This paper examines variables that may have contributed to Republican Assembly members’ 2017 support for the extension of California's cap-and-trade program. It focuses on district party demographics and voting history, the suspension of the Fire Protection Fee and the level of GHG emissions per district.

Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2016-06-10T11:55:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Vilane Goncalves Sales.pdf: 2983831 bytes, checksum: f4d92a82d9e60512ba543ee1bf1c317e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-10T11:55:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vilane Goncalves Sales.pdf: 2983831 bytes, checksum: f4d92a82d9e60512ba543ee1bf1c317e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-10 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Environmental problems happen when it interferes with any part or phase of an ecosystem by changing it. In Brazil, deforestation caused by hot spots makes the country a major emitter of carbon dioxide, one of the gases causing the greenhouse effect. There is a concern that, with the progress of development, the pressure on the environment increases. When looking at the Caatinga biome, one realizes that it is endemic and the importance it is given by presenting a diverse flora and fauna and their degradation causes, and the loss of biodiversity, defragmentation of the formation of the region. Within this context, this study investigated the hypothesis of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for the Caatinga biome, in the municipalities of the state of Pernambuco, that is, if there is a relationship in the form of inverted "U" between environmental degradation index (deforested area in hectares) and economic growth (indicated by GDP), at the municipal level, in the period 2002-2008 using a model for panel data. The econometric results indicate the presence of unobserved effects and are more suitable for estimating fixed effects. A further issue addressed was the impact of environmental public policies for the economic growth of the studied biome. The basic model and with the insertion of dummy environmental policy have the EKC relationship as "N" inverted, indicating that the annual deforested area is larger for low levels of GDP per capita, and decreasing as the GDP increases, then to grow back, and higher income levels, it is decreasing. Public policy variable was not considered significant at 5%. Thus, it is necessary to institute specific environmental policies to the biome, so that strengthen coexistence practices. In addition, the results show different relationships between deforestation and municipal GDP, as well as different relations of deforestation with other explanatory variables, notifying the presence of heterogeneous spatial effects. / Os problemas ambientais acontecem quando se interfere em qualquer parte ou fase de um ecossistema, alterando-o. No Brasil, o desmatamento provocado por focos de calor torna o país um grande emissor mundial de dióxido de carbono, um dos gases causadores do efeito estufa. Há a preocupação de que, com o avanço do desenvolvimento, a pressão sobre o meio ambiente aumente. Ao observar o bioma Caatinga, percebe-se que o mesmo é endêmico e a importância dele é dada por apresentar uma fauna e flora diversificada e que a sua degradação ocasiona, além da perda da biodiversidade, a desfragmentação da história da formação da região. Dentro deste contexto, esse trabalho investigou a hipótese da Curva de Kuznets Ambiental (CKA) para o bioma Caatinga, nos municípios do estado de Pernambuco, isto é, se existe uma relação na forma de "U" invertido entre um índice de degradação ambiental (área desmatada em hectares) e o crescimento econômico (indicado pelo PIB), em nível municipal, no período 2002- 2008, utilizando um modelo para dados em painel. Os resultados econométricos indicam a presença de efeitos não observados, sendo mais adequada a estimação por efeitos fixos. Uma questão adicional abordada foi o impacto das políticas públicas ambientais para o crescimento econômico do Bioma estudado. O modelo básico e o com a inserção da dummy política ambiental apresentam a relação CKA na forma de "N" invertido, indicando que a área desmatada anual é maior para baixos níveis de PIB per capita, sendo decrescente à medida que o PIB aumenta, depois volta a crescer, e para níveis de renda mais elevados, torna-se decrescente. A variável política pública não foi considerada significativa em 5%. Dessa forma, é preciso que se instituam políticas ambientais específicas ao bioma, de tal forma que fortaleçam as práticas de convivência. Além disso, os resultados mostram diferentes relações entre desmatamento e PIB municipal, assim como diferentes relações do desmatamento com as demais variáveis explicativas, notificando a presença de efeitos espaciais heterogêneos.

