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Even as the evidence of global warming mounts, the international response to this serious threat is coming unraveled. The United States has formally withdrawn from the 1997 Kyoto Protocol; other key nations are facing difficulty in meeting their Kyoto commitments; and developing countries face no limit on their emissions of the gases that cause global warming. In this clear and cogent book-reissued in paperback with an afterword that comments on recent events--David Victor explains why the Kyoto Protocol was never likely to become an effective legal instrument. He explores how its collapse offers opportunities to establish a more realistic alternative. Global warming continues to dominate environmental news as legislatures worldwide grapple with the process of ratification of the December 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The collapse of the November 2000 conference at the Hague showed clearly how difficult it will be to bring the Kyoto treaty into force. Yet most politicians, policymakers, and analysts hailed it as a vital first step in slowing greenhouse warming. David Victor was not among them. Kyoto's fatal flaw, Victor argues, is that it can work only if emissions trading works. The Protocol requires industrialized nations to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases to specific targets. Crucially, the Protocol also provides for so-called \"emissions trading,\" whereby nations could offset the need for rapid cuts in their own emissions by buying emissions credits from other countries. But starting this trading system would require creating emission permits worth two trillion dollars--the largest single invention of assets by voluntary international treaty in world history. Even if it were politically possible to distribute such astronomical sums, the Protocol does not provide for adequate monitoring and enforcement of these new property rights. Nor does it offer an achievable plan for allocating new permits, which would be essential if the system were expanded to include developing countries. The collapse of the Kyoto Protocol--which Victor views as inevitable--will provide the political space to rethink strategy. Better alternatives would focus on policies that control emissions, such as emission taxes. Though economically sensible, however, a pure tax approach is impossible to monitor in practice. Thus, the author proposes a hybrid in which governments set targets for both emission quantities and tax levels. This offers the important advantages of both emission trading and taxes without the debilitating drawbacks of each. Individuals at all levels of environmental science, economics, public policy, and politics-from students to professionals--and anyone else hoping to participate in the debate over how to slow global warming will want to read this book.

The objectives of conservation science and dissemination of its research create a paradox: Conservation is about preserving the environment, yet scientists spread this message at conferences with heavy carbon footprints. Ecology and conservation science depend on global knowledge exchange—getting the best science to the places it is most needed. However, conference attendance from developed countries typically outweighs that from developing countries that are biodiversity and conservation hotspots. If any branch of science should be trying to maximize participation while minimizing carbon emissions, it is conservation. Virtual conferencing is common in other disciplines, such as education and humanities, but it is surprisingly underused in ecology and conservation. Adopting virtual conferencing entails a number of challenges, including logistics and unified acceptance, which we argue can be overcome through planning and technology. We examined 4 conference models: a pure-virtual model and 3 hybrid hub-and-node models, where hubs stream content to local nodes. These models collectively aim to mitigate the logistical and administrative challenges of global knowledge transfer. Embracing virtual conferencing addresses 2 essential prerequisites of modern conferences: lowering carbon emissions and increasing accessibility for remote, time- and resource-poor researchers, particularly those from developing countries. Los objetivos de la ciencia de la conservación y la difusión de su investigación genera una paradoja: la conservación se enfoca en preservar el ambiente, pero los científicos dispersan este mensaje en conferencias con huellas de carbono pesadas. La ecología y la ciencia de la conservación dependen del intercambio de conocimiento global - hacer llegar a la mejor ciencia a los lugares en donde es más necesitada. Sin embargo, la asistencia de países desarrollados a conferencias típicamente sobrepasa a aquella de países en desarrollo que son puntos calientes de biodiversidad y conservación. Si hay una rama de la ciencia que debería estar intentando maximizar la participación mientras minimiza las emisiones de carbono, es la conservación. Las conferencias virtuales son comunes en otras disciplinas, como la educación y las humanidades, pero está sorprendentemente subutilizada en la ecología y en la conservación. Adoptar las conferencias virtuales conlleva un número de retos, incluyendo la logística y la aceptación unánime, que discutimos pueden sobreponerse por medio de la planificación y la tecnología. Examinamos cuatro modelos de conferencias: un modelo puramente virtual y tres modelos híbridos de núcleo-y-nodo, en los que los núcleos transmiten el contenido a los nodos locales. Estos modelos buscan colectivamente mitigar los retos logísticos y administrativos de la transferencia global de conocimientos. La adopción de las conferencias virtuales resuelve dos prerrequisitos esenciales de las conferencias modernas: reducir las emisiones de carbono e incrementar la accesibilidad para los investigadores remotos y escasos de tiempo y recursos, particularmente aquellos en los países en desarrollo.

