Carbon Intensities of Economies from the Perspective of Learning Curves

While some countries have achieved considerable development, many others still lack accessto the goods and services considered standard in the modern society. As CO2 emissions and development are often correlated, this paper employs the theoretical background of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and the learning curves toolkit to analyze how carbon intensities have changed as countries move towards higher development (and cumulative wealth) levels. The EKC concept is then tested with the methodology of learning curves for the period between 1971 and 2010, so as to capture a dynamic picture of emissions trends and development. Results of both analyses reveal that empirical data fails to provide direct evidence of an EKC for emissions and development. The data does show, however, an interesting pattern in the dispersion of emissions levels for countries within the same HDI categories. While data does not show that countries grow more polluting during intermediary development stages, it does provide evidence that countries become more heterogeneous in their emission intensities as they develop, later re-converging to lower emission intensities at higher HDI levels. Learning rates also indicate heterogeneity among developing countries and relative convergence among developed countries. Given the heterogeneity of development paths among countries, the experiences of those which are managing to develop at low carbon intensities can prove valuable examples for ongoing efforts in climate change mitigation, especially in the developing world

Народна педагогіка в педагогічній спадщині Василя Сухомлинського

У статті автором відображено народознавчий аспект діяльності В. О.Сухомлинського, виокремлено прогресивні ідеї навчання й виховання дітей та молоді в сучасній національній школі

Green economy: Why optimism should be coupled with the skepticism of reason

The green economy initiative carries with it the optimistic view that the economy can and should be driven by investments in clean activities as opposed to the extraction of natural resources and polluting industries. However there are limits to the emphasis that is often put on efficiency improvements and on the substitution between sectors of an economy. For the economy to be green, the reduction in environmental impact per unit of GDP should be higher than GDP growth over a period. Even though recent evidence shows that some countries aparently passed the peak in the use of materials and energy, global extraction of natural resources and CO2 emissions has increased. A probable cause is that rich countries have outsourced polluting activities to poorer countries. It is time to bring the skepticism of reason to the debate and seriously discuss degrowth, not of GDP or of opportunities for human development, but of the global resource extration and carbon emissions.A iniciativa da economia verde carrega consigo o otimismo da vontade de que a economia pode e deve ser impulsionada por investimentos em atividades limpas em contraposição à extração de recursos naturais e à indústria poluente. No entanto, existem limites à ênfase que se coloca nos aumentos de eficiência e na substituição entre setores de uma economia. Para ser verde de fato, a redução no impacto ambiental por unidade do PIB deve ser maior do que o aumento do PIB num período. Mesmo que evidências recentes mostrem que alguns países já passaram do pico no uso de materiais e energia, globalmente a extração de recursos naturais e a emissão de CO2 só tem aumentado. Uma provável causa é porque países ricos têm terceirizado as atividades poluentes para países mais pobres. É hora de trazer o ceticismo da razão para o debate e discutir seriamente o decrescimento, não do PIB ou das oportunidades de desenvolvimento humano, mas da extração de recursos e da emissão de carbono globais

Державотворчі змагання ОУН – УПА в роки нацистської окупації України

(uk) У цій статті висвітлюються основні напрямки боротьби національно-патріотичних сил за становлення органів державного управління та місцевого самоврядування в Україні в період окупації її території військами нацистської Німеччини.(en) In this article basic directions of fight of nation - patriot forces light up for becoming of organs of state administration and local self-government in Ukraine in the period of occupation of its territory by the troops of nazi Germany

Shifting to Circular Manufacturing in the Global South: Challenges and Pathways

As the Global South shifts towards increased manufacturing, the negative effects on climate change and environmental pollution raise serious concerns. These global effects are increasingly felt locally, as reflected in health surveys throughout the Global South. The world cannot afford to wait for a natural development process to take place in which rising incomes might curb pollution. This article examines the challenges of reforming manufacturing in the Global South towards more sustainable practices. It also focuses on the lessons of the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Program (SMEP) which has funded a series of environmental improvement projects across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia aimed at reducing pollution in the manufacturing process. The lessons learned from these projects include the need to improve the tracking of the negative effects of the environmental damages caused by manufacturing and analyze the manufacturing supply chain processes to better identify potential points of intervention; as well as the need for more external financial and technical resources to expand these projects

