Climate Change and Transregional Convergence: Carbon Markets in North Amer ica

National policies in North America have not been drafted properly to address the problem of climate change, following the impasse of international negotiations. Facing this scenario, new alternatives emerge with the leadership and participation of new actors. Local governments in North America, especially of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, have been developing strategies to face climate change and emissions reduction in parallel to the national efforts and the global governance strategies. These local governments have developed a transregional approach that has resulted in the creation of regional institutions such as the Western Climate Initiative, the Regional Greenhouse GasInitiative and the Midwestern GreenhouseGas Reduction Accord.Their main goal is to establish regional carbon markets to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts in a cost-effective way. In spite of these efforts, these initiatives have faced the overlapping problem among them and with national and globalstrategies. The goal of this research is to explore how these carbon markets have developed convergence policies. Convergence among these markets is expressed in their offset system and in secondary markets.

The North face of Shakespeare : activities for teaching the plays.

Libro dirigido a profesores de literatura inglesa y arte dram��tico, tanto en educaci��n secundaria como en la universidad, para la ense��anza de las obras del dramaturgo ingl��s William Shakespeare con m��todos activos en clase y en talleres de teatro. Contiene alrededor de doscientas actividades para la ense��anza de los textos de Shakespeare, desde la formaci��n de grupos de trabajo, juegos y ejercicios teatrales, a t��cnicas pr��cticas para la ense��anza del lenguaje, la narrativa y los personajes del autor, que ayudar��n a los alumnos a leer, entender y trabajar con su obra.

La inclusi??n como 'North Star' y las perspectivas de la vida cotidiana : consideraciones sobre las preocupaciones, transformaciones y necesidades de la inclusi??n en las escuelas en Alemania

Monogr??fico con el t??tulo: "La Educaci??n Inclusiva: reflexiones y experiencias para la mejora escolar"

Reintroduction of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in Muga and Fluvi�� basins (north-eastern Spain): viability, development, monitoring and trends of the new population

Aquesta tesi es basa en el programa de reintroducci�� de la ll��driga eurasi��tica (Lutra lutra) a les conques dels rius Muga i Fluvi�� (Catalunya) durant la segona meitat dels 1990s. Els objectius de la tesi foren demostrar la viabilitat de la reintroducci��, demostrar l'��xit de la mateixa, estudiar aspectes ecol��gics i etol��gics de l'esp��cie, aprofitant l'oportunitat ��nica de gaudir d'una poblaci�� "de disseny" i determinar les probabilitats de superviv��ncia de la poblaci�� a llarg termini. La reintroducci�� de la ll��driga a les conques dels rius Muga i Fluvi�� va reeixir, doncs l'��rea geogr��fica ocupada efectivament es va incrementar fins a un 64% d'estacions positives a l'hivern 2001-02. La troballa de tres exemplars adults nascuts a l'��rea de reintroducci�� ��s una altra prova que valida l'��xit del programa. La densitat d'exemplars calculada a trav��s dels censos visuals ha resultat baixa (0.04-0.11 ll��drigues/km), per�� s'aproxima al que hom pot esperar en els primers estadis d'una poblaci�� reintrodu��da, encara poc nombrosa per�� distribu��da en una gran ��rea. La mortalitat post-alliberament va ser del 22% un any despr��s de l'alliberament, similar o inferior a la d'altres programes de reintroducci�� de ll��drigues reeixits. La mortalitat va ser deguda principalment a atropellaments (56%). El patr�� d'activitat de les ll��drigues reintrodu��des va esdevenir principalment nocturn i crepuscular, amb una escassa activitat di��rna. Les seves ��rees vitals van ser del mateix ordre (34,2 km) que les calculades en d'altres estudis realitzats a Europa. La longitud mitjana de riu recorreguda per una ll��driga durant 24 hores va ser de 4,2 km per les femelles i 7,6 km pels mascles. Durant el per��ode de radioseguiment dues femelles van criar i els seus moviments van poder ser estudiats amb deteniment. La resposta de la nova poblaci�� de ll��drigues a les fluctuacions estacionals en la disponibilitat d'aigua, habitual a les regions mediterr��nies, va consistir en la concentraci�� en una ��rea menor durant el per��ode de sequera estival, a causa de l'increment de trams secs, inhabitables per la ll��driga per la manca d'aliment, fet que va provocar expansions i contraccions peri��diques en l'��rea de distribuci��. La persist��ncia a llarg termini de la poblaci�� reintrodu��da va ser estudiada mitjan��ant una An��lisi de Viabilitat Poblacional (PVA). El resultat va ser un baix risc d'extinci�� de la poblaci�� en els propers 100 anys i la majoria dels escenaris simulats (65%) van assolir el criteri d'un m��nim de 90% de probabilitat de superviv��ncia. Del model poblacional constru��t es dedueix que un punt clau per assegurar la viabilitat de la poblaci�� reintrodu��da ��s la reducci�� de la mortalitat accidental. A l'��rea d'estudi, els atropellaments causen m��s del 50% de la mortalitat i aquesta pot ser redu��da mitjan��ant la construcci�� de passos de fauna, el tancament lateral d'alguns trams de carretera perillosos i el control de la velocitat en algunes vies. El projecte de reintroducci�� ha posat a punt un protocol per a la captura, maneig i alliberament de ll��drigues salvatges, que pot contenir informaci�� ��til per a programes similars. Tamb�� ha suposat una oportunitat ��nica d'estudiar una poblaci�� dissenyada artificialment i poder comparar diversos m��todes per estimar la distribuci�� i la densitat de poblacions de ll��drigues. Per ��ltim, la reintroducci�� portada a terme a les conques dels rius Muga i Fluvi�� ha aconseguit crear una nova poblaci�� de ll��drigues, que persisteix en el temps, que es reprodueix regularment i que es dispersa progressivament, fins i tot a noves conques fluvials.