Modern society uses massive amounts of energy. Usage rises as population and affluence increase, and energy production and use often have an impact on biodiversity or natural areas. To avoid a business‐as‐usual dependence on coal, oil, and gas over the coming decades, society must map out a future energy mix that incorporates alternative sources. This exercise can lead to radically different opinions on what a sustainable energy portfolio might entail, so an objective assessment of the relative costs and benefits of different energy sources is required. We evaluated the land use, emissions, climate, and cost implications of 3 published but divergent storylines for future energy production, none of which was optimal for all environmental and economic indicators. Using multicriteria decision‐making analysis, we ranked 7 major electricity‐generation sources (coal, gas, nuclear, biomass, hydro, wind, and solar) based on costs and benefits and tested the sensitivity of the rankings to biases stemming from contrasting philosophical ideals. Irrespective of weightings, nuclear and wind energy had the highest benefit‐to‐cost ratio. Although the environmental movement has historically rejected the nuclear energy option, new‐generation reactor technologies that fully recycle waste and incorporate passive safety systems might resolve their concerns and ought to be more widely understood. Because there is no perfect energy source however, conservation professionals ultimately need to take an evidence‐based approach to consider carefully the integrated effects of energy mixes on biodiversity conservation. Trade‐offs and compromises are inevitable and require advocating energy mixes that minimize net environmental damage. Society cannot afford to risk wholesale failure to address energy‐related biodiversity impacts because of preconceived notions and ideals.

Tomato cultivation in Colombia must balance market demands while minimizing environmental impact. Despite productivity improvements, it still depends on external inputs such as phytosanitary products, fertilizers, and infrastructure that produce waste. Hence,  the transition to sustainable cropping requires recognition of positive aspects and areas for improvement. This study aims to identify critical points in tomato cultivation under low-tech greenhouses in two different geographic regions in Colombia. The socio- ecological systems framework was adopted to promote a transition to sustainable production. The methodology considered the selection of 13 variables and 33 topics of analysis collected through the application of semi -structured interviews with key actors (32) and structured interviews with tomato producers (124). Fourteen critical points were identified across social, environmental, and productive components, categorized into: system of units and resources, governance, actors and production systems, and interactions. Notable points include ecosystem services related to water and soil provision, land tenure, technology adoption, and pollutant reduction practices. These points are crucial for driving a shift towards sustainable production in the regionsstudied.  La producción de tomate en Colombia enfrenta el reto de equilibrar las demandas de mercado y disminuir el impacto sobre los ecosistemas. Aunque la productividad del cultivo ha aumentado, la dependencia de insumos externos como productos fitosanitarios, fertilizantes e infraestructura que generan residuos sigue siendo alta, por lo que transitar hacia un sistema productivo sostenible requiere el reconocimiento de los aspectos positivos y de mejora. Por lo anterior, el objetivo de este estudio es identificar puntos críticos del cultivo de tomate bajo cubierta en dos regiones geográficas diferentes de Colombia. Para esto, se usó el enfoque del marco de sistemas socioecológicos para facilitar la transición hacia sistemas productivos sostenibles. La metodología contempló la selección de 13 variables y 33 tópicos de análisis que fueron recogidos a través de la aplicación de entrevistas semiestructuradas a actores clave (32) y estructuradas a productores (124), identificándose 14 puntos críticos de los componentes sociales, ambientales y productivos, categorizados en: sistema de unidades y recursos, gobernanza, actores y sistemas productivos, e interacciones. Se destacaron  los servicios ecosistémicos de provisión de agua y suelo, la tenencia de la tierra, la adopción de tecnologías y las prácticas de reducción de contaminantes. Estos puntos son clave para impulsar un cambio hacia una producción sostenible en las regiones estudiadas. La producción de tomate en Colombia enfrenta el reto de equilibrar las demandas de mercado y disminuir el impacto sobre los ecosistemas. Aunque la productividad del cultivo ha aumentado, la dependencia de insumos externos como productos fitosanitarios, fertilizantes e infraestructura que generan residuos sigue siendo alta, por lo que transitar hacia un sistema productivo sostenible requiere el reconocimiento de los aspectos positivos y de mejora. Por lo anterior, el objetivo de este estudio es identificar puntos críticos del cultivo de tomate bajo cubierta en dos regiones geográficas diferentes de Colombia. Para esto, se usó el enfoque del marco de sistemas socioecológicos para facilitar la transición hacia sistemas productivos sostenibles. La metodología contempló la selección de 13 variables y 33 tópicos de análisis que fueron recogidos a través de la aplicación de entrevistas semiestructuradas a actores clave (32) y estructuradas a productores (124), identificándose 14 puntos críticos de los componentes sociales, ambientales y productivos, categorizados en: sistema de unidades y recursos, gobernanza, actores y sistemas productivos, e interacciones. Se destacaron  los servicios ecosistémicos de provisión de agua y suelo, la tenencia de la tierra, la adopción de tecnologías y las prácticas de reducción de contaminantes. Estos puntos son clave para impulsar un cambio hacia una producción sostenible en las regiones estudiadas.

