Assessing Visual Preferences of the Local Public for Environmental Mitigation Measures of Hydropower Impacts—Does Point-of-View Location Make a Difference?

Hydropower is a highly appreciated climate-friendly source of energy production. However, it has non-negligible negative impacts on the environment and landscape aesthetics where the energy is produced, affecting the recreational interests of the public using the respective local river spaces. The preferences of the local public are increasingly assessed and involved in the planning of mitigation measures for impacted rivers. Aesthetic assessment methods using a common user perspective, i.e., an “on-the-ground” perspective, could potentially be improved by using an aerial perspective facilitated by modern drone technology. Studies on the compatibility of these two perspectives of assessment in terms of public preference elicitation are lacking so far. In river Nea, Norway, we conducted a quantitative analysis of the visual preferences of the local public for different environmental mitigation measures related to weirs, minimum flow, and recreational infrastructure using both perspectives. The results indicate that there exist significant differences in the preferences for scenarios based on the two different visual perspectives, and that a compatibility between them cannot be assumed and therefore requires further investigation. Finally, based on our study setup and previous experience, we outline and propose a standardized procedure for the visualization of mitigation measures as an input to environmental design projects where public perception is incorporated.

Management and restoration of degraded areas by gold mining activity in madre de dios

This document synthesizes a model for the restoration of degraded areas by gold mining, developed between 2008 and 2016 by the Consortium Madre de Dios CMDD with the Florida University, and the support of the Government and People of the United States of America. This successful reforestation experience, continued by CMDD and CEDE, as well as by CINCIA, is part of an environmental management proposal, which with the support of communication tools and knowledge management has included the education of children with mental disabilities due to effects mercury contamination in alluvial gold mining; and since 2016 with CMDD CEDE and the Ministry of Energy and Mines MINEM, through effective interaction between stakeholders has strengthened governance and incorporated an environmental mitigation component with clean technologies. In the context of the current controversial and polemic political situation in Peru (2021) 21 miners' associations in process of being formalized in Madre de Dios are considering their implementation. Este documento sintetiza un modelo de restauración de áreas degradadas por la minería de oro, desarrollado entre 2008 y 2016 por el Consorcio Madre de Dios CMDD con la Universidad Florida, y el apoyo del Gobierno y del Pueblo de los Estados Unidos de América. Esta exitosa experiencia de reforestación, continuada por CMDD y CEDE, así como por CINCIA, es parte de una propuesta de gestión ambiental, la cual con el apoyo de herramientas de comunicación y gestión del conocimiento ha incluido la educación de niños con discapacidad mental por efectos de contaminación por mercurio en la minería aluvial aurífera; y desde 2016 con CMDD CEDE y el Ministerio de Energía y Minas MINEM, mediante efectiva interacción entre las partes ha fortalecido la gobernanza e incorporado un componente de mitigación ambiental con tecnologías limpias. En el marco de la actual controversial y polémica coyuntura política del Perú (2021) 21 asociaciones de mineros en proceso de formalización en Madre de Dios están considerando su implementación.

Assessment of Financial Development on Environmental Degradation in KSA: How Technology Effect?

The main purpose of this research is to test the effect of financial development, real GDP, population, technology on dioxide carbon emissions as well the technology effect of financial development and environmental degradation in the Saudi Arabia (KSA) over the period 1970–2016 and the STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology) with an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model is used for the empirical inquest. These empirical findings by the Bounds cointegration tests show that the financial development and technology have a negative and significant impact on environmental degradation, firstly. Secondly, the technology effect of financial development (composite effect of technology and financial development) has an unfortunate effect on environmental mitigation. Finally, lower environmental mitigation is associated by a deepening in total population and affluence. Moreover, findings from the pairwise Granger causality test point that there is no causality running from both financial development and technology to the effect of technology among KSA. On the opposite, we looked at economic growth Granger, cause environmental quality. In addition, a unidirectional causality was seen running from environmental quality to financial development. The same, the relationship between affluence and financial development in KSA is unidirectional. Thus, various policy implications should be proposed to policymakers as enhancing the expansion of technology, especially in the industrial sector by incorporating renewable energy consumption to upgrade environmental quality.

A macroeconomic critique of integrated assessment environmental models: the case of Brazil

This paper surveys integrated assessment models applied to Brazil. We show that these models belong to the environmental economics literature that fails to consider some of the most important aspects of the modern macroeconomic dynamics in Brazil. These features include monetary and financial balances, income distribution, and physical limits to growth. We argue that the most suitable framework for modeling a low-carbon Brazilian economy would incorporate both Post-Keynesian and ecological economics principles. This new modeling method would strengthen our understanding of environmental mitigation action consequences and would allow us to explore new climate-policy packages.