Potential relocation of climatic environments suggests high rates of climate displacement within the North American protection network.

Science.gov (United States)

Batllori, Enric; Parisien, Marc-André; Parks, Sean A; Moritz, Max A; Miller, Carol

2017-08-01

Ongoing climate change may undermine the effectiveness of protected area networks in preserving the set of biotic components and ecological processes they harbor, thereby jeopardizing their conservation capacity into the future. Metrics of climate change, particularly rates and spatial patterns of climatic alteration, can help assess potential threats. Here, we perform a continent-wide climate change vulnerability assessment whereby we compare the baseline climate of the protected area network in North America (Canada, United States, México-NAM) to the projected end-of-century climate (2071-2100). We estimated the projected pace at which climatic conditions may redistribute across NAM (i.e., climate velocity), and identified future nearest climate analogs to quantify patterns of climate relocation within, among, and outside protected areas. Also, we interpret climatic relocation patterns in terms of associated land-cover types. Our analysis suggests that the conservation capacity of the NAM protection network is likely to be severely compromised by a changing climate. The majority of protected areas (~80%) might be exposed to high rates of climate displacement that could promote important shifts in species abundance or distribution. A small fraction of protected areas (climates that represent analogs of conditions currently characterizing almost a fifth of the protected areas across NAM. However, the majority of nearest climatic analogs for protected areas are in nonprotected locations. Therefore, unprotected landscapes could pose additional threats, beyond climate forcing itself, as sensitive biota may have to migrate farther than what is prescribed by the climate velocity to reach a protected area destination. To mitigate future threats to the conservation capacity of the NAM protected area network, conservation plans will need to capitalize on opportunities provided by the existing availability of natural land-cover types outside the current network of NAM

Does the Bush Administration's climate policy mean climate protection?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchard, Odile; Perkaus, James F.

2004-01-01

The paper analyzes the two major components of the Bush Administration's climate policy, namely an emission intensity target and a technology strategy. The question is whether those components will generate net emission reductions that will contribute to the stabilization of the greenhouse gas concentration at a safe level in the long run. It comes out that the Bush Administration climate policy does not guarantee any meaningful contribution to climate protection. The lenient emission intensity target set by the Administration will most likely allow near term emissions to grow. In the long run, the Bush Administration places a big bet on future climate-friendly technological breakthroughs to cost-effectively compensate for the current and near term net emission increases. But the outcomes of those technological developments are uncertain in terms of emission reduction potential, cost, and timing. The way towards enhanced climate protection will most likely not come from the policies of the current Administration, but rather from the growing concern about the climate issue in Congress and at the state, corporate and civil society levels. These combined forces may raise the playing field at the federal level in the near future

Lake Austin uranium deposit, Western Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heath, A.G.; Deutscher, R.L.; Butt, C.R.M.

1984-01-01

The Lake Austin uranium deposit is a calcrete type deposit in the Yilgarn Block, near Cue, in a catchment area of granitoids and greenstones. The uranium is in valley fill and the sediments of the Lake Austin playa. The mineralization occurs over 1 to 6 meter thickness close to the water table in calcrete overlying clays and/or weathered bedrock. The principal uranium mineral is carnotite. Waters in nearby channels have an uranium content of over 30 ppb. The chloride content of the water increases downstream in the nearby drainages, as does the uranium and vanadium content. (author)

Greening America's Capitals - Austin, TX

Science.gov (United States)

Report on the technical assistance project to help Austin, TX, develop a vision for the South Central Waterfront that incorporates green infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff, makes streets safer, and spurs investment.

Distribution and protection of climatic refugia in North America.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalak, Julia L; Lawler, Joshua J; Roberts, David R; Carroll, Carlos

2018-05-10

As evidenced by past climatic refugia, locations projected to harbor remnants of present day climates may serve as critical refugia for current biodiversity in the face of modern climate change. Here, we map potential future climatic refugia across North America, defined as locations with increasingly rare climatic conditions. We identified these locations by tracking projected changes in the size and distribution of climate analogs over time. We used biologically-derived thresholds to define analogs and tested the impacts of dispersal limitation using four distances to limit analog searches. We identified at most 12% of North America as potential climatic refugia. Refugia extent varied depending on the analog threshold, dispersal distance, and climate projection. However, in all cases refugia were concentrated at high elevations and in topographically complex regions. Refugia identified using different climate projections were largely nested, suggesting that identified refugia were relatively robust to climate projection selection. Existing conservation areas cover approximately 10% of North America and yet protected up to 25% of identified refugia, indicating that protected areas disproportionately include refugia. Refugia located at lower latitudes (≤ 40°N) and slightly lower elevations (∼2500 m) were more likely to be unprotected. Based on our results, a 23% expansion of the protected areas network would be sufficient to protect the refugia that were present under all three of the climate projections that we explored. We propose that these refugia are high conservation priorities, due to their potential to harbor rare species in the future. However, these locations are simultaneously highly vulnerable to climate change over the long-term. We found that these refugia contracted substantially between the 2050s and the 2080s, emphasizing that the pace of climate change will strongly determine the availability and effectiveness of refugia for protecting today

Climate Protection and Employment in Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potocnik, V.

2015-01-01

One of the largest problem in Croatia are high rate of unemployment and climate protection with mitigation of consequences from climate changes. These two problems are closely related and the main connection is energy industry, as the largest cause of climate change because of greenhouse gases emissions from fossil fuels combustion. The most important measures of climate protection in energy industry are increase in energy efficiency (ENEF) and giving priority to renewable energy sources (RES) projects over fossil fuels combustion projects. Other than contributing to climate protection and mitigating the consequences from climate changes, ENEF and RES have other advantages over fossil fuel combustion projects. That is notably larger specific domestic employability of investment in ENEF and RES, regarding fossil fuels. Moreover, the import of fossil fuels is reduced, which fixes foreign trade balance sheet and reduces Croatian foreign debt and increases energy security. Wider application of ENEF and RES is dealing with a lot of obstacles, e.g. resistance from suppliers, which have smaller revenues and sell less energy because of expansion of ENEF and RES. There are multiple methods of dealing with such obstacles. Countries that put ENEF and RES in their energy policy focus, are dealing easier with crisis, with minimum unemployment rates. Regardless of results of COP21 in Paris in December 2015, Croatia would benefit from orientation to rapid development and implementation of ENEF and RES. (author).

Manual climate protection in city traffic; Leitfaden Klimaschutz im Stadtverkehr

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verron, Hedwig (comp.)

2010-07-15

The present brochure of the Federal Environment Agency (Dessau-Rosslau, Federal Republic of Germany) is a manual to climate protection in the city traffic. After description of the potentials of climatic protection five steps to the climatic protection concept as well as the financial aspects are described.

Compensations in climate protection. A first step towards sustainable protection of the earth atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rentz, H.

1995-01-01

One of the most pressing ecological problems is the man-made greenhouse effect. In relevant scientific and environmental-policy discussions the questions of how to achieve the ecological target and, in particular, the costs of climate protection are moving into the centre of interest. The global dimension of the climate problem calls for the greatest possible number of states to join a climate protection convention. Therefore it is of central importance to hammer out a climate convention that will prompt developed and less developed states to join it and fulfill their commitments. The complex negotiations held in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) have shown that, to do so, it is not only necessary to make use of basic scientific data but to take, moreover, economic and development-political aspects into account.- The meanwhile ratified climate protection convention recommends making use of compensations, or ''joint implementations'', in order to foster climate protection. The book examines the theoretical meaning and practical applicability of this environment-political tool and makes concrete proposals for its practical implementation. But, as the author also shows, compensations alone are no warranty of adequate and sustainable climate protection. He therefore suggests to use compensations to phase in a global licensing system, thereby mitigating the political obstacles associated with the implementation of such a licensing system which relate, particularly, to the distribution of emission permits. He arrives at the conclusion that lasting climate protection is only possible by proper development and joint and mutually supporting use of the two concepts. (orig.) [de

78 FR 64019 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances, Notice of Registration, Austin Pharma, LLC.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-25

..., Notice of Registration, Austin Pharma, LLC. By Notice dated May 14, 2013, and published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2013, 78 FR 30332, Austin Pharma, LLC., 811 Paloma Drive, Suite C, Round Rock, Texas... this drug code is authorized for this registration. On August 9, 2013, Austin Pharma, LLC., withdrew...

78 FR 68814 - Subzone 183B; Authorization of Production Activity; Samsung Austin Semiconductor, LLC...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-15

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board [B-70-2013] Subzone 183B; Authorization of Production Activity; Samsung Austin Semiconductor, LLC (Semiconductors); Austin, Texas On June 26, 2013, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, LLC submitted a notification of proposed export production activity to the...

77 FR 52368 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Registration; Austin Pharma, LLC.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-29

...; Notice of Registration; Austin Pharma, LLC. By Notice dated May 9, 2012, and published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2012, 77 FR 30027, Austin Pharma LLC., 811 Paloma Drive, Suite C, Round Rock, Texas... factors in 21 U.S.C. 823(a) and determined that the registration of Austin Pharma LLC., to manufacture the...

77 FR 8806 - Foreign-Trade Zone 183-Austin, TX; Application for Reorganization Under the Alternative Site...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-15

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board [Docket 8-2012] Foreign-Trade Zone 183--Austin... following sites: Site 1 (33 acres)--Interchange within the Austin Enterprise Zone, located at Bolm Road and Gardner Road, Austin; Site 2 (50 acres)--Balcones Research site located in north central Austin at the...

75 FR 8742 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-25

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Notice of Inventory Completion: Stephen F. Austin... control of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX. The human remains and associated funerary..., which was under contract with Stephen F. Austin State University. In the early 1900s, human remains...

Out of the Ordinary: Incorporating Limits with Austin and Derrida

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Emma

2014-01-01

This article seeks to open up a re-examination of the relationship between thought and language by reference to two philosophers: John Austin and Jacques Derrida. While in traditional philosophical terms these thinkers stand far apart, recent work in the philosophy of education has highlighted the importance of Austin's work in a way that has…

Climate protection policy. On Germany's pioneer role

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuebler, Knut

2014-01-01

After a downward trend of many years Germany's energy-related CO 2 emissions have risen again slightly over the past two years. This increase has prompted the federal government to initiate a new climate protection action campaign. After almost 30 years of experience in the field of climate protection policy there is every reason for Germany to be more consistent in using its political scope to act on the unrestrained increase in global greenhouse gas emissions.

76 FR 76810 - Public Notice for Waiver of Aeronautical Land-Use Assurance; Austin Straubel International...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-08

... Aeronautical Land-Use Assurance; Austin Straubel International Airport, Green Bay, WI AGENCY: Federal Aviation... the Austin Straubel International Airport, Green Bay, WI. Brown County, as sponsor of the airport, is... located on, or adjacent to, Austin Straubel International Airport. One parcel contains a roadway section...

Austin, Texas: Solar in Action (Brochure)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-10-01

This brochure provides an overview of the challenges and successes of Austin, Texas, a 2007 Solar America City awardee, on the path toward becoming a solar-powered community. Accomplishments, case studies, key lessons learned, and local resource information are given.

78 FR 40427 - Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 183-Austin, Texas; Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Samsung...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-05

..., Texas; Notification of Proposed Production Activity; Samsung Austin Semiconductor, LLC (Semiconductors); Austin, Texas Samsung Austin Semiconductor, LLC (Samsung), operator of Subzone 183B, submitted a... June 26, 2013. Samsung currently has authority to produce semiconductor memory devices for export...

76 FR 16654 - Austin Western Railroad, L.L.C.-Lease and Operation Exemption-Capital Metropolitan Transportation...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-24

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35456] Austin Western Railroad, L.L.C.--Lease and Operation Exemption-- Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Austin... be leased since 2007, pursuant to an operating agreement. See Austin W. R.R.--Operation Exemption...

Northern protected areas will become important refuges for biodiversity tracking suitable climates.

Science.gov (United States)

Berteaux, Dominique; Ricard, Marylène; St-Laurent, Martin-Hugues; Casajus, Nicolas; Périé, Catherine; Beauregard, Frieda; de Blois, Sylvie

2018-03-15

The Northern Biodiversity Paradox predicts that, despite its globally negative effects on biodiversity, climate change will increase biodiversity in northern regions where many species are limited by low temperatures. We assessed the potential impacts of climate change on the biodiversity of a northern network of 1,749 protected areas spread over >600,000 km 2 in Quebec, Canada. Using ecological niche modeling, we calculated potential changes in the probability of occurrence of 529 species to evaluate the potential impacts of climate change on (1) species gain, loss, turnover, and richness in protected areas, (2) representativity of protected areas, and (3) extent of species ranges located in protected areas. We predict a major species turnover over time, with 49% of total protected land area potentially experiencing a species turnover >80%. We also predict increases in regional species richness, representativity of protected areas, and species protection provided by protected areas. Although we did not model the likelihood of species colonising habitats that become suitable as a result of climate change, northern protected areas should ultimately become important refuges for species tracking climate northward. This is the first study to examine in such details the potential effects of climate change on a northern protected area network.

Youngswick-Austin versus distal oblique osteotomy for the treatment of Hallux Rigidus.

Science.gov (United States)

Viladot, Antonio; Sodano, Luca; Marcellini, Lorenzo; Zamperetti, Marco; Hernandez, Elsa Sanchez; Perice, Ramon Viladot

2017-08-01

Hallux Rigidus is the most common degenerative joint pathology of the foot. Several procedures are described for the management of this deformity. In this prospective study we compared Youngswick-Austin and distal oblique osteotomy in the treatment of grade II Hallux Rigidus, in terms of clinical outcomes, efficacy and complications. Forty-six patients (50 feet) with moderate Hallux Rigidus (Regnauld grade II) were recruited and operated between March 2009 and December 2012. Surgical technique was Youngswick-Austin osteotomy (Group A) or distal oblique osteotomy (Group B). Mean follow-up was 42.7 ±12.2 (range, 24-70) months. Both groups achieved significant improvement of AOFAS score and first metatarsophalangeal joint range of motion (p value Austin and distal oblique osteotomies provides subjective patient improvement and increases the first metatarsophalangeal joint range of motion. The results of grade II Hallux Rigidus treatment were comparable when using a Youngswick-Austin or distal oblique osteotomy. Level II, prospective comparative study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biochar strategies as measures for climate protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bach, Martin; Wilske, Burkhard; Bai, Mo

2014-01-01

Biochar is advertised by stakeholders both public and private as an innovative interface in materials stream management which holds potential for added value in the fields of climate protection, energy, agriculture, soil improvement, and waste management. A number of factors must be considered in undertaking a comprehensive assessment and valuation for climate protection purposes of the option of a ''biochar strategy'', meaning carbon sequestration by biomass carbonisation (pyrolysis, HTC): biochar production and uptake capacities, energy and carbon balance, product stability, impact on soil functions and yield effects and, not least, economic aspects. This article addresses the more important of these factors.

Results of Austin Moore replacement.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jadhav A

1996-04-01

Full Text Available Forty cases of Austin Moore Replacement done for transcervical fractures of the femur in patients were reviewed after a period of 12 to 48 months postoperatively (mean 26 mth. 30 cases (75% had mild to severe pain of non-infective origin, starting as early as 6 months postoperatively. This was irrespective of the make, size or position (varus/valgus of the prosthesis. Though the Aufranc and Sweet clinical scoring was satisfactory in 65% cases, radiological evidence of complications like sinking, protrusion, etc. were seen in majority of the cases. Calcar resorption was seen in 34 cases (85% as early as 4 months postoperatively. Results of THR and bipolar replacement done for transcervical fractures in recent literature show 85% pain-free cases at 5 years. We feel that Austin Moore Replacement should be reserved for patients more than 65 years of age and those who are less active or debilitated because of other factors, because of increased acetabular wear with time in the younger individual. This is corroborated by unsatisfactory results in patients less than 65 years of age (p < 0.05.

RadNet Air Data From Austin, TX

Science.gov (United States)

This page presents radiation air monitoring and air filter analysis data for Austin, TX from EPA's RadNet system. RadNet is a nationwide network of monitoring stations that measure radiation in air, drinking water and precipitation.

Municipal climate protection. Possibilities for local governments; Kommunaler Klimaschutz. Moeglichkeiten fuer die Kommunen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-01-15

Climate protection is an important aspect of our time. The Federal Government recognized the central role of climate protection. This is reflected in the energy concept, adopted in September 2010. The booklet under consideration published regarding to the amendment of municipal guideline and is a reprint of a previously published paper on local climate protection. Besides conceptual contributions, this brochure provides practical examples of adaptation strategies to climate change, innovative ideas such as the project 'Coaching municipal climate protection' and the presentation of a network of '100 % Renewable Energy Regions'.

Decision analysis of shoreline protection under climate change uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Philip T.; Hobbs, Benjamin F.

1997-04-01

If global warming occurs, it could significantly affect water resource distribution and availability. Yet it is unclear whether the prospect of such change is relevant to water resources management decisions being made today. We model a shoreline protection decision problem with a stochastic dynamic program (SDP) to determine whether consideration of the possibility of climate change would alter the decision. Three questions are addressed with the SDP: (l) How important is climate change compared to other uncertainties?, (2) What is the economic loss if climate change uncertainty is ignored?, and (3) How does belief in climate change affect the timing of the decision? In the case study, sensitivity analysis shows that uncertainty in real discount rates has a stronger effect upon the decision than belief in climate change. Nevertheless, a strong belief in climate change makes the shoreline protection project less attractive and often alters the decision to build it.

A comprehensive worksite wellness program in Austin, Texas: partnership between Steps to a Healthier Austin and Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Lynn; Loyo, Karina; Glowka, Aerie; Schwertfeger, Rick; Danielson, Lisa; Brea, Cecily; Easton, Alyssa; Griffin-Blake, Shannon

2009-04-01

In 2003, Steps to a Healthier Austin was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement chronic disease prevention and health promotion activities. We report Steps to a Healthier Austin's partnership with Health & Lifestyles Corporate Wellness, Inc (Health & Lifestyles), to provide a worksite wellness program for Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro), Austin's local transit authority. Capital Metro employs 1,282 people. In 2003, Health & Lifestyles was hired to help promote healthier lifestyles, increase employee morale, and combat rising health care costs and absenteeism rates. Health & Lifestyles provided consultations with wellness coaches and personal trainers, a 24-hour company fitness center, personalized health assessments, and preventive screenings. The program expanded to include healthier food options, cash incentives, health newsletters, workshops, dietary counseling, smoking cessation programs, and a second fitness center. Participants in the wellness program reported improvements in physical activity, healthy food consumption, weight loss, and blood pressure. Capital Metro's total health care costs increased by progressively smaller rates from 2003 to 2006 and then decreased from 2006 to 2007. Absenteeism has decreased by approximately 25% since the implementation of the program, and the overall return on the investment was calculated to be 2.43. Since the implementation of the wellness program in 2003, Capital Metro has seen a reduction in costs associated with employee health care and absenteeism.

Austin and Quine on the Dogmas

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tomeček, Marek

2016-01-01

Roč. 17, č. 1 (2016), s. 36-48 ISSN 1212-9097 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP401/11/0371 Institutional support: RVO:67985955 Keywords : analytic * a priori * Austin * Quine * reductionism * synthetic Subject RIV: AA - Philosophy ; Religion http://www.phil.muni.cz/journals/index.php/profil/article/view/1452

Climate protection laws in Taiwan; Klimaschutzrecht in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiu, Yen-Lin Agnes [Fu Jen Catholic Univ., Taipei, Taiwan (China). School of Law

2014-07-01

The contribution on climate protection laws in Taiwan is first describing the international position and cooperation with UNFCCC, The national climate protection policy covers energy and industry, trading and economy, forestry and agriculture, traffic and local affairs, society and education. The description of the actual legislation includes the constitutional framework, environmental legislation, air pollution legislation, environmental compatibility regulations, renewable energy development legislation, energy management laws, legal drafts concerning reduction of greenhouse gas emission and energy taxes. Finally the competences and responsibilities of authorities are summarized.

78 FR 30332 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances, Notice of Application, Austin Pharma, Llc.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-22

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Drug Enforcement Administration Manufacturer of Controlled Substances, Notice of Application, Austin Pharma, Llc. Pursuant to Sec. 1301.33(a), Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this is notice that on March 28, 2013, Austin Pharma, LLC., 811 Paloma Drive, Suite C...

77 FR 30027 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Application; Austin Pharma, LLC.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-21

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Drug Enforcement Administration Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Application; Austin Pharma, LLC. Pursuant to Sec. 1301.33(a), Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this is notice that on April 11, 2012, Austin Pharma, LLC., 811 Paloma Drive, Suite C...

77 FR 19521 - Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Austin, TX and Waco, TX, Appropriated Fund Federal...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-02

... Austin, TX and Waco, TX, Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas AGENCY: U.S. Office of... final rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of the Austin, TX, and Waco, TX, appropriated fund... the Austin wage area to the Waco wage area. These changes are based on recent consensus...

The efficiency cost of protective measures in climate policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Böhringer, Christoph; Garcia-Muros, Xaquin; Cazcarro, Ignacio; Arto, Iñaki

2017-01-01

Despite recent achievements towards a global climate agreement, climate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions remains quite heterogeneous across countries. Energy-intensive and trade-exposed (EITE) industries in industrialized countries are concerned on stringent domestic emission pricing that puts them at a competitive disadvantage against producers of similar goods in other countries with more lenient emission regulation. This paper focuses on climate policy design in the United States of America (US) and compares the economic implications of four alternative protective measures for US EITE industries: (i) output-based rebates, (ii) exemptions from emission pricing, (iii) energy intensity standards, and (iv) carbon intensity standards. Using a large-scale computable general equilibrium model we quantify how these protective measures affect competitiveness of US EITE industries. We find that protective measures can improve common trade-related competitiveness indicators such as revealed comparative advantage or relative world trade shares but at the same time may lead to a decline in the output value for EITE industries because of negative income effects. The economy-wide cost of emission abatement under protective measures increase as compared to uniform emission pricing stand-alone such that the gains of protective measures for EITE exports may be more than compensated through losses in domestic EITE demand. - Highlights: • We assess impacts for US emission-intensive and trade-exposed (EITE) industries. • EITE impacts are quantified via competitiveness metrics and production output. • Protective measures reduce adverse competitiveness impacts but can depress output. • Output losses are due to negative income effects that reduce domestic EITE demand. • Protective measures run the risk of making US climate policy much more costly.

China's key role in climate protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bach, W.; Fiebig, S.

1998-01-01

China is in the process of becoming the fourth main global player in the world economy, together with the US, the EU, and Japan. Due to an energy mix with 75% dependence on coal, a high energy intensity and low energy prices, it is, after the US, the world's second largest emitter of CO 2 . China's recoverable fossil fuel reserves have a CO 2 emission potential of some 225 Gt (the current global CO 2 emission is about 22 Gt/yr). Under a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, all of it would be released to the atmosphere by 2040. This emission may cause a significant disruption of the climate system, resulting in severe adverse climatic and ecological impacts on China and the world. To avoid this outcome, an equitable climate-protection strategy is introduced to explore an alternative energy/climate future. Using a macroeconomic approach, it is shown that under BAU conditions, the year 2100 emissions of CO 2 will increase above 1990 levels by 370 and 96% for China and the US, respectively. In contrast, for the climate-protection conditions required by the Climate Convention, CO 2 emissions must decrease by 36% for China and by 90% for the US below 1990 levels. Using a macroeconomic-engineering approach, the total CO 2 reduction potential is found to be about 4600 Mt for 13 specific measures over a 10-yr period. The incremental costs range from US$ 0.09 to 18.55 per ton of CO 2 reduction for coal-saving stoves and solar cookers, respectively. The total reduction costs for China would be about US$ 2 billion per year or ∼ 0.4% of the 1994 GDP of China. This estimate does not allow for benefits from saved resources and avoided damages. We conclude with a discussion of various avenues for obtaining needed technological and financial support for China. (author)

The Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Cary C. Russell; Ronald E. Thill; David L. Kulhavy

2002-01-01

On December 14, 1944, the Seventy-Eighth United States Congress passed a bill that authorized the transfer of 2,560 acres in Nacogdoches County, Texas, to the research branch of the United States Forest Service (USFS). This land became the Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest (SFAEF) on September 19. 1945. One of eighty-one federal experimental forests and ranges...

Cultivating Community Schools: Austin's Grassroots Effort

Science.gov (United States)

Dubin, Jennifer

2015-01-01

In 2007, Walter P. Webb Middle School faced a crisis. One evening in January, the superintendent at the time held a meeting at the school in Austin, Texas, to let students, parents, teachers, and community members know that at the end of the academic year, their school would close. Thanks to a new state law focused on accountability, the…

Climate change and protected area policy and planning in Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, D. [Canada Research Chairs, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Waterloo Univ., ON (Canada). Dept. of Geography; Lemieux, C. [Waterloo Univ., ON (Canada). Dept. of Geography

2005-10-01

Challenges concerning climate change for agencies involved the management of Canada's protected areas were reviewed. Most protected areas have been designed to represent specific natural features, species and ecological communities, and are the most common and most important strategy for biodiversity conservation. It remains undecided whether adaptation should be a matter of responding to climate change as it manifests, or whether initiatives should be taken in advance to anticipate the potential effects of climate change. There are growing concerns that emergency adaptation will be less effective and more costly than anticipatory or precautionary adaptation over the long-term. Species extinction could result. It was noted that the northward shift of species from the United States will meet Parks Canada's existing definition of alien species in need of management interventions. The conservation objectives of individual protected areas would also be affected by projected biome and species changes, particularly as each of Canada's national parks is responsible for protecting ecosystems representative of the natural region within which it is located. All 6 vegetation change scenarios examined in a recent study projected the eventual loss of boreal forest in the Prince Albert National Park, suggesting that the park's current mandate to protect the ecological integrity of the area would no longer be viable. An overview of the policy and planning implications of climate change for protected areas in Canada was presented using examples from national and provincial park systems. A portfolio of climate change adaptation options in conservation literature was reviewed. Recommended strategies included system planning and policy development; active, adaptive ecosystem management; research and monitoring; and capacity building and awareness. It was concluded that governments will need to make major new investments in protected area establishment, personnel

Projected impacts of climate change on a continent-wide protected area network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hole, David G; Willis, Stephen G; Pain, Deborah J

2009-01-01

Despite widespread concern, the continuing effectiveness of networks of protected areas under projected 21st century climate change is uncertain. Shifts in species' distributions could mean these resources will cease to afford protection to those species for which they were originally established...... species). Persistence of suitable climate space across the network as a whole, however, is notably high, with 88-92% of priority species retaining suitable climate space in >or= 1 IBA(s) in which they are currently found. Only 7-8 priority species lose climatic representation from the network. Hence......, despite the likelihood of significant community disruption, we demonstrate that rigorously defined networks of protected areas can play a key role in mitigating the worst impacts of climate change on biodiversity....

Disentangling the cognitive components supporting Austin Maze performance in left versus right temporal lobe epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hocking, Julia; Thomas, Hannah J; Dzafic, Ilvana; Williams, Rebecca J; Reutens, David C; Spooner, Donna M

2013-12-01

Neuropsychological tests requiring patients to find a path through a maze can be used to assess visuospatial memory performance in temporal lobe pathology, particularly in the hippocampus. Alternatively, they have been used as a task sensitive to executive function in patients with frontal lobe damage. We measured performance on the Austin Maze in patients with unilateral left and right temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), with and without hippocampal sclerosis, compared to healthy controls. Performance was correlated with a number of other neuropsychological tests to identify the cognitive components that may be associated with poor Austin Maze performance. Patients with right TLE were significantly impaired on the Austin Maze task relative to patients with left TLE and controls, and error scores correlated with their performance on the Block Design task. The performance of patients with left TLE was also impaired relative to controls; however, errors correlated with performance on tests of executive function and delayed recall. The presence of hippocampal sclerosis did not have an impact on maze performance. A discriminant function analysis indicated that the Austin Maze alone correctly classified 73.5% of patients as having right TLE. In summary, impaired performance on the Austin Maze task is more suggestive of right than left TLE; however, impaired performance on this visuospatial task does not necessarily involve the hippocampus. The relationship of the Austin Maze task with other neuropsychological tests suggests that differential cognitive components may underlie performance decrements in right versus left TLE. © 2013.

Climate protection and competition; Klimaschutz und Wettbewerb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diekmann, M. [Stadtwerke Braunschweig GmbH (Germany)

1998-06-01

Discussions on energy-related matters have recently been dominated above all by the two issues climate protection and the introduction of competition. The public utility Stadtwerke Braunschweig GmbH and its subsidiaries Braunschweiger Versorgungs-AG and Braunschweiger Verkehrs-AG have committed themselves to the cause of climate protection. The ongoing implementation of the utility`s energy supply concept is making a substantial contribution to energy conservation and air pollution control. [Deutsch] Die Diskussionen zum Thema Energie werden in der letzten Zeit im wesentlichen von zwei Themen beherrscht: Klimaschutz und Einfuehrung von Wettbewerb. Die Stadtwerke Braunschweig GmbH mit ihren Tochtergesellschaften Braunschweiger Versorgungs-AG und Braunschweiger Verkehrs-AG engagieren sich im Klimaschutz. Die fortlaufende Umsetzung des Energieversorgungskonzepts der Stadtwerke traegt wesentlich zur Energieeinsparung und zur Reduzierung von Schadstoff-Emissionen bei. (orig./MSK)

Protecting health from climate change: Preparedness of medical interns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majra Jai

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Context : Climate change is a significant and emerging threat to public health and to meet the challenge, health systems require qualified staff. Aims : To study the preparedness of medical interns to meet the challenge of protecting health from climate change. Settings and Design: Medical colleges in a coastal town. Cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: A proportionate number of medical interns from five medical colleges were included in the study. Level of awareness was used as a criterion to judge the preparedness. A self-administered, pretested, open-ended questionnaire was used. Responses were evaluated and graded. Statistical Analysis Used: Proportions, percentage, Chi-test. Results : About 90% of the medical interns were aware of the climate change and human activities that were playing a major role. Ninety-four percent were aware of the direct health impacts due to higher temperature and depletion in ozone concentration, and about 78% of the respondents were aware about the change in frequency / distribution of vector-borne diseases, water borne / related diseases, malnutrition, and health impact of population displacement. Knowledge regarding health protection was limited to mitigation of climate change and training / education. Options like adaptation, establishing / strengthening climate and disease surveillance systems, and health action in emergency were known to only nine (7%, eight (6%, and 17 (13%, respectively. Collegewise difference was statistically insignificant. Extra / co-curricular activities were the major source of knowledge. Conclusions : Majority of medical interns were aware of the causes and health impacts of climate change, but their knowledge regarding health protection measures was limited.

Designing Place-Based Interventions for Sustainability and Replicability: The Case of GO! Austin/VAMOS! Austin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aliya Hussaini

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Place-based health efforts account for the role of the community environment in shaping decisions and circumstances that affect population well-being. Such efforts, rooted as they are in the theory that health is socially determined, mobilize resources for health promotion that are not typically used, and offer a more informed and robust way of promoting health outcomes within a community. Common criticisms of place-based work include the difficulty of replication, since engagement is so specific to a place, and limited sustainability of the work, in the absence of continued institutional structures, both within the community and supporting structures outside the community, to keep these initiatives resilient. This paper describes a place-based initiative, GO! Austin/VAMOS! Austin (GAVA, which was designed to harness the strengths of place-based work—namely, its specificity to place and community. From the start, the project was designed to balance this specificity with a focus on developing and utilizing a standardized set of evidence-informed implementation and evaluation approaches and tools that were flexible enough to be modified for specific settings. This was accompanied by an emphasis on leadership and capacity building within resident leaders, which provided for informed intervention and demand building capacity, but also for longevity as partners, philanthropic, and otherwise, moved in and out of the work.

Designing Place-Based Interventions for Sustainability and Replicability: The Case of GO! Austin/VAMOS! Austin.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussaini, Aliya; Pulido, Carmen Llanes; Basu, Semonti; Ranjit, Nalini

2018-01-01

Place-based health efforts account for the role of the community environment in shaping decisions and circumstances that affect population well-being. Such efforts, rooted as they are in the theory that health is socially determined, mobilize resources for health promotion that are not typically used, and offer a more informed and robust way of promoting health outcomes within a community. Common criticisms of place-based work include the difficulty of replication , since engagement is so specific to a place, and limited sustainability of the work, in the absence of continued institutional structures, both within the community and supporting structures outside the community, to keep these initiatives resilient. This paper describes a place-based initiative, GO! Austin/VAMOS! Austin (GAVA), which was designed to harness the strengths of place-based work-namely, its specificity to place and community. From the start, the project was designed to balance this specificity with a focus on developing and utilizing a standardized set of evidence-informed implementation and evaluation approaches and tools that were flexible enough to be modified for specific settings. This was accompanied by an emphasis on leadership and capacity building within resident leaders, which provided for informed intervention and demand building capacity, but also for longevity as partners, philanthropic, and otherwise, moved in and out of the work.

Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium Proceedings Held in Austin, Texas on August 9-11, 1993

Science.gov (United States)

1993-09-01

di Produzione 1611 Headway Circle, Bldg 2 Austin TX 78712 Ed Economia DeirAzienda Austin TX 78754 Corso Duca Abruzzi 24 512 339-2922J fax: 512 339...Street Aeronautical Engineering & Mechanics Ed Economia DellAzienda Tucson AZ 85713 Troy NY 12180 Corso Duca Abruzzi 24 602 792-2616/ fax: 602 792

Resource rents: The effects of energy taxes and quantity instruments for climate protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisenack, Klaus; Edenhofer, Ottmar; Kalkuhl, Matthias

2012-01-01

Carbon dioxide emissions correspond to fossil resource use. When considering this supply side of climate protection, crucial questions come to fore. It seems likely that owners of fossil resources would object to emission reductions. Moreover, policy instruments such as taxes may not be effective at all: it seems individually rational to leave no fossil resources unused. In this context, it can be expected that economic sectors will react strategically to climate policy, aiming at a re-distribution of rents. To address these questions, we investigate the effectiveness, efficiency, and resource rents for energy taxes, resource taxes, and quantity rationing of emissions. The analysis is based on a game theoretic growth model with explicit factor markets and policy instruments. Market equilibrium depends on a government that acts as a Stackelberg leader with a climate protection goal. We find that resource taxes and quantity rationing achieve this objective efficiently, energy taxation is only second-best. The use of quantity rationing to achieve climate protection generates substantial rents for resource owners. - Highlights: ► Resource taxes and quantity rationing (carbon budgets) are efficient. ► Carbon budgets increase resource rents, while taxes decrease rents. ► Resource owners may support climate protection. ► Climate protection introduces a climate rent.

Austin Community College Video Game Development Certificate

Science.gov (United States)

McGoldrick, Robert

2008-01-01

The Video Game Development program is designed and developed by leaders in the Austin video game development industry, under the direction of the ACC Video Game Advisory Board. Courses are taught by industry video game developers for those who want to become video game developers. The program offers a comprehensive approach towards learning what's…

Climate protection and emission trading in the agriculture; Klimaschutz und Emissionshandel in der Landwirtschaft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luenenbuerger, Benjamin

2013-01-15

The percentage of the agriculture in the greenhouse-gas emissions in Germany amounts 7.1% in the year 2010. Despite its importance, climate protection instruments in the area of the German agriculture are still not developed. There are hardly special regulatory, informational or market-based instruments for the climate protection in the agriculture. The question arises whether the emission trading can be a suitable instrument for climate protection in the agriculture. Thus, the opportunities of the emission trading in the agriculture are investigated. Moreover, alternative and additional instruments of climate protection are considered with respect to the agriculture.

Taking Art Personally: Austin, Performatives and Art

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Goldblatt

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is an attempt to apply speech act theory to aesthetics. In particular, it purports to be a contribution to reception theory by drawing attention to certain similarities between the contextual structure of performatives and the structure of the reception of art. It hopes to locate the auditor or spectator of artworks in what J. L. Austin calls “the total context” to help explain how certain aspects of artworks can be taken personally, somehow being about and seemingly directed at “me.” It is one way the so-called paradox of fiction can be by-passed by showing how the emotive aspects of artworks are not primarily a matter of our caring about the fictional characters portrayed therein, but directly about members of the viewing or listening audience. Concentrating on the performatives of warnings and threats, this paper details the writings of Austin to help explain why some people can relate to characters or situations presented by art while others are barely moved.

Solutions for ecosystem-level protection of ocean systems under climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Queirós, Ana M; Huebert, Klaus B; Keyl, Friedemann; Fernandes, Jose A; Stolte, Willem; Maar, Marie; Kay, Susan; Jones, Miranda C; Hamon, Katell G; Hendriksen, Gerrit; Vermard, Youen; Marchal, Paul; Teal, Lorna R; Somerfield, Paul J; Austen, Melanie C; Barange, Manuel; Sell, Anne F; Allen, Icarus; Peck, Myron A

2016-12-01

The Paris Conference of Parties (COP21) agreement renewed momentum for action against climate change, creating the space for solutions for conservation of the ocean addressing two of its largest threats: climate change and ocean acidification (CCOA). Recent arguments that ocean policies disregard a mature conservation research field and that protected areas cannot address climate change may be oversimplistic at this time when dynamic solutions for the management of changing oceans are needed. We propose a novel approach, based on spatial meta-analysis of climate impact models, to improve the positioning of marine protected areas to limit CCOA impacts. We do this by estimating the vulnerability of ocean ecosystems to CCOA in a spatially explicit manner and then co-mapping human activities such as the placement of renewable energy developments and the distribution of marine protected areas. We test this approach in the NE Atlantic considering also how CCOA impacts the base of the food web which supports protected species, an aspect often neglected in conservation studies. We found that, in this case, current regional conservation plans protect areas with low ecosystem-level vulnerability to CCOA, but disregard how species may redistribute to new, suitable and productive habitats. Under current plans, these areas remain open to commercial extraction and other uses. Here, and worldwide, ocean conservation strategies under CCOA must recognize the long-term importance of these habitat refuges, and studies such as this one are needed to identify them. Protecting these areas creates adaptive, climate-ready and ecosystem-level policy options for conservation, suitable for changing oceans. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

75 FR 76699 - The University of Texas at Austin, et al.; Notice of Decision on Applications for Duty-Free Entry...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-09

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration The University of Texas at Austin, et al..., NW., Washington, DC. Docket Number: 10-064. Applicant: The University of Texas at Austin, Center for Electromechanics, Pickle Research Campus, 10100 Burnet Road, Building 133, Austin, Texas 78758-4497. Instrument...

Climatic changes, the consequences and strategies for climate protection; Klimaaenderungen, deren Auswirkungen und was fuer den Klimaschutz zu tun ist

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kartschall, Karin; Maeder, Claudia; Tambke, Jens

2007-11-15

The report includes a description of observed climate changes, the global climatic change and projections into the future with special respect to Germany. The target of the European Union is to limit the global temperature increase to 2 deg C within 100 years. The requirements for climate protection scenarios to reach this goal and costs of climate protection measures are discussed. The IPCC (Intergovernmental panel on climate change) does not define recommendations for an international distribution of emission reductions but is targeting to fairness between industrial, emerging and developing countries. Germany aims to reduce emission by 40% until 2020.

Preliminary studies of the biosynthesis of Austin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wicnienski, N.A.

1979-01-01

Aspergillus ustus is one of the most prevalent fungi in the soil. There are now two reports of the occurrence of toxin-producing strains of this fungus on stored foodstuffs. In addition, strains of A. ustus have been isolated along with Penicillium species from samples of South African cheeses. All A. ustus isolates tested were judged to be highly toxic to ducklings when grown on maize meal, however, the toxins involved were not isolated. Austin is the trivial name of one of the toxins made by the fungus found on stored food. Preliminary work to studying the biosynthesis of this compound using 13 C-labeled sodium acetate is reported here. The feasibility of the biosynthetic study was determined by feeding [1- 14 C]-sodium acetate to A. ustus cultures. The assignments made in the 13 C-nmr spectrum of Austin are shown. The lowest dilution factor obtained in [1- 14 C]-sodium acetate feeding experiments was 14. This dilution factor is sufficiently low to allow a successful feeding of [1,2- 13 C 2 ]-sodium acetate. A new metabolite of A. ustus, deacetylaustin, was isolated and identified. An alkaloid of unknown structure was also isolated from the fungus

The History of the Austin College Building and Old Main at Sam Houston State University

Science.gov (United States)

Singer, Erin; Shields, Samantha

2017-01-01

Austin Hall and Old Main serve as the heart of what is now Sam Houston State University. The buildings' rich histories help one to understand how Sam Houston State University and its proud teacher education heritage came to be. To begin with Austin Hall's story, the University's original building has a unique and interesting tale that journeys…

Protected area networks and savannah bird biodiversity in the face of climate change and land degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Beale, Colin M; Baker, Neil E; Brewer, Mark J; Lennon, Jack J

2013-08-01

The extent to which climate change might diminish the efficacy of protected areas is one of the most pressing conservation questions. Many projections suggest that climate-driven species distribution shifts will leave protected areas impoverished and species inadequately protected while other evidence suggests that intact ecosystems within protected areas will be resilient to change. Here, we tackle this problem empirically. We show how recent changes in distribution of 139 Tanzanian savannah bird species are linked to climate change, protected area status and land degradation. We provide the first evidence of climate-driven range shifts for an African bird community. Our results suggest that the continued maintenance of existing protected areas is an appropriate conservation response to the challenge of climate and environmental change. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

β-Globin gene sequencing of hemoglobin Austin revises the historically reported electrophoretic migration pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Racsa, Lori D; Luu, Hung S; Park, Jason Y; Mitui, Midori; Timmons, Charles F

2014-06-01

Hemoglobin (Hb) Austin was defined in 1977, using amino acid sequencing of samples from 3 unrelated Mexican-Americans, as a substitution of serine for arginine at position 40 of the β-globin chain (Arg40Ser). Its electrophoretic migration on both cellulose acetate (pH 8.4) and citrate agar (pH 6.2) was reported between Hb F and Hb A, and this description persists in reference literature. OBJECTIVES.-To review the clinical features and redefine the diagnostic characteristics of Hb Austin. Eight samples from 6 unrelated individuals and 2 siblings, all with Hispanic surnames, were submitted for abnormal Hb identification between June 2010 and September 2011. High-performance liquid chromatography, isoelectric focusing (IEF), citrate agar electrophoresis, and bidirectional DNA sequencing of the entire β-globin gene were performed. DNA sequencing confirmed all 8 individuals to be heterozygous for Hb Austin (Arg40Ser). Retention time on high-performance liquid chromatography and migration on citrate agar electrophoresis were consistent with that identification. Migration on IEF, however, was not between Hb F and Hb A, as predicted from the report of cellulose acetate electrophoresis. By IEF, Hb Austin migrated anodal to ("faster than") Hb A. Hemoglobin Austin (Arg40Ser) appears on IEF as a "fast," anodally migrating, Hb variant, just as would be expected from its amino acid substitution. The cited historic report is, at best, not applicable to IEF and is probably erroneous. Our observation of 8 cases in 16 months suggests that this variant may be relatively common in some Hispanic populations, making its recognition important. Furthermore, gene sequencing is proving itself a powerful and reliable tool for definitive identification of Hb variants.

Climate protection targets in the German federal states; Klimaschutzziele in den deutschen Bundeslaendern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biedermann, Anna

2011-07-15

With respect to the embankment of the climatic change, the Federal Republic of Germany has set itself to reduce their annual greenhouse gas emissions by 40 % till to the year 2020 in comparison to 1990. Also, the most federal states want to contribute to the climate protection and therefore have adopted appropriate reduction targets. The main aim of the contribution under consideration is to make the climate protection goals of the federal states comparable with each other and with the 40 % target of the federal government. Therefore, the author first of all reports on the options for action of the federal states in the climate protection. Then the methods are presented with which the federal states balance their greenhouse gas emissions. The goals adopted by the federal states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are not sufficient to meet the climate target of the federal government.

Climate change, habitat loss, protected areas and the climate adaptation potential of species in mediterranean ecosystems worldwide.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirk R Klausmeyer

Full Text Available Mediterranean climate is found on five continents and supports five global biodiversity hotspots. Based on combined downscaled results from 23 atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs for three emissions scenarios, we determined the projected spatial shifts in the mediterranean climate extent (MCE over the next century. Although most AOGCMs project a moderate expansion in the global MCE, regional impacts are large and uneven. The median AOGCM simulation output for the three emissions scenarios project the MCE at the end of the 21(st century in Chile will range from 129-153% of its current size, while in Australia, it will contract to only 77-49% of its current size losing an area equivalent to over twice the size of Portugal. Only 4% of the land area within the current MCE worldwide is in protected status (compared to a global average of 12% for all biome types, and, depending on the emissions scenario, only 50-60% of these protected areas are likely to be in the future MCE. To exacerbate the climate impact, nearly one third (29-31% of the land where the MCE is projected to remain stable has already been converted to human use, limiting the size of the potential climate refuges and diminishing the adaptation potential of native biota. High conversion and low protection in projected stable areas make Australia the highest priority region for investment in climate-adaptation strategies to reduce the threat of climate change to the rich biodiversity of the mediterranean biome.

Unusual way of loosened total hip arthroplasty treatment with an Austin Moore endoprosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Erceg, M; Becic, K

2014-01-01

A 65-year-old female patient with aseptic loosening of total cemented hip endoprosthesis and pathologic fracture of the femur at the level of the stem of endoprosthesis was presented. As no appropriate endoprosthesis was available due to the war in Croatia and war priority, the problem was managed by femur osteosynthesis and implantation of a partial Austin Moore hip endoprosthesis. The endoprosthesis is still functioning well (for 20 years).To the best of the author's knowledge, nobody has ever treated problem like this using this alternative, an unconventional method, with an Austin Moore endoprosthesis.

Adapting to Climate Change: Reconsidering the Role of Protected Areas and Protected Organisms in Western North America

Science.gov (United States)

Graumlich, L. J.; Cross, M. S.; Hilty, J.; Berger, J.

2007-12-01

With the recent publication of the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), little doubt remains among scientists that the global climate system is changing due to human influence and that climate change will have far-reaching and fundamental impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. Arguably the best-documented evidence linking 20th Century warming trends to changes in physical and biological systems comes from the mountains of western North America (e.g., Figure SPM1 in Summary of Working Group 11 Report). In the West, ecosystem impacts include changes in the distribution of species as well as changing functional linkages between species such as the synchrony between flower emergence and pollinating insects. These climate impacts, when combined with other environmental stressors (e.g., altered disturbance regimes, land-use change and habitat fragmentation) portend an amplification of species extinction rates. One of the great challenges in adapting to climate change is developing and implementing policies that enhance ecological resilience in the face of these change. Clearly, the current system of nature reserves in Western North America is a fundamental asset for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, the fixed- boundary nature of these protected areas presents a problem as species' ranges shift with future climate change. The loss of species whose ranges move outside of fixed park boundaries and the arrival of other species that move into protected areas could lead to significant turnover of species diversity, new species assemblages, and altered functionality. In short, reserves that were designed to protect particular species or communities may no longer serve their intended purpose under a changing climate. In this talk, we use case studies from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Sonoran Desert Ecosystem to define strategies for enhancing ecological resilience to climate change at

Emerging Forms of Climate Protection Governance: Urban Initiatives in the European Union

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenthal, J. K.; Brunner, E.

2006-12-01

Changes in climate patterns are expected to pose increasing challenges for cities in the following decades, with adverse impacts on urban populations currently stressed by poverty, health and economic inequities. Simultaneously, a strong global trend towards urbanization of poverty exists, with increased challenges for local governments to protect and sustain the well-being of growing cities. In the context of these two overarching trends, interdisciplinary research at the city scale is prioritized for understanding the social impacts of climate change and variability and for the evaluation of strategies in the built environment that might serve as adaptive and mitigative responses to climate change. Urban managers, and transnational networks of municipalities and non-state actors, have taken an increasingly active role in climate protection, through research, policies, programs and agreements on adaptation and mitigation strategies. Concerns for urban impacts of climate change include the potential increase in frequency and intensity of damaging extreme weather events, such as heat waves, hurricanes, heavy rainfall or drought, and coastal flooding and erosion, and potentially adverse impacts on infrastructure, energy systems, and public health. Higher average summertime temperatures in temperate zone cities are also associated with environmental and public health liabilities such as decreased air quality and increased peak electrical demand. We review municipal climate protection programs, generally categorized as approaches based on technological innovation (e.g., new materials); changes in behavior and public education (e.g., use of cooling centers); and improvements in urban design (e.g., zoning for mixed land-use; the use of water, vegetation and plazas to reduce the urban heat island effect). Climate protection initiatives in three European cities are assessed within the context of the global collective efforts enacted by the Kyoto Protocol and United Nations

Changing Climate, Challenging Choices: Identifying and Evaluating Climate Change Adaptation Options for Protected Areas Management in Ontario, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Lemieux, Christopher J.; Scott, Daniel J.

2011-10-01

Climate change will pose increasingly significant challenges to managers of parks and other forms of protected areas around the world. Over the past two decades, numerous scientific publications have identified potential adaptations, but their suitability from legal, policy, financial, internal capacity, and other management perspectives has not been evaluated for any protected area agency or organization. In this study, a panel of protected area experts applied a Policy Delphi methodology to identify and evaluate climate change adaptation options across the primary management areas of a protected area agency in Canada. The panel identified and evaluated one hundred and sixty five (165) adaptation options for their perceived desirability and feasibility. While the results revealed a high level of agreement with respect to the desirability of adaptation options and a moderate level of capacity pertaining to policy formulation and management direction, a perception of low capacity for implementation in most other program areas was identified. A separate panel of senior park agency decision-makers used a multiple criterion decision-facilitation matrix to further evaluate the institutional feasibility of the 56 most desirable adaptation options identified by the initial expert panel and to prioritize them for consideration in a climate change action plan. Critically, only two of the 56 adaptation options evaluated by senior decision-makers were deemed definitely implementable, due largely to fiscal and internal capacity limitations. These challenges are common to protected area agencies in developed countries and pervade those in developing countries, revealing that limited adaptive capacity represents a substantive barrier to biodiversity conservation and other protected area management objectives in an era of rapid climate change.

