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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Towards Measuring Interventions In Rainfed Areas, Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan, Rajendra, Srijit Mishra Jan 2015

Towards Measuring Interventions In Rainfed Areas, Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan, Rajendra, Srijit Mishra

Srijit Mishra

This paper underlines the process through which we have arrived at the indicators for various thematic nodes to measure and evaluate interventions or comprehensive pilots in rainfed areas. We conceptualize a simple four stage process, i.e., ‘objective or goal formulation’, 'means finding', 'targets settings' and 'indicator identification', which we refer to as OMTI (Objective-Means-Target-Indicators) framework. In indicator literature, this kind of framework can be categorized under "thematic framework" or "goal oriented framework". The operationalization of OMTI framework highlights its nuances and brings forth its limitations. In order to overcome some of these limitations, we validate the OMTI framework using the …


Travelling In Cuba, Fathi Habashi Feb 2013

Travelling In Cuba, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

Contact with Cuban scientists was established in 1986 when two researchers from Centro de Investigaciones para Industria Minero Metalurgica in Havana visited Laval University to get acquainted with research activities in the area of extractive metallurgy. This was followed in early 1987 by two more researchers from the same centre. Invitations were then received in late 1987, 1989, and 2008 to visit the nickel refineries in Cuba and to hold seminars at the University of Havana. The present report outlines these activities.


Stacking Low Carbon Policies On The Renewable Fuels Standard: Economic And Greenhouse Gas Implications, Haixiao Huang, Madhu Khanna, Hayri Önal, Xiaoguang Chen Jan 2013

Stacking Low Carbon Policies On The Renewable Fuels Standard: Economic And Greenhouse Gas Implications, Haixiao Huang, Madhu Khanna, Hayri Önal, Xiaoguang Chen

Xiaoguang Chen

none


Food Vs. Fuel: The Effect Of Biofuel Policies, Xiaoguang Chen, Madhu Khanna Jan 2013

Food Vs. Fuel: The Effect Of Biofuel Policies, Xiaoguang Chen, Madhu Khanna

Xiaoguang Chen

No abstract provided.


Environmental Impacts Of Stover Removal In The Corn Belt, Alicia English, Wallace E. Tyner, Juan Sesmero, Phillip Owens, David J. Muth Jr. Aug 2012

Environmental Impacts Of Stover Removal In The Corn Belt, Alicia English, Wallace E. Tyner, Juan Sesmero, Phillip Owens, David J. Muth Jr.

David J. Muth

When considering the market for biomass from corn stover resources erosion and soil quality issues are important to consider. Removal of stover can be beneficial in some areas, especially when coordinated with other conservation practices, such as vegetative barrier strips and cover crops. However, benefits are highly dependent on several factors, namely if farmers see costs and benefits associated with erosion and the tradeoffs with the removal of biomass. This paper uses results from an integrated RUSLE2/WEPS model to incorporate six different regime choices, covering management, harvest and conservation, into a simple profit maximization model to show these tradeoffs.


Back To The Future Of Green Powered Economies, Juan B. Moreno-Cruz, M. Scott Taylor Jul 2012

Back To The Future Of Green Powered Economies, Juan B. Moreno-Cruz, M. Scott Taylor

Juan B. Moreno-Cruz

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of power density [Watts/m2] into economics. By introducing an explicit spatial structure into a simple general equilibrium model we are able to show how the power density of available energy resources determines the extent of energy exploitation, the density of urban agglomerations, and the peak level of income per capita. Using a simple Malthusian model to sort population across geographic space we demonstrate how the density of available energy supplies creates density in energy demands by agglomerating economic activity. We label this result the density-creates-density hypothesis and evaluate it using …


Climate Change In Cyprus: Impacts And Adaptation Measures, Theodoros Zachariadis Mar 2012

Climate Change In Cyprus: Impacts And Adaptation Measures, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

No abstract provided.


Climate Change In Cyprus – Impacts And Adaptation Policies, Elpida Shoukri, Theodoros Zachariadis Mar 2012

Climate Change In Cyprus – Impacts And Adaptation Policies, Elpida Shoukri, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

This report provides a literature review of climate change facts and projections globally, for Europe, Mediterranean and Cyprus until the end of the 21st century. It focuses on climate change effects in Cyprus by sector and presents specific recommendations on the implementation of a proper adaptation strategy. The report is based on a review of the most important recent studies on climate change, including reports from international organizations as well as European and Mediterranean authorities and research institutions. The report has also benefited from information gathered through personal communication of the authors with public authorities, non-governmental organizations and researchers.


