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170 results
Annual U.S. & Global Geothermal Power Production Report
The report finds that global geothermal operating capacity reached 13.3 GW across 24 countries by January 2016, with a forecast to reach 18.4 GW by 2021. While international growth is supported by COP21 commitments and the Global Geothermal Alliance's goal of 65 GW by 2030, the U.S. market has nearly stalled at 3.7 GW of nameplate capacity due to cheap natural gas and unbalanced tax incentives. The report highlights that only 6-7% of global geothermal potential has been tapped and emphasizes the need for increased public financing to drive private investment in developing nations.
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Document type: Report
ATI Network Shadow Report 2016
The ATI Network Shadow Report 2016 reveals significant challenges in accessing information in South Africa, with 46% of requests to public bodies denied in full and 67% of requests to private bodies refused. The report highlights a high rate of 'deemed refusals' where requests are ignored, and notes that the most common ground for refusal is that records do not exist or cannot be found. While some progress is noted in the automatic availability of environmental and water licenses, the report argues that the Department of Mineral Resources resists this trend. It recommends mandatory disclosure of all operational licenses, clearer definitions for 'trade secrets', and the strengthening of public interest override provisions in PAIA.
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Document type: Report
National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2015/16
The National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2015/16 details the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). It records a total of 2,647 EMIs, with a significant increase in proactive inspections and a rise in administrative notices. The report highlights enforcement trends in 'brown' (pollution/waste), 'green' (biodiversity), and 'blue' (marine/freshwater) sectors, noting a stabilization in rhino poaching numbers. It also documents specific legal cases, legislative updates, and capacity-building efforts for inspectors and prosecutors.
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Document type: Report
Dengue Fever in the Belize District
The study identifies a positive association between dengue fever occurrence in the Belize District and both precipitation and minimum temperature. Projections for the 2050s suggest a general warming trend with an increase in the frequency of days where minimum temperatures exceed 18°C, which may increase DF occurrence. Conversely, a projected increase in days where maximum temperatures exceed 32°C may create less favourable conditions for the disease. The report emphasizes that non-climate factors, including changes in health reporting structures and socio-economic drivers, also influence DF trends.
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Document type: Case study
Patterns of Peacemaking
The document analyzes international mediation as a tool for peacemaking, noting that while it has become more common since the Cold War—particularly for interstate conflicts—it is underutilized in civil wars. It highlights a geographical bias toward Europe and the Middle East and a trend toward the regionalization of mediation through organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS. While mediation significantly increases the likelihood of short-term settlements, the authors find no evidence of consistent long-term positive effects on durable peace.
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Document type: Policy brief
THE STATE OF SUSTAINABLE MARKETS STATISTICS AND EMERGING TRENDS 2015
The report documents the rapid growth of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in agriculture and forestry between 2008 and 2014. It highlights that all surveyed standards experienced growth in compliant areas, with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil showing the most significant expansion. The document provides detailed statistics for commodities including bananas, cocoa, coffee, cotton, palm oil, soybeans, sugarcane, tea, and forestry, while identifying critical data gaps in multiple certification, pricing, and consumption patterns that hinder policy planning.
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Document type: Report
Possibilities and Realities of Return Migration
The report examines return migration as a complex spectrum of agency and coercion, challenging the 'myth of return' and the binary of forced versus voluntary migration. It identifies ten key findings, highlighting that return intentions are shaped by competing attachments to multiple societies and that reintegration can be as challenging as initial integration due to social expectations, corruption, and security risks. The research emphasizes the critical role of short-term return visits in informing decisions and maintaining transnational ties, while noting that secure legal status in a destination country often paradoxically facilitates the possibility of return by providing a safety net.
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Document type: Report
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND NET-ZERO BUILDINGS: GSA & RMI ANSWER THE CALL
The document outlines the GSA's National Deep Energy Retrofit (NDER) Program and provides a framework for achieving energy savings of 50% or more in federal buildings. It highlights the effectiveness of bundling energy conservation measures (ECMs), engaging diverse stakeholders, and utilizing a 'technical potential' tool to identify aggressive energy goals. Case studies, such as the Almeric Christian Federal Building, demonstrate the feasibility of net-zero energy through the ESPC process, while data analysis shows that NDER projects achieved an average of 38% energy savings, more than double the 18.5% average of non-NDER federal ESPC projects.
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Document type: Executive summary
National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2013/14
The National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2013/14 details the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). Key trends include a 12.26% increase in registered EMIs and a significant rise in reported environmental incidents. While industrial sectors like cement and refineries show improved performance due to proactive inspections, biodiversity crimes—particularly rhino poaching—remain a critical concern despite heavy court sentences. The report also highlights legislative updates, judicial precedents regarding the 'polluter pays' principle, and capacity-building initiatives for law enforcement and prosecutors.
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Document type: Report
Development Consequences of Internal Armed Conflict
The document argues that internal armed conflict acts as 'development in reverse,' creating a 'conflict trap' where low development leads to war, which further degrades socio-economic conditions. Research by PRIO indicates that conflict detrimentally affects most MDG indicators, including GDP per capita, infant mortality, and access to potable water. Notably, the indirect effects of conflict—such as the destruction of health infrastructure and diversion of resources to military spending—can be as severe as direct battlefield casualties. The authors advocate for the UN General Assembly to make conflict reduction an explicit goal in the post-2015 development agenda to break this cycle.