Assessing climate change-robustness of protected area management plans-The case of Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Geyer, Juliane; Kreft, Stefan; Jeltsch, Florian; Ibisch, Pierre L

2017-01-01

Protected areas are arguably the most important instrument of biodiversity conservation. To keep them fit under climate change, their management needs to be adapted to address related direct and indirect changes. In our study we focus on the adaptation of conservation management planning, evaluating management plans of 60 protected areas throughout Germany with regard to their climate change-robustness. First, climate change-robust conservation management was defined using 11 principles and 44 criteria, which followed an approach similar to sustainability standards. We then evaluated the performance of individual management plans concerning the climate change-robustness framework. We found that climate change-robustness of protected areas hardly exceeded 50 percent of the potential performance, with most plans ranking in the lower quarter. Most Natura 2000 protected areas, established under conservation legislation of the European Union, belong to the sites with especially poor performance, with lower values in smaller areas. In general, the individual principles showed very different rates of accordance with our principles, but similarly low intensity. Principles with generally higher performance values included holistic knowledge management, public accountability and acceptance as well as systemic and strategic coherence. Deficiencies were connected to dealing with the future and uncertainty. Lastly, we recommended the presented principles and criteria as essential guideposts that can be used as a checklist for working towards more climate change-robust planning.

Assessing climate change-robustness of protected area management plans—The case of Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Geyer, Juliane; Kreft, Stefan; Jeltsch, Florian; Ibisch, Pierre L.

2017-01-01

Protected areas are arguably the most important instrument of biodiversity conservation. To keep them fit under climate change, their management needs to be adapted to address related direct and indirect changes. In our study we focus on the adaptation of conservation management planning, evaluating management plans of 60 protected areas throughout Germany with regard to their climate change-robustness. First, climate change-robust conservation management was defined using 11 principles and 44 criteria, which followed an approach similar to sustainability standards. We then evaluated the performance of individual management plans concerning the climate change-robustness framework. We found that climate change-robustness of protected areas hardly exceeded 50 percent of the potential performance, with most plans ranking in the lower quarter. Most Natura 2000 protected areas, established under conservation legislation of the European Union, belong to the sites with especially poor performance, with lower values in smaller areas. In general, the individual principles showed very different rates of accordance with our principles, but similarly low intensity. Principles with generally higher performance values included holistic knowledge management, public accountability and acceptance as well as systemic and strategic coherence. Deficiencies were connected to dealing with the future and uncertainty. Lastly, we recommended the presented principles and criteria as essential guideposts that can be used as a checklist for working towards more climate change-robust planning. PMID:28982187

75 FR 8741 - Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-25

...: Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION... Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3005, of the intent to repatriate cultural items in the control of Stephen F... of Oklahoma, which was under contract with Stephen F. Austin State University. In 1957, 15 cultural...

Austin Community College District's P-16 Initiative Graduates America

Science.gov (United States)

Hensley, Mary; Madsen, Gary

2010-01-01

Austin Community College (ACC) District's P-16 Initiative supports partnerships with 30 school districts--reaching traditionally underserved students and bridging the gap between high school and college--so more Texas students can reach their educational goals. The P-16 Initiative is a constellation of efforts designed to provide broad-based…

Unusual way of loosened total hip arthroplasty treatment with an Austin Moore endoprosthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Erceg

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A 65-year-old female patient with aseptic loosening of total cemented hip endoprosthesis and pathologic fracture of the femur at the level of the stem of endoprosthesis was presented. As no appropriate endoprosthesis was available due to the war in Croatia and war priority, the problem was managed by femur osteosynthesis and implantation of a partial Austin Moore hip endoprosthesis. The endoprosthesis is still functioning well (for 20 years.To the best of the author′s knowledge, nobody has ever treated problem like this using this alternative, an unconventional method, with an Austin Moore endoprosthesis.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Austin sediments after a ban on pavement sealers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeMott, R.P.; Gauthier, T.D.; Wiersema, J.M.; Crenson, G. [ENVIRON International, Tampa, FL (USA)

2010-07-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations were measured in stream sediments collected before and after a municipal ban on the use of coal-tar-based pavement sealers in Austin, Texas. Samples were collected in October 2005, prior to the ban, and again in April, 2008, approximately 2 years after the ban. Differences in total PAH concentrations between samples collected before and after the ban show no net change in PAH levels in Austin stream sediments. Results of hydrocarbon fingerprinting reveal subtle differences in PAH profiles that appear to reflect the effects of weathering rather than a change in PAH sources.

Reservoir fracture mapping using microearthquakes: Austin chalk, Giddings field, TX and 76 field, Clinton Co., KY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, W.S.; Rutledge, J.T.; Gardner, T.L. [SPE, Richardson, TX (United States); Fairbanks, T.D.; Miller, M.E.; Schuessler, B.K. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)

1996-11-01

Patterns of microearthquakes detected downhole defined fracture orientation and extent in the Austin chalk, Giddings field, TX and the 76 field, Clinton Co., KY. We collected over 480 and 770 microearthquakes during hydraulic stimulation at two sites in the Austin chalk, and over 3200 during primary production in Clinton Co. Data were of high enough quality that 20%, 31% and 53% of the events could be located, respectively. Reflected waves constrained microearthquakes to the stimulated depths at the base of the Austin chalk. In plan view, microearthquakes defined elongate fracture zones extending from the stimulation wells parallel to the regional fracture trend. However, widths of the stimulated zones differed by a factor of five between the two Austin chalk sites, indicating a large difference in the population of ancillary fractures. Post-stimulation production was much higher from the wider zone. At Clinton Co., microearthquakes defined low-angle, reverse-fault fracture zones above and below a producing zone. Associations with depleted production intervals indicated the mapped fractures had been previously drained. Drilling showed that the fractures currently contain brine. The seismic behavior was consistent with poroelastic models that predicted slight increases in compressive stress above and below the drained volume.

Making Health Easier: Active Living in Austin, TX PSA (:60)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2013-06-07

A local Austin, Texas, woman started a walking group to make physical activity fun for herself and community.  Created: 6/7/2013 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 6/7/2013.

Geologic models and evaluation of undiscovered conventional and continuous oil and gas resources: Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Krystal

2012-01-01

The Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk forms a low-permeability, onshore Gulf of Mexico reservoir that produces oil and gas from major fractures oriented parallel to the underlying Lower Cretaceous shelf edge. Horizontal drilling links these fracture systems to create an interconnected network that drains the reservoir. Field and well locations along the production trend are controlled by fracture networks. Highly fractured chalk is present along both regional and local fault zones. Fractures are also genetically linked to movement of the underlying Jurassic Louann Salt with tensile fractures forming downdip of salt-related structures creating the most effective reservoirs. Undiscovered accumulations should also be associated with structure-controlled fracture systems because much of the Austin that overlies the Lower Cretaceous shelf edge remains unexplored. The Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Shale is the primary source rock for Austin Chalk hydrocarbons. This transgressive marine shale varies in thickness and lithology across the study area and contains both oil- and gas-prone kerogen. The Eagle Ford began generating oil and gas in the early Miocene, and vertical migration through fractures was sufficient to charge the Austin reservoirs.

The new European Competence Centre for Moor and Climate - A European initiative for practical peat bog and climate protection

Science.gov (United States)

Smidt, Geerd; Tänzer, Detlef

2013-04-01

The new European Competence Centre for Moor and Climate (EFMK) is an initiative by different local communities, environmental protection NGOs, agricultural services, and partners from the peat and other industries in Lower Saxony (Germany). The Centre aims to integrate practical peat bog conservation with a focus on green house gas emission after drainage and after water logging activities. Together with our partners we want to break new ground to protect the remaining bogs in the region. Sphagnum mosses will be produced in paludiculture on-site in cooperation with the local peat industry to provide economic and ecologic alternatives for peat products used in horticulture business. Land-use changes are needed in the region and will be stimulated in cooperation with agricultural services via compensation money transfers from environmental protection funds. On a global scale the ideas of Carbon Credit System have to be discussed to protect the peat bogs for climate protection issues. Environmental education is an important pillar of the EFMK. The local society is invited to explore the unique ecosystem and to participate in peat bog protection activities. Future generations will be taught to understand that the health of our peat bogs is interrelated with the health of the local and global climate. Besides extracurricular classes for schools the centre will provide infrastructure for Master and PhD students, as well for senior researchers for applied research in the surrounding moor. International partners in the scientific and practical fields of peat bog ecology, renaturation, green house gas emissions from peat bogs, and environmental policy are invited to participate in the European Competence Center for Moor and Climate.

Model France. Efficiently achieving climate protection targets. Nuclear power phase-out scenario adapted in favour of climate protection; Vorbild Frankreich. Klimaschutzziele effizient erreichen. Ausstiegszenario Kernkraft zugunsten des Klimaschutzes angepasst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leidinger, Tobias [Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft, Duesseldorf (Germany)

2017-12-15

In Germany - after an abrupt, legally controversial and in some cases unconstitutional phase-out of nuclear power (''at any price'') - the next phase-out of is now being negotiated among new coalition partners. In France, on the other hand, energy and climate protection seem to be in the clear sense of the word: the French nuclear phase-out scenario is clearly being ''stretched out'' in order to achieve the promised climate protection targets. Reason seems to have the upper hand in France: instead of ''black-and-white scenarios'', one prefers to stick to what is in reality feasible and achievable. In reality, the expansion of renewable energies, the regulation of the transport sector and electricity production from nuclear energy are not opposites, but complement each other in the interests of affordable energy and effective climate protection.

Geodatabase design and characteristics of geologic information for a geodatabase of selected wells penetrating the Austin Group in central Bexar County, Texas, 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Pedraza, Diana E.; Shah, Sachin D.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, developed a geodatabase of geologic and hydrogeologic information for selected wells penetrating the Austin Group in central Bexar County, Texas. The Austin Group functions as an upper confining unit to the Edwards aquifer and is the thickest and most permeable of the Edwards aquifer confining units. The geologic and hydrogeologic information pertains to a 377-square-mile study area that encompasses central Bexar County. Data were compiled primarily from drillers' and borehole geophysical logs from federal, State, and local agencies and published reports. Austin Group characteristics compiled for 523 unique wells are documented (if known), including year drilled, well depth, altitude of top and base of the Austin Group, and thickness of the Austin Group.

Nuclear power unnecessary for climate protection. There are more cost-efficient alternatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kemfert, Claudia; Oei, Pao-Yu [DIW Berlin (Germany). Dept. of Energy, Transportation, Environment; Burandt, Thorsten; Hainsch, Karlo [TU Berlin (Germany); Loeffler, Konstantin [TU Berlin (Germany); DIW Berlin (Germany); Hirschhausen, Christian von [DIW Berlin (Germany). International Infrastructure Policy and Industrial Organization

2017-07-01

The world needs to continue working to protect the climate - this is generally undisputed. However, there is no agreement on which technologies should be used to decarbonize the energy sector. Many international scenarios still assume a relevant role for nuclear power in the future. However, a study by the German Institute for Economic Research shows that the Paris climate protection target - limiting global warming to below two degrees - can be achieved inexpensively without nuclear power. The results of a global energy system model indicate that no new nuclear power plants have to be built in order to meet the global climate target. It would be cheaper to use a combination of renewable energy and energy storage systems.

Economically compatible climate protection for Germany as a major site of industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fahl, U.; Laege, E.; Schaumann, P.; Voss, A.

1996-01-01

National climate protection policy must be designed in such a way as to ensure its compatibility with the economy and full employment. In this context, cost-efficient measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions which achieve a maximum cut in greenhouse gases for each Mark that is spent are of paramount importance. Climate protection, the strengthening of Germany as a major site of industry and a sphere of life, sustainable development and the safeguarding of power supply are all one. Political and economic action must have this fact in mind. This is the background against which the possibilities for economically compatible and climate-friendly reduction of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in Germany are discussed. (orig.) [de

Nuclear analytical techniques with neutron beams at the Univ. of Texas at Austin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uenlue, K.; Wehring, B.W.

1996-01-01

Neutron beams produced by nuclear research reactors can be used for analytical chemical analysis by measuring nuclear radiation produced by neutron capture. Prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) and neutron depth profiling (NDP) are two such analytical techniques. For the last three decades, these techniques have been applied at a number of research reactors around the world. Within the last 4 yr, we have developed NDP and PGAA facilities at The University of Texas at Austin research reactor, a 1-MW TRIGA Mark II reactor. Brief descriptions of the facilities and summaries of activities for these analytical techniques at the University of Texas at Austin are provided in this paper

Concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Major and Trace Elements in Simulated Rainfall Runoff from Parking Lots, Austin, Texas, 2003

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mahler, Barbara J; Van Metre, Peter C; Wilson, Jennifer T

2004-01-01

Samples of creek bed sediment collected near seal-coated parking lots in Austin, Texas, by the City of Austin during 2001-02 had unusually elevated concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs...

Investment in flood protection measures under climate change uncertainty. An investment decision

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruin, Karianne de

2012-11-01

Recent river flooding in Europe has triggered debates among scientists and policymakers on future projections of flood frequency and the need for adaptive investments, such as flood protection measures. Because there exists uncertainty about the impact of climate change of flood risk, such investments require a careful analysis of expected benefits and costs. The objective of this paper is to show how climate change uncertainty affects the decision to invest in flood protection measures. We develop a model that simulates optimal decision making in flood protection, it incorporates flexible timing of investment decisions and scientific uncertainty on the extent of climate change impacts. This model allows decision-makers to cope with the uncertain impacts of climate change on the frequency and damage of river flood events and minimises the risk of under- or over-investment. One of the innovative elements is that we explicitly distinguish between structural and non-structural flood protection measures. Our results show that the optimal investment decision today depends strongly on the cost structure of the adaptation measures and the discount rate, especially the ratio of fixed and weighted annual costs of the measures. A higher level of annual flood damage and later resolution of uncertainty in time increases the optimal investment. Furthermore, the optimal investment decision today is influenced by the possibility of the decision-maker to adjust his decision at a future moment in time.(auth)

International and European law on protected areas and climate change: need for adaptation or implementation?

Science.gov (United States)

Cliquet, A

2014-10-01

The protection and management of protected areas must be adapted to the effects of climate change. An important question is if the law on protected areas is capable of dealing with the required changes. In general, both international nature conventions and European Union nature conservation law do not contain any specific provisions on climate change and protected areas. Attention has been paid to this link in non-binding decisions and policy documents. In order to adapt the law to increased dynamics from climate change, more flexibility is needed. This flexibility should not be understood as "legal" flexibility, in the sense of the weakening nature conservation provisions. Scientific uncertainties on the effects of climate change might conflict with the need for legal certainties. In order to adapt to the effects of climate change, the two crucial elements are the strengthening of core protected areas and connectivity between the core areas. At the international level, both elements can be found in non-binding documents. International law enables the required adaptation; however, it often lacks concrete obligations. A stronger legal framework can be found at the level of the European Union. The Birds and Habitats Directives contain sufficient tools to deal with the effects of climate change. The Directives have been insufficiently implemented so far. Especially the central goals of reaching a favorable conservation status and connectivity measures need to be addressed much more in the future.

Did Fukushima matter? Empirical evidence of the demand for climate protection in Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gallier, Carlo [Zentrum fuer Europaeische Wirtschaftsforschung GmbH (ZEW), Mannheim (Germany); Loeschel, Andreas [Zentrum fuer Europaeische Wirtschaftsforschung GmbH (ZEW), Mannheim (Germany); Heidelberg Univ. (Germany). Alfred Weber Institute; Sturm, Bodo [Zentrum fuer Europaeische Wirtschaftsforschung GmbH (ZEW), Mannheim (Germany); Leipzig Univ. of Applied Sciences (Germany). Dept. of Business Administration

2013-07-01

This paper investigates the extent to which the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster of March 2011 has had an impact on the private demand for climate protection in Germany. Data are taken from two framed field experiments (Loeschel et al. 2013a, b) conducted before and after the disaster. We find that the demand for climate protection in the experiment after the nuclear disaster is significantly higher than in the experiment before the disaster.

Did Fukushima matter? Empirical evidence of the demand for climate protection in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallier, Carlo; Loeschel, Andreas; Heidelberg Univ.; Sturm, Bodo; Leipzig Univ. of Applied Sciences

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the extent to which the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster of March 2011 has had an impact on the private demand for climate protection in Germany. Data are taken from two framed field experiments (Loeschel et al. 2013a, b) conducted before and after the disaster. We find that the demand for climate protection in the experiment after the nuclear disaster is significantly higher than in the experiment before the disaster.

Improving the interpretability of climate landscape metrics: An ecological risk analysis of Japan's Marine Protected Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

García Molinos, Jorge; Takao, Shintaro; Kumagai, Naoki H; Poloczanska, Elvira S; Burrows, Michael T; Fujii, Masahiko; Yamano, Hiroya

2017-10-01

Conservation efforts strive to protect significant swaths of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems from a range of threats. As climate change becomes an increasing concern, these efforts must take into account how resilient-protected spaces will be in the face of future drivers of change such as warming temperatures. Climate landscape metrics, which signal the spatial magnitude and direction of climate change, support a convenient initial assessment of potential threats to and opportunities within ecosystems to inform conservation and policy efforts where biological data are not available. However, inference of risk from purely physical climatic changes is difficult unless set in a meaningful ecological context. Here, we aim to establish this context using historical climatic variability, as a proxy for local adaptation by resident biota, to identify areas where current local climate conditions will remain extant and future regional climate analogues will emerge. This information is then related to the processes governing species' climate-driven range edge dynamics, differentiating changes in local climate conditions as promoters of species range contractions from those in neighbouring locations facilitating range expansions. We applied this approach to assess the future climatic stability and connectivity of Japanese waters and its network of marine protected areas (MPAs). We find 88% of Japanese waters transitioning to climates outside their historical variability bounds by 2035, resulting in large reductions in the amount of available climatic space potentially promoting widespread range contractions and expansions. Areas of high connectivity, where shifting climates converge, are present along sections of the coast facilitated by the strong latitudinal gradient of the Japanese archipelago and its ocean current system. While these areas overlap significantly with areas currently under significant anthropogenic pressures, they also include much of the MPA

Environmetal protection within the law relating to regional policy. Anchoring the climatic protection und the protection of biodiversity within the law relating to regional policy; Umweltschutz im Planungsrecht. Die Verankerung des Klimaschutzes und des Schutzes der biologischen Vielfalt im raumbezogenen Planungsrecht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janssen, Gerold; Albrecht, Juliane [Leibniz-Institut fuer oekologische Raumentwicklung e.V., Dresden (Germany)

2008-03-15

The report is concerned with the anchoring of the climate protection within the law relating to regional policy. The report covers the following topics: (1) Fundamentals of planning policy: the regional planning legislation, municipal planning authority, constitutional provisos, environmental protection as constitutional principle; (2) climate protection laws: legal instruments; legal planning relevance of climate protection instruments deficiencies and protective effect; (3) biodiversity protection: laws concerning biodiversity, legal planning relevance of biodiversity protection instruments: deficiencies and protective effects.

On Research-Minded Practitioners: A Response to McBeath and Austin

Science.gov (United States)

Yaffe, Joanne

2015-01-01

McBeath and Austin define the concept of research-minded practitioners, describe the organizational contexts, structures, and strategies for supporting this type of practitioner. Further, the authors propose a research agenda to establish effective organizational development strategies to support research-minded practitioners, align their efforts…

Trip internalization and mixed-use development : a case study of Austin Texas.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-12-01

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) in the Austin, TX region is incorporating : a new regional growth concept, the Activity Centers for its Long-Range Transportation Plan. The planned : Activity Centers would present such feat...

Managing uncertainty in flood protection planning with climate projections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Dittes

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Technical flood protection is a necessary part of integrated strategies to protect riverine settlements from extreme floods. Many technical flood protection measures, such as dikes and protection walls, are costly to adapt after their initial construction. This poses a challenge to decision makers as there is large uncertainty in how the required protection level will change during the measure lifetime, which is typically many decades long. Flood protection requirements should account for multiple future uncertain factors: socioeconomic, e.g., whether the population and with it the damage potential grows or falls; technological, e.g., possible advancements in flood protection; and climatic, e.g., whether extreme discharge will become more frequent or not. This paper focuses on climatic uncertainty. Specifically, we devise methodology to account for uncertainty associated with the use of discharge projections, ultimately leading to planning implications. For planning purposes, we categorize uncertainties as either visible, if they can be quantified from available catchment data, or hidden, if they cannot be quantified from catchment data and must be estimated, e.g., from the literature. It is vital to consider the hidden uncertainty, since in practical applications only a limited amount of information (e.g., a finite projection ensemble is available. We use a Bayesian approach to quantify the visible uncertainties and combine them with an estimate of the hidden uncertainties to learn a joint probability distribution of the parameters of extreme discharge. The methodology is integrated into an optimization framework and applied to a pre-alpine case study to give a quantitative, cost-optimal recommendation on the required amount of flood protection. The results show that hidden uncertainty ought to be considered in planning, but the larger the uncertainty already present, the smaller the impact of adding more. The recommended planning is

Managing uncertainty in flood protection planning with climate projections

Science.gov (United States)

Dittes, Beatrice; Špačková, Olga; Schoppa, Lukas; Straub, Daniel

2018-04-01

Technical flood protection is a necessary part of integrated strategies to protect riverine settlements from extreme floods. Many technical flood protection measures, such as dikes and protection walls, are costly to adapt after their initial construction. This poses a challenge to decision makers as there is large uncertainty in how the required protection level will change during the measure lifetime, which is typically many decades long. Flood protection requirements should account for multiple future uncertain factors: socioeconomic, e.g., whether the population and with it the damage potential grows or falls; technological, e.g., possible advancements in flood protection; and climatic, e.g., whether extreme discharge will become more frequent or not. This paper focuses on climatic uncertainty. Specifically, we devise methodology to account for uncertainty associated with the use of discharge projections, ultimately leading to planning implications. For planning purposes, we categorize uncertainties as either visible, if they can be quantified from available catchment data, or hidden, if they cannot be quantified from catchment data and must be estimated, e.g., from the literature. It is vital to consider the hidden uncertainty, since in practical applications only a limited amount of information (e.g., a finite projection ensemble) is available. We use a Bayesian approach to quantify the visible uncertainties and combine them with an estimate of the hidden uncertainties to learn a joint probability distribution of the parameters of extreme discharge. The methodology is integrated into an optimization framework and applied to a pre-alpine case study to give a quantitative, cost-optimal recommendation on the required amount of flood protection. The results show that hidden uncertainty ought to be considered in planning, but the larger the uncertainty already present, the smaller the impact of adding more. The recommended planning is robust to moderate changes in

Forestry in times of climatic change. From adaptation to climate protection; Forstwirtschaft in Zeiten des Klimawandels. Von Anpassung bis Klimaschutz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-07-01

The notification 30/2010 of the Thuringian State Institute for Forest, Hunting and Fishing (Gotha, Federal Republic of Germany) reports on the forest management in times of the climatic changes. This notification consists of the following contributions: (1) Perception of the climatic change by private forest owners - A social-scientific investigation (Stefanie Rimkus); (2) Fundamentals for the designation of the inventory destination types adapted to climatic change for Thuringia (Nico Frischbier); (3) Recommendations of tree species adapted to climatic change for the forestry practice in Thuringia (Wolfgang Arenhoevel); (4) Development of carbon storage in the state-owned forest Thuringia (Thomas Wutzler); (5) The carbon inventories in copper beech forests (Fagus Sylvatica L.) under the influence of different silvicultural treatment (Martina Mund); (6) Wood products for the climate protection - The state of the art in Thuringia (Ingolf Profft); (7) HABIT-CHANGE - 'Adaptive management of climate-induced changes of habitat diversity in protected areas' (Nico Frischbier); (8) Cultivation experiences of non-indigenous tree species (Wolfgang Ahrenhoevel); (9) Registration of damages of the storm 'Xynthia' in the forestry office Bad Salzungen by means of ANDROMEDA {sup registered} data (Herbert Sagischewski); (10) www.waldundklima.net - The open internet portal on forest, wood and climate (Ingolf Profft).

Creating Value in Nonprofit-business Collaborations: New Thinking and Practice, by Austin James E. and Seitanidi M. May

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mongelli, Luca; Rullani, Francesco

2017-01-01

Book Review of: Creating Value in Nonprofit-business Collaborations: New Thinking and Practice, by Austin James E. and Seitanidi M. May . San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons, 2014. 320 pp. ISBN: 978-1118531136.......Book Review of: Creating Value in Nonprofit-business Collaborations: New Thinking and Practice, by Austin James E. and Seitanidi M. May . San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons, 2014. 320 pp. ISBN: 978-1118531136....

The climate protection policy of the USA under president Obama; Die Klimaschutzpolitik der USA unter Praesident Obama

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, Wolfgang; Schenk, Olga [Forschungszentrum Juelich (Germany). Inst. fuer Energieforschung - Systemforschung und Technologische Entwicklung; Holtrup-Mostert, Petra [Transatlantic Networks - Foreign Policy Analysis, Koenigswinter (Germany)

2009-01-15

Barack Obama's slogan 'Are you ready for a Change?' may become the motto fo the future climate protection policy of the USA. While the USA is slowly beginning to play a more active role in this area, there are many political and institutional obstacles to overcome before the USA can become one of the big global players here. The authors analyse the status quo of the US climate protection policy in an attempt to indicate national and international perspectives of climate protection. (orig.)

Managing for climate change on protected areas: An adaptive management decision making framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner-McAllister, Sherri L; Rhodes, Jonathan; Hockings, Marc

2017-12-15

Current protected area management is becoming more challenging with advancing climate change and current park management techniques may not be adequate to adapt for effective management into the future. The framework presented here provides an adaptive management decision making process to assist protected area managers with adapting on-park management to climate change. The framework sets out a 4 step process. One, a good understanding of the park's context within climate change. Secondly, a thorough understanding of the park management systems including governance, planning and management systems. Thirdly, a series of management options set out as an accept/prevent change style structure, including a systematic assessment of those options. The adaptive approaches are defined as acceptance of anthropogenic climate change impact and attempt to adapt to a new climatic environment or prevention of change and attempt to maintain current systems under new climatic variations. Last, implementation and monitoring of long term trends in response to ecological responses to management interventions and assessing management effectiveness. The framework addresses many issues currently with park management in dealing with climate change including the considerable amount of research focussing on 'off-reserve' strategies, and threats and stress focused in situ park management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Equal Partners. Austin Teenagers Learn To Expect Respect in Dating Relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Mary M.

1997-01-01

Describes the Teen Dating Violence Project, a 24-week program in the Austin (Texas) schools that offers single sex support groups for young men and women involved in violent relationships. Learning to build equitable and respectful relationships often involves unlearning gender stereotypes, but the program shows that attitudes can change. (SLD)

Biochar strategies as measures for climate protection; Biokohlenstrategien als Massnahmen zum Klimaschutz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bach, Martin [Giessen Univ. (Germany). Landschaftsoekologie und Ressourcenmanagement; Wilske, Burkhard; Bai, Mo

2014-07-01

Biochar is advertised by stakeholders both public and private as an innovative interface in materials stream management which holds potential for added value in the fields of climate protection, energy, agriculture, soil improvement, and waste management. A number of factors must be considered in undertaking a comprehensive assessment and valuation for climate protection purposes of the option of a ''biochar strategy'', meaning carbon sequestration by biomass carbonisation (pyrolysis, HTC): biochar production and uptake capacities, energy and carbon balance, product stability, impact on soil functions and yield effects and, not least, economic aspects. This article addresses the more important of these factors.

Siting Urban Agriculture as a Green Infrastructure Strategy for Land Use Planning in Austin, TX

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles M. Rogers

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Green infrastructure refers to a type of land use design that mimics the natural water cycle by using the infiltration capacities of vegetation, soils, and other natural processes to mitigate stormwater runoff. As a multifunctional landscape, urban agriculture should be seen as a highly beneficial tool for urban planning not only because of its ability to function as a green stormwater management strategy, but also due to the multiple social and environmental benefits it provides. In 2012, the city of Austin adopted a major planning approach titled the “Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan” (IACP outlining the city’s vision for future growth and land use up to 2039. The plan explicitly addresses the adoption of green infrastructure as a target for future land use with urban agriculture as a central component. Addressing this area of land use planning will require tools that can locate suitable areas within the city ideal for the development of green infrastructure. In this study, a process was developed to create a spatially explicit method of siting urban agriculture as a green infrastructure tool in hydrologically sensitive areas, or areas prone to runoff, in east Austin. The method uses geospatial software to spatially analyze open access datasets that include land use, a digital elevation model, and prime farmland soils. Through this method a spatial relationship can be made between areas of high surface runoff and where the priority placement of urban farms should be sited as a useful component of green infrastructure. Planners or geospatial analysts could use such information, along with other significant factors and community input, to aid decision makers in the placement of urban agriculture. This spatially explicit approach for siting potential urban farms, will support the integration of urban agriculture as part of the land use planning of Austin.

Mortality disparities among groups participating in an East Africa surveying expedition: the Herbert Henry Austin expedition of 1900-1901.

Science.gov (United States)

Imperato, Pascal James; Imperato, Gavin H; Imperato, Austin C

2013-10-01

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a number of European expeditions traveled to the region of Lake Rudolf, now largely in northern Kenya. Although diverse in intent, many of these were undertaken in the interests of furthering colonial territorial claims. In 1900-1901, Major Herbert Henry Austin led a British expedition down to the lake from Khartoum in the north. Of the 62 African, Arab, and European members of this expedition, only 18 (29 %) arrived at its final destination at Lake Baringo in Kenya. Because of a confluence of adverse climatic, social, and political conditions, the expedition ran short of food supplies when it arrived at the northern end of the lake in April 1901. For the next 4 months, the members of the expedition struggled down the west side of the lake and beyond. The greatest mortality (91 %) occurred among the 32 African transport drivers who were the most marginally nourished at the outset of the trip. The lowest mortality among the Africans on the expedition (15 %) occurred among the members of the Tenth Sudanese Rifles Battalion, who had an excellent nutritional status at the start of the expedition. Major Austin himself suffered from severe scurvy with retinal hemorrhages which left him partially blind in his right eye. An analysis of the mortality rates among the groups that participated in this expedition was undertaken. This revealed that poor nutritional status at the start of the trip was predictive of death from starvation.

Climate protection after Copenhagen. International instruments and national implementation. Proceedings; Klimaschutz nach Kopenhagen. Internationale Instrumente und nationale Umsetzung. Tagungsband

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gundel, Joerg; Lange, Knut Werner (eds.)

2011-07-01

The publication contains the results of the First Bayreuth Energy Law Days on the subject of 'Climate Protection after Copenhagen'. Following the UN climate conference of December 2009, it presents the current state of discussion of the legal instruments of climate protection on an international, European and national level. (orig./RHM)

Climate change and natural disasters – integrating science and practice to protect health

Science.gov (United States)

Sauerborn, Rainer; Ebi, Kristie

2012-01-01

Background Hydro-meteorological disasters are the focus of this paper. The authors examine, to which extent climate change increases their frequency and intensity. Methods Review of IPCC-projections of climate-change related extreme weather events and related literature on health effects. Results Projections show that climate change is likely to increase the frequency, intensity, duration, and spatial distribution of a range of extreme weather events over coming decades. Conclusions There is a need for strengthened collaboration between climate scientists, the health researchers and policy-makers as well as the disaster community to jointly develop adaptation strategies to protect human. PMID:23273248

Climate protection and sustainable economy. For a new development political mission statement; Klimaschutz und nachhaltiges Wirtschaften. Fuer ein neues entwicklungspolitisches Leitbild

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kofler, Baerbel; Netzer, Nina (eds.)

2011-11-15

The book under consideration is devoted to climate protection and sustainable economy. It consists of the following contributions: (1) Climate protection and development policy - New allies in the fight against poverty? (B. Kofler); (2) In preparation for a wormer world - Adjustment to the climatic change using local resources (A. Schroeder); (3) Sustainable economy today - a development political consideration (H.-J. Luhmann); (4) The Clean Development Mechanism - No-Win instead of Win-Win for developing countries?; (5) New market based mechanisms for improving the climate protection in developing countries (K. Wentrup); (6) Global emission trading: market-economy instruments for a development-oriented climate policy? (S. Fischer); (7) The policy is needed - Central strategies for combating climatic change (R. Guenther); (8) Technology transfer: Political controversies, successes and problems of implementation (C. Gerstetter); (9) REDDplus - Forest protection as a chance for development and poverty reduction (K. Gerber); (10) What is climate justice? From the principle to political practice (T. Hirsch); (11) How much are 100 Billion Us-Dollar? Financing of climate protection between adequacy and creative bookkeeping (W. Sterk); (12) No money, no fun - Climate change financing has to be made more concrete (F. Schwabe); (13) Human rights - Common struggle against the climatic change (T. Rathgeber); (14) Climate change adaptation - Handling extreme events and damages: 'Loss and damage' (T. Hirsch); (15) Rio 2012 and the reform of the international environment governance (N. Simon).

Differences in Hospital Managers’, Unit Managers’, and Health Care Workers’ Perceptions of the Safety Climate for Respiratory Protection

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Kristina; Rogers, Bonnie M. E.; Brosseau, Lisa M.; Payne, Julianne; Cooney, Jennifer; Joe, Lauren; Novak, Debra

2017-01-01

This article compares hospital managers’ (HM), unit managers’ (UM), and health care workers’ (HCW) perceptions of respiratory protection safety climate in acute care hospitals. The article is based on survey responses from 215 HMs, 245 UMs, and 1,105 HCWs employed by 98 acute care hospitals in six states. Ten survey questions assessed five of the key dimensions of safety climate commonly identified in the literature: managerial commitment to safety, management feedback on safety procedures, coworkers’ safety norms, worker involvement, and worker safety training. Clinically and statistically significant differences were found across the three respondent types. HCWs had less positive perceptions of management commitment, worker involvement, and safety training aspects of safety climate than HMs and UMs. UMs had more positive perceptions of management’s supervision of HCWs’ respiratory protection practices. Implications for practice improvements indicate the need for frontline HCWs’ inclusion in efforts to reduce safety climate barriers and better support effective respiratory protection programs and daily health protection practices. PMID:27056750

Differences in Hospital Managers', Unit Managers', and Health Care Workers' Perceptions of the Safety Climate for Respiratory Protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Kristina; Rogers, Bonnie M E; Brosseau, Lisa M; Payne, Julianne; Cooney, Jennifer; Joe, Lauren; Novak, Debra

2016-07-01

This article compares hospital managers' (HM), unit managers' (UM), and health care workers' (HCW) perceptions of respiratory protection safety climate in acute care hospitals. The article is based on survey responses from 215 HMs, 245 UMs, and 1,105 HCWs employed by 98 acute care hospitals in six states. Ten survey questions assessed five of the key dimensions of safety climate commonly identified in the literature: managerial commitment to safety, management feedback on safety procedures, coworkers' safety norms, worker involvement, and worker safety training. Clinically and statistically significant differences were found across the three respondent types. HCWs had less positive perceptions of management commitment, worker involvement, and safety training aspects of safety climate than HMs and UMs. UMs had more positive perceptions of management's supervision of HCWs' respiratory protection practices. Implications for practice improvements indicate the need for frontline HCWs' inclusion in efforts to reduce safety climate barriers and better support effective respiratory protection programs and daily health protection practices. © 2016 The Author(s).

Quest Learning and Assessment, UT Austin

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Gerald; McDonald, Patsy; Hostetler, Rhonda

2010-03-01

Quest Learning & Assessment is an innovative web-based tool for instructors and students of math and science. Quest was created at The University of Texas at Austin to address educational challenges at one of the biggest universities in the country. It now serves a primary role in classes taught within UT's College of Natural Sciences. Quest covers subjects ranging from mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, computer science and statistics. For instructors, Quest offers an easy way to create homework assignments, quizzes and exams with its extensive knowledge base. Since most questions have built-in variations Quest can create custom assignments for each student, which are automatically graded. Once solutions are available, students can read detailed explanations to questions and understand why their answer was correct or incorrect. Quest has graded over 30 million student responses and is now available to all education institutions.

Climate protection in the context. The role of training and participation on the way in a climate friendly society; Klimaschutz im Kontext. Die Rolle von Bildung und Partizipation auf dem Weg in eine klimafreundliche Gesellschaft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zschiesche, Michael (ed.) [Unabhaengiges Inst. fuer Umweltfragen - UfU e.V., Berlin (Germany)

2013-02-01

In Germany, climate protection measures have been intensively discussed in the public. Within this discussion, the climate protection is considered as a fiscal or technical measure but not as a cultural challenge. Under this aspect, fourteen German social scientists report on essential questions concerning to the training processes and participation processes in context to the climate protection. Successful training and participation processes in the climate protection as well as the newest results of the environmental psychology and lifestyle research are presented.

Austin's urban FIA: seamless rural to urban resource monitoring in Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Chris Edgar; Burl. Carraway

2015-01-01

In 2014 Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis (Urban-FIA) was implemented for the first time ever in Austin, Texas. Work was accelerated and a full complement of plots in the city was measured in six months. In 2015 results are to be released in an FIA report and data made available in a publicly accessible database. In this presentation we discuss the importance of...

The Austin High School Girls' Band of Chicago, Illinois: 1925-1956

Science.gov (United States)

Hash, Phillip M.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the history of the Austin High School (AHS) Girls' Band (AHSGB) of Chicago, Illinois, which existed from 1925 to 1956. This research focused on the band's (a) organization and leadership, (b) activities within the school and community, (c) relationship to the AHS Boys Band, and (d) efforts to challenge and…

Protecting climate with forests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, Robert B; Randerson, James T; Anderson, Ray G; Pataki, Diane E; Canadell, Josep G; Avissar, Roni; Baldocchi, Dennis D; Bonan, Gordon B; Caldeira, Ken; Field, Christopher B; Diffenbaugh, Noah S; Hungate, Bruce A; Jobbagy, Esteban G; Nosetto, Marcelo D; Kueppers, Lara M

2008-01-01

Policies for climate mitigation on land rarely acknowledge biophysical factors, such as reflectivity, evaporation, and surface roughness. Yet such factors can alter temperatures much more than carbon sequestration does, and often in a conflicting way. We outline a framework for examining biophysical factors in mitigation policies and provide some best-practice recommendations based on that framework. Tropical projects-avoided deforestation, forest restoration, and afforestation-provide the greatest climate value, because carbon storage and biophysics align to cool the Earth. In contrast, the climate benefits of carbon storage are often counteracted in boreal and other snow-covered regions, where darker trees trap more heat than snow does. Managers can increase the climate benefit of some forest projects by using more reflective and deciduous species and through urban forestry projects that reduce energy use. Ignoring biophysical interactions could result in millions of dollars being invested in some mitigation projects that provide little climate benefit or, worse, are counter-productive.

Protecting climate with forests

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Robert B.; Randerson, James T.; Canadell, Josep G.; Anderson, Ray G.; Avissar, Roni; Baldocchi, Dennis D.; Bonan, Gordon B.; Caldeira, Ken; Diffenbaugh, Noah S.; Field, Christopher B.; Hungate, Bruce A.; Jobbágy, Esteban G.; Kueppers, Lara M.; Nosetto, Marcelo D.; Pataki, Diane E.

2008-10-01

Policies for climate mitigation on land rarely acknowledge biophysical factors, such as reflectivity, evaporation, and surface roughness. Yet such factors can alter temperatures much more than carbon sequestration does, and often in a conflicting way. We outline a framework for examining biophysical factors in mitigation policies and provide some best-practice recommendations based on that framework. Tropical projects—avoided deforestation, forest restoration, and afforestation—provide the greatest climate value, because carbon storage and biophysics align to cool the Earth. In contrast, the climate benefits of carbon storage are often counteracted in boreal and other snow-covered regions, where darker trees trap more heat than snow does. Managers can increase the climate benefit of some forest projects by using more reflective and deciduous species and through urban forestry projects that reduce energy use. Ignoring biophysical interactions could result in millions of dollars being invested in some mitigation projects that provide little climate benefit or, worse, are counter-productive.

Comparison of background gamma-ray spectra between Los Alamos, New Mexico and Austin, Texas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horne, S.; Jackman, K.R.; Landsberger, S.

2013-01-01

Background counts in gamma-ray spectrometry are caused by a variety of sources. Among these are naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in the environment, interactions from cosmic radiation, and contamination within the laboratory. High-purity germanium detectors were used to acquire long background spectra in Los Alamos, NM (elevation ∼7,300 feet) and Austin, TX (elevation ∼500 feet). This difference in elevation has a sizeable effect on background spectra due to cosmic interactions, such as (n,n') and (n,γ). Los Alamos also has a fairly high NORM concentration in the soil relative to Austin, and this gives way to various spectral interferences. When analyzing nuclear forensics samples, these background sources can have non-trivial effects on detection limits of low-level fission products. By accurately determining the influence that elevation and environment have on background spectra, interferences within various laboratory environments can be more accurately characterized. (author)

Energy taxes, resource taxes and quantity rationing for climate protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eisenack, Klaus [Oldenburg Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Economics; Edenhofer, Ottmar; Kalkuhl, Matthias [Potsdam-Institut fuer Klimafolgenforschung e.V., Potsdam (Germany)

2010-11-15

Economic sectors react strategically to climate policy, aiming at a re-distribution of rents. Established analysis suggests a Pigouvian emission tax as efficient instrument, but also recommends factor input or output taxes under specific conditions. However, existing studies leave it open whether output taxes, input taxes or input rationing perform better, and at best only touch their distributional consequences. When emissions correspond to extracted ressources, it is questionable whether taxes are effective at all. We determine the effectiveness, efficiency and functional income distribution for these instruments in the energy and resource sector, based on a game theoretic growth model with explicit factor markets and policy instruments. Market equilibrium depends on a government that acts as a Stackelberg leader with a climate protection goal. We find that resource taxes and cumulative resource quantity rationing achieve this objective efficiently. Energy taxation is only second best. Mitigation generates a substantial ''climate rent'' in the resource sector that can be converted to transfer incomes by taxes. (orig.)

Modelling plant invasion pathways in protected areas under climate change: implication for invasion management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.-J. Wang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Global climate change may enable invasive plant species (IPS to invade protected areas (PAs, but plant invasion on a global scale has not yet been explicitly addressed. Here, we mapped the potential invasion pathways for IPS in PAs across the globe and explored potential factors determining the pathways of plant invasion under climate change. We used species distribution modelling to estimate the suitable habitats of 386 IPS and applied a corridor analysis to compute the potential pathways of IPS in PAs under climate change. Subsequently, we analysed the potential factors affecting the pathways in PAs. According to our results, the main potential pathways of IPS in PAs are in Europe, eastern Australia, New Zealand, southern Africa, and eastern regions of South America and are strongly influenced by changes in temperature and precipitation. Protected areas can play an important role in preventing and controlling the spread of IPS under climate change. This is due to the fact that measures are taken to monitor climate change in detail, to provide effective management near or inside PAs, and to control the introduction of IPS with a high capacity for natural dispersal. A review of conservation policies in PAs is urgently needed.

The Ethical Justification of the Thesis that Separates Law from Morality Through John Austin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galvão Rabelo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The british legal philosopher John Austin stands at the threshold of the evolution of the legal positivist tradition. His work, which dates back to the first half of the 19th century, was especially important to establish the basic elements of this school of legal understanding. Among his contributions to the legal positivist doctrine, lies the creation of the thesis that separates morality from law. Under an ethical context, however, John Austin was an ardent utilitarian who defended the use of the principle of utility as the only rational criteria for the unveiling of superior moral standards (divine laws. Considering both dimensions of his understanding, it has long been wondered if his utilitarian ethics have influenced, somehow, his legal theory, especially in regards to the separation thesis. Said thesis, which is in the center of the legal positivist tradition, has been interpreted in different ways in contemporary legal debate. A particular branch, called ethical positivism, opened new perspectives to the study of this tradition, defending the legal positivism theory as a morally satisfactory theoretical model for the contemporary legal systems. Hence, using the main premise of ethical positivism (which states that there are moral reasons to defend the separation thesis as an interprative and methodological tool, this paper plans on revisiting the link between John Austins legal and ethical convictions, in order to comprehend what were the moral reasons which led him to defend the separation of what law is and what it should be.

Signals of Climate Change in Butterfly Communities in a Mediterranean Protected Area

Science.gov (United States)

Zografou, Konstantina; Kati, Vassiliki; Grill, Andrea; Wilson, Robert J.; Tzirkalli, Elli; Pamperis, Lazaros N.; Halley, John M.

2014-01-01

The European protected-area network will cease to be efficient for biodiversity conservation, particularly in the Mediterranean region, if species are driven out of protected areas by climate warming. Yet, no empirical evidence of how climate change influences ecological communities in Mediterranean nature reserves really exists. Here, we examine long-term (1998–2011/2012) and short-term (2011–2012) changes in the butterfly fauna of Dadia National Park (Greece) by revisiting 21 and 18 transects in 2011 and 2012 respectively, that were initially surveyed in 1998. We evaluate the temperature trend for the study area for a 22-year-period (1990–2012) in which all three butterfly surveys are included. We also assess changes in community composition and species richness in butterfly communities using information on (a) species’ elevational distributions in Greece and (b) Community Temperature Index (calculated from the average temperature of species' geographical ranges in Europe, weighted by species' abundance per transect and year). Despite the protected status of Dadia NP and the subsequent stability of land use regimes, we found a marked change in butterfly community composition over a 13 year period, concomitant with an increase of annual average temperature of 0.95°C. Our analysis gave no evidence of significant year-to-year (2011–2012) variability in butterfly community composition, suggesting that the community composition change we recorded is likely the consequence of long-term environmental change, such as climate warming. We observe an increased abundance of low-elevation species whereas species mainly occurring at higher elevations in the region declined. The Community Temperature Index was found to increase in all habitats except agricultural areas. If equivalent changes occur in other protected areas and taxonomic groups across Mediterranean Europe, new conservation options and approaches for increasing species’ resilience may have to be

Signals of climate change in butterfly communities in a Mediterranean protected area.

Science.gov (United States)

Zografou, Konstantina; Kati, Vassiliki; Grill, Andrea; Wilson, Robert J; Tzirkalli, Elli; Pamperis, Lazaros N; Halley, John M

2014-01-01

The European protected-area network will cease to be efficient for biodiversity conservation, particularly in the Mediterranean region, if species are driven out of protected areas by climate warming. Yet, no empirical evidence of how climate change influences ecological communities in Mediterranean nature reserves really exists. Here, we examine long-term (1998-2011/2012) and short-term (2011-2012) changes in the butterfly fauna of Dadia National Park (Greece) by revisiting 21 and 18 transects in 2011 and 2012 respectively, that were initially surveyed in 1998. We evaluate the temperature trend for the study area for a 22-year-period (1990-2012) in which all three butterfly surveys are included. We also assess changes in community composition and species richness in butterfly communities using information on (a) species' elevational distributions in Greece and (b) Community Temperature Index (calculated from the average temperature of species' geographical ranges in Europe, weighted by species' abundance per transect and year). Despite the protected status of Dadia NP and the subsequent stability of land use regimes, we found a marked change in butterfly community composition over a 13 year period, concomitant with an increase of annual average temperature of 0.95°C. Our analysis gave no evidence of significant year-to-year (2011-2012) variability in butterfly community composition, suggesting that the community composition change we recorded is likely the consequence of long-term environmental change, such as climate warming. We observe an increased abundance of low-elevation species whereas species mainly occurring at higher elevations in the region declined. The Community Temperature Index was found to increase in all habitats except agricultural areas. If equivalent changes occur in other protected areas and taxonomic groups across Mediterranean Europe, new conservation options and approaches for increasing species' resilience may have to be devised.

Signals of climate change in butterfly communities in a Mediterranean protected area.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konstantina Zografou

Full Text Available The European protected-area network will cease to be efficient for biodiversity conservation, particularly in the Mediterranean region, if species are driven out of protected areas by climate warming. Yet, no empirical evidence of how climate change influences ecological communities in Mediterranean nature reserves really exists. Here, we examine long-term (1998-2011/2012 and short-term (2011-2012 changes in the butterfly fauna of Dadia National Park (Greece by revisiting 21 and 18 transects in 2011 and 2012 respectively, that were initially surveyed in 1998. We evaluate the temperature trend for the study area for a 22-year-period (1990-2012 in which all three butterfly surveys are included. We also assess changes in community composition and species richness in butterfly communities using information on (a species' elevational distributions in Greece and (b Community Temperature Index (calculated from the average temperature of species' geographical ranges in Europe, weighted by species' abundance per transect and year. Despite the protected status of Dadia NP and the subsequent stability of land use regimes, we found a marked change in butterfly community composition over a 13 year period, concomitant with an increase of annual average temperature of 0.95°C. Our analysis gave no evidence of significant year-to-year (2011-2012 variability in butterfly community composition, suggesting that the community composition change we recorded is likely the consequence of long-term environmental change, such as climate warming. We observe an increased abundance of low-elevation species whereas species mainly occurring at higher elevations in the region declined. The Community Temperature Index was found to increase in all habitats except agricultural areas. If equivalent changes occur in other protected areas and taxonomic groups across Mediterranean Europe, new conservation options and approaches for increasing species' resilience may have to be

Can Protection Motivation Theory explain farmers'adaptation to Climate change/variability decision making in the Gambia?

Science.gov (United States)

Bagagnan, A. R.

