The determinants of support levels for wind energy in the European Union. An econometric study

The aim of this paper is to identify the factors that drive support levels for wind on-shore electricity in the Member States of the European Union (EU) with the help of econometric techniques. The econometric analysis is based on cross-section linear regressions with ordinary least squares. Four alternative specifications of the model have been estimated. The estimates comply with the basic hypotheses of the lineal model, i.e., absence of multicollinearity, accurate functional form, homokedasticity and normality in the distribution of errors. Thus, the estimations are unbiased, efficient and consistent. The results show that countries with higher wind energy generation costs have higher support levels. The higher support levels in countries with higher carbon intensities suggest that wind energy deployment is regarded as effective to mitigate carbon emissions. The type of support scheme also influences support levels, with feed-in tariffs leading to lower levels of support than other instruments. In addition, a general good investment climate in the country makes higher support levels less necessary, stressing the importance of lowering risks in order to reduce support levels and, thus, financial transfers from consumers to producers. Thus, providing stable regulatory frameworks should be a priority of policy-makers. The rest of variables (renewable energy resource potentials, administrative barriers, energy import dependency, interest rates, share of wind energy in total electricity generation as a proxy of lobbying pressures and electricity demand) are not statistically significant in most specifications and some of them do not have the expected sign.     

Effect of dissolved oxygen level on respiratory metabolism, nutritional physiology, and immune condition of southern king crab Lithodes santolla (Molina, 1782) (Decapoda, Lithodidae)

Episodes of hypoxia are common in the marine environment, and their ecological effects depend, in part, on their severity and duration. Many species of decapod crustaceans reside in areas with fluctuating oxygen regimens. Physiological mechanisms enhance the ability of these crustaceans to cope with acute episodes of hypoxia. Southern king crab, Lithodes santolla, fishery is important in the south of South America, and some data describe fishing zones with low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (3.5 mgO₂ l⁻¹, i.e., 8.3 kPa). Our main objective was to evaluate the effect of dissolved oxygen level on respiratory metabolism, nutritional physiology, and immunological condition of L. santolla juveniles. Individual animals were exposed for 10 days to different oxygen tensions (2.1, 4.2, 8.5, 12.7, and 21.1 kPa) to quantify the oxygen consumption rate; thereafter, blood oxyhemocyanin (Hc), protein concentration, as well as hemocytes, were sampled. Freeze-dried animals were dissected, and digestive gland metabolites (glycogen, protein, glucose, cholesterol, acylglycerol, and lactate) and digestive enzyme activity (general protease, trypsin, and chymotrypsin), as well as gill lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, were quantified. In the present study, Lithodes santolla showed a critical oxygen tension between 4 and 9 kPa, indicating that this crab species is more sensitive to DO than other crustacean species. Protein and Hc concentrations followed a similar pattern to that of oxygen consumption. Digestive gland glycogen and protein concentration did not change after 10 days at different oxygen exposures, but glucose, cholesterol, and acylglycerol concentrations decreased linearly and proportionally to the available oxygen in the water. As in other decapods, chymotrypsin showed over 90% of the total quantified proteases activity. Chymotrypsin activity together with total proteases and trypsin was not affected by the environmental oxygen tension. Gill LDH and digestive gland lactate followed a similar increase at lower environmental oxygen tension but dropped sharply at the lowest tension (2.1 kPa). Dissolved oxygen affected also the immune system through reduction of hemocytes. This could provide a critical window for opportunistic pathogens to become established when crabs are exposed to hypoxic conditions. L. santolla juveniles show a moderate tolerance to low oxygen availability by modifying the concentration of hemolymph proteins, mainly OxyHc, some digestive gland metabolites, and by activating the anaerobic metabolism. This allows L. santolla juveniles to inhabit temporarily low oxygen zones in the deep ocean and suggests an advantage for culture conditions.     

Modulation of branchial ion transport protein expression by salinity in glass eels (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Anguilla anguilla</Emphasis> L.)

The Anguillid juvenile glass eel must deal with the osmoregulatory consequences of highly variable environmental salinities on its recruitment migration from coastal to fresh waters. Changes in ionoregulatory parameters and branchial ion transport protein [Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, Na⁺:K⁺:2Cl⁻ cotransporter (NKCC), cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) anion channel, V-type proton ATPase] expression (activities, protein and/or mRNA level expression and/or cellular localization) in response to acclimation to a broad range of ionic strengths [distilled water (DW) to hypersaline water (HSW; 150%) sea water (SW 32‰)] was studied. The estuarine glass eels were very euryhaline and successfully acclimated to acute changes in environmental ionic strength from 50% SW, with high mortality only observed in HSW (51%) and sublethal osmoregulatory indicators (whole body water content and sodium levels) disturbed at the extremes (DW and HSW). Central to a high salinity acclimation were elevated branchial Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, NKCC and CFTR expression. At lower salinity, Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase expression was maintained and NKCC and CFTR expressions were reduced. Branchial chloride cells increased in size up to SW but decreased in HSW. During hypotonic disturbance (DW), no compensatory elevation in V-ATPase or Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase expression was observed.     

巴西中小企业的清洁生产挑战

微型、小型和中型企业创造了巴西的主要财富.但是这些企业却难以遵守环境法律.在这种情况下,清洁生产意义重大;它使得应用简便、廉价、持续的解决方案帮助小企业减少其环境影响、降低雇员的健康和安全风险成为可能.清洁生产战略通过把中心放在减少浪费和损耗上而改善环境条件.在实施清洁生产措施的同时,对一些措施的环境效率和经济可行性进行评估.采用最多的是良好的内务管理等简便措施.良好的内务管理包括业务参数的最优化、程序的标准化、改进买卖系统以及维护、信息和培训程序的最优化.巴西良好的内务管理战略所占的优势表明了对低成本解决方案的优先选择.     

Electrochemical degradation of the dye indigo carmine at boron-doped diamond anode for wastewaters remediation

Here we demonstrate that anodic oxidation with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode can be applied to the remediation of wastewaters containing indigo carmine. This environmentally friendly method decontaminates completely acid and alkaline aqueous solutions of this dye. The degradation rate increases with increasing current and dye concentration. Indigo carmine is more rapidly removed in alkaline than in acid medium, but its kinetics does not follow a defined reaction order. Isatin 5-sulfonic acid is the main aromatic product formed. Oxalic and oxamic acids are generated as ultimate carboxylic acids. The nitrogen of the dye is converted into NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ⁻.