Orientador: Luci Hidalgo Nunes / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociencias / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T02:06:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Barbin_NiciaBeatrizCruzBarduchi_M.pdf: 1316914 bytes, checksum: ca2984ebf84813c75ba87ee49e2fe580 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: As questões climáticas têm sido objeto de estudos de diversas áreas científicas específicas, tais como a geografia, meteorologia e outras ciências afins, cujos trabalhos são essenciais para o conhecimento dos problemas e para o direcionamento de medidas efetivas que possam contribuir para reverter o cenário trágico previsto por algumas instituições. A associação do assunto a essas ciências é imediata; no entanto, a solução para os problemas criados pela ação dos homens é matéria que cabe também à Política e ao Direito, ciências que dispõem de meios coercitivos capazes de criar obrigações, como se procura demonstrar nesse trabalho. A interrelação das questões climáticas com essas ciências é feita dentro de um panorama histórico, onde se discorre sobre a evolução e o desenvolvimento do homem na sociedade e sobre aspectos relacionados às suas atividades que geram poluição atmosférica e implicam no aquecimento global. Para tanto, são apresentadas as questões climáticas, englobando alguns aspectos científicos e outros relacionados à evolução social e jurídica da sociedade e que de alguma forma estejam associados a atividades antrópicas responsáveis pela emissão de gases de efeito estufa na atmosfera, com ênfase aos acordos internacionais que vêm sendo implementados sob a coordenação da ONU, apresentando também a questão em nível nacional. Agregar as ciências políticas e jurídicas às demais áreas que cuidam especificamente do clima é a forma encontrada para buscar alternativas que conduzam a soluções efetivas que permitam o resgate da relação harmônica entre homem-natureza / Abstract: The climatic question has been the object of studies of diverse specific scientific areas, such as geography, meteorology and other sciences alike, whose works are essential for the knowledge of the problems and for the aiming of effective measures that can contribute to revert the foreseen tragic scene by some institutions. The association of the topic to these sciences is immediate; however, the solutions for the problems created by the action of humans is matter that also suits to Politics and Law, sciences that make use of coercive ways capable to create obligations, as one attempts to demonstrate in this work. The interrelations of the climatic matters with these sciences is made within a historical panorama, where if it discourses on the evolution and the development of humankind in the society and on aspects related to its activities that generate atmospheric pollution and leads to the global warming. Therefore, climatic questions are presented, covering some scientific aspects and others related to the social and legal society evolution, and that in some way are associated to anthropical activities responsible for the emission of gases that cause greenhouse effect in the atmosphere, with emphasis to the international agreements that are being implemented under the United Nations coordination, presenting also the matter in national level. To combine legal and political sciences to the other areas that take care, specifically, of the climate is the found way to search alternatives that lead to effective solutions that allow the rescue of the harmonic relation between human beings and nature / Mestrado / Análise Ambiental e Dinâmica Territorial / Mestre em Geografia

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:28:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:56:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / A cidade de São Paulo passou por cinco grandes reurbanizações desde 1825 até os dias atuais que intensificaram o uso do solo em detrimento do clima urbano. A partir de 1960 a região central entra em um processo de decadência e, em 2002, é lançado o Programa de Reabilitação da Área Central de São Paulo (Procentro) para reverter esta situação por meio de intervenções distribuídas pelos distritos da Sé e da República que, levando em consideração as questões ambientais, reduzirão a intensidade da ilha de calor paulistana. / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Orientador: Arlete Moysés Rodrigues / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T16:13:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Oliveira_LeandroDiasde_D.pdf: 2665170 bytes, checksum: cca1f41bc9e177cf9de9b48428851ebb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento (CNUMAD), realizada no Rio de Janeiro no ano de 1992, foi o evento da ONU responsável pela celebração da concepção do desenvolvimento sustentável em escala global. Esta concepção, desde sua origem no "Nosso Futuro Comum", vem sendo apresentada como um receituário "inconteste" para a consecução de um equilíbrio sócio-ecológico planetário, cujo escopo é o ajuste da natureza aos interesses econômicos através de estratégias para a conservação das riquezas naturais situadas, em maior parte, no território dos países periféricos. Desta maneira, a Geopolítica do Desenvolvimento Sustentável significa um protocolo diplomático de regulação do uso dos territórios dos países periféricos, escamoteada em um poderoso discurso de "Proteção à Natureza", proporcionando a ilusão de representar menor agressão para com o "meio ambiente". A Rio-92 -- dividida entre o Riocentro, onde estiveram reunidas as delegações diplomáticas e chefes de governo, e o Aterro do Flamengo, onde ocorreu o "Fórum Global", com a participação de ONGs e Movimentos Sociais -- significou a construção de um "simulacro espacial", que permitiu realizar uma leitura geográfica do contexto territorial global e local. Conferências desta envergadura envolvem procedimentos nitidamente geográficos, que vão desde a escolha do lugar, os objetos e ações constituídos no local e até mesmo o próprio legado socioespacial. Assim, a Conferência do Rio de Janeiro - 1992 foi um simulacro espacial no que se refere à Geopolítica do Desenvolvimento Sustentável, que nos permite compreender esta dura relação de uma Geografia dos Estados-Maiores e as implicações e resiliências do lugar onde esta ocorre / Abstract: The United Stations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), taken place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, was the UN event responsible for the celebration of the conception of sustainable development in global scale. This conception, since its origin in the "Our Common Future" has been presented as an "inconstestable" prescription to the attainment of a planetary social ecologic balance, whose purpose is the adjustement to the economical interests thru strategies for the maintenance of the nature resources situated, in bigger part, in the territory of the peripheral countries. So, the Geopolitics of Sustainable Development means a diplomatic protocol to regulate the use of the peripheral countries territories, hidden in a powerful speech of "Nature Protection", previding the ilusion of representing a less aggression to the "environment". Rio-92 - divided between Riocentro, where the diplomatical delegations and heads of government have been congregated, and Aterro do Flamengo, where the "Global Forum" occurred, with the participation of NGOs and Social Movements - meant the construction of a "spatial simulacrum", that allowed to achieve a geographic reading of the global and local territorial context. Conferences of this spread involve procedures clearly geographic, that go since the choice of place, the objects and actions established in the local and even the proper socio-spatial legacy. In such case, the Earth Summit was a spatial simulacrum refering to the Geopolitcs of the Sustainable Development, that allows to understand this hard relationship between the Geography of the General Staffs and the implications and reseliences of the place where this occurs / Doutorado / Análise Ambiental e Dinâmica Territorial / Doutor em Geografia