2016-12-01

In the Gambia, Changes in the climate pattern has affected and continue to affect the agriculture sector and therefore calling for effective adaptation policies. The present study aimed to explain farmers' adoption of climate change adaptation measure through the protection motivation theory in The Central River Region of The Gambia. Primary data were collected in all the eight communities of the study area. A transect walk was conducted first followed by a survey with 283 informants. The perception variables were referring to the past 20 years while the stated implementation was addressing the current adaptation practices. Results showed that on one hand, most of the perception variables such as severity, ability to withstand, and internal barriers are significantly correlated to protection motivation and on the other hand Protection motivation and stated implementation for water conservation technique are strongly correlated. Structural Equation Modeling confirms the mediation role of Protection motivation between Farmers stated implementation and their perception of climate variability. Decrease in soil water storage capacity, degradation of the quality of soil surface structure, decrease of the length of the growing season are factors that motivate farmers to implement an adaptation measure. Cost of the implementation and farmers' vulnerability are factors that prevent farmers to implement an adaptation measure. The cost of the implementation is the main barrier to farmers `protection motivation. Therefore the study suggested that farmers' awareness about climate change/variability should be increased through farmers' field school and awareness campaigns, farmers' resilience should be improved and adaptation measures should be made accessible to farmers through loans facilities and subsidizes application.

Information Sharing during the University of Texas at Austin Active Shooter/Suicide Event

Science.gov (United States)

Egnoto, Michael J.; Griffin, Darrin J.; Svetieva, Elena; Winslow, Luke

2016-01-01

Emergency response systems can be improved by investigating the motives and manner in which people share information during an active shooter crisis. This article analyzed survey data collected from undergraduate participants at The University of Texas at Austin who were enrolled during the fall of 2010 when an active shooter event occurred on…

Austin Children`s Museum ``Go Power`` project. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-10-01

Go Power, was conceived as an interactive exhibit and related set of activities designed to promote in children and families an understanding and appreciation of energy concepts. Planned in 1990, the project culminated its first phase of activities with colorful, interactive exhibit about the pathways and transformations of energy, on display at the Austin Children`s Museum between February 5th and June 6th, 1993. The project was supported by the US Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the Lower Colorado River Authority and various local foundations and businesses. This report describes the process, product and outcomes of this project.

76 FR 77245 - Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Austin and Colorado Counties, TX...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-12

...-FF02R06000] Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Austin and Colorado Counties, TX... (EA) for Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge, NWR), located approximately 60... Prairie Chicken NWR draft CCP and EA'' in the subject line of the message. Fax: Attn: Monica Kimbrough...

La jurisprudence de John Austin : A propos de The Province of Jurisprudence Determined et The Use of the Study of Jurisprudence

OpenAIRE

Guigue, Alexandre

2010-01-01

International audience; Although he played a significant part in the history of legal positivism, John Austin is not very well known in France. Successively a lawyer, a professor of jurisprudence and a Royal commissionner, he only published one book during his life, based on his lectures. In The Province of Jurisprudence Determined, Austin develops a concept of law which is, although influenced by the greatest english philosophers, very peculiar for the time. By reducing the subject of jurisp...

Annual Report on Electronics Research at The University of Texas at Austin.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-05-15

Dimensional Information from Image and Motion Analysis." University of Texas Austin, Texas October 6, 1982 M. Fink, " Schopenhauer , Quantum Mechanics...Nonlinear Interactions During Natural Transition of a Wake." xxix PUBLICATIONS, TECHNICAL PRESENTATIONS, LECTURES AND REPORTS Los Alamos National Laboratory...filters. In particular, they present fundamental results on the nature of time-variant digital filters; they discuss the properties of the responses in

Developments of the climate protection law and the climate change policy 2014-2015. Pt. 2. Federal government, federal states and municipalities; Entwicklungen des Klimaschutzrechts und der Klimaschutzpolitik 2014/2015. T. 2. Bund, Bundeslaender und Kommunen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staesche, Uta [Hochschule fuer Wirtschaft und Recht (HWR), Berlin (Germany). Inst. fuer Klimaschutz, Energie und Mobilitaet (IKEM)

2015-08-14

According to the motto of the energy transition the Federal Government set herself targets in the areas of greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Main emphasis of its climate change policy is the implementation of the 2014/15 Action Programme Climate Protection 2020. A key measure discussed here is the climate contribution of the German electricity sector, is now being implemented in a significantly modified form. With a view on the long-term climate objectives prepares the federal government the national climate change plan 2050; the federal government promote locally climate protection within the framework of the National Climate Protection Initiative (NKI) in a Variety of projects. On the level of the federal states intensifies clearly the trend of the legal protection of federal climate protection targets. In addition to the federal levels are also the municipalities still active in various climate protection projects. [German] Unter dem Leitwort der Energiewende hat sich die Bundesregierung Ziele in den Bereichen Treibhausgasemissionen, erneuerbare Energien und Energieeffizienz gesetzt. Schwerpunkt ihrer Klimaschutzpolitik bildet 2014/15 die Umsetzung des Aktionsprogramms Klimaschutz 2020. Als eine zentrale Massnahme wurde hier der Klimabeitrag des deutschen Stromsektors diskutiert, der nun in deutlich abgewandelter Form umgesetzt wird. Mit Blick auf die langfristigen Klimaschutzziele bereitet die Bundesregierung den nationalen Klimaschutzplan 2050 vor; Klimaschutz vor Ort foerdert sie im Rahmen der Nationalen Klimaschutzinitiative (NKI) in einer Vielzahl von Projekten. Auf Ebene der Bundeslaender verstaerkt sich deutlich der Trend der gesetzlichen Absicherung von Landesklimaschutzzielen. Neben den ueberregionalen Ebenen sind auch die Kommunen weiterhin in vielfaeltigen Klimaschutzprojekten aktiv.

Climate Change and River Ecosystems: Protection and Adaptation Options

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Margaret A.; Lettenmaier, Dennis P.; Poff, N. Leroy; Postel, Sandra L.; Richter, Brian; Warner, Richard

2009-12-01

Rivers provide a special suite of goods and services valued highly by the public that are inextricably linked to their flow dynamics and the interaction of flow with the landscape. Yet most rivers are within watersheds that are stressed to some extent by human activities including development, dams, or extractive uses. Climate change will add to and magnify risks that are already present through its potential to alter rainfall, temperature, runoff patterns, and to disrupt biological communities and sever ecological linkages. We provide an overview of the predicted impacts based on published studies to date, discuss both reactive and proactive management responses, and outline six categories of management actions that will contribute substantially to the protection of valuable river assets. To be effective, management must be place-based focusing on local watershed scales that are most relevant to management scales. The first priority should be enhancing environmental monitoring of changes and river responses coupled with the development of local scenario-building exercises that take land use and water use into account. Protection of a greater number of rivers and riparian corridors is essential, as is conjunctive groundwater/surface water management. This will require collaborations among multiple partners in the respective river basins and wise land use planning to minimize additional development in watersheds with valued rivers. Ensuring environmental flows by purchasing or leasing water rights and/or altering reservoir release patterns will be needed for many rivers. Implementing restoration projects proactively can be used to protect existing resources so that expensive reactive restoration to repair damage associated with a changing climate is minimized. Special attention should be given to diversifying and replicating habitats of special importance and to monitoring populations at high risk or of special value so that management interventions can occur if the

Climate change and protection: Recent experiences within planning of the area of cultural and natural heritage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crnčević Tijana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to provide an insight into the current legal and other regulatory frameworks that introduces problems of climate change into planning practice of natural and cultural heritage, with special emphasis on the situation in the Republic of Serbia. Further, an overview of the selected case studies of natural and cultural heritage from the UNESCO World Heritage List for which were done studies of the impacts of climate change is included. The results indicate that the legal frameworks as well as actual practice are promoting the development of the ecological networks (the network of areas NATURA 2000 and landscape protection. This applies also to the planning practice in Serbia, where the planning of ecological corridors, habitat networking and other measures, provide responses to climate change. One of the conclusions of this paper is pointing out the necessity of increasing the level of protection of natural and cultural heritage within preserving the authenticity and improving flexibility or adaptability to climate change.

A climatic and environmental protection strategy, the road toward a sustainable future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bach, W.

1994-01-01

This editorial essay conveys a clear message: The overuse of our fossil fuel resources especially in the North, and the overpopulation in many parts of the South, result in an unacceptable stress to Earth. This manifests itself in some of the most serious threats to mankind, such as global climatic change, environmental degradation, food shortage, hunger, poverty, and migration. It is the purpose of this editorial essay to make a contribution toward a reduction of some of these threats, notably those from climatic change. Specifically, the paper presents a tractable climatic and environmental protection strategy which is designed to give concrete answers to such seemingly simple questions as: What has to be done? (This depends e.g. on the concentration stabilization objective of the Rio Climate Convention, and the global warming ceiling of the Enquete-Commission of the German Parliament). By whom does it have to be done? (This addresses the secret of a successful protection strategy which involves a fair burden sharing among the world's countries). When does it have to be done? (This discusses the problem of setting tractable, i.e. differentiated and binding emission targets). How can it be done? (This relates to individual countries, states, and municipalities. It is demonstrated for Germany how her commitment of a 25 to 30% CO 2 reduction by 2005 can be achieved). Moreover, the question is addressed: How many people and how much fossil fuel use can our planet stand? The major result is that without self-restraint climate and ecosystem cannot be maintained, because it is incompatible with trends in the wasteful fossil fuel use in the North and strong population growth in the South. Finally, a plea is made to share responsibility on the road toward a sustainable future. 32 refs., 4 tabs

Analogy in causal inference: rethinking Austin Bradford Hill's neglected consideration.

Science.gov (United States)

Weed, Douglas L

2018-05-01

The purpose of this article was to rethink and resurrect Austin Bradford Hill's "criterion" of analogy as an important consideration in causal inference. In epidemiology today, analogy is either completely ignored (e.g., in many textbooks), or equated with biologic plausibility or coherence, or aligned with the scientist's imagination. None of these examples, however, captures Hill's description of analogy. His words suggest that there may be something gained by contrasting two bodies of evidence, one from an established causal relationship, the other not. Coupled with developments in the methods of systematic assessments of evidence-including but not limited to meta-analysis-analogy can be restructured as a key component in causal inference. This new approach will require that a collection-a library-of known cases of causal inference (i.e., bodies of evidence involving established causal relationships) be developed. This library would likely include causal assessments by organizations such as the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the National Toxicology Program, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, a process for describing key features of a causal relationship would need to be developed along with what will be considered paradigm cases of causation. Finally, it will be important to develop ways to objectively compare a "new" body of evidence with the relevant paradigm case of causation. Analogy, along with all other existing methods and causal considerations, may improve our ability to identify causal relationships. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

76 FR 12788 - Environmental Impact Statement for a Proposed Urban Rail system in Austin, TX

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-08

... Conference Center (Classroom 103 on first floor), 1900 University Avenue, Austin, TX 78705, Telephone (512...'' (Executive Order 11991, of May 24, 1977). Transit projects may also generate environmental benefits; these... evaluated potential route, technology, and investment alternatives. The CATS is posted on the project Web...

Marginalization of end-use technologies in energy innovation for climate protection

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Charlie; Grubler, Arnulf; Gallagher, Kelly S.; Nemet, Gregory F.

2012-11-01

Mitigating climate change requires directed innovation efforts to develop and deploy energy technologies. Innovation activities are directed towards the outcome of climate protection by public institutions, policies and resources that in turn shape market behaviour. We analyse diverse indicators of activity throughout the innovation system to assess these efforts. We find efficient end-use technologies contribute large potential emission reductions and provide higher social returns on investment than energy-supply technologies. Yet public institutions, policies and financial resources pervasively privilege energy-supply technologies. Directed innovation efforts are strikingly misaligned with the needs of an emissions-constrained world. Significantly greater effort is needed to develop the full potential of efficient end-use technologies.

Specification of indoor climate design parameters at the assessment of moisture protective properties of enclosing structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kornienko Sergey Valer’evich

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Due to wide implementation of enveloping structures with increased heat-insulation properties in modern construction here appeared a necessity to assess their moisture conditions. Assessment of moisture conditions of enveloping structures is carried out according to maximum allowable moisture state basing on determining the surface of maximum damping. In relation to it the necessity of additional vapour barrier is checked using moisture balance equation. Though the change of indoor climate parameters in premises is not taken into account in moisture balance equations defined for different seasons. The author improves the method of calculating moisture protective parameters of enclosing structures according to the maximum allowable damping state for a year and a period of moisture accumulation. It is shown in this article that accounting of temperature and relative humidity change of inside air allows specifying calculated parameters of indoor climate in residential and office rooms in assessment of moisture protective properties of enclosing structures for the case of an effective enclosing structure with a façade heat-insulation composite system. Coordinates of the maximum moistened surface of the envelope depends on indoor climate design parameters. It is concluded that the increase of requirements for moisture protection of enclosing structures when using design values of temperature and relative humidity of internal air according to the Russian regulation (SP 50.13330.2012 is not always reasonable. Accounting of changes of indoor climate parameters allows more precise assessment of moisture protective properties of enclosing structures during their design.

Climate protection scenario 2050. Summary; Klimaschutzszenario 2050. Zusammenfassung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Repenning, Julia; Emele, Lukas [Oeko-Institut e.V. - Institut fuer Angewandte Oekologie, Berlin (Germany); Braungardt, Sibylle; Eichhammer, Wolfgang [Fraunhofer-Institut fuer System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI), Karlsruhe (Germany)

2014-04-15

The report on the meeting of the experts on modeling of the climate protection scenario 2050 summarizes the substantial results: 80-90% reduction the greenhouse gas emissions means a reduction of fossil energy carriers by up to 98%. The electricity generation industry has to provide most of the reduction since esp. agriculture cannot reduce the CO2 emissions. The amount of renewable energy for electricity production has to increase to about 95%. The economic analysis shows that a strategy of energy efficiency and electricity production from renewable energy sources plus product innovation is a no-regret strategy that will be advantageous for Germany in a long-term.

Climate change disables coral bleaching protection on the Great Barrier Reef.

Science.gov (United States)

Ainsworth, Tracy D; Heron, Scott F; Ortiz, Juan Carlos; Mumby, Peter J; Grech, Alana; Ogawa, Daisie; Eakin, C Mark; Leggat, William

2016-04-15

Coral bleaching events threaten the sustainability of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Here we show that bleaching events of the past three decades have been mitigated by induced thermal tolerance of reef-building corals, and this protective mechanism is likely to be lost under near-future climate change scenarios. We show that 75% of past thermal stress events have been characterized by a temperature trajectory that subjects corals to a protective, sub-bleaching stress, before reaching temperatures that cause bleaching. Such conditions confer thermal tolerance, decreasing coral cell mortality and symbiont loss during bleaching by over 50%. We find that near-future increases in local temperature of as little as 0.5°C result in this protective mechanism being lost, which may increase the rate of degradation of the GBR. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Protected areas offer refuge from invasive species spreading under climate change

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gallardo, B.; Aldridge, D.; González-Moreno, P.; Pergl, Jan; Pizarro, M.; Pyšek, Petr; Thuiller, W.; Yesson, C.; Vila, M.

2017-01-01

Roč. 23, č. 12 (2017), s. 5331-5343 ISSN 1354-1013 R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36079G Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) AP1002; COST(XE) TD1209 Program:Akademická prémie - Praemium Academiae; FA Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : climate change * protected areas * invasions Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour OBOR OECD: Entomology Impact factor: 8.502, year: 2016

Archive of Geosample Data and Information from the University of Texas at Austin (UT) Institute of Geophysics

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Metadata describing piston cores curated by Institute of Geophysics of the University of Texas at Austin (UT) collected from 1976 to 1978 were coded and contributed...

Expansion of Protected Areas under Climate Change: An Example of Mountainous Tree Species in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-Chih Lin

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Tree species in mountainous areas are expected to shift their distribution upward in elevation in response to climate change, calling for a potential redesign of existing protected areas. This study aims to predict whether or not the distributions of two high-mountain tree species, Abies (Abies kawakamii and Tsuga (Tsuga chinensis var. formosana, will significantly shift upward due to temperature change, and whether current protected areas will be suitable for conserving these species. Future temperature change was projected for 15 different future scenarios produced from five global climate models. Shifts in Abies and Tsuga distributions were then predicted through the use of species distribution models (SDMs which included occurrence data of Abies and Tsuga, as well as seasonal temperature, and elevation. The 25 km × 25 km downscaled General Circulation Model (GCMs data for 2020–2039 produced by the Taiwan Climate Change Projection and Information Platform was adopted in this study. Habitat suitability in the study area was calculated using maximum entropy model under different climatic scenarios. A bootstrap method was applied to assess the parameter uncertainty of the maximum entropy model. In comparison to the baseline projection, we found that there are significant differences in suitable habitat distributions for Abies and Tsuga under seven of the 15 scenarios. The results suggest that mountainous ecosystems will be substantially impacted by climate change. We also found that the uncertainty originating from GCMs and the parameters of the SDM contribute most to the overall level of variability in species distributions. Finally, based on the uncertainty analysis and the shift in habitat suitability, we applied systematic conservation planning approaches to identify suitable areas to add to Taiwan’s protected area network.

Energy and climate protection management, the key to higher energy efficiency in communities; Energie- und Klimaschutzmanagement. Der Schluessel zu mehr Energieeffizienz in Kommunen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-15

The brochure explains the dena energy and climate protection management concepts and presents tools for long-term reduction of energy consumption in communities. It presents valuable information for better organization of internal processes in community administrations and for the management of energy efficiency measures. The dena energy and climate protection management concept is developed in cooperation with model communities of different sizes since 2010. All interested communities can use this brochure as a guide for initiating effective climate protection measures.

Coral reefs as the first line of defense: Shoreline protection in face of climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Elliff, Carla I; Silva, Iracema R

2017-06-01

Coral reefs are responsible for a wide array of ecosystem services including shoreline protection. However, the processes involved in delivering this particular service have not been fully understood. The objective of the present review was to compile the main results in the literature regarding the study of shoreline protection delivered by coral reefs, identifying the main threats climate change imposes to the service, and discuss mitigation and recovery strategies that can and have been applied to these ecosystems. While different zones of a reef have been associated with different levels of wave energy and wave height attenuation, more information is still needed regarding the capacity of different reef morphologies to deliver shoreline protection. Moreover, the synergy between the main threats imposed by climate change to coral reefs has also not been thoroughly investigated. Recovery strategies are being tested and while there are numerous mitigation options, the challenge remains as to how to implement them and monitor their efficacy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Profiles in medical courage: causation and Austin Bradford Hill

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robbins RA

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Austin Bradford Hill was a British epidemiologist and statistician who is best remembered for two landmark pulmonary studies. He was the statistician on the Medical Research Council Streptomycin in Tuberculosis Trial. This is regarded as the first randomized clinical trial. The second was the demonstration of the connection between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. However, Hill’s most lasting contribution may be his establishment of a group of conditions necessary to provide adequate evidence of a causal relationship between an incidence and a consequence, widely known as the Bradford Hill Criteria of Causation. In this profile of medical courage we examine his remarkable background that led to the epidemiological equivalent of Koch’s postulates.

Is U.S. climatic diversity well represented within the existing federal protection network?

Science.gov (United States)

Enric Batllori; Carol Miller; Marc-Andre Parisien; Sean A. Parks; Max A. Moritz

2014-01-01

Establishing protection networks to ensure that biodiversity and associated ecosystem services persist under changing environments is a major challenge for conservation planning. The potential consequences of altered climates for the structure and function of ecosystems necessitates new and complementary approaches be incorporated into traditional conservation plans....

Climate protection as a national and international policy area. Intergovernmental cooperation and national implementation; Klimaschutz als nationales und internationales Politikfeld. Zwischenstaatliche Kooperation und nationalstaatliche Implementierung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Itzenplitz, Anja

2012-07-01

The anthropogenic greenhouse effect widely is regarded as the primary environmental problem of our time. At first, the author of the book under consideration provides a comprehensive overview of the current climate protection and systematizes the climate protection as a global public good. Based on this, the author examined the implementation of the international targets of climate protection at the national level by the example of the Federal Republic of Germany. For this, the efficiency of the German climate policy strategy is analyzed in order to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In application of political-economic theories on the process of climate political decision-making, a political market for national climate protection will be conceptualized, and the rational behaviour of the various stakeholders empirically is verified. The observed inefficient special rules and exceptions can be explained as a result of the political influence by the stakeholders.

Protecting the Amazon with protected areas

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Robert; Moore, Nathan J.; Arima, Eugenio; Perz, Stephen; Simmons, Cynthia; Caldas, Marcellus; Vergara, Dante; Bohrer, Claudio

2009-01-01

This article addresses climate-tipping points in the Amazon Basin resulting from deforestation. It applies a regional climate model to assess whether the system of protected areas in Brazil is able to avoid such tipping points, with massive conversion to semiarid vegetation, particularly along the south and southeastern margins of the basin. The regional climate model produces spatially distributed annual rainfall under a variety of external forcing conditions, assuming that all land outside protected areas is deforested. It translates these results into dry season impacts on resident ecosystems and shows that Amazonian dry ecosystems in the southern and southeastern basin do not desiccate appreciably and that extensive areas experience an increase in precipitation. Nor do the moist forests dry out to an excessive amount. Evidently, Brazilian environmental policy has created a sustainable core of protected areas in the Amazon that buffers against potential climate-tipping points and protects the drier ecosystems of the basin. Thus, all efforts should be made to manage them effectively. PMID:19549819

Occupational heat stress assessment and protective strategies in the context of climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Chuansi; Kuklane, Kalev; Östergren, Per-Olof; Kjellstrom, Tord

2018-03-01

Global warming will unquestionably increase the impact of heat on individuals who work in already hot workplaces in hot climate areas. The increasing prevalence of this environmental health risk requires the improvement of assessment methods linked to meteorological data. Such new methods will help to reveal the size of the problem and design appropriate interventions at individual, workplace and societal level. The evaluation of occupational heat stress requires measurement of four thermal climate factors (air temperature, humidity, air velocity and heat radiation); available weather station data may serve this purpose. However, the use of meteorological data for occupational heat stress assessment is limited because weather stations do not traditionally and directly measure some important climate factors, e.g. solar radiation. In addition, local workplace environmental conditions such as local heat sources, metabolic heat production within the human body, and clothing properties, all affect the exchange of heat between the body and the environment. A robust occupational heat stress index should properly address all these factors. This article reviews and highlights a number of selected heat stress indices, indicating their advantages and disadvantages in relation to meteorological data, local workplace environments, body heat production and the use of protective clothing. These heat stress and heat strain indices include Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, Discomfort Index, Predicted Heat Strain index, and Universal Thermal Climate Index. In some cases, individuals may be monitored for heat strain through physiological measurements and medical supervision prior to and during exposure. Relevant protective and preventive strategies for alleviating heat strain are also reviewed and proposed.

Advancement of the climate dual strategy. New concepts for a globally effective climate protection; Weiterentwicklung der baden-wuerttembergischen Klimadoppelstrategie. Neue Konzepte fuer einen global wirksamen Klimaschutz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-10-15

The Baden-Wuerttemberg Council on Sustainable Development (Stuttgart, Federal Republic of Germany) presents a climate expert report with new concepts for a globally effective climate protection. First of all, the development of the global emissions of carbon dioxide since 1990 is described. The development of the global emissions of carbon dioxide up to 2050 is forecasted. Four general criteria (effectiveness, efficiency, fairness and acceptance) for a comparative evaluation of climate protection concepts are introduced. A proposal for solution on the basis of a globally effective cap-and-trade system as well as an identical scenario as an alternative with respect to the implementation are described. This alternative scenario is based on a cap-and-trade system but it develops on the basis of national self-commitment in accordance with an incentive and sanctionative system. Both implementation proposals are compared. Recommendations of the national government Baden-Wuerttemberg are given.

Protective factors for mental health and well-being in a changing climate: Perspectives from Inuit youth in Nunatsiavut, Labrador.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrasek MacDonald, Joanna; Cunsolo Willox, Ashlee; Ford, James D; Shiwak, Inez; Wood, Michele

2015-09-01

The Canadian Arctic is experiencing rapid changes in climatic conditions, with implications for Inuit communities widely documented. Youth have been identified as an at-risk population, with likely impacts on mental health and well-being. This study identifies and characterizes youth-specific protective factors that enhance well-being in light of a rapidly changing climate, and examines how climatic and environmental change challenges these. In-depth conversational interviews were conducted with youth aged 15-25 from the five communities of the Nunatsiavut region of Labrador, Canada: Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik, and Rigolet. Five key protective factors were identified as enhancing their mental health and well-being: being on the land; connecting to Inuit culture; strong communities; relationships with family and friends; and staying busy. Changing sea ice and weather conditions were widely reported to be compromising these protective factors by reducing access to the land, and increasing the danger of land-based activities. This study contributes to existing work on Northern climate change adaptation by identifying factors that enhance youth resilience and, if incorporated into adaptation strategies, may contribute to creating successful and effective adaptation responses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of high latitude protected areas on bird communities under rapid climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Santangeli, Andrea; Rajasärkkä, Ari; Lehikoinen, Aleksi

2017-06-01

Anthropogenic climate change is rapidly becoming one of the main threats to biodiversity, along with other threats triggered by human-driven land-use change. Species are already responding to climate change by shifting their distributions polewards. This shift may create a spatial mismatch between dynamic species distributions and static protected areas (PAs). As protected areas represent one of the main pillars for preserving biodiversity today and in the future, it is important to assess their contribution in sheltering the biodiversity communities, they were designated to protect. A recent development to investigate climate-driven impacts on biological communities is represented by the community temperature index (CTI). CTI provides a measure of the relative temperature average of a community in a specific assemblage. CTI value will be higher for assemblages dominated by warm species compared with those dominated by cold-dwelling species. We here model changes in the CTI of Finnish bird assemblages, as well as changes in species densities, within and outside of PAs during the past four decades in a large boreal landscape under rapid change. We show that CTI has markedly increased over time across Finland, with this change being similar within and outside PAs and five to seven times slower than the temperature increase. Moreover, CTI has been constantly lower within than outside of PAs, and PAs still support communities, which show colder thermal index than those outside of PAs in the 1970s and 1980s. This result can be explained by the higher relative density of northern species within PAs than outside. Overall, our results provide some, albeit inconclusive, evidence that PAs may play a role in supporting the community of northern species. Results also suggest that communities are, however, shifting rapidly, both inside and outside of PAs, highlighting the need for adjusting conservation measures before it is too late. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

76 FR 70365 - Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Austin, TX and Waco, TX, Appropriated Fund Federal...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-14

... 3206-AM50 Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Austin, TX and Waco, TX, Appropriated Fund... the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee to best match the counties proposed for redefinition to... Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC), the national labor-management committee responsible for advising...

GIS applications in eco-logical grant projects : peer exchange summary report Austin, TX July 22-23, 2009

Science.gov (United States)

2009-10-31

This report provides a summary of a 1.5-day peer exchange convened with select recipients of FHWA's first Eco-Logical grant. The purpose of the exchange, which was held in Austin, TX, in July 2009, was to allow grant recipients the opportunity to sha...

Moving into Protected Areas? Setting Conservation Priorities for Romanian Reptiles and Amphibians at Risk from Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Popescu, Viorel D.; Rozylowicz, Laurenţiu; Cogălniceanu, Dan; Niculae, Iulian Mihăiţă; Cucu, Adina Livia

2013-01-01

Rapid climate change represents one of the top threats to biodiversity, causing declines and extinctions of many species. Range shifts are a key response, but in many cases are incompatible with the current extent of protected areas. In this study we used ensemble species distribution models to identify range changes for 21 reptile and 16 amphibian species in Romania for the 2020s and 2050s time horizons under three emission scenarios (A1B = integrated world, rapid economic growth, A2A = divided world, rapid economic growth [realistic scenario], B2A = regional development, environmentally-friendly scenario) and no- and limited-dispersal assumptions. We then used irreplaceability analysis to test the efficacy of the Natura 2000 network to meet conservation targets. Under all scenarios and time horizons, 90% of the species suffered range contractions (greatest loses under scenarios B2A for 2020s, and A1B for 2050s), and four reptile species expanded their ranges. Two reptile and two amphibian species are predicted to completely lose climate space by 2050s. Currently, 35 species do not meet conservation targets (>40% representation in protected areas), but the target is predicted to be met for 4 - 14 species under future climate conditions, with higher representation under the limited-dispersal scenario. The Alpine and Steppic-Black Sea biogeographic regions have the highest irreplaceability value, and act as climate refugia for many reptiles and amphibians. The Natura 2000 network performs better for achieving herpetofauna conservation goals in the future, owing to the interaction between drastic range contractions, and range shifts towards existing protected areas. Thus, conservation actions for herpetofauna in Romania need to focus on: (1) building institutional capacity of protected areas in the Alpine and Steppic-Black Sea biogeographic regions, and (2) facilitating natural range shifts by improving the conservation status of herpetofauna outside protected areas

Moving into protected areas? Setting conservation priorities for Romanian reptiles and amphibians at risk from climate change.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viorel D Popescu

Full Text Available Rapid climate change represents one of the top threats to biodiversity, causing declines and extinctions of many species. Range shifts are a key response, but in many cases are incompatible with the current extent of protected areas. In this study we used ensemble species distribution models to identify range changes for 21 reptile and 16 amphibian species in Romania for the 2020s and 2050s time horizons under three emission scenarios (A1B = integrated world, rapid economic growth, A2A = divided world, rapid economic growth [realistic scenario], B2A = regional development, environmentally-friendly scenario and no- and limited-dispersal assumptions. We then used irreplaceability analysis to test the efficacy of the Natura 2000 network to meet conservation targets. Under all scenarios and time horizons, 90% of the species suffered range contractions (greatest loses under scenarios B2A for 2020s, and A1B for 2050s, and four reptile species expanded their ranges. Two reptile and two amphibian species are predicted to completely lose climate space by 2050s. Currently, 35 species do not meet conservation targets (>40% representation in protected areas, but the target is predicted to be met for 4 - 14 species under future climate conditions, with higher representation under the limited-dispersal scenario. The Alpine and Steppic-Black Sea biogeographic regions have the highest irreplaceability value, and act as climate refugia for many reptiles and amphibians. The Natura 2000 network performs better for achieving herpetofauna conservation goals in the future, owing to the interaction between drastic range contractions, and range shifts towards existing protected areas. Thus, conservation actions for herpetofauna in Romania need to focus on: (1 building institutional capacity of protected areas in the Alpine and Steppic-Black Sea biogeographic regions, and (2 facilitating natural range shifts by improving the conservation status of herpetofauna outside

Moving into protected areas? Setting conservation priorities for Romanian reptiles and amphibians at risk from climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Popescu, Viorel D; Rozylowicz, Laurenţiu; Cogălniceanu, Dan; Niculae, Iulian Mihăiţă; Cucu, Adina Livia

2013-01-01

Rapid climate change represents one of the top threats to biodiversity, causing declines and extinctions of many species. Range shifts are a key response, but in many cases are incompatible with the current extent of protected areas. In this study we used ensemble species distribution models to identify range changes for 21 reptile and 16 amphibian species in Romania for the 2020s and 2050s time horizons under three emission scenarios (A1B = integrated world, rapid economic growth, A2A = divided world, rapid economic growth [realistic scenario], B2A = regional development, environmentally-friendly scenario) and no- and limited-dispersal assumptions. We then used irreplaceability analysis to test the efficacy of the Natura 2000 network to meet conservation targets. Under all scenarios and time horizons, 90% of the species suffered range contractions (greatest loses under scenarios B2A for 2020s, and A1B for 2050s), and four reptile species expanded their ranges. Two reptile and two amphibian species are predicted to completely lose climate space by 2050s. Currently, 35 species do not meet conservation targets (>40% representation in protected areas), but the target is predicted to be met for 4 - 14 species under future climate conditions, with higher representation under the limited-dispersal scenario. The Alpine and Steppic-Black Sea biogeographic regions have the highest irreplaceability value, and act as climate refugia for many reptiles and amphibians. The Natura 2000 network performs better for achieving herpetofauna conservation goals in the future, owing to the interaction between drastic range contractions, and range shifts towards existing protected areas. Thus, conservation actions for herpetofauna in Romania need to focus on: (1) building institutional capacity of protected areas in the Alpine and Steppic-Black Sea biogeographic regions, and (2) facilitating natural range shifts by improving the conservation status of herpetofauna outside protected areas

Civil protection and climate change impacts in the Netherlands: Local risk perceptions and actions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Berg, Maya Marieke; Coenen, Franciscus H.J.M.

2010-01-01

Being a delta, one third of the Dutch territory consists of flood-prone areas. This article discusses how the local civil protection system in the Netherlands responds to increasing climate change-induced flooding risks in terms of risk perception and action. Case studies on three Safety Regions are

Unusual way of loosened total hip arthroplasty treatment with an Austin Moore endoprosthesis

OpenAIRE

M Erceg; K Becic

2014-01-01

A 65-year-old female patient with aseptic loosening of total cemented hip endoprosthesis and pathologic fracture of the femur at the level of the stem of endoprosthesis was presented. As no appropriate endoprosthesis was available due to the war in Croatia and war priority, the problem was managed by femur osteosynthesis and implantation of a partial Austin Moore hip endoprosthesis. The endoprosthesis is still functioning well (for 20 years).To the best of the author′s knowledge, nobody has e...

Protected Area Tourism in a Changing Climate: Will Visitation at US National Parks Warm Up or Overheat?

Science.gov (United States)

Fisichelli, Nicholas A; Schuurman, Gregor W; Monahan, William B; Ziesler, Pamela S

2015-01-01

Climate change will affect not only natural and cultural resources within protected areas but also tourism and visitation patterns. The U.S. National Park Service systematically collects data regarding its 270+ million annual recreation visits, and therefore provides an opportunity to examine how human visitation may respond to climate change from the tropics to the polar regions. To assess the relationship between climate and park visitation, we evaluated historical monthly mean air temperature and visitation data (1979-2013) at 340 parks and projected potential future visitation (2041-2060) based on two warming-climate scenarios and two visitation-growth scenarios. For the entire park system a third-order polynomial temperature model explained 69% of the variation in historical visitation trends. Visitation generally increased with increasing average monthly temperature, but decreased strongly with temperatures > 25°C. Linear to polynomial monthly temperature models also explained historical visitation at individual parks (R2 0.12-0.99, mean = 0.79, median = 0.87). Future visitation at almost all parks (95%) may change based on historical temperature, historical visitation, and future temperature projections. Warming-mediated increases in potential visitation are projected for most months in most parks (67-77% of months; range across future scenarios), resulting in future increases in total annual visits across the park system (8-23%) and expansion of the visitation season at individual parks (13-31 days). Although very warm months at some parks may see decreases in future visitation, this potential change represents a relatively small proportion of visitation across the national park system. A changing climate is likely to have cascading and complex effects on protected area visitation, management, and local economies. Results suggest that protected areas and neighboring communities that develop adaptation strategies for these changes may be able to both

Climate warming, marine protected areas and the ocean-scale integrity of coral reef ecosystems.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas A J Graham

Full Text Available Coral reefs have emerged as one of the ecosystems most vulnerable to climate variation and change. While the contribution of a warming climate to the loss of live coral cover has been well documented across large spatial and temporal scales, the associated effects on fish have not. Here, we respond to recent and repeated calls to assess the importance of local management in conserving coral reefs in the context of global climate change. Such information is important, as coral reef fish assemblages are the most species dense vertebrate communities on earth, contributing critical ecosystem functions and providing crucial ecosystem services to human societies in tropical countries. Our assessment of the impacts of the 1998 mass bleaching event on coral cover, reef structural complexity, and reef associated fishes spans 7 countries, 66 sites and 26 degrees of latitude in the Indian Ocean. Using Bayesian meta-analysis we show that changes in the size structure, diversity and trophic composition of the reef fish community have followed coral declines. Although the ocean scale integrity of these coral reef ecosystems has been lost, it is positive to see the effects are spatially variable at multiple scales, with impacts and vulnerability affected by geography but not management regime. Existing no-take marine protected areas still support high biomass of fish, however they had no positive affect on the ecosystem response to large-scale disturbance. This suggests a need for future conservation and management efforts to identify and protect regional refugia, which should be integrated into existing management frameworks and combined with policies to improve system-wide resilience to climate variation and change.

Climate warming, marine protected areas and the ocean-scale integrity of coral reef ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Nicholas A J; McClanahan, Tim R; MacNeil, M Aaron; Wilson, Shaun K; Polunin, Nicholas V C; Jennings, Simon; Chabanet, Pascale; Clark, Susan; Spalding, Mark D; Letourneur, Yves; Bigot, Lionel; Galzin, René; Ohman, Marcus C; Garpe, Kajsa C; Edwards, Alasdair J; Sheppard, Charles R C

2008-08-27

Coral reefs have emerged as one of the ecosystems most vulnerable to climate variation and change. While the contribution of a warming climate to the loss of live coral cover has been well documented across large spatial and temporal scales, the associated effects on fish have not. Here, we respond to recent and repeated calls to assess the importance of local management in conserving coral reefs in the context of global climate change. Such information is important, as coral reef fish assemblages are the most species dense vertebrate communities on earth, contributing critical ecosystem functions and providing crucial ecosystem services to human societies in tropical countries. Our assessment of the impacts of the 1998 mass bleaching event on coral cover, reef structural complexity, and reef associated fishes spans 7 countries, 66 sites and 26 degrees of latitude in the Indian Ocean. Using Bayesian meta-analysis we show that changes in the size structure, diversity and trophic composition of the reef fish community have followed coral declines. Although the ocean scale integrity of these coral reef ecosystems has been lost, it is positive to see the effects are spatially variable at multiple scales, with impacts and vulnerability affected by geography but not management regime. Existing no-take marine protected areas still support high biomass of fish, however they had no positive affect on the ecosystem response to large-scale disturbance. This suggests a need for future conservation and management efforts to identify and protect regional refugia, which should be integrated into existing management frameworks and combined with policies to improve system-wide resilience to climate variation and change.

Minority Student Academic Performance under the Uniform Admission Law: Evidence from the University of Texas at Austin

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Sunny X.; Tienda, Marta

2010-01-01

The University of Texas at Austin administrative data between 1990 and 2003 are used to evaluate claims that students granted automatic admission based on top 10% class rank underperform academically relative to lower ranked students who graduate from highly competitive high schools. Compared with White students ranked at or below the third…

Integrating climate change adaptation into civil protection: comparative lessons from Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groven, K.; Aall, C.; van den Berg, Maya Marieke; Carlsson-Kanyama, A.; Coenen, Franciscus H.J.M.

2012-01-01

Integrating policy on climate change adaptation into civil protection is explored through studies of extreme weather management at the national level in Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, and through local case studies of the three coastal cities of Bergen, Malmö and Rotterdam. The research issues

The potential impact of invasive woody oil plants on protected areas in China under future climate conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Guanghui; Yang, Jun; Lu, Siran; Huang, Conghong; Jin, Jing; Jiang, Peng; Yan, Pengbo

2018-01-18

Biodiesel produced from woody oil plants is considered a green substitute for fossil fuels. However, a potential negative impact of growing woody oil plants on a large scale is the introduction of highly invasive species into susceptible regions. In this study, we examined the potential invasion risk of woody oil plants in China's protected areas under future climate conditions. We simulated the current and future potential distributions of three invasive woody oil plants, Jatropha curcas, Ricinus communis, and Aleurites moluccana, under two climate change scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) up to 2050 using species distribution models. Protected areas in China that will become susceptible to these species were then identified using a spatial overlay analysis. Our results showed that by 2050, 26 and 41 protected areas would be threatened by these invasive woody oil plants under scenarios RCP2.6 and RCP8.5, respectively. A total of 10 unique forest ecosystems and 17 rare plant species could be potentially affected. We recommend that the invasive potential of woody oil plants be fully accounted for when developing forest-based biodiesel, especially around protected areas.

Glacier protection laws: Potential conflicts in managing glacial hazards and adapting to climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Anacona, Pablo Iribarren; Kinney, Josie; Schaefer, Marius; Harrison, Stephan; Wilson, Ryan; Segovia, Alexis; Mazzorana, Bruno; Guerra, Felipe; Farías, David; Reynolds, John M; Glasser, Neil F

2018-03-13

The environmental, socioeconomic and cultural significance of glaciers has motivated several countries to regulate activities on glaciers and glacierized surroundings. However, laws written to specifically protect mountain glaciers have only recently been considered within national political agendas. Glacier Protection Laws (GPLs) originate in countries where mining has damaged glaciers and have been adopted with the aim of protecting the cryosphere from harmful activities. Here, we analyze GPLs in Argentina (approved) and Chile (under discussion) to identify potential environmental conflicts arising from law restrictions and omissions. We conclude that GPLs overlook the dynamics of glaciers and could prevent or delay actions needed to mitigate glacial hazards (e.g. artificial drainage of glacial lakes) thus placing populations at risk. Furthermore, GPL restrictions could hinder strategies (e.g. use of glacial lakes as reservoirs) to mitigate adverse impacts of climate change. Arguably, more flexible GPLs are needed to protect us from the changing cryosphere.

Protecting Your Forest from Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Steven McNulty

2009-01-01

Climate change is already impacting our forests and the situation is ongoing. As a landowner, there are management tools that you can use to help reduce the likelihood that climate change will cause serious harm to your forest.

Sobre a noção de causalidade na medicina: aproximando Austin Bradford Hill e John L. MackieOn the notion of causality in medicine: addressing Austin Bradford Hill and John L. Mackie

OpenAIRE

Araújo, Luís Fernando S. C. de; Dalgalarrondo, Paulo; Banzato, Cláudio E. M.

2014-01-01

Almost 50 years ago appeared the seminal article by Austin Bradford Hill where he presented parameters for inferring causes from statistical associations, which became known as Hill’s causal criteria. This was a milestone for the renewal of the idea of cause in medicine. Our article revisits his contribution in light of the ideas from the Australian philosopher John L. Mackie, whose important works on causality reached an audience distinct from Hill’s. We suggest that both the Bri...

The TEAMS Report, 1987. The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills in the Austin Independent School District.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangino, Evangelina

The Texas Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) is a mandated criterion-referenced test administered to students in grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 in Texas public schools. This report by the Austin Independent School District (AISD) contains an executive summary of TEAMS results, an analysis of performance, and attachments. Among the major findings…

Projected range contractions of European protected oceanic montane plant communities: focus on climate change impacts is essential for their future conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodd, Rory L; Bourke, David; Skeffington, Micheline Sheehy

2014-01-01

Global climate is rapidly changing and while many studies have investigated the potential impacts of this on the distribution of montane plant species and communities, few have focused on those with oceanic montane affinities. In Europe, highly sensitive bryophyte species reach their optimum occurrence, highest diversity and abundance in the north-west hyperoceanic regions, while a number of montane vascular plant species occur here at the edge of their range. This study evaluates the potential impact of climate change on the distribution of these species and assesses the implications for EU Habitats Directive-protected oceanic montane plant communities. We applied an ensemble of species distribution modelling techniques, using atlas data of 30 vascular plant and bryophyte species, to calculate range changes under projected future climate change. The future effectiveness of the protected area network to conserve these species was evaluated using gap analysis. We found that the majority of these montane species are projected to lose suitable climate space, primarily at lower altitudes, or that areas of suitable climate will principally shift northwards. In particular, rare oceanic montane bryophytes have poor dispersal capacity and are likely to be especially vulnerable to contractions in their current climate space. Significantly different projected range change responses were found between 1) oceanic montane bryophytes and vascular plants; 2) species belonging to different montane plant communities; 3) species categorised according to different biomes and eastern limit classifications. The inclusion of topographical variables in addition to climate, significantly improved the statistical and spatial performance of models. The current protected area network is projected to become less effective, especially for specialised arctic-montane species, posing a challenge to conserving oceanic montane plant communities. Conservation management plans need significantly

Projected range contractions of European protected oceanic montane plant communities: focus on climate change impacts is essential for their future conservation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rory L Hodd

Full Text Available Global climate is rapidly changing and while many studies have investigated the potential impacts of this on the distribution of montane plant species and communities, few have focused on those with oceanic montane affinities. In Europe, highly sensitive bryophyte species reach their optimum occurrence, highest diversity and abundance in the north-west hyperoceanic regions, while a number of montane vascular plant species occur here at the edge of their range. This study evaluates the potential impact of climate change on the distribution of these species and assesses the implications for EU Habitats Directive-protected oceanic montane plant communities. We applied an ensemble of species distribution modelling techniques, using atlas data of 30 vascular plant and bryophyte species, to calculate range changes under projected future climate change. The future effectiveness of the protected area network to conserve these species was evaluated using gap analysis. We found that the majority of these montane species are projected to lose suitable climate space, primarily at lower altitudes, or that areas of suitable climate will principally shift northwards. In particular, rare oceanic montane bryophytes have poor dispersal capacity and are likely to be especially vulnerable to contractions in their current climate space. Significantly different projected range change responses were found between 1 oceanic montane bryophytes and vascular plants; 2 species belonging to different montane plant communities; 3 species categorised according to different biomes and eastern limit classifications. The inclusion of topographical variables in addition to climate, significantly improved the statistical and spatial performance of models. The current protected area network is projected to become less effective, especially for specialised arctic-montane species, posing a challenge to conserving oceanic montane plant communities. Conservation management plans need

District heating systems between competition protection and climate protection; Die Fernwaermenetze zwischen Wettbewerbs- und Klimaschutz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koerber, Torsten [Goettingen Univ. (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Buergerliches Recht, Kartellrecht, Versicherungs-, Gesellschafts- und Regulierungsrecht

2012-10-15

In principle, district heating systems come in the application area of paragraph 19 sect. 4 no. 4 GWB (law against competitive restrictions). However, this regulation has to be interpreted with respect to the legislation of the Court of Justice of the European Union (Luxemburg) to 'essential facilities'. According to this, the claim for antitrust access can be affirmed only in exceptional circumstances. Within the application of this regulation, property rights, competition protection, investment competition, innovation competition as well as energy political evaluations of the energy law under special consideration of ecologic and climate political targets are considered. This has to occur within the testing of the reasonability with respect to paragraph 19 sect. 4 no. 2 GWB. The particularities of the district heating.

Climate protection and carbon in wood. Comparison of management strategies; Klimaschutz und Kohlenstoff in Holz. Vergleich verschiedener Strategien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rock, J

2008-11-05

Forests are important for climate protection: They sequester and store carbon, and provide timber for wood products and fossil fuel substitution. These functions interact in a complex way. From a climate protection point of view it is desirable to optimize these interactions, i.e. to maximize the amount of carbon stored in the whole system (called ''forest-timber-option'') and to analyse what impact a management decision at the local level has with regard to the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Inventory methods to estimate the total amount of carbon in a forest are needed. Classical forest inventories assess above-ground tree volume. To estimate total carbon in accordance with the requirements of the Kyoto-Protocol, these inventories need to be expanded with regard to the assessment of disturbances, dead wood decomposition, soil carbon, and the estimation of carbon from volume. Methods invented here can also be used to assess local-level management activities, or to ''factor out'' non-human-induced changes in carbon pools. The optimization of the ''forest-timber-option'' is restricted due to regulations of the Kyoto-Protocol, because forest-related measures are accounted for under other sectors than wood and timber use. Harvested timber is estimated as an ''emission'' from the forest, and forest owners have no benefit from the use of wood for industrial purposes. Here, an inclusion of forestry in emission trading schemes can be advantageous. Alternative ways to produce wood are short-rotation coppice plantations on agricultural soils. Information about growth and yield potentials are scarce for the regions where land availability is high. Aspen (P. tremula, P. tremuloides) was parameterized in an eco-physiological forest growth model (''4C'') to assess these potentials on sites in Eastern Germany under current and under changing climatic conditions. The results indicate that growth potentials are more sensitive to soil quality than to climatic conditions

Personal Reflections on Austin MacCormick's 1931 Correctional Education Book: The Integration of Vocational, Academic, and Social Education

Science.gov (United States)

Mattucci, Robert

2006-01-01

The purpose of this article is to connect theories Austin MacCormick discussed in his 1931 book "The Education of Adult Prisoners" with examples from modern correctional education practice. The author began teaching an institutional plumbing class in 2000, equipped with an undergraduate degree in elementary education and a master's…

Austin: austenitic steel irradiation E 145-02 Irradiation Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genet, F.; Konrad, J.

1987-01-01

Safety measures for nuclear reactors require that the energy which might be liberated in a reactor core during an accident should be contained within the reactor pressure vessel, even after very long irradiation periods. Hence the need to know the mechanical properties at high deformation velocity of structure materials that have received irradiation damage due to their utilization. The stainless steels used in the structures of reactors undergo damage by both thermal and fast neutrons, causing important changes in the mechanical properties of these materials. Various austenitic steels available as structural materials were irradiated or are under irradiation in various reactors in order to study the evolution of the mechanical properties at high deformation velocity as a function of the irradiation damage rate. The experiment called AUSTIN (AUstenitic STeel IrradiatioN) 02 was performed by the JRC Petten Establishment on behalf of Ispra in support of the reactor safety programme

Energy security and climate change protection: Complementarity or tradeoff?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Stephen P.A.; Huntington, Hillard G.

2008-01-01

Energy security and climate change protection have risen to the forefront of energy policy - linked in time and a perception that both goals can be achieved through the same or similar policies. Although such complementarity can exist for individual technologies, policymakers face a tradeoff between these two policy objectives. The tradeoff arises when policymakers choose the mix of individual technologies with which to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy security. Optimal policy is achieved when the cost of the additional use of each technology equals the value of the additional energy security and reduction in greenhouse gas emission that it provides. Such an approach may draw more heavily on conventional technologies that provide benefits in only one dimension than on more costly technologies that both increase energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (author)

Coral Reef Remote Sensing: Helping Managers Protect Reefs in a Changing Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Eakin, C.; Liu, G.; Li, J.; Muller-Karger, F. E.; Heron, S. F.; Gledhill, D. K.; Christensen, T.; Rauenzahn, J.; Morgan, J.; Parker, B. A.; Skirving, W. J.; Nim, C.; Burgess, T.; Strong, A. E.

