Determination of the atmospheric lifetime and global warming potential of sulfur hexafluoride using a three-dimensional model

We have used the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM), with an updated treatment of loss processes, to determine the atmospheric lifetime of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The model includes the following SF6 removal processes: photolysis, electron attachment and reaction with mesospheric metal atoms. The Sodankylä Ion Chemistry (SIC) model is incorporated into the standard version of WACCM to produce a new version with a detailed D region ion chemistry with cluster ions and negative ions. This is used to determine a latitude- and altitude-dependent scaling factor for the electron density in the standard WACCM in order to carry out multi-year SF6 simulations. The model gives a mean SF6 lifetime over an 11-year solar cycle (τ) of 1278 years (with a range from 1120 to 1475 years), which is much shorter than the currently widely used value of 3200 years, due to the larger contribution (97.4 %) of the modelled electron density to the total atmospheric loss. The loss of SF6 by reaction with mesospheric metal atoms (Na and K) is far too slow to affect the lifetime. We investigate how this shorter atmospheric lifetime impacts the use of SF6 to derive stratospheric age of air. The age of air derived from this shorter lifetime SF6 tracer is longer by 9 % in polar latitudes at 20 km compared to a passive SF6 tracer. We also present laboratory measurements of the infrared spectrum of SF6 and find good agreement with previous studies. We calculate the resulting radiative forcings and efficiencies to be, on average, very similar to those reported previously. Our values for the 20-, 100- and 500-year global warming potentials are 18 000, 23 800 and 31 300, respectively

Atmospheric lifetimes, infrared absorption spectra, radiative forcings and global warming potentials of NF3 and CF3CF2Cl (CFC-115)

Abstract. Fluorinated compounds such as NF3 and C2F5Cl (CFC-115) are characterised by very large global warming potentials (GWPs), which result from extremely long atmospheric lifetimes and strong infrared absorptions in the atmospheric window. In this study we have experimentally determined the infrared absorption cross sections of NF3 and CFC-115, calculated the radiative forcing and efficiency using two radiative transfer models and identified the effect of clouds and stratospheric adjustment. The infrared cross sections are within 10 % of previous measurements for CFC-115 but are found to be somewhat larger than previous estimates for NF3, leading to a radiative efficiency for NF3 that is 25 % larger than that quoted in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. A whole atmosphere chemistry–climate model was used to determine the atmospheric lifetimes of NF3 and CFC-115 to be (509 ± 21) years and (492 ± 22) years, respectively. The GWPs for NF3 are estimated to be 15 600, 19 700 and 19 700 over 20, 100 and 500 years, respectively. Similarly, the GWPs for CFC-115 are 6030, 7570 and 7480 over 20, 100 and 500 years, respectively. </jats:p

Industrial policy in a period of organisational and institutional change: the case of inward investment and the electronics sector

The authors argue that two complementary elements of policy formulation have become dislocated: the actual changes occurring in the organisation of industry, and changes in the mode of policy production. This dislocation presents a variety of possibilities for new modes of policy production. The significance of the whole process of the production of industrial policy is stressed: the selection of the object of policy, the institutions of policy formation and delivery, and the orgamsation of work and the distribution of skilis within such institutions. The nature of the innovative and creative institutional responses that will be required to avoid further industrial decline are discussed.

Mesospheric Removal of Very Long-Lived Greenhouse Gases SF6 and CFC-115 by Metal Reactions, Lyman-alpha Photolysis, and Electron Attachment

The fluorinated gases SF6 and C2F5Cl (CFC-115) are chemically inert with atmospheric lifetimes of many centuries which, combined with their strong absorption of IR radiation, results in unusually high global warming potentials. Very long lifetimes imply that mesospheric sinks could make important contributions to their atmospheric removal. In order to investigate this, the photolysis cross sections at the prominent solar Lyman-α emission line (121.6 nm), and the reaction kinetics of SF6 and CFC-115 with the neutral meteoric metal atoms Na, K, Mg, and Fe over large temperature ranges, were measured experimentally. The Na and K reactions exhibit significant non-Arrhenius behavior; quantum chemistry calculations of the potential energy surfaces for the SF6 reactions indicate that the Na and K reactions with SF6 are probably activated by vibrational excitation of the F-SF5 (v3) stretching mode. A limited set of kinetic measurements on Na + SF5CF3 are also presented. The atmospheric removal of these long-lived gases by a variety of processes is then evaluated. For SF6, the removal processes in decreasing order of importance are electron attachment, VUV photolysis, and reaction with K, Na, and H. For CFC-115, the removal processes in decreasing order of importance are reaction with O(1D), VUV photolysis, and reaction with Na, K, and H

Workplace innovation:A review and potential future avenues

In this article, we present an overview of European workplace innovation policy, theory, research and practice. In our review, we will first highlight the ways in which different policy, theory, empirical, and practical approaches to workplace innovation diverge and converge. Second, we will outline some potential future avenues for the field of workplace innovation to move towards greater convergence in terms of policy, theory, research and practice. We will insist specifically on showing how a closer integration between policy, research and practice could address some of the major barriers to workplace innovation adoption in national, regional and EU policy as well as in organizations.<br/

Third European Company Survey: Workplace innovation in European companies

Workplace innovation (WPI) is a developed and implemented practice or combination of practices which enables employees to participate in organisational change and renewal and hence improve the quality of working life and organisational performance. This report looks at reasons for enabling WPI, adoption and implementation, and impact on organisation and management, employees and employee representatives. The research is based on 51 companies identified in Eurofound’s third European Company Survey (ECS 2013), all with substantial WPI practices. The report found that the primary organisational drivers to introduce WPI practices in European companies are to improve efficiency, gain competitive advantage and enhance innovative capability. While it is clear that the main reason for introducing WPI is economic and business-related, most practices (69%) target both goals of enhancing company performance and improving quality of working life. The report outlines five distinguished types of WPI practices in European companies. Some 14% of the company cases were WPI practices oriented towards the structure of work, for example, job autonomy, teamwork, and employment budget control. 20% are WPI practices oriented towards culture, such communication, consultation and social dialogue. The third type contains practices that combine elements of both orientation and culture. The fourth type cover HR-related practices, which account for 39%, and include personnel recruitment, training, competency development, performance appraisal, working conditions, remuneration, flexibility, and health, risk and safety measures. The last type of intervention, accounting for 8%, are related, to introduction of IT systems or technology. Publication also finds that management usually takes the initiative to innovate in work organisation, and the involvement of employees follows quickly in order for any initiative to be successful. We found that workplace innovators seem to naturally align themselves with employee interests, and as a result there are gains for both the organisation as a whole and the employees,’ says Stavroula Demetriades, senior program manager at Eurofound. ‘Those gains can be higher employee engagement, performance, greater learning opportunities, interesting, challenging jobs, and longer term sustainability. The authors of the report argue that there is an urgent need for new thinking on how European and national policy can help to shape more productive and healthier workplaces through WPI in much of Europe. As a starting point, it proposes that EU governments and other stakeholders would do well to consider the creation of a ‘Forum on the Workplace of the Future’, with a strong focus on the contribution of worker participation, work organisation and job design in securing innovative, productive and healthy workplaces. © European Foundation fot the Improvement of Living and Working Condition

Nottingham local economy study Progress review

Nottingham Local Economy ProjectAvailable from British Library Lending Division - LD:OP-LG/811 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Determination of the atmospheric lifetime and global warming potential of sulphur hexafluoride using a three-dimensional model

We have used the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM), with an updated treatment of loss processes, to determine the atmospheric lifetime of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The model includes the following SF6 removal processes: photolysis, electron attachment and reaction with mesospheric metal atoms. The Sodankylä Ion Chemistry (SIC) model is incorporated into the standard version of WACCM to produce a new version with a detailed D region ion chemistry with cluster ions and negative ions. This is used to determine a latitude- and altitude-dependent scaling factor for the electron density in the standard WACCM in order to carry out multi-year SF6 simulations. The model gives a mean SF6 lifetime over an 11-year solar cycle (τ) of 1278 years (with a range from 1120 to 1475 years), which is much shorter than the currently widely used value of 3200 years, due to the larger contribution (97.4 %) of the modelled electron density to the total atmospheric loss. The loss of SF6 by reaction with mesospheric metal atoms (Na and K) is far too slow to affect the lifetime. We investigate how this shorter atmospheric lifetime impacts the use of SF6 to derive stratospheric age of air. The age of air derived from this shorter lifetime SF6 tracer is longer by 9 % in polar latitudes at 20 km compared to a passive SF6 tracer. We also present laboratory measurements of the infrared spectrum of SF6 and find good agreement with previous studies. We calculate the resulting radiative forcings and efficiencies to be, on average, very similar to those reported previously. Our values for the 20-, 100- and 500-year global warming potentials are 18 000, 23 800 and 31 300, respectively