BC3-UPV/EHU Seminars: Innovation and Aesthetics of On-Site Solar
Amelia Amon
Alt.Technica, Ltd., New York, NY, USA
There are clear advantages to carbon-neutral energy production, particularly located close to high-energy demands, but can it also be appealing to communities and customers? Although utility-scale solar and wind farms provide economies of scale, new models of distributed energy sources within our cities and suburbs can be remarkably effective. Innovations in on-site solar include free-standing LED lighting, parking lot shade structures that irrigate landscaping with captured storm-water, and solar electric charging of plug-in hybrid cars. Multiple functions are served, while shaving peak utility loads and avoiding distribution losses. Innovative new technologies allow for a wide range of design options with flexible amorphous photovoltaics, nano-tech films, and high-efficiency polycrystalline modules. The developed countries of Europe, Asia, and the Americas have enough paved area to provide a significant percentage of our electricity with on-site solar. Producing power within existing infrastructure preserves our scenic landscapes and irreplaceably beautiful wild nature.
2013 Summer School
Miramar Palace Paseo Miraconcha, 48, San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, SpainAddressing climate change challenges from a multidisplicinary perspective.
This year the 2013 summer school (July 8th, 9th, 10th) entitled “Addressing Climate Change Challenges from a Multidisciplinary Perspective” will be structured similarly to IPCC (International Panel for Climate Change) assessment reports. For this purpose, we have invited researchers that can help us to better understand the biophysical part behind the economics of climate change. The course will have three main sessions/days, each of them focusing in one of the subjects of the IPCC Working Groups: climate science, adaptation and impact and mitigation of climate change. An IPCC-member scientist will be a keynote lecture for each session. After that, top leading invited speakers will cover in more detail the main key issues in the climate change research agenda.
BC3-UPV/EHU Seminars: Re-examining the Past and Rethinking the Future at Mount Mulanje Forest Reserve, Malawi: New Directions for Local Engagement
Mary C. Thompson
Bioversity International, Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Since the 1980s, broad recognition has been given to the need for and the benefits of aligning the protection of biodiversity in threatened forest ecosystems with measures to address the needs and desires of people living near and depending on those ecosystems. With this research project I focus on one such ecosystem found at the Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve (MMFR) in southern Malawi. Large amounts of money and time have been put forth by local, national, and international donors and conservation organizations to support the goals of biodiversity conservation and social development at MMFR. In order to explore how managers of MMFR have failed to successfully realize both of these overarching goals, I focus on inadequate engagement of forest managers with local populations and the effects of this deficient engagement on the health of the reserve. As part of the analysis I emphasize how certain local social contexts have been left unexamined in project design and how these neglected contexts translate into ineffective project implementation and outcomes. Furthermore I highlight how these unexamined contexts continuously reinforce the superficial nature of the connection between local community members and those charged with managing the reserve
There are valuable lessons to be learned from this case study that can be extended not only to other areas surrounding MMFR, but also to the managers of protected areas worldwide who, in the face of changing global climates and associated policy implications, are seeing the necessity for increasingly meaningful relationships with local communities and individuals.
Biofuel Policy for a Low Carbon Future
The workshop "Biofuel Policy for a Low Carbon Future" organized by the Low Carbon Programme, was held on September 19 in Bilbao.
The Low Carbon Programme, is a Joint Research Programme on Energy and Environment, sponsored by Fundación Repsol and launched by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3).
The main aim of the workshop was to discuss with experts from leading international research institutions, policymakers and social and business representative’s issues associated to biofuels policy in Europe.
Further information of the Joint Research Programme at http://www.lowcarbonprogramme.org/
Second annual Workshop organized by the Low Carbon Programme "Biofuel Policy for a Low Carbon Future "
BC3-UPV/EHU Seminars: Biodiversity for Transgenics? Pursuit of Indian Farmers for Higher-Yielding, Lower-Risk Production Alternatives
Dr. Vijesh V. Krishna,
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Georg-August University of Goettingen, Germany
Do biotechnology innovations reduce agricultural biodiversity and enhance system vulnerability? Building on four rounds of panel datasets, this paper examines the diffusion process of transgenic varieties in Indian cotton sector. Both transgenic technology and varietal diversity are found increasing yield and reducing production risk. However, the technology impacts weigh greater than the diversity impacts. Profit maximizing farmers may forgo diversity to appropriate transgenic technology, when the transgenic varieties are limited in supply. Otherwise, these two factors act as complements. The determining role of government regulations and seed market structure on varietal supply on agrobiodiversity conservation and system resilience is highlighted
BC3-UPV/EHU Seminars: Experiment on non-governmental norm enforcement (presentation of planned design)
Christiane Reif
Researcher at Centre for European Economic Research, Department of Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management (Germany).