2010-12-01

Climate change and ocean acidification are already having severe impacts on coral reef ecosystems. Warming oceans have caused corals to bleach, or expel their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) with alarming frequency and severity and have contributed to a rise in coral infectious diseases. Ocean acidification is reducing the availability of carbonate ions needed by corals and many other marine organisms to build structural components like skeletons and shells and may already be slowing the coral growth. These two impacts are already killing corals and slowing reef growth, reducing biodiversity and the structure needed to provide crucial ecosystem services. NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch (CRW) uses a combination of satellite data, in situ observations, and models to provide coral reef managers, scientists, and others with information needed to monitor threats to coral reefs. The advance notice provided by remote sensing and models allows resource managers to protect corals, coral reefs, and the services they provide, although managers often encounter barriers to implementation of adaptation strategies. This talk will focus on application of NOAA’s satellite and model-based tools that monitor the risk of mass coral bleaching on a global scale, ocean acidification in the Caribbean, and coral disease outbreaks in selected regions, as well as CRW work to train managers in their use, and barriers to taking action to adapt to climate change. As both anthropogenic CO2 and temperatures will continue to rise, local actions to protect reefs are becoming even more important.

Tailwind for the climate protection? New ways to maintain international financial commitments; Rueckenwind fuer den Klimaschutz? Neue Wege zur Einhaltung internationaler Finanzzusagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schroeder, Frank

2011-02-15

The contribution under consideration reports on the upcoming challenges of the climate protection financing in developing countries. The extent of the probably required financing and the current status of the development of the developed countries are presented. Ambiguities regarding the out-payment and tracking of the financial contributions for the climate protection are described. Subsequently, a series of general criteria for the evaluation of the different financing sources are invoked. These criteria are based on principles originated from the UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany) climate protection negotiations and consider a broader development political context and certain equity considerations. The advantages and disadvantages of potential sources of income of developed countries are discussed in order to fulfil promises for new and additional resources for adaptation measures and preventative measures in developing countries. These arguments are embedded in a general structure and classified with respect to their revenue potential and political feasibility. This analysis is closely based on a methodological approach and on the suggestions made by the AGF. The analysis closes with a brief assessment of the possible effects of the activities of AGF on the Government decision-makers. Furthermore the analysis shows how their results may strengthen the mutual trust of the countries in order to contribute to the climate agreement as well as to the national action.

Evaluation of heavy metal uptake in micropterus salmoides (Largemouth Bass) of Lake Austin, TX by neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weaver, J.; Wilson, W.H.; Biegalski, S.R.F.; O'Kelly, D.J.

2009-01-01

Neutron activation analysis was used to investigate and quantify the level of heavy metal uptake in the marine environment of Lake Austin in Austin, TX. Specifically, the samples studied were largemouth bass, or micropterus salmoides. The presence of heavy metals in the food chain presents multiple hazards, mostly as a food hazard for those species that ingest the fish, namely humans. To measure the concentrations of heavy metals in various fish samples, the nuclear analytical technique of neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used. Both epithermal and thermal irradiations were conducted for the NAA to look for short and long-lived radioisotopes, respectively. The samples themselves consisted of liver and tissue samples for each of the fish caught. Each sample was freeze-dried and homogenized before irradiation and spectrum acquisition. The results showed that all levels of heavy metals were not sufficient enough to make the fish unsafe for eating, with the highest levels being found for iron and zinc. Gold was found to be at much higher concentrations in the younger fish and virtually non-existent in the larger of the samples. (author)

Three Plays by Austin Clarke and the Commedia Tradition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Murray

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Commedia dell’arte influenced theatrical production styles in many European countries, Ireland being no exception, assimilating the influence through pantomime during colonial times. The drama of Austin Clarke (1896-1974 is usually examined in the context of Yeats’s plays and modern poetic drama. But among his plays are three little-known experimental pieces, The Kiss, The Second Kiss and The Third Kiss, which make use of four characters from the wider commedia tradition, Harlequin, Columbine, Pierrot and Pierrette and also self-consciously exploit the possibilities of romance, mischief and the carnivalesque for Clarke’s own poetic purposes. The aim of this essay is to show how Clarke’s use for his Lyric Theatre of themes and techniques derived from commedia dell’arte represents both a tribute to a specific international form and a critique in satirical terms of hypocrisies underlying Irish bourgeois society in the 1940s and after.

EnviroAtlas - Austin, TX - Ecosystem Services by Block Group

Science.gov (United States)

This EnviroAtlas dataset presents environmental benefits of the urban forest in 750 block groups in Austin, Texas. Carbon attributes, temperature reduction, pollution removal and value, and runoff effects are calculated for each block group using i-Tree models (www.itreetools.org), local weather data, pollution data, EPA provided city boundary and land cover data, and U.S. Census derived block group boundary data. This dataset was produced by the US Forest Service to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

Global assessment of river flood protection benefits and corresponding residual risks under climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Wee Ho; Yamazaki, Dai; Koirala, Sujan; Hirabayashi, Yukiko; Kanae, Shinjiro; Dadson, Simon J.; Hall, Jim W.

2016-04-01

substantially when flood protection level exceeds 20 years. These findings might be useful for decision-makers to weight the size of water infrastructure investment and emergency response capacity under climate change. References: Arnell, N.W, Gosling, S.N., 2014. The impact of climate change on river flood risk at the global scale. Climatic Change 122: 127-140, doi: 10.1007/s10584-014-1084-5. Hirabayashi et al., 2013. Global flood risk under climate change. Nature Climate Change 3: 816-821, doi: 10.1038/nclimate1911. Jongman et al., 2015. Declining vulnerability to river floods and the global benefits of adaptation. Proceedings of National Academy of the United States of America 112, E2271-E2280, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1414439112. Sadoff et al., 2015. Securing Water, Sustaining Growth: Report of the GWP/OECD Task Force on Water Security and Sustainable Growth, University of Oxford, UK, 180 pp. Yamazaki et al., 2011. A physically based description of floodplain inundation dynamics in a global river routing model. Water Resources Research 47, W04501, doi: 10.1029/2010wr009726. Yamazaki et al., 2014. Development of the Global Width Database for Large Rivers. Water Resources Research 50, 3467-3480, doi: 10.1002/2013WR014664.

Sequential planning of flood protection infrastructure under limited historic flood record and climate change uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Dittes, Beatrice; Špačková, Olga; Straub, Daniel

2017-04-01

Flood protection is often designed to safeguard people and property following regulations and standards, which specify a target design flood protection level, such as the 100-year flood level prescribed in Germany (DWA, 2011). In practice, the magnitude of such an event is only known within a range of uncertainty, which is caused by limited historic records and uncertain climate change impacts, among other factors (Hall & Solomatine, 2008). As more observations and improved climate projections become available in the future, the design flood estimate changes and the capacity of the flood protection may be deemed insufficient at a future point in time. This problem can be mitigated by the implementation of flexible flood protection systems (that can easily be adjusted in the future) and/or by adding an additional reserve to the flood protection, i.e. by applying a safety factor to the design. But how high should such a safety factor be? And how much should the decision maker be willing to pay to make the system flexible, i.e. what is the Value of Flexibility (Špačková & Straub, 2017)? We propose a decision model that identifies cost-optimal decisions on flood protection capacity in the face of uncertainty (Dittes et al. 2017). It considers sequential adjustments of the protection system during its lifetime, taking into account its flexibility. The proposed framework is based on pre-posterior Bayesian decision analysis, using Decision Trees and Markov Decision Processes, and is fully quantitative. It can include a wide range of uncertainty components such as uncertainty associated with limited historic record or uncertain climate or socio-economic change. It is shown that since flexible systems are less costly to adjust when flood estimates are changing, they justify initially lower safety factors. Investigation on the Value of Flexibility (VoF) demonstrates that VoF depends on the type and degree of uncertainty, on the learning effect (i.e. kind and quality of

Climate protection and carbon in wood. Comparison of management strategies; Klimaschutz und Kohlenstoff in Holz. Vergleich verschiedener Strategien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rock, J.

2008-11-05

Forests are important for climate protection: They sequester and store carbon, and provide timber for wood products and fossil fuel substitution. These functions interact in a complex way. From a climate protection point of view it is desirable to optimize these interactions, i.e. to maximize the amount of carbon stored in the whole system (called ''forest-timber-option'') and to analyse what impact a management decision at the local level has with regard to the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Inventory methods to estimate the total amount of carbon in a forest are needed. Classical forest inventories assess above-ground tree volume. To estimate total carbon in accordance with the requirements of the Kyoto-Protocol, these inventories need to be expanded with regard to the assessment of disturbances, dead wood decomposition, soil carbon, and the estimation of carbon from volume. Methods invented here can also be used to assess local-level management activities, or to ''factor out'' non-human-induced changes in carbon pools. The optimization of the ''forest-timber-option'' is restricted due to regulations of the Kyoto-Protocol, because forest-related measures are accounted for under other sectors than wood and timber use. Harvested timber is estimated as an ''emission'' from the forest, and forest owners have no benefit from the use of wood for industrial purposes. Here, an inclusion of forestry in emission trading schemes can be advantageous. Alternative ways to produce wood are short-rotation coppice plantations on agricultural soils. Information about growth and yield potentials are scarce for the regions where land availability is high. Aspen (P. tremula, P. tremuloides) was parameterized in an eco-physiological forest growth model (''4C'') to assess these potentials on sites in Eastern Germany under current and under changing climatic conditions. The results

In the right place at the right time: habitat representation in protected areas of South American Nothofagus-dominated plants after a dispersal constrained climate change scenario.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Alarcón

Full Text Available In order to assess the effects of climate change in temperate rainforest plants in southern South America in terms of habitat size, representation in protected areas, considering also if the expected impacts are similar for dominant trees and understory plant species, we used niche modeling constrained by species migration on 118 plant species, considering two groups of dominant trees and two groups of understory ferns. Representation in protected areas included Chilean national protected areas, private protected areas, and priority areas planned for future reserves, with two thresholds for minimum representation at the country level: 10% and 17%. With a 10% representation threshold, national protected areas currently represent only 50% of the assessed species. Private reserves are important since they increase up to 66% the species representation level. Besides, 97% of the evaluated species may achieve the minimum representation target only if the proposed priority areas were included. With the climate change scenario representation levels slightly increase to 53%, 69%, and 99%, respectively, to the categories previously mentioned. Thus, the current location of all the representation categories is useful for overcoming climate change by 2050. Climate change impacts on habitat size and representation of dominant trees in protected areas are not applicable to understory plants, highlighting the importance of assessing these effects with a larger number of species. Although climate change will modify the habitat size of plant species in South American temperate rainforests, it will have no significant impact in terms of the number of species adequately represented in Chile, where the implementation of the proposed reserves is vital to accomplish the present and future minimum representation. Our results also show the importance of using migration dispersal constraints to develop more realistic future habitat maps from climate change predictions.

The Nation's Report Card Reading 2009 Trial Urban District Snapshot Report. Austin Independent School District. Grade 8, Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

National Center for Education Statistics, 2010

2010-01-01

Each district that participated in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2009 Trial Urban District Assessment in reading receives a one-page snapshot report that presents key findings and trends in a condensed format. This report presents the results for Austin Independent School District's student achievement in reading. In 2009,…

The Nation's Report Card Reading 2009 Trial Urban District Snapshot Report. Austin Independent School District. Grade 4, Public Schools

Science.gov (United States)

National Center for Education Statistics, 2010

2010-01-01

Each district that participated in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2009 Trial Urban District Assessment in reading receives a one-page snapshot report that presents key findings and trends in a condensed format. This report presents the results for Austin Independent School District's student achievement in reading. In 2009,…

Teacher-Perceived Supportive Classroom Climate Protects against Detrimental Impact of Reading Disability Risk on Peer Rejection

Science.gov (United States)

Kiuru, Noona; Poikkeus, Anna-Maija; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Pakarinen, Eija; Siekkinen, Martti; Ahonen, Timo; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2012-01-01

This study examined the role of a supportive classroom climate, class size, and length of teaching experience as protective factors against children's peer rejection. A total of 376 children were assessed in kindergarten for risk for reading disabilities (RD) and rated by their teachers on socially withdrawn and disruptive behaviors. The grade 1…

Climate Change Education in Protected Areas: Highlights from the Earth to Sky NASA-NPS-USFWS Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, A.; Morris, J.; Paglierani, R.

2009-12-01

National Parks, Hatcheries, Refuges, and other protected lands provide ideal settings for communicating the immediate and obvious effects of climate change, from rapidly melting glaciers, increased intensity and length of fire seasons, to flooding of archeological and historical treasures. Our nation's protected areas demonstrate clearly that climate change is happening now, and the impacts are affecting us all. Highlights of interpretive, educational and informational products presented in these sites, and developed through the Earth to Sky (ETS) partnership are described. The visiting public in our nation's parks, refuges, cultural sites and other protected lands wants to learn more about climate change, and is asking questions—often, complex questions. A broad array of educational programs and media are delivered in these unique settings, to diverse audiences. To be good "honest brokers" of the best information, staff needs access to accurate, up-to-date data, descriptions, analysis, and imagery that make the issues understandable. Pairing real world experiences of climate effects such as glacial retreat or beetle infestations, with NASA’s unique planetary perspective provides opportunities to link local, regional, and global effects in the minds and hearts of the public and students. The perspective afforded by such linkages can create powerful and long lasting impressions, and will likely provoke further learning about this topic. About Earth to Sky Earth to Sky is a partnership between NASA's Space and Earth Science disciplines, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the National Park Service (NPS). The partnership actively fosters collaborative work between the science and interpretation/education communities of NPS, USFWS, and NASA, centering around a series of professional development workshops aimed at informal educators. The workshops weave NASA content with NPS and USFWS interpretation and environmental education methodology, and use best

klima:aktiv - the Austrian initiative for climate protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raimund, Willy; Cerveny, Michael; Fickl, Stephan; Matt, Elisabeth

2005-01-01

In 2004 Austria launched its long-term umbrella programme for active climate protection (until 2010). It combines various market-constituent measures and effectuates target-oriented implementation. klima:aktiv is an innovative add-on to common instruments, introducing target-group oriented programmes in the areas construction and living, mobility, company policies, electricity saving and renewable energy sources. By following a systematic approach, klima:aktiv is determined to effect a breakthrough in the use of climate-friendly technologies and services for increased energy-efficiency and of renewable energy sources, as well as to accrue their market shares. Implementing tailor-made, target-oriented programmes. klima:aktiv programmes develop technological and organisational solutions able to compete on the market, take care of innovative quality standards and promote training of all relevant groups. Implementation of the klima:aktiv programmes must be accomplished within set time limits and results in concrete measurable targets. 8 programmes already launched (May 2005): eco:facility - innovative refurbishment of private service buildings; e5 programme - energy-efficient municipalities (similar to European Energy Award); Solar thermal programme ('solarwaerme'); Quality management for new biomass district heating stations and heating plants ('qm heizwerke'); Mobility management for companies ('Betriebliches Mobilitaetsmanagement'); Refurbishment of residential buildings (multi-family houses) ('wohn modern'); Energy wood ('energie holz'); Biogas - heat, power, gas and transport fuels from renewables ('bio gas') Programmes for heat pumps and for energy-efficiency in small and medium-sized enterprises are next to be launched. By the end of 2005, the number of thematic programmes number will raise to about 15. More than 3 million Euro/year-plus contributions from partners The government provides over 3 million Euro/year. In addition, relevant economy branches are

Developing a model for effects of climate change on human health and health-environment interactions: Heat stress in Austin, Texas - Urban Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Human health and well-being are and will be affected by climate change, both directly through changes in extreme weather events and indirectly through weather-induced changes in human and natural systems. Populations are vulnerable to these changes in varying degrees, depending ...

Mineral Physics Research on Earth's Core and UTeach Outreach Activities at UT Austin

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, J.; Wheat, A. J.

2011-12-01

Comprehension of the alloying effects of major candidate light elements on the phase diagram and elasticity of iron addresses pressing issues on the composition, thermal structures, and seismic features of the Earth's core. Integrating this mineral physics research with the educational objectives of the CAREER award was facilitated by collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin's premier teaching program, UTeach. The UTeach summer outreach program hosts three one-week summer camps every year exposing K-12th graders to university level academia, emphasizing math and science initiatives and research. Each week of the camp either focuses on math, chemistry, or geology. Many of the students were underrepresented minorities and some required simultaneous translation; this is an effect of the demographics of the region, and caused some language barrier challenges. The students' opportunity to see first-hand what it is like to be on a university campus, as well as being in a research environment, such as the mineral physics lab, helps them to visualize themselves in academia in the future. A collection of displayable materials with information about deep-Earth research were made available to participating students and teachers to disseminate accurate scientific knowledge and enthusiasm. These items included a diamond anvil cell and diagrams of the diamond crystal structure, the layers of the Earth, and the phases of carbon to show that one element can have very different physical properties purely based on differences in structure. The students learned how advanced X-ray and optical laser spectroscopies are used to study properties of planetary materials in the diamond anvil cell. Stress was greatly placed on the basic mathematical relationship between force, area, and pressure, the fundamental principle involved with diamond anvil cell research. Undergraduate researchers from the lab participated in the presentations and hands-on experiments, and answered any

Climate change adaptation in Ethiopia: to what extent does social protection influence livelihood diversification?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weldegebriel, Zerihun; Prowse, Martin Philip

2013-01-01

Social-protection programmes like the Productive Safety-Net Programme (PSNP) in Ethiopia can play a positive role in promoting livelihoods and enhancing risk management. This article uses propensity score matching to estimate its effect on income diversification. The results suggest that receiving...... in a positive manner for climate adaptation. The article concludes by arguing for the promotion of positive forms of income diversification and the further investigation of the PSNP’s influence on autonomous adaptation strategies....

Burden's on U! the Impact of the "Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin" Decision on K-16 Admissions Policies

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, David H. K.

2014-01-01

Using race as a factor in admissions policies was contested in "Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin." Although the U.S. Supreme Court firmly held in "Grutter v. Bollinger" that race can be considered among many factors in admitting students, the recent decision in "Fisher" has posed many questions and challenges…

Rapid species responses to changes in climate require stringent climate protection targets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vliet, van A.J.H.; Leemans, R.

2006-01-01

The Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change book consolidates the scientific findings of the Exeter conference and gives an account of the most recent developments on critical thresholds and key vulnerabilities of the climate system, impacts on human and natural systems, emission pathways and

Test Review: Gilliam, J. E. (2015), "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Test" (2nd Ed) [Assessment Instrument]. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

Science.gov (United States)

Perdue, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

The "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Test-Second Edition" (ADHDT-2) is published through Pro-Ed in Austin, Texas. It was formally published in 2014, following critical revisions of the ADHDT, the reportedly popular initial version of this test that was published in 1995. The ADHDT-2 purports to act as a screener for individuals…

Climate protection scenario 2050. 1. Meeting on modeling; Klimaschutzszenario 2050. 1. Modellierungsrunde.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Repenning, Julia; Matthes, Felix C.; Blanck, R. [Oeko-Institut e.V. - Institut fuer Angewandte Oekologie, Berlin (Germany); and others

2014-08-04

The report on the meeting of the experts on modeling of the climate protection scenario 2050 summarizes the substantial results: 80-90% reduction the greenhouse gas emissions means a reduction of fossil energy carriers by up to 98%. The electricity generation industry has to provide most of the reduction since esp. agriculture cannot reduce the CO2 emissions. The amount of renewable energy for electricity production has to increase to about 95%. The economic analysis shows that a strategy of energy efficiency and electricity production from renewable energy sources plus product innovation is a no-regret strategy that will be advantageous for Germany in a long-term.

Risk-based flood protection planning under climate change and modeling uncertainty: a pre-alpine case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Dittes

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Planning authorities are faced with a range of questions when planning flood protection measures: is the existing protection adequate for current and future demands or should it be extended? How will flood patterns change in the future? How should the uncertainty pertaining to this influence the planning decision, e.g., for delaying planning or including a safety margin? Is it sufficient to follow a protection criterion (e.g., to protect from the 100-year flood or should the planning be conducted in a risk-based way? How important is it for flood protection planning to accurately estimate flood frequency (changes, costs and damage? These are questions that we address for a medium-sized pre-alpine catchment in southern Germany, using a sequential Bayesian decision making framework that quantitatively addresses the full spectrum of uncertainty. We evaluate different flood protection systems considered by local agencies in a test study catchment. Despite large uncertainties in damage, cost and climate, the recommendation is robust for the most conservative approach. This demonstrates the feasibility of making robust decisions under large uncertainty. Furthermore, by comparison to a previous study, it highlights the benefits of risk-based planning over the planning of flood protection to a prescribed return period.

Risk-based flood protection planning under climate change and modeling uncertainty: a pre-alpine case study

Science.gov (United States)

Dittes, Beatrice; Kaiser, Maria; Špačková, Olga; Rieger, Wolfgang; Disse, Markus; Straub, Daniel

2018-05-01

Planning authorities are faced with a range of questions when planning flood protection measures: is the existing protection adequate for current and future demands or should it be extended? How will flood patterns change in the future? How should the uncertainty pertaining to this influence the planning decision, e.g., for delaying planning or including a safety margin? Is it sufficient to follow a protection criterion (e.g., to protect from the 100-year flood) or should the planning be conducted in a risk-based way? How important is it for flood protection planning to accurately estimate flood frequency (changes), costs and damage? These are questions that we address for a medium-sized pre-alpine catchment in southern Germany, using a sequential Bayesian decision making framework that quantitatively addresses the full spectrum of uncertainty. We evaluate different flood protection systems considered by local agencies in a test study catchment. Despite large uncertainties in damage, cost and climate, the recommendation is robust for the most conservative approach. This demonstrates the feasibility of making robust decisions under large uncertainty. Furthermore, by comparison to a previous study, it highlights the benefits of risk-based planning over the planning of flood protection to a prescribed return period.

Nutrient and carbon availability influences on denitrification in the regulated Lower Colorado River, Austin

Science.gov (United States)

Spector, J.

2016-12-01

The Lower Colorado River in Austin, Texas receives nitrogen-rich runoff and treated wastewater effluent and is subject to periodic water releases from the Longhorn Dam, which cause fluctuations in groundwater stage downstream. This research examined groundwater denitrification at the Hornsby Bend riparian area (located approximately 24 km downstream of downtown Austin) and characterized how dam-induced hyporheic exchange affects denitrification rates. Conductivity, temperature, water level, and dissolved oxygen concentrations were measured continuously throughout flood pulses for six months using dataloggers installed in a transect of seven monitoring wells on the river bank. Hourly samples were collected using an autosampler in one monitoring well (MW-5) during various flood conditions during the six month monitoring period. Water samples were analyzed for total organic carbon, total nitrogen, anions (NO3- and NO2-), NH4+ concentrations, alkalinity, and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) to characterize dissolved organic matter. Following large flood events (up to 4 m of water level stage increase), average conductivity increased 300 µs/centimeter in MW-5 as the water level receded. Analysis of water samples indicated that NO3- reduction occurred as conductivity and alkalinity increased. In addition, NH4+ concentrations increased during high conductivity periods. Increased denitrification activity corresponded with high SUVA. High conductivity and alkalinity increase the availability of electron donors (HCO3- and CO32-) and enhances denitrification potential. Higher SUVA values indicate increased dissolved organic carbon aromaticity and corresponding NO3- reduction. Additionally, changes in dissolved organic matter lability indicate the residence times of possible reactive organic carbon in the riparian area. This study has implications for determining advantageous geochemical conditions for hyporheic zone denitrification following large flood events.

Protecting food security when facing uncertain climate: Opportunities for Afghan communities

Science.gov (United States)

Salman, Dina; Amer, Saud A.; Ward, Frank A.

2017-11-01

Climate change, population growth, and weakly developed water management institutions in many of the world's dry communities have raised the importance of designing innovative water allocation methods that adapt to water supply fluctuations while respecting cultural sensitivities. For example, Afghanistan faces an ancient history of water supply fluctuations that have contributed to periodic food shortage and famine. Poorly designed and weakly enforced water allocation methods continue to result in agriculture sector underperformance and periodic food shortages when water shortfalls occur. To date, little research has examined alternative water sharing rules on a multi-basin scale to protect food security for a subsistence irrigation society when the community faces water shortage. This paper's contribution examines the economic performance of three water-sharing mechanisms for three basins in Afghanistan with the goal of protecting food security for crop irrigation under ongoing threats of drought, while meeting growing demands for food in the face of anticipated population growth. We achieved this by formulating an integrated empirical optimization model to identify water-sharing measures that minimize economic losses while protecting food security when water shortages occur. Findings show that implementation of either a water trading policy or a proportional shortage policy that respects cultural sensitivities has the potential to raise economic welfare in each basin. Such a policy can reduce food insecurity risks for all trading provinces within each basin, thus being a productive institution for adapting to water shortage when it occurs. Total economic welfare gains are highest when drought is the most severe for which suffering would otherwise be greatest. Gains would be considerably higher if water storage reservoirs were built to store wet year flows for use in dry years. Our results light a path for policy makers, donors, water administrators, and farm

Free Markets, Property Rights and Climate Change: How to Privatize Climate Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Dawson

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The goal has been to devise a strategy that protects as much as possible the rights and liberties of all agents, both users of fossil fuels and people whose livelihoods and territories are at risk if the anthropogenic global warming (AGW hypothesis is true. To achieve this goal the standard climate policy instruments, taxes and emissions trading, should be discontinued. There are weaknesses in the theoretical perspectives used to justify these policy instruments and climate science cannot provide the knowledge that would be needed to justify their implementation. In their place I propose a privatised policy, based on Austrian and libertarian frameworks of thought, which share an interpretation of climate change as a putative interpersonal conflict rather than market failure. The use of fossil fuels, like any other economic activity, should be subject to side-constraints designed to avoid the infringement of other people’s property rights. Tort litigation on the basis of strict liability would protect these rights, insofar as they need protecting. By providing a public arena for the competitive testing of scientific hypotheses concerning climate change, such litigation would also promote the public understanding and even the advancement of climate science.

Dynamics in Protected Areas and Domesticated Landscapes Caused by Climate Change and Anthropogenic Use

Science.gov (United States)

Hartter, J.; Ryan, S.; Stampone, M.; Chapman, C.

2009-12-01

Climate change, a key factor of concern for conservation, has important biological and social implications. Africa’s Albertine Rift is an area of extremely high endemic biodiversity and is classed as a world conservation priority. However, natural areas are represented by a chain of protected forest areas in a matrix of intensive smallholder agriculture and dense human settlements. Kibale National Park in western Uganda has become an island of forest surrounded by intensive small-scale agriculture and is the only remaining large area of mid-altitude forest remaining in Albertine Rift Region and East Africa. Increased temperature and precipitation over recent decades has been observed by scientists and local farmers, however, to date, rigorous analysis of local climate data and the impact of climate change on local resources does not exist. Moreover, local farmers report that some crops die or ripen too early because of increased precipitation. Conservation biologists and park managers are concerned that changes in tree phenology and primary productivity will alter wildlife feeding preferences and ranges leading to more human-wildlife conflict. Understanding the impact of local and regional climate change and variation within the social, conservation, and geographic context is necessary to construct informed management plans and to maintain positive park-people relationships. This paper describes our first attempt to fully integrate multiple temporal and spatial datasets, and our progress in developing an interdisciplinary framework to study social and ecological relationships in the Kibale landscape. We examine historical in situ climate data and proxy climate information derived from remotely sensed satellite-borne imagery in our preliminary analyses. Our goal is to link these data with both pre-existing imagery analyses and tree community composition and phenology data from 39 years of ongoing research to identify the pattern, trajectory, and drivers of local

The University of Texas at Austin's Defense of Affirmative Action in "Fisher v. University of Texas": Lessons for Institutional Policies and Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Garces, Liliana M.

2015-01-01

In "Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin" (2013), the U.S. Supreme Court most recently recognized the right of universities to pursue a mission-centered interest in the educational benefits of student body diversity. The decision, however, also reminded institutions of the limited ways they are allowed to consider race in admissions…

Geo-engineering: effective climate protection or megalomania? Methods, legal frameworks, environmental political claims; Geo-Engineering: wirksamer Klimaschutz oder Groessenwahn? Methoden, Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen, Umweltpolitische Forderungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ginzky, Harald; Herrmann, Friederike; Kartschall, Karin; Leujak, Wera; Lipsius, Kai; Maeder, Claudia; Schwermer, Sylvia; Straube, Georg

2011-04-15

Today, strategies for climate protection use two main approaches. First, measures should be taken in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans. Second, measures should be carried out so that people and the environment can be adapted to unavoidable climatic changes. For some time, proposals are being discussed in order to meet the effect of climatic changes by large-scale intervention in global ecological processes. These measures are grouped under the term geo-engineering.

Prospects for future climate: A special US/USSR report on climate and climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacCracken, M.C.; Budyko, M.I.; Hecht, A.D.; Izrael, Y.A.

1990-01-01

Starting with the US-USSR Agreement on Protection of the Environment signed in 1972, the two nations have cooperated in joint research on atmospheric and environmental problems. The result of these efforts has been an innovative approach to projecting future climate change based on what has been learned about past warm periods and what can be learned from models. The chapters in this document explore the following: past changes in climate, both paleoclimatology and changes in the recent past; changes in atmospheric composition; estimates of greenhouse-induced change including the use of both empirical methods and climate models; impacts of climate change on water resources and agriculture in the two countries; and prospects for future climate changes

Ictal Ceretec studies - the Austin experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nerouppos, L.; Scott, A.M.; Parsons, K.; Mihalinac, D.S.; Munoz, P.; McKay, W.J. [Austin Hospital , Heidelberg, VIC (Australia). Departments of Nuclear Medicine and Neurology

1998-06-01

Full text: Ictal Ceretec studies play a major role in the patient work-up for surgery of focal epilepsy in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at the Austin Hospital. The validity of ictal Ceretec and the superior sensitivity of this technique for the detection of epileptic foci over post-ictal and inter-ictal studies are well documented. Over the past eight years our experience and close collaboration with the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program has led to the implementation of a streamlined program enabling ictal Ceretec to be performed on numerous patients. The patients on this program since October 1991 will be reviewed and quality assurance (QA) results will be addressed. Ceretec is stored in a special lead-lined container in the video monitoring rooms, together with a shielded syringe of freshly eluted pre-calibrated technetium. Once a seizure is detected, the medical staff prepare the Ceretec and inject the required volume, obtained from the pre-calibration sheet, through a previously inserted in-dwelling line. The ward staff record the time of injection, the estimated duration of the seizure, the clinical impression of the seizure and the suspected focus. The injection tray is brought to the department within thirty minutes, where the patient injected dose is determined and quality control is performed. The scan is performed on a triple-headed Trionix gamma camera and reported once EEG and video recordings obtained during the ictus confirm the nature of the seizure. The advantages of this program are numerous. Many modifications have been made to the program over the past three years, due to close inspection of the QA forms. Ward and nuclear medicine staff deal with problems promptly, ensuring an effective and efficient program

Economic factor environmental protection. Productivity of the German environmental and climate protection industry in international competition; Wirtschaftsfaktor Umweltschutz. Leistungsfaehigkeit der deutschen Umwelt- und Klimaschutzwirtschaft im internationalen Vergleich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Legler, Harald; Krawczyk, Olaf [Niedersaechsisches Institut fuer Wirtschaftsforschung (NIW), Hannover (Germany); Walz, Rainer; Eichhammer, Wolfgang; Frietsch, Rainer [Fraunhofer Institut fuer System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI), Karlsruhe (Germany)

2006-05-15

The analysis on the economic factor environment and the German environmental industry on international competition is faced to methodological limits, since the environmental industry does not present itself as an homogeneous sector. The study is organized in the following chapters: introduction - the importance of environmental industry; classification of environmental and climate protection industry; productivity volume and production structure; international competition for potential environmental protection products; environmental protection industry and innovative performance. Integrated environmental solutions are of increasing significance, avoiding emissions and products and production process from beginning on. All known forecast indicate an expansive market development. In addition the rising prices for crude oil may push the search for innovative solutions to substitute fossil energy sources. The environmental industry should look for globally transferable solutions in order to promote global sustainable growth.

How can nuclear phaseout and climate protection be combined? Sustainable power supply in the residential sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vallentin, Rainer

2011-01-01

The nuclear phaseout and the resulting energy turnaround will bring about changes in the power supply systems, especially if climate protection goals are to be reached. The author presents the example of a housing development in Germany which mirrors the private households sector. It is shown that the only way to achieve sustainable power supply is by consequently enhancing efficiency and by decarbonizing heat and power supply. The next two decades will be decisive.

Climate change threatens European conservation areas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bastos Araujo, Miguel; Alagador, Diogo; Cabeza, Mar

2011-01-01

Europe has the world's most extensive network of conservation areas. Conservation areas are selected without taking into account the effects of climate change. How effectively would such areas conserve biodiversity under climate change? We assess the effectiveness of protected areas and the Natura...... 2000 network in conserving a large proportion of European plant and terrestrial vertebrate species under climate change. We found that by 2080, 58 ± 2.6% of the species would lose suitable climate in protected areas, whereas losses affected 63 ± 2.1% of the species of European concern occurring...

Inverse IMRT workflow process at Austin health

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rykers, K.; Fernando, W.; Grace, M.; Liu, G.; Rolfo, A.; Viotto, A.; Mantle, C.; Lawlor, M.; Au-Yeung, D.; Quong, G.; Feigen, M.; Lim-Joon, D.; Wada, M.

2004-01-01

Full text: The work presented here will review the strategies adopted at Austin Health to bring IMRT into clinical use. IMRT is delivered using step and shoot mode on an Elekta Precise machine with 40 pairs of 1cm wide MLC leaves. Planning is done using CMS Focus/XiO. A collaborative approach for RO's, Physicists and RTs from concept to implementation was adopted. An overview will be given of the workflow for the clinic, the equipment used, tolerance levels and the lessons learned. 1. Strategic Planning for IMRT 2. Training a. MSKCC (New York) b.ESTRO (Amsterdam) c.Elekta (US and UK) 3. Linac testing and data acquisition a. Equipment and software review and selection b. Linac reliability/geometric and mechanical checks c. Draft Patient QA procedure d. EPI Image matching checks and procedures 4. Planning system checks a. export of dose matrix (options) b. dose calculation choices 5. IMRT Research Initiatives a. IMRT Planning Studies, Stabilisation, On-line Imaging 6. Equipment Procurement and testing a. Physics and Linac Equipment, Hardware, Software/Licences, Stabilisation 7. Establishing a DICOM Environment a. Prescription sending, Image transfer for EPI checks b. QA Files 8. Physics QA (Pre-Treatment) a.Clinical plan review; DVH checks b. geometry; dosimetry checks; DICOM checks c. 2D Distance to agreement; mm difference reports; Gamma function index 9. Documentation a.Protocol Development i. ICRU 50/62 reporting and prescribing b. QA for Physics c. QA for RT's d. Generation of a report for RO/patient history. Copyright (2004) Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine

Contribution of selected protectorates to the climate protection and its monetary evaluation. Final report; Beitrag ausgewaehlter Schutzgebiete zum Klimaschutz und dessen monetaere Bewertung. Abschlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Droesler, Matthias; Bergmann, Lindsey [Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (Germany). Professur fuer Vegetationsoekologie; Augustin, Juergen [Leibniz-Zentrum fuer Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF) e.V., Muencheberg (Germany). Inst. fuer Landschaftsstoffdynamik] [and others

2012-07-01

In Germany, large-scale nature conservation projects have the task to protect and develop the nature and landscape. The authors of the contribution under consideration report on an evaluation how far federal funds or EU funds has contributed to the nature protection targets as well as to the climate protection targets. The target also was to assess the costs for the CO{sub 2} abatement. The modelling of the climate relevance of the areas before and after restoration measures derived for all four areas a significant reduction of the emissions. This reduction was between 7,415 tons CO{sub 2} equivalents per year (Pfrunger-Burgweiler Ried) and at least 57,271 tons CO{sub 2} equivalents per year. The averaged up to date reduction span between nearly 4 to 15.5 tons CO{sub 2} equivalents per hectare and year.

Narrating the Racialization of Space in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martha Norkunas

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Narrating the Racialization of Space in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee People of color in the United States have been obligated to move through public space in particular ways, dictated by law and social custom. Narrators create cognitive maps of movement in the city shaped by racial codes of behavior. The maps change over time as law and social custom changes. The fluidity of the maps is also influenced by status, gender, class, and skin tone. This paper examines a rich body of oral narratives co-created with African Americans from 2004 to 2014 focusing on how men and women narrate their concepts of racialized space. It moves from narratives about the larger landscape — the city — to smaller, more personal public places — the sidewalk and the store — to intimate sites of contact in the public sphere. Many of the narratives describe complex flows of controlled movement dictated by racial boundaries in the context of capitalism. The narratives form an urban ethnography of the power relations inscribed on the landscape by racializing movement in space.   Narracje o urasowieniu przestrzeni w Austin (Teksas i Nashville (Tennessee Nie-Biali w Stanach Zjednoczonych byli zmuszeni do poruszania się w przestrzeni publicznej w szczególny sposób, określony przez prawo i zwyczaj społeczny. W swoich narracjach badani tworzą mapy kognitywne ruchu w mieście, kształtowane przez rasowe kody zachowania. Mapy te zmieniały się w czasie pod wpływem zmian prawnych i zwyczajowych. Na płynność tych map wpływały także status, płeć, klasa i odcień koloru skóry. W artykule przeanalizowano bogaty zbiór relacji ustnych tak zwanych Afroamerykanów, zbieranych w latach 2004-2014; uwaga skupia się na tym, jak mężczyźni i kobiety opowiadają o swoim widzeniu przestrzeni urasowionej. Omówiono narracje o szerszej przestrzeni miasta, jak i węższej, skoncentrowanej na bardziej osobistych miejscach publicznych, takich jak sklep. Wiele

Species-free species distribution models describe macroecological properties of protected area networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Jason L; Fordyce, James A

2017-01-01

Among the greatest challenges facing the conservation of plants and animal species in protected areas are threats from a rapidly changing climate. An altered climate creates both challenges and opportunities for improving the management of protected areas in networks. Increasingly, quantitative tools like species distribution modeling are used to assess the performance of protected areas and predict potential responses to changing climates for groups of species, within a predictive framework. At larger geographic domains and scales, protected area network units have spatial geoclimatic properties that can be described in the gap analysis typically used to measure or aggregate the geographic distributions of species (stacked species distribution models, or S-SDM). We extend the use of species distribution modeling techniques in order to model the climate envelope (or "footprint") of individual protected areas within a network of protected areas distributed across the 48 conterminous United States and managed by the US National Park System. In our approach we treat each protected area as the geographic range of a hypothetical endemic species, then use MaxEnt and 5 uncorrelated BioClim variables to model the geographic distribution of the climatic envelope associated with each protected area unit (modeling the geographic area of park units as the range of a species). We describe the individual and aggregated climate envelopes predicted by a large network of 163 protected areas and briefly illustrate how macroecological measures of geodiversity can be derived from our analysis of the landscape ecological context of protected areas. To estimate trajectories of change in the temporal distribution of climatic features within a protected area network, we projected the climate envelopes of protected areas in current conditions onto a dataset of predicted future climatic conditions. Our results suggest that the climate envelopes of some parks may be locally unique or have

Cyclotron-produced radioisotopes and their clinical use at the Austin PET Centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tochon-Danguy, H.J.

1997-01-01

A Centre for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has been established within the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre in Melbourne. PET is a non-invasive technique based on the use of biologically relevant compounds labelled with short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides such as carbon-11, nitrogen-13, oxygen-15 and fluorine-18. The basic equipment consists of a medical cyclotron (10 MeV proton and 5 MeV deuteron), six lead-shielded hot cells with associated radiochemistry facilities and a whole body PET scanner. During its first five years of operation, the Melbourne PET Centre, has pursued a strong radiolabelling development program, leading to an ambitious clinical program in neurology, oncology and cardiology. This presentation will describe the basic principles of the PET technique and review the cyclotron-produced radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals. Radiolabelling development programs and clinical applications are also addressed

Changing climate-protection policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodtli, M.

2000-01-01

This article presents an interview with Baldur Eliasson, a Swiss member of the International Energy Agency's committee on greenhouse gas reduction. Swiss involvement in the programme is discussed and the main areas of attention are described. Scientific and political factors involved in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are discussed and various economic models for the implementation of measures examined. In particular, the co-operation between industry and politics that is necessary to achieve the goals set by the Kyoto protocol on climate change are discussed and participative development projects in China are described. The application of CO 2 -pricing and further economical steering instruments is examined and the influence of public opinion on policy is looked at

Planning protected areas network that are relevant today and under future climate change is possible: the case of Atlantic Forest endemic birds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana M. Vale

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background A key strategy in biodiversity conservation is the establishment of protected areas. In the future, however, the redistribution of species in response to ongoing climate change is likely to affect species’ representativeness in those areas. Here we quantify the effectiveness of planning protected areas network to represent 151 birds endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest hotspot, under current and future climate change conditions for 2050. Methods We combined environmental niche modeling and systematic conservation planning using both a county and a regional level planning strategy. We recognized the conflict between biodiversity conservation and economic development, including socio-economic targets (as opposed to biological only and using planning units that are meaningful for policy-makers. Results We estimated an average contraction of 29,500 km2 in environmentally suitable areas for birds, representing 52% of currently suitable areas. Still, the most cost-effective solution represented almost all target species, requiring only ca. 10% of the Atlantic Forest counties to achieve that representativeness, independent of strategy. More than 50% of these counties were selected both in the current and future planned networks, representing >83% of the species. Discussion Our results indicate that: (i planning protected areas network currently can be useful to represent species under climate change; (ii the overlapped planning units in the best solution for both current and future conditions can be considered as “no regret” areas; (iii priority counties are spread throughout the biome, providing specific guidance wherever the possibility of creating protected area arises; and (iv decisions can occur at different administrative spheres (Federal, State or County as we found quite similar numerical solutions using either county or regional level strategies.

Carbon Burial at the Land Ocean Interface: Climate vs Human Drivers

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, T. S.; Smeaton, C.; Cui, X.; Howe, J. A.; Austin, W.

2017-12-01

Fjords are connectors between the terrestrial and marine systems and are known as globally significant hotspots for the burial (Smith et al., 2014) and long-term storage (Smeaton et al., 2016) of carbon (C). The glacial geomorphology of fjords and their catchment results in the terrestrial and marine environments being strongly coupled more so than other estuary types. The clearest example of this is the terrestrial C subsidy to these sediment, it is estimated that globally 55-62% of C held in fjord sediments are terrestrially derived (Cui et al., 2016). Yet it is largely unknown how climatic and human forcing drives the transfer of terrestrial C to marine sediments. Here we, examine the role of late Holocene climate and human activity on the transfer of C from the terrestrial to marine environment along the North Atlantic Margin. Loch Sunart a Scottish fjord sits at the land ocean interface of the North Atlantic. The catchment of the fjord has been shown to be sensitive to local and regional climatic change (Gillibrand et al., 2005) and the fjord sediments have been able to record these changes in Climate (Cage and Austin, 2010). Using a long (22 m) sedimentary record we discuss our understanding of mid to late Holocene regional climate and its impact on terrestrial C transfer to the coastal ocean. Alongside this we examine the role of humans on the landscape and their impact on the transfer of terrestrial C on the coastal ocean. The results from this study will further our understanding of the long-term drivers of terrestrial C transfer to the coastal ocean. Potentially this research provides insights on future C transfers under a changing future climate allowing the importance of fjords as a climate regulation service to be reassessed.

Change of direction required. Climate protection in the transport sector. Special report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-11-01

The transport sector is currently responsible for about one-fifth of Germany's greenhouse gas emissions. While in other sectors since 1990 partly clear emission reductions have been achieved, are the emissions of traffic during the same period even slightly increased. In his special report the German Council of Environmental Advisors (SRU) points out which strategic course should be set for the change in transport policy. The decarbonisation of the transport sector requires a consistent overall concept. It should be done as soon as possible, a switch to alternative drives. In traffic electromobility is to be accelerated, because of direct electrification the primary energy consumption is kept as low as possible. The extraction and recycling of the raw materials required for electromobility should be made sustainable. In addition, the energy consumption of motorized transport must also be be significantly further reduced, especially by on-board efficiency measures. In addition to technological changes a fundamental change of transport systems and mobility patterns is also necessary. The avoidance and relocation of traffic not only contributes to climate protection, but also to reduce its other environmental and health burdens. In order to promote cost transparency in the transport sector, taxes, levies and subsidies should be consistently aligned with climate, environmental and health policy objectives. For the SRU, this also includes the introduction of a route-dependent car toll. [de

Construction and characterization of the redesigned PGAA facility at The University of Texas at Austin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Revay, Zs.; Harrison, R.K.; Alvarez, E.; Biegalski, S.R.; Landsberger, S.

2007-01-01

The prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) facility at The University of Texas at Austin (UT) has been redesigned and reconstructed. As a result of the new shielding of the system, the neutron (at all energies) and gamma-ray backgrounds have been reduced by more than an order of magnitude, considerably improving the signal-to-noise ratio for the characteristic peaks. The prompt gamma peaks from the construction materials have also been decreased, providing better detection limits for elements. The calibration of the new system is shown in detail. All these efforts significantly improved the sensitivity and reliability of the chemical analyses performed in the facility. The characteristics of the improved PGAA system are also presented

PAH concentrations in lake sediment decline following ban on coal-tar-based pavement sealants in Austin, Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Van Metre, Peter C.; Mahler, Barbara J.

2013-01-01

Recent studies have concluded that coal-tar-based pavement sealants are a major source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban settings in large parts of the United States. In 2006, Austin, TX, became the first jurisdiction in the U.S. to ban the use of coal-tar sealants. We evaluated the effect of Austin’s ban by analyzing PAHs in sediment cores and bottom-sediment samples collected in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2012, and 2014 from Lady Bird Lake, the principal receiving water body for Austin urban runoff. The sum concentration of the 16 EPA Priority Pollutant PAHs (∑PAH16) in dated core intervals and surficial bottom-sediment samples collected from sites in the lower lake declined about 44% from 1998–2005 to 2006–2014 (means of 7980 and 4500 μg kg–1, respectively), and by 2012–2014, the decline was about 58% (mean of 3320 μg kg–1). Concentrations of ∑PAH16 in bottom sediment from two of three mid-lake sites decreased by about 71 and 35% from 2001 to 2014. Concentrations at a third site increased by about 14% from 2001 to 2014. The decreases since 2006 reverse a 40-year (1959–1998) upward trend. Despite declines in PAH concentrations, PAH profiles and source-receptor modeling results indicate that coal-tar sealants remain the largest PAH source to the lake, implying that PAH concentrations likely will continue to decline as stocks of previously applied sealant gradually become depleted.

Climatic conditions and child height: Sex-specific vulnerability and the protective effects of sanitation and food markets in Nepal.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulmi, Prajula; Block, Steven A; Shively, Gerald E; Masters, William A

2016-12-01

Environmental conditions in early life are known to have impacts on later health outcomes, but causal mechanisms and potential remedies have been difficult to discern. This paper uses the Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys of 2006 and 2011, combined with earlier NASA satellite observations of variation in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at each child's location and time of birth to identify the trimesters of gestation and periods of infancy when climate variation is linked to attained height later in life. We find significant differences by sex: males are most affected by conditions in their second trimester of gestation, and females in the first three months after birth. Each 100-point difference in NDVI at those times is associated with a difference in height-for-age z-score (HAZ) measured at age 12-59 months of 0.088 for boys and 0.054 for girls, an effect size similar to that of moving within the distribution of household wealth by close to one quintile for boys and one decile for girls. The entire seasonal change in NDVI from peak to trough is approximately 200-300 points during the 2000-2011 study period, implying a seasonal effect on HAZ similar to one to three quintiles of household wealth. This effect is observed only in households without toilets; in households with toilets, there is no seasonal fluctuation, implying protection against climatic conditions that facilitate disease transmission. We also use data from the Nepal Living Standards Surveys on district-level agricultural production and marketing, and find a climate effect on child growth only in districts where households' food consumption derives primarily from their own production. Robustness tests find no evidence of selection effects, and placebo regression results reveal no significant artefactual correlations. The timing and sex-specificity of climatic effects are consistent with previous studies, while the protective effects of household sanitation and food markets are

Climate Change and Human Migration: Towards a Global Governance System to Protect Climate Refugees

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biermann, F.; Boas, I.J.C.

2012-01-01

Climate change will fundamentally affect the lives of millions of people who will be forced over the next decades to leave their villages and cities to seek refuge in other areas. Although the exact numbers of climate refugees are unknowable and vary from assessment to assessment depending on

ICLIPS - integrated assessment of climate protection strategies. Final report; ICLIPS - Integrierte Abschaetzung von Klimaschutzstrategien. Abschlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toth, F.L.; Bruckner, T.; Fuessel, H.M.

2000-12-01

The ICLIPs project is connected to the development of integrated climate impact research in Germany. It is concerned not only with a single dimension of possible impacts of climate change, but it also investigates these impacts in the context of adaptation options and mitigation possibilities. The Tolerable Windows Approach (TWA) permits the explicit consideration of both ecological and economic requirements in identifying tolerable climate protection strategies. This way it fulfills the central objective of science policy related to the complex issue of 'Sustainable Growth'. In the project period, the ICLIPS model, a detailed integrated model of global climate change ('Integrated Assessment Model', IAM) was developed in the framework of a successful international cooperation. As a result, climate impact research in Germany succeeded to catch up with the international forefront in a research field that is very important for practical policy advice, and even managed to take a leading role in some important sub-fields. The ICLIPS model contains a series of innovative features that clearly distinguish this model from other intertemporal optimization models. The features worth mentioning here include: a numerically highly efficient climate model that covers all relevant greenhouse gases; a series of Climate Impact Response Functions that depict climate-relevant changes in natural vegetation systems, agricultural yields, and water availability; and finally a model of long-term economic development that explicitly considers the cost-reducing effects of technological learning. (orig.) [German] Das ICLIPS-Projekt bezieht sich auf die Weiterentwicklung der integrierten Klimafolgenforschung in Deutschland, die sich nicht nur eindimensional mit moeglichen Auswirkungen von Klimaveraenderungen beschaeftigt, sondern diese zusammen mit Anpassungsoptionen und Vermeidungsmoeglichkeiten untersucht. Der Fensteransatz, der bei der Identifizierung von tolerierbaren

Cyclotron-produced radioisotopes and their clinical use at the Austin PET Centre

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tochon-Danguy, H.J. [Centre for PET, Melbourne, VIC (Australia). Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre

1997-12-31

A Centre for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has been established within the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre in Melbourne. PET is a non-invasive technique based on the use of biologically relevant compounds labelled with short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides such as carbon-11, nitrogen-13, oxygen-15 and fluorine-18. The basic equipment consists of a medical cyclotron (10 MeV proton and 5 MeV deuteron), six lead-shielded hot cells with associated radiochemistry facilities and a whole body PET scanner. During its first five years of operation, the Melbourne PET Centre, has pursued a strong radiolabelling development program, leading to an ambitious clinical program in neurology, oncology and cardiology. This presentation will describe the basic principles of the PET technique and review the cyclotron-produced radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals. Radiolabelling development programs and clinical applications are also addressed. 30 refs., 1 tab., 1 fig.

