scholarly journals Synthetic Fuels in a Transport Transition: Fuels to Prevent a Transport Underclass

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Styring ◽  
Emily L. Duckworth ◽  
Edward G. Platt
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Technology Policy ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Synthetic Fuels ◽  
Used Cars ◽  
To Come ◽  
Battery Energy

The Paris Agreement set policy scenarios to address mitigating against the climate emergency, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. There has been a drive toward electrifying transport, with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) at the forefront. Reliance on single-technology policy development can lead to consequential impacts, often not considered, or dismissed. Energy cannot be created or destroyed but can be transformed. While BEVs may represent zero tailpipe emissions, the battery energy must be sourced elsewhere. An ideal policy scenario will come from “renewable” sources; however, current global energy mixes require the electricity to come from carbon-burning point source emitters. Therefore, the emissions are deferred to low socioeconomic regions. The move to ban new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales has been accelerated. High BEV costs will preclude low-income groups from making purchases. Such groups typically rely on used cars for mobility. Without considered consequential policy analysis, transport underclasses may result, where private transport is only accessible by the wealthy. Synthetic fuels derived from CO2 represent a social bridge in the energy transition, also helping to accelerate toward net zero. The Covid-19 lockdown provided a unique opportunity to experience an environment with reduced transport-related emissions. Global studies allowed the consequential effects of pollution reduction to be studied. These are surprising and offer the opportunity for policies, driven by science, to be developed. Here, we consider the consequential effects of clean air policies, and how these can be used to propose dynamic responses to policy recommendations.

scholarly journals Design of a Smart Nanogrid for Increasing Energy Efficiency of Buildings

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3683
Author(s):  
Yerasimos Yerasimou ◽  
Marios Kynigos ◽  
Venizelos Efthymiou ◽  
George E. Georghiou
Keyword(s):  
Storage System ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy Storage System ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Interconnected System ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Energy Domain ◽  
Battery Energy

Distributed generation (DG) systems are growing in number, diversifying in driving technologies and providing substantial energy quantities in covering the energy needs of the interconnected system in an optimal way. This evolution of technologies is a response to the needs of the energy transition to a low carbon economy. A nanogrid is dependent on local resources through appropriate DG, confined within the boundaries of an energy domain not exceeding 100 kW of power. It can be a single building that is equipped with a local electricity generation to fulfil the building’s load consumption requirements, it is electrically interconnected with the external power system and it can optionally be equipped with a storage system. It is, however, mandatory that a nanogrid is equipped with a controller for optimisation of the production/consumption curves. This study presents design consideretions for nanogrids and the design of a nanogrid system consisting of a 40 kWp photovoltaic (PV) system and a 50 kWh battery energy storage system (BESS) managed via a central converter able to perform demand-side management (DSM). The implementation of the nanogrid aims at reducing the CO2 footprint of the confined domain and increase its self-sufficiency.

scholarly journals How to evaluate the implementation of complex health programmes in low-income settings: the approach of the Gavi Full Country Evaluations

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii35-ii46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Soi ◽  
Jessica C Shearer ◽  
Ashwin Budden ◽  
Emily Carnahan ◽  
Nicole Salisbury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Complex Interventions ◽  
Immunization Coverage ◽  
Health Systems Strengthening ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Programme Implementation ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Health Programmes ◽  
Immunization Programmes

Abstract Vaccination, like most other public health services, relies on a complex package of intervention components, functioning systems and committed actors to achieve universal coverage. Despite significant investment in immunization programmes, national coverage trends have slowed and equity gaps have grown. This paper describes the design and implementation of the Gavi Full Country Evaluations, a multi-country, prospective, mixed-methods approach whose goal was to monitor and evaluate processes, inputs, outputs and outcomes of immunization programmes in Bangladesh, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia. We implemented the Full Country Evaluations from 2013 to 2018 with the goal of identifying the drivers of immunization programme improvement to support programme implementation and increase equitable immunization coverage. The framework supported methodological and paradigmatic flexibility to respond to a broad range of evaluation and implementation research questions at global, national and cross-country levels, but was primarily underpinned by a focus on evaluating processes and identifying the root causes of implementation breakdowns. Process evaluation was driven by theories of change for each Gavi funding stream (e.g. Health Systems Strengthening) or activity, ranging from global policy development to district-level programme implementation. Mixing of methods increased in relevance and rigour over time as we learned to build multiple methods into increasingly tailored evaluation questions. Evaluation teams in country-based research institutes increasingly strengthened their level of embeddedness with immunization programmes as the emphasis shifted over time to focus more heavily on the use of findings for programme learning and adaptation. Based on our experiences implementing this approach, we recommend it for the evaluation of other complex interventions, health programmes or development assistance.

