Sin resumenMoreno Pérez, OM.; García Álvarez-Coque, JM. (2014). Presentation. Family farming on debate. Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales - Agricultural and Resource Economics. 14(1):131-132. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/118023SWORD13113214

IAA : Información y actualidad astronómica (4)

Sumario : Investigación : Galaxias huéspedes de cuásares.-- El gigante gaseoso y su gran mancha roja.-- Ventana Abierta: Un futuro incierto.-- Charlas con… John Hutchings.-- Actualidad Científica: La edad de la galaxia.-- Sorpresas en el cinturón de Kuiper.-- Actividades IAA.-- Agenda.N

Fabrication of near-zero thermal expansion of fully dense beta-eucryptite ceramics by microwave sintering

Microwave heating is proposed as non-conventional technique for the sintering of optimal lithium aluminosilicate compositions of β-eucryptite system. The coefficient of thermal expansion and mechanical properties of the sintered samples has been studied under the influence of microwave heating. The ad hoc synthesized β-eucryptite together with the microwave sintering technique developed in this work open the opportunity to produce breakthrough materials with low or negative coefficient of thermal expansion and excellent mechanical properties, as a Young s modulus of 110 GPa. The combination of rapid heating with low energy applied by the microwave technology (eco-friendly process) and the dramatic reduction in cycle time allows densification without glass phase formation. Results of the coefficient of thermal expansion of the β-eucryptite ceramics presented here under cryogenic conditions will be of value, for example, in the future design of new composite materials for space applicationsThe authors would like to thank Dr. Emilio Rayon for performing the nanoindentation analysis in the Materials Technology institute (ITM) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and your financial support received of UPV under Projects SP20120621 and SP20120677 and Spanish Government through the Project MONIDIEL (TEC2008-04109). A. Borrell, acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for a Juan de la Cierva contract (JCI-2011-10498) and SCSIE of the University of Valencia.Benavente Martínez, R.; Borrell Tomás, MA.; Salvador Moya, MD.; Garcia-Moreno, O.; Penaranda-Foix, FL.; Catalá Civera, JM. (2014). Fabrication of near-zero thermal expansion of fully dense beta-eucryptite ceramics by microwave sintering. Ceramics International. 40(1):935-941. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2013.06.089S93594140

Phase relations in the Cabeza de Araya cordierite monzogranite, Iberian Massif : implications for the formation of cordierite in a crystal mush

Experimental investigations and thermodynamic calculations of the phase relations of a cordierite-rich monzogranite from the Cabeza de Araya batholith (Cáceres, Spain) have been performed to understand the formation of cordierite. The experiments failed to crystallize cordierite in the pressure range 200-600MPa, in the temperature range 700-975ºC and for different water activities (melt water contents between 2 and 6 wt.%). In contrast, clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene (absent in the natural mineral rock assemblage), together with biotite, were observed as ferromagnesian assemblage in a wide range of experimental conditions. Thermodynamic calculations, using the software PERPLE_X, describe the formation of cordierite only at 200 and 400MPa and very low water contents, and the amount of cordierite formed in the models is always below 3.5 vol.%. The results indicate that cordierite is not in equilibrium with the bulk rock compositions. The most probable explanation was that cordierite nucleated and crystallized from a melt that is not in equilibrium with part of the mineral assemblage present in the magma. This "non-reactive" mineral assemblage was mainly composed of plagioclase. The silicate melts from which cordierite crystallized was more Al-rich and K-rich than the silicate melt composition in equilibrium with the bulk composition. One possible process for the high Al content of the silicate melt is related to assimilation and partial melting of Al-rich metasediments. An exo-perictetic reaction is assumed to account for both textural and geochemical observations. On the other hand, hybridization processes typical for calc-alkaline series can also explain the high proportions of "non-reactive" minerals observed in relatively high temperature magmas. This study clearly demonstrates that silicate melts in a crystal mush can depart significantly from the composition of melt that should be in equilibrium with the bulk solid assemblage