The impact of North Atlantic Oscillation on the atmospheric pollutant variability in the Porto region, Portugal

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is an important large-scale atmospheric circulation that influences the European countries climate. This study evaluated NAO impact in air quality in Porto Metropolitan Area (PMA), Portugal, for the period 2002-2006. NAO, air pollutants and meteorological data were statistically analyzed. All data were obtained from PMA Weather Station, PMA Air Quality Stations and NOAA analysis. Two statistical methods were applied in different time scale : principal component and correlation coefficient. Annual time scale, using multivariate analysis (PCA, principal component analysis), were applied in order to identified positive and significant association between air pollutants such as PM10, PM2.5, CO, NO and NO2, with NAO. On the other hand, the correlation coefficient using seasonal time scale were also applied to the same data. The results of PCA analysis present a general negative significant association between the total precipitation and NAO, in Factor 1 and 2 (explaining around 70% of the variance), presented in the years of 2002, 2004 and 2005. During the same years, some air pollutants (such as PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NOx and CO) present also a positive association with NAO. The O3 shows as well a positive association with NAP during 2002 and 2004, at 2nd Factor, explaining 30% of the variance. From the seasonal analysis using correlation coefficient, it was found significant correlation between PM10 (0.72., p<0.05, in 2002), PM2.5 (0 74, p<0.05, in 2004), and SO2 (0.78, p<0.01, in 2002) with NAO during March-December (no winter period) period. Significant associations between air pollutants and NAO were also verified in the winter period (December to April) mainly with ozone (2005, r=-0.55, p.<0.01). Once that human health and hospital morbidities may be affected by air pollution, the results suggest that NAO forecast can be an important tool to prevent them, in the Iberian Peninsula and specially Portugal.

Movimientos sociales, activismo intelectual y luchas del lugar: conversaci��n con Arturo Escobar, profesor de antropolog��a de la Universidad de North Carolina, Chapel Hill y director del Instituto de Estudios Latinoamericanos de esta misma instituci��n (Entrevista)

Esta conversaci��n fue parte de un video-conferencia entre profesores y estudiantes del doctorado en Estudios Culturales Latinoamericanos de la Universidad Andina Sim��n Bol��var, Sede Ecuador y Arturo Escobar, el 13 de septiembre de 2006, dentro del marco de discusi��n planteado en el seminario sobre movimientos sociales titulado: Insurgencias Colectivas en perspectiva Hist��rico-Mundial.