Stimulating Learning-By-Doing In Advanced Biofuels: Effectiveness Of Alternative Policies, Xiaoguang Chen, Madhu Khanna, Sonia Yeh Jan 2012

Stimulating Learning-By-Doing In Advanced Biofuels: Effectiveness Of Alternative Policies, Xiaoguang Chen, Madhu Khanna, Sonia Yeh

Xiaoguang Chen

No abstract provided.


Explaining The Reductions In Us Corn Ethanol Processing Costs: Testing Competing Hypotheses, Xiaoguang Chen, Madhu Khanna Jan 2012

Explaining The Reductions In Us Corn Ethanol Processing Costs: Testing Competing Hypotheses, Xiaoguang Chen, Madhu Khanna

Xiaoguang Chen

No abstract provided.


Meeting The Mandate For Biofuels: Implications For Land Use, Food, And Fuel Prices, Xiaoguang Chen, Madhu Khanna, Haixiao Huang, Hayri Önal Jan 2012

Meeting The Mandate For Biofuels: Implications For Land Use, Food, And Fuel Prices, Xiaoguang Chen, Madhu Khanna, Haixiao Huang, Hayri Önal

Xiaoguang Chen

No abstract provided.


The Market-Mediated Effects Of Low Carbon Fuel Policies, Xiaoguang Chen, Madhu Khanna Jan 2012

The Market-Mediated Effects Of Low Carbon Fuel Policies, Xiaoguang Chen, Madhu Khanna

Xiaoguang Chen

No abstract provided.


Beyond Business-As-Usual: Achieving A Paradigm Shift Towards Low-Carbon Transport, Theodoros Zachariadis Jan 2012

Beyond Business-As-Usual: Achieving A Paradigm Shift Towards Low-Carbon Transport, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

Transportation is responsible for a continuously rising share of global carbon emissions. Carefully designed regulations, supported by land use strategies, fiscal policies and local incentives, and enabled through targeted international development assistance, can reverse these unsustainable trends.


Climate Change In Cyprus: Impacts And Adaptation Policies, Theodoros Zachariadis Jan 2012

Climate Change In Cyprus: Impacts And Adaptation Policies, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

This paper provides an overview of facts and projections related to climate change in Cyprus until the end of the 21st century. It highlights the main climate change impacts foreseen and presents recommendations for the preparation of a national adaptation strategy. Coping with climate change is possible, provided that proactive actions are taken by both the public and the private sector. Public authorities need to set clear priorities and implement well designed policies. Most importantly, adequate monitoring mechanisms should be set up in order to provide much needed data which can send early warnings to policy makers and the public …


A Simple Model To Account For Regional Inequalities In The Effectiveness Of Solar Radiation Management, Juan B. Moreno-Cruz, Katharine L. Ricke, David W. Keith Jan 2012

A Simple Model To Account For Regional Inequalities In The Effectiveness Of Solar Radiation Management, Juan B. Moreno-Cruz, Katharine L. Ricke, David W. Keith

Juan B. Moreno-Cruz

We develop a simple measure of the potential effectiveness of solar radiation management (SRM) in compensating for anthropogenic climate change and test this measure using data from an ensemble of modeling experiments conducted with a general circulation model (GCM). Assuming a linear relationship between the amounts of SRM implemented globally and the regional temperature and precipitation responses to that change, we calculate the amount of SRM that minimizes impacts using three different social objectives: egalitarian, utilitarian and ecocentric. While inequalities in the effectiveness of SRM between regions are important, they may not be as severe as is often assumed. When …


Climate Policy Under Uncertainty: A Case For Solar Geoengineering, Juan B. Moreno-Cruz, David W. Keith Jan 2012

Climate Policy Under Uncertainty: A Case For Solar Geoengineering, Juan B. Moreno-Cruz, David W. Keith

Juan B. Moreno-Cruz

It appears to be technically feasible to engineer an increase in albedo, a planetary brightening, as a means to offset the warming caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases through Solar Radiation Management (SRM). This option has two characteristics that make it attractive for managing climate risk: it is quick and cheap. However, SRM cannot exactly compensate for the CO2-driven climate change. Moreover, SRM introduces risks in the climate system that are unique to this type of intervention.We introduce SRM in a model of climate change economics and analyze the optimal policy under uncertainty. We find that the …


Pyrite. History, Chemistry, And Metallurgy, Fathi Habashi Jan 2012

Pyrite. History, Chemistry, And Metallurgy, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

The Book covers the history of pyrite - - how it was a strategic mineral necessary for the production of elemental sulfur needed for making gunpowder for military purposes and for the production of SO2 needed for making sulfuric acid for the chemical industry. Now its presence is a nuisance in tailings ponds. The book also covers the processing of pyrite containing gold, its chemistry and technology, the processing of pyrite cinder for the production of a variety of metals, and its behaviour towards autotrophic microorganisms.