No description available.

This research is based on reflections of various practitioners and their views on how public participation processes may or may not contribute to effective EIA decisions. It is therefore grounded in what is described as practitioner-based research. To study comparative development activities effectively, one must draw on many disciplines and construct a balanced understanding of historical and contemporary development processes. No single conventional disciplinary area of research is able to integrate the issues of public participation, EIA and decision-making in the context of the current development debate. The emergence of Trans-disciplinary areas of research allows for such integration. The Africa Earth Observatory Network (AEON) institute creates the space for this study to achieve an integrated response to the question of the effectiveness of public participation in EIA and decision-making. This further creates the opportunity to contribute and expand the growing body of knowledge and literature of public participation in the earth stewardship science discipline. Making use of triangulation, this study fulfils four major tasks: firstly, an assessment is made on the historical and theoretical importance, process and outcome of both EIA and public participation internationally and in South Africa. Secondly, three prominent case studies (i) the Coega IDZ, (ii) the Pondoland N2 Toll Road, and (iii) the anticipated Hydraulic Fracturing in the Karoo each focusses on concerns of an environmental, socio-economic, and political nature to assess if the public participation process has had influence, if any, on the final decisions for these projects to go-ahead. Thirdly, a survey was conducted to establish the views and perceptions of practitioners in the EIA and public participation domain on the effectiveness of public participation in EIA processes. Lastly, face-to-face interviews were conducted with various ‘pracademics’, i.e. consultants, practitioners, government, and non-governmental officials to establish their views on how public participation may or may not influence EIA decisions. Utilising the International Association for Public Participation’s (IAP2) participation spectrum as an evaluation tool, this research explores thirteen key criteria normally attributed to effective public participation. This provides a scale (inform, involve, consult, collaborate) to assess whether public participation in EIA in South Africa is least effective (inform) or most effective (collaborate). My research confirms that in South Africa an enabling environment to address impacts on our environment is emerging. One of the main challenges remains putting in place robust, clear and effective regulations, models or approaches that provide for effective public participation and decision-making in EIAs. My research also suggests that the legislation on which EIA is based cannot by itself guarantee the effectiveness of public participation processes. In practice, EIA is an institutional process of power division between different actors, and the practitioner or ‘pracademic’ has to play a more fundamental role to ensure effectiveness and fairness in the public participation process. Academic commentators should therefore call for new approaches that emphasise collaborative interaction between decision-makers and the public as well as deliberation amongst participants.

Concern for the state of the natural environment has been growing throughout the world in recent years as it becomes clear that the world is in the midst of an environmental crisis. In B.C., this has led to widespread public controversy over issues such as pollution, logging, and the preservation of wilderness areas. This thesis seeks to bring present conflicts into perspective by examining the historical roots of the various discourses on the environment in B.C. Present environmental controversies take place within a legislative framework, therefore some understanding of the historical development of that legislation and the predominant attitudes that helped shape it is necessary. The first two chapters of this thesis provide this background, focusing on forest policy and parks and wilderness policy. The third chapter addresses the outdoor recreationists, the sport hunters and anglers of B.C., who, although often contributing to the depletion of wildlife populations, also helped shape wildlife policy and worked for the preservation of wildlife habitats. With the foundations for the environmental movement set, the fourth chapter deals with the rise of the environmental movement and environmental interest groups during the 1960's and 70's. This includes a discussion of the counter culture, general social changes of the period, the rise of ecology, and protests in Strathcona Park during the late 1980's. The final chapter considers the reactions of the forest industry to the environmental movement. The forest industry has never had to be so aware of public opinion and so cautious about the image it projects as it is now. The focus is on one major company, MacMillan Bloedel, and the evolution of its public relations policies during the 1960's and 70's. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