Desde los actos de habla de Austin a los actos comunicativos. Perspectivas desde Searle, Habermas y CREA

OpenAIRE

Soler Gallart, Marta; Flecha, Ramón

2010-01-01

El concepto de acto de habla ha sido una gran aportación de la filosofía del lenguaje al estudio de los procesos de comunicación que está tomando mayor importancia con el actual giro dialógico de las sociedades y las propias ciencias sociales. El desarrollo posterior que hizo Searle de las contribuciones de Austin fue tomado como el punto de partida de la concepción de actos de habla y actos comunicativos que Ha-bermas consideró una de las bases de su teoría de la acción comunicativa. Sin emb...

Proceedings 10th International Workshop on the ACL2 theorem prover and its applications (ACL2 2011), Austin TX, USA, November 3-4, 2011

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hardin, D.S.; Schmaltz, J.

2011-01-01

This volume contains the proceedings of ACL2 2011, the International Workshop on the ACL2 Theorem Prover and its Applications. The workshop was held in Austin, Texas, USA, on November 3-4 2011. ACL2 2011 is the tenth in a series of workshops on the ACL2 Theorem Prover and its Applications. The

Climate change and CO2 emission reductions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha Duong, M.; Campos, A.S.

2007-04-01

This paper presents the results of an opinion poll performed on a representative sample of 1000 persons about their sensitivity to climate change and to environment protection, their knowledge about technologies which are useful for environment protection, their opinion about geological CO 2 sequestration, and technologies to be developed to struggle against climate warming

Ecosystems and Climate Change. Research Priorities for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program

Science.gov (United States)

2006-06-01

photosynthesis ), evapotranspiration, and energy balance. 12 Climate change recommended research priorities Organic matter inputs to soils and aquatic...may be altered through changes in climate (e.g., coral reefs, seagrass ). Finally, services provided by a number of federally protected areas depend

Climate change and One Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Zinsstag, Jakob; Crump, Lisa; Schelling, Esther; Hattendorf, Jan; Maidane, Yahya Osman; Ali, Kadra Osman; Muhummed, Abdifatah; Umer, Abdurezak Adem; Aliyi, Ferzua; Nooh, Faisal; Abdikadir, Mohammed Ibrahim; Ali, Seid Mohammed; Hartinger, Stella; Mäusezahl, Daniel; de White, Monica Berger Gonzalez; Cordon-Rosales, Celia; Castillo, Danilo Alvarez; McCracken, John; Abakar, Fayiz; Cercamondi, Colin; Emmenegger, Sandro; Maier, Edith; Karanja, Simon; Bolon, Isabelle; de Castañeda, Rafael Ruiz; Bonfoh, Bassirou; Tschopp, Rea; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Cissé, Guéladio

2018-06-01

The journal The Lancet recently published a countdown on health and climate change. Attention was focused solely on humans. However, animals, including wildlife, livestock and pets, may also be impacted by climate change. Complementary to the high relevance of awareness rising for protecting humans against climate change, here we present a One Health approach, which aims at the simultaneous protection of humans, animals and the environment from climate change impacts (climate change adaptation). We postulate that integrated approaches save human and animal lives and reduce costs when compared to public and animal health sectors working separately. A One Health approach to climate change adaptation may significantly contribute to food security with emphasis on animal source foods, extensive livestock systems, particularly ruminant livestock, environmental sanitation, and steps towards regional and global integrated syndromic surveillance and response systems. The cost of outbreaks of emerging vector-borne zoonotic pathogens may be much lower if they are detected early in the vector or in livestock rather than later in humans. Therefore, integrated community-based surveillance of zoonoses is a promising avenue to reduce health effects of climate change.

The European Community and climate protection. What's behind the ''empty rhetoric''?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringius, Lasse

1999-10-01

The EC has been hoping to play an environmental leadership role in the global climate negotiations and has been proposing comparatively stringent climate targets for the OECD countries. But especially the United States and to some extent the international environmental community have criticized the EC for being unable to develop effective climate policies that will achieve its ambitious targets. This publication shows that the EC in general expects that it is relatively inexpensive to implement climate policy within the EC and that its climate policy strategy from the beginning has been heavily influenced by the notion of environmental leadership. The defensive positions taken by the United States and Japan in the global climate negotiations have made EC environmental leadership seem simultaneously economically, environmentally and politically beneficial, and political and environmental interests have pushed EC climate policy to go further than what it otherwise would have been. (author)

Radiopharmaceuticals in positron emission tomography: Radioisotope productions and radiolabelling procedures at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tochon-Danguy, H.J.; Sachinidis, J.I.; Chan, J.G.; Cook, M.

1997-01-01

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a technique that utilizes positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals to map the physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology of the human body. Positron-emitting radioisotopes produced in a medical cyclotron are incorporated into compounds that are biologically active in the body. A scanner measures radioactivity emitted from a patient's body and provides cross-sectional images of the distribution of these radiolabelled compounds in the body. It is the purpose of this paper to review the variety of PET radiopharmaceuticals currently produced at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre in Melbourne. Radioisotope production, radiolabelling of molecules and quality control of radiopharmaceuticals will be discussed. A few examples of their clinical applications will be shown as well. During the last five years we achieved a reliable routine production of various radiopharmaceuticals labelled with the four most important positron-emitters: oxygen-15 (t, 1/2 =2min), nitrogen-13 (t 1/2 = 10 min), carbon-11 (t 1/2 =20 min) and fluorine-18 (t 1/2 = 110 min). These radiopharmaceuticals include [ 15 O]oxygen, [ 15 O]carbon monoxide, [ 15 O]carbon dioxide, [ 15 O]water, [ 13 N]ammonia, [ 11 C]flumazenil, [ 11 C]SCH23390, [ 18 F]fluoromisonidazole and [ 18 F]fluoro-deoxy-glucose ([ 18 F]FDG). In addition, since the half life of [ 18 F] is almost two hours, regional distribution can be done, and the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre is currently supplying [ 18 F]FDG in routine to other hospitals. Future new radiopharmaceuticals development include a [ 18 F]thymidine analog to measure cell proliferation and a [ 11 C]pyrroloisoquinoline to visualize serotonergic neuron abnormalities. (authors)

Climate protection in Germany`s bilateral development co-operation with the People`s Republic of China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, A.

1996-12-31

For globally sustainable development to be achieved, three concerns are central: productive economic growth, social justice and ecological sustainability. Development co-operation supports the realisation of these three goals in partner countries by helping to alleviate poverty, promote economic growth through private-sector development and protect vital natural resources. The aim of globally sustainable development can only be achieved if industrial countries too implement necessary reforms and structural adjustments at every level. Co-operation efforts with partners must therefore be complemented by coherent policies at home. This is a matter of credibility, but also of developmental far-sightedness. Internal reforms in the industrial countries secure financial leeway for their providing foreign assistance in the longer term. Environmental and resource protection as a focal point of Germany`s development co-operation with the PRC aims to preserve vital natural resources, shape economic development in their partner countries in an ecologically sound manner and put China in a position to participate in global endeavours to protect the environment. Climate protection measures figure prominently in this area. This is justified given China`s share of global CO{sub 2} emissions and the potential for energy-saving measures and measures to increase power intensity. This potential is derived primarily from the possibility of using energy-efficient technologies, increasing the relatively low energy prices and making use of renewable sources of energy.

A global conservation system for climate-change adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hannah, Lee

2010-02-01

Climate change has created the need for a new strategic framework for conservation. This framework needs to include new protected areas that account for species range shifts and management that addresses large-scale change across international borders. Actions within the framework must be effective in international waters and across political frontiers and have the ability to accommodate large income and ability-to-pay discrepancies between countries. A global protected-area system responds to these needs. A fully implemented global system of protected areas will help in the transition to a new conservation paradigm robust to climate change and will ensure the integrity of the climate services provided by carbon sequestration from the world's natural habitats. The internationally coordinated response to climate change afforded by such a system could have significant cost savings relative to a system of climate adaptation that unfolds solely at a country level. Implementation of a global system is needed very soon because the effects of climate change on species and ecosystems are already well underway.

National parks, ecological integrity and climatic change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopoukhine, N.

1990-01-01

The potential impacts of climate change on the national parks of Canada are discussed. There is a requirement to protect and manage national parks to maintain a functioning ecosystem with all its parts and processes. An active management regime is necessary, with objectives of ecological diversity/integrity clearly stated. The national parks located in the Canadian Prairie provinces are on or near transitions from forest to tundra and grasslands, and are likely to exhibit the most dramatic changes. The change in vegetation of such parks and in others will not manifest itself simply as a shift of zones but will be accompanied by a flora with new dominants. The boreal forest within the Prairie provinces is fire dependent and has the potential of being transformed into remnant units should post-fire germination be hampered by climatic change. A rapid change in climate would render national parks unable to provide protection of representative elements of Canada's landscapes as presently known. A threefold increase in the area dedicated to protection is a basic component of the sustainable development prescription. All government and private lands dedicated to protection should be forged into a network, to provide core protection for immigrating and emigrating communities and individual species displaced by a changing climate. 20 refs., 2 figs

Occupational radiation exposure at the self-shielded IBA CYCLONE 10/5, cyclotron of the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tochon-Danguy, H.; Sachinidis, J.I.; U, P.; Egan, G.; Mukherjee, B.

1999-01-01

A series of health physics measurements was carried out at the IBA CYCLONE 10/5 Medical Cyclotron of the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne. The neutron attenuation factor of the cyclotron shielding was estimated using the Superheated Bubble dosimeters. The neutron and gamma dose rates at various public access and radiation worker's area in the vicinity of the cyclotron facility were evaluated during the 11 C, 18 F, 13 N and 15 O production conditions. (authors)

Engaging diverse communities towards climate protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nichols, J.; Imran, N. [Blekinge Inst. of Technology, Karlskrona (Sweden)

2008-07-01

Engaging urban communities as newcomers towards UN climate change targets is not only good governance but also a way of relating deliberative democracy to the human need of participation. This poster outlines effective multicultural engagement as it relates to strategic sustainable development. The presentation shares the benefits of broadening communication strategies from informing citizens to consultation and empowering diverse communities to participate in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate change and ozone layer protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

This conference is composed of 27 communications of which the following main themes are: general approach to the problems of climatic change, greenhouse effect and ozone layer; France, Cameroon and Switzerland examples of energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction; energy conservation measures and policies for dwellings, transport, industry, agriculture and food industry with a global aspect of reducing greenhouse gas emissions; CFC utilization effects on environment and alternatives to CFC utilization

On the notion of causality in medicine: addressing Austin Bradford Hill and John L. Mackie

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luís Fernando S. C. de Araújo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Almost 50 years ago appeared the seminal article by Austin Bradford Hill where he presented parameters for inferring causes from statistical associations, which became known as Hill’s causal criteria. This was a milestone for the renewal of the idea of cause in medicine. Our article revisits his contribution in light of the ideas from the Australian philosopher John L. Mackie, whose important works on causality reached an audience distinct from Hill’s. We suggest that both the British epidemiologist and the Australian philosopher share the purpose of articulating probabilistic determinism and multi-causality, the first with a predominantly probabilistic model and the second with an analytical approach. This article explores the possible consequences of addressing these authors jointly in regard to causal inferences in medicine, especially in respect to mental disorders.

Climate change issues in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ye Ruqiu (China National Environmental Protection Agency, Beijing (China))

China is vulnerable to global climate change because of its specific geographical and climatic conditions. Recent climate change trends in China are briefly described. To deal with climate change and reduce the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, a set of strategic measures aimed at harmonizing environmental protection and economic development have been worked out. Special attention has been given to the analysis of problems of energy efficiency and energy structure. Preliminary policy consideration is discussed. 8 refs., 3 tabs.

Social Protection and Vulnerability to Climate Shocks: a Panel Data ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

' autonomous adaptation by reducing vulnerability to climatic shocks. This paper examines the role of the Productive Safety Net Program in reducing vulnerability to climate related shocks and its impacts on autonomous adaptation strategies ...

International climate protection legislation. The way towards a global climate agreement in the sense of common but differentiated responsibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahrmarkt, Lena

2016-01-01

Climate Change is one of the most important issues in the 21st century. Its extensive impacts regarding society, policy, economy and environment and its threats require an effective reaction at the international level. But does the newly adopted Paris Agreement comply to the expectations? Or how could an effective Climate Agreement be achieved to meet climate effectiveness and climate justice? To answer these questions this study analyses the development of international climate change law in a comprehensive way. In combination with analysing the principle of common, but differentiated responsibility it is possible to present new aspects for a climate Agreement by learning from failures of the past and embracing the raising threat brought about by climate change.

78 FR 14569 - Changes in Flood Hazard Determinations

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-06

... published in newspapers of local circulation and ninety (90) days have elapsed since that publication. The..., TX 77581. Travis, (FEMA Docket No.: B- City of Austin (11-06- The Honorable Lee Watershed Protection December 3, 2012 480624 1274). 4564P). Leffingwell, Mayor, City Department, 505 of Austin, P.O. Box Barton...

78 FR 34116 - Changes in Flood Hazard Determinations

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-06

... published in newspapers of local circulation and ninety (90) days have elapsed since that publication. The.... Travis (FEMA Docket No.: B- City of Austin (12- The Honorable Lee Watershed Protection April 1, 2013 480624 1289). 06-2306P). Leffingwell, Mayor, City Department, 505 of Austin, P.O. Box Barton Springs 1088...

Radiopharmaceuticals in positron emission tomography: Radioisotope productions and radiolabelling procedures at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tochon-Danguy, H.J.; Sachinidis, J.I.; Chan, J.G.; Cook, M. [Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne, VIC (Australia). Centre for Positron Emission Tomography

1997-10-01

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a technique that utilizes positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals to map the physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology of the human body. Positron-emitting radioisotopes produced in a medical cyclotron are incorporated into compounds that are biologically active in the body. A scanner measures radioactivity emitted from a patient`s body and provides cross-sectional images of the distribution of these radiolabelled compounds in the body. It is the purpose of this paper to review the variety of PET radiopharmaceuticals currently produced at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre in Melbourne. Radioisotope production, radiolabelling of molecules and quality control of radiopharmaceuticals will be discussed. A few examples of their clinical applications will be shown as well. During the last five years we achieved a reliable routine production of various radiopharmaceuticals labelled with the four most important positron-emitters: oxygen-15 (t,{sub 1/2}=2min), nitrogen-13 (t{sub 1/2}= 10 min), carbon-11 (t{sub 1/2}=20 min) and fluorine-18 (t{sub 1/2}= 110 min). These radiopharmaceuticals include [{sup 15}O]oxygen, [{sup 15}O]carbon monoxide, [{sup 15}O]carbon dioxide, [{sup 15}O]water, [{sup 13}N]ammonia, [{sup 11}C]flumazenil, [{sup 11}C]SCH23390, [{sup 18}F]fluoromisonidazole and [{sup 18}F]fluoro-deoxy-glucose ([{sup 18}F]FDG). In addition, since the half life of [{sup 18}F] is almost two hours, regional distribution can be done, and the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre is currently supplying [{sup 18}F]FDG in routine to other hospitals. Future new radiopharmaceuticals development include a [{sup 18}F]thymidine analog to measure cell proliferation and a [{sup 11}C]pyrroloisoquinoline to visualize serotonergic neuron abnormalities. (authors) 23 refs., 2 tabs.

Designing Climate-Resilient Marine Protected Area Networks by Combining Remotely Sensed Coral Reef Habitat with Coastal Multi-Use Maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph M. Maina

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Decision making for the conservation and management of coral reef biodiversity requires an understanding of spatial variability and distribution of reef habitat types. Despite the existence of very high-resolution remote sensing technology for nearly two decades, comprehensive assessment of coral reef habitats at national to regional spatial scales and at very high spatial resolution is still scarce. Here, we develop benthic habitat maps at a sub-national scale by analyzing large multispectral QuickBird imagery dataset covering ~686 km2 of the main shallow coral fringing reef along the southern border with Tanzania (4.68°S, 39.18°E to the reef end at Malindi, Kenya (3.2°S, 40.1°E. Mapping was conducted with a user approach constrained by ground-truth data, with detailed transect lines from the shore to the fore reef. First, maps were used to evaluate the present management system’s effectiveness at representing habitat diversity. Then, we developed three spatial prioritization scenarios based on differing objectives: (i minimize lost fishing opportunity; (ii redistribute fisheries away from currently overfished reefs; and (iii minimize resource use conflicts. We further constrained the priority area in each prioritization selection scenario based on optionally protecting the least or the most climate exposed locations using a model of exposure to climate stress. We discovered that spatial priorities were very different based on the different objectives and on whether the aim was to protect the least or most climate-exposed habitats. Our analyses provide a spatially explicit foundation for large-scale conservation and management strategies that can account for ecosystem service benefits.

Climate change issues in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Ruqiu

1994-01-01

China is vulnerable to global climate change because of its specific geographical and climatic conditions. Recent climate change trends in China are briefly described. To deal with climate change and reduce the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, a set of strategic measures aimed at harmonizing environmental protection and economic development have been worked out. Special attention has been given to the analysis of problems of energy efficiency and energy structure. Preliminary policy consideration is discussed. (author). 8 refs, 3 tabs

Should the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change recognize climate migrants?

Science.gov (United States)

Gibb, Christine; Ford, James

2012-12-01

Climate change is expected to increase migration flows, especially from socially and environmentally vulnerable populations. These ‘climate migrants’ do not have any official protection under international law, which has implications for the human security of migrants. This work argues that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) can and should recognize climate migrants, and is the most relevant international framework for doing so. While not legally binding, the acknowledgment of climate displacement, migration and planned relocation issues in the UNFCCC’s Cancun Adaptation Framework indicates a willingness to address the issue through an adaptation lens. Herein, the paper proposes a framework for setting the institutional groundwork for recognizing climate migrants, focusing on the most vulnerable, promoting targeted research and policy agendas, and situating policies within a comprehensive strategy.

Should the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change recognize climate migrants?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibb, Christine; Ford, James

2012-01-01

Climate change is expected to increase migration flows, especially from socially and environmentally vulnerable populations. These ‘climate migrants’ do not have any official protection under international law, which has implications for the human security of migrants. This work argues that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) can and should recognize climate migrants, and is the most relevant international framework for doing so. While not legally binding, the acknowledgment of climate displacement, migration and planned relocation issues in the UNFCCC’s Cancun Adaptation Framework indicates a willingness to address the issue through an adaptation lens. Herein, the paper proposes a framework for setting the institutional groundwork for recognizing climate migrants, focusing on the most vulnerable, promoting targeted research and policy agendas, and situating policies within a comprehensive strategy. (letter)

Smart cathodic protection systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Polder, R.B.; Leggedoor, J.; Schuten, G.; Sajna, S.; Kranjc, A.

2010-01-01

Cathodic protection delivers corrosion protection in concrete structures exposed to aggressive environments, e.g. in de-icing salt and marine climates. Working lives of a large number of CP systems are at least more than 13 years and probably more than 25 years, provided a minimum level of

Climate Regulation Services of Natural and Managed Ecosystems of the Americas

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson-Teixeira, K. J.; Snyder, P. K.; Twine, T. E.; Costa, M. H.; Cuadra, S.; DeLucia, E. H.

2011-12-01

Terrestrial ecosystems regulate climate through both biogeochemical mechanisms (greenhouse gas regulation) and biophysical mechanisms (regulation of water and energy). Land management therefore provides some of the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation. However, most policies aimed at climate protection through land management, including UNFCCC mechanisms and bioenergy sustainability standards, account only for biogeochemical climate services. By ignoring biophysical climate regulation services that in some cases offset the biogeochemical regulation services, these policies run the risk of failing to advance the best climate solutions. Quantifying the combined value of biogeochemical and biophysical climate regulation services remains an important challenge. Here, we use a combination of data synthesis and modeling to quantify how biogeochemical and biophysical effects combine to shape the climate regulation value (CRV) of 18 natural and managed ecosystem types across the Western Hemisphere. Natural ecosystems generally had higher CRVs than agroecosystems, largely driven by differences in biogeochemical services. Biophysical contributions ranged from minimal to dominant. They were highly variable in space and across ecosystem types, and their relative importance varied strongly with the spatio-temporal scale of analysis. Our findings pertain to current efforts to protect climate through land management. Specifically, they reinforce the importance of protecting tropical forests and recent findings that the climatic effects of bioenergy production may be somewhat more positive than previously estimated. Given that biophysical effects in some cases dominate, ensuring effective climate protection through land management requires consideration of combined biogeochemical and biophysical climate regulation services. While quantification of ecosystem climate services is necessarily complex, our CRV index serves as one potential approach to measure the

VLA limits for comets Austin (1982 VI) and P/Crommelin (1983n) - evidence for a diffuse OH halo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schenewerk, M.S.; Palmer, P.; Snyder, L.E.; De Pater, I.; Chicago Univ., IL; Illinois Univ., Urbana; California Univ., Berkeley)

1986-01-01

Unsuccessful searches of Comet Austin (1982 VI = 1982g) and Comet P/Crommelin (1983n) for 18 cm wavelength OH emission or absorption and for continuum emission have been made with the VLA. The results of the OH searches of both comets and the 2 cm wavelength continuum search for Comet P/Crommelin are given here. The detection of OH emission and absorption in both comets with single-element telescopes and the nondetection of OH with the VLA are interpreted as evidence for a diffuse OH halo. The nondetection of continuum emission supports the growing body of observational evidence against the conventional icy-grain halo theory. 20 references

A climate of doubts. The weight of uncertainty about climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alex, Bastien

2014-05-01

The author proposes a review of four publications about climate change published in 2012 and 2013. He more particularly focuses on how these publications express how climate change is perceived by the different components of our modern societies, how these perceptions have an influence on the answer to challenges related to this phenomenon, what global warming tells us about mankind ability to (re)act to this major challenge. He notices that any doubt about the reality of climate change is exploited and maintains some confusion, favours the propagation and persistence of popular misbelief such as: population of developing countries will be more impacted by effects of climate change, only rich people can afford interest in environment protection and climate preservation. He outlines that a doubting community will not act, and notices that technological advances, for example geo-engineering or climate engineering, tend to deliberately manipulate the environment to counteract the climate change due to human activity

75 FR 47494 - Implementation Guidance for Physical Protection of Byproduct Material; Category 1 and Category 2...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-06

... availability for the guidance was published July 14, 2010. The public comment period on the guidance ends... Doubletree Hotel in Austin, Texas. The second meeting will be held at the NRC in Rockville, Maryland. During..., 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Austin, Texas and September 20, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in...

Climate change and climate variability: personal motivation for adaptation and mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Semenza, Jan C; Ploubidis, George B; George, Linda A

2011-05-21

Global climate change impacts on human and natural systems are predicted to be severe, far reaching, and to affect the most physically and economically vulnerable disproportionately. Society can respond to these threats through two strategies: mitigation and adaptation. Industry, commerce, and government play indispensable roles in these actions but so do individuals, if they are receptive to behavior change. We explored whether the health frame can be used as a context to motivate behavioral reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation measures. In 2008, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in the United States using random digit dialing. Personal relevance of climate change from health threats was explored with the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a conceptual frame and analyzed through logistic regressions and path analysis. Of 771 individuals surveyed, 81% (n = 622) acknowledged that climate change was occurring, and were aware of the associated ecologic and human health risks. Respondents reported reduced energy consumption if they believed climate change could affect their way of life (perceived susceptibility), Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.4 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.4-4.0), endanger their life (perceived severity), OR = 1.9 (95% CI: 1.1-3.1), or saw serious barriers to protecting themselves from climate change, OR = 2.1 (95% CI: 1.2-3.5). Perceived susceptibility had the strongest effect on reduced energy consumption, either directly or indirectly via perceived severity. Those that reported having the necessary information to prepare for climate change impacts were more likely to have an emergency kit OR = 2.1 (95% CI: 1.4-3.1) or plan, OR = 2.2 (95% CI: 1.5-3.2) for their household, but also saw serious barriers to protecting themselves from climate change or climate variability, either by having an emergency kit OR = 1.6 (95% CI: 1.1-2.4) or an emergency plan OR = 1.5 (95%CI: 1.0-2.2). Motivation for voluntary mitigation is mostly dependent on

Climate Change Adaptation in the Water Sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ludwig, F.; Kabat, P.; Schaik, van H.; Valk, van der M.

2009-01-01

Today’s climate variability already has a large impact on water supply and protection. Millions of people are affected every year by droughts and floods. Future climate change is likely to make things worse. Many people within the water sector are aware that climate change is affecting water

Extraterritoriality in International Law : The Case of EU Climate Protection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dobson, N.L.

2018-01-01

While the international climate regime has recently taken considerable strides, the post-Paris era leaves states with much discretion as to the ambition of their climate change policies. Over the past years, this pervasive ‘ambition gap’ has led the European Union (EU) to take provocative unilateral

77 FR 19661 - Draft National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-02

... 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice... change challenges to its mission of protecting human health and the environment. Climate change alters... even temporal nature of effects, climate change will pose challenges to various aspects of water...

Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of the Army Contract with the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Advanced Technology

Science.gov (United States)

1992-10-27

AD-A27O 238 T Of DTIC ELECTE 8OCT 06 1993 E O F F ICE OF THE 1NSPECTOR GENERAL QUICK REAC.7ION REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE ARMY CONTRACT WITH THE...ENGINEERING INSPECTOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF TH, ARMY SUBJECT: Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of the Army Contract with the University of Texas at Austin...comments on Recommendation 3. by November 27, 1992. The courtesies extended to the audit staff are appreciated. If you have any questions on this final

Leveraging modern climatology to increase adaptive capacity across protected area networks

Science.gov (United States)

Davison, J.E.; Graumlich, L.J.; Rowland, E.L.; Pederson, G.T.; Breshears, D.D.

2012-01-01

Human-driven changes in the global environment pose an increasingly urgent challenge for the management of ecosystems that is made all the more difficult by the uncertain future of both environmental conditions and ecological responses. Land managers need strategies to increase regional adaptive capacity, but relevant and rapid assessment approaches are lacking. To address this need, we developed a method to assess regional protected area networks across biophysically important climatic gradients often linked to biodiversity and ecosystem function. We plot the land of the southwestern United States across axes of historical climate space, and identify landscapes that may serve as strategic additions to current protected area portfolios. Considering climate space is straightforward, and it can be applied using a variety of relevant climate parameters across differing levels of land protection status. The resulting maps identify lands that are climatically distinct from existing protected areas, and may be utilized in combination with other ecological and socio-economic information essential to collaborative landscape-scale decision-making. Alongside other strategies intended to protect species of special concern, natural resources, and other ecosystem services, the methods presented herein provide another important hedging strategy intended to increase the adaptive capacity of protected area networks. ?? 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

76 FR 58807 - An Assessment of Decision-Making Processes: Evaluation of Where Land Protection Planning Can...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-22

...: Evaluation of Where Land Protection Planning Can Incorporate Climate Change Information-- Release of Final... Protection Planning can Incorporate Climate Change Information, (EPA/600/R-09/142F). The document was... goal of this report is to evaluate where land protection planning can incorporate climate change...

Heat supply and climate protection in housing associations. State of the art, perspective demands, action alternatives; Waermeversorgung und Klimaschutz in Wohnungsunternehmen. Aktueller Stand, Perspektivische Anforderungen, Handlungsalternativen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-04-15

In recent years, problems of energy supply and climate change in the housing association increasingly gain a higher importance. These problems are a central issue in dealing with demands arising from changing demographics, increasing prices for energy and new statutory provisions for environmental protection among other things. According to this situation, this brochure provides information, ideas, experiences and proposals such as an efficient integration and permanent placement of energy and climate change into the apartment management.

Spatial relationship between climatic diversity and biodiversity conservation value.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Junjun; Wu, Ruidong; He, Daming; Yang, Feiling; Hu, Peijun; Lin, Shiwei; Wu, Wei; Diao, Yixin; Guo, Yang

2018-06-04

Capturing the full range of climatic diversity in a reserve network is expected to improve the resilience of biodiversity to climate change. Therefore, a study on systematic conservation planning for climatic diversity that explicitly or implicitly hypothesizes that regions with higher climatic diversity will support greater biodiversity is needed. However, little is known about the extent and generality of this hypothesis. This study utilized the case of Yunnan, southwest China, to quantitatively classify climatic units and modeled 4 climatic diversity indicators, including the variety of climatic units (VCU), rarity of climatic units (RCU), endemism of climatic units (ECU) and a composite index of climatic units (CICD). We used 5 reliable priority conservation area (PCA) schemes to represent the areas with high biodiversity conservation value. We then investigated the spatial relationships between the 4 climatic diversity indicators and the 5 PCA schemes and assessed the representation of climatic diversity within the existing nature reserves. The CICD exhibited the best performance for indicating high conservation value areas, followed by the ECU and RCU. However, contrary to conventional knowledge, VCU did not show a positive association with biodiversity conservation value. The rarer or more endemic climatic units tended to have higher reserve coverage than the more common units. However, only 28 units covering 10.5% of the land in Yunnan had more than 17% of their areas protected. In addition to climatic factors, topography and human disturbances also significantly affected the relationship between climatic diversity and biodiversity conservation value. This analysis suggests that climatic diversity can be an effective surrogate for establishing a more robust reserve network under climate change in Yunnan. Our study improves the understanding of the relationship between climatic diversity and biodiversity and helps build an evidence-based foundation for

The great climate debate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudhakara Reddy, B.; Assenza, Gaudenz B.

2009-01-01

For over two decades, scientific and political communities have debated whether and how to act on climate change. The present paper revisits these debates and synthesizes the longstanding arguments. Firstly, it provides an overview of the development of international climate policy and discusses clashing positions, represented by sceptics and supporters of action on climate change. Secondly, it discusses the market-based measures as a means to increase the win-win opportunities and to attract profit-minded investors to invest in climate change mitigation. Finally, the paper examines whether climate protection policies can yield benefits both for the environment and the economy. A new breed of analysts are identified who are convinced of the climate change problem, while remaining sceptical of the proposed solutions. The paper suggests the integration of climate policies with those of development priorities that are vitally important for developing countries and stresses the need for using sustainable development as a framework for climate change policies.

Sweden's third national communication on climate change. Under the United Nations framework convention on climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

Sweden's national communication to the UN Convention on Climate Change describes everything about the emission and absorption of greenhouse gases, the motives and forces behind emissions, and official Swedish climate policies. Every five years, Sweden submits a communication on practical climate efforts in Sweden to the UN Convention on Climate Change. The Swedish Environmental Protection Board has coordinated the work of producing the basic documentation for the communication, which also describes the measures already taken and those planned for the future. In addition, scenarios have been adopted for developments in Swedish greenhouse gas emissions, Sweden's vulnerability and Swedish research into the climate and climate change

[Austin's horizontal V-shaped sliding osteotomy of the metatarsal head [Chevron-osteotomy) in the treatment of hallux valgus].

Science.gov (United States)

Steinböck, G

1996-08-01

From 1983 to 1995, 1587 patients suffering from hallux abductovalgus were treated with the Austin bunionectomy. The operation consists of a medial exostosis removal, a V-shaped laterally directed displacement osteotomy of the metatarsal head, lateral release and medial reefing of the capsulo-ligamentous structures. Lateral transposition is facilitated by performing a sufficient lateral release consisting of dissection of the lateral metatarsophalangeal ligament and separation of the adductor tendon from the base of the phalanx and the lateral sesamoid. In the case of intermetatarsal angles greater than 15 degrees, the metatarsal-sesamoid ligament is also severed just above the lateral sesamoid. The periosteum is stripped in a limited fashion dorsally and toward the plantar, leaving its insertion at the metatarsal head intact. After this procedure, reposition of the metatarsal head onto the sesamoids is usually possible and is maintained by reconstruction of the medial metatarsal-sesamoid ligament. In the author's own research material, metatarsophalangeal angles larger than 50 degrees and intermetatarsal angles of over 20 degrees could be corrected. Pronation of the toe is usually corrected by tenotomy of the abductor tendon near the base of the phalanx. Avascular necrosis is extremely rare with a careful operative technique. In our extensive research material, four cases of AVN were recognized. Provided there is free motion of the joint (60-0-20), mild radiological signs of osteoarthritis are no contraindication for the operation. Even in the aged, good results can be achieved provided there are no trophic problems. The Austin bunionectomy has proved to be a versatile method for treating bunion problems. The possibility of transposing the metatarsal head laterally, toward the plantar, proximally and distally by altering the direction of the osteotomy, as well as tilting it medially or laterally, has made this osteotomy an invaluable tool for addressing various

Local climate protection programmes in Australia and New Zealand

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoff, Jens Villiam

about climate change broadly in the involved councils/local communities. • The CCP programme gave councils a strong focus, which led to the formulation of a coherent program on climate change, and allowed them to take on a leadership role in the local community. The leadership role was important...... in aligning the agendas of different stakeholders, and in local efforts to achieve attitude- and culture changes towards a more environmentally sustainable local community. • The CCP programme created a network among participating councils for sharing experiences and motivating each other. It also provided...

New local energy supply as a communal task. Solar statutes between local autonomy and global climatic and resources protection; Neue oertliche Energieversorgung als kommunale Aufgabe. Solarsatzungen zwischen gemeindlicher Selbstverwaltung und globalem Klima- und Ressourcenschutz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Longo, Fabio

2010-07-01

Cities and communities have a constitutionally secured autonomy. What means this within the range of the protection of climate and resources? May communities take over global tasks, or are these limited in their local sphere of activity? In the meantime, in most German city halls something is done for the employment of renewable energies. Under this aspect, the author of the contribution under consideration reports at first on a comprehensive jurisprudential answer on the fundamental question which local tasks are entitled to the cities and communities and how this affects the range of climate protection and resources protection. Moreover, up-to-date particularly disputed local solar statutes are evaluated legally.

Climate Justice in Rural Southeastern United States: A Review of Climate Change Impacts and Effects on Human Health

OpenAIRE

Gutierrez, Kristie S.; LePrevost, Catherine E.

2016-01-01

Climate justice is a local, national, and global movement to protect at-risk populations who are disproportionately affected by climate change. The social context for this review is the Southeastern region of the United States, which is particularly susceptible to climate change because of the geography of the area and the vulnerabilities of the inhabiting populations. Negative human health effects on variable and vulnerable populations within the Southeast region due to changing climate are ...

Climate change threats to population health and well-being: the imperative of protective solutions that will last

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tord Kjellstrom

2013-04-01

strategy is, of course, climate change mitigation by significantly reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, especially long-acting carbon dioxide (CO2, and by increasing the uptake of CO2 at the earth's surface. This involves urgent shifts in energy production from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, energy conservation in building design and urban planning, and reduced waste of energy for transport, building heating/cooling, and agriculture. It would also involve shifts in agricultural production and food systems to reduce energy and water use particularly in meat production. There is also potential for prevention via mitigation, adaptation, or resilience building actions, but for the large populations in tropical countries, mitigation of climate change is required to achieve health protection solutions that will last.

Climate change indicators in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published this report, Climate Change Indicators in the United States, to help readers interpret a set of important indicators to better understand climate change. The report presents 24 indicators, ...

Integrated geophysical investigations of Main Barton Springs, Austin, Texas, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Saribudak, By Mustafa; Hauwert, Nico M.

2017-03-01

Barton Springs is a major discharge site for the Barton Springs Segment of the Edwards Aquifer and is located in Zilker Park, Austin, Texas. Barton Springs actually consists of at least four springs. The Main Barton Springs discharges into the Barton Springs pool from the Barton Springs fault and several outlets along a fault, from a cave, several fissures, and gravel-filled solution cavities on the floor of the pool west of the fault. Surface geophysical surveys [resistivity imaging, induced polarization (IP), self-potential (SP), seismic refraction, and ground penetrating radar (GPR)] were performed across the Barton Springs fault and at the vicinity of the Main Barton Springs in south Zilker Park. The purpose of the surveys was two-fold: 1) locate the precise location of submerged conduits (caves, voids) carrying flow to Main Barton Springs; and 2) characterize the geophysical signatures of the fault crossing Barton Springs pool. Geophysical results indicate significant anomalies to the south of the Barton Springs pool. A majority of these anomalies indicate a fault-like pattern, in front of the south entrance to the swimming pool. In addition, resistivity and SP results, in particular, suggest the presence of a large conduit in the southern part of Barton Springs pool. The groundwater flow-path to the Main Barton Springs could follow the locations of those resistivity and SP anomalies along the newly discovered fault, instead of along the Barton Springs fault, as previously thought.

Evidence That Marine Reserves Enhance Resilience to Climatic Impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Micheli, Fiorenza; Saenz-Arroyo, Andrea; Greenley, Ashley; Vazquez, Leonardo; Espinoza Montes, Jose Antonio; Rossetto, Marisa; De Leo, Giulio A.

2012-01-01

Establishment of marine protected areas, including fully protected marine reserves, is one of the few management tools available for local communities to combat the deleterious effect of large scale environmental impacts, including global climate change, on ocean ecosystems. Despite the common hope that reserves play this role, empirical evidence of the effectiveness of local protection against global problems is lacking. Here we show that marine reserves increase the resilience of marine populations to a mass mortality event possibly caused by climate-driven hypoxia. Despite high and widespread adult mortality of benthic invertebrates in Baja California, Mexico, that affected populations both within and outside marine reserves, juvenile replenishment of the species that supports local economies, the pink abalone Haliotis corrugata, remained stable within reserves because of large body size and high egg production of the protected adults. Thus, local protection provided resilience through greater resistance and faster recovery of protected populations. Moreover, this benefit extended to adjacent unprotected areas through larval spillover across the edges of the reserves. While climate change mitigation is being debated, coastal communities have few tools to slow down negative impacts of global environmental shifts. These results show that marine protected areas can provide such protection. PMID:22855690

Evidence that marine reserves enhance resilience to climatic impacts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fiorenza Micheli

Full Text Available Establishment of marine protected areas, including fully protected marine reserves, is one of the few management tools available for local communities to combat the deleterious effect of large scale environmental impacts, including global climate change, on ocean ecosystems. Despite the common hope that reserves play this role, empirical evidence of the effectiveness of local protection against global problems is lacking. Here we show that marine reserves increase the resilience of marine populations to a mass mortality event possibly caused by climate-driven hypoxia. Despite high and widespread adult mortality of benthic invertebrates in Baja California, Mexico, that affected populations both within and outside marine reserves, juvenile replenishment of the species that supports local economies, the pink abalone Haliotis corrugata, remained stable within reserves because of large body size and high egg production of the protected adults. Thus, local protection provided resilience through greater resistance and faster recovery of protected populations. Moreover, this benefit extended to adjacent unprotected areas through larval spillover across the edges of the reserves. While climate change mitigation is being debated, coastal communities have few tools to slow down negative impacts of global environmental shifts. These results show that marine protected areas can provide such protection.

Climate change and climate variability: personal motivation for adaptation and mitigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ploubidis George B

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Global climate change impacts on human and natural systems are predicted to be severe, far reaching, and to affect the most physically and economically vulnerable disproportionately. Society can respond to these threats through two strategies: mitigation and adaptation. Industry, commerce, and government play indispensable roles in these actions but so do individuals, if they are receptive to behavior change. We explored whether the health frame can be used as a context to motivate behavioral reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation measures. Methods In 2008, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in the United States using random digit dialing. Personal relevance of climate change from health threats was explored with the Health Belief Model (HBM as a conceptual frame and analyzed through logistic regressions and path analysis. Results Of 771 individuals surveyed, 81% (n = 622 acknowledged that climate change was occurring, and were aware of the associated ecologic and human health risks. Respondents reported reduced energy consumption if they believed climate change could affect their way of life (perceived susceptibility, Odds Ratio (OR = 2.4 (95% Confidence Interval (CI: 1.4 - 4.0, endanger their life (perceived severity, OR = 1.9 (95% CI: 1.1 - 3.1, or saw serious barriers to protecting themselves from climate change, OR = 2.1 (95% CI: 1.2 - 3.5. Perceived susceptibility had the strongest effect on reduced energy consumption, either directly or indirectly via perceived severity. Those that reported having the necessary information to prepare for climate change impacts were more likely to have an emergency kit OR = 2.1 (95% CI: 1.4 - 3.1 or plan, OR = 2.2 (95% CI: 1.5 -3.2 for their household, but also saw serious barriers to protecting themselves from climate change or climate variability, either by having an emergency kit OR = 1.6 (95% CI: 1.1 - 2.4 or an emergency plan OR = 1.5 (95%CI: 1.0 - 2

Climate protection policy and new jobs - a contradiction in itself?; Klimaschutz und neue Arbeitsplaetze - ein Gegensatz?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scheelhaase, J. [Prognos AG, Koeln (Germany)

2002-04-01

The article summarizes the results of an expert opinion submitted by the Prognos AG to the German Federal Environmental Agency. The expert opinion was to examine in various scenarios whether implementation of additional, ambitious climate protection policies and programmes may indeed have an adverse effect on the employment situation in Germany. The experts found that under certain framework conditions, positive synergy effects will develop. (orig./CB) [German] Ob zusaetzliche klimaschuetzende Massnahmen tatsaechlich zu Lasten der Beschaeftigung gehen wuerden, ist Gegenstand eines Gutachtens der Prognos AG, Koeln, das im Auftrag des Umweltbundesamtes erarbeitet wurde. Der Artikel fasst die wesentlichen Ergebnisse des Gutachtens zusammen, das u.a. positive Synergieeffekte zwischen oekologischen und beschaeftigungspolitischen Zielen darlegt. (orig./CB)

An Integrated Modeling System for Water Resource Management Under Climate Change, Socio-Economic Development and Irrigation Management

Science.gov (United States)

SU, Q.; Karthikeyan, R.; Lin, Y.

2017-12-01

Water resources across the world have been increasingly stressed in the past few decades due to the population and economic growth and climate change. Consequently, the competing use of water among agricultural, domestic and industrial sectors is expected to be increasing. In this study, the water stresses under various climate change, socio-economic development and irrigation management scenarios are predicted over the period of 2015-2050 using an integrated model, in which the changes in water supply and demand induced by climate change, socio-economic development and irrigation management are dynamically parameterized. Simulations on the case of Texas, Southwest U.S. were performed using the newly developed integrated model, showing that the water stress is projected to be elevated in 2050 over most areas of Texas, particularly at Northern and Southern Plain and metropolitan areas. Climate change represents the most pronounce factor affecting the water supply and irrigation water demand in Texas. The water supply over East Texas is largely reduced in future because of the less precipitation and higher temperature under the climate change scenario, resulting in an elevated irrigation water demand and thus a higher water stress in this region. In contrast, the severity of water shortage in West Texas would be alleviated in future because of climate change. The water shortage index over metropolitan areas would increase by 50-90% under 1.0% migration scenario, suggesting that the population growth in future could also greatly stress the water supply, especially megacities like Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. The projected increase in manufacturing water demand shows little effects on the water stress. Increasing irrigation rate exacerbates the water stress over irrigated agricultural areas of Texas.

Climate report 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Lars; Axelsson, Pernilla; Fegler, C. [and others

1998-11-01

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, NV, the National Board for Industrial and Technical Development, NUTEK, and the Swedish Institute for Transport and Communications Analysis, SIKA, have been commissioned by the Government to furnish background material for Sweden`s second national report on climate change. The national report is a commitment vis-a-vis the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). Sweden`s first national report was presented in 1994, and the second was completed and adopted by the Government on 3 April 1997. This study is a more detailed account based on NUTEK`s background material for the national report. NUTEK has been Sweden`s central authority within the energy field. The authority`s work with the background material for the national report has primarily been concentrated on projections of the future development of the energy system. However, the forecasts for energy use in the transport sector are mainly based on forecasts of transport activity prepared by SIKA. Furthermore NUTEK has been responsible for the calculations of the effects of policy instruments on the carbon dioxide emissions. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for the calculations of emissions of climate gases in the background material for the national report. These calculations of the energy system`s emissions of carbon dioxide and other climate gases are based on NUTEK`s energy forecasts 13 figs, 38 tabs

Global climate change: US-Japan cooperative leadership for environmental protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gray, J.E.; Fri, R.W.; Ikuta, Toyoaki; Guertin, D.L.; Tomitate, Takao.

1991-01-01

Over the past decade the Atlantic Council of the United States has engaged in continuing dialogue with the Committee for Energy Policy Promotion (Japan), The Institute of Energy Economics (Japan) and the Global Industrial and Social Progress Research Institute (Japan) on a range of energy issues, including environmentally related considerations. Cooperation on environmental issues is the subject of this joint US-Japanese policy paper on global climate change. The Japanese and US participants who prepared this paper agreed on a number of conclusions, principles to guide action, and common recommendations on how best to address global climate change issues. The agreed upon principles include development of strategies in a long-term time frame (50-100 years); aggressive action to increase efficiency or reduce pollution when economically and technologically justified; utilization of market forces to the maximum extent possible; and assistance to developing countries in reducing pollution and increasing energy efficiency. The key recommendations include: The need to strengthen research to better understand global climate change, its implications and appropriate response strategies; The importance of involving as many nations as possible in formulating a framework agreement on global climate change; Recognition that, given economic and technical capabilities, each country should develop its own response strategies; Additional public and private sector efforts to increase the efficient use of resources and the use of alternate, less polluting energy resources when economically justified; Actions to address obstacles to technology cooperation with developing countries; and Increased flow of information to opinion leaders and the general public on global climate change

Costs of global climate protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krause, F.

1992-01-01

This paper discusses the cost implications of the air pollution abatement recommendations contained in a recently published IPSEP (International Project for Sustainable Energy Paths) study on the feasibility of the abatement of carbon dioxide emissions deemed significantly responsible for the greenhouse effect and its associated negative impacts on this planet's climatic equilibrium. The air pollution abatement strategies are to be enforced in five highly industrialized European countries - Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Holland. The study's overall results indicate the feasibility of 50% reductions in carbon dioxide emissions within the next 30 years even with a more than doubling of GNP's and a contemporaneous phase-out of nuclear power production, and all this taking place in a cost effective way and with increased employment. In addition, IPSEP's report states that the implementation of effective program management strategies would bolster Western Europe's competitiveness on a global scale

United Nations negotiations on climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Street, R.B.

1993-01-01

Climate change is a global environmental issue which is the subject of intergovernmental negotiations in the United Nations system. The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) recommended to the UN General Assembly a four-track strategy relating to climate change: improved monitoring and assessment; increased research; development of internationally agreed policies to reduce greenhouse gases; and adoption of strategies to minimize impacts of climate change. The UN hosted a Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992 to attempt to find a common basis for action to protect the Earth's future and to secure a sustainable and equitable process of development. The focal point for UNCED efforts related to climate change is the Protection of the Atmosphere chapter of Agenda 21. Program A of this agenda contains responses to the WCED recommendations and Program B includes promotion of sustainable development in energy development, transportation, industry, and resource development. A framework convention on climate change was developed by an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee established in 1990 and adopted by 130-140 countries. This convention includes general and specific obligations such as stabilization and control of greenhouse gas concentrations, development of emission inventories, and provision of financial resources to aid developing countries in responding to the climate change problem. 3 refs

Solutions for ecosystem-level protection of ocean systems under climate change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Queirós, Ana M.; Huebert, Klaus B.; Keyl, Friedemann; Fernandes, Jose A.; Stolte, Willem; Maar, Marie; Kay, Susan; Jones, Miranda C.; Hamon, Katell G.; Hendriksen, Gerrit; Vermard, Youen; Marchal, Paul; Teal, Lorna R.; Somerfield, Paul J.; Austen, Melanie C.; Barange, Manuel; Sell, Anne F.; Allen, Icarus; Peck, Myron A.

2016-01-01

The Paris Conference of Parties (COP21) agreement renewed momentum for action against climate change, creating the space for solutions for conservation of the ocean addressing two of its largest threats: climate change and ocean
acidification (CCOA). Recent arguments that ocean policies

Mapping High Biomass Corridors for Climate and Biodiversity Co-Benefits

Science.gov (United States)

Jantz, P.; Goetz, S. J.; Laporte, N. T.

