Interaction of carbon reduction and green energy promotion in a small fossil-fuel importing economy

We study the incidence of carbon-reduction and green-energy promotion policies in a general equilibrium small open economy that depends on imports of fossil fuels. The focus is on mixed policies that are either price based (emissions taxes and producer price subsidies for green energy) or quantity based (schemes of trading emissions and green certificates). Policy instruments directed head-on toward promoting green energy are shown to also reduce carbon emissions and vice versa but the direct effects are stronger than the side effects, the more so, the greater is the elasticity of substitution in consumption between energy and consumption goods. We calculate the effects of variations in individual policy parameters on all endogenous variables, among them the energy price and the welfare costs. We also determine the impact of exogenous fossil-fuel price shocks on the economy

Interaction of carbon reduction and green energy promotion in a small fossil-fuel importing economy

We study the incidence of carbon-reduction and green-energy promotion policies in an open fossil-fuel importing general equilibrium economy. The focus is on mixed price-based or quantity-based policies. Instruments directed toward promoting green energy are shown to reduce also carbon emissions and vice versa. Their direct effects are stronger than their side effects, the more so, the greater is the elasticity of substitution in consumption between en-ergy and the consumption good. We calculate the effects of variations in individual policy parameters, especially on energy prices and welfare costs, and determine the impact of exoge-nous fossil-fuel price shocks on the economy

Puesta en marcha de los criterios de EDS para el inventario de lugares de aprendizaje de EDS fuera de la escuela en Renania-Palatinado

Mithilfe einer zweistufigen Analyse wurden außerschulische Lernorte erfasst, die deutliche Bezüge zum Konzept einer Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (BNE) aufweisen. Dabei wurden selbst entwickelte BNE-Kriterien als methodisches Instrument in Form einer BNE Checkliste für außerschulische Lernorte operationalisiert. Die auf diesem Wege gewonnenen Daten liefern eine Grundlage für die Erstellung einer Datenbank von außerschulischen Lernorten mit BNE-Bezug. Eine Visualisierung der Daten zeigt folgendes räumliches Verteilungsmuster: Neben Landkreisen und kreisfreien Städten mit einer Vielzahl an BNE-Lernorten koexistieren Regionen mit Defiziten. Des Weiteren zeigt sich eine Häufung von BNE-Lernorten in stadt- und waldnahen Gebieten.With the help of a two-stage analysis, out-of-school places of learning were recorded that show clear references to the concept of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). In the process, self-developed ESD criteria were operationalised as a methodological tool in the form of an ESD checklist for out-of-school learning places. The data obtained in this way provides a basis for the creation of a database of out-of-school learning places with ESD relevance. A visualisation of the data shows the following spatial distribution pattern: In addition to districts and independent cities with a large number of ESD learning places, regions with deficits coexist. Furthermore, there is an accumulation of ESD learning sites in areas close to cities and forests.Con la ayuda de un análisis en dos etapas, se registraron los lugares de aprendizaje extracurriculares que muestran claras referencias al concepto de Educación para el Desarrollo Sostenible (EDS). En el proceso, los criterios de EDS elaborados por ellos mismos se hicieron operativos como herramienta metodológica en forma de lista de comprobación de la EDS para los lugares de aprendizaje extraescolar. Los datos obtenidos de este modo sirven de base para la creación de una base de datos de lugares de aprendizaje extraescolar con relevancia para la EDS. Una visualización de los datos muestra el siguiente patrón de distribución espacial: además de distritos y ciudades independientes con un gran número de plazas de aprendizaje de EDS, coexisten regiones con déficit. Además, se acumulan los lugares de aprendizaje de la EDS en las zonas cercanas a las ciudades y los bosques.Peer Reviewe

Desarrollo de criterios EDS para la visualización y la evaluación del proceso de implementación en conceptos de Educación (Ambiental)

