Bioeconomy: the challenge in the management of natural resources in the 21st century

Countries and regions around the world face a number of economic, environmental and social challenges. Increased demand for energy, primary resources (agricultural, forestry and fishing), industrial products and services (healthcare in particular) put significant pressure on the sustainability of the ecosystems that support our society. One option to provide a more sustainable base for the economy would be the transition towards bioeconomy in which the importance of biotechnology and biomassbased production to generate economic output is significantly greater than today. Bioeconomy is considered to encompass all economic activity connected with the utilization of renewable biological resources. The aim of this paper is to draw attention to the importance of bioeconomy in the management of natural resources in the 21st century, providing many answers to resolve the previous challenges together with environmental preservation. The concept has gained scientific and political attention during the recent years, especially in Europe but also globally. From the review and analysis of the literature, this paper addresses the emerging bioeconomy, definitions and conceptual bases, and its great potential in different sectors of economic activity and development of new products. Special emphasis is placed on the case of the European Union. We present the concerns of European authorities at this level and best practices already in force in two Nordic countries that can be regarded as the beginning of a general transition to bioeconomy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Corruption and the Environment

Corruption is a serious problem and social ethics has a significant impact on all societies. It is a phenomenon which is globally widespread and can be generally defined as the use of public power to benefit a private interest. It is a complex and multifaceted concept with several and heavy complications for the economy and environmental sustainability. Despite the existing theorizations and descriptions of the political economy concerning environment/society interactions and widespread evidence of bribery and illegal exchange in natural resources management, nowadays, fighting corruption goes on widely ineffective, with serious consequences for environmental quality. The main focus of this study is the different forms of corruption and its consequences and costs to the environment, especially in resource-rich developing countries. It explores a few practical examples taken from these countries due to the linkages between corruption and weak environmental governance. The institutional set-up of the country such as the characteristics of the political and judicial system determines the extent of corruption. In such a context, transparency has been described as a cure for corruption. Good governance including a broad commitment to the rule of law is crucial for environmental sustainability and is a way to put a stop to the devastating impact corruption has had on the environment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cultural and Political Determinants of Air Quality

This paper investigates empirically the determinants of air quality in a large cross-section of countries. We assess air quality by sulfur emissions and, following the literature, we consider three different groups of determinants: economic, political and cultural. We confirm the existence of an EKC for sulfur (inverted-U shaped relation between wealth and pollution). Political determinants are proxied by ethnic or religious fractionalization indexes and the country’s legal origin (we consider five possible legal origins: English common law, French civil law, German civil law, Scandinavian legal system and Socialist legal system). Cultural determinants are assessed by the percentage of a country’s population that belongs to one of the three main religions (Catholic, Muslim or Protestant). Our goal is to establish the economic, political and cultural profile of a country that manages to be efficient in providing good air quality. We conclude that a country will provide higher air quality if it has one or more of the following characteristics: it is ethnic and/or religious homogeneous, it has a German or Scandinavian legal tradition; it is Protestant.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Eleição de Trump: o fim das ilusões

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E a história repete-se …

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A Universidade e o desenvolvimento de competências-chave para o desenvolvimento sustentável

The world is in rapidly changing. In many cases, societies chose unsustainable patterns of consumption based on overexploitation of resources and rapidly changing ecosystems that have changed the human relationship with Nature, placing it in an ecologically fragile position. Never before it has been so obvious that Humanity is facing huge challenges and that has to create solutions accordingly. To harmonize economic growth with Nature preservation, through a new model of development, supporting simultaneously economic prosperity, social equity and preserving the environment, requires preparing human resources that lead the transition to sustainable patterns. The intellectual and creative capital of future generations will play a crucial role, promoted by knowledge, creativity and innovation. In this context, new and great responsibilities lie on the University. The purpose of this paper is to identify and synthesize in a coherent framework the key-competences to be acquired at higher education institutions towards sustainability, based on a review and analysis of the relevant literature on Education for Sustainable Development. This paper also discusses the impact of the new sustainability agenda in the teacher's work.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

O clima em Marraquexe (COP22)

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Repensar la economía como una economía circular

O modelo atual de crescimento assente em combustíveis fósseis, altamente intensivo em recursos e linear, que tem consistido em extrair, transformar, produzir, utilizar e descartar, parece ter atingido o seu limite. É urgente uma transformação profunda para fazer face à necessidade de descarbonizar e desmaterializar a economia, diminuir a pressão sobre os recursos naturais e reduzir a poluição, aumentando, simultaneamente, a competitividade da economia e igualdade e bem-estar social. A economia circular atraiu a atenção de líderes em todo mundo e está a tomar forma como uma alternativa viável e prática ao modelo económico linear vigente. O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar a economia circular como o paradigma do futuro, que permitirá obter uma melhor harmonia e equilíbrio entre economia, ambiente e sociedade.The current model of growth based on fossil fuels, highly resource intensive and linear, which has consisted of extracting, transforming, producing, using and disposing, seems to have reached its limit. A deep transformation is urgent to decarbonize and dematerialize the economy, reduce pressure on natural resources and reduce pollution, while increasing the competitiveness of the economy and equality and social well-being. The circular economy has attracted the attention of leaders worldwide and is taking shape as a viable and practical alternative to the current linear economic model. The purpose of this article is to present the circular economy as the paradigm of the future and that will allow to achieve a better harmony and balance between economy, environment and society.El modelo actual de crecimiento basado en combustibles fósiles, altamente intensivo en recursos y lineal, que ha consistido en extraer, transformar, producir, usar y desechar, parece haber alcanzado su límite. Se necesita urgentemente una transformación profunda para enfrentar la necesidad de descarbonizar y desmaterializar la economía, reducir la presión sobre los recursos naturales y la contaminación, al mismo tiempo que aumenta la competitividad de la economía y la igualdad y el bienestar social. La economía circular ha atraído la atención de los líderes de todo el mundo y está tomando forma como una alternativa viable y práctica al modelo económico lineal actual. El propósito de este artículo es presentar la economía circular como el paradigma del futuro y que permitirá lograr una mejor armonía y equilibrio entre la economía, el medio ambiente y la sociedad.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cidades Inteligentes – um novo paradigma urbano

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