Designing Carbon Taxation Schemes For Automobiles: A Simulation Exercise For Germany, Adamos Adamou, Sofronis Clerides, Theodoros Zachariadis Dec 2011

Designing Carbon Taxation Schemes For Automobiles: A Simulation Exercise For Germany, Adamos Adamou, Sofronis Clerides, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

Vehicle taxation based on CO2 emissions is increasingly being adopted worldwide in order to shift consumer purchases to low-carbon cars, yet little is known about the effectiveness and overall economic impact of these schemes. We focus on feebate schemes, which impose a fee on high-carbon vehicles and give a rebate to purchasers of low-carbon automobiles. We estimate a discrete choice model of demand for automobiles in Germany and simulate the impact of alternative feebate schemes on emissions, consumer welfare, public revenues and firm profits. The analysis shows that a well-designed scheme can lead to emission reductions without reducing overall welfare.


The Explosion In Mari, Cyprus, The Cost Of Power Shortages, And Policy Recommendations, Theodoros Zachariadis, Panos Pashardes, Nicoletta Pashourtidou Aug 2011

The Explosion In Mari, Cyprus, The Cost Of Power Shortages, And Policy Recommendations, Theodoros Zachariadis, Panos Pashardes, Nicoletta Pashourtidou

Theodoros Zachariadis

No abstract provided.


Effect Of Climate Variability And Climate Change On Crop Production And Water Resources In Cyprus, Adriana Bruggeman, Christos Zoumides, Stelios Pashiardis, Panos Hadjinicolaou, Manfred Lange, Theodoros Zachariadis Jul 2011

Effect Of Climate Variability And Climate Change On Crop Production And Water Resources In Cyprus, Adriana Bruggeman, Christos Zoumides, Stelios Pashiardis, Panos Hadjinicolaou, Manfred Lange, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

No abstract provided.


Land Use And Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Effects Of Biofuel Policies, Madhu Khanna, Xiaoguang Chen, Haixiao Huang, Hayri Önal Jan 2011

Land Use And Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Effects Of Biofuel Policies, Madhu Khanna, Xiaoguang Chen, Haixiao Huang, Hayri Önal

Xiaoguang Chen

Concerns about energy security, reduced dependence on exhaustible fossil fuels, and climate change have led to significant policy support for biofuels, particularly for cellulosic biofuels. The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) and volumetric tax credits for biofuels seek to supplement the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and provide incentives for producing and blending cellulosic biofuels. This Article examines the effects of these policies on the mix of biofuels produced, food and fuel prices, and consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to the RFS alone. It also examines the effects of two performance-based policies that target incentives based on the …


Supply Of Cellulosic Biofuel Feedstocks And Regional Production Pattern, Madhu Khanna, Xiaoguang Chen, Haixiao Huang, Hayri Önal Jan 2011

Supply Of Cellulosic Biofuel Feedstocks And Regional Production Pattern, Madhu Khanna, Xiaoguang Chen, Haixiao Huang, Hayri Önal

Xiaoguang Chen

none


The Survival Of The Conformist: Social Pressure And Renewable Resource Management, Alessandro Tavoni Jan 2011

The Survival Of The Conformist: Social Pressure And Renewable Resource Management, Alessandro Tavoni

Alessandro Tavoni

This paper examines the role of other-regarding behavior as a mechanism for the establishment and maintenance of cooperation in resource use under variable social and environmental conditions. By coupling resource stock dynamics with social dynamics concerning compliance to a social norm prescribing non-excessive resource extraction in a common 10 pool resource, we show that when reputational considerations matter and a sufficient level of social stigma affects the violators of a norm, sustainable outcomes are achieved. We find large parameter regions where norm-observing and norm-violating types coexist, and analyze to what extent such coexistence depends on the environment.


