The influence of lobbying on climate policies; or, why the world might fail

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. V. Pezzey
Keyword(s):  
Structural Adjustment ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Economic Class ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Technical Innovations ◽  
Environment And Development ◽  
Industrial Revolutions

How can the malign and growing influence of lobbying on global climate policies be checked? In this short piece I link some wide-ranging suggestions for academic research by environment and development economists that is needed to further this aim, with the key idea in Acemoglu and Robinson's (2012) Why Nations Fail. Their book argues strongly that sustained, very long-term economic growth through national industrial revolutions requires ‘inclusive institutions’ that distribute political power broadly over a nation's economic, class and geographical sectors. This is because long-term growth needs technical innovations, which cause creative destruction (structural adjustment) of existing technologies, which in turn harms the interests of existing elites. If elites are too powerful, they will block new technologies, so as to keep their powers to extract rents from the rest of society, and the nation will then fail (to grow sustainably).

scholarly journals A MULTI-MODEL ANALYSIS OF THE REGIONAL AND SECTORAL ROLES OF BIOENERGY IN NEAR- AND LONG-TERM CO2 EMISSIONS REDUCTION

2013 ◽  
Vol 04 (04) ◽  
pp. 1340014 ◽  
Author(s):  
KATHERINE CALVIN ◽  
MARSHALL WISE ◽  
DAVID KLEIN ◽  
DAVID McCOLLUM ◽  
MASSIMO TAVONI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Regional Patterns ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Supply Potential ◽  
Bioenergy Feedstocks ◽  
Near Term

This paper examines the near- and the long-term contribution of regional and sectoral bioenergy use in response to both regionally diverse near-term policies and longer-term global climate change mitigation policies. The use of several models provides a source of heterogeneity in terms of incorporating uncertain assumptions about future socioeconomics and technology, as well as different paradigms for how different regions and major economies of the world may respond to climate policies. The results highlight the heterogeneity and versatility of bioenergy itself, with different types of resources and applications in several energy sectors. In large part due to this versatility, the contribution of bioenergy to climate mitigation is a robust response across all models. Regional differences in bioenergy consumption, however, highlight the importance of assumptions about trade in bioenergy feedstocks and the influence of energy and climate policies. When global trade in bioenergy is possible, regional patterns of bioenergy use follow global patterns. When trade is assumed not to be feasible, regions with high bioenergy supply potential tend to consume more bioenergy than other regions. Energy and climate policies, such as renewable energy targets, can incentivize bioenergy use, but specifics of the policies will dictate the degree to which this is true. For example, renewable final energy targets, which include electric and non-electric renewable sources, increase bioenergy use in all models, while electric-only renewable targets have a mixed effect on bioenergy use across models.

Securing Decarbonisation and Growth

2019 ◽  
Vol 250 ◽  
pp. R54-R60
Author(s):  
Dimitri Zenghelis
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Structural Adjustment ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Market Failures ◽  
Executive Summary ◽  
The Uk

Executive SummaryThe need to decarbonise the economy in order to slow the pace of climate change is now recognised as one of the most pressing international policy challenges. While the UK cannot by itself materially affect global climate change, it has an opportunity to play an influential role, both by persuading others of the need for action but also by reshaping its domestic economy to benefit from a low-carbon transition.Far from hampering competitiveness, adoption of a coordinated policy approach to climate change today would generate positive benefits for the UK economy, especially if it addresses the multiple market failures that promote pollution and places decarbonisation at the heart of structural economic policy.Desirable strategies would include public support for research, development, and deployment of new technologies, and measures to foster an environment where innovation can rapidly shift the economy from dirty to clean production systems. Focusing UK industrial strategy on securing strong domestic supply chains for green products and services, for example, could help create an early mover advantage in rapidly growing global market sectors. Interventions could include the establishment of a National Infrastructure Bank to support decarbonisation in crucial sectors such as energy and transport, and would also need to encompass measures to assist structural adjustment in affected industries and their workforces.

On Climate Change Risks of Long-Term Socio-Economic Development in Russia

2019 ◽  
pp. 79-95
Author(s):  
N.E. Terentiev
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Climate Risk ◽  
Climate Change Risks ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Management Policies

Based on the latest data, paper investigates the dynamics of global climate change and its impact on economic growth in the long-term. The notion of climate risk is considered. The main directions of climate risk management policies are analyzed aimed, first, at reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions through technological innovation and structural economic shifts; secondly, at adaptation of population, territories and economic complexes to the irreparable effects of climate change. The problem of taking into account the phenomenon of climate change in the state economic policy is put in the context of the most urgent tasks of intensification of long-term socio-economic development and parrying strategic challenges to the development of Russia.

