Landscape and Environment: Social Acceptance of Wind Energy in Apulia and Basilicata Regions

The present paper is centred on the issue of social (or public) acceptance of renewable energy. Due to the climate change at global level, governments are showing an increasing interest in the adoption of renewable energy policies. Nonetheless, social acceptance to renewable energy still represents an obstacle to these policies. This is particularly true for wind energy. Generally, a wind farm project could alter the aesthetic view of a territory and rise an active opposition to its development. Furthermore, the lack of knowledge and the lack of trust towards the technology and the institutions could undermine a wind energy project. The paper critically reviews the public acceptance of renewable energy with a particular emphasis on wind energy, and examines the main factors determining the success or the failure of a wind energy project and their importance to support the decision making process. The issue of social acceptance is studied through a survey carried out in the regions of Apulia and Basilicata, in the South of Italy. The rationale behind the choice of these regions is that they are represent, particularly in the case of Apulia, a large portion of the wind energy installation capacity in Italy. Additionally, an ANOVA analysis is performed to assess whether similarities exist across these regions. Finally, the social acceptance of wind energy is discussed in the light of the particular territorial context of the two regions

Assessment of the Bioavailability and Speciation of Heavy Metal(loid)s and Hydrocarbons for Risk-Based Soil Remediation

For the assessment of the environmental and sanitary risks deriving from contamination of agricultural soils, it is crucial to identify and characterize the contaminants and study the soil chemical properties influencing their mobility and bioavailability. This information is essential for the selection of the best site remediation and securing strategy. The study site of this work is agricultural land of 6 ha in the province of Naples (Italy) subject to the past illegal burial of industrial wastes, principally from tanneries. With the aim of identifying the contaminants and assessing their mobility and bioavailability, the soil of the site was characterized for the main chemical and physical properties and for the concentration of potentially toxic elements and hydrocarbons. The readily and potentially bioavailable fractions of the main metal contaminants and their distribution in the soil geochemical fractions were determined by extraction in 1 M of NH4NO3, 0.05 M of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) pH 7, and European Community Bureau of Reference (EU-BCR) sequential fractionation. Further, the speciation of heavy hydrocarbons and chromium was carried out. The agricultural soil was widely contaminated by chromium, zinc, and heavy hydrocarbons (up to 4487, 1846, and 1800 mg/kg, respectively). In some sub-areas, contaminations by cadmium, lead, and copper (up to 283, 417, and 1183 mg/kg, respectively) were also observed. The chromium was found to be scarcely mobile and bioavailable and was mainly associated with the oxidizable, residual, and reducible fractions of the soil (on average 56%, 25%, and 19% of the total, respectively). However, chromium speciation revealed the presence of a significant amount of highly toxic Cr(VI) (above the legal threshold of 2 mg/kg), despite the low oxidizing power of the soil. Zinc was more mobile and bioavailable than chromium and was mainly distributed among the acetic acid-extractable and reducible fractions of the soil (on average 28% and 47% of the total, respectively). Cadmium was found to be very mobile and bioavailable, and was mainly distributed in the acetic acid-extractable and reducible fractions of the soil (on average 40% and 45% of the total). The speciation of heavy hydrocarbons showed that they consist almost entirely of long-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons, considered not very toxic and immobile. These results suggest that the use of not-edible plant coverage might be the best securing and remediation action for the study site, with the potential to preserve the soil ecosystem services, contain the risk of soil erosion and particle dispersion, and phytoextract the bioavailable metals

The Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services of Biodiversity Components in Protected Areas: A Review for a Framework of Analysis for the Gargano National Park

Protected areas play an important role in the conservation and protection of biodiversity of particular territories, especially of ecosystems that provide resources for living organisms, including human beings. Different studies highlight the importance of biodiversity and its associated benefits in terms of ecosystem services of protected areas. The economic assessment of ecosystem services and biodiversity becomes a viable solution to help the policy maker to make decisions on the environmental preservation of these areas according to the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Nonetheless, very few studies provide an economic evaluation of the benefits of protected areas. To advance the current debate on the economic evaluation of the benefits provided by protected areas, the present paper purposes an integrated approach. It presents an overview of main ecosystem services’ mapping techniques currently available to researchers and policy makers and offers a systematic review carried out for the period 2015–2020 at an international level. The main findings are particularly attractive for the Gargano National Park (GNP) in the south of Italy, which is recognised as being a biodiversity hot spot at global level. The current study provides useful guidance for the assessment of trade-offs, the support to policy makers, and the provision of efficient allocation of public resources for protected area