The worldwide consensus is that global climate change is being driven by humanity’s release of fossil carbon into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. Acting on the challenge of reducing fossil fuel and, particularly, petroleum consumption is our collective task. The need to act can seem daunting, given the enormous amount of petroleum that is consumed on a daily basis around the world, which has reached nearly 100 million barrels per day. However, humanity has seen major changes in our reliance on energy resources, in transportation and other sectors, over the last two centuries. Those changes have gotten us into this situation, but they provide more hope for our next transition as well. We can and must expand the adoption of low-carbon intensity renewable fuels, and we must do so in less than three decades, if we hope to limit the global temperature increase to less than 2°C. This paper provides a brief historical perspective on the use of transportation fuels and the transition that humanity must achieve and reports on a recent demonstration to support that transition.

Greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a serious pest of numerous crops grown in greenhouses and field-grown strawberry in yr-round production areas in California, USA. Problems with insecticide resistance have prompted the search for more sustainable methods for their management. Here, we applied UV-C light treatments nightly for 16 s (19.2 J m–2) over a 6-wk period to tomatoes infested with T. vaporariorum and compared numbers of adults, nymphs, and eggs with those on untreated plants. All life stages of T. vaporariorum were significantly lower on tomatoes treated nightly with UV-C compared with unexposed plants. Additionally, there was no significant difference in chlorophyll fluorescence activity. Our results indicate that nightly UV-C treatments significantly reduce T. vaporariorum populations and offer a potential non-chemical method for their management on tomato.

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a crop of great economic importance. It is the fourth most produced tropical fruit in the world. The most substantial problems faced during its production are pests and diseases, which is why it has been planted under greenhouse conditions. However, it is required that the plants not be of great height not to need tall greenhouses. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate to the salinity effect and identify nutritive solutions that reduce plant height. The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments and ten replications. The treatments were four concentrations of Steiner nutrient solution (50 %, 100 %, 150 %, and 200 %) in whose composition are anions (phosphate, nitrate, and sulfate) and cations (potassium, calcium, and magnesium), thus generating electrical conductivity of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 dS/m, respectively. The variables evaluated were plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, foliar area, chlorophyll a and b concentration, proline content, and foliar nutrient concentration. The nutrients comprise nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The analysis of variance indicated significant differences in all variables except magnesium concentration. As salinity increased, plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, leaf area, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium decreased, but chlorophyll a and b concentration, proline content, and nitrogen increased. We conclude that Steiner nutrient solution with 4.0 dS/m (200 %) can reduce plant height to grow it in greenhouses.

Eleutherodactylus planirostris es una especie nativa de Cuba, Bahamas e Islas Caimán en el Mar Caribe que ha sido introducida accidentalmente a distintas partes del mundo, incluido el continente americano. Esta especie ha sido registrada en distintas localidades de Veracruz en el Golfo de México. Las tres nuevas localidades para esta especie reportadas en este estudio sugieren que podría estar distribuida ampliamente en la región.

In this study, the emissions of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases from mobile sources in the main streets of the city of Valledupar were estimated. A vehicular characterization of the streets studied was carried out, and the IVE model was implemented to estimate the emissions generated by automobiles; subsequently, scenarios of atmospheric transport routes of pollutants were analyzed with the HYSPLIT model. The results showed that in the case of pollutant criteria, motorcycles emitted the highest amount of CO and PM10, and private cars the highest SOx and NOx emissions. For GHGs, private cars emitted the highest amount of CO2 and N2O, while motorcycles emitted the highest amount of CH4. The trajectory scenarios for the days of the study were carried out during the peak hours of vehicular circulation, implementing meteorological data from the WRF model. The trajectories were evaluated in rainy periods of 2021 and 2022 and in the dry period of 2022. In the rainy period, it was observed that the transport routes of the pollutants were directed in a greater proportion towards the NE direction and the dry period towards the SE direction. With this, it was possible to determine which areas of the city could be the most affected by vehicle emissions from the roads studied.

When the policies and activities of one country or generation harm both other nations and later generations, they constitute serious injustices. Recognizing the broad threat posed by anthropogenic climate change, advocates for an international climate policy development process have expressly aimed to mitigate this pressing contemporary environmental threat in a manner that promotes justice. Yet, while making justice a primary objective of global climate policy has been the movement's noblest aspiration, it remains an onerous challenge for policymakers. Atmospheric Justice is the first single-authored work of political theory that addresses this pressing challenge via the conceptual frameworks of justice, equality, and responsibility. Throughout this incisive study, Steve Vanderheiden points toward ways to achieve environmental justice by exploring how climate change raises issues of both international and intergenerational justice. In addition, he considers how the design of a global climate regime might take these aims into account. Engaging with the principles of renowned political philosopher John Rawls, he expands on them by factoring in the needs of future generations. Vanderheiden also demonstrates how political theory can contribute to reaching a better understanding of the proper human response to climate change. By showing how climate policy offers insights into resolving contemporary controversies within political theory, he illustrates the ways in which applying normative theory to policy allows us to better understand both. Thoroughly researched and persuasively argued, Atmospheric Justice makes an important step toward providing us with a set of carefully elaborated first principles for achieving environmental justice.