Seit einigen Jahren finden BNE-Zertifizierungsverfahren an pädagogischen Bildungseinrichtungen statt, die dem Appell folgen, BNE stärker strukturell im Bildungssystem zu implementieren (z.B. Nachhaltige Universität, BNE-Lernorte). In diesem Zusammenhang erweist sich das Fehlen einer universalen BNE-Definition als problematisch. Diese Publikation stellt einen theoriebasierten Untersuchungsansatz vor, der mithilfe einer Recherche von BNE-Dokumenten zunächst inhaltliche Gemeinsamkeiten aufzeigt. Um dem Ziel einer kategorial theoretischen Verdichtung näher zu kommen, wurden besonders relevante Textstellen qualitativ erfasst und Kodierungsprozesse vorgenommen. Im Ergebnis wurden sechzehn BNE-Kriterien generiert, die als eine Art Referenzsystem verwendet werden können, um Implementierungsprozesse von BNE, insbesondere an außerschulischen Lernorten, sichtbar zu machen.For some years now, ESD certification procedures have been taking place in pedagogical educational institutions, following the call to implement ESD more structurally in the educational system (e.g. Sustainable University, ESD learning places). In this context, the lack of a universal definition of ESD proves to be problematic. This publication presents a theory-based research approach that uses a search of ESD documents to identify commonalities in content. In order to come closer to the goal of categorical theoretical condensation, particularly relevant text passages were qualitatively recorded, and coding processes were carried out. As a result, sixteen ESD criteria were generated, which can be used as a kind of reference system in order to make implementation processes of ESD more visible, especially in out-of-school places of learningDesde hace algunos años, los procedimientos de certificación de EDS se llevan a cabo en instituciones educativas, intentando implementarlo de manera más estructural en el sistema educativo (por ejemplo, Universidad Sostenible, lugares de aprendizaje de EDS). En este contexto, la falta de una definición universal de EDS resulta ser un problema. Esta publicación presenta un enfoque de investigación basado en la teoría que utiliza una búsqueda de documentos EDS para identificar elementos comunes en el contenido. Para ello, se identificaron cualitativamente fragmentos de relevantes de texto y se llevaron a cabo procesos de codificación. Como resultado se generaron dieciséis criterios de EDS que pueden usarse como sistema de referencia para hacer que los procesos de implementación de EDS sean más visibles, especialmente en lugares de aprendizaje fuera del colegio

Planetary Health in der Bildung: Ein Beitrag zur nachhaltigen Transformation in städtischen und ländlichen Räumen

Transformationsprozesse können nur gelingen, wenn sie von Bürgerinnen und Bürgern sowie Akteurinnen und Akteuren vor Ort akzeptiert und partizipativ mitgestaltet werden. Wie eine notwendige Transformation vor dem Hintergrund anthropogen bedingter Klimaveränderungen kommuniziert und zielführend begleitet werden kann, zeigt der Ansatz der Planetaren Gesundheit (Planetary Health, kurz: PH), der bislang im deutschen Bildungsbereich wenig berücksichtigt wurde. Auf Grundlage eines integrativen Naturverständnisses werden der Mensch und seine Gesundheit als Teil der Natur betrachtet und in Bezug auf die Wechselwirkungen zwischen Gesellschaft und Umwelt eine individuelle Ebene der Betroffenheit aufgezeigt. Der Beitrag legt die spezifischen Potenziale dieses Ansatzes für konkrete Bildungsangebote dar. Ausgehend vom Konzept der Systemkompetenz zeigt er, wie sich Planetary Health in das etablierte Konzept einer Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (BNE) integrieren lässt. Während im Kontext des Klimawandels der Fokus bisheriger Konzeptionen auf der Minderung von Klimawandelfolgen (Mitigation) lag, widmen sich die vorgestellten Beispiele insbesondere der Anpassung an diese (Adaption), etwa bezüglich der gesundheitlichen Auswirkungen von Hitzeinseleffekten und Neobiota auf Menschen in ruralen und urbanen Räumen.Transformation processes can only be successful if they are accepted by local citizens and actors and are shaped in a participatory manner. The approach of Planetary Health (PH) demonstrates how a necessary transformation in the context of anthropogenically induced climate change can be communicated and accompanied in a targeted way. Based on an integrative understanding of nature, humans and their health are seen as part of nature and an individual level of concern is shown in relation to the interactions between society and the environment. The article sets out the specific potentials of this approach for specific educational offers. Based on the concept of system competence, it shows how Planetary Health can be integrated into the established concept of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). While in the context of climate change the focus of previous concepts has been on mitigation, the examples presented are dedicated in particular to adaptation, for example with regard to the impacts of heat island effects and neobiota on the health of people in rural and urban areas