La praxis de la movilización: voces colectivas

Este capítulo expone las voces colectivas de divers@s activistas que formaron parte de la movilización del 15M en sus inicios. Estas voces se recogieron através de tres grupos de discusión que se realizaron en Sevilla, Madrid y Barcelona a principios del 2012. Nuestro interés inicial era analizar el proceso de construcción de la movilización con la pretensión de acercarnos al porqué se inicia el 15M y al porqué adquiere la potencialidad y fuerza que tuvo en sus primeros momentos. En otras palabras, ¿porqué ahora y porqué así? Para ello consideramos necesario atender a lo que sería la micro-política, en la que ocurre el proceso de socialización movimentista por parte de sus personas integrantes. Queríamos observar aquí la percepción subjetiva de las personas que participaron en el 15M acerca de los motivos, mecanismos y situaciones que causaron su participación y acerca de las opciones tomadas sobre los modos de participación política. La socialización de la indignación, el enfado o la decepción, sus principales reivindicaciones, sus modos de protesta, su identificación colectiva eran todos ellos elementos a tener en cuenta para este rastreo de la micro-política, del mismo modo que lo fueron las ideas fuerza de arranque de este movimiento (centradas en el modelo democrático y financiero actual) y la percepción y argumentación de las personas implicadas acerca deestas problemáticas iniciales. Con este objetivo, planteamos la realización de tres grupos, los cuales se hicieron en tres grandes ciudades del territorio del Estado español, donde la actividad de la movilización fue intensa. Concretamente, se optó por llevar acabo dos grupos (Sevilla y Barcelona) con personas que previamente al 15M no habían participado en otras movilizaciones, y otro grupo (Madrid) con personas que ya tenían una larga trayectoria previa de participación en movimientos sociales. Esta distinción, nos permitía ver de forma añadida cómo se produjo la confluencia entre estas dos corrientes y su posible peso como factor clave o no del éxito del devenir de la movilización en los primeros días. A su vez, la selección de las personas integrantes en los dos grupos de “nuevosactivistas” se guió por la paridad en términos de sexo, por la diversidad en la edad -que osciló entre los 20 y los 50 años de edad-, y por su espacio principal de participación, ya fuera temático como por barrios. En cuanto al nivel educativo, este fue alto –con estudios universitarios- tanto en Sevilla y enMadrid, mientras que en Barcelona se incluyó una mayor disparidad. En el grupo de Madrid además, primó la selección en base a la trayectoria previa y su vinculación con espacios de movilización como Jóvenes sin futuro, DRY, Izquierda anticapitalista, Traficantes de sueños y el movimiento feminista. Los grupos fueron dinamizados a partir de unos bloques temáticos generales establecidos a priori por nuestra parte, y sin apenas participación de sus moderadores para dejar fluir así los discursos y debates entre los y las participantes. Estos bloques fueron: a) el porqué de la entrada en la movilización, b) cómo se entra y despliega la participación, c) procesos de identificación con las propuestas, temas y discursos, d) el papel de las redes virtuales y físicas y e) el devenir y futuro de la movilización. En adelante, nuestra propuesta es exponer las voces colectivas que surgieron de este proceso de observación como material en bruto. Es decir que por nuestra parte, más que redactar este capítulo poniendo en primer termino la mirada analítica de quien quiere interpretar los factores clave que explican el porqué ahora y así del 15M a través de estas voces, las mostraremos de forma directa para que cada lector pueda extraer sus propias aproximaciones a dichas preguntas. Nuestra posición aquí, se limita entonces a organizar y exponer una muestra de los debates surgidos. Concretamente, hemos organizado esta muestra a partir de algunos temas generales que han aparecido de forma reiterada, los cuales se detectaron al hacer una primera lectura de las transcripciones. Creemos que a través de estos temas generales podemos ofrecer una muestra, que aunque pequeña en comparación con las más de 100 páginas transcritas de los grupos, puede ofrecer una visión rica para el lector de aquello que surgió en las conversaciones. Antes de dejar paso a estas voces2, queremos agradecer enormemente a todas y todos los que participaron en los grupos por el relato valioso que nos exponen y las posibilidades de interpretación que nos brindan

The health and economic burden of smoking in 12 Latin American countries and the potential effect of increasing tobacco taxes: an economic modelling study