We plan a public good experiment with a non-governmental norm enforcement mechanism. The two stage game is based on the theory by Buchholz et al. (2014). In the first stage subjects decide independently on the contribution to the enforcement mechanism and in the second stage how much they would like to contribute to the public good. The subjects’ payoff depends on their own decision and their co-players decisions in both stages. We will implement the game as a repeated one shot experiment with 10 players in each group. We will compare treatments without mechanism (simple public good game) to treatments with the theory based mechanism. Furthermore, we will vary the strength of the enforcement mechanism.
Workshop on Crop and Livestock Diversity for Climate Change Adaptation co-organized by BC3 in Rome
Expert meeting co-organized by Biodiversity International and Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) to be held in Rome 8-11 October 2013
"Crop and Livestock Diversity for Climate Change Adaptation: Review of Evidence Base and Identification of Research Priorities and Potential Uptake Pathways".
Crop and livestock biodiversity is both threatened by climate change and considered to be a crucial resource for adaptation and ensuring food security in the face of global economic and environmental challenges. Subsistence-based and natural resource-dependent societies are especially vulnerable to global drivers of disruption, including climate change. In such contexts, food security urgently needs to be strengthened by investing in the adaptability of food systems.
Conferencia “El Cambio Climático: ¿Competitividad frente a Medio Ambiente?”
DR. IBON GALARRAGA, Deputy Director and Research Professor en Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) y JOSÉ IGNACIO HORMAECHE, director-gerente del Clúster de Energía, e , impartirán una conferencia en GOAZ Museum de Sabino Arana Fundazioa, el próximo jueves 10 de octubre, a partir de las 19:30h, en la que analizarán las consecuencias y los riesgos derivados de la priorización de los criterios de sostenibilidad ambiental sobre los de competitividad, y viceversa.
BC3-UPV/EHU Seminars:Effects of international trade of food and feed and human diet shifts on food security and environmental safety: global and regional perspectives
BC3-Basque Centre for Climate Change Sede Building 1, 1st floor, Scientific Park of the University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Bizkaia, SpainDr. Luis Lassaletta.
UMR Sisyphe, CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie.Paris (France)
International trade of food and feed (expressed as protein content) has increased eightfold during the last 50 years. Nowadays a small number of countries are feeding the rest of the world. The population growth but also a change toward higher animal-protein diets are key drivers of the observed changes. The increasing dissociation between crops and livestock is producing a drop in the nutrient use efficiency at the global scale, and a rise in pollution problems. In Spain, a transition from the so-called Mediterranean diet to a diet with a very high share of animal protein, similar to North American and North European diets, is the main driver of a dramatic increase in nitrogen pollution. The huge production of animal products is fuelled by feed imports that today equal national crop production. Despite Spain also produces commodities for exportation, the net balance of N2O emissions of the agricultural system in 2009 indicated that the country is net-emitting abroad. A large part of the net N2O emissions is associated to imported agricultural goods coming from countries which are not committers for the Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol, and therefore emission leakage is occurring. Localization of vegetal and animal production, as well as control of the diet are key factors for world food security and environmental safety.
BC3-UPV/EHU Seminars: Coping with and Adapting to Global Change. Challenge for Society, Households and Individuals
Barbora Duzi
PhD Student, Global Change Research Centre The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
We investigated household adaptation strategies in the region frequently affected by climate extremes. We focused on impacts of extreme hydrological and meteorological events occurred since 1997 to 2012 at selected municipalities in the Morava river basin. The main research questions are: What is the state of adaptation measurements in households to climate extremes in the researched area? What are the population consequences to climate extremes for the last 15 years? Target area is located in selected parts of Morava river basin in the east part of the Czech Republic which is affected by annual floods or flash-floods, heavy rainfalls events and occasionally by mudslides. We apply mixed qualitative and quantitative research methods and case (pilot) study approach. We conducted in-depths interviews with relevant stakeholders, and the face-to face questionnaires with household residents in no, low and no risk area in relation to flood occurrence. The population of interest was stratified by the level of the past exposure to floods (two or more times, one time, no exposure) in particular municipalities. Within each stratum a fixed quota of interviews is allocated. We recognized set of household-level coping and adaptation strategies such as terraces and elevated ground floor constructions, a complex hydro-isolation arrangements of the houses, any weather and landslides risks related insurance purchase, and resettlement and new building construction in no-risk area. Further we identified the consequences between the labour commuting and climate extremes.