Online Publication of Monuments

2020 ◽  
pp. 355-369
Author(s):  
Willeke Wendrich
Keyword(s):  
Peer Review ◽  
3D Modeling ◽  
Online Publication ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
3D Scanning ◽  
Architectural Drawings ◽  
3D Gis ◽  
Unity 3D ◽  
Long Term Preservation

This chapter outlines the advantages of digital epigraphy in the context of the original monuments. It analyzes the perception of epigraphic publication of monuments, taking into account new technologies. 3DVR models can be created using architectural drawings and measurements (CAD and 3D modeling), 3D scanning, and Structure for Motion (SfM). These systems present different advantages and challenges, which are discussed. Current options for publication include VSim, 3D GIS, and Unity 3D platforms. The issues of peer review of publications and long-term preservation of data are addressed. The chapter concludes with a consideration of the issue of potentially misleading impressions given by 3DVR representations.

scholarly journals The Infrared Absolute Radiance Interferometer (ARI) for CLARREO

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1915
Author(s):  
Joe K. Taylor ◽  
Henry E. Revercomb ◽  
Fred A. Best ◽  
David C. Tobin ◽  
P. Jonathan Gero
Keyword(s):  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Spectral Radiance ◽  
Overall Design ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Ideal System ◽  
Uncertainty Estimates ◽  
Infrared Spectrometer ◽  
Global Coverage

The Absolute Radiance Interferometer (ARI) is an infrared spectrometer designed to serve as an on-orbit radiometric reference with the ultra-high accuracy (better than 0.1 K 3‑σ or k = 3 brightness temperature at scene brightness temperature) needed to optimize measurement of the long-term changes of Earth’s atmosphere and surface. If flown in an orbit that frequently crosses sun-synchronous orbits, ARI could be used to inter-calibrate the international fleet of infrared (IR) hyperspectral sounders to similar measurement accuracy, thereby establishing an observing system capable of achieving sampling biases on high-information-content spectral radiance products that are also < 0.1 K 3‑σ. It has been shown that such a climate observing system with <0.1 K 2‑σ overall accuracy would make it possible to realize times to detect subtle trends of temperature and water vapor distributions that closely match those of an ideal system, given the limit set by the natural variability of the atmosphere. This paper presents the ARI sensor's overall design, the new technologies developed to allow on-orbit verification and test of its accuracy, and the laboratory results that demonstrate its capability. In addition, we describe the techniques and uncertainty estimates for transferring ARI accuracy to operational sounders, providing economical global coverage. Societal challenges posed by climate change suggest that a Pathfinder ARI should be deployed as soon as possible.

scholarly journals Global climatology and trends in convective environments from ERA5 and rawinsonde data

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mateusz Taszarek ◽  
John T. Allen ◽  
Mattia Marchio ◽  
Harold E. Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Convective Available Potential Energy ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Rawinsonde Data

AbstractGlobally, thunderstorms are responsible for a significant fraction of rainfall, and in the mid-latitudes often produce extreme weather, including large hail, tornadoes and damaging winds. Despite this importance, how the global frequency of thunderstorms and their accompanying hazards has changed over the past 4 decades remains unclear. Large-scale diagnostics applied to global climate models have suggested that the frequency of thunderstorms and their intensity is likely to increase in the future. Here, we show that according to ERA5 convective available potential energy (CAPE) and convective precipitation (CP) have decreased over the tropics and subtropics with simultaneous increases in 0–6 km wind shear (BS06). Conversely, rawinsonde observations paint a different picture across the mid-latitudes with increasing CAPE and significant decreases to BS06. Differing trends and disagreement between ERA5 and rawinsondes observed over some regions suggest that results should be interpreted with caution, especially for CAPE and CP across tropics where uncertainty is the highest and reliable long-term rawinsonde observations are missing.

scholarly journals Meridional changes in the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre during Heinrich Stadials

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tainã M. L. Pinho ◽  
Cristiano M. Chiessi ◽  
Rodrigo C. Portilho-Ramos ◽  
Marília C. Campos ◽  
Stefano Crivellari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Subtropical Gyre ◽  
Climate System ◽  
The South ◽  
Foraminiferal Species ◽  
Ocean Gyres ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Monitoring