Introduction to The Hybrid Power Train Architecture Evolution

2013 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Keyword(s):  
Hybrid Electric Vehicle ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Current Source ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
State Of Charge ◽  
Hybrid Drive ◽  
Final State ◽  
Power Train ◽  
Hybrid Power ◽  
Battery Energy

The hybrid power train is a complex system. It consists of mechanical and electrical components, and each of them is important. The evolution of the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) power trains is presented from the historical point of view. This chapter discusses the selected review of the hybrid power train’s architectural engineering. It includes the development of the hybrid vehicle power train’s construction from the simple series and parallel drives to the planetary gear hybrid power trains. The fuel consumption difference between the pure Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) drive and the hybrid drive is especially emphasized. Generally, there are two main hybrid drive types that are possible to define. Both these hybrid drive types are not mainly differentiated by their power train architecture. The first is the “full hybrid” drive, which is a power train equipped with a relatively low capacity battery that is not rechargeable from an external current source, and whose battery energy balance—its State-Of-Charge (SOC)—has to be obtained. The second one is the “plug in hybrid,” which means the necessity of recharging the battery by plugging into the grid when the final State-Of-Charge (SOC) of the battery is not acceptable. Additionally, the chapter focuses on the fuel cell series hybrid power train, which is only shown because its operation and design are beyond the scope of this book.

The Power of Purposeful Play in Primary Grades: Adjusting Pedagogy for Children’s Needs and Academic Gains

2020 ◽  
Vol 201 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karyn A. Allee-Herndon ◽  
Sherron Killingsworth Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Developmental Outcomes ◽  
Primary Grades ◽  
Educational Expectations ◽  
Toxic Stress ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Academic Gains ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
American Children ◽  
To Come

The amount of intentional, instructional, purposeful play has decreased in primary grades, and didactic, test-driven instruction has increased. Emerging neuroscientific evidence is beginning to highlight the significant effects the toxic stress from poverty has on developing brains. Almost half of American children can be considered to come from low-income to high-poverty households. Purposeful play may be the best solution to help ensure an equal and equitable educational playing field. This reflection establishes a research-based rationale for a more play-based pedagogy in primary grades and posits how striking balance between purposeful play and rigorous educational expectations is key to better developmental outcomes.

Defying Displacement: Organizing for a Beautiful Life in Flagstaff, Arizona

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Mundell ◽  
Lisa Hardy ◽  
Roxana De Niz ◽  
Michelle Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Community Organizing ◽  
Coalition Building ◽  
Community Collaboration ◽  
Community Organizers ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Working Together ◽  
To Come

This article is a reflection on practice from anthropologists and community organizers working together to affect policy change related to health. In particular, we describe a successful organizing effort to oppose the displacement of low-income residents of a mobile home park. We argue that this victory was in part because of the approach of key members of the organizing coalition, who viewed the work of policy change as a process of leadership development and community collaboration rather than top-down advocacy. Here, we show the ways that an anthropological approach to policy change was built into the work of the coalition, intersecting with community organizing theories and methods. This has led to political change and an ongoing process of coalition-building and leadership development that has the potential to change public discussion and decision making on health-related issues for years to come.

Macroeconomic Developments and Prospects in Low-Income Developing Countries - 2015

Policy Papers ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (73) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Capital Inflows ◽  
International Commodity ◽  
Sharp Fall ◽  
The Past ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Near Term ◽  
To Come

This paper examines macroeconomic developments and prospects in low-income developing countries (LIDCs) against the back-drop of a sharp fall in international commodity prices. The focus here—by contrast with IMF (2014a)—is on recent developments and the near-term outlook, recognizing that the new price environment is likely to remain in place for several years to come. The paper also includes a section examining the experience of LIDCs with capital inflows over the past decade.

Frailty – from bedside to buzzword?

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 120-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Manthorpe ◽  
Steve Iliffe
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Subject ◽  
To Come ◽  
Recent Policy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore common usage and understanding of the term “frailty”, which is increasingly used in health care debates in England. Design/methodology/approach – This is a commentary from the perspectives of health and social care researchers. Recent policy and research are drawn upon in the arguments presented. Findings – Most research on the subject of frailty comes from clinical practice although a parallel sociological or gerontological critique of the social construction is emerging. The public is likely to come across the term frailty through the media’s adoption of the term. Different definitions of frailty mean that estimates of the numbers of “frail people” will vary. Research limitations/implications – The commentary draws on material in the English language and on policy, commentary, and research material. Practical implications – The commentary may prompt reflection in practice and policy development on the usage of the term frailty and promote efforts to ensure that its meaning is clear and that it is acceptable to those to whom it is applied. Originality/value – The paper contributes to debates about frailty by considering the implications of using the term across health and social care and in integrated settings and encounters. It draws on medical presentations of the term frailty and on critiques of it as a powerful discourse.

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