Rio’s 2016 Olympic Golf Course: City’s Last Remaining Ecosystems Left “in the Rough”

The sport of golf returned as an official event at the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro following a prolonged absence from the Games. To accommodate golf’s return, the city of Rio endorsed the construction of the Olympic golf course on land adjoining the Marapendi lagoon—land historically known to be ecologically valuable and environmentally protected. With the Games rapidly approaching, the city quickly passed complementary Law 125, stripping this land of its environmental protection, and instead authorizing a golf course as a sustainable use of the land. Local environmentalists have challenged the legislation and the city’s decision, arguing that large-scale economic incentives associated with hosting the Games have shoved aside long-term environmental preservation measures. Many argue that the decision to construct the Olympic course is shortsighted given the sport’s unpopularity in Brazil and the course’s uncertain future beyond the Closing Ceremony. This paper provides a holistic synopsis of the Olympic golf course as its construction has displaced much of the wildlife that once called the area home. While the immediate effects of Complementary Law 125 and the Olympic course construction are apparent, the long-term ones are more uncertain. As environmental goals yield to economic ones, dissension between city officials and environmentalists continues to grow. Only one thing is certain: the Olympic course will be used for those 16 days in August 2016, but what will become of it once the Olympic torch is extinguished—only time will tell

Rio’s 2016 Olympic Golf Course: City’s Last Remaining Ecosystems Left “in the Rough”

The sport of golf returned as an official event at the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro following a prolonged absence from the Games. To accommodate golf’s return, the city of Rio endorsed the construction of the Olympic golf course on land adjoining the Marapendi lagoon—land historically known to be ecologically valuable and environmentally protected. With the Games rapidly approaching, the city quickly passed complementary Law 125, stripping this land of its environmental protection, and instead authorizing a golf course as a sustainable use of the land. Local environmentalists have challenged the legislation and the city’s decision, arguing that large-scale economic incentives associated with hosting the Games have shoved aside long-term environmental preservation measures. Many argue that the decision to construct the Olympic course is shortsighted given the sport’s unpopularity in Brazil and the course’s uncertain future beyond the Closing Ceremony. This paper provides a holistic synopsis of the Olympic golf course as its construction has displaced much of the wildlife that once called the area home. While the immediate effects of Complementary Law 125 and the Olympic course construction are apparent, the long-term ones are more uncertain. As environmental goals yield to economic ones, dissension between city officials and environmentalists continues to grow. Only one thing is certain: the Olympic course will be used for those 16 days in August 2016, but what will become of it once the Olympic torch is extinguished—only time will tell

The Differentiation of Smallholder Farming and Household Food Responsibilities in Northern Ghana

One of the most urgent problems facing sub-Saharan Africa is that many people lack access to safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food, particularly in semi-arid regions such as northern Ghana. An important indication of this problem within Ghana is that stunting rates due to prolonged undernourishment are significantly higher in the northern regions than in other parts of the country, despite claims of an overall increase in the availability of food. Broadly, this dissertation employs qualitative case study research in the Northern Region (interviews N=109 and 12 focus groups) to describe the changes in access to resources, roles and responsibilities in food production and consumption within households and explains how these changes are shaped by the culture, politics and ecologies of the region. It is informed by a range of literatures, theories and conceptual approaches, but predominantly from agrarian change and feminist political ecology. This research finds that the majority of farmers are adopting the development supported high-yielding seed varieties, tractors, fertilizer and agrochemicals in order to respond to erratic rainfall, shortened growing seasons, and drier soil with diminished fertility. However, there are clear socioeconomic differences affecting who can access the technology, credit and land used to cope with these environmental changes. Meanwhile, those farmers who adopted the intensification technology commonly described this decision as a short-term trade-off to meet subsistence needs at the expense of degrading soil health and increasing debt. This research also finds that environmental change, the commodification of food production more generally, and development support for women’s food provisions are causing confusion, tension and conflict in the typical intra-household gender division of food production and provisioning responsibilities. Consequently, farmers defy development efforts, and this research finds that this resistance is based on their historical experiences of decades of development projects that have failed to meaningfully include them and consider their diverse needs, alongside elite corruption and mismanagement, degrading ecologies and donor hegemony. Ultimately, this dissertation makes important contributions to understanding different types of smallholders’ perceptions of changing agrarian political ecologies in an African context, which is needed to inform development policy and practice

On a nonstationary discrete time infinite horizon growth model with uncertainty

summary:In this paper we examine a nonstationary discrete time, infinite horizon growth model with uncertainty. Under very general hypotheses on the data of the model, we establish the existence of an optimal program and we show that the values of the finite horizon problems tend to that of the infinite horizon as the end of the planning period approaches infinity. Finally we derive a transversality condition for optimality which does not involve dual variables (prices)

Studio di Fattibilità per una Centrale Termica a servizio di un insediamento Industriale/Polifunzionale. L’esempio del Tecnopolo di Bologna

Il presente lavoro di tesi espone i risultati dell’esperienza di Tirocinio, da me svolto presso uno Studio Tecnico che, si sta occupando di realizzare un pezzetto del Tecnopolo dell’«ex Manifattura Tabacchi» di Bologna, sito deputato a diventare la Data Valley italiana ed europea, dove favorire la crescita sostenibile attraverso lo sviluppo dell’innovazione e della conoscenza, l’attrattività e l’internazionalizzazione. L’elaborato descrive e sintetizza le soluzioni scelte dallo Studio, in fase progettuale, per la realizzazione della Centrale Termica a servizio del Tecnopolo, secondo obiettivi di innovazione, efficacia e sostenibilità. Descrivendo il percorso per la redazione del Progetto Definitivo, si illustrano le varie fasi, soffermandosi sull'analisi dei fabbisogni energetici e la selezione delle migliori tecnologie disponibili. Si espone l’iter di progettazione, partendo dalla valutazione dei dati climatici di riferimento e dalla verifica dei dati forniti sulla disponibilità di risorse termiche e sul fabbisogno degli edifici cui la Centrale fornirà energia termica per il riscaldamento ed il raffrescamento. I risultati dell’Analisi permettono così di definire i parametri di base che la Centrale dovrà garantire e quindi di poter formulare la proposta progettuale per gli impianti da realizzare e che si basa sull'uso di tecnologie avanzate per massimizzare l'efficienza energetica. 6 Si prosegue con la descrizione degli impianti per la Produzione di Calore e per la Produzione del Freddo, del Circuito delle Torre Evaporative, e degli altri impianti che sono a servizio della centrale stessa, come l’impianto Antincendio, l’impianto Elettrico ed il Sistema di Controllo Centralizzato, un sistema BMS dedicato alla gestione della Centrale. Conclude il lavoro l’esposizione dello Schema funzionale della Centrale Termica in cui si disegnano le relazioni tra le varie parti tecnologiche in relazione ai flussi in ingresso ed i fabbisogni delle utenze del Tecnopolo

Leisure as a Facilitator of Posttraumatic Growth in Individuals Living with Cancer

Although there is a growing body of literature that shifts the focus of chronic illness and trauma research to personal growth, there is limited literature on the role that leisure has in this process (e.g., Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004). This qualitative study explored the role of leisure in the phenomenon of posttraumatic growth (PTG) for individuals living with cancer. The findings revealed that leisure influences PTG in four domains: (a) building meaningful relationships, (b) providing experiences to develop and maintain a sense of self, (c) creating opportunities to experience positive emotions, and (d) finding purpose in life. Findings provide insight on how individuals living with cancer perceive the role that leisure has in facilitating positive change after diagnosis. These findings will better enable healthcare and leisure providers to understand the unique needs of individuals living with cancer, and help them to facilitate meaningful leisure programs to encourage PTG

CARBON MARKET AND SUSTAINABILITY, BY NATASHA TRENNEPOHL

Natasha Trennepohl é advogada brasileira e completou seu doutorado na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Humboldt, estudando o tema do Mercado de Carbono. Na sua obra Mercado de Carbono e Sustentabilidade, ela apresenta o contexto histórico e os conceitos relevantes para orientar o desenvolvimento de um processo regulatório no Brasil, tendo como base o sistema europeu. O estudo é de grande valia para aqueles envolvidos nas políticas e normatizações do mercado de créditos de carbono, mas de suma importância no contexto econômico e regulatório do mercado global de comodities considerando o potencial estabelecimento de uma nova barreira comercial internacional.Natasha Trennepohl es una abogada brasileña que completó su doctorado en la Escuela de Derecho de la Universidad Humboldt estudiando el tema del mercado de carbono. En su libro Carbon Market and Sustainability, presenta el contexto histórico y los conceptos relevantes para guiar el desarrollo de un proceso regulador en Brasil, basado en el sistema europeo. El estudio es de gran valor para aquellos involucrados en la política y regulación del mercado de créditos de carbono, pero de suma importancia en el contexto económico y regulador del mercado global de commodities, considerando el potencial establecimiento de una nueva barrera comercial internacional.Natasha Trennepohl is a Brazilian lawyer who completed her doctorate at Humboldt University Law School studying the topic of the carbon market. In her book Carbon Market and Sustainability, she presents the historical context and relevant concepts to guide the development of a regulatory process in Brazil, based on the European system. The study is of great value to those involved in the politics and regulation of the carbon credits market, but of utmost importance in the economic and regulatory context of the global commodities market considering the potential establishment of a new international trade barrier

10 anos do projeto de extensão Biogama/ FUP e suas contribuições para a conscientização ambiental através da reciclagem do óleo residual de fritura

O papel da Universidade como agente formadora e difusora de conhecimento é fundamental na conscientização ambiental da sociedade, informando a comunidade e transformando atitudes. Nesse contexto, há 10 anos, foi criado o projeto Biogama/FUP que utiliza o tema do descarte de óleo de cozinha usado para promover a educação ambiental da comunidade, principalmente, de Planaltina/DF e entorno. Por meio de palestras e oficinas, o projeto difunde a importância da preservação do meio ambiente e da reciclagem de materiais que não serão mais utilizados, ensinando a fazer sabão, velas e outros produtos a partir do óleo de cozinha usado