Background: Worldwide, smoking tobacco causes 7 million deaths annually, and this toll is expected to increase, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. In Latin America, smoking is a leading risk factor for death and disability, contributes to poverty, and imposes an economic burden on health systems. Despite being one of the most effective measures to reduce smoking, tobacco taxation is underused and cigarettes are more affordable in Latin America than in other regions. Our aim was to estimate the tobacco-attributable burden on mortality, disease incidence, quality of life lost, and medical costs in 12 Latin American countries, and the expected health and economic effects of increasing tobacco taxes. Methods: In this modelling study, we developed a Markov probabilistic microsimulation economic model of the natural history, medical costs, and quality-of-life losses associated with the most common tobacco-related diseases in 12 countries in Latin America. Data inputs were obtained through a literature review, vital statistics, and hospital databases from each country: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. The main outcomes of the model are life-years, quality-adjusted life-years, disease events, hospitalisations, disease incidence, disease cost, and healthy years of life lost. We estimated direct medical costs for each tobacco-related disease included in the model using a common costing methodology for each country. The disease burden was estimated as the difference in disease events, deaths, and associated costs between the results predicted by the model for current smoking prevalence and a hypothetical cohort of people in each country who had never smoked. The model estimates the health and financial effects of a price increase of cigarettes through taxes, in terms of disease and health-care costs averted, and increased tax revenues. Findings: In the 12 Latin American countries analysed, we estimated that smoking is responsible for approximately 345 000 (12%) of the total 2 860 921 adult deaths, 2·21 million disease events, 8·77 million healthy years of life lost, and $26·9 billion in direct medical costs annually. Health-care costs attributable to smoking were estimated to represent 6·9$26·7 billion in health-care costs in the next 10 years, with a total economic benefit of $43·7 billion. Interpretation: Smoking represents a substantial health and economic burden in these 12 countries of Latin America. Tobacco tax increases could successfully avert deaths and disability, reduce health-care spending, and increase tax revenues, resulting in large net economic benefits.Fil: Pichón-riviere, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública; ArgentinaFil: Alcaraz, Andrea. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria; ArgentinaFil: Palacios, Alfredo. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez, Belén. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria; ArgentinaFil: Reynales Shigematsu, Luz Myriam. Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública; MéxicoFil: Pinto, Márcia. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Castillo Riquelme, Marianela. Ministerio de Salud; ChileFil: Peña Torres, Esperanza. Instituto de Evaluación Tecnológica En Salud; ColombiaFil: Osorio, Diana Isabel. Instituto de Evaluación Tecnológica en Salud; ColombiaFil: Huayanay, Leandro. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; PerúFil: Loza Munarriz, Cesar. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; PerúFil: Sáenz de Miera-Juárez, Belén. Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur; MéxicoFil: Gallegos Rivero, Verónica. Centro Nacional de Excelencia Tecnológica en Salud; MéxicoFil: De La Puente, Catherine. Universidad de La Frontera; ChileFil: Navia Bueno, María del Pilar. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; BoliviaFil: Caporale, Joaquín. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria; ArgentinaFil: Roberti, Javier Eugenio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública; ArgentinaFil: Virgilio, Sacha Alexis. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria; ArgentinaFil: Augustovski, Federico Ariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública; ArgentinaFil: Bardach, Ariel Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública; Argentin

Investigating Instructor Talk in Novel Contexts: Widespread Use, Unexpected Categories, and an Emergent Sampling Strategy.

Instructor Talk-noncontent language used by instructors in classrooms-is a recently defined and promising variable for better understanding classroom dynamics. Having previously characterized the Instructor Talk framework within the context of a single course, we present here our results surrounding the applicability of the Instructor Talk framework to noncontent language used by instructors in novel course contexts. We analyzed Instructor Talk in eight additional biology courses in their entirety and in 61 biology courses using an emergent sampling strategy. We observed widespread use of Instructor Talk with variation in the amount and category type used. The vast majority of Instructor Talk could be characterized using the originally published Instructor Talk framework, suggesting the robustness of this framework. Additionally, a new form of Instructor Talk-Negatively Phrased Instructor Talk, language that may discourage students or distract from the learning process-was detected in these novel course contexts. Finally, the emergent sampling strategy described here may allow investigation of Instructor Talk in even larger numbers of courses across institutions and disciplines. Given its widespread use, potential influence on students in learning environments, and ability to be sampled, Instructor Talk may be a key variable to consider in future research on teaching and learning in higher education

Collectively Improving Our Teaching: Attempting Biology Department–wide Professional Development in Scientific Teaching

Many efforts to improve science teaching in higher education focus on a few faculty members at an institution at a time, with limited published evidence on attempts to engage faculty across entire departments. We created a long-term, department-wide collaborative professional development program, Biology Faculty Explorations in Scientific Teaching (Biology FEST). Across 3 years of Biology FEST, 89% of the department's faculty completed a weeklong scientific teaching institute, and 83% of eligible instructors participated in additional semester-long follow-up programs. A semester after institute completion, the majority of Biology FEST alumni reported adding active learning to their courses. These instructor self-reports were corroborated by audio analysis of classroom noise and surveys of students in biology courses on the frequency of active-learning techniques used in classes taught by Biology FEST alumni and nonalumni. Three years after Biology FEST launched, faculty participants overwhelmingly reported that their teaching was positively affected. Unexpectedly, most respondents also believed that they had improved relationships with departmental colleagues and felt a greater sense of belonging to the department. Overall, our results indicate that biology department-wide collaborative efforts to develop scientific teaching skills can indeed attract large numbers of faculty, spark widespread change in teaching practices, and improve departmental relations

The Covid-19 Pandemic and European Trade Patterns: A Sectoral Analysis

This paper examines how the Covid-19 pandemic affected European trade patterns. Specifically, dynamic panel data models are estimated to assess the effects on exports and imports of various sectors and products (selected on the basis of their trading volume or strategic importance) of the restrictions and of other policy measures adopted by national governments during the crisis. The results suggest that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was heterogeneous across sectors and product types, both the initial drop and the subsequent rebound being different depending on sectoral characteristics and the degree of resilience. In particular, trade flows of durable products were more significantly affected by the pandemic compared to those of non-durable ones