2013-12-01

A key issue in global conservation is how climate mitigation activities can secure biodiversity co-benefits. Tropical deforestation releases significant amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere and results in widespread biodiversity loss. The dominant strategy for forest conservation has been protected area designation. However, maintaining biodiversity in protected areas requires ecological exchange with ecosystems in which they are embedded. At current funding levels, existing conservation strategies are unlikely to prevent further loss of connectivity between protected areas and surrounding landscapes. The emergence of REDD+, a mechanism for funding carbon emissions reductions from deforestation in developing countries, suggests an alignment of goals and financial resources for protecting forest carbon, maintaining biodiversity in protected areas, and minimizing loss of forest ecosystem services. Identifying, protecting and sustainably managing vegetation carbon stocks between protected areas can provide both climate mitigation benefits through avoided CO2 emissions from deforestation and biodiversity benefits through the targeted protection of forests that maintain connectivity between protected areas and surrounding ecosystems. We used a high resolution, pan-tropical map of vegetation carbon stocks derived from MODIS, GLAS lidar and field measurements to map corridors that traverse areas of highest aboveground biomass between protected areas. We mapped over 13,000 corridors containing 49 GtC, accounting for 14% of unprotected vegetation carbon stock in the tropics. In the majority of cases, carbon density in corridors was commensurate with that of the protected areas they connect, suggesting significant opportunities for achieving climate mitigation and biodiversity co-benefits. To further illustrate the utility of this approach, we conducted a multi-criteria analysis of corridors in the Brazilian Amazon, identifying high biodiversity, high vegetation carbon stock

German power market in Europe. Between competition and climate protection; Der deutsche Strommarkt in Europa. Zwischen Wettbewerb und Klimaschutz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krisp, A.

2007-07-01

In order to attain the targets of climatic protection and in order to guarantee a safe supply of energy, a committed climatic program and energy program have to be submitted. The Federal Republic of Germany can attain this without rehabilitating the atomic energy. In addition, the development of the technologies has to be supported for the promotion of renewable energies. The national policy must strengthen their commitment and start initiatives for energy conservation. For this, the following aspects are suggested: (a) Enhancement of the energy standards of electrical appliances; (b) Minimization of the losses of energy due to the ''Stand By '' function of electrical appliances; (c) Promotion of investments in clean coal technologies and in technologies of combined heat and power generation; (d) Further avoidance of losses with the use of fossil sources of energy; (e) Auction of the free of charge certificates; (f) reduction the network charges; (g) coordinated energy policy on European level.

Protection of the climate in Germany. Second report presented by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany according to the United Nations Agreement on Climatic Changes; Klimaschutz in Deutschland. Zweiter Bericht der Regierung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland nach dem Rahmenuebereinkommen der Vereinten Nationen ueber Klimaaenderungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-11-01

This report is the second government report after the climate convention. It contains an inventory of emissions of relevance for the greenhouse effect and the states where they are stored (forest) plus a description of the government`s preventive measures to protect the climate. You can find emission scenarios and the projection to the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2020 and an assessment of the effects of the measures. (orig./SR)

Effects of storm-water runoff on water quality of the Edwards Aquifer near Austin, Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Freeman L.; Schertz, Terry L.; Slade, Raymond M.; Rawson, Jack

1984-01-01

Analyses of samples collected from Barton Springs at approximately weekly Intervals and from Barton Creek and five wells in the Austin area during selected storm-runoff periods generally show that recharge during storm runoff resulted in significant temporal and area! variations in the quality of ground water in the recharge zone of the Edwards aquifer. Recharge during storm runoff resulted in significant increases of bacterial densities in the ground water. Densities of fecal coliform bacteria in samples collected from Barton Springs, the major point of ground-water discharge, ranged from less than 1 colony per 100 milliliters during dry weather in November 1981 and January and August 1982 to 6,100 colonies per 100 milliliters during a storm in May 1982. Densities of fecal streptococcal bacteria ranged from 1 colony per 100 miniliters during dry weather in December 1981 to 11,000 colonies per 100 miniliters during a storm in May 1982.

Upgrade and Design of Coastal Structures Exposed to Climate Changes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Jørgen Quvang Harck

This thesis “Upgrade and Design of Coastal Structures Exposed to Climate Changes” evaluates the performance of existing types of structures when exposed to climate changes. This includes also the potential of using cost‐sharing multipurpose structures for protection against the effects of future...... climate changes. The thesis consists of three parts. The first part evaluates the performance of existing design formulae for estimation of wave actions on structures, especially in shallow water since these structures are most vulnerable to the rising sea water levels caused by climate changes. Existing...... of coastal protection structures, which are extended to a wider range of wave conditions, and which can be used to more accurately estimate the influence from climate changes. In the second part of the thesis, the extended and modified formulae are used in case studies to evaluate the influence from climate...

Upgrade and Design of Coastal Structures Exposed to Climate Changes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Jørgen Quvang Harck

This thesis "Upgrade and Design of Coastal Structures Exposed to Climate Changes" evaluates the performance of existing types of structures when exposed to climate changes. This includes also the potential of using cost‐sharing multipurpose structures for protection against the effects of future...... climate changes. The thesis consists of three parts. The first part evaluates the performance of existing design formulae for estimation of wave actions on structures, especially in shallow water since these structures are most vulnerable to the rising sea water levels caused by climate changes. Existing...... of coastal protection structures, which are extended to a wider range of wave conditions, and which can be used to more accurately estimate the influence from climate changes. In the second part of the thesis, the extended and modified formulae are used in case studies to evaluate the influence from climate...

Production, administration and disposal of cyclotron produced shortlived radioactive gases for positron emission tomography studies at the Austin Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egan, G.F.; O`Keefe, G. [Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, VIC (Australia); Tochon-Danguy, H.J.; Midgley, S.; Phana, K.S.; Sachinidis, J.; Chan, J.G. [Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia). School of Physics

1995-01-01

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Centre is operational at the Austin Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne. The major equipment consists of a 10 MeV cyclotron and a whole body PET scanner. Radioactive gases produced and used directly in clinical studies include [{sup 15}O]O{sub 2}, [{sup 15}O]CO, and [{sup 15}O]CO{sub 2}, whilst [{sup 11}C]CO{sub 2} is also produced for use in radiochemistry syntheses. Radioactivity delivery rates of 3.7, 3.3, and 1.6 GBq/min to the scanner suite have been achieved for [{sup 15}O]O{sub 2}, [{sup 15}O]CO{sub 2}, and [{sup 15}O]CO respectively, and batch productions of 36.3 GBq of [{sup 11}C]CO{sub 2} have been produced. The production. patient administration and disposal of the short-lived radioactive gases has been achieved in compliance with radiation protection principles. Radioactive gas doses of 1.7 GBq are administered to patients with less than 0.02 MBq/m{sup 3} leakage into the scanner suite. Less than 13 MBq of [ {sup 15}O]-labelled gases are released into the environment per patient study at a concentration of 0.018 MBq/m{sup 3}. Annually less than 2 GBq is expected to be released into the environment. The centre design and first four months` experience of radioactive gas production, administration and disposal is presented. 5 refs., 4 tab., 1 fig.

Infrared observations of Comet Austin (1990 V) by the COBE/Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Lisse, C. M.; Freudenreich, H. T.; Hauser, M. G.; Kelsall, T.; Moseley, S. H.; Reach, W. T.; Silverberg, R. F.

1994-01-01

Comet Austin was observed by the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE)/Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) with broadband photometry at 1-240 micrometers during the comet's close passage by Earth in 1990 May. A 6 deg long (6 x 10(exp 6) km) dust tail was found at 12 and 25 micrometers, with detailed structure due to variations in particle properties and mass-loss rate. The spectrum of the central 42 x 42 sq arcmin pixel was found to agree with that of a graybody of temperature 309 +/- 5 K and optical depth 7.3 +/- 10(exp -8). Comparison with IUE and ground-based obervations indicates that particles of radius greater than 20 micrometers predominate by surface area. A mass-loss rate of 510 (+510/-205) kg/s and a total tail mass of 7 +/- 2 x 10(exp 10) kg was found for a model dust tail composed of Mie spheres with a differential particle mass distribution dn/d log m approx. m(exp -0.63) and 2:1 silicate:amorphous carbon composition by mass.

Climate protection in the spatial planning. Strategic options of the regional planning and land-use planning. Short documentation of the case studies; Klimaschutz in der raeumlichen Planung. Gestaltungsmoeglichkeiten der Raumordnung und Bauleitplanung. Kurzdokumentation der Fallstudien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahlhelm, Inge; Bula, Andreas; Frerichs, Stefan; Hinzen, Ajo [BKR Aachen Castro und Hinzen, Aachen (Germany); Madry, Thomas; Schuele, Ralf [Wuppertal Institut fuer Klima, Umwelt, Energie GmbH, Wuppertal (Germany); Groth, Klaus-Martin; Kerstan, Susann [Kanzlei Gassner, Groth, Siederer und Collegen, Berlin (Germany)

2013-02-15

As the basis for the practical help 'Climate protection in the spatial planning', the Federal Environment Agency (Dessau-Rosslau, Federal Republic of Germany) investigated a lot of plans, concepts and programs at regional level and provincial level. The essential principles and extracts from case studies are summarized in brief dossiers which are presented in the contribution under consideration. This contribution shall present an overview on the state of the art of the application of instruments at the geospatial climate protection at different planning levels.

NABU Forest and Climate Monitoring Final Report

NARCIS (Netherlands)

DeVries, B.R.; Herold, M.

2014-01-01

This report outlines results of the Forest and Climate Monitoring sub-component of the project entitled “Climate Protection and Preservation of Primary Forests – A Management Model using the Wild Coffee Forests in Ethiopia as an Example” implemented by The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union

Climate-conscious architecture. Design and wind testing method for climates in change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuismanen, K.

2008-07-01

The main objective of this research was to develop practical tools with which it is possible to improve the environment, micro-climate and energy economy of buildings and plans in different climate zones, and take the climate change into account. The parts of the study are: State of art study into existing know-how about climate and planning. Study of the effects of climate change on the built environment. Development of simple micro-climate, nature and built environment analysis methods. Defining the criteria of an acceptable micro-climatic environment. Development of the wind test blower. Presenting ways to interpret test results and draw conclusions. Development of planning and design guidelines for different climate zones. An important part of the research is the development of the CASE wind test instrument, different wind simulation techniques, and the methods of observing the results. Bioclimatic planning and architectural design guidelines for different climate zones are produced. The analyse tools developed give a qualitative overall view, which can be deepened towards a quantitative analyse with wind testing measurements and roughness calculations. No mechanical rules are suggested, but complementary viewpoints and practices introduced to a normal planning process as well as improvement of consultative knowledge. The 'method' is that there is no strict mechanical method, but a deeper understanding of bioclimatic matters. Climate-conscious planning with the developed CASE method, make it possible to design a better micro-climate for new or old built-up areas. Winds can be used in to ventilate exhaust fumes and other pollutants, which improves the quality of air and the healthiness of the urban environment. The analyses and scale-model tests make it possible to shield cold windy areas and to diminish the cooling effect of wind on facades. According to studies in Scandinavian countries this will bring energy savings of 5-15 per cent. The method can

Modeling Impacts of Climate Change on Giant Panda Habitat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Songer

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca are one of the most widely recognized endangered species globally. Habitat loss and fragmentation are the main threats, and climate change could significantly impact giant panda survival. We integrated giant panda habitat information with general climate models (GCMs to predict future geographic distribution and fragmentation of giant panda habitat. Results support a major general prediction of climate change—a shift of habitats towards higher elevation and higher latitudes. Our models predict climate change could reduce giant panda habitat by nearly 60% over 70 years. New areas may become suitable outside the current geographic range but much of these areas is far from the current giant panda range and only 15% fall within the current protected area system. Long-term survival of giant pandas will require the creation of new protected areas that are likely to support suitable habitat even if the climate changes.

Global climate convention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonis, U.E.

1991-01-01

The effort of negotiate a global convention on climate change is one of mankind's great endeavours - and a challenge to economists and development planners. The inherent linkages between climate and the habitability of the earth are increasingly well recognized, and a convention could help to ensure that conserving the environment and developing the economy in the future must go hand in hand. Due to growing environmental concern the United Nations General Assembly has set into motion an international negotiating process for a framework convention on climate change. One the major tasks in these negotiations is how to share the duties in reducing climate relevant gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), between the industrial and the developing countries. The results and proposals could be among the most far-reaching ever for socio-economic development, indeed for global security and survival itself. While the negotiations will be about climate and protection of the atmosphere, they will be on fundamental global changes in energy policies, forestry, transport, technology, and on development pathways with low greenhouse gas emissions. Some of these aspects of a climate convention, particularly the distributional options and consequences for the North-South relations, are addressed in this chapter. (orig.)

A Simple Neural Network Contextual Classifier

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Tidemann, J.

1997-01-01

I. Kanellopoulos, G.G. Wilkinson, F. Roli and J. Austin (Eds.)Proceedings of European Union Environment and Climate Programme Concerted Action COMPARES (COnnectionist Methods in Pre-processing and Analysis of REmote Sensing data)....

Edwin Austin Abbey's The Passage of the Hours: Astronomy as History

Science.gov (United States)

Ricci, P. L.

2016-01-01

The Passage of the Hours (1909-1911) in the Pennsylvania State Capitol at Harrisburg is one of the most original and least known astronomical ceilings in the United States. Designed by the American artist Edwin Austin Abbey (1852-1911) to complement the Italian Renaissance style architecture of the House of Representatives, the mural combines two classical traditions of representing the night sky: a celestial map with the constellations of the zodiac and the personifications of the Hours. Set in a shallow dome twenty-four feet in diameter, Abbey's constellation figures float in a dazzling firmament where the Milky Way streams between the Sun and the Moon. The artist placed the Horae of Greek mythology around the dome's circumference in the position of the numbers on an astronomical clock. In the tradition of Italian Renaissance architecture, the celestial ceiling in the House of Representatives was part of an iconographic program affirming the cosmological origin of a polity. The astronomical theme relates to Abbey's murals in the House Chamber of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 from David Rittenhouse's observatory in Philadelphia, which the astronomer constructed to study the transit of Venus in 1769. The artist included a portrait of Rittenhouse holding his telescope among the worthies in the adjacent mural of The Apotheosis of Pennsylvania. Contemporary as well as historical events encouraged Abbey's use of astronomical imagery: the depiction of a comet may record the much-anticipated return of Halley's Comet in 1910.

Estimating the willingness to pay to protect coral reefs from potential damage caused by climate change--The evidence from Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, William Wei-Chun; Hsu, Shu-Han; Chen, Chi-Chung

2015-12-30

Coral reefs constitute the most biologically productive and diverse ecosystem, and provide various goods and services including those related to fisheries, marine tourism, coastal protection, and medicine. However, they are sensitive to climate change and rising temperatures. Taiwan is located in the central part of the world's distribution of coral reefs and has about one third of the coral species in the world. This study estimates the welfare losses associated with the potential damage to coral reefs in Taiwan caused by climate change. The contingent valuation method adopted includes a pre-survey, a face-to-face formal survey, and photo illustrations used to obtain reliable data. Average annual personal willingness to pay is found to be around US$35.75 resulting in a total annual willingness to pay of around US$0.43 billion. These high values demonstrate that coral reefs in Taiwan deserve to be well preserved, which would require a dedicated agency and ocean reserves.

Climate of the Nation. Australians Attitudes to Climate Change and its Solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CLIMATE OF THE NATION AUSTRALIANS ATTITUDES TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS SOLUTIONS

2007-03-01

It comes as no surprise that concern about climate change is at an all time high and the vast majority of people no longer doubt that it is real or that it is caused by greenhouse gases created by human activity. Not only is concern at an all time high, but climate change now ranks as more important to people than a wide range of issues including housing affordability and national security. While many people are still unfamiliar with the more detailed science of climate change, this does not detract from their passion to deal with it. Focus group research shows that people see climate change and weather as interchangeable. As such, drought, water supply and management, and climate change are often linked in the minds of the general public. This is backed up by quantitative polling which has water management and climate change topping people's concerns. A common theme in the research is that people are looking for leadership. They accept there may be a price to pay and they are hungry for decisive action.They are also keen to know more about the problem, and importantly they want to be able to take action which will make a real difference. Support for clean energy solutions like solar and wind is very strong and there is a view that Australia's abundant sunshine is not being put to good use. People also feel strongly about cutting energy waste. Themes that emerged strongly through the research were: growing understanding that climate change is already happening; particular concern about water resources and the impact of water restrictions; a view that Australia should lead and is not yet doing so; concern about our children's future (both jobs and environment). People expressed very strong support for a future in which our children are protected from the worst impacts of climate change and are able to be involved in a new economy built around renewable energy sources. Climate change as an issue is a mixture of economic (including households) management and

Climate change mitigation and adaptation in strategic environmental assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wende, Wolfgang; Bond, Alan; Bobylev, Nikolai; Stratmann, Lars

2012-01-01

Countries are implementing CO 2 emission reduction targets in order to meet a globally agreed global warming limit of +2 °C. However, it was hypothesised that these national reduction targets are not translated to regional or state level planning, and are not considered through Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in order to meet emission reduction obligations falling on the transport, energy, housing, agriculture, and forestry sectors. SEAs of land use plans in the German state of Saxony, and the English region of the East of England were examined for their consideration of climate change impacts based on a set of criteria drawn from the literature. It was found that SEAs in both cases failed to consider climate change impacts at scales larger than the boundary of the spatial plan, and that CO 2 reduction targets were not considered. This suggests a need for more clarity in the legal obligations for climate change consideration within the text of the SEA Directive, a requirement for monitoring of carbon emissions, a need for methodological guidance to devolve global climate change targets down to regional and local levels, and a need for guidance on properly implementing climate change protection in SEA. - Highlights: ► Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) of 12 land use plans from Germany and England have been examined. ► SEA failed to consider climate change impacts at scales larger than the boundary of the land use plans. ► SEA should be an important instrument for climate protection. ► Concrete steps for climate protection mainstreaming into SEA at the European Union and national levels have been suggested.

Economic Consequences Of Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Szlávik, János; Füle, Miklós

2009-07-01

Even though the climate conflict resulting from green houses gases (GHG) emissions was evident by the Nineties and the well-known agreements made, their enforcement is more difficult than that of other environmental agreements. That is because measures to reduce GHG emissions interfere with the heart of the economy and the market: energy (in a broader sense than the energy sector as defined by statistics) and economical growth. Analyzing the environmental policy responses to climate change the conclusion is that GHG emission reduction can only be achieved through intensive environmental policy. While extensive environmental protection complements production horizontally, intensive environmental protection integrates into production and the environment vertically. The latter eliminates the source of the pollution, preventing damage. It utilizes the biochemical processes and self-purification of the natural environment as well as technical development which not only aims to produce state-of-the-art goods, but to make production more environmentally friendly, securing a desired environmental state. While in extensive environmental protection the intervention comes from the outside for creating environmental balance, in intensive environmental protection the system recreates this balance itself. Instead of dealing with the consequences and the polluter pays principle, the emphasis is on prevention. It is important to emphasize that climate strategy decisions have complex effects regarding the aspects of sustainability (economical, social, ecological). Therefore, all decisions are political. At present, and in the near future, market economy decisions have little to do with sustainability values under normal circumstances. Taking social and ecological interests into consideration can only be successful through strategic political aims.

Climate protection and reliability of supply. Development of a sustainable power supply concept; Klimaschutz und Versorgungssicherheit. Entwicklung einer nachhaltigen Stromversorgung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klaus, Thomas; Loreck, Charlotte; Mueschen, Klaus

2009-09-15

Germany, like other states, committed itself to sustainable development in the Rio declaration of 1992. The boundary conditions for this are set by nature itself, whose laws must be respected if goals like reliability of supply and economic efficiency are to be achieved. This study of the Federal Environmental Office shows how sustainable power supply can be achieved. It is possible to combine climate protection, reliability of supply and economic efficiency, even without nuclear power and without constructing new conventional power plants that do not have the function of combined heat and power generation. (orig.)

Rethinking climate change as a security threat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schoch, Corinne

2011-10-15

Once upon a time climate change was a strictly environment and development issue. Today it has become a matter of national and international security. Efforts to link climate change with violent conflict may not be based on solid evidence, but they have certainly captured the attention of governments. They have played a vital role in raising the much-needed awareness of climate change as an issue that deserves global action. But at what cost? Focusing on climate change as a security threat alone risks devolving humanitarian responsibilities to the military, ignoring key challenges and losing sight of those climate-vulnerable communities that stand most in need of protection.

Measuring Vulnerable Population’s Healthy and Unhealthy Food Access in Austin, Texas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junfeng Jiao

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Food deserts—areas with a significant low-income population experiencing low accessibility to healthy food sources—have been well studied in terms of their connection to obesity and its related health outcomes. Measuring food accessibility is the key component in food desert research. However, previous studies often measured food accessibility based on large geographic units (e.g. census tract, zip code with few transportation modes (e.g. driving or taking public transit and limited vulnerable population measures. This paper aims to demonstrate a new method to measure food access for different vulnerable population groups at a smaller geographic scale with different transportation modes. In detail, this paper improves on previous studies from the following three perspectives: (1 Measuring food accessibility with a smaller geographic scale: block group vs. census track which on average includes 1000 people vs. 4000 people; (2 Measuring food accessibility with different transportation modes: walking, biking, transit, and driving vs. driving only; and (3 Measuring food accessibility for different vulnerable population groups. The proposed method was tested in the city of Austin, which is the capital of Texas and the 11th largest city in the US, and measured people’s accessibility to both healthy and unhealthy food sources within the city. The methods can be applied to address food accessibility issues in other cities or regions.

Targeting climate diversity in conservation planning to build resilience to climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Heller, Nicole E.; Kreitler, Jason R.; Ackerly, David; Weiss, Stuart; Recinos, Amanda; Branciforte, Ryan; Flint, Lorraine E.; Flint, Alan L.; Micheli, Elisabeth

2015-01-01

Climate change is raising challenging concerns for systematic conservation planning. Are methods based on the current spatial patterns of biodiversity effective given long-term climate change? Some conservation scientists argue that planning should focus on protecting the abiotic diversity in the landscape, which drives patterns of biological diversity, rather than focusing on the distribution of focal species, which shift in response to climate change. Climate is one important abiotic driver of biodiversity patterns, as different climates host different biological communities and genetic pools. We propose conservation networks that capture the full range of climatic diversity in a region will improve the resilience of biotic communities to climate change compared to networks that do not. In this study we used historical and future hydro-climate projections from the high resolution Basin Characterization Model to explore the utility of directly targeting climatic diversity in planning. Using the spatial planning tool, Marxan, we designed conservation networks to capture the diversity of climate types, at the regional and sub-regional scale, and compared them to networks we designed to capture the diversity of vegetation types. By focusing on the Conservation Lands Network (CLN) of the San Francisco Bay Area as a real-world case study, we compared the potential resilience of networks by examining two factors: the range of climate space captured, and climatic stability to 18 future climates, reflecting different emission scenarios and global climate models. We found that the climate-based network planned at the sub-regional scale captured a greater range of climate space and showed higher climatic stability than the vegetation and regional based-networks. At the same time, differences among network scenarios are small relative to the variance in climate stability across global climate models. Across different projected futures, topographically heterogeneous areas

Learning from disaster: Community-based marine protected areas in Fiji

OpenAIRE

Yoshito Takasaki

2013-01-01

This paper empirically examines whether and how experiencing climate-related disasters can improve the rural poor fs adaptation to climate change through community-based resource management. Original household survey data in Fiji capture the unique sequence of a tropical cyclone and the establishment of community-based marine protected areas as a natural experiment. The analysis reveals that household disaster victimization increases its support for establishing marine protected areas for fut...

An Investigation on Legal Protection for Women Victims of Climate Change; Studying African Regional Documents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasrin Mosaffa

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, paying attention to the subject of Climate Change and its destructive effects on different countries around the world have caused regular activities as holding international conferences, and ratifying some international documents. Developing and non-developed countries have less facilities and infrastructures to protect themselves from climate change effects and are more vulnerable. Moreover, African countries due to their climate conditions are the most vulnerable. Even more, they have the main population of climate refugees. Although an increasing effort in Africa has resulted in more legal protection for victims of climate change especially women as the most volunrable people, and has been appeared in many regional treaties, but inconsistency and denial of responsibilities from developing countries have caused serious challenges for long term legal-protection of environmental refugees and displacements, especially women and children who are the most vulnerable of climate change victims. Since a sufficient protection of these people requires a common concern and responsibility between states, referring to the "common but different responsibility" principle is one of the most important legal pillar for burden sharing of the massive climate – change movements. تأثیرات تغییرات اقلیم در دهه‌های گذشته بسیار بزرگ بوده و توجه به این پدیده موجب انجام اقدامات معمول بین‌المللی از قبیل برگزاری کنفرانس، تشکیل نهادهـا و تنظیم اسناد گردیده است. در ایـن بین، کشورهای کمتر توسعه‌یافته از امکانات کمتری برای مقابله با این تغییرات برخوردار و در نتیجه آسیب پذیر‌ترند. منطقه آفریقا با توجه به شرایط اقلیمی خاص خود بیشترین آسیب را متحمل شده و هم �

Climate - saved locally

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

Since 1990, more than 350 towns and communities from six European contries have joined the ''Climate Groups of European towns with the indigenous peoples of the rainforest to support the Earth's atmosphere''. The given goals are the halving of CO 2 emissions by the year 2000, the reduction of greenhouse gases and stopping use of tropical wood. The text shows how far the communes have gone in their own obligations for the protection of the world climate in the areas of energy, transport and town development. The work and organisation of the Indian group- partners is also portrayed. (orig.) [de

78 FR 9387 - Notice of Availability for Public Review and Comment: Draft EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-08

... identifying and responding to the challenges that a changing climate poses to human health and the environment... fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes. EPA...: Draft EPA Climate Change Adaptation Plan AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice...

Integrated energy and climate program without nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haller, W.

2007-01-01

Under the German EU Council presidency, the European Union adopted an ambitious climate protection program in spring this year which has consequences for the entire energy sector. A fair system of burden sharing is currently being sought on the level of the European Union. However, the German federal government does not wait for that agreement to be reached, but has added to the clearcut EU plans in order to achieve more climate protection. At the closed meeting of the federal cabinet in Meseberg on August 23-24, 2007, the key points of an integrated energy and climate program were adopted. The unprecedented set of measures comprises 30 points. In many cases, legal measures are required for implementation, which implies a heavy workload facing the federal government and parliament. A major step forward is seen in the federal government's intention to preserve the international competitiveness of the producing sector and energy-intensive industries also under changed framework conditions. The imperative guiding principle must be that care should take precedence over speed. European or worldwide solutions must be found for all measures, be it energy efficiency or climate protection, and all countries must be involved because, otherwise, specific measures taken by individual states will be ineffective. (orig.)

Estimating Natural Environmental Characteristics of Subsidized Households: A Case Study of Austin, Texas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young-Jae Kim

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Compared to the traditional public housing program, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC program has been regarded as a better tool to ensure the quality of housing structure for subsidized households and the mixing of incomes in neighborhoods. Previous studies related to LIHTC developments have solely focused on the relationships between subsidized households and socioeconomic environments, such as income, race, poverty, etc. Beyond the socioeconomic environments where subsidized households are located, there is a limited understanding about whether subsidized households experience healthier natural environments in their neighborhoods. This study aims to investigate whether LIHTC-subsidized housing neighborhoods provide adequate natural environments to the subsidized households in Austin, Texas, compared to the public housing households. We employ comparison t-tests and binomial logistic regression models. The results show that LIHTC households are significantly exposed to unhealthy natural environmental settings such as a lack of green vegetation and steep slopes while no statistical evidence is reported for public housing neighborhoods. Findings from this study may help policymakers and planners improve their understanding of whether subsidized housing developments offer better natural environments for disadvantaged populations and help them develop effective environmental intervention strategies to improve the quality of life of subsidized households.

Scenarios of the development of the world market for environmental and climate protection goods and services; Szenarien zur Entwicklung des Weltmarktes fuer Umwelt- und Klimaschutzgueter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blazejczak, Juergen [Fachhochschule Merseburg (Germany); Deutsches Inst. fuer Wirtschaftsforschung, Berlin (Germany); Edler, Dietmar [Deutsches Inst. fuer Wirtschaftsforschung, Berlin (Germany)

2008-12-15

Supply potentials of German and European producers of goods and services for the protection of environment and climate have been accessed in a study by DIW, FhG-ISI and Roland Berger (2007). The present study explores a simple methodology to supplement such supply oriented assessments by a projection of world wide demand for environmental and climate protection goods and services (ECPGS) and to determine the share directed at German and European producers. The analysis starts from assumptions about world economic growth disaggregated by 175 countries. For each country the presumed importance of environmental protection - disaggregated by 4 areas - is described by its expected GDP share of environmental protection expenditures; rich countries devote more of their GDP than poor countries to environmental and climate protection. Environmental protection expenditure is delimited in this study in accordance with the rather traditional classification of Eurostat which only includes measures directly aimed at the reduction of pollution or other environmental pressures but excludes measures to allow for a more rational use of natural ressources. Combining this information yields an estimate of the world market of ECPGS. By adjusting statistical information on overall import shares of the 175 countries to account for the particularities of ECPGS, world imports (i.e. world trade) of ECPGS can be estimated. World market shares of German and EU suppliers of ECPGS have been derived from OECD trade statistics. Applying these to the estimates of world trade of ECPGS yields German an EU exports of ECPGS. Together with domestic demand less imports, total domestically effective demand in Germany and the EU results. To account for uncertainties, a number sensitivity analyses have been performed. They assume e.g. a less pronounced shift of growth centres to Asia, differently focussed expenditure, and reduced world market shares of Germany and Europe. Even under the assumption of a

Climate change and nutrition: creating a climate for nutrition security.

Science.gov (United States)

Tirado, M C; Crahay, P; Mahy, L; Zanev, C; Neira, M; Msangi, S; Brown, R; Scaramella, C; Costa Coitinho, D; Müller, A

2013-12-01

Climate change further exacerbates the enormous existing burden of undernutrition. It affects food and nutrition security and undermines current efforts to reduce hunger and promote nutrition. Undernutrition in turn undermines climate resilience and the coping strategies of vulnerable populations. The objectives of this paper are to identify and undertake a cross-sectoral analysis of the impacts of climate change on nutrition security and the existing mechanisms, strategies, and policies to address them. A cross-sectoral analysis of the impacts of climate change on nutrition security and the mechanisms and policies to address them was guided by an analytical framework focused on the three 'underlying causes' of undernutrition: 1) household food access, 2) maternal and child care and feeding practices, 3) environmental health and health access. The analytical framework includes the interactions of the three underlying causes of undernutrition with climate change,vulnerability, adaptation and mitigation. Within broad efforts on climate change mitigation and adaptation and climate-resilient development, a combination of nutrition-sensitive adaptation and mitigation measures, climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive agricultural development, social protection, improved maternal and child care and health, nutrition-sensitive risk reduction and management, community development measures, nutrition-smart investments, increased policy coherence, and institutional and cross-sectoral collaboration are proposed as a means to address the impacts of climate change to food and nutrition security. This paper proposes policy directions to address nutrition in the climate change agenda and recommendations for consideration by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Nutrition and health stakeholders need to be engaged in key climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives, including science-based assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC

Zero discounting can compensate future generations for climate damage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Davidson, M.D.

2014-01-01

In cost-benefit analysis of climate policy there are two main approaches to discounting, each with implications conflicting with our moral intuitions. Thus, discounted utilitarianism implies that we hardly need to protect future generations against climate change, while classical utilitarianism

The importance of the Montreal Protocol in protecting climate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Velders, G.J.M.; Andersen, S.O.; Daniel, J.S.; Fahey, D.W.; McFarland, M.

2007-01-01

The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a landmark agreement that has successfully reduced the global production, consumption, and emissions of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs). ODSs are also greenhouse gases that contribute to the radiative forcing of climate

Groundwater levels and water-quality observations pertaining to the Austin Group, Bexar County, Texas, 2009-11

Science.gov (United States)

Banta, J.R.; Clark, Allan K.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, examined groundwater-level altitudes (groundwater levels) and water-quality data pertaining to the Austin Group in Bexar County, Texas, during 2009–11. Hydrologic data collected included daily mean groundwater levels collected at seven sites in the study area. Water-quality samples were collected at six sites in the study area and analyzed for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, organic carbon, and stable isotopes. The resulting datasets were examined for similarities between sites as well as similarities to data from the Edwards aquifer in Bexar County, Tex. Similarities in the groundwater levels between sites completed in the Austin Group and site J (State well AY-68-37-203; hereafter referred to as the “Bexar County index well”) which is completed in the Edwards aquifer might be indicative of groundwater interactions between the two hydrologic units as a result of nearby faulting or conduit flow. The groundwater levels measured at the sites in the study area exhibited varying degrees of similarity to the Bexar County index well. Groundwater levels at site A (State well AY-68-36-136) exhibited similar patterns as those at the Bexar County index well, but the hydrographs of groundwater levels were different in shape and magnitude in response to precipitation and groundwater pumping, and at times slightly offset in time. The groundwater level patterns measured at sites C, D, and E (State wells AY-68-29-513, AY-68-29-514, and AY-68-29-512, respectively) were not similar to those measured at the Bexar County index well. Groundwater levels at site F (State well AY-68-29-819) exhibited general similarities as those observed at the Bexar County index well; however, there were several periods of notable groundwater-level drawdowns at site F that were not evident at the Bexar County index well. These drawdowns were likely because of pumping from the well at site F. The groundwater

Climate policy conception of the Federal Environmental Agency. Necessary position of points 2009; Konzeption des Umweltbundesamtes zur Klimapolitik. Notwendige Weichenstellungen 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knoche, Guido; Luenenbuerger, Benjamin; Hain, Benno; Mueschen, Klaus

2009-10-15

The report on the climate policy concept of the Federal Environmental Agency covers the following issues: Climatic change and the consequences: climatic change until today, future climatic change, consequences in Germany, effects on environment, society and industry. Goals of climate policy: maximum global warming of 2 deg C, reversal of global greenhouse gas emissions until 2020, sustainable development and adaptation strategies. Adaptation: international adaptation, national and regional instruments, adaptation concerning public health, environmental protection, including biodiversity in agriculture and forestry, economics. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions: international treaty beyond 2013, reduced emissions in industrial and developing countries, national goals, climate protection instruments, reduction within electricity, heat and traffic, reduction of fluorine containing gases in agriculture, economical cost and benefit considerations, effects on economic growth and employment. Synergies and conflicts between climate policy and other environmental goals: climate protection, public health and ecosystems, biomass conversion and sustainable agriculture, climate and resources protection, development of a sustainable energy supply.

IMPACT, VULNERABILITY AND INURING TO THE CLIMATE CHANGES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mazilu Mirela; Buce Gabriela; Ciobanu Mariana [University of Craiova, University Centre of Drobeta Turnu Severin, Mehedinti (Romania)

2008-09-30

The adverse effects of the climate changes caused or not by the human being are on the international politic agenda for more than a decade. All over the world the discussions on the climate changes are intensifying and heading new directions, with a larger opening. The climate changes were subject of the agenda of the most important regional and international meetings this year, many of these asking the ending with positive results of the U.N.O. Conference on Climate Changes that is taking place these days in Bali, between the 3rd and 14th of December 2007. The Bali Conference will give the possibility of getting involved in the future into the multilateral processes of climate change under the auspices of the United Nations and into the process of shaping a global approaching plan of the climate changes. The climate changes represent one of the major challenges in our century--a complex field about what we have to improve our knowledge and understanding in order to take immediate and correct actions for a lasting and efficient approach from the point of view of the costs and challenges in the climate changes field respecting the precaution and climate changes inuring principle. The inuring is a process which allows societies to learn to react to the risks associated to the climate changes. These risks are real and already present in many systems and essential sectors of the human existence--the hydrological resources, alimentary security and health. The inuring options are multiple and vary from the technical ones--protection against the water gown level or dwellings protected against the floods by being hanged up on pontoons--to the change of the behavior of the individuals, such as the reduce of the water or energy consumption and/or a more efficient consumption. Other strategies suppose: signaling systems of the meteorological phenomenon, improvements of the risk management, ways to assure and preserve the biodiversity in order to reduce the impact of the

Climate change adaptation in Ethiopia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weldegebriel, Zerihun Berhane; Prowse, Martin

Ethiopia is vulnerable to climate change due to its limited development and dependence on agriculture. Social protection schemes like the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) can play a positive role in promoting livelihoods and enhancing households’ risk management. This article examines......, they suggest the PSNP may not be helping smallholders diversify income sources in a positive manner for climate adaptation. The article concludes by arguing for further investigation of the PSNP’s influence on smallholders’ adaptation strategies....

75 FR 20352 - National Drinking Water Advisory Council's Climate Ready Water Utilities Working Group Meeting...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-19

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9139-3] National Drinking Water Advisory Council's Climate Ready Water Utilities Working Group Meeting Announcement AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION...-person meeting of the Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) Working Group of the National Drinking Water...

75 FR 54871 - National Drinking Water Advisory Council's Climate Ready Water Utilities Working Group Meeting...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-09

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9198-8] National Drinking Water Advisory Council's Climate Ready Water Utilities Working Group Meeting Announcement AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... final in-person meeting of the Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) Working Group of the National...

75 FR 35458 - National Drinking Water Advisory Council's Climate Ready Water Utilities Working Group Meeting...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-22

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9165-6] National Drinking Water Advisory Council's Climate Ready Water Utilities Working Group Meeting Announcement AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... fourth in-person meeting of the Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) Working Group of the National...

75 FR 1380 - National Drinking Water Advisory Council's Climate Ready Water Utilities Working Group Meeting...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-11

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9101-9] National Drinking Water Advisory Council's Climate Ready Water Utilities Working Group Meeting Announcement AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION... meeting of the Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) Working Group of the National Drinking Water Advisory...

Climate protection in Colombia. An overview; Klimaschutz in Kolumbien. Ein Uebersichtsbeitrag

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lemberg, Katrin [Universidad Externado de Colombia, Bogota (Colombia)

2014-07-01

The effects of the climatic change in Colombia includes the increase of sea level at the Caribbean and the Pacific coast, the increase of temperature, the increase of precipitation, effecting the agricultures, the ecosystems, the water supply and the public health. Colombia has already started specific programs, adaptation measures with respect to the effects of the climatic change, reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions and projects with respect to the reduction of emissions due to deforestation and degradation.

Assessing Shifts of Mediterranean and Arid Climates Under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 Climate Projections in Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Barredo, José I.; Mauri, Achille; Caudullo, Giovanni; Dosio, Alessandro

2018-04-01

The Mediterranean basin is the richest biodiversity region in Europe and a global hotspot of biological diversity. In spite of that, anthropogenic climate change is one of the most serious concerns for nature conservation in this region. One of the climatic threats is represented by shifts of the Mediterranean climate and expansion of the arid climate. In this paper, we present an assessment of changes in the spatial range of the Mediterranean climate in Europe and the conversion into arid climate under different greenhouse gas forcings, namely RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. We used 11 simulations in two future 30-year periods of state-of-the-art regional climate models from EURO-CORDEX. Our results indicate that by the end of the century under RCP8.5 the present Mediterranean climate zone is projected to contract by 16%, i.e. an area ( 157,000 km2) equivalent to half the size of Italy. This compares with the less severe scenario RCP4.5 that projected only a 3% reduction. In addition, the Mediterranean climate zone is projected to expand to other zones by an area equivalent to 24 and 50% of its present extent under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. Our study indicates that expansion of the arid zone is almost always the cause for contraction of the Mediterranean zone. Under RCP8.5 the arid zone is projected to increase by more than twice its present extent, equivalent to three times the size of Greece. Results of this study are useful for identifying (1) priority zones for biodiversity conservation, i.e. stable Mediterranean climate zones, (2) zones requiring assisted adaptation, such as establishment of new protected areas, implementation of buffer zones around protected areas and creating ecological corridors connecting stable Mediterranean zones.

Environment protection and energy politics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grawe, J.

1993-01-01

The lecture first deals with the aims and legal basis in German and European law of environment protection with regard to energy politics. It then goes to deal with European regulations for environment protection and their effects on the energy supply: Air pollution abatement, tax for the protection of the climate, internalisation of external costs. The following European energy-political measures impinge on environment protection: Sponsored projects, least-cost planning, third-party access to the public electricity supply. The discrepancy between European and national policies can be lessened or resolved by the following means: Harmonisation, subsidiarity principle, and scope for entrepreneurial solutions. (orig.) [de

Re-examining the provisions for climate protection. Tightrope walk of the Federal Government

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuermann, H.J.

1996-01-01

The federal government assigns priority to a concept of small steps in climate protection. At the Environmental Summit in Berlin in the Spring of 1995, Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl promised a 25% decrease of German carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions between 1990 and 2005. Even though considerable progress has been made in this country since the early nineties, the CO 2 reduction level envisaged for political reasons remains threatened. Compared to 1990 as the base line year, CO 2 emissions in the Federal Republic by the middle of this decade have been reduced by more than 130 million tons, i.e. 13%. However, this decrease is due to the drastic decline in particularly CO 2 -intensive production processes in the new German federal states. In Eastern Germany, especially the use of lignite, with its relatively high carbon dioxide fractions, has been reduced. A number of aspects need to be taken into account. The reductions promised in voluntary agreements for cooperation between industry and the federal government are an important step in the right direction. Energy taxes based on emissions should be introduced only on the basis of a calculable schedule, in small steps and, if possible, in an internationally harmonized approach in order to protect long-term investments. In this way, longer-term incentives could be offered in the interest of environmentally benign innovations and investments already at the stage of industrial planning. Should nuclear power, which produces no CO 2 emissions, be abandoned on political grounds, the national costs of such a switch would be likely to reach amounts in the double or three-digit billions. The operation of German nuclear power plants at present allows some 150 million tons of CO 2 to be avoided annually. If new reactors could be built in the future without any political obstacles, additional CO 2 savings potentials could be mobilized. (orig./DG)

Radiation protection monitoring in tropical, developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, K.; Drexler, G.

1979-01-01

Almost all radiation protection standards, manuals and textbooks have been written in and for industrialized countries in temperate climates, and most research effort and instrument manufacturers are also located there. There has been relatively little interest in the completely different socio-economic and climatic conditions in many developing countries. Some of the important differences in conditions, such as high temperatures and relative humidities, electric-power failures and voltage fluctuations, shortage of trained manpower, etc., are discussed, and suggestions are made how to minimize their impacts. Other important matters that are considered are recruitment and training, optimized organizational structures, and the proper choice of research topics in the radiation protection field. (author)

Wetlands in a changing climate: Science, policy and management

Science.gov (United States)

Moomaw, William R.; Chmura, G.L.; Davies, Gillian T.; Finlayson, Max; Middleton, Beth A.; Natali, Sue M.; Perry, James; Roulet, Nigel; Sutton-Grier, Ariana

2018-01-01

Part 1 of this review synthesizes recent research on status and climate vulnerability of freshwater and saltwater wetlands, and their contribution to addressing climate change (carbon cycle, adaptation, resilience). Peatlands and vegetated coastal wetlands are among the most carbon rich sinks on the planet sequestering approximately as much carbon as do global forest ecosystems. Estimates of the consequences of rising temperature on current wetland carbon storage and future carbon sequestration potential are summarized. We also demonstrate the need to prevent drying of wetlands and thawing of permafrost by disturbances and rising temperatures to protect wetland carbon stores and climate adaptation/resiliency ecosystem services. Preventing further wetland loss is found to be important in limiting future emissions to meet climate goals, but is seldom considered. In Part 2, the paper explores the policy and management realm from international to national, subnational and local levels to identify strategies and policies reflecting an integrated understanding of both wetland and climate change science. Specific recommendations are made to capture synergies between wetlands and carbon cycle management, adaptation and resiliency to further enable researchers, policy makers and practitioners to protect wetland carbon and climate adaptation/resiliency ecosystem services.

Trees against the greenhouse effect. Reforestation for climate protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauer, H.D.

1994-01-01

Climate experts have voiced their warnings: If we continue to accumulate greenhouse gases in the Earth atmosphere, it must be expected that the global average temperature will increase by 1.5 degrees centigrade to 4.5 degrees centigrade, and significant climte changes will occur. (orig.) [de

Climate Velocity Can Inform Conservation in a Warming World.

Science.gov (United States)

Brito-Morales, Isaac; García Molinos, Jorge; Schoeman, David S; Burrows, Michael T; Poloczanska, Elvira S; Brown, Christopher J; Ferrier, Simon; Harwood, Tom D; Klein, Carissa J; McDonald-Madden, Eve; Moore, Pippa J; Pandolfi, John M; Watson, James E M; Wenger, Amelia S; Richardson, Anthony J

2018-06-01

Climate change is shifting the ranges of species. Simple predictive metrics of range shifts such as climate velocity, that do not require extensive knowledge or data on individual species, could help to guide conservation. We review research on climate velocity, describing the theory underpinning the concept and its assumptions. We highlight how climate velocity has already been applied in conservation-related research, including climate residence time, climate refugia, endemism, historic and projected range shifts, exposure to climate change, and climate connectivity. Finally, we discuss ways to enhance the use of climate velocity in conservation through tailoring it to be more biologically meaningful, informing design of protected areas, conserving ocean biodiversity in 3D, and informing conservation actions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global Governance of Climate Change The Paris Agreement as a New Component of the UN Climate Regime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David A. Wirth

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The Paris Agreement, which was adopted in December 2015 and entered into force less than a year later, is the newest instrument to be adopted in the United Nations-sponsored global climate regime. The Paris Agreement takes its place under the 1992 Framework Convention on Climate Change and next to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and 2012 Doha Amendment. After describing the historical evolution of the UN climate regime employing the tools of international law, this Article explores the structural, institutional, and legal relationships between the new Paris Agreement and the prior development and content of UN-sponsored efforts on climate protection under the auspices of the 1992 Framework Convention. The need for such an analysis is particularly urgent because the new instrument was purposely not identified as a “protocol,” and its relationship to the prior Kyoto Protocol is unclear. This Article consequently traces the development of the universal, UN-anchored climate regime from its origins in the 1990s to the present moment, with particular attention to the structural relationship among its various components and historical junctures. The Article then examines the text and structure of the Paris Agreement, along with its context, against this background. The significance of the Agreement’s status as an instrument other than a “protocol,” and its uncertain textual and institutional relationship to the prior Kyoto Protocol, receive particular scrutiny. The Article concludes that the Paris Agreement, from a structural and institutional point of view, represents both a break with the past designed to initiate a new, globally-inclusive multilateral approach to climate protection, but also contains indications of continuity with prior questions of global climate policy.

Climate Change and the Social Factor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Lars Kjerulf; Jensen, Anne; Nielsen, Signe Svalgaard

This poster reports from a explorative study about social aspects of climate change adaptation in Denmark. The aim of the project was to explore how people perceive and relate to climate change adaptation, what risks are associated with climate change and how are those risks balanced with other...... risks and concerns of everyday life? The project found that the distinction between climate change mitigation and adaptation is of little significance for lay people. The prospect of climate change does provoke reflections on social values and the need for saving energy, but when it comes to protecting...... ones own life and property against future damaging effects of climate change the threat seems distant and other forms of home improvement seem more relevant. People have a high level of trust in socio-technical systems and feel that adaptation measures primarily should be taken by the authorities....

Climate change and respiratory health.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerardi, Daniel A; Kellerman, Roy A

2014-10-01

To discuss the nature of climate change and both its immediate and long-term effects on human respiratory health. This review is based on information from a presentation of the American College of Chest Physicians course on Occupational and Environmental Lung Disease held in Toronto, Canada, June 2013. It is supplemented by a PubMed search for climate change, global warming, respiratory tract diseases, and respiratory health. It is also supplemented by a search of Web sites including the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, World Meteorological Association, National Snow and Ice Data Center, Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, and the World Health Organization. Health effects of climate change include an increase in the prevalence of certain respiratory diseases, exacerbations of chronic lung disease, premature mortality, allergic responses, and declines in lung function. Climate change, mediated by greenhouse gases, causes adverse health effects to the most vulnerable patient populations-the elderly, children, and those in distressed socioeconomic strata.

Guide to protect climate. Saving energy and cost, protecting climate; Der Klima-Knigge. Energie sparen, Kosten senken, Klima schuetzen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griesshammer, Rainer

2008-07-01

As a climate protector you mustn't seat in the darkness. The author shows by much humour and esprit how simple it is to save energy. Who is willing to persue his every day tips, must not miss comfort and lowers even carbon dioxide emission. This is good for the environment and fills up the own purse. (orig./GL) [German] Als Klimaschuetzer braucht man nicht im Dunkeln zu sitzen. Mit viel Humor und Esprit zeigt Griesshammer, wie einfach Energie sparen sein kann. Wer seine Alltagstipps befolgt, muss auf keinen Komfort verzichten und mindert trotzdem den CO2-Ausstoss. Das nutzt der Umwelt und fuellt den eigenen Geldbeutel auf. (orig./GL)

About climate changes impact on the Kazakhstan pastures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebed', L.V.; Belenkova, Z.S.; Turbacheva, T.P.

1997-01-01

Assessment of arid pastures vulnerability situated under direct influence of regional climate change related with greenhouse effect is carried out on Northern Aral Sea area as example. Climate change variants calculated with future prospects for on Kazakhstan territory with use up-to-date models of GFDL (USA), CCCM (Canada) climate theory are used. Number of protective measures are proposed for mitigation of consequences of possible vulnerability of pastures during simultaneous impact of complex of anthropogenic and natural factors. (author)

Authoritative School Climate, Number of Parents at Home, and Academic Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Francis L.; Eklund, Katie; Cornell, Dewey G.

2017-01-01

School climate is widely recognized as an important factor in promoting student academic achievement. The current study investigated the hypothesis that a demanding and supportive school climate, based on authoritative school climate theory, would serve as a protective factor for students living with 1 or no parents at home. Using a statewide…

2.1 Man: subject of protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This second chapter 'Man and environment' of the 7th state of the environment report of Austria describes the current situation of the protection of human health in terms of the European environmental policy and the main subjects of high relevance to it, such as air pollutants, water pollution, noise pollution, dangerous chemicals, food contamination, radiation protection, effects of climate change, plants, animal and habitats. (nevyjel)

Global Climate Change and Children's Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahdoot, Samantha; Pacheco, Susan E

2015-11-01

Rising global temperature is causing major physical, chemical, and ecological changes across the planet. There is wide consensus among scientific organizations and climatologists that these broad effects, known as climate change, are the result of contemporary human activity. Climate change poses threats to human health, safety, and security. Children are uniquely vulnerable to these threats. The effects of climate change on child health include physical and psychological sequelae of weather disasters, increased heat stress, decreased air quality, altered disease patterns of some climate-sensitive infections, and food, water, and nutrient insecurity in vulnerable regions. Prompt implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies will protect children against worsening of the problem and its associated health effects. This technical report reviews the nature of climate change and its associated child health effects and supports the recommendations in the accompanying policy statement on climate change and children's health. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

77 FR 76034 - National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-26

... Strategy: Response to Climate Change AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of... Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change'' (2012 Strategy). The Strategy describes a set of long-term visions and goals for the management of water resources in light of climate change and charts key...