Why language matters: insights and challenges in applying a social determination of health approach in a North-South collaborative research program

Focus on ���social determinants of health��� provides a welcome alternative to the bio-medical illness paradigm. However, the tendency to concentrate on the influence of ���risk factors��� related to living and working conditions of individuals, rather than to more broadly examine dynamics of the social processes that affect population health, has triggered critical reaction not only from the Global North but especially from voices the Global South where there is a long history of addressing questions of health equity. In this article, we elaborate on how focusing instead on the language of ���social determination of health��� has prompted us to attempt to apply a more equity-sensitive approaches to research and related policy and praxis.

The simple macroeconomics of North and South in EMU. Bruegel Working Paper 2012/12, 30 July 2012

The euro area today consists of a competitive, moderately leveraged North and an uncompetitive, over-indebted South. Its main macroeconomic challenge is to carry out the adjustment required to restore the competitiveness of its southern part and eliminate its excessive public and private debt burden. This paper investigates the relationship between fiscal and competitiveness adjustment in a stylised model with two countries in a monetary union, North and South. To restore competitiveness, South implements a more restrictive fiscal policy than North. We consider two scenarios. In the first, monetary policy aims at keeping inflation constant in the North. The South therefore needs to deflate to regain competitiveness, which worsens the debt dynamics. In the second, monetary policy aims at keeping inflation constant in the monetary union as a whole. This results in more monetary stimulus, inflation in the North is higher, and this in turn helps the debt dynamics in the South. Our main findings are: ���The differential fiscal stance between North and South is what determines real exchange rate changes. South therefore needs to tighten more. There is no escape from relative austerity. ���If monetary policy aims at keeping inflation stable in the North and the initial debt is above a certain threshold, debt dynamics are perverse: fiscal retrenchment is self-defeating; ���If monetary policy targets average inflation instead, which implies higher inflation in the North, the initial debt threshold above which the debt dynamics become perverse is higher. Accepting more inflation at home is therefore a way for the North to contribute to restoring debt sustainability in the South. ���Structural reforms in the South improve the debt dynamics if the initial debt is not too high. Again, targeting average inflation rather than inflation in the North helps strengthen the favourable effects of structural reforms.

Declines of Aerial Insectivores in North America Follow a Geographic Gradient

North American birds that feed on aerial insects are experiencing widespread population declines. An analysis of the North American Breeding Bird Survey trend estimates for 1966 to 2006 suggests that declines in this guild are significantly stronger than in passerines in general. The pattern of decline also shows a striking geographical gradient, with aerial insectivore declines becoming more prevalent towards the northeast of North America. Declines are also more acute in species that migrate long distances compared to those that migrate short distances. The declines become manifest, almost without exception, in the mid 1980s. The taxonomic breadth of these downward trends suggests that declines in aerial insectivore populations are linked to changes in populations of flying insects, and these changes might be indicative of underlying ecosystem changes.

Modeling Habitat Associations for the Common Loon (Gavia immer) at Multiple Scales in Northeastern North America

Common Loon (Gavia immer) is considered an emblematic and ecologically important example of aquatic-dependent wildlife in North America. The northern breeding range of Common Loon has contracted over the last century as a result of habitat degradation from human disturbance and lakeshore development. We focused on the state of New Hampshire, USA, where a long-term monitoring program conducted by the Loon Preservation Committee has been collecting biological data on Common Loon since 1976. The Common Loon population in New Hampshire is distributed throughout the state across a wide range of lake-specific habitats, water quality conditions, and levels of human disturbance. We used a multiscale approach to evaluate the association of Common Loon and breeding habitat within three natural physiographic ecoregions of New Hampshire. These multiple scales reflect Common Loon-specific extents such as territories, home ranges, and lake-landscape influences. We developed ecoregional multiscale models and compared them to single-scale models to evaluate model performance in distinguishing Common Loon breeding habitat. Based on information-theoretic criteria, there is empirical support for both multiscale and single-scale models across all three ecoregions, warranting a model-averaging approach. Our results suggest that the Common Loon responds to both ecological and anthropogenic factors at multiple scales when selecting breeding sites. These multiscale models can be used to identify and prioritize the conservation of preferred nesting habitat for Common Loon populations.