Public procurement is increasingly common as a tool for achieving environmental goals. In order to be effective, environmental concerns must be prioritized. The purpose of this study is to investigate to what extent environmental aspects of public procurement are considered and what changes need to be made in order to promote environmental criteria. Several previous studies have compared the environmental impact of various actors in procurement. This study is intended as an example of how environmental considerations in procurement work in practice. The main issues are whether there are conflicts between environmental considerations and costs, what prevents environmental requirements to be set and what changes can be made in the procurement process to create conditions for environmental improvements. Selected employees and politicians in one of Sweden's regions have been interviewed or have answered a questionnaire. The results show that environmental aspects are considered in most procurement, although conflicts between the costs and the environment are significant. Employees and politicians believe that from an environmental point of view their opportunities to influence purchases are good. The main obstacles regarding environmental concern in official procurement are insufficient leadership and lack of knowledge. Higher cost is also considered to be a relatively large obstacle. / Offentlig upphandling används allt oftare som ett verktyg för att uppnå miljömål. För att det ska vara verksamt krävs att miljöhänsyn prioriteras vid upphandling. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om, och i så fall i vilken utsträckning, miljöaspekter vid offentlig upphandling beaktas relativt andra faktorer för upphandlingsbeslut, såsom ekonomiska och kunskapsmässiga. I detta perspektiv diskuteras också vilka ändringar som behöver vidtas för att miljökriterier ska viktas tyngre. Flera tidigare studier har jämfört olika aktörers miljöhänsyn vid upphandling. Denna studie är avsedd som ett exempel på hur miljöhänsyn vid upphandling fungerar i praktiken. Huvudsakliga frågeställningar är om det finns en konflikt mellan miljöhänsyn och kostnad, vad som hindrar att miljökrav ställs och vilka förändringar som kan göras i upphandlingsförfarandet för att skapa förutsättningar för miljöförbättringar. Utvalda tjänstemän och politiker i en av Sveriges regioner har intervjuats respektive svarat på en enkät. Resultatet visar att miljöaspekter beaktas vid de flesta upphandlingarna, men att det finns konflikter mellan ekonomi och miljö. Tjänstemän och politiker anser sig ha goda möjligheter att påverka inköp ur miljösynpunkt. Det som främst hindrar att miljöhänsyn tas vid upphandling är otillräcklig ledning och kunskapsbrist. Högre kostnad uppges också vara ett relativt stort hinder.

This thesis attempts to uncover the reasons why Canada, unlike the United States and Australia, does not have stand alone federal endangered species legislation. In particular, I will focus upon the history of Bill C-65, the proposed federal endangered species statute which died on the Order Table in 1997. Using the "policy regime" framework developed by George Hoberg, I examine the ideas, actors, and institutions that have combined within a given set of background conditions to produce this distinctive lack of a policy outcome, assessing the relative causal importance of each variable in terms Bill C-65's failure. Using Peter Haas' epistemic community approach, the causal knowledge of conservation scientists' regarding habitat loss is found not to have influenced the policy substance of Bill C-65. However, it is argued that scientists did play an important role in the legislative failure insofar as they joined forces with environmentalists to discredit the weak scope and substance of the bill. These pro-environment actors, however, were matched throughout the interest group competition by the parallel forces of industry and private landowner groups, who criticized Bill C-65 as a litigious, punitive and "American" style of legislation. The provinces, for their part, sided with the landowners and industry groups, arguing that the federal government had overstepped its wildlife management jurisdiction. Given a context of low public concern for environmental issues, and the institutional trend towards regulatory decentralization, the federal government had very few incentives to introduce a strong bill. However, the provinces, landowners, and industry groups, all felt it was too strong, while environmentalists and scientists felt just the opposite. Bill C-65's failure, therefore, was the result of the federal government's inability to satisfy anyone on this issue. Determining who "won" this first endangered species battle, however, is quite difficult without knowing whether Cabinet felt the bill was too strong or too weak, and without knowing what the next legislative proposal will entail. In conclusion, it is found that all three regime components of ideas, actors, and institutions were equally important factors in bringing about the failure of Bill C-65, and the current policy delay that continues to this day. / Arts, Faculty of / Political Science, Department of / Graduate