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Document type: Briefing
National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2014-15
The National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2014-15 details the activities of South Africa's 'Green Scorpions' (EMIs). It reports a 19.8% increase in registered EMIs to 2,294 and highlights a rise in criminal dockets by 8.5%. The report identifies illegal hunting and unlawful commencement of listed activities as the most prevalent crimes. It also documents specific industrial inspections, biodiversity enforcement focusing on rhinoceros and cycads, and the implementation of capacity-building programs for law enforcement and judicial officers.
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Document type: Report
Understanding Public Support for Externality-Correcting Taxes and Subsidies: A Lab Experiment
The research paper employs a lab experiment with 195 subjects to compare public support for taxes and subsidies designed to correct a negative externality. The study finds that subsidies consistently receive higher support than taxes, a gap that is widened when participants have only partial information about how tax revenues are spent or subsidies are funded. While full budgetary information increases support for both instruments, it disproportionately benefits taxes. Interestingly, participants expected taxes to be more effective at reducing the externality than subsidies, despite preferring the latter. The authors conclude that the lack of trust or clarity regarding the use of tax revenues is a primary driver of tax aversion.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate Change and Your Health
The document examines 60 years of summer weather data in the US Midwest, finding that hot and humid air masses are becoming more frequent while cooler air masses are declining. Analysis of both large cities and smaller rural counterparts suggests these trends are driven by broader climate change rather than solely by urban heat island effects, with nighttime temperatures warming faster than daytime temperatures.
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Document type: Report
National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2011-12
The National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2011-12 details the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). Key trends include a 30% increase in registered EMIs, a significant rise in Section 24G administrative fines, and a focus on combating rhino poaching. The report provides detailed statistics on criminal dockets, convictions, and industrial inspections, while highlighting landmark court cases and capacity-building efforts for inspectors and prosecutors.
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Document type: Report
Relative Importance of different Climate Policy Elements for Corporate Climate Innovation Activities
The study finds that climate policy elements, including the EU ETS and long-term targets, are generally less influential in corporate investment decisions than market prices and technology-specific regulations like feed-in tariffs. While technology providers view long-term targets as significantly more relevant than the EU ETS for RD&D and sales, power generators see the EU ETS as slightly more relevant for new plant adoption. The research emphasizes that a coordinated policy mix of stringent, predictable instruments and ambitious long-term targets is necessary to drive low-carbon innovation.
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Document type: Research paper
York Green Neighbourhood Challenge
The York Green Neighbourhood Challenge was a three-phase initiative conducted between May 2009 and September 2010 in the City of York. The project aimed to reduce household carbon emissions, raise awareness of low-carbon lifestyles, and foster community cohesion. By profiling neighbourhoods based on carbon footprints, environmental attitudes, and infrastructure, the project targeted 'high potential' areas—specifically South Bank Central and Holgate East—and recruited six teams (including neighbourhood, school, and church groups). Participants received personalised carbon footprint assessments and pledged pro-environmental actions over a six-month period, supported by mentors and external experts. The evaluation found that 49 participants achieved an average carbon footprint reduction of 2.0 tonnes of CO2e per year, representing an 11.3% decrease. The most significant reductions occurred in shopping and housing, while transport reductions were not statistically significant. The total projected emission reduction was 98 tonnes of CO2e per year, at a cost of £472.57 per tonne. The report concludes by proposing a model for community engagement that emphasizes quality of life, targets responsive audiences, and utilizes existing community networks.
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Document type: Report
Heat, Dust, and People
The ADAPTE project uses GIS to map the interaction between air pollution and extreme weather (heat and cold waves) to identify health risks in Latin American cities. Findings indicate that PM10 and NOx levels in Mexico City, Santiago, and Bogota significantly exceed WHO standards. The project identifies varying relative risks (RR) for respiratory and cardiovascular mortality based on season and age group, such as higher respiratory risk for children in Bogota during the cold season.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Calor, polvo y gente
The document details the ADAPTE project, which uses GIS to map social vulnerability and mortality risks linked to air pollution and temperature extremes in Latin American cities. It highlights that PM10 and NOx levels in Mexico City, Santiago, and Bogotá significantly exceed WHO standards and notes that respiratory and cardiovascular mortality risks vary by age group and season, particularly in Bogotá.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Energy by the Numbers: ALABAMA
The document reports that fossil fuels accounted for 90% of Alabama's energy consumption in 2006 and approximately 70% of its electricity generation. Between 1990 and 2005, the state's greenhouse gas emissions grew by 21%, a rate exceeding the U.S. average, primarily driven by the electric generation sector.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Energy by the Numbers: FLORIDA
As of 2006, fossil fuels accounted for 80% of Florida's energy consumption, with 84% of electricity generation derived from fossil fuels. Between 1990 and 2005, the state's greenhouse gas emissions grew by 39%, a rate more than twice the U.S. average, driven primarily by the transportation and electric generation sectors.
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Document type: Fact sheet