AbstractSubtropical ocean gyres play a key role in modulating the global climate system redistributing energy between low and high latitudes. A poleward displacement of the subtropical gyres has been observed over the last decades, but the lack of long-term monitoring data hinders an in-depth understanding of their dynamics. Paleoceanographic records offer the opportunity to identify meridional changes in the subtropical gyres and investigate their consequences to the climate system. Here we use the abundance of planktonic foraminiferal species Globorotalia truncatulinodes from a sediment core collected at the northernmost boundary of the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (SASG) together with a previously published record of the same species from the southernmost boundary of the SASG to reconstruct meridional fluctuations of the SASG over last ca. 70 kyr. Our findings indicate southward displacements of the SASG during Heinrich Stadials (HS) 6-4 and HS1, and a contraction of the SASG during HS3 and HS2. During HS6-4 and HS1, the SASG southward displacements likely boosted the transfer of heat to the Southern Ocean, ultimately strengthening deep-water upwelling and CO2 release to the atmosphere. We hypothesize that the ongoing SASG poleward displacement may further increase oceanic CO2 release.

scholarly journals Techniques for analyses of trends in GRUAN data

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1673-1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Bodeker ◽  
S. Kremser
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Uncertainty ◽  
Trend Analysis ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Target Uncertainty ◽  
Reference Quality ◽  
Measurement Uncertainties

Abstract. The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Reference Upper Air Network (GRUAN) provides reference quality RS92 radiosonde measurements of temperature, pressure and humidity. A key attribute of reference quality measurements, and hence GRUAN data, is that each datum has a well characterized and traceable estimate of the measurement uncertainty. The long-term homogeneity of the measurement records, and their well characterized uncertainties, make these data suitable for reliably detecting changes in global and regional climate on decadal time scales. Considerable effort is invested in GRUAN operations to (i) describe and analyse all sources of measurement uncertainty to the extent possible, (ii) quantify and synthesize the contribution of each source of uncertainty to the total measurement uncertainty, and (iii) verify that the evaluated net uncertainty is within the required target uncertainty. However, if the climate science community is not sufficiently well informed on how to capitalize on this added value, the significant investment in estimating meaningful measurement uncertainties is largely wasted. This paper presents and discusses the techniques that will need to be employed to reliably quantify long-term trends in GRUAN data records. A pedagogical approach is taken whereby numerical recipes for key parts of the trend analysis process are explored. The paper discusses the construction of linear least squares regression models for trend analysis, boot-strapping approaches to determine uncertainties in trends, dealing with the combined effects of autocorrelation in the data and measurement uncertainties in calculating the uncertainty on trends, best practice for determining seasonality in trends, how to deal with co-linear basis functions, and interpreting derived trends. Synthetic data sets are used to demonstrate these concepts which are then applied to a first analysis of temperature trends in RS92 radiosonde upper air soundings at the GRUAN site at Lindenberg, Germany (52.21° N, 14.12° E).

Fueling Spin-offs: Case Studies of University-based Technology Start-up Funding

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40
Author(s):  
Julie Lenzer ◽  
Piotr Kulczakowicz
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
New Products ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Single Path

The new technologies born from academic research can be very promising, yet they are often very early stage. University spin-off companies are uniquely positioned to tackle the risks associated with new technologies emerging from academia by developing proofs of concept, functioning prototypes, and new products. While these enterprises start from a solid research and development foundation, they face their own unique set of challenges—they are strongly anchored in the scientific and technological expertise that is typically backed by intellectual property but often lack the business experience needed to develop and market products demanded by customers. University spin-offs have access to substantial non-dilutive funding that can be utilized for advancing product development. While the relentless pursuit of these funds builds a company's credibility and improves its position for negotiating future private investment, university spin-offs would greatly benefit from an early focus on complementing their technology teams with their business teams. These new enterprises should consider pursuing private investment in parallel to utilizing sources of non-dilutive funding. Timing of private investment is extremely important to maximize the value of the opportunity, and, therefore, building relationships with investors early on and getting ready for executing an investment round can greatly increase odds for success. While there is no single path to formulate, pursue, and adapt successful financing strategies, lessons can be learned from real-life cases of university spin-offs that continue their journeys towards ultimate success.

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