Shelterbelts: A buffer to climate on the Plains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandle, J.R.

1991-01-01

One type of non-traditional forest on the Great Plains is the shelterbelt, which act as buffers to the climatic extremes of the region. The primary direct effect of a shelterbelt is to reduce the surface wind speed, resulting in altered microclimates extending 3-4 times the height of the shelterbelt on the windward side and 10-20 times the height on the leeward side. Field shelterbelts are used to protect crops, reduce wind erosion and distribute snow. Shelterbelts may also be used to protect farmsteads, livestock, roadways, and wildlife habitat. As future climate patterns develop, the value of wind protection and the moderating effect on microclimate will become more important, and careful shelterbelt design will result in benefits to various human activities. If the climate in the Plains becomes hotter and drier, as predicted, plants will need to have greater heat and drought tolerance, and will also require greater resistance to insect and disease attack. A classical genetic approach may be successful in adapting varieties, or biotechnology may shorten the period between successful identification of stress resistance and inclusion of the resistance on the next generation. 13 refs

Vulnerability of the global terrestrial ecosystems to climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Delong; Wu, Shuyao; Liu, Laibao; Zhang, Yatong; Li, Shuangcheng

2018-05-27

Climate change has far-reaching impacts on ecosystems. Recent attempts to quantify such impacts focus on measuring exposure to climate change but largely ignore ecosystem resistance and resilience, which may also affect the vulnerability outcomes. In this study, the relative vulnerability of global terrestrial ecosystems to short-term climate variability was assessed by simultaneously integrating exposure, sensitivity, and resilience at a high spatial resolution (0.05°). The results show that vulnerable areas are currently distributed primarily in plains. Responses to climate change vary among ecosystems and deserts and xeric shrublands are the most vulnerable biomes. Global vulnerability patterns are determined largely by exposure, while ecosystem sensitivity and resilience may exacerbate or alleviate external climate pressures at local scales; there is a highly significant negative correlation between exposure and sensitivity. Globally, 61.31% of the terrestrial vegetated area is capable of mitigating climate change impacts and those areas are concentrated in polar regions, boreal forests, tropical rainforests, and intact forests. Under current sensitivity and resilience conditions, vulnerable areas are projected to develop in high Northern Hemisphere latitudes in the future. The results suggest that integrating all three aspects of vulnerability (exposure, sensitivity, and resilience) may offer more comprehensive and spatially explicit adaptation strategies to reduce the impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Crop modelling and water use efficiency of protected cucumber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Moujabber, M.; Atallah, Th.; Darwish, T.

2002-01-01

Crop modelling is considered an essential tool of planning. The automation of irrigation scheduling using crop models would contribute to an optimisation of water and fertiliser use of protected crops. To achieve this purpose, two experiments were carried. The first one aimed at determining water requirements and irrigation scheduling using climatic data. The second experiment was to establish the influence of irrigation interval and fertigation regime on water use efficiency. The results gave a simple model for the determination of the water requirements of protected cucumber by the use of climatic data: ETc=K* Ep. K and Ep are calculated using climatic data outside the greenhouse. As for water use efficiency, the second experiment highlighted the fact that a high frequency and continuous feeding are highly recommended for maximising yield. (author)

Climate protection in Germany. 40% reduction of CO{sub 2} emissions by 2020 compared to 1990; Klimaschutz in Deutschland. 40%-Senkung der CO{sub 2}-Emissionen bis 2020 gegenueber 1990

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Erdmenger, Christoph; Hermann, Hauke; Tambke, Jens (and others)

2007-06-15

The report covers the following chapters: executive summary: the eight most important measures for climate protection; introduction: why should Germany reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% until 2020? Which framework requirements and assumptions are the basis for the Federal environmental Agency assessment? How should the required CO{sub 2} emission reduction be distributed to different sections? Which cost efficient measures can be reached in Germany: energy management, industry, households and business, traffic? Which instruments should be used in Germany? Conclusion: the 40% aim is reachable, but only with a resolute climate and energy policy.

Climate information for public health: the role of the IRI climate data library in an integrated knowledge system.

Science.gov (United States)

del Corral, John; Blumenthal, M Benno; Mantilla, Gilma; Ceccato, Pietro; Connor, Stephen J; Thomson, Madeleine C

2012-09-01

Public health professionals are increasingly concerned about the potential impact of climate variability and change on health outcomes. Protecting public health from the vagaries of climate requires new working relationships between the public health sector and the providers of climate data and information. The Climate Information for Public Health Action initiative at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) is designed to increase the public health community's capacity to understand, use and demand appropriate climate data and climate information to mitigate the public health impacts of the climate. Significant challenges to building the capacity of health professionals to use climate information in research and decision-making include the difficulties experienced by many in accessing relevant and timely quality controlled data and information in formats that can be readily incorporated into specific analysis with other data sources. We present here the capacities of the IRI climate data library and show how we have used it to build an integrated knowledge system in the support of the use of climate and environmental information in climate-sensitive decision-making with respect to health. Initiated as an aid facilitating exploratory data analysis for climate scientists, the IRI climate data library has emerged as a powerful tool for interdisciplinary researchers focused on topics related to climate impacts on society, including health.

Protection of industry competitiveness, climate policy, and WTO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cros, Ch.

2007-01-01

This report analyses the possibilities left by the WTO to its members to compensate an additional cost which would result from a policy of struggle against climate change. In a first part, the author identifies the existing possibilities within WTO rules themselves: rules based of production processes, border tax adjustments, subsidies. In a second part, he questions the exception regime established by the GATT's article X X which allows under some circumstances some measures to be implemented which are not compliant with WTO rules

Climate change adaptation benefits of potential conservation partnerships.

Science.gov (United States)

Monahan, William B; Theobald, David M

2018-01-01

We evaluate the world terrestrial network of protected areas (PAs) for its partnership potential in responding to climate change. That is, if a PA engaged in collaborative, trans-boundary management of species, by investing in conservation partnerships with neighboring areas, what climate change adaptation benefits might accrue? We consider core tenets of conservation biology related to protecting large areas with high environmental heterogeneity and low climate change velocity and ask how a series of biodiversity adaptation indicators change across spatial scales encompassing potential PA and non-PA partners. Less than 1% of current world terrestrial PAs equal or exceed the size of established and successful conservation partnerships. Partnering at this scale would increase the biodiversity adaptation indicators by factors up to two orders of magnitude, compared to a null model in which each PA is isolated. Most partnership area surrounding PAs is comprised of non-PAs (70%), indicating the importance of looking beyond the current network of PAs when promoting climate change adaptation. Given monumental challenges with PA-based species conservation in the face of climate change, partnerships provide a logical and achievable strategy for helping areas adapt. Our findings identify where strategic partnering efforts in highly vulnerable areas of the world may prove critical in safeguarding biodiversity.

Built-up resilience to climate change in peatlands

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, H.; Tian, J.; Ho, M.; Flanagan, N. E.; Vilgalys, R.; Richardson, C. J.

2017-12-01

Peatlands have stored about 30% of global soil carbon over millennia. Most studies suggest that climate change effects, like drought and warming, may decrease C sequestration and increase C loss in peatlands, thus resulting in a positive feedback on climate change. However, the long-term feedback between plant-microbe mediated carbon processes and climate change still remains highly uncertain. Here, we conducted a series of field and lab experiments in southern shrub and northern Sphagnum peatlands to document how previously unrecognized mechanisms regulate the buildup of anti-microbial phenolics, which protects stored carbon directly by reducing phenol oxidase activity during short-term drought, and indirectly through a shift from low-phenolics Sphagnum/herbs to high-phenolics shrubs after long-term moderate drought. We further showed a symbiosis of slow-growing decomposers concomitant with a shift of high-phenolic plants, which increased peat resistance to disturbance. Our results indicate that shrub expansion induced by climate change in boreal peatlands may be a long-term self-adaptive mechanism not only increasing carbon sequestration, but also potentially protecting soil carbon. Therefore, peatlands are highly resilient ecosystems in which the symbiotic adaption of both plants and microbes, triggered by persistent climate change, likely can acclimate to the stressors and maintain their carbon sequestration function and processes.

Practical Approach on Lightning and Grounding Protection System

OpenAIRE

Shan Jose Varghese

2015-01-01

Lightning Protection and Grounding of Electrical and Mechanical equipment’s for the Protection of the Human Beings, Structure of the building and equipment protection, safe working of the Worker at Industry as per my latest practical knowledge in the site environment in extreme climatic condition of low lying areas of the Gulf Region in the challenging projects. All the conductor calculation, Lightning Risk Factor calculations, all the system information regarding the ...

The deep ocean under climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Lisa A.; Le Bris, Nadine

2015-11-01

The deep ocean absorbs vast amounts of heat and carbon dioxide, providing a critical buffer to climate change but exposing vulnerable ecosystems to combined stresses of warming, ocean acidification, deoxygenation, and altered food inputs. Resulting changes may threaten biodiversity and compromise key ocean services that maintain a healthy planet and human livelihoods. There exist large gaps in understanding of the physical and ecological feedbacks that will occur. Explicit recognition of deep-ocean climate mitigation and inclusion in adaptation planning by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) could help to expand deep-ocean research and observation and to protect the integrity and functions of deep-ocean ecosystems.

Global Climate Change and Infectious Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

EK Shuman

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Climate change is occurring as a result of warming of the earth’s atmosphere due to human activity generating excess amounts of greenhouse gases. Because of its potential impact on the hydrologic cycle and severe weather events, climate change is expected to have an enormous effect on human health, including on the burden and distribution of many infectious diseases. The infectious diseases that will be most affected by climate change include those that are spread by insect vectors and by contaminated water. The burden of adverse health effects due to these infectious diseases will fall primarily on developing countries, while it is the developed countries that are primarily responsible for climate change. It is up to governments and individuals to take the lead in halting climate change, and we must increase our understanding of the ecology of infectious diseases in order to protect vulnerable populations.

The future in our hands. 21 climate policy statements for the 21st century; Die Zukunft in unseren Haenden. 21 Thesen zur Klimaschutzpolitik des 21. Jahrhunderts und ihre Begruendungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weiss, Martin; Erdmenger, Christoph; Strohschein, Jan (and others)

2005-10-15

The German climate policy for the 21st century is concerned with the following topics: the climate change and its consequences in Germany, future climate changes and the consequences; limitation of the temperature increase and required activity goals, - required long-term and global emission reductions; adaptation to the climate change consequences, global emission trends; reduction of the global emissions, including USA, emerging and developing countries; proposal of the Federal Environment Agency: four-step-convergence; costs of climate protection versus costs of non-action; further positive effects of climate protection, struggle against poverty, and promotion of renewable energies; anchoring the climate protection in other policy areas; status of the Kyoto protocol implementation in Germany; reduction of greenhouse gas emissions until 2050; consequent climate protection and ecological finance reform; emissions trading; reduction of energy consumption; renewal of the power plant mix; contribution of renewable energy sources to the electricity supply; reduction of the traffic induced carbon dioxide emission; contribution of agriculture to climate protection; guiding ideas of climate protecting behavior.

Phytochemicals of Brassicaceae in plant protection and human health--influences of climate, environment and agronomic practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Björkman, Maria; Klingen, Ingeborg; Birch, Andrew N E; Bones, Atle M; Bruce, Toby J A; Johansen, Tor J; Meadow, Richard; Mølmann, Jørgen; Seljåsen, Randi; Smart, Lesley E; Stewart, Derek

2011-05-01

In this review, we provide an overview of the role of glucosinolates and other phytochemical compounds present in the Brassicaceae in relation to plant protection and human health. Current knowledge of the factors that influence phytochemical content and profile in the Brassicaceae is also summarized and multi-factorial approaches are briefly discussed. Variation in agronomic conditions (plant species, cultivar, developmental stage, plant organ, plant competition, fertilization, pH), season, climatic factors, water availability, light (intensity, quality, duration) and CO(2) are known to significantly affect content and profile of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals such as the glucosinolates and leaf surface waxes play an important role in interactions with pests and pathogens. Factors that affect production of phytochemicals are important when designing plant protection strategies that exploit these compounds to minimize crop damage caused by plant pests and pathogens. Brassicaceous plants are consumed increasingly for possible health benefits, for example, glucosinolate-derived effects on degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, factors influencing phytochemical content and profile in the production of brassicaceous plants are worth considering both for plant and human health. Even though it is known that factors that influence phytochemical content and profile may interact, studies of plant compounds were, until recently, restricted by methods allowing only a reductionistic approach. It is now possible to design multi-factorial experiments that simulate their combined effects. This will provide important information to ecologists, plant breeders and agronomists. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protecting access to water from urban sprawl, climate change in ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2011-05-13

May 13, 2011 ... Water is scarce for residents on the edge of South Asia's expanding cities. ... and a changing climate affect water security in peri-urban South Asia and find fair and sustainable ... Villages in Nepal prepare for weather extremes.

Vulnerability Assessments in Support of the Climate Ready ...

Science.gov (United States)

As part of the Climate Ready Estuaries (CRE) program, the Global Change Research Program (GCRP) in the National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has prepared this draft report exploring a new methodology for climate change vulnerability assessments using San Francisco Bay’s salt marsh and mudflat ecosystems as a demonstration. N/A

Scale-dependent complementarity of climatic velocity and environmental diversity for identifying priority areas for conservation under climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Carlos; Roberts, David R; Michalak, Julia L; Lawler, Joshua J; Nielsen, Scott E; Stralberg, Diana; Hamann, Andreas; Mcrae, Brad H; Wang, Tongli

2017-11-01

As most regions of the earth transition to altered climatic conditions, new methods are needed to identify refugia and other areas whose conservation would facilitate persistence of biodiversity under climate change. We compared several common approaches to conservation planning focused on climate resilience over a broad range of ecological settings across North America and evaluated how commonalities in the priority areas identified by different methods varied with regional context and spatial scale. Our results indicate that priority areas based on different environmental diversity metrics differed substantially from each other and from priorities based on spatiotemporal metrics such as climatic velocity. Refugia identified by diversity or velocity metrics were not strongly associated with the current protected area system, suggesting the need for additional conservation measures including protection of refugia. Despite the inherent uncertainties in predicting future climate, we found that variation among climatic velocities derived from different general circulation models and emissions pathways was less than the variation among the suite of environmental diversity metrics. To address uncertainty created by this variation, planners can combine priorities identified by alternative metrics at a single resolution and downweight areas of high variation between metrics. Alternately, coarse-resolution velocity metrics can be combined with fine-resolution diversity metrics in order to leverage the respective strengths of the two groups of metrics as tools for identification of potential macro- and microrefugia that in combination maximize both transient and long-term resilience to climate change. Planners should compare and integrate approaches that span a range of model complexity and spatial scale to match the range of ecological and physical processes influencing persistence of biodiversity and identify a conservation network resilient to threats operating at

World-wide anthropogenic climate changes: facts, uncertainties and open questions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoenwiese, C.D.

1994-01-01

Various human activities are, without a doubt, leading to a steady increase world-wide in the emissions of trace gases which affect the climate into the atmosphere. As a result, the global climate is also forced to change. The evidence from climate models regarding this is uncertain, however, both with respect to the quantitative aspect and the regional aspect, especially concerning climatic elements apart from temperature. It is therefore important to examine the data of climate history for anthropogenic climate signals. It is difficult, though, to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic climate effects. Despite these uncertainties, however, which result in many questions remaining open, estimations of risk and the principle of responsibility lead to immediate, international climate protection measures being demanded. (orig.) [de

Major economies Forum on energy and climate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

The Major Economies Forum is intended to facilitate an open dialogue among major developed and developing economies, help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome at the United Nations climatic change conference in Copenhagen, and advance the exploration of concrete initiatives and joint ventures that increase the supply of clean energy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The Forum's second preparatory meeting was held in Paris in May 2009, mainly focused on greenhouse gas emissions reduction actions and objectives, the diffusion of clean technologies, the financing of activities for climate protection and adaptation to climatic change impacts

Climate change matters.

Science.gov (United States)

Macpherson, Cheryl Cox

2014-04-01

One manifestation of climate change is the increasingly severe extreme weather that causes injury, illness and death through heat stress, air pollution, infectious disease and other means. Leading health organisations around the world are responding to the related water and food shortages and volatility of energy and agriculture prices that threaten health and health economics. Environmental and climate ethics highlight the associated challenges to human rights and distributive justice but rarely address health or encompass bioethical methods or analyses. Public health ethics and its broader umbrella, bioethics, remain relatively silent on climate change. Meanwhile global population growth creates more people who aspire to Western lifestyles and unrestrained socioeconomic growth. Fulfilling these aspirations generates more emissions; worsens climate change; and undermines virtues and values that engender appreciation of, and protections for, natural resources. Greater understanding of how virtues and values are evolving in different contexts, and the associated consequences, might nudge the individual and collective priorities that inform public policy toward embracing stewardship and responsibility for environmental resources necessary to health. Instead of neglecting climate change and related policy, public health ethics and bioethics should explore these issues; bring transparency to the tradeoffs that permit emissions to continue at current rates; and offer deeper understanding about what is at stake and what it means to live a good life in today's world.

Climate Justice in Rural Southeastern United States: A Review of Climate Change Impacts and Effects on Human Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutierrez, Kristie S; LePrevost, Catherine E

2016-02-03

Climate justice is a local, national, and global movement to protect at-risk populations who are disproportionately affected by climate change. The social context for this review is the Southeastern region of the United States, which is particularly susceptible to climate change because of the geography of the area and the vulnerabilities of the inhabiting populations. Negative human health effects on variable and vulnerable populations within the Southeast region due to changing climate are concerning, as health threats are not expected to produce parallel effects among all individuals. Vulnerable communities, such as communities of color, indigenous people, the geographically isolated, and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged and already experiencing poor environmental quality, are least able to respond and adapt to climate change. Focusing on vulnerable populations in the Southeastern United States, this review is a synthesis of the recent (2010 to 2015) literature-base on the health effects connected to climate change. This review also addresses local and regional mitigation and adaptation strategies for citizens and leaders to combat direct and indirect human health effects related to a changing climate.

Predicting the impact of climate change on threatened species in UK waters.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miranda C Jones

Full Text Available Global climate change is affecting the distribution of marine species and is thought to represent a threat to biodiversity. Previous studies project expansion of species range for some species and local extinction elsewhere under climate change. Such range shifts raise concern for species whose long-term persistence is already threatened by other human disturbances such as fishing. However, few studies have attempted to assess the effects of future climate change on threatened vertebrate marine species using a multi-model approach. There has also been a recent surge of interest in climate change impacts on protected areas. This study applies three species distribution models and two sets of climate model projections to explore the potential impacts of climate change on marine species by 2050. A set of species in the North Sea, including seven threatened and ten major commercial species were used as a case study. Changes in habitat suitability in selected candidate protected areas around the UK under future climatic scenarios were assessed for these species. Moreover, change in the degree of overlap between commercial and threatened species ranges was calculated as a proxy of the potential threat posed by overfishing through bycatch. The ensemble projections suggest northward shifts in species at an average rate of 27 km per decade, resulting in small average changes in range overlap between threatened and commercially exploited species. Furthermore, the adverse consequences of climate change on the habitat suitability of protected areas were projected to be small. Although the models show large variation in the predicted consequences of climate change, the multi-model approach helps identify the potential risk of increased exposure to human stressors of critically endangered species such as common skate (Dipturus batis and angelshark (Squatina squatina.

Climate protection in Germany. Final report on the research project policy scenarios III; Klimaschutz in Deutschland bis 2030. Endbericht zum Forschungsvorhaben Politikszenarien III

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diekmann, Jochen; Hopf, Rainer; Ziesing, Hans-Joachim [Deutsches Institut fuer Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Berlin (DE)] (and others)

2005-01-15

One goal of the study was the evaluation of single greenhouse gas reduction measures which are part of the national climate protection program initiated in the year 2000 by the German Government. Within the project the potentials of greenhouse gas emissions reduction of single measures have been quantified up to the year 2010. Taken all the impacts of the measures into account, it seems to be possible to reduce the overall greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 20 % by the year 2010. 70 % of the reduction is caused by CO2 emissions reduction and 30 % by a reduction of other non-CO2 emissions. It should be emphasised that 38 million tonnes of CO2 can be reduced by forcing the use of renewable energies. However, to achieve the German's ''burden sharing'' goal of a 21 % emissions reduction by the year 2010 additional measures will be necessary. To analyse emissions reduction strategies for a long-term view (up to 2030) additional scenarios have been developed. The analysis shows that there are still technical options to reduce CO2 emissions by 30 to 40 % by the year 2030. In the case of such ambitious reduction targets measures in all sectors of the energy system have to be implemented. The costs of the different mitigation strategies are strongly correlated with the framework of energy and climate protection policies. (orig.)

Role of technologies in energy-related CO2 mitigation in China within a climate-protection world: A scenarios analysis using REMIND

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Shuwei; Bauer, Nico; Luderer, Gunnar; Kriegler, Elmar

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The augmented REMIND model is used to study the role of energy technologies under a carbon tax. • The scale and timing of fossil fuels with CCS, nuclear, and renewables are examined. • CCS is important but the window of opportunity for its deployment is limited. • The effectiveness of nuclear is strongly linked to its cost performance. • Renewable energy is a long-term mitigation option. - Abstract: In a world with the need of climate protection through emission reduction, China’s domestic mitigation will be put on the national agenda. The large-scale deployment of innovative technologies induced by climate policies is a key determinant for reducing emissions in an effective and efficient manner. A distinguishing feature of the Chinese energy sector (especially electricity generation), is that investment costs are significantly lower than in other world regions. Represented in the methodological framework of the augmented REMIND model, three promising mitigation technologies (also known as technology clusters) in the electricity sector: CCS with advanced coal-generation technologies, nuclear, and renewables are the focus of this study. The scenarios are designed to analyze the roles of these technologies and their associated economic impacts under a climate policy (i.e., a carbon tax). Our results indicate that: (1)Technology policies improving the techno-economic features of low-carbon technologies are insufficient to restrain China’s increasing emissions. (2)Carbon-pricing policies can effectively reduce emissions by making low-carbon options more competitive than conventional fossil fuel alternatives. In the global carbon tax regime framed in this paper, China’s mitigation potential is larger than that of any of other region and the peak of emissions occurs earlier (by 2020) and is 50% lower than in the BASE scenario. (3)CCS is important, but the window of opportunity for its deployment is limited to the near- to mid-term future. It

Energy Assurance: Essential Energy Technologies for Climate Protection and Energy Security

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greene, David L [ORNL; Boudreaux, Philip R [ORNL; Dean, David Jarvis [ORNL; Fulkerson, William [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Gaddis, Abigail [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Graham, Robin Lambert [ORNL; Graves, Ronald L [ORNL; Hopson, Dr Janet L [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Hughes, Patrick [ORNL; Lapsa, Melissa Voss [ORNL; Mason, Thom [ORNL; Standaert, Robert F [ORNL; Wilbanks, Thomas J [ORNL; Zucker, Alexander [ORNL

2009-12-01

We present and apply a new method for analyzing the significance of advanced technology for achieving two important national energy goals: climate protection and energy security. Quantitative metrics for U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 and oil independence in 2030 are specified, and the impacts of 11 sets of energy technologies are analyzed using a model that employs the Kaya identity and incorporates the uncertainty of technological breakthroughs. The goals examined are a 50% to 80% reduction in CO2 emissions from energy use by 2050 and increased domestic hydrocarbon fuels supply and decreased demand that sum to 11 mmbd by 2030. The latter is intended to insure that the economic costs of oil dependence are not more than 1% of U.S. GDP with 95% probability by 2030. Perhaps the most important implication of the analysis is that meeting both energy goals requires a high probability of success (much greater than even odds) for all 11 technologies. Two technologies appear to be indispensable for accomplishment of both goals: carbon capture and storage, and advanced fossil liquid fuels. For reducing CO2 by more than 50% by 2050, biomass energy and electric drive (fuel cell or battery powered) vehicles also appear to be necessary. Every one of the 11 technologies has a powerful influence on the probability of achieving national energy goals. From the perspective of technology policy, conflict between the CO2 mitigation and energy security is negligible. These general results appear to be robust to a wide range of technology impact estimates; they are substantially unchanged by a Monte Carlo simulation that allows the impacts of technologies to vary by 20%.

Climate Change, Human Rights, and Social Justice.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Barry S; Patz, Jonathan A

2015-01-01

The environmental and health consequences of climate change, which disproportionately affect low-income countries and poor people in high-income countries, profoundly affect human rights and social justice. Environmental consequences include increased temperature, excess precipitation in some areas and droughts in others, extreme weather events, and increased sea level. These consequences adversely affect agricultural production, access to safe water, and worker productivity, and, by inundating land or making land uninhabitable and uncultivatable, will force many people to become environmental refugees. Adverse health effects caused by climate change include heat-related disorders, vector-borne diseases, foodborne and waterborne diseases, respiratory and allergic disorders, malnutrition, collective violence, and mental health problems. These environmental and health consequences threaten civil and political rights and economic, social, and cultural rights, including rights to life, access to safe food and water, health, security, shelter, and culture. On a national or local level, those people who are most vulnerable to the adverse environmental and health consequences of climate change include poor people, members of minority groups, women, children, older people, people with chronic diseases and disabilities, those residing in areas with a high prevalence of climate-related diseases, and workers exposed to extreme heat or increased weather variability. On a global level, there is much inequity, with low-income countries, which produce the least greenhouse gases (GHGs), being more adversely affected by climate change than high-income countries, which produce substantially higher amounts of GHGs yet are less immediately affected. In addition, low-income countries have far less capability to adapt to climate change than high-income countries. Adaptation and mitigation measures to address climate change needed to protect human society must also be planned to protect

The deep ocean under climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Lisa A; Le Bris, Nadine

2015-11-13

The deep ocean absorbs vast amounts of heat and carbon dioxide, providing a critical buffer to climate change but exposing vulnerable ecosystems to combined stresses of warming, ocean acidification, deoxygenation, and altered food inputs. Resulting changes may threaten biodiversity and compromise key ocean services that maintain a healthy planet and human livelihoods. There exist large gaps in understanding of the physical and ecological feedbacks that will occur. Explicit recognition of deep-ocean climate mitigation and inclusion in adaptation planning by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) could help to expand deep-ocean research and observation and to protect the integrity and functions of deep-ocean ecosystems. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

78 FR 75369 - Endangered and Threatened Species Permit Applications

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-11

... into the wild in Oklahoma. Permit TE-833851 Applicant: City of Austin Watershed Protection Department... reddelli) Black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla) Bone Cave harvestman (Texella reyesi) Braken Bat Cave...

Trade and climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tamiotti, L.; Teh, R.; Kulacoglu, V. (World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva (Switzerland)); Olhoff, A.; Simmons, B.; Abaza, H. (United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (Denmark))

2009-06-15

The Report aims to improve understanding about the linkages between trade and climate change. It shows that trade intersects with climate change in a multitude of ways. For example, governments may introduce a variety of policies, such as regulatory measures and economic incentives, to address climate change. This complex web of measures may have an impact on international trade and the multilateral trading system. The Report begins with a summary of the current state of scientific knowledge on climate change and on the options available for responding to the challenge of climate change. The scientific review is followed by a part on the economic aspects of the link between trade and climate change, and these two parts set the context for the subsequent parts of the Report, which looks at the policies introduced at both the international and national level to address climate change. The part on international policy responses to climate change describes multilateral efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the effects of climate change, and also discusses the role of the current trade and environment negotiations in promoting trade in technologies that aim to mitigate climate change. The final part of the Report gives an overview of a range of national policies and measures that have been used in a number of countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to increase energy efficiency. It presents key features in the design and implementation of these policies, in order to draw a clearer picture of their overall effect and potential impact on environmental protection, sustainable development and trade. It also gives, where appropriate, an overview of the WTO rules that may be relevant to such measures. (author)

A modified Austin/chevron osteotomy for treatment of hallux valgus and hallux rigidus.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasso, Michele; Del Regno, Chiara; D'Amelio, Antonio; Schiavone Panni, Alfredo

2016-03-01

The purpose of this brief paper is to present the preliminary results of a modified Austin/chevron osteotomy for treatment of hallux valgus and hallux rigidus. In this procedure, the dorsal arm of the osteotomy is performed orthogonal to the horizontal plane of the first metatarsal, the main advantage being that this allows much easier and more accurate multiplanar correction of first metatarsal deformities. From 2010 to 2013, 184 consecutive patients with symptomatic hallux valgus and 48 patients with hallux rigidus without severe metatarsophalangeal joint degeneration underwent such modified chevron osteotomy. Mean patient age was 54.9 (range 21-70) years, and mean follow-up duration was 41.7 (range 24-56) months. Ninety-three percent of patients were satisfied with the surgery. Mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score improved from 56.6 preoperatively to 90.6 at last follow-up, and mean visual analog scale (VAS) pain score decreased from 5.7 preoperatively to 1.6 at final follow-up (p hallux valgus, mean hallux valgus angle decreased from 34.1° preoperatively to 6.2° at final follow-up, and mean intermetatarsal angle decreased from 18.5° preoperatively to 4.1° at final follow-up (p < 0.05). One patient developed postoperative transfer metatarsalgia, treated successfully with second-time percutaneous osteotomy of the minor metatarsals, whilst one patient had wound infection that resolved with systemic antibiotics. Level IV.

Communication of corporate responsibility measures as pictured by the practice of communication of the climate protection engagement of German and Australian energy companies; Die Kommunikation von Corporate Responsibility-Massnahmen dargestellt an der Praxis der Kommunikation des Klimaschutz-Engagements deutscher und australischer Energieunternehmen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riechmann, Christian

2013-06-01

In his assessment of the CSR communication practices (CSR - corporate social responsibility) the author of the book under consideration reports on a conflictual field of action for the takeover of social responsibility which is discussed highly controversial in the public. The realization of the idea of climate protection in their corporate strategies by large energy companies is discussed. Politics and society see a special responsibility for climate protection in such energy companies which may influence the market by means of active corporate actions due to their size or business segments.

Individualized responsibility: 'if climate protection becomes everyone's responsibility, does it end up being no-one's?'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Kent

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Whereas global compacts, such as the Kyoto Protocol, have yet to consolidate action from governments on climate change, there has been increasing emphasis and acknowledgement of the role of individuals (as citizens and consumers as contributors to climate change and as responsible agents in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, along with the acknowledgement of the threat that anthropogenic climate change presents to the planet, governments and non-government organizations have focused on personal responsibility campaigns targeting individuals and households with a view to stemming the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. The Australian Government, for example, spent $25 million in 2007 on the climate change information campaign targeted to every Australian household, ‘Be Climate Clever: “I can do that”. Such measures centre on “personal, private-sphere ….. behaviour” (Stern 2005: 10786 that focuses on the “choice of goods, services and lifestyles” (WWF-UK 2008: 10 and imply that global greenhouse gas emission reduction targets can be met through the actions of individuals. There is growing concern in some quarters about climate change programs that emphasize individual behaviour change strategies that use “simple and painless steps” (WWF-UK 2008 and “small steps add up” (Accountability and Consumers International 2007 approaches. The emergent fear is that given the urgency of the climate change problem that such approaches will mean important opportunities for citizen-led action will be lost. This paper will explore how notions of individual responsibility have arisen and what the trend towards individualized responsibility may mean for active citizenship on climate change.

Taking a climate chance: a procedural critique of Vietnam's climate change strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortier, François

2010-01-01

This article asks through what processes and for which interests the emerging Vietnamese climate change strategy is being designed, and if, ultimately, it is likely or not to be effective in the face of the looming threat. Through a review of an emerging body of literature and field observations, the paper finds the strategy partial and problematic in several ways. Its technocratic process prevents a pluralist representation of interests, obfuscating and perpetuating sectorial ones, at the expense of a more transparent and democratic resource allocation. The strategy therefore reflects and reinforces existing power relations in both politics and production. It feeds into a business-as-usual complacency, protecting national and international interests vested in unchallenged continuity, even when considering post-carbon technological fixes, which largely serve to expand capital accumulation opportunities. The article concludes that the national climate change strategy provides an illusion of intervention and security, but largely fails to identify and mitigate the underlying causes of climate change, or to lay the ground for a robust mid- and long-term adaptation strategy that can cope with yet unknown levels of climatic and other structural changes.

75 FR 51806 - Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment: Four Case Studies of Water Utility Practices

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-23

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9192-2; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2010-0701] Climate Change... period for the draft document titled, ``Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment: Four Case Studies of... vulnerability to future climate change. The report is intended to illustrate the types of analyses, models, and...

Anti-coal export strategy. Expedient in terms of global climate protection?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umbach, Frank

2016-01-01

The German Environment Ministry had joined in the summer of 2014 the European and American trend, to stop in future the total financial support for the technology export of coal power plants. This disinvestment movement considerable face the opposition especially in developing countries, which are offered alternatives mainly on Chinese investment. In addition to the resulting far-reaching economic implications for Western companies, this development has an increasing expiry of the geopolitical influence of Europe and the United States to follow. Furthermore speak climate policy reasons against the end of the export credit financing. Overall, this development, prevents to achieve the widely shared climate policy goals because a lot of new and existing capacities can not be realized on the latest state of the art. [de

Greening flood protection through knowledge processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, Stephanie; Tatenhove, van J.P.M.; Mol, A.P.J.; Otter, H.S.

2017-01-01

Greening flood protection (GFP) is increasingly recognized as an adaptive and flexible approach to water management that is well suited to addressing uncertain futures associated with climate change. In the last decade, GFP knowledge and policies have developed rapidly, but implementation has been

Adding A2K Principles to the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Adding A2K Principles to the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection ... of standards for good practices in consumer protection, particularly for developing countries. ... IWRA/IDRC webinar on climate change and adaptive water management.

Practical evaluation model of environmental and climate protection issues for the use of biogas with comparative applications in Germany and China; Praktisches Bewertungsmodell von Umwelt- und Klimaschutzaspekten fuer die Nutzung von Biogas im deutsch-chinesischen Vergleich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Chenxing

2010-03-15

Climate protection is the greatest environmental challenge. Recently, the interaction between climate change and constantly scarcer fossil fuels provides a boom in renewable energy. Of these, the use of biogas in Germany is a key component of renewable energy beside projects for wind energy and solar energy. In China, the situation of utilizing biogas is complicated, but also has become increasingly important. The author of the contribution under consideration identifies the key environmental issues and issues of climatic change. An evaluation modell is developed. Potential differences in the use of biogas in Germany and China are compared and discussed.

The Canada country study: climate impacts and adaptation, Ontario summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lavender, B.; Smith, J. [Smith and Lavender Envrironmental Consultants (Canada); Bullock, T. [Environment Canada, Hull, PQ (Canada). Atmospheric Environment Service

1997-12-31

Another summary volume in the series of national assessments by experts on climate in government, industry and academic institutions, giving their views on how climate change will affect Canadians and their social, biological and economic environment over the next century. This summary is devoted to a discussion of the impacts and implications of climate change on Ontario. Greenhouse gas emissions are expected to increase over the next century which will result in an increase in the average global temperature. Some of the changes noted over the last century include a rise in average temperature, especially in winter and it is highly likely that this trend will continue. A shortening of the snow season and lengthening of the growing season are likely to result. Increase in the frequency and intensity of summer heat waves, changes in precipitation patterns, soil moisture and the frequency of severe winter storms, thunderstorms, hails, tornadoes and hurricanes also have been predicted. Preparation for a changing climate is essential to escaping the worst consequences of the predicted changes. One way to prepare might be by improving the adaptation to current conditions. In practice, this might be done by improving the management of our water resources, providing better protection for public health and the environment, working towards sustainability in energy supply and demand, protecting forests by planned harvesting and by planting disease-resistant species, protecting agriculture by selecting crops that better fit climate conditions and by improving irrigation practices, and lessening air pollution damage by reducing atmospheric emission of substances that cause pollution problems. 3 figs.

Modeling and assessing international climate financing

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jing; Tang, Lichun; Mohamed, Rayman; Zhu, Qianting; Wang, Zheng

2016-06-01

Climate financing is a key issue in current negotiations on climate protection. This study establishes a climate financing model based on a mechanism in which donor countries set up funds for climate financing and recipient countries use the funds exclusively for carbon emission reduction. The burden-sharing principles are based on GDP, historical emissions, and consumptionbased emissions. Using this model, we develop and analyze a series of scenario simulations, including a financing program negotiated at the Cancun Climate Change Conference (2010) and several subsequent programs. Results show that sustained climate financing can help to combat global climate change. However, the Cancun Agreements are projected to result in a reduction of only 0.01°C in global warming by 2100 compared to the scenario without climate financing. Longer-term climate financing programs should be established to achieve more significant benefits. Our model and simulations also show that climate financing has economic benefits for developing countries. Developed countries will suffer a slight GDP loss in the early stages of climate financing, but the longterm economic growth and the eventual benefits of climate mitigation will compensate for this slight loss. Different burden-sharing principles have very similar effects on global temperature change and economic growth of recipient countries, but they do result in differences in GDP changes for Japan and the FSU. The GDP-based principle results in a larger share of financial burden for Japan, while the historical emissions-based principle results in a larger share of financial burden for the FSU. A larger burden share leads to a greater GDP loss.

Energy system modelling and GIS to build an Integrated Climate Protection Concept for Gauteng Province, South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomaschek, Jan; Kober, Ralf; Fahl, Ulrich; Lozynskyy, Yuriy

2016-01-01

South Africa and specifically its economically dominant province of Gauteng aim to reduce their influence on climate change. Especially the transport sector is seen as one of the key drivers of future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper describes the methodology used to combine the application of two models in order to provide a basis for informed policy recommendation for GHG mitigation. The TEMT model provides real world emission factors adapted to local conditions in Gauteng for numerous vehicle technology concepts. Those data feed into the TIMES-GEECO energy system model which identifies future technology use for different alternative scenarios. Finally, the scenario results are illustrated spatially using a GIS programme. The results of the scenario analysis show that under implemented policies GHG emissions in Gauteng are likely to increase substantially. Pollutant emissions are currently high as a result of a comparably old vehicle fleet. The spatial display of these results shows where the traffic network is concentrated and the location of so-called emission hot-spots. Energy efficient policies for the transport sector of Gauteng can achieve a significant reduction of emissions and energy consumption. Alternative powertrains and the use of locally produced biofuels can play a significant role in such policies. - Highlights: • Two models to assess the transport sector have been developed. • The methodology covers the energy system and locational information. • Application to Gauteng to provide input for a Climate Protection Concept. • Energy efficient polices will help to significantly reduce transport emissions. • Local renewable resources and efficient powertrains should be part of this policy.

Diarrheal Diseases and Climate Change in Cambodia.

Science.gov (United States)

McIver, Lachlan J; Imai, Chisato; Buettner, Petra G; Gager, Paul; Chan, Vibol S; Hashizume, Masahiro; Iddings, Steven N; Kol, Hero; Raingsey, Piseth P; Lyne, K

2016-10-01

The DRIP-SWICCH (Developing Research and Innovative Policies Specific to the Water-related Impacts of Climate Change on Health) project aimed to increase the resilience of Cambodian communities to the health risks posed by climate change-related impacts on water. This article follows a review of climate change and water-related diseases in Cambodia and presents the results of a time series analysis of monthly weather and diarrheal disease data for 11 provinces. In addition, correlations of diarrheal disease incidence with selected demographic, socioeconomic, and water and sanitation indicators are described, with results suggesting education and literacy may be most protective against disease. The potential impact of climate change on the burden of diarrheal disease in Cambodia is considered, along with the implications of these findings for health systems adaptation.

Response of the endangered tropical dry forests to climate change and the role of Mexican Protected Areas for their conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Prieto-Torres, David A; Navarro-Sigüenza, Adolfo G; Santiago-Alarcon, Diego; Rojas-Soto, Octavio R

2016-01-01

Assuming that co-distributed species are exposed to similar environmental conditions, ecological niche models (ENMs) of bird and plant species inhabiting tropical dry forests (TDFs) in Mexico were developed to evaluate future projections of their distribution for the years 2050 and 2070. We used ENM-based predictions and climatic data for two Global Climate Models, considering two Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCP4.5/RCP8.5). We also evaluated the effects of habitat loss and the importance of the Mexican system of protected areas (PAs) on the projected models for a more detailed prediction of TDFs and to identify hot spots that require conservation actions. We identified four major distributional areas: the main one located along the Pacific Coast (from Sonora to Chiapas, including the Cape and Bajío regions, and the Balsas river basin), and three isolated areas: the Yucatán peninsula, central Veracruz, and southern Tamaulipas. When considering the effect of habitat loss, a significant reduction (~61%) of the TDFs predicted area occurred, whereas climate-change models suggested (in comparison with the present distribution model) an increase in area of 3.0-10.0% and 3.0-9.0% for 2050 and 2070, respectively. In future scenarios, TDFs will occupy areas above its current average elevational distribution that are outside of its present geographical range. Our findings show that TDFs may persist in Mexican territory until the middle of the XXI century; however, the challenges about long-term conservation are partially addressed (only 7% unaffected within the Mexican network of PAs) with the current Mexican PAs network. Based on our ENM approach, we suggest that a combination of models of species inhabiting present TDFs and taking into account change scenarios represent an invaluable tool to create new PAs and ecological corridors, as a response to the increasing levels of habitat destruction and the effects of climate change on this ecosystem. © 2015

Local climate change policy in the United Kingdom and Germany

OpenAIRE

Bulkeley, Harriet; Kern, Kristine

2004-01-01

"For over a decade climate change has been considered one of the most significant political issues facing the international community. In order to address this challenge, attention needs to be focused not only at the international level of treaties and conventions, but also on how climate protection policy is taking shape at the local level. Germany and the UK have been leading countries for international action on climate change. However, the reductions in domestic emissions of greenhouse ga...

European research on Climat change impact on human health and environment

OpenAIRE

Pogonysheva I. A.; Kuznetsova V. P.; Pogonyshev D. A.; Lunyak I. I.

2018-01-01

European countries have accumulated a considerable body of research that proves both direct and indirect influence of climate change on human health. The article analyses “Protecting health in an environment challenged by climate change: European Regional Framework for Action”. The article gives a detailed analysis of the work of European Office of World Health Organisation and The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe related to climate change.

Climate protection in the cantonal electricity supplier law Basel-Stadt; Klimaschutz in dem kantonalen Stromversorgergesetz Basel-Stadt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volkwein, Stephan [Renewables-Now AG, Zuerich (Switzerland)

2017-11-15

Global warming is the world's most urgent environmental problem. Solar and wind energy in particular is required to replace fossil fuels for electricity, transport, heating and industry. The dense development of the cities means that there are many roofs and facades for the use of electricity. The actual use of solar energy production depends primarily on local and national legal framework conditions. The aim is to shed light on the extent to which the electricity supplier law of the half-canton of Basel-Stadt promotes climate protection. [German] Die Erderwaermung stellt das global draengendste Umweltproblem dar. Zum Ersatz der fossilen Energie bei Strom, Verkehr, Heizungen und Industrie sind insbesondere Solar- und Windenergie notwendig. Durch die dichte Bebauung der Staedte sind dort viele Dach- und Fassadenflaechen fuer die Stromenergienutzung vorhanden. Die tatsaechliche Nutzung fuer die Solarenergieproduktion haengt vor allem von lokalen und nationalen rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen ab. Hier soll beleuchtet werden, inwieweit das Stromversorgerrecht des Halbkantons Basel-Stadt Klimaschutz befoerdert.

Towards climate justice: how do the most vulnerable weigh environment-economy trade-offs?

Science.gov (United States)

Running, Katrina

2015-03-01

The world's poor are especially vulnerable to environmental disasters, including the adverse consequences of climate change. This creates a challenge for climate justice advocates who seek to ensure that those least responsible for causing climate change do not bear unwanted burdens of mitigation. One way to promote climate justice could be to pay particular attention to the environmental policy preferences of citizens from poorer, lower-emitting countries. This paper examines opinions on environment-economy trade-offs and willingness to make personal financial contributions to protect the environment among residents of 42 developed and developing countries using data from the 2005-2008 World Values Survey, the 2010 Climate Risk Index, and World Bank development indicators. Results reveal that individuals in developing countries are less likely to support policies to prioritize environmental protection over economic growth but are more willing to donate personal income for pro-environmental efforts compared to citizens of more developed nations. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Beyond Sexual Assault Surveys: A Model for Comprehensive Campus Climate Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

McMahon, Sarah; Stepleton, Kate; Cusano, Julia; O'Connor, Julia; Gandhi, Khushbu; McGinty, Felicia

2018-01-01

The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault identified campus climate surveys as "the first step" for addressing campus sexual violence. Through a process case study, this article presents one model for engaging in a comprehensive, action-focused campus climate assessment process. Rooted in principles of…

Climate policy and ancillary benefits. A survey and integration into the modelling of international negotiations on climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pittel, Karen; Ruebbelke, Dirk T.G.

2008-01-01

Currently informal and formal international negotiations on climate change take place in an intensive way since the Kyoto Protocol expires already in 2012. A post-Kyoto regulation to combat global warming is not yet stipulated. Due to rapidly increasing greenhouse-gas emission levels, industrialized countries urge major polluters from the developing world like China and India to participate in a future agreement. Whether these developing countries will do so, depends on the prevailing incentives to participate in international climate protection efforts. This paper identifies ancillary benefits of climate policy to provide important incentives to attend a new international protocol and to positively affect the likelihood of accomplishing a post-Kyoto agreement which includes commitments of developing countries. (author)

Marble Deterioration and Climate: Examples from the Schlossbrücke Berlin

Science.gov (United States)

Pirskawetz, S.; Siegesmund, S.; Weise, F.; Rieffel, Y.; Plagge, R.

2012-04-01

Protective structures for works of art or antique artefacts have a long architectural tradition and have been known in Germany since the 19th century. The effect of such covers on the microclimate around artworks of natural stone, and hence, their protective capability are insufficiently documented and understood. In 2007, an inter-disciplinary model project and part of a pilot study coordinated by the Berlin State Office for the Protection of Monuments was planned with the aim of developing an innovative winter covering system for marble statuaries located on the Schlossbrücke in Berlin. Such a system would need to fulfil the various requirements for structural stability, aesthetics, climate and practical use. This applied research represents the first complex scientific study of the sustainability of a winter covering system. A climate monitoring system was designed to create a dense database for the numerical prediction of the effect of protective systems, and to compare the given climate conditions to the known factors influencing the marble deterioration. Based on these findings a prototype of an innovative shelter was designed and tested. The project shows, that beside a temporary covering regular inspection and maintenance combined with regular cleaning ensures an effective and sustainable protection of marble sculptures. Such a maintenance program is the precondition for preserving the sculptures of the Schlossbrücke as a historical ensemble. Important scientific results of the project are transferable to similar objects of Carrara marble. The results throw a new light on the conventional protection of such objects and leads to a discussion on the necessity of an all-season protection.

Employment protection legislation in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Kunovac

2014-06-01

Full Text Available According to business climate and competitiveness indicators published by international organisations, Croatia is a country with a rigid labour market and a high level of the legal protection of employees. Given that an Act on Amendments to the Labour Act (OG 73/13 entered into force in Croatia in June 2013, this paper examines changes in employment protection legislation in Croatia and Central and Eastern European (CEE countries, as well as in Croatia's main trading partners during the period between 2008 and 2013. A cross-country comparison shows a strong downward trend in legal employment protection in most CEE countries during the observed period, primarily as concerns individual dismissal in the cases of regular employment contracts, while in the case of temporary employment the protection strengthened slightly. On the other hand, despite the adoption of amendments to the Labour Act (LA, Croatian labour legislation governing employment protection for regular employment contracts remains relatively inflexible compared to that in other countries.

Climate and air pollution impacts on habitat suitability of Austrian forest ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Dirnböck, Thomas; Djukic, Ika; Kitzler, Barbara; Kobler, Johannes; Mol-Dijkstra, Janet P; Posch, Max; Reinds, Gert Jan; Schlutow, Angela; Starlinger, Franz; Wamelink, Wieger G W

2017-01-01

Climate change and excess deposition of airborne nitrogen (N) are among the main stressors to floristic biodiversity. One particular concern is the deterioration of valuable habitats such as those protected under the European Habitat Directive. In future, climate-driven shifts (and losses) in the species potential distribution, but also N driven nutrient enrichment may threaten these habitats. We applied a dynamic geochemical soil model (VSD+) together with a novel niche-based plant response model (PROPS) to 5 forest habitat types (18 forest sites) protected under the EU Directive in Austria. We assessed how future climate change and N deposition might affect habitat suitability, defined as the capacity of a site to host its typical plant species. Our evaluation indicates that climate change will be the main driver of a decrease in habitat suitability in the future in Austria. The expected climate change will increase the occurrence of thermophilic plant species while decreasing cold-tolerant species. In addition to these direct impacts, climate change scenarios caused an increase of the occurrence probability of oligotrophic species due to a higher N immobilisation in woody biomass leading to soil N depletion. As a consequence, climate change did offset eutrophication from N deposition, even when no further reduction in N emissions was assumed. Our results show that climate change may have positive side-effects in forest habitats when multiple drivers of change are considered.