3 years of liraglutide versus placebo for type 2 diabetes risk reduction and weight management in individuals with prediabetes: a randomised, double-blind trial

Background: Liraglutide 3·0 mg was shown to reduce bodyweight and improve glucose metabolism after the 56-week period of this trial, one of four trials in the SCALE programme. In the 3-year assessment of the SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes trial we aimed to evaluate the proportion of individuals with prediabetes who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Methods: In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adults with prediabetes and a body-mass index of at least 30 kg/m2, or at least 27 kg/m2 with comorbidities, were randomised 2:1, using a telephone or web-based system, to once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide 3·0 mg or matched placebo, as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Time to diabetes onset by 160 weeks was the primary outcome, evaluated in all randomised treated individuals with at least one post-baseline assessment. The trial was conducted at 191 clinical research sites in 27 countries and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01272219. Findings: The study ran between June 1, 2011, and March 2, 2015. We randomly assigned 2254 patients to receive liraglutide (n=1505) or placebo (n=749). 1128 (50%) participants completed the study up to week 160, after withdrawal of 714 (47%) participants in the liraglutide group and 412 (55%) participants in the placebo group. By week 160, 26 (2%) of 1472 individuals in the liraglutide group versus 46 (6%) of 738 in the placebo group were diagnosed with diabetes while on treatment. The mean time from randomisation to diagnosis was 99 (SD 47) weeks for the 26 individuals in the liraglutide group versus 87 (47) weeks for the 46 individuals in the placebo group. Taking the different diagnosis frequencies between the treatment groups into account, the time to onset of diabetes over 160 weeks among all randomised individuals was 2·7 times longer with liraglutide than with placebo (95% CI 1·9 to 3·9, p<0·0001), corresponding with a hazard ratio of 0·21 (95% CI 0·13–0·34). Liraglutide induced greater weight loss than placebo at week 160 (–6·1 [SD 7·3] vs −1·9% [6·3]; estimated treatment difference −4·3%, 95% CI −4·9 to −3·7, p<0·0001). Serious adverse events were reported by 227 (15%) of 1501 randomised treated individuals in the liraglutide group versus 96 (13%) of 747 individuals in the placebo group. Interpretation: In this trial, we provide results for 3 years of treatment, with the limitation that withdrawn individuals were not followed up after discontinuation. Liraglutide 3·0 mg might provide health benefits in terms of reduced risk of diabetes in individuals with obesity and prediabetes. Funding: Novo Nordisk, Denmark

The Impacts of the EU Sustainability Scheme for Biofuels in Bioethanol Markets

 The European Commission has adopted recent legislation aggregating many aspects of the promotion of renewable energy in Europe. This Directive proposal was put forward by the European Commission (EC) on 23 January 2008 and adopted in December of the same year. It was part of the Climate Change Package providing the EC regulatory approach on the most critical implications of a stronger biofuels policy for Europe.  In the proposal the Commission unveils its sustainability criteria for the production and usage of biofuels, as well as binding 10% targets for all European member states by 2020. The objective of this research is to explore the impacts of the proposed European sustainability criteria on the Brazilian bioethanol production and markets and the implications that this may have on the development of biofuel markets at a global level.Research poster: Phase 1 - Presented at the PhDcandidate workshop in Såstaholm, 2009.QC 20120229</p

Solar Power in the European Context : Conversion Efficiency and the Issue of Carbon

The European Union is committed to increasing the use of renewable energies across Europe. One of the ways this is to be done is through the promotion of solar photovoltaics (PV), a method with significant environmental benefits. However, the high costs of electricity generated through PV have constrained the market reach of this option. This paper takes the form of a policy discussion, analyzing the fundamental issues concerning this type of energy, and its place in the European alternative energy market. Furthermore, a scenario is drafted to estimate how efficient solar panels should ideally be to make electricity produced by them cost-competitive with conventional, grid-tied energy sources.  The study considers both a conventional scenario and another, with carbon capture costs incorporated into the final electricity prices. It is observed that in order to be competitive with conventional fossil-based electricity, photovoltaic conversion efficiencies should be around 34%. Incorporating carbon costs would further help promote solar PV, making it more price-attractive compared to emission-intensive electricity generation based on fossil fuels. The final part of the paper sheds light on the new developments on European PV, mainly in regards to the 2008 European Commission Climate Change Package, its implications and reactions from the industry.QC 2012021