Virulence-associated protein A from Rhodococcus equi is an intercompartmental pH-neutralising virulence factor

Professional phagocytic cells such as macrophages are a central part of innate immune defence. They ingest microorganisms into membrane-bound compartments (phagosomes), which acidify and eventually fuse with lysosomes, exposing their contents to a microbicidal environment. Gram-positive Rhodococcus equi can cause pneumonia in young foals and in immunocompromised humans. The possession of a virulence plasmid allows them to subvert host defence mechanisms and to multiply in macrophages. Here, we show that the plasmid-encoded and secreted virulence-associated protein A (VapA) participates in exclusion of the proton-pumping vacuolar-ATPase complex from phagosomes and causes membrane permeabilisation, thus contributing to a pH-neutral phagosome lumen. Using fluorescence and electron microscopy, we show that VapA is also transferred from phagosomes to lysosomes where it permeabilises the limiting membranes for small ions such as protons. This permeabilisation process is different from that of known membrane pore formers as revealed by experiments with artificial lipid bilayers. We demonstrate that, at 24 hr of infection, virulent R. equi is contained in a vacuole, which is enriched in lysosome material, yet possesses a pH of 7.2 whereas phagosomes containing a vapA deletion mutant have a pH of 5.8 and those with virulence plasmid-less sister strains have a pH of 5.2. Experimentally neutralising the macrophage endocytic system allows avirulent R. equi to multiply. This observation is mirrored in the fact that virulent and avirulent R. equi multiply well in extracts of purified lysosomes at pH 7.2 but not at pH 5.1. Together these data indicate that the major function of VapA is to generate a pH-neutral and hence growth-promoting intracellular niche. VapA represents a new type of Gram-positive virulence factor by trafficking from one subcellular compartment to another, affecting membrane permeability, excluding proton-pumping ATPase, and consequently disarming host defences

Chronic coronary syndromes without standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes: the CLARIFY registry

Background and Aims: It has been reported that patients without standard modifiable cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (SMuRFs—diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and smoking) presenting with first myocardial infarction (MI), especially women, have a higher in-hospital mortality than patients with risk factors, and possibly a lower long-term risk provided they survive the post-infarct period. This study aims to explore the long-term outcomes of SMuRF-less patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: CLARIFY is an observational cohort of 32 703 outpatients with stable CAD enrolled between 2009 and 2010 in 45 countries. The baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with and without SMuRFs were compared. The primary outcome was a composite of 5-year CV death or non-fatal MI. Secondary outcomes were 5-year all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE—CV death, non-fatal MI, or non-fatal stroke). Results: Among 22 132 patients with complete risk factor and outcome information, 977 (4.4%) were SMuRF-less. Age, sex, and time since CAD diagnosis were similar across groups. SMuRF-less patients had a lower 5-year rate of CV death or non-fatal MI (5.43% [95% CI 4.08–7.19] vs. 7.68% [95% CI 7.30–8.08], P = 0.012), all-cause mortality, and MACE. Similar results were found after adjustments. Clinical event rates increased steadily with the number of SMuRFs. The benefit of SMuRF-less status was particularly pronounced in women. Conclusions: SMuRF-less patients with stable CAD have a substantial but significantly lower 5-year rate of CV death or non-fatal MI than patients with risk factors. The risk of CV outcomes increases steadily with the number of risk factors