The Efficiency of Voluntary Pollution Abatement when Countries can Commit

We characterize a mechanism for reducing pollution emissions in which countries,　acting non-cooperatively, commit to match each others’ abatement levels and may　subsequently engage in emissions quota trading. The mechanism leads to an efficient level of emissions, and if the matching abatements process includes a quota trading stage, the marginal benefits of emissions are also equalized across countries. Given equilibrium matching rates, the initial allocation of emission quotas (before trading) reflects each country’s marginal valuation for lower pollution relative to its marginal benefit from emissions. These results hold for any number of countries, in an environment where countries have different abatement technologies and different benefits from emissions, and even if the emissions of countries are imperfect substitutes in each country’s damage function. In a dynamic twoperiod setting, the mechanism achieves both intra-temporal and inter-temporal efficiency. We extend the model by assuming that countries are voluntarily contributing to an international public good, in addition to undertaking pollution abatements, and find that the level of emissions may be efficient even without any matching abatement commitments, and the marginal benefits of emissions may be equalized across countries even without quota trading.Voluntary pollution abatement, matching commitments, emissions quota trading

The Efficiency of Voluntary Pollution Abatement when Countries can Commit

In this paper, we characterize a mechanism for reducing pollution emissions in which countries, acting non-cooperatively, commit to match each others' abatement levels and may subsequently engage in emissions quota trading. The analysis shows that the mechanism leads to efficient outcomes. The level of emissions is efficient, and if the matching abatements process includes a quota trading stage, the marginal benefits of emissions are also equalized across countries. Given the equilibrium matching rates, the initial allocation of emission quotas (before trading) reflects each country's marginal valuation for lower pollution relative to its marginal benefit from emissions. These results hold for any number of countries, in an environment where countries have different abatement technologies and different benefits from emissions, and even if the emissions of countries are imperfect substitutes in each country's damage function. In a dynamic two-period setting, the mechanism achieves both intra-temporal and inter-temporal efficiency. We extend the model by assuming that countries are voluntarily contributing to an international public good, in addition to undertaking pollution abatements, and find that the level of emissions may be efficient even without any matching abatement commitments, and the marginal benefits of emissions may be equalized across countries even without quota trading.voluntary pollution abatement, matching commitments, emissions quota trading

Anomalous accumulation rates in the Vostok ice-core resulting from ice flow over Lake Vostok

The accumulation rate of snow is crucial to the development of accurate age-depth models for ice-cores. The dating of the Vostok ice-core assumes that accumulation rates generally vary linearly between the core site and the ice divide 250 km to the west [Jouzel et al., 1996; Lorius et al., 1985; Petit et al., 1999], an assumption which impacts the timing of prominent climatic transitions. We present evidence for a local accumulation rate anomaly at the ice surface above the western shoreline of Lake Vostok. A significant thickening between isochronous layers results from this geographically fixed high accumulation zone which can be stratigraphically traced to a depth of 820 – 1100 m in the Vostok ice-core, a portion known for its high accumulation rates and paleoclimate records that deviate from other Antarctic ice-core records. This non-climatic accumulation anomaly in the Vostok ice-core impacts the flow dependent age models and subsequent interpretations of sequencing of global climate shifts during the last glacial. These previously unreported geographically fixed accumulation rate anomalies are introduced into ice-cores drilled away from ice domes (e.g., Byrd and Vostok) and should be considered in age depth models

Men’s help-seeking attitudes in rural communities affected by a natural disaster

The article describes a mixed methods study of help-seeking in men living in the Chilean Central Valley, following exposure to a major earthquake event in 2010. The results identify that, within the sample, positive attitudes toward help-seeking correlated with younger age, higher education levels, above-average incomes, and stable personal relationships. It appears that education plays a significant role in shaping such positive attitudes, particularly by influencing views of gender roles and help-seeking. Conversely, older men’s reticence toward seeking help appeared linked to negative perceptions of available services and the influence of traditional notions of masculinity. The study concludes that adapting interventions and service offers to men’s needs in rural contexts must include an ecosystemic analysis of their reality and incorporate an understanding of masculinity socialization processes

Re-investigating Tilaurakot's Ancient Fortifications: a preliminary report of excavations through the northern rampart at Tilaurakot(Nepal)

First paragraph: Urban settlements defined by fortification complexes have long been identified as one of the key indicators of the emergence and spread of the Early Historic Tradition across South Asia (Coningham 1995). Whilst performing defensive functions, city walls and moats are also thought to have prevented disruption to a settlement from natural forces, such as erosion and flooding (Narain and Roy 1977: 7, Coningham 1999: 54), as well as protecting settlements and crops grown within a city's boundary from wild animals (Coningham 1999: 56). Furthermore, some have argued that ramparts and moats also fulfilled symbolic functions and a number of settlement layouts have been thought to exhibit cosmomagical symbolism (Wheatley 1971: 481), with urban forms constructed as microcosms of the universe. Indeed, there are a number of South Asian examples where urban rampart and moat complexes are believed to have formed key cosmological motifs, representing the ocean and mountain range surrounding the universe (Coningham 2000). With a central role thus implied for the royal palace as representing Mount Meru, the dwelling of the Gods at the centre of the universe, this also portrayed the temporal ruler as a universal ruler or chakravartin (Wheatley 1971: 437, Coningham 2000: 350). Early Historic texts, such as the Arthasastra and Manasara, provided clear instructions for the construction of moats and ramparts, with the Arthasastra stating that a city should be quadrangular, surrounded by three moats and a rampart {Arthasastra 2.3.4-6) and be internally demarcated by cardinally orientated roads and gateways {Arthasastra 2.4.1-2). Similarly, the Manasara suggested that cities should be furnished with a quadrangular wall with an accompanying ditch surrounding the settlement with a gate at each cardinal direction {Manasara 9.107-109). It is now clear from its urban plan, that Tilaurakot, in southern Nepal, seemingly aligns with these precepts as it possesses an almost quadrangular fortification (Figure 1) and the results of recent geophysical survey suggest that cardinally-orientated roads were laid out in a grid within the city (Coningham et al. 2015)

Earthquake disasters and the long-term health of rural men in Chile : a case study for psychosocial intervention

The article focuses on the long-term health of a rural male population exposed to a major earthquake event in Chile, in 2010. The results show that a majority of the male study participants considered that their physical and mental health had deteriorated over a 7-year span following the earthquake and that these impacts were strongest in men aged 65 years or more. In considering potential lessons for intervention, the results must be interpreted within the context of the construction of male identities in a rural community, informed by generally conservative values and binary male-female gender roles. The article concludes that health and social services workers and administrators providing interventions to male populations following earthquake must work to reduce the gap between the service offer and men’s real needs, which are frequently insufficiently understood and inadequately coded

Gaia photometry for white dwarfs

Context. White dwarfs can be used to study the structure and evolution of the Galaxy by analysing their luminosity function and initial mass function. Among them, the very cool white dwarfs provide the information for the early ages of each population. Because white dwarfs are intrinsically faint only the nearby (~ 20 pc) sample is reasonably complete. The Gaia space mission will drastically increase the sample of known white dwarfs through its 5-6 years survey of the whole sky up to magnitude V = 20-25. Aims. We provide a characterisation of Gaia photometry for white dwarfs to better prepare for the analysis of the scientific output of the mission. Transformations between some of the most common photometric systems and Gaia passbands are derived. We also give estimates of the number of white dwarfs of the different galactic populations that will be observed. Methods. Using synthetic spectral energy distributions and the most recent Gaia transmission curves, we computed colours of three different types of white dwarfs (pure hydrogen, pure helium, and mixed composition with H/He = 0.1). With these colours we derived transformations to other common photometric systems (Johnson-Cousins, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and 2MASS). We also present numbers of white dwarfs predicted to be observed by Gaia. Results. We provide relationships and colour-colour diagrams among different photometric systems to allow the prediction and/or study of the Gaia white dwarf colours. We also include estimates of the number of sources expected in every galactic population and with a maximum parallax error. Gaia will increase the sample of known white dwarfs tenfold to about 200 000. Gaia will be able to observe thousands of very cool white dwarfs for the first time, which will greatly improve our understanding of these stars and early phases of star formation in our Galaxy