Metalurgia Extractiva Y Política Nacional, Fathi Habashi Jan 2011

Metalurgia Extractiva Y Política Nacional, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

Should a country export its mineral wealth in form of concentrates or should it locally treat its ores to produce metals as final products? In the past centuries pyrometallurgy was the only route to extract metals from ores and this required a large capital investment many countries could not afford to raise. This situation encouraged marketing of concentrates. Today, metallurgists have the option to use the hydrometallurgical route to process ores and concentrates at a reasonable capital investment. This opened the way to the possibility of processing ores locally. When need arises to increase production new units can be added …


Leaching Mechanism Of Semiconducting Minerals, Fathi Habashi Dec 2010

Leaching Mechanism Of Semiconducting Minerals, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

The mechanism of leaching of semiconducting minerals such as PbS, ZnS, UO2, etc., has been the subject of intensive speculation by hydrometallurgists in the early 1950s. The electrochemical mechanism proposed in 1970 by the author in volume 2 of his Principles of Extractive Metallurgy avoids the assumption of forming intermediate complexes that cannot be isolated or identified.


The Costs Of Residential Water Scarcity In Cyprus: Impact Of Climate Change And Policy Options, Theodoros Zachariadis May 2010

The Costs Of Residential Water Scarcity In Cyprus: Impact Of Climate Change And Policy Options, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

This paper presents an assessment of the costs of water scarcity in Cyprus, today and in the next twenty years, accounting also for the effect of projected climate change in the region. We focus on the residential sector, accounting also for tourism and industry. Using a simple demand function we first compute total scarcity costs in Cyprus for the entire period 2010¡V2030 for three scenarios of future water demand. Our central estimate shows that the present value of total costs due to water shortages in this period will amount to 72 million Euros (at 2009 prices), and if future water …


Conference Proceedings 3rd International Scientific Conference On “Energy Systems With It” At Alvsjö Fair In Association With Energitinget March 16-17 2010, Dr. Erik Dahlquist, Dr. Jenny Palm Mar 2010

Conference Proceedings 3rd International Scientific Conference On “Energy Systems With It” At Alvsjö Fair In Association With Energitinget March 16-17 2010, Dr. Erik Dahlquist, Dr. Jenny Palm

Dr. Erik Dahlquist

2010 “The Energiting” is performed for the 12th time. The International Scientific conference is arranged for the 3rd time. The organisers are Swedish Energy Agency, Mälardalen University and the Research School for Energy Systems with LiU, KTH, UU and CTH. The first topic will be “Energy systems” covering use of renewable energy sources, energy conversion and process efficiency improvement with new technologies, as well as societal aspects of the introduction of new technologies. The second topic is “Energy and IT”. This covers energy and load management, interaction between production, distribution and “consumption”, usage of data for decision support and control, …


Metals: Typical And Less Typical, Transition And Inner Transition, Fathi Habashi Mar 2010

Metals: Typical And Less Typical, Transition And Inner Transition, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

While most chemists agree on what is a metal and what is a non-metal there is a disagreement with respect to what is a metalloid and what is a transition metal. It is believed that this problem can be solved if two new terms are adopted: typical and less typical metals. These new terms will also help reconcile the European Periodic Table versus the North American regarding numbering of groups as well as the IUPAC numbering which could be as well abandoned in favour of group names as will be shown in the manuscript.


Phosphate Industry And The Radon Problem, Fathi Habashi Feb 2010

Phosphate Industry And The Radon Problem, Fathi Habashi

Fathi Habashi

The problem of radon generated during the treatment of phosphate rock by sulfuric acid to produce fertilizers can be solved by using nitric acid. In this case radium, which is the source of radon, goes into solution and can be precipitated by a controlled method and safely disposed of. A variety of options are discussed. Text in Farsi with English translation.


Mitigation And The Geoengineering Threat, Juan B. Moreno-Cruz Jan 2010

Mitigation And The Geoengineering Threat, Juan B. Moreno-Cruz

Juan B. Moreno-Cruz

Recent scientific advances have introduced the possibility of engineering the climate system to lower ambient temperatures without lowering greenhouse gas concentrations. This possibility has created an intense debate given the ethical, moral and scientific questions it raises. In this paper I examine the economic issues introduced when geoengineering becomes available in a standard two-period two-country model where strategic interaction leads to suboptimal mitigation. Geoengineering introduces the possibility of technical substitution away from mitigation, but it also affects the strategic interaction across countries: mitigation decisions made in the first period directly affect the geoengineering decisions made in the second period. With …