Financial Risk, Innovation and Alternative Pathways to Decarbonising the Energy System in 2050

There is a lot of forward looking work attempting to envisage the decarbonised energy system of the future as reflected with current interest in 'smart grids'. A central tenet behind most visions of the 'smart grids' of the future are the price signals that financial and commodity markets will deliver to facilitate effective and efficient resource allocation. Most of these visions take stylised and static views of financial and commodity markets despite the fact that these markets are experiencing dramatic change due to innovation and regulation. Accordingly, the paper maps the risks associated in the fusion of financial innovation with innovation in the energy system through a theoretical framework that draws on evolutionary models of paradigm shift. Risks to both the financial and energy systems are characterised as either emanating from primary or secondary markets and these are explored in terms of alternative visions of the energy system in the long run

Reconciling WTP to actual adoption of green energy tariffs: A diffusion model of an induced environmental marke

This paper develops a formal model that links the willingness to pay (WTP) literature with the established innovation diffusion literature. This concern arises from an attempt to reconcile the large disparities that have been observed between actual adoption of green energy tariffs and WTP for such tariffs. These disparities have often been attributed to upward response bias and the free rider problem. However, empirical research indicates that other factors have hindered the development of green energy markets, including supply side problems and poor regulation. Using an epidemic diffusion framework our model shows how increasing consumer environmental concern driven by word of mouth and mass media communication channels results in a growing number of people who state they are WTP for green energy. The presence of upward response bias and the free rider problem result in 'feasible adoption' being below stated WTP. Feasible adoption is, in turn, differentiated from actual adoption by the extent of market imperfections. It is concluded that; (1) the potential of such markets may take time to reap and that the low penetration rates of today may reflect a conventional diffusion trajectory and (2); low and stable energy prices appear to be a precondition if consumers are to contribute substantively to the funding of renewables investments through green tariffs.Willingness-to-pay, innovation diffusion, green energy, environmental valuation

Modeling Urban Freight Generation: A Study of Commercial Establishments’ Freight Needs

Increasing urbanization, and the environmental and liveability impacts associated with urban activity, have directed attention to the need for sustainable cities. Achieving sustainable urban development requires including freight systems in strategic urban development plans. In this context, joint efforts involving academia and public- and private sector to collect the right data and develop suitable models, can contribute toward a better understanding of establishments’ freight needs, the quantification of freight’s traffic impacts and the development of appropriate methods to support decision making and strategic plans. This paper studies urban commercial establishments’ freight needs and impacts on traffic using data collected from establishments in the City of Gothenburg (Sweden). The data cover different zones of the city and include commercial sectors found typically in urban cores (e.g., retailers, food services, health care, public sector offices and education). The paper introduces a set of statistical models—developed based on regression analyses and discrete choice models—to estimate the number of freight trips produced and attracted per week, and the attraction of weight and volumes of freight. In addition to shed light on the factors determining establishments’ freight- and freight trips generation, the models are designed with the purpose of assisting planning and policy design efforts, thus the explanatory variables are selected based on suitability and availability. The results show that retailers of perishable goods have the highest freight trip generation per establishment, followed by public sector offices and education establishments, retailers of non-perishable goods and restaurants. The results also reveal a heterogeneity between sectors, and a differential business size effect across commercial sectors

Development of a biodegradable nerve regeneration cuff

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/3325737

Assessing the magnitude of freight traffic generated by office deliveries

This paper studies the impact of offices on urban freight traffic. Research on freight activity generated by offices is very limited because they are not seen as important contributors to urban freight traffic, and because the amount of deliveries per office is very small compared to the number of deliveries per establishment in freight-intensive sectors (e.g., retail, wholesale, manufacturing). However, the number of offices in cities is so large that altogether they represent a significant share of urban deliveries and generate a nonnegligible share of urban freight traffic. Hence, the relevance of quantifying their freight trip generation. This paper uses the City of Stockholm as a case study. The author collected data from offices and other establishments, estimated regression models and applied them to the city. The results show that offices represent 36% of establishments in Stockholm, 62% of employees and are responsible for 15% of freight trips generated in the city

Implicancias de la resiliencia espacial en la prestación de servicios ambientales en cuencas norandinas

La acelerada transformación de los ecosistemas naturales en el mundo, ha traído graves consecuencias sobre la prestación de los servicios ambientales a familias campesinas. Como resultado de las condiciones históricas del mercado, los espacios humanos han entrado en conflicto con los elementos sistémicos que soportan la provisión de agua en la laguna de Fúquene. Para abordar los procesos que llevan al desabastecimiento de agua, la desertificación de la cuenca y la desecación de la laguna, este artículo tiene como objetivo el análisis de la dimensión biótica, tenencia de la tierra, los modos de producción, la conectividad social y la vulnerabilidad como agrupantes de elementos dinamizadores del sistema. Como resultado se encuentra que, indicadores de Agotamiento, Desertificación y Vulnerabilización, están en el umbral crítico que definirá el futuro del flujo natural del aguaFil: Castro Diaz, Ivan Ricardo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Geografia "Romualdo Ardissone"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Evaluation of MODIS Land products for air temperature estimations in Colombia

El producto moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) land-surface temperature/emissivity (LST ) es a menudo utilizado en estudios meteorológicos para evaluaciones en tiempo cuasireal. Colombia requiere de un manejo prospectivo de sus ecosistemas productivos, sin embargo no existe una alta densidad de mediciones para la temperatura de la superficie (temperatura del aire a 2 m). La validación clásica de los productos MODIS incluye trabajo de campo para la calibración y la medición de las diferencias entre los radiómetros y el sensor MODIS. Para esta investigación, los datos del producto LST de MODIS son comparados con estaciones climatológicas usando técnicas de regresión múltiple para aumentar la exactitud de MODIS LST en conjunto con los productos MOD09GA , MOD17A2, MOD15A2 y MOD13A2 como parámetros auxiliares (variables explicativas) dentro del modelo final. Las mediciones terrestres se realizaron en la zona Caribe, Casanare y Valle del Cauca, usando las estaciones agroclimatológicas en la primera temporada seca de 2007 y los datos MODIS en versión diaria. El índice de vegetación aumentado, la porción de radiación activa fotosintética y la fotosíntesis neta son incluidas en el modelo final como estimadores del parámetro clave para la temperatura del aire: la vegetación. Finalmente dos factores son propuestos para la estimación de la temperatura de la superficie-LST : ángulo cenit del sensor y ángulo cenit del sol, que registran los cambios en la reflectancia de la vegetación y la sensibilidad del sensor.The moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) land-surface temperature/emissivity (LST) product is often used for studies in meteorology due to its ability for near realtime evaluations. Colombia, as a country requires a prospective management for its productive ecosystems, but currently does not have sufficient spatially-distributed field data for air temperature at 2-m above the ground. The traditional validation of MODIS products includes field campaigns for calibrating and measuring differences between the satellite sensor and radiometers. For this research, the LST data on the ground was compared with climatologic stations using multiple regression techniques for improving the accuracy of the LST from MODIS, using MOD09GA, MOD17A2, MOD15A2, MOD13A2 as ancillary parameters (explanatory variables) in the final model. The ground measurements were obtained in the Caribbean zone and the Casanare and Valle del Cauca departments in Colombia, using agroclimatic stations in the first dry season of 2007 and daily MODIS data. Enhanced vegetation index, fraction of photosynthetically active radiation, and net photosynthesis were included in the final model for explaining the vegetation as a key parameter for air temperature. Finally, two factors were proposed for LST estimation: sensor zenith angle and solar zenith angle due to the reflectance of the vegetation and sensitivity of the sensor.Fil: Castro Diaz, Ivan Ricardo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Geografia "Romualdo Ardissone"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Territorial Implications of Payment of Ecosystem Services (PES) Programs in the North Andean Watersheds

Tras la promoción del desarrollo sostenible, la pugna por la conservación de los espacios naturales o semi-intervenidos ha buscado programas que integren el crecimiento económico, los flujos ecosistémicos y el mejoramiento de las condiciones socioeconómicas de comunidades locales. Ante esto, las naciones latinoamericanas han creado marcos políticos de pago por servicios ambientales (PSA); empero, existe un vacío empírico en las implicaciones territoriales que tienen estos programas en determinados sistemas socioecológicos históricamente funcionales para el campesinado. Este artículo identifica los "supuestos" que fomentan los programas PSA en América Latina y analiza teóricamente las implicancias territoriales del cambio de uso del suelo sobre la titulación de tierras, el poder y el equilibrio, las estructuras comunitarias, la exclusión e inequidad social, la resignificación de los elementos territoriales y la lógica del nuevo mercado.Após a promoção do desenvolvimento sustentável, a luta pela conservação dos espaços naturais ou semi-interceptados vem buscando programas que integrem o crescimento econômico, os fluxos ecossistêmicos e o melhoramento das condições socioeconômicas de comunidades locais. Diante disso, as nações latino-americanas criaram referenciais políticos de pagamento por serviços ambientais (PSA); contudo, existe um vazio empírico nas implicações territoriais que têm esses programas em determinados sistemas socioecológicos historicamente funcionais para o campesinato. Este artigo identifica os "supostos" que fomentam os programas PSA na América Latina e analisa teoricamente as implicações territoriais da mudança de uso do solo sobre a titulação de terras, o poder e o equilíbrio, as estruturas comunitárias, a exclusão e inequidade social, a ressignificação dos elementos territoriais e a lógica do novo mercado.In the context of the promotion of sustainable development, the struggle for the conservation of natural or partially intervened spaces has fostered programs that integrate economic growth, ecosystem flows, and the improvement of the socioeconomic conditions of local communities. In view of this, Latin American nations have created policy frameworks for the Payment of Ecosystem Services (PES), but there is an empirical void regarding the territorial implications of these programs on certain socio-ecological systems that are historically functional for the rural populations. The article identifies the "assumptions" fostered by PES programs in Latin America and carries out a theoretical analysis of the territorial implications of changes in land use for land titling projects, power and equilibrium, community structures, exclusion and social inequality, the reattribution of meaning to territorial elements, and the logic of the new market.Fil: Castro Diaz, Ivan Ricardo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Geografia "Romualdo Ardissone"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Managing household freight: The impact of online shopping on residential freight trips

Freight transport management and planning traditionally relies on freight transport models. However, e -commerce has changed the way freight is transported and requires a paradigm shift in such models. In contrast to conventional purchases in physical outlets, there is a spatial and temporal disconnection between the purchase and the reception of goods bought online. While traditionally the shopper brings home the purchases, the courier, express and parcel (CEP) sector must bridge this leg for the online retail channel by delivering the parcel to the household. These new type of freight trips have been ignored in the literature on freight modeling. Given the increasing number of urban freight trips destined for households, this omission implies significant errors when demonstrating transport impacts, identifying potential innovations, or assessing policy initiatives with these models. Therefore, we develop a framework that demonstrates how households\u27 online consumption translates into freight trips. Three key factors in this framework seem to determine the magnitude of freight traffic originated by household\u27s online shopping: (i) consumer shopping behavior, (ii) the supplier network and distribution system designed by the online store, and (iii) the fragmentation of the CEP market and the density of the delivery network. The identification of these three key factors provides a framework for policy action to mitigate the impact of household freight

Spatial Approach for Modeling Tropospheric Ozone and Its Interaction with the Infrared Wave and Temperature in Bogotá, Colombia

The human activities increase the global emissions, especially those resulting from industrial activities in urban areas. The tropospheric ozone, which is a pollutant derived from the interaction of the chemical smog under the solar radiation impact, is being analyzed because of its palliative effect to the greenhouse phenomenon.The situation becomes strongly dangerous due to the consequences to the public sanitation and the radiative forcing increasing the superficial temperature under the cities’ smog. This layer retains the infrared and thermal waves causing a heat island effect.This research led a mixed methodology to combine the ETM+ sensor and the climate ground stations for describing the interaction between the urban pollution layer and the heat island phenomenon. A per-day ‘local’ dimming model was developed under four assumptions in order to understand the dynamics of the tropospheric ozone and the high temperatures.Fil: Castro Diaz, Ivan Ricardo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Geografía "Romualdo Ardissone"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin