Suchergebnisse

Abstract. The government of Finland has set five-year National waste plan (2018–2023) with the theme "From recycling to circular economy" and the plan aims to sustainable waste management and waste prevention. Adapting circular economy shall bring three positives: economic growth, social development and lower environmental impact, when progressing towards sustainable development. The theory part defines and details the terms circular economy and how it is better than linear system; industrial ecology; cradle to cradle; low-carbon economy; nutrient cycle and the significance on closing the cycle; then defining fertiliser and the types of fertilisers and why to choose natural fertilizers over chemical fertilizers? Also, there is a mention of relevant EU regulations and directives for maintaining the quality and providing best living environment for all. Lastly the technologies that are used for managing the municipal bio-waste and the comparative advantages of anaerobic digestion (AD) over composting on the basis of sustainability are defined. In the experimental part, the current situation of separately collected bio-waste in Puolanka municipality in Kainuu (Status quo: transported to Kajaani for composting in Majasaari waste center) was compared with the other possible scenarios: — Scenario I: If separately collected bio-waste were transported to Oulu to be treated in existing biogas plant — Scenario II: If separately collected bio-waste were treated in Puolanka locally in new biogas plant The aim was to recommend best suitable management-option for long-term sustainability of source separated bio-waste in Puolanka municipality based on closing the nutrient cycle and boosting circular economy. The data were collected and appropriate calculations for sizing and feasibility studies were made. The Sustainability Assessment tests were performed using RECENT project's sustainability assessment templates based on calculations and collected information. It was observed from sustainability outcomes that Status quo would be the least preferred option even though it was economical than Scenario I because the use of composting technology caused greenhouse gas emissions and didn't have long-term socio-economic benefits. Also, Scenario II had an advantage over Scenario I for an impact on environment and community since creating an own anaerobic digester provides community a privilege of clean renewable energy (biogas) and its energy output was possible to replace our dependency on fossil fuel consumption. It was found that Scenario II is totally attainable, with only 3,22 years of payback period. The calculative biogas energy output for a year with 165,478 t of bio-waste/year was 144,8 MWh that would be enough to replace the annual fuel demand of 10,9 petrol-based cars and 15,4 diesel-based cars. The value of annual digestate (sanitized co-product of biogas process) sales was 1 556,3 €; annual district heating revenue was 13 694 €; and reduction of 40,37 t of CO₂e per year. The economic boost with reduction of gate fee and transportation charges and increase in job or business opportunities at Puolanka itself makes it more evident that Scenario II, the proposed AD plant in Puolanka is the best solution for the source separated bio-waste management for closing nutrient cycle as well as in achieving circular economy through circulation of the waste as an input to convert into energy in maintaining long term benefits. Thus, this thesis is an intensive consolidation of theory and experiment to understand that circulation of resources boosts circular economy and closing the nutrient cycle in biosphere is important. The future recommendations would be a detailed study on the feasibility (in terms of investments) for Scenario II (maximum use of local bio-refineries). Also, co-digestion (adding two or more substrates) as feed-inputs would boost in the production of biogas contributing to high clean renewable energy output.Tiivistelmä. Suomen hallitus on tehnyt viiden vuoden (2018–2023) jätesuunnitelman "Kierrätyksestä kiertotalouteen", jonka tavoitteena on kestävä jätehuolto ja jätteiden synnyn ehkäiseminen. Kiertotalouden omaksuminen tuo mukanaan kolme positiivista asiaa: talouskasvun, sosiaalisen kehityksen ja ympäristövaikutusten pienenemisen, edeten samalla kohti kestävää kehitystä. Teoreettinen osa määrittelee ja täsmentää kiertotalouden termejä ja kuvaa sitä, miten kiertotalous on parempi kuin lineaarinen järjestelmä; kuvaa, mitä ovat teollinen ekologia, vähähiilinen talous, ravinnekierto ja ravinteiden kierron sulkemisen tärkeys, tarkastelee erilaisia lannoitetyyppejä ja syitä miksi valita luonnonlannoitteet keinolannoitteiden sijaan. Myös asiankuuluvat EU:n säännökset ja direktiivit laadun ylläpitämiseksi ja hyvän elinympäristön turvaamiseksi kerrotaan. Lopuksi selvitetään biojätteiden käsittelyyn käytetyt tekniikat ja anaerobisen mädätyksen edut kompostointiin verrattuna kestävyyden kannalta tarkasteltuna. Kokeellisessa osassa Kainuussa sijaitsevan Puolangan kunnan nykyistä erilliskerätyn biojätteen käsittelyä (kuljetus ja kompostointi Kajaanin Majasaaren jätekeskuksessa) verrattiin muihin mahdollisiin skenaarioihin: — Skenaario I: Erilliskerätyt biojätteet kuljetetaan Ouluun käsiteltäväksi nykyisessä biokaasulaitoksessa — Skenaario II: Erilliskerätyt biojätteet käsitellään Puolangassa paikallisesti uudessa biokaasulaitoksessa Tavoitteena oli suositella parasta ja sopivinta vaihtoehtoa näiden kolmen vaihtoehdon väliltä yleisen kestävyyden kannalta tarkasteltuna sekä ravinnekierron sulkemisen ja kiertotalouden edistämiseksi. Tiedot kerättiin ja tehtiin asianmukaiset laskelmat biokaasureaktorin mitoittamiseen ja biokaasulaitoksen taloudelliseen kannattavuuteen liittyen. Kestävyysarviointi suoritettiin käyttäen RECENT-projektin kestävyydenarviointitemplaatteja tehtyihin laskelmiin ja kerättyyn tietoon perustuen. Kestävyysarvioinnin tulosten perusteella todettiin, että nykytilanne olisi vähiten suositeltava vaihtoehto, vaikka se olisi ollut skenaarioon I verrattuna taloudellisempaa, koska kompostointiteknologian käyttö aiheutti päästöjä eikä sillä ollut pitkäaikaisia sosioekonomisia hyötyjä. Skenaariossa II oli myös etu skenaarioon I verrattuna, sillä skenaario II vaikutti ympäristöön ja yhteisöön, koska oman biokaasulaitoksen hankkiminen tarjoaa yhteisölle etuoikeuden puhtaaseen uusiutuvaan energiaan (biokaasu) ja sen energiantuotannolla olisi mahdollista vähentää riippuvuutta fossiilisista polttoaineista. Todettiin, että skenaario II on täysin saavutettavissa, ja sen takaisinmaksuaika on vain 3,22 vuotta. Biokaasun laskennallinen energiantuotanto 165,478 tonnille biojätettä vuodessa vuodessa oli 144,8 MWh, joka riittää korvaamaan 10,9 bensiiniauton ja 15,4 dieselauton vuosittaisen polttoaineenkulutuksen. Biokaasuprosessista saatavan mädätteen vuosittainen arvo oli 1 556,3 €; vuosittainen kaukolämmön tuoton arvo 13 694 euroa; ja hiilidioksidipäästöjen väheneminen 40,37 t CO₂e vuodessa. Puolangan saamat taloudelliset edut porttimaksujen ja kuljetuskustannusten alenemisen sekä työpaikkojen tai liiketoimintamahdollisuuksien lisääntymisen myötä lisää selvyyttä siitä, että Skenaario II, Puolangan uusi biokaasulaitos, on paras vaihtoehto jätteenkäsittelylle Puolangan kunnassa ravinnekierron sulkemiseksi ja kiertotalouden aikaansaamiseksi jätteiden kierrätyksen kautta jätteen ollessa syötteenä energiantuotannossa pitkän aikavälin hyötyjen ylläpitämiseksi. Tämä diplomityö on intensiivinen teorian ja käytännön yhdistely sen ymmärtämiseksi, että resurssien kierrättäminen vahvistaa kiertotaloutta ja ravinnekierron sulkeminen biosfäärissä on tärkeää. Suosituksia jatkotutkimuksille ovat yksityiskohtainen selvitys (investointien osalta) skenaarion II toteutettavuudesta (paikallisten biojalostamojen mahdollisimman suuri käyttö). Myös yhteismädätys (kaksi tai useampi syötettä samalla laitoksella) lisäisi biokaasun tuotantoa, mikä puolestaan lisäisi puhtaan uusiutuvan energian tuotantoa.

In 1998, FMC Corporation agreed to submit to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes' permitting processes, including the payment of fees, for clean-up work required as part of consent decree negotiations with the Environmental Protection Agency. Then, in 2002, FMC refused to pay the Tribes under a permitting agreement entered into by both parties, even though the company continued to store hazardous waste on land within the Shoshone-Bannock Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho. FMC challenged the Tribes' authority to enforce the $1.5 million permitting fees first in tribal court and later challenged the Tribes' authority to exercise civil regulatory and adjudicatory jurisdiction over the non-Indian corporation in federal court. FMC Corp. v. Shoshone-Bannock Tribes demonstrates the complexities and fraught nature of tribal civil jurisdiction.

In this study, a mixed nitrogen-fixing soil cyanobacterial culture was tested to treat municipal wastewater and produce total carbohydrates in a one-stage operation. Four photobioreactors were operated in semi-continuous mode for 30 days, evaluating the effect of different hydraulic retention times and nutrients and carbon loads on nutrients and organic matter removal, biomass composition, and carbohydrate production. One photobioreactor operated at a hydraulic retention time of 10 d with diluted 2:1 wastewater with distilled water, and other photobioreactors worked at 10 d, 8 d, and 6 d of hydraulic retention times with undiluted sewage. The results evidenced that high hydraulic retention time and low nutrients load achieved the highest removal efficiencies in total nitrogen >95%, total phosphorus 35–78%, total organic carbon >93%, and total inorganic carbon >82%. These high removals led to nitrogen limitation that stimulated a continuous carbohydrate accumulation of up to 48%. Also, a biomass production of 0.05–0.07 mg L−1 d−1 dominated by easy-settling flocs of filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria was achieved. Otherwise, lower hydraulic retention time and thus high nutrients load promoted carbon depletion, which led to lower nitrogen and phosphorus removals, low biomass production and contamination of green algae species. The results of this study highlight the nutritional and operational mechanisms of soil microorganisms and strategies to simultaneously clean waste streams and produce valuable by-products. ; Authors are grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIU), Research National Agency (AEI), European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) for the AL4BIO project (RTI2018-099495-B-C21) and to the Government of Catalonia (Consolidated Research Group 2017 SGR 1029). E. Uggetti would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Economy for the research grants (RYC2018-025514-I). Authors kindly thank Nicoló Brena, Joan Nicolás, Ariadna Muñoz, María Valldosera for the experiment deployment and Patrick U. Okoye for improving the English of the manuscript. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (author's final draft)

Access to clean, reliable and affordable energy services is fundamental to economic and social well-being. Yet nearly 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity. International commitments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring universal access to energy services, principally the Paris Agreement of the UN Climate Change Convention and the UN SE4ALL Sustainable Development Goal 7, have created a momentum for African countries to transition to more sustainable low-carbon energy pathways. Such commitments can be attained through targeted policies pursuing systemic changes, which include strategic and deliberate actions on the part of multiple actors to consolidate their efforts, collaborate, develop pragmatic solutions and ensure just and socially inclusive outcomes. Towards this end, transnational actors, such as aid agencies, financial institutions, non-profit organizations and private firms play a crucial role through their involvement in framing agendas, engaging in policy advice and mobilizing resources, both technical and financial. Against this background, the objective of this thesis is to investigate how these transnational actors operate and influence the transition to solar PV in East Africa, focusing specifically on off-grid and utility-scale solar PV systems in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. By investigating the dynamics of transnational linkages, external dependencies and global-local entanglements shaping specific transition pathways, the thesis contributes to an improved understanding of agency and politics in the sustainability transitions literature. The research topic is investigated through multiple case studies presented in the form of four articles that comprise the thesis. Article 1 adopts a 'transnational' perspective to analyze the development of the off-grid solar PV regime in Uganda. It identifies how transnational actors mobilize key resources (finance, technology, knowledge) to enable the PV transition. Article 2 adopts an agency-centric 'policy translation' perspective to analyze the process by which actors modify and localize imported policies, thereby accelerating the transition to utility-scale solar PV in Uganda. Article 3 adopts the actor-centered concept of 'frictional encounters' from the Sino-African literature to study the micro-politics and actor struggles as they unfold between Chinese and Kenyan actors during the development process of a utility-scale solar PV niche project. Article 4 integrates the MLP framework with a 'political economy' perspective to analyze the utility-scale solar PV niche against the background of the niche-regime-landscape dynamics in Rwanda. The thesis applies qualitative research methods, mainly semi-structured interviews and document analyses in order to provide detailed and context-specific insights. The dynamics of change are analyzed through the multilevel perspective (MLP), as a well-known framework. The thesis contributes to further develop the MLP by establishing a more actor-oriented approach, which is necessary to understand actor interests and strategies in pursuit of particular transition trajectories. The thesis develops a typology of transnational actors and identifies their specific roles and characteristics. It makes use of transition frameworks to explore agency by nuancing simplified actor categories, assessing the underlying motives, and by explicitly unraveling the micro-politics. The thesis also highlights the interplay of transnational and local agency, which is pertinent in the highly globalized energy regimes, but has received limited attention in the literature. In doing so, the thesis explores strategic and intentional actions, locates the relative position and influence exerted by specific transnational actors, and explores the socio-political processes underpinning sustainability transitions. The thesis demonstrates that the diffusion of off-grid solar PV systems in East Africa has witnessed a shift in the actor-drivers in recent years, away from international donors and NGOs toward more private-sector engagement. This observed shift has entailed a change in the modus operandi of development actors. While the off-grid PV sector has evolved over many decades in, the utility-scale PV systems have only emerged over the last five years. The thesis finds that cost competitiveness, tailored policy instruments, investor risk guarantees, and improved regulatory procedures have enabled this recent emergence. Such niche developments have occurred against various regime and landscape pressures. The thesis highlights the important role played by higher levels of leadership (i.e. state and regulatory actors) in prioritizing and accelerating the development of solar PV projects. Further, the thesis explores the nature of the involvement of 'rising powers' in Africa, such as China, acting as technology suppliers, developers, and investors in the development of utility-scale PV projects, reflective of the growing importance of South-South cooperation in shaping energy markets. Finally, the thesis finds that the nature of global-local multi-actor relations and politics is crucial to shaping specific transition outcomes. Transnational actors act as knowledge and funding repositories, whereas national actors provide legitimacy and institutional embeddedness. Accelerating the process of decarbonisation of the energy systems requires political work, negotiations, agency and power to wield influence, strong political commitment, and willingness to adapt to or modify institutional structures. These insights provide useful lessons that could be used for outcomes in support of the Paris Agreement and SDG7.

The author presents analysis of renovation variants for 300 MW oil-gas power blocks: substitution of the steam-power energy blocks by those with gas-steam cycle units, technical re-equipment of the energy blocks by means of reconstruction or modernization of the steam turbine, substitution implementation of the steam turbine with an analogous new one, prolongation of the operation life of the equipment in service. Renovation variants for the power blocks of the specified type in the TPPs of Russia can be chosen based on various engineering solutions concluded on the following grounds: mediumand long-term perspectives of their fuel balance structure (natural gas, synthetic gas fuel-oil residual, pulverized coal fuel including clean-coal and coal-benefication production wastes); the demands laid by JSC the JI UES on the participation of power blocks in frequency regulation and node inter-flow; development in the country of the distributed generation and the perspectives associated with it of the reconstructed TPPs installed capacity utilization in corresponding power-grid nodes; the development of related industries of the country's economy; the speed of mastering the eco-friendly homegrown steam-gas and coal technologies; creation of the competitive national element base of microelectronics.Introduction of foreign steam-gas generators in this country requires development of the repair-and-service maintenance, provokes elevated risks and tangible costs, conduces to level decrease in the energy and national safety of the state. Orientation of the country's power engineers to foreign gas-turbines of large single-unit capacity does not contribute to domestic power-plant industry development. With the view of reduction in value of the TPP-equipment by 12–15 %, it is prudent for power engineers to form a perspective manufacturing order for the period after 2016. In light of emerging political and economic situation in the world, technical re-equipment of the TPPs in the countries of the East-European region in the medium term is going to follow the way of reconstruction/modernization of the 300 MW-capacity power-block equipment and prolongation of the specified operation life. ; Представлен анализ вариантов обновления газомазутных энергоблоков мощностью 300 МВт (замещение паросиловых энергоблоков на энергоблоки с парогазовыми установками, техническое перевооружение энергоблоков путем реконструкции или модернизации паровой турбины, осуществление замены паровой турбины на аналогичную новую турбину, продление срока службы находящегося в эксплуатации оборудования). Варианты обновления энергоблоков указанного типа на ТЭС России могут базироваться на различных технических решениях, основанием для выбора которых должны служить среднеи долгосрочная перспективы структуры их топливного баланса (природный газ, синтез-газ, мазут, пылеугольное топливо, включая обогащенный уголь и отходы производства углеобогащения), выставляемые ОАО «СО ЕЭС» требования по участию энергоблоков в регулировании частоты и перетоков мощности, развитие в стране распределенной генерации и связанные с этим перспективы использования установленной мощности реконструированных ТЭС в соответствующих узлах энергосистемы, развитие смежных отраслей экономики страны, темпы освоения экологически чистых отечественных парогазовых и угольных технологий, создание конкурентоспособной отечественной элементной базы микроэлектроники.Внедрение импортных парогазовых установок требует совершенствования в стране ремонтно-сервисного обслуживания, провоцирует повышенные риски и материальные затраты, способствует снижению уровня энергетической и национальной безопасности государства. Ориентация энергетиков страны на импортные газовые турбины большой единичной мощности не способствует развитию отечественного энергомашиностроения. Для снижения стоимости оборудования ТЭС на 12–15 % энергетикам целесообразно сформировать перспективный заказ на продукцию на период после 2016 г. С учетом складывающейся политической и экономической обстановки в мире техперевооружение ТЭС стран Восточно-Европейского региона в среднесрочной перспективе пойдет по пути реконструкции/модернизации оборудования энергоблоков 300 МВт и продления установленных сроков его службы.

Представлен анализ вариантов обновления газомазутных энергоблоков мощностью 300 МВт (замещение паросиловых энергоблоков на энергоблоки с парогазовыми установками, техническое перевооружение энергоблоков путем реконструкции или модернизации паровой турбины, осуществление замены паровой турбины на аналогичную новую турбину, продление срока службы находящегося в эксплуатации оборудования). Варианты обновления энергоблоков указанного типа на ТЭС России могут базироваться на различных технических решениях, основанием для выбора которых должны служить средне- и долгосрочная перспективы структуры их топливного баланса (природный газ, синтез-газ, мазут, пылеугольное топливо, включая обогащенный уголь и отходы производства углеобогащения), выставляемые ОАО «СО ЕЭС» требования по участию энергоблоков в регулировании частоты и перетоков мощности, развитие в стране распределенной генерации и связанные с этим перспективы использования установленной мощности реконструированных ТЭС в соответствующих узлах энергосистемы, развитие смежных отраслей экономики страны, темпы освоения экологическичистых отечественных парогазовых и угольных технологий, создание конкурентоспособной отечественной элементной базы микроэлектроники. Внедрение импортных парогазовых установок требует совершенствования в стране ремонтно-сервисного обслуживания, провоцирует повышенные риски и материальные затраты, способствует снижению уровня энергетической и национальной безопасности государства. Ориентация энергетиков страны на импортные газовые турбины большой единичной мощности не способствует развитию отечественного энергомашиностроения. Для снижения стоимости оборудования ТЭС на 12-15 % энергетикам целесообразно сформировать перспективный заказ на продукцию на период после 2016г. С учетом складывающейся политической и экономической обстановки в мире техперевооружение ТЭС стран Восточно-Европейского региона в среднесрочной перспективе пойдет по пути реконструкции/модернизации оборудования энергоблоков 300 МВт и продления установленных сроков его службы. ; The author presents analysis of renovation variants for 300 MW oil-gas power blocks: substitution of the steam-power energy blocks by those with gas-steam cycle units, technical re-equipment of the energy blocks by means of reconstruction or modernization of the steam turbine, substitution implementation of the steam turbine with an analogous new one, prolongation of the operation life of the equipment in service. Renovation variants for the power blocks of the specified type in the TPPs of Russia can be chosen based on various engineering solutions concluded on the following grounds: mediumand long-term perspectives of their fuel balance structure (natural gas, synthetic gas fuel-oil residual, pulverized coal fuel including clean-coal and coal-benefication production wastes); the demands laid by JSC the JI UES on the participation of power blocks in frequency regulation and node inter-flow; development in the country of the distributed generation and the perspectives associated with it of the reconstructed TPPs installed capacity utilization in corresponding power-grid nodes; the development of related industries of the country's economy; the speed of mastering the eco-friendly homegrown steam-gas and coal technologies; creation of the competitive national element base of microelectronics. Introduction of foreign steam-gas generators in this country requires development of the repair-and-service maintenance, provokes elevated risks and tangible costs, conduces to level decrease in the energy and national safety of the state. Orientation of the country's power engineers to foreign gas-turbines of large single-unit capacity does not contribute to domestic power-plant industry development. With the view of reduction in value of the TPP-equipment by 12-15 %, it is prudent for power engineers to form a perspective manufacturing order for the period after 2016. In light of emerging political and economic situation in the world, technical re-equipment of the TPPs in the countries of the East-European region in the medium term is going to follow the way of reconstruction/modernization of the 300 MW-capacity power-block equipment and prolongation of the specified operation life.

Most Southeast Asian countries are struggling to improve their waste management systems. They have enacted and refined laws on waste management, formulating action plans and roadmaps in the process. Although some improvements have been made, the progress is still nowhere near sufficient. The reason behind the insufficient management can be attributed to a lack of appropriate legislation, insufficient government funding, lack of appropriate infrastructure, and lack of technical capacity, amongst other factors. With these efforts to improve municipal management in Southeast Asia, the importance of regional waste management is starting to be recognised. In Indonesia, some local governments have initiated a regional waste management scheme under financial support from the Clean Development Mechanism, which is a scheme under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change. The Department of Local Administration in the Ministry of Interior of Thailand has also issued a waste management clustering policy. Some regional waste management schemes have been established in areas such as Phuket, Nonthaburi, Koen Kane, and others. But there is a gap between existing schemes in Southeast Asian countries and possible schemes for regional waste management. The benefits and challenges of a regional approach to municipal solid waste management in selected Asian countries are briefly discussed. In addition, in a few Southeast Asian countries, regional de facto waste management schemes initiated by private companies are also observed. Such private initiatives are also discussed.

Part I: New Frontiers in Human Rights and Environment: Environmental Protection under African Union Law -- Chapter One: Human Rights, Regional Law and the Environment in Africa: Legal and Conceptual Foundations; Michael Addaney, Chantelle Gloria Moyo and Thabang Ramakhula -- Chapter Two: The Right to a Clean, Safe and Healthy Environment under the African Human Rights System; Mulesa Lumina -- Chapter Three: Should a human right to a safe climate be recognized under the AU human rights system?; Ademola Oluborode Jegede -- Chapter Four: Advancing human rights through environmental rule of law in Africa; Funmi Abioye -- Chapter Five: Women's environmental human rights in Africa with reflections on key provisions of the Maputo Protocol; Elsabé Boshoff -- Chapter Six: The Personhood of Natural Entities: African Approaches to the Recognition of Rights of Nature; Oluwabusayo Temitope Wuraola -- Part II: Enforcement of Environmental Rights by Judicial and Qasi-judicial Institutions -- Chapter Seven: Judicial Enforcement of Environmental Human Rights in Africa; Emma Charlene Lubaale -- Chapter Eight: Safeguarding environmental rights in the works of African regional human rights courts and tribunals; Michael Addaney and Chantelle Gloria Moyo -- Chapter Nine: International Environmental Governance: A Case for Sub-Regional Judiciaries in Africa; Eghosa Osa Ekhator -- Chapter Ten: Climate change as a 'constitutional essential': Trend and significance for Africa; Ademola Oluborode Jegede -- Part III: Environmental Protection and Human Rights: Regional and National Case Studies -- Chapter Eleven: Implementing human-rights-related environmental obligations in Ethiopia; Desalegn Amsalu -- Chapter Twelve: Women's Right to Participation in Environmental Decision-making in Uganda; Charlotte Kabaseke -- Chapter Thirteen: Connecting human rights and the environment in Cameroon: Successes, challenges and prospects; Jean-Claude N. Ashukem -- Chapter Fourteen: The Judiciary and Environmental Protection in Zimbabwe; Brewsters Caiphas Soyapi -- Chapter Fifteen: Human Rights-Based Approach to Environmental Protection: Kenyan, South African and Nigerian Constitutional Architecture and Experience; Collins Odote -- Part IV: Business Practices, Human Rights and the Environment -- Chapter Sixteen: Human Rights and Energy in a Neo-Liberal Southern Africa; Lenin Tinashe Chisaira -- Chapter Seventeen: Trade, Human Rights and Environmental Sustainability in Africa with special reference to the Extractive Sector; Omphemetse S. Sibanda Snr.

"An eye-catching, conversation-sparking book that answers all your questions on sexuality, seduction, and sex by the editors of GOOP. A beautifully illustrated, gift-y, sometimes shocking, fact-filled book that explores everything we've always wondered about sex and relationships, but may have been too shy to bring up. Broken into five sections, GOOP editors introduce the experts they rely on for sex tips, and dive into focused Q&A's that explore the ins and outs of sexual health, pleasure, and how to have the kind of sex you really want-while feeling good about doing it. Part 1, Seduction: Goes beyond the clichés to help the reader explore the inner and outer art of seduction-with advice on attracting new partners, reigniting the flame once it's gone out, and navigating online dating, unconventional relationship scenarios, the sex toy aisle, and more. Part 2, Sexuality: What sexuality means, looks, and feels like today, and how we can better tap into our sexual power-including a chapter on strengthening your libido, simple tantric tricks to up sexual energy, and fun ideas for exploring your own kinks. Part 3, Sexual Health: Covers the essentials (like clean lube and condoms, and how to reset your hormones), easy exercises for strengthening the pelvic floor, as well as a path for redefining porn-all with the goal of getting real joy from sex, as opposed to just avoiding the potential calamities. Part 4, Orgasm: Busts enduring sex myths, with expert advice on closing the orgasm gap, doing away with the pressure to perform, and the many benefits of self-pleasure. Part 5: Doing It: The antidote to bedroom boredom, the psychology of oral sex, how to ask for what you want-and play out your greatest fantasies. Throughout the book you'll find endcaps on the reality of everything from plain vanilla to ménage à trois, sidebars of mind-blowing stats culled from goop readers, and personal quotes and anecdotes (i.e. the first time I had sex...) from the GOOP team"--

1. A debate on the relationship between planning and the market (1991) -- 2. "Futures" in China : theory, policy, and systems (February 20, 1994) -- 3. On making China's system of circulation more market-oriented, and on creating institutions to handle the market (1995) -- 4. The role, responsibility, and destiny of economists (1998) -- 5. On capital markets (2000) -- 6. China's reform and opening up, and the establishment of clean government (March 30, 2000) -- 7. Going beyond the labor theory of value (November 15, 2001) -- 8. Various thoughts on rural employment, rural finance, and rural public healthcare (December 18, 2001) -- 9. Financial innovations, financial stability, and financial regulation (April 2003) -- 10. China's energy sector : issues of government regulation, and making the sector more market-oriented (November 17, 2003) -- 11. On income inequality and being industrious (February 2005) -- 12. A look at the stock market from a new perspective (February 2005) -- 13. Concepts that underlie market regulation (May 2005) -- 14. Incentive mechanisms, moral hazard, and the basis for a market (May 2005) -- 15. Xue Muqiao : a great master who experienced the vicissitudes of a century (September 10, 2005) -- 16. What exactly do we want to learn? (November 4, 2005) -- 17. A letter on income distribution (December 23, 2005) -- 18. Why are medical costs so high? (February 2006) -- 19. How to pull medical resources together and distribute them in a reasonable way (February 20, 2006) -- 20. China's evolving industrial policy (May 2006) -- 21. Striking a balance among wages, employment, and efficiency (May 2006) -- 22. A new approach to the old problem of "empty accounts" in pension funds (May 2006) -- 23. NDC : a pension-fund reform model that is worth considering (June 2006) -- 24. Prudent handling of the three main relationships (December 2006) -- 25. On transforming China's mode of economic growth and speeding up economic restructuring (January 4, 2007) -- 26. Economic development and environmental protection (February 15, 2007) -- 27. Resolving fairness issues must rely on "reform" (December 24, 2007) -- 28. Strategies and goals for a water-conserving society : new conceptual approaches for handling water issues (March 2008).

We disagree with, but grasp the idea of, subsidising a business sector that's not doing very well. But we're gawpmouthed with incomprehension at the idea that a business sector that is grossly outperforming therefore requires subsidy and support. But this is the claim:Opportunities to revive the UK's flagging economy by boosting green industry were missed in one of the least green budgets of recent years, experts have said.Several said this failure to recognise one of the fastest-expanding areas of business – the net zero economy grew by 9% in key areas last year, while the rest of the economy was stagnant, according to CBI estimates – would drag down the UK in the short and long term.Alasdair Johnstone, of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: "At a time when the US and EU are competing over investment in clean industries, there was little here to attract investment."Clearly, little to attract investment is wrong if the sector is growing by 9% as against no growth for the rest of the economy.Now the idea that something needs to be done to support the green economy is not alien to us. We are aware of what externalities are - those things not included in market prices - and sometimes those externalities are important enough that something must be done. Could be subsidy, could be support, could be taxation or quotas, or licences or permits and all the rest to get those externalities into market prices. But that's not the correct question here - that, the correct one, is whether more needs to be done or are we, umm, done here? We have a large outperformance from that green economy. Therefore we do seem to be done in the interventions we need to be making to grow the green economy. We suspect that the insistence is simply that the green economy would enjoy ever more of other peoples' money and therefore the green economy should gain ever more of other peoples' money. Which is something we find easy enough to reject.

One of the issues on the national agenda of low-income developing countries is the formulation of their own sustainable development strategies. The United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an important benchmark and road map for achieving this goal. At the same time, local specifics have an impact on the approaches, methods and possibilities for achieving the declared goals in each particular state. This study analyzes the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) Voluntary National Review on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda, official North Korean statements, and Russian and foreign academic and analytical publications in order to outline North Korea's approach to localizing the sustainable development goals (SDGs), identify problems arising