The Development of Bioethanol Markets under Sustainability Requirements

This thesis is a theoretical and empirical examination of the developmentof bioethanol markets since 2005 when sustainability regulations forbiofuels were introduced globally. The experiences of Brazil and Sweden,and the influence of European regulations on the development ofbioethanol markets receive special attention. The work is based onprimary and secondary data sources gathered between 2009 and 2014,including interviews, field research, data from public and private sources,as well as an extensive literature review. The thesis uses case examples ofcountries that have adopted bioethanol as a transport fuel, such as Braziland Sweden.The research is structured using a bottom-up approach, and addressesthree specific angles of the complex issue of how bioethanol marketshave developed under sustainability requirements.The first part introduces an economic sustainability view of ethanol. Thecharacteristics of bioethanol fuel are presented together with conceptsand a theoretical framework for analysing biofuel sustainability. Policytools are also discussed, particularly those used to introduce fuel ethanolin the transport sector. The discussion is centred on the competitionbetween ethanol and gasoline, considering the hypothesis that consumersare sensitive to prices and tend to choose fuels based on their cost-perenergyunit. The analysis is supported by the case examples of Brazil andSweden, with special focus on the delicate balance between fueleconomies of bioethanol and gasoline systems in the face of differentways oil products are priced in those countries. Findings show thatdrivers tend to choose between bioethanol (E85/E100) or gasoline (E5-E25) depending on the relative prices between the two fuels. Theresearch results suggest that different pricing strategies for bioethanoland gasoline affect how consumers perceive the attractiveness of eachfuel. The examples of E100 in Brazil and E85 in Sweden provide insightson the elastic consumer behaviour that new markets may experience,serving to guide strategies in different contexts.The second part of this work bridges experiences in national contextswith the recent trend for biofuel sustainability regulation in internationalmarkets. Based on the hypothesis that the ethanol industry is responsiveto sustainability regulations, an examination of the development of theiiBrazilian bioethanol industry is carried out. This provides a comparisonframework drawing patterns between the industry's reaction to nationalregulations (past) and international regulations (recent). For this purpose,a comparison between the European sustainability requirements forethanol and the industry’s status quo is explored. Findings show that theEU sustainability criteria for biofuels are likely to have three effects onthe bioethanol industry: (i) compliance through incrementalimprovements in sustainability practices and certification; (ii) riskdiversification by engaging in multi-output production models; and (iii)market leakage towards less-regulated markets.The third part of the thesis brings together the first two parts. Itexamines how in a fuel competition context, the incorporation of costsrelated to sustainability certification can change the attractiveness ofhigh-bioethanol blends for consumers. The model of sustainabilityadopted by major international markets is based on regulations enforcedby mandatory certification. As biofuel market share increased, producerswere faced with costs for sustainability certification in order to obtainmarket access. While it was expected that ‘sustainably’ produced biofuelswould be rewarded with higher prices in the EU, this work found thatprice premiums for ethanol have in general been very small or inexistent,with certified fuels becoming the new norm in the market. New costsbrought into the market through sustainability certification can make itdifficult to balance between national policies heavily reliant on consumerchoice between fuels (and associated price-elasticities), and thedeployment of high blends of ethanol, such as E100 and E85.By analysing the three aspects (consumer behaviour and marketdynamics for ethanol in Brazil and Sweden, the introduction ofsustainability criteria for biofuels, and the implications of sustainabilityfor consumer choice between fuels) this work seeks to increaseunderstanding of the highly complex issue of biofuel market formationin the face of sustainability requirements. The key finding is thatsustainability certification has a cost, which needs to be orchestrated withother sectors of the economy to achieve the desired objectives. Thisthesis suggests that crucial areas of economic and environmentalsustainability have been often dealt with separately in biofuelpolicymaking, which has created weaknesses that deserve attention infuture policy efforts in order to improve biofuel systems.QC 20150401</p