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The role of the carbon market in transformation of agriculture towards organic and sustainability

1. The contribution of organic agriculture to emission reduction in a carbon con-strained world Agriculture is among the five sectors which will have to substantially contribute to the stabiliza-tion of global greenhouse gas emissions in the next 10-15 years. This is one of the messages from the IPCC’s 4th Assessment Report to the Bali Conference and its roadmap adopted in De-cember 2007. Organic farming reduces embedded energy demand on the input side, stores more carbon in soils and creates a soil structure that retains water more effectively. Most proc-esses face strong site-specific variability so that cultivation practices are too complex to be certi-fied under the Kyoto Mechanism CDM. The voluntary carbon market as well as the increasing attention given to climate change adaptation offers opportunities for promoting best practices of organic farming in a carbon constrained world. 2. The future perspectives in trade with carbon offsets (CERs/VERs) The Bali roadmap adopted in December 2007 and the recent plans by the European Commis-sion to cap greenhouse gas emissions through the European Union Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in the period 2013-2020 leave carbon markets and in particular the CDM with significant uncertainty on its post-Kyoto future, though there is confidence that there will be a CDM under the post-2012 climate change agreement to be adopted in Copenhagen. As the US, the largest buyer of voluntary carbon market offsets (VERs), is preparing for the in-troduction of cap and trade regimes, the increasing market prospects for VERs may change in the mid term. One key innovation of the Bali roadmap is the proposed scheme to halt deforesta-tion, which may or may not take the shape of trading with carbon certificates. There is signifi-cant uncertainty about the extent to which carbon trading could support the spread of organic agriculture on the output side (sale of certificates as co-products). Organic farming practices however will benefit from increasing prices of oil dependent inputs (fertilizer, agrochemicals), increasing commodity prices and scarce resources such as fertile land and water resources. 3. Sustainable development: Energy for the poor from Gold Standard CDM projects committed to sustainable use of biomass Energy poverty (costly fossil fuel, short supply of electricity if any) is increasingly constraining rural development and contributing to unsustainable urbanization. Increased supply of biomass energy from sustainable sources is eligible under the CDM and can boost organic agriculture, if projects are certified under the Gold Standard

European Research in Mathematics Education I, volume 2

International audienc

Human sign- and goal-trackers detected using a simple Pavlovian device: Differences in self-reported impulsivity and addictive tendencies

Honors (Bachelor's)NeuroscienceUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112153/1/schwankj.pd

Linkages in South African Economic Development

How can South Africa diversify its industrial sector so that it is less dependent on mineral exports, increases labour absorption and reduces unemployment? This book sheds more light on the structure of South Africa’s economy, its industrial sector and inter-sectoral linkages by simulating an economic geography model of the vertical linkages type, by testing linkage strength econometrically and by analysing industrial policy’s role in shaping its development path. It finds that linkages did play an important role in industrial development in South Africa, yet they have often been reinforced by policy interventions. Industrial policy is still geared to benefit the sectors close to the country’s mineral endowment, and thus contributes to South Africa‘s lopsided industrial development

Promiscuous Expression of alpha-Tubulin II in Maturing Male and Female Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes

Background: Antimalarial interventions designed to impact on the transmissible sexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum are evaluated by measurement of peripheral gametocyte carriage in vivo and infectivity to mosquitoes. Drug or vaccine-elicited effects may differentially affect the relative abundance of mature male and female sexual forms, and this can be measured by estimation of sex ratios before and after intervention in vivo and in vitro. Measuring the impact of anti-gametocyte drugs on sexual commitment of immature gametocyte stages in vitro is not currently possible as male and female parasites cannot be distinguished by morphology alone prior to stage IV.Methodology/Principal Findings: We have modified an existing immunofluorescence-based approach for distinguishing male and female gametocytes during development in vitro, by using highly synchronised magnetically-enriched gametocyte preparations at different stages of maturity. Antibodies recognising alpha-tubulin II ( males) and Pfg377 ( females) were used to attempt to discriminate the sexes. Transcription of these two proteins was not coordinated during in vitro development, with pfg377 transcripts accumulating only late in development, immediately prior to immunofluorescent signals from the PfG377 protein appearing in stage IV gametocytes. Contrary to previous descriptions of this protein as male-specific in P. falciparum, alpha-tubulin II recognised both male and female gametocytes at stages I to IV, but evidence of differential expression levels of this protein in late stage male and female gametocytes was found. Using antibodies recognising PfG377 as the primary marker and alpha-tubulin II as a secondary marker, robust estimates of sex ratio in in vitro cultures were obtained for gametocytes at stage IV or later, and validated by light microscopic counts. However, sex ratio estimation was not possible for early stage gametocytes due to the promiscuity of alpha-tubulin II protein expression, and the relatively late accumulation of PfG377 during the development process.Conclusions/Significance: This approach is a feasible method for the evaluation of drug impacts on late-stage gametocyte sex ratio in in vitro studies. Additional sex-specific antigens need to be evaluated for sex ratio estimation in early stage gametocyte preparations

Opportunities for farming in alpine countries – pathways to truly grassland-based beef and milk production in Austria and Switzerland

Farming in the alpine countries of Austria and Switzerland fulfils important economic, socio-cultural and ecological functions for society. However, even though both Austria and Switzerland have increasingly focused their agricultural policy towards ecology, in both countries negative environmental impacts of agriculture still have to be reduced massively

Determination of diffusion in polycrystalline platinum thin films

Grain boundary diffusion of titanium through platinum thin films has been carried out in the temperature range from 200 to 600 °C. Five different platinum/titanium bilayer thicknesses, from 35 to 800 Å Pt, were annealed in 5% O2/95% N2.5%O2/95%N2. The accumulation of titanium at the platinum surface layer was measured by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine the grain boundary diffusion coefficient (Db).(Db). Diffusivity values were calculated based on two different analysis methods assuming type C kinetics. For Pt layers thicker than 200 Å, the activation energy (Qb)(Qb) for titanium diffusion was found to be 118±15 kJ/mol (1.22±0.16 eV). For Pt layers thinner than 200 Å, there was a thickness dependence on the diffusion kinetics, resulting in activation energies as low as 20±4 kJ/mol (0.21±0.04 eV). XPS results gave no evidence for any Pt-Ti alloy formation in these layers. The suppression of alloy formation may be attributed to the presence of oxygen at the Pt/Ti interface during layer deposition. The quantitative analysis of titanium interdiffusion in platinum provides valuable information regarding Pt/Ti surface concentrations in thin-film chemical sensors, and for understanding changes in operational characteristics of platinum electrodes. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69829/2/JAPIAU-86-9-4902-1.pd