The fate of threatened coastal dune habitats in Italy under climate change scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Prisco, Irene; Carboni, Marta; Acosta, Alicia T R

2013-01-01

Coastal dunes worldwide harbor threatened habitats characterized by high diversity in terms of plant communities. In Italy, recent assessments have highlighted the insufficient state of conservation of these habitats as defined by the EU Habitats Directive. The effects of predicted climate change could have dramatic consequences for coastal environments in the near future. An assessment of the efficacy of protection measures under climate change is thus a priority. Here, we have developed environmental envelope models for the most widespread dune habitats in Italy, following two complementary approaches: an "indirect" plant-species-based one and a simple "direct" one. We analyzed how habitats distribution will be altered under the effects of two climate change scenarios and evaluated if the current Italian network of protected areas will be effective in the future after distribution shifts. While modeling dune habitats with the "direct" approach was unsatisfactory, "indirect" models had a good predictive performance, highlighting the importance of using species' responses to climate change for modeling these habitats. The results showed that habitats closer to the sea may even increase their geographical distribution in the near future. The transition dune habitat is projected to remain stable, although mobile and fixed dune habitats are projected to lose most of their actual geographical distribution, the latter being more sensitive to climate change effects. Gap analysis highlighted that the habitats' distribution is currently adequately covered by protected areas, achieving the conservation target. However, according to predictions, protection level for mobile and fixed dune habitats is predicted to drop drastically under the climate change scenarios which we examined. Our results provide useful insights for setting management priorities and better addressing conservation efforts to preserve these threatened habitats in future.

Climate and air pollution impacts on habitat suitability of Austrian forest ecosystems.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dirnböck, Thomas; Djukic, Ika; Kitzler, Barbara; Kobler, Johannes; Mol-Dijkstra, Janet P; Posch, Max; Reinds, Gert Jan; Schlutow, Angela; Starlinger, Franz; Wamelink, Wieger G W

2017-01-01

Climate change and excess deposition of airborne nitrogen (N) are among the main stressors to floristic biodiversity. One particular concern is the deterioration of valuable habitats such as those protected under the European Habitat Directive. In future, climate-driven shifts (and losses) in the

Climate and air pollution impacts on habitat suitability of Austrian forest ecosystems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dirnböck, Thomas; Djukic, Ika; Kitzler, Barbara; Kobler, Johannes; Mol, Janet; Posch, Max; Reinds, Gert Jan; Schlutow, Angela; Starlinger, Franz; Wamelink, Wieger G.W.

2017-01-01

Climate change and excess deposition of airborne nitrogen (N) are among the main stressors to floristic biodiversity. One particular concern is the deterioration of valuable habitats such as those protected under the European Habitat Directive. In future, climate-driven shifts (and losses) in the

Setting Goals for Urban Scale Climate Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenthal, J. K.; Brunner, E.

2007-12-01

The impacts of climate change on temperate urban areas may include the increase in frequency and intensity of damaging extreme weather events, such as heat waves, hurricanes, heavy rainfall or drought, and coastal flooding and erosion, and potential adverse impacts on infrastructure, energy systems, and public health. Warmer average summertime temperatures are also associated with environmental and public health liabilities, such as decreased air quality and increased peak electrical demand. Simultaneously, a strong global trend towards urbanization of poverty exists, with increased challenges for local governments to protect and sustain the well-being of growing cities and populations currently stressed by poverty, health and economic inequities. In the context of these trends, research at the city scale has sought to understand the social and economic impacts of climate change and variability and to evaluate strategies in the built environment that might serve as adaptive and mitigative responses to climate change. We review the goals and outcomes of several municipal climate protection programs, generally categorized as approaches based on technological innovation (e.g., new materials); changes in behavior and public education (e.g., neighborhood watch programs and cooling centers); improvements in urban design (e.g., zoning for mixed land-use; the use of water, vegetation and plazas to reduce the urban heat island effect); and efforts to incentivize the use of non-fossil-fuel based energy sources. Urban initiatives in European and American cities are assessed within the context of the global collective efforts enacted by the Kyoto Protocol and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Our concern is to understand the active networked role of urban managers in climate policies and programs in relation to supranational objectives and non-state actors.

Climate policy in developing countries and conditional transfers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruebbelke, Dirk T.G.

2006-01-01

This paper analyzes the role international transfers may play in international climate policy in consideration of the policy's ancillary benefits, such as air quality improvements. Ancillary benefits are especially important in many developing countries, while climate protection benefits or primary benefits play a minor role on the political agenda of these countries. In contrast, industrialized countries have a strong interest in combating climate change. These often neglected asymmetries between the developing and industrialized world affect the impacts of transfers. Interestingly, as we will show, the cost differentials between different environmental technologies among countries are the crucial prerequisite for the functioning of a transfer scheme and not the cost differentials in the execution of climate policy. This result has been overlooked by standard pure public good approaches

Climatic impacts on managed forests: projecting the future from the past

OpenAIRE

Martel, Simon; Picart, Delphine; Bosc, Alexandre; Moisy, Christophe; Lafont, Sebastien; Loustau, Denis; Picard, Olivier; Breda, Nathalie

2015-01-01

Forests are one of the most vulnerable ecosystem under the coming climate changeand a growing concern arise about their capacity to maintain ecosystem services suchas production of timber, fiber and energy, climate and hydrological regulations, or soil and biodiversity protection. Climate effects are significant not only at a short timescale, but also on the temporal horizon of a forest life cycle, e.g. through continuous shifts in atmospheric CO2 concentration, air temperature and precipitat...

Perceptions of Australian marine protected area managers regarding the role, importance, and achievability of adaptation for managing the risks of climate change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Cvitanovic

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The rapid development of adaptation as a mainstream strategy for managing the risks of climate change has led to the emergence of a broad range of adaptation policies and management strategies globally. However, the success of such policies or management interventions depends on the effective integration of new scientific research into the decision-making process. Ineffective communication between scientists and environmental decision makers represents one of the key barriers limiting the integration of science into the decision-making process in many areas of natural resource management. This can be overcome by understanding the perceptions of end users, so as to identify knowledge gaps and develop improved and targeted strategies for communication and engagement. We assessed what one group of environmental decision makers, Australian marine protected area (MPA managers, viewed as the major risks associated with climate change, and their perceptions regarding the role, importance, and achievability of adaptation for managing these risks. We also assessed what these managers perceived as the role of science in managing the risks from climate change, and identified the factors that increased their trust in scientific information. We do so by quantitatively surveying 30 MPA managers across 3 Australian management agencies. We found that although MPA managers have a very strong awareness of the range and severity of risks posed by climate change, their understanding of adaptation as an option for managing these risks is less comprehensive. We also found that although MPA managers view science as a critical source of information for informing the decision-making process, it should be considered in context with other knowledge types such as community and cultural knowledge, and be impartial, evidence based, and pragmatic in outlining policy and management recommendations that are realistically achievable.

Status report on the implementation of the integrated energy and climate protection programme of the German government; Statusbericht zur Umsetzung des Integrierten Energie- und Klimaschutzprogramms der Bundesregierung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nissler, Diana; Wachsmann, Ulrike

2011-04-15

The German government has committed itself to a 40 percent reduction of climate-relevant gases by 2020, as compared to 1990. In 2007, the government presented an integrated energy and climate protection programme (IEKP) with a catalogue of measures to achieve this goal. The IEKP was to be revised from 2010 by monitoring every two years. If the monitoring were to show that the CO2 reduction goal could not be achieved by the measures taken, suggestions will be made on how to improve CO2 reduction technologies. This study, carried out on behalf of the Federal Minister of Environment, Conservation and Reactor Safety, presents a data base for this monitoring. It is based on work carried out by the Federal Environmental Office, the BMU, and other institutions. (orig.)

School climate, family structure, and academic achievement: a study of moderation effects.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Malley, Meagan; Voight, Adam; Renshaw, Tyler L; Eklund, Katie

2015-03-01

School climate has been lauded for its relationship to a host of desirable academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes for youth. The present study tested the hypothesis that school climate counteracts youths' home-school risk by examining the moderating effects of students' school climate perceptions on the relationship between family structure (i.e., two-parent, one-parent, foster-care, and homeless households), and academic performance (i.e., self-reported [grade point average] GPA). The present sample consisted of 902 California public high schools, including responses from over 490,000 students in Grades 9 and 11. Results indicated that, regardless of family structure, students with more positive school climate perceptions self-reported higher GPAs. Youths with two-parent, one-parent, and homeless family structures displayed stepwise, linear improvements in self-reported GPA as perceptions of climate improved. Foster-care students' positive school climate perceptions had a weaker effect on their self-reported GPA compared with students living in other family structures. A unique curvilinear trend was found for homeless students, as the relationship between their school climate perceptions and self-reported GPA was stronger at lower levels. Overall, the moderation effect of positive school climate perceptions on self-reported GPA was strongest for homeless youth and youth from one-parent homes, suggesting that school climate has a protective effect for students living in these family structures. A protective effect was not found for youth in foster-care. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Climatic change in Mediterranean area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manos, A.

1991-01-01

United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) studies on forecasted greenhouse climatic effects on the Mediterranean coastal and marine ecosystems and regional socio-economic framework have indicated the need for a concerted plan of protective and remedial action. The studies considered rises of 1.5 degrees in ambient temperature and 20 centimeters in sea level occurring before the year 2025. A regional, as opposed to a global area, study approach was adopted since the severity of climatic effects is expected to vary greatly from one part of the world to another. The specific areas investigated were the Po River Delta and Venezia Lagoon in Italy, the Nile Delta, Camargue, the Ebro Delta, the Tunisian National Park area, and the Thermaicos Gulf in Greece. The rise in average temperature is expected to negatively effect Mediterranean agricultural production and the coastal and marine ecosystems due to prolonged periods of drought and exceptional rainfall. It is suggested that a system of dikes be constructed to protect the coastal areas which are heavily dependent on tourism and agriculture

Climate saver atomic energy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

According to the Schleswig-Holstein Land government nuclear power phaseout is compatible with measures designed to protect world climate. Only efforts aimed at quickly reducing energy demand by means of thermal insulation, energy conservation techniques, cogeneration systems and application of renewable energies are necessary. The Schleswig-Holstein energy concept is given as an example of making possible a worldwide carbon dioxide reduction. (DG) [de

Conserving the stage: climate change and the geophysical underpinnings of species diversity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark G Anderson

Full Text Available Conservationists have proposed methods for adapting to climate change that assume species distributions are primarily explained by climate variables. The key idea is to use the understanding of species-climate relationships to map corridors and to identify regions of faunal stability or high species turnover. An alternative approach is to adopt an evolutionary timescale and ask ultimately what factors control total diversity, so that over the long run the major drivers of total species richness can be protected. Within a single climatic region, the temperate area encompassing all of the Northeastern U.S. and Maritime Canada, we hypothesized that geologic factors may take precedence over climate in explaining diversity patterns. If geophysical diversity does drive regional diversity, then conserving geophysical settings may offer an approach to conservation that protects diversity under both current and future climates. Here we tested how well geology predicts the species diversity of 14 US states and three Canadian provinces, using a comprehensive new spatial dataset. Results of linear regressions of species diversity on all possible combinations of 23 geophysical and climatic variables indicated that four geophysical factors; the number of geological classes, latitude, elevation range and the amount of calcareous bedrock, predicted species diversity with certainty (adj. R(2 = 0.94. To confirm the species-geology relationships we ran an independent test using 18,700 location points for 885 rare species and found that 40% of the species were restricted to a single geology. Moreover, each geology class supported 5-95 endemic species and chi-square tests confirmed that calcareous bedrock and extreme elevations had significantly more rare species than expected by chance (P<0.0001, strongly corroborating the regression model. Our results suggest that protecting geophysical settings will conserve the stage for current and future biodiversity and may

Habitat-based conservation strategies cannot compensate for climate-change-induced range loss

Science.gov (United States)

Wessely, Johannes; Hülber, Karl; Gattringer, Andreas; Kuttner, Michael; Moser, Dietmar; Rabitsch, Wolfgang; Schindler, Stefan; Dullinger, Stefan; Essl, Franz

2017-11-01

Anthropogenic habitat fragmentation represents a major obstacle to species shifting their range in response to climate change. Conservation measures to increase the (meta-)population capacity and permeability of landscapes may help but the effectiveness of such measures in a warming climate has rarely been evaluated. Here, we simulate range dynamics of 51 species from three taxonomic groups (vascular plants, butterflies and grasshoppers) in Central Europe as driven by twenty-first-century climate scenarios and analyse how three habitat-based conservation strategies (establishing corridors, improving the landscape matrix, and protected area management) modify species' projected range size changes. These simulations suggest that the conservation strategies considered are unable to save species from regional extinction. For those persisting, they reduce the magnitude of range loss in lowland but not in alpine species. Protected area management and corridor establishment are more effective than matrix improvement. However, none of the conservation strategies evaluated could fully compensate the negative impact of climate change for vascular plants, butterflies or grasshoppers in central Europe.

Winter mortality in relation to climate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keatinge, W. R.; Donaldson, G. C.; Bucher, K.; Jendritzky, G.; Cordioli, E.; Martinelli, M.; Katsouyanni, K.; Kunst, A. E.; McDonald, C.; Näyhä, S.; Vuori, I.

2000-01-01

We report further details of the Eurowinter survey of cold related mortalities and protective measures against cold in seven regions of Europe, and review these with other evidence on the relationship of winter mortality to climate. Data for the oldest subject group studied, aged 65-74, showed that

Relationships between bullying, school climate, and student risk behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Jennifer; Cornell, Dewey; Konold, Timothy

2012-09-01

This study examined whether characteristics of a positive school climate were associated with lower student risk behavior in a sample of 3,687 high school students who completed the School Climate Bullying Survey and questions about risk behavior from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS). Confirmatory factor analyses established fit for 20 items with three hypothesized school climate scales measuring (1) prevalence of bullying and teasing; (2) aggressive attitudes; and (3) student willingness to seek help. Structural equation modeling established the relationship of these measures with student reports of risk behavior. Multigroup analyses identified differential effects across gender and race. A positive school climate could be an important protective factor in preventing student risk behavior.

The response of the southwest Western Australian wave climate to Indian Ocean climate variability

Science.gov (United States)

Wandres, Moritz; Pattiaratchi, Charitha; Hetzel, Yasha; Wijeratne, E. M. S.

2018-03-01

Knowledge of regional wave climates is critical for coastal planning, management, and protection. In order to develop a regional wave climate, it is important to understand the atmospheric systems responsible for wave generation. This study examines the variability of the southwest Western Australian (SWWA) shelf and nearshore wind wave climate and its relationship to southern hemisphere climate variability represented by various atmospheric indices: the southern oscillation index (SOI), the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), the Indian Ocean Dipole Mode Index (DMI), the Indian Ocean Subtropical Dipole (IOSD), the latitudinal position of the subtropical high-pressure ridge (STRP), and the corresponding intensity of the subtropical ridge (STRI). A 21-year wave hindcast (1994-2014) of the SWWA continental shelf was created using the third generation wave model Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN), to analyse the seasonal and inter-annual wave climate variability and its relationship to the atmospheric regime. Strong relationships between wave heights and the STRP and the STRI, a moderate correlation between the wave climate and the SAM, and no significant correlation between SOI, DMI, and IOSD and the wave climate were found. Strong spatial, seasonal, and inter-annual variability, as well as seasonal longer-term trends in the mean wave climate were studied and linked to the latitudinal changes in the subtropical high-pressure ridge and the Southern Ocean storm belt. As the Southern Ocean storm belt and the subtropical high-pressure ridge shifted southward (northward) wave heights on the SWWA shelf region decreased (increased). The wave height anomalies appear to be driven by the same atmospheric conditions that influence rainfall variability in SWWA.

Activities of the Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, H. J.

1986-01-01

McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin reports on its activities during the period 1 Jan. 1986 to 30 June 1986. Extensive observations of Halley's Comet were obtained. The comet exhibited large variability; moreover, its variability was much more rapid than can be accounted for by water vaporization as the sole controller of activity. Jupiter satellite Io's atmosphere was found to be distended by more than the equilibrium scale height but less than for unimpeded streaming into space. The atmosphere is at least temporarily bound to IO. Uranus' (3-0) H2 quadrupole line shapes require a modification of Baines and Bergstralh's standard model which incorporates at high altitude absorbing haze in addition to the lower haze layer. A fraction of normal H2 equal to 0.25 + or 0.10 is derived, in good agreement with the standard model. This result is unchanged when the preliminary temperature structure derived by the Voyager Radio Occultation Experiment is used instead of Appleby's model c. Out of the six Pluto-Charon mutual events observed this year, data were obtained on four. Preliminary analysis is yielding improved estimates for the diameters, masses, densities, and albedos of these objects.

Keeping Pace with Climate Change: Habitat Protection in the Face of Uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Flitcroft, R. L.; Burnett, K.; Giannico, G.

2014-12-01

Estuaries provide critical habitat for many economically and culturally important species. In the Pacific Northwest, intertidal and subtidal areas provide critical habitat for production of native and commercial oysters (Olympia oyster Ostrea lurida and Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, respectively) that in turn provide refuge and rearing habitat for Dungeness Crab, Metacarcinus magister. Environments ranging from subtidal through freshwater zones provide nursery areas for juvenile salmonids at different development stages in their life history. Most Oregon estuaries have been significantly altered by humans over the past century, reducing the quantity and diversity of available habitats. Management agencies have responded with projects to restore and enhance estuarine habitats. Unfortunately, future climate change and sea-level rise could render many current restoration projects ineffective over time. Planning for habitat restoration that keeps pace with climate change will be critical to the sustainable production of seafood and maintenance of ecosystem function. However, land managers and citizens lack the spatially-explicit data needed to incorporate the potential effects of climate change and sea-level rise into planning for habitat improvement projects in estuarine areas. To meet this need, we developed simple models using LiDAR to characterize the geomorphologies of multiple Oregon estuaries. We were able to map the margin of current mean high tide, and contour intervals associated with different potential increases in mean high tide. Because our analysis relied on digital data, we compared three types of digital data in one estuary to assess the utility of different data sets in predicting changes in estuary shape. For each estuary, we assessed changes in the amount and complexity of edge habitats. The simple modeling approach we applied can also be used to identify areas that may be most amenable to pre-emptive restoration actions to mitigate or enhance

Forest pathogens and diseases under changing climate-A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raza, M. M.; Khan, M. A.; Aslam, H. M. U.; Riaz, K.

2015-01-01

Changing climate threatens tree health by affecting the likelihood, frequency of occurrence, types and severity of forest diseases caused by diverse pests, resultantly altering the forest ecosystems. The present review covers the relationship between climate and diverse cases of forest diseases and potential shocks of climate change on pathogens and diseases. Biotic diseases, cankers, decays, declines, foliar diseases, root diseases and stem rust of pine have been reviewed with some illustrations of potential disease effects with predicted changing climate. The impact of changing climate on host, pathogen, and their interaction will have frequent and mostly unsympathetic outcomes to forest ecosystems. By employing the proactive and modern scientific management strategies like monitoring, modeling prediction, risk rating, planning, genetic diversity and facilitated migration, genetic protection and breeding for disease resistance and relating results to forest policy, planning as well as decision making, the suspicions innate to climate change effects can be minimized. (author)

The Liability of European States for Climate Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roger H J Cox

2014-02-01

Full Text Available According to climate science and the 195 signatory States to the UN Climate Convention, every emission of anthropogenic greenhouse gases contributes to climate change. Furthermore, they hold that a two degree Celsius rise of Earth’s average temperature is to be considered as a dangerous climate change to mankind and all of the world’s ecosystems. Using the climate proceedings of Dutch citizens against the Dutch state as a starting point, the author of this case note explains why each European Member State’s contribution to dangerous climate change as a result of inadequate emission reduction policies constitutes a tort of negligence against its citizens and poses a real threat for its citizens’ effective enjoyment of human rights. The author argues that this makes individual European Nations severally liable for dangerous climate change and gives European citizens and non-governmental organisations the possibility to request their Nation State’s competent court to compel the Nation’s government to implement stricter emission reductions in accordance with what is deemed necessary to help avoid dangerous climate change and to protect their human rights.

Twenty Years of One Astronomy Teacher Professional Development - The EXES Teacher Associate Program at UT Austin

Science.gov (United States)

Finkelstein, Keely; Hemenway, Mary Kay; Sneden, Chris; Lacy, John; Richter, Matthew J.; EXES Teacher Associates

2018-01-01

The Astronomy Department and McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas at Austin has and continues to offer a suite of different astronomy based K-12 teacher professional development programs. One of our longest running, and most successful programs, is reaching its 20th anniversary, the EXES Teacher Associate Program, which was started in 1998. The EXES Teacher Associate program features sustained and continued professional development opportunities for K-12 science and math educators. It consists of 6 times per year day-long meetings, coupled with other professional development opportunities provided at various times. In total, there are approximately 30 active members of the group currently, but more than 90 teachers have participated in this group over its 20 year history. The program has had astronomy education as its focus throughout its history, but different partnerships and collaborations with other programs have supported the group and have allowed for a variety of professional development opportunities and themes for educators to engage in. We will give an overview of this program, present evaluation data and teacher feedback related to program success and student impact, and highlight a few specific program opportunities that are unique and have been shown to be most impactful for participants.

Global patterns of protection of elevational gradients in mountain ranges.

Science.gov (United States)

Elsen, Paul R; Monahan, William B; Merenlender, Adina M

2018-05-21

Protected areas (PAs) that span elevational gradients enhance protection for taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity and facilitate species range shifts under climate change. We quantified the global protection of elevational gradients by analyzing the elevational distributions of 44,155 PAs in 1,010 mountain ranges using the highest resolution digital elevation models available. We show that, on average, mountain ranges in Africa and Asia have the lowest elevational protection, ranges in Europe and South America have intermediate elevational protection, and ranges in North America and Oceania have the highest elevational protection. We use the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi Target 11 to assess the proportion of elevational gradients meeting the 17% suggested minimum target and examine how different protection categories contribute to elevational protection. When considering only strict PAs [International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories I-IV, n = 24,706], nearly 40% of ranges do not contain any PAs, roughly half fail to meet the 17% target at any elevation, and ∼75% fail to meet the target throughout ≥50% of the elevational gradient. Observed elevational protection is well below optimal, and frequently below a null model of elevational protection. Including less stringent PAs (IUCN categories V-VI and nondesignated PAs, n = 19,449) significantly enhances elevational protection for most continents, but several highly biodiverse ranges require new or expanded PAs to increase elevational protection. Ensuring conservation outcomes for PAs with lower IUCN designations as well as strategically placing PAs to better represent and connect elevational gradients will enhance ecological representation and facilitate species range shifts under climate change. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Climate and air pollution impacts on habitat suitability of Austrian forest ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Djukic, Ika; Kitzler, Barbara; Kobler, Johannes; Mol-Dijkstra, Janet P.; Posch, Max; Reinds, Gert Jan; Schlutow, Angela; Starlinger, Franz; Wamelink, Wieger G. W.

2017-01-01

Climate change and excess deposition of airborne nitrogen (N) are among the main stressors to floristic biodiversity. One particular concern is the deterioration of valuable habitats such as those protected under the European Habitat Directive. In future, climate-driven shifts (and losses) in the species potential distribution, but also N driven nutrient enrichment may threaten these habitats. We applied a dynamic geochemical soil model (VSD+) together with a novel niche-based plant response model (PROPS) to 5 forest habitat types (18 forest sites) protected under the EU Directive in Austria. We assessed how future climate change and N deposition might affect habitat suitability, defined as the capacity of a site to host its typical plant species. Our evaluation indicates that climate change will be the main driver of a decrease in habitat suitability in the future in Austria. The expected climate change will increase the occurrence of thermophilic plant species while decreasing cold-tolerant species. In addition to these direct impacts, climate change scenarios caused an increase of the occurrence probability of oligotrophic species due to a higher N immobilisation in woody biomass leading to soil N depletion. As a consequence, climate change did offset eutrophication from N deposition, even when no further reduction in N emissions was assumed. Our results show that climate change may have positive side-effects in forest habitats when multiple drivers of change are considered. PMID:28898262

Climate and air pollution impacts on habitat suitability of Austrian forest ecosystems.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Dirnböck

Full Text Available Climate change and excess deposition of airborne nitrogen (N are among the main stressors to floristic biodiversity. One particular concern is the deterioration of valuable habitats such as those protected under the European Habitat Directive. In future, climate-driven shifts (and losses in the species potential distribution, but also N driven nutrient enrichment may threaten these habitats. We applied a dynamic geochemical soil model (VSD+ together with a novel niche-based plant response model (PROPS to 5 forest habitat types (18 forest sites protected under the EU Directive in Austria. We assessed how future climate change and N deposition might affect habitat suitability, defined as the capacity of a site to host its typical plant species. Our evaluation indicates that climate change will be the main driver of a decrease in habitat suitability in the future in Austria. The expected climate change will increase the occurrence of thermophilic plant species while decreasing cold-tolerant species. In addition to these direct impacts, climate change scenarios caused an increase of the occurrence probability of oligotrophic species due to a higher N immobilisation in woody biomass leading to soil N depletion. As a consequence, climate change did offset eutrophication from N deposition, even when no further reduction in N emissions was assumed. Our results show that climate change may have positive side-effects in forest habitats when multiple drivers of change are considered.

Reform of the EU's climate policy. Small step or big hit?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janssen, Matthias; Peichert, Patrick; Perner, Jens; Riechmann, Christoph

2015-01-01

Emissions trading listed as a flexible mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol is regarded as a market economy way in climate protection. Since 2005 the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is the central climate policy instrument for reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases, in particular for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). For years, however, the CO 2 price is too low to direct the politically and socially targeted technical innovations in the electricity sector and the industry. The article analyses the temporary and structural causes of this problem, highlights the EU's reform efforts and points to areas of activity, the basis of which the EU ETS may act in the future as a central instrument for climate protection in the European Union. [de

Towards a global governance system to protect climate migrants: taking stock

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biermann, F.; Boas, I.J.C.

2017-01-01

Climate change may compel millions of people, largely in Africa and Asia, to leave their homes to seek refuge in other places over the course of the century. Yet the current institutions, organizations and funding mechanisms, including new soft law initiatives, are not sufficiently equipped to deal

EnviroAtlas - Austin, TX - Near Road Tree Buffer

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This EnviroAtlas dataset addresses the tree buffer along heavily traveled roads. The roads are interstates, arterials, and collectors within the EnviroAtlas...

Analyzing and forecasting the European social climate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liliana DUGULEANĂ

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The paper uses the results of the sample survey Eurobarometer, which has been requested by the European Commission. The social climate index is used to measure the level of perceptions of population by taking into account their personal situation and their perspective at national level. The paper makes an analysis of the evolution of social climate indices for the countries of European Union and offers information about the expectations of population of analyzed countries. The obtained results can be compared with the forecasting of Eurobarometer, on short term of one year and medium term of five years. Modelling the social climate index and its influence factors offers useful information about the efficiency of social protection and inclusion policies.

Review of Climatic Protection Techniques for Electronic Equipments.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-10-01

that the water vapour to be measured is carried in a dry nitrogen gas flow to an electrolytic cell which electrolyses the water vapour to hydrogen and...environments, the major factor being protection from the effects of water and water vapour in the atmosphere aided by temperature effects. The effects of...moisture on equipments, achieving and maintaining a dry interior, sealing standards, water vapour barriers, desiccation, drying-out procedures and

Climate technology initiative capacity building seminar: best practice in climate technology and energy efficiency in central and eastern Europe. Seminar Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pichl, P [ed.

2000-08-01

The Capacity Building Seminar on 'Best Practice in Climate Technology and Energy Efficiency in Central and Eastern Europe', held 6-10 December 1999 in Marienthal/Ostritz in Germany, was a very successful event in the framework of the CLIMATE TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE (CTI). One reason for that is that the seminar allowed delegates from 22 nations, from Kazakhstan to Estonia, come together for an exchange of opinions about 'Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection' and all related issues. A reason is that this seminar provided an excellent starting point for future networking in Central and Eastern Europe and Asia. The colleagues who got to know each other at the seminar will meet again in future workshops and seminars. They can now contact a colleague from abroad to get information about special questions of Energy Efficiency when they need it. A third reason - and the most important one for the entire co-operation within the CTI organisation - is the special character of the seminar as a starting point for multitude of activities on Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection. At the end of the Ostritz seminar eleven delegations stated that they would organise follow up workshops in their own countries to go deeper into the details and to co-operate on a higher level. It may be that these workshops will be followed by others in other European regions. (orig./GL)

Climate technology initiative capacity building seminar: best practice in climate technology and energy efficiency in central and eastern Europe. Seminar Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pichl, P. [ed.

2000-08-01

The Capacity Building Seminar on 'Best Practice in Climate Technology and Energy Efficiency in Central and Eastern Europe', held 6-10 December 1999 in Marienthal/Ostritz in Germany, was a very successful event in the framework of the CLIMATE TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE (CTI). One reason for that is that the seminar allowed delegates from 22 nations, from Kazakhstan to Estonia, come together for an exchange of opinions about 'Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection' and all related issues. A reason is that this seminar provided an excellent starting point for future networking in Central and Eastern Europe and Asia. The colleagues who got to know each other at the seminar will meet again in future workshops and seminars. They can now contact a colleague from abroad to get information about special questions of Energy Efficiency when they need it. A third reason - and the most important one for the entire co-operation within the CTI organisation - is the special character of the seminar as a starting point for multitude of activities on Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection. At the end of the Ostritz seminar eleven delegations stated that they would organise follow up workshops in their own countries to go deeper into the details and to co-operate on a higher level. It may be that these workshops will be followed by others in other European regions. (orig./GL)

CO{sub 2} and climate protection. Facts, mistakes, policy; CO{sub 2} und Klimaschutz. Fakten, Irrtuemer, Politk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luedecke, H.J.

2008-07-01

The author outlines the technical fundamental coherences of the CO{sub 2} problem generally clear and without unnecessary technical details. ''Which measuring methods founds on climate warning, are extrem weather disasters increasing, is the sea level raising, is a warmer climate harmful or useful, are wind turbines solar cells or biofuels meaningful, who is profitting from climate fear, which role play policy and ideology?'' are questions this book dealt with. Expert fundamentals, not political opinions are derived from reports of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the climatic department of the UN, reference items from internet contributions and specialist books. (GL)

PACIFIC WALRUS PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT IN A CHANGING CLIMATE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Ristroph

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article identifies and evaluates strategies and policies for walrus management in both Chukotka and Alaska. As the climate and walrus migration continue to change, it is important to follow adaptable strategies that are not fixed to specific geographic areas. Many of the recommendations may be easier to accomplish in the United States, which offers more opportunities for co-management and stakeholder involvement. The United States government can implement most recommendations without making substantive changes to law. This was significant to most participants – hunters as well as regulators – who supported voluntary approaches over those requiring legal changes.

Global climate change due to the hydrocarbon industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almasi, M.; Racz, L.

1999-01-01

An overview is presented on the industry's response to the agreements of the Rio de Janeiro (1992) and Kyoto (1987) conventions on climate change, and to other international agreements. The announcements by large petroleum companies on the changes introduced according to the international commitments in order to fight climatic impacts of hydrocarbon fuels. The problems and foreseeable future of the Hungarian hydrocarbon industry with environmental protection are discussed. Finally, emission abatement and control possibilities of hydrocarbon combustion are considered. (R.P.)

Climate and land-use change in wetlands: A dedication

Science.gov (United States)

Middleton, Beth A.

2017-01-01

Future climate and land-use change may wreak havoc on wetlands, with the potential to erode their values as harbors for biota and providers of human services. Wetlands are important to protect, particularly because these provide a variety of ecosystem services including wildlife habitat, water purification, flood storage, and storm protection (Mitsch, Bernal, and Hernandez 2015). Without healthy wetlands, future generations may become increasingly less in harmony with the sustainability of the Earth. To this end, the thematic feature on climate and land-use change in wetlands explores the critical role of wetlands in the overall health and well-being of humans and our planet. Our special feature contributes to the understanding of the idea that the health of natural ecosystems and humans are linked and potentially stressed by climate change and land-use change (Horton and Lo 2015; McDonald 2015). In particular, this special issue considers the important role of wetlands in the environment, and how land-use and environmental change might affect them in the future.

Nurses' perception of ethical climate at a large academic medical center.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemmenes, Donna; Valentine, Pamela; Gwizdalski, Patricia; Vincent, Catherine; Liao, Chuanhong

2016-09-07

Nurses are confronted daily with ethical issues while providing patient care. Hospital ethical climates can affect nurses' job satisfaction, organizational commitment, retention, and physician collaboration. At a metropolitan academic medical center, we examined nurses' perceptions of the ethical climate and relationships among ethical climate factors and nurse characteristics. We used a descriptive correlational design and nurses (N = 475) completed Olson's Hospital Ethical Climate Survey. Data were analyzed using STATA. Approvals by the Nursing Research Council and Institutional Review Board were obtained; participants' rights were protected. Nurses reported an ethical climate total mean score of 3.22 ± 0.65 that varied across factors; significant differences were found for ethical climate scores by nurses' age, race, and specialty area. These findings contribute to what is known about ethical climate and nurses' characteristics and provides the foundation to develop strategies to improve the ethical climate in work settings. © The Author(s) 2016.

Predicting shifting sustainability tradeoffs in marine finfish aquaculture under climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarà, Gianluca; Gouhier, Tarik C; Brigolin, Daniele; Porporato, Erika M D; Mangano, M Cristina; Mirto, Simone; Mazzola, Antonio; Pastres, Roberto

2018-05-03

Defining sustainability goals is a crucial but difficult task because it often involves the quantification of multiple interrelated and sometimes conflicting components. This complexity may be exacerbated by climate change, which will increase environmental vulnerability in aquaculture and potentially compromise the ability to meet the needs of a growing human population. Here, we developed an approach to inform sustainable aquaculture by quantifying spatio-temporal shifts in critical trade-offs between environmental costs and benefits using the time to reach the commercial size as a possible proxy of economic implications of aquaculture under climate change. Our results indicate that optimizing aquaculture practices by minimizing impact (this study considers as impact a benthic carbon deposition ≥ 1 gC m -2 d -1 ) will become increasingly difficult under climate change. Moreover, an increasing temperature will produce a poleward shift in sustainability trade-offs. These findings suggest that future sustainable management strategies and plans will need to account for the effects of climate change across scales. Overall, our results highlight the importance of integrating environmental factors in order to sustainably manage critical natural resources under shifting climatic conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Challenges in identifying sites climatically matched to the native ranges of animal invaders

Science.gov (United States)

Rodda, G.H.; Jarnevich, C.S.; Reed, R.N.

2011-01-01

Background: Species distribution models are often used to characterize a species' native range climate, so as to identify sites elsewhere in the world that may be climatically similar and therefore at risk of invasion by the species. This endeavor provoked intense public controversy over recent attempts to model areas at risk of invasion by the Indian Python (Python molurus). We evaluated a number of MaxEnt models on this species to assess MaxEnt's utility for vertebrate climate matching. Methodology/Principal Findings: Overall, we found MaxEnt models to be very sensitive to modeling choices and selection of input localities and background regions. As used, MaxEnt invoked minimal protections against data dredging, multi-collinearity of explanatory axes, and overfitting. As used, MaxEnt endeavored to identify a single ideal climate, whereas different climatic considerations may determine range boundaries in different parts of the native range. MaxEnt was extremely sensitive to both the choice of background locations for the python, and to selection of presence points: inclusion of just four erroneous localities was responsible for Pyron et al.'s conclusion that no additional portions of the U.S. mainland were at risk of python invasion. When used with default settings, MaxEnt overfit the realized climate space, identifying models with about 60 parameters, about five times the number of parameters justifiable when optimized on the basis of Akaike's Information Criterion. Conclusions/Significance: When used with default settings, MaxEnt may not be an appropriate vehicle for identifying all sites at risk of colonization. Model instability and dearth of protections against overfitting, multi-collinearity, and data dredging may combine with a failure to distinguish fundamental from realized climate envelopes to produce models of limited utility. A priori identification of biologically realistic model structure, combined with computational protections against these

Challenges in identifying sites climatically matched to the native ranges of animal invaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodda, Gordon H; Jarnevich, Catherine S; Reed, Robert N

2011-02-09

Species distribution models are often used to characterize a species' native range climate, so as to identify sites elsewhere in the world that may be climatically similar and therefore at risk of invasion by the species. This endeavor provoked intense public controversy over recent attempts to model areas at risk of invasion by the Indian Python (Python molurus). We evaluated a number of MaxEnt models on this species to assess MaxEnt's utility for vertebrate climate matching. Overall, we found MaxEnt models to be very sensitive to modeling choices and selection of input localities and background regions. As used, MaxEnt invoked minimal protections against data dredging, multi-collinearity of explanatory axes, and overfitting. As used, MaxEnt endeavored to identify a single ideal climate, whereas different climatic considerations may determine range boundaries in different parts of the native range. MaxEnt was extremely sensitive to both the choice of background locations for the python, and to selection of presence points: inclusion of just four erroneous localities was responsible for Pyron et al.'s conclusion that no additional portions of the U.S. mainland were at risk of python invasion. When used with default settings, MaxEnt overfit the realized climate space, identifying models with about 60 parameters, about five times the number of parameters justifiable when optimized on the basis of Akaike's Information Criterion. When used with default settings, MaxEnt may not be an appropriate vehicle for identifying all sites at risk of colonization. Model instability and dearth of protections against overfitting, multi-collinearity, and data dredging may combine with a failure to distinguish fundamental from realized climate envelopes to produce models of limited utility. A priori identification of biologically realistic model structure, combined with computational protections against these statistical problems, may produce more robust models of invasion risk.

Kyoto PLUS: Efficient global emission trade for an effective future climate policy; Kyoto PLUS: Effizienter globaler Emissionshandel fuer eine zukuenftig wirksame Weltklimapolitik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wicke, L. [Inst. fuer Umwelt-Management (IfUM) an der ESCP-EAP, Technische Univ. Berlin (Germany)

2007-08-15

The majority of climate protection experts believe that the Kyoto Protocol in its present version provides a basis for preventing the climate change from taking on disastrous dimensions. In the meantime however a mainstream of opinion has developed which advocates the establishment of a functioning global climate protection system for the post-Kyoto phase. Kyoto Plus, a global climate certification system, is a concept developed by the author of three expert opinions for the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg which takes the principles of the Kyoto Protocol a step forward while striving to eliminate its weaknesses and which has matured sufficiently to be put into practice. Systems of this or a similar kind could enable Germany to make a decisive additional contribution to global climate protection, as the author stated at the BT Hearing on 23 May 2007.

Climate change and American Bullfrog invasion: what could we expect in South America?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Nori

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Biological invasion and climate change pose challenges to biodiversity conservation in the 21(st century. Invasive species modify ecosystem structure and functioning and climatic changes are likely to produce invasive species' range shifts pushing some populations into protected areas. The American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus is one of the hundred worst invasive species in the world. Native from the southeast of USA, it has colonized more than 75% of South America where it has been reported as a highly effective predator, competitor and vector of amphibian diseases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We modeled the potential distribution of the bullfrog in its native range based on different climate models and green-house gases emission scenarios, and projected the results onto South America for the years of 2050 and 2080. We also overlaid projected models onto the South American network of protected areas. Our results indicate a slight decrease in potential suitable area for bullfrog invasion, although protected areas will become more climatically suitable. Therefore, invasion of these sites is forecasted. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: We provide new evidence supporting the vulnerability of the Atlantic Forest Biodiversity Hotspot to bullfrog invasion and call attention to optimal future climatic conditions of the Andean-Patagonian forest, eastern Paraguay, and northwestern Bolivia, where invasive populations have not been found yet. We recommend several management and policy strategies to control bullfrog invasion and argue that these would be possible if based on appropriate articulation among government agencies, NGOs, research institutions and civil society.

Flood Protection Decision Making Within a Coupled Human and Natural System

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donnell, Greg; O'Connell, Enda

2013-04-01

Due to the perceived threat from climate change, prediction under changing climatic and hydrological conditions has become a dominant theme of hydrological research. Much of this research has been climate model-centric, in which GCM/RCM climate projections have been used to drive hydrological system models to explore potential impacts that should inform adaptation decision-making. However, adaptation fundamentally involves how humans may respond to increasing flood and drought hazards by changing their strategies, activities and behaviours which are coupled in complex ways to the natural systems within which they live and work. Humans are major agents of change in hydrological systems, and representing human activities and behaviours in coupled human and natural hydrological system models is needed to gain insight into the complex interactions that take place, and to inform adaptation decision-making. Governments and their agencies are under pressure to make proactive investments to protect people living in floodplains from the perceived increasing flood hazard. However, adopting this as a universal strategy everywhere is not affordable, particularly in times of economic stringency and given uncertainty about future climatic conditions. It has been suggested that the assumption of stationarity, which has traditionally been invoked in making hydrological risk assessments, is no longer tenable. However, before the assumption of hydrologic nonstationarity is accepted, the ability to cope with the uncertain impacts of global warming on water management via the operational assumption of hydrologic stationarity should be carefully examined. Much can be learned by focussing on natural climate variability and its inherent changes in assessing alternative adaptation strategies. A stationary stochastic multisite flood hazard model has been developed that can exhibit increasing variability/persistence in annual maximum floods, starting with the traditional assumption of

Western water and climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Dettinger, Michael; Udall, Bradley; Georgakakos, Aris P.

2015-01-01

The western United States is a region long defined by water challenges. Climate change adds to those historical challenges, but does not, for the most part, introduce entirely new challenges; rather climate change is likely to stress water supplies and resources already in many cases stretched to, or beyond, natural limits. Projections are for continued and, likely, increased warming trends across the region, with a near certainty of continuing changes in seasonality of snowmelt and streamflows, and a strong potential for attendant increases in evaporative demands. Projections of future precipitation are less conclusive, although likely the northernmost West will see precipitation increases while the southernmost West sees declines. However, most of the region lies in a broad area where some climate models project precipitation increases while others project declines, so that only increases in precipitation uncertainties can be projected with any confidence. Changes in annual and seasonal hydrographs are likely to challenge water managers, users, and attempts to protect or restore environmental flows, even where annual volumes change little. Other impacts from climate change (e.g., floods and water-quality changes) are poorly understood and will likely be location dependent.

EnviroAtlas - Austin, TX - Green Space Proximity Gradient

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — In any given 1-square meter point in this EnviroAtlas dataset, the value shown gives the percentage of square meters of greenspace within 1/4 square kilometer...

Protecting the environment in a liberalised energy market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voss, A.

2000-01-01

The alleged conflicting situation between environmental protection and liberalisation can be resolved if we make both the market and competition serve the interests of environmental and climate protection to a greater extent. The exploitation of the allocation efficiency of markets for protecting the environment is legitimate according to the experience that the well-husbanded and efficient use of sparse resources is not achieved by government planning and control, but allowing market prices to form on functioning markets which reflect the shortage of such resources. This approach would also put into perspective the much debated conflict between economy and ecology. (orig.) [de

Potential future land use threats to California's protected areas

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Tamara Sue; Sleeter, Benjamin Michael; Davis, Adam Wilkinson

2015-01-01

Increasing pressures from land use coupled with future changes in climate will present unique challenges for California’s protected areas. We assessed the potential for future land use conversion on land surrounding existing protected areas in California’s twelve ecoregions, utilizing annual, spatially explicit (250 m) scenario projections of land use for 2006–2100 based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emission Scenarios to examine future changes in development, agriculture, and logging. We calculated a conversion threat index (CTI) for each unprotected pixel, combining land use conversion potential with proximity to protected area boundaries, in order to identify ecoregions and protected areas at greatest potential risk of proximal land conversion. Our results indicate that California’s Coast Range ecoregion had the highest CTI with competition for extractive logging placing the greatest demand on land in close proximity to existing protected areas. For more permanent land use conversions into agriculture and developed uses, our CTI results indicate that protected areas in the Central California Valley and Oak Woodlands are most vulnerable. Overall, the Eastern Cascades, Central California Valley, and Oak Woodlands ecoregions had the lowest areal percent of protected lands and highest conversion threat values. With limited resources and time, rapid, landscape-level analysis of potential land use threats can help quickly identify areas with higher conversion probability of future land use and potential changes to both habitat and potential ecosystem reserves. Given the broad range of future uncertainties, LULC projections are a useful tool allowing land managers to visualize alternative landscape futures, improve planning, and optimize management practices.

Protecting food, energy, and livelihoods in Punjab through water ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2016-04-27

Apr 27, 2016 ... Since 2008, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Columbia University ... Farmers have little incentive to change their practices when electricity ... Protecting access to water from urban sprawl, climate change in South Asia.

Protecting smallholders' food security by improving soils | CRDI ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The resilience of farming systems to climate change and variability depends upon healthy soil. ... communities I know already struggle with perennial food deficits and limited .... Protection de la sécurité alimentaire des petits exploitants grâce à ...

Planning for the next generation : ten principles for climate protection and innovation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boston, A.

2004-05-01

This paper proposed 10 principles upon which Canada can base its action plan to achieve the Kyoto target. The following 10 principles were discussed in detail: (1) take advantage of smart regulation, (2) establish a central implementation agency, (3) design a transparent, fair and effective system for large emitters, (4) renew the principle of equitable burden sharing, (5) contain Canada's major drivers of climate change, (6) develop an innovative sustainable energy agenda, (7) implement Kyoto with a long-term vision, (8) start planning from an energy end-use perspective, (9) consult fairly, with focus and timeliness, and (10) take leadership. The key criteria for Kyoto implementation were listed as: efficacy, cost, co-benefits, broader sustainability, industrial vision, precedent, leverage, synergy, public engagement, just transition, and prevention of climate change. 34 refs., 1 tab., 4 figs

Climate protection, natural resources management and soil improvement by combined Energetic and Material Utilization of lignocellulosic agricultural WAstes and residues (CEMUWA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuech, Andrea; Nelles, Michael; Tscherpel, Burckhard; El Behery, Ahmed; Menanz, Rania; Bahl, Hubert; Scheel, Michael; Nipkow, Mareen

2015-01-01

The project Climate protection, natural resources management and soil improvement by combined Energetic and Material Utilization of lignocellulosic agricultural WAstes and residues (CEMUWA) was implemented with long-term partners from Egypt and Germany leaded by the Department Waste Management and Material Flow from September 2011 until October 2013. Aim of the project was the development of technologies for the utilization of agricultural wastes and residues at the example of rice straw, with the focus on the energetic and material use. In the long term a contribution to climate protection and natural resource management could be reached. The focus was on investigations in the field of biogas, ethanol and butanol production including pretreatment as well as the material use in horticulture. The results show that the biogas and ethanol production with adapted pretreatments of rice straws is possible. The technical adaptation of a biogas plant (eo-digestion) would be associated with about 20% higher investment costs and higher operating costs with an approximately 15% higher energy demand. In Germany, however, this may still economically by the substitution of expensive or difficult available energy crops (reduction of substrate costs by 30 to 35% for a 600 kWel-BGP using maize silage). The investigated solutions for material use in Egypt showed good results, which in some cases exceeded the expectations. By the use of rice straw imported peat substrates could be substitute or irrigation water saved, what is ecologically and economically useful. The production of ethanol from rice straw was implemented on laboratory scale and preconditions for investigations in semi-industrial and partly pilot scale were created. The bilateral project'' was funded in the framework of the German-Egypt-Research-Fond (GERF) by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Egyptian Science and Technology Development Fund in Egypt (STDF). The total budget

Engaging Youth on Climate & Health to Cultivate Community Resilience

Science.gov (United States)

Haine, D. B.; Gray, K. M.; Chang, D.; Morton, T.; Steele, B.; Backus, A.; Hauptman, M.

2017-12-01

Cultivating climate literacy among youth positions them to develop solutions and advocate for actions that prepare communities to adapt to climate change, mitigate emissions and ultimately protect human health and well-being, with an eye towards protecting the most vulnerable populations. This presentation will describe an innovative partnership among three university environmental health programs—based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia University and Harvard University—and their community collaborators: the Alliance for Climate Education, Boston Children's Hospital Pediatric Environmental Health Center and WE ACT for Environmental Justice. This project engages youth through non-formal educational programming that promotes climate literacy while also building the capacity of today's youth to promote community resilience. This partnership led to the development and implementation of two, long-duration extracurricular youth science enrichment programs in 2017, one in North Carolina (NC) and one in New York, with joint activities conducted virtually and in person to connect students with each other and with leading public health professionals and others working to promote community resilience and climate justice. Forty high school students, 20 from central NC and 20 from West Harlem in New York City, are enrolled in each program. In July 2017, students came together for a 3-day summer institute in NC. This session will feature the strategies, STEM-based activities and resources used in this project to engage students in the examination of their communities, identification and evaluation of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies and promotion of community resilience. Programming entailed having students interact with public health professionals, scientists and others to learn about climate impacts to public health and its infrastructure, vulnerable populations and planning for resilient communities. Ultimately, we sought to promote

Conceptualizing Holistic Community Resilience to Climate ...

Science.gov (United States)

The concept of resilience has been evolving over the past decade as a way to address the current and future challenges nations, states, and cities face from a changing climate. Understanding how the environment (natural and built), climate event risk, societal interactions, and governance reflect community resilience for adaptive management is critical for envisioning urban and natural environments that can persist through extreme weather events and longer-term shifts in climate. To be successful, this interaction of these five domains must result in maintaining quality of life and ensuring equal access to the benefits or the protection from harm for all segments of the population. An exhaustive literature review of climate resilience approaches was conducted examining the two primary elements of resilience—vulnerability and recoverability. The results of this review were examined to determine if any existing frameworks addressed the above five major areas in an integrated manner. While some aspects of a resilience model were available for existing sources, no comprehensive approach was available. A new conceptual model for resilience to climate events is proposed that incorporates some available structures and addresses these five domains at a national, regional, state, and county spatial scale for a variety of climate-induced events ranging from superstorms to droughts and their concomitant events such as wildfires, floods, and pest invasions. This conceptua

Delta on the move. Materials for a climate-proof development of the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ligtvoet, W.; Franken, R.; Pieterse, N.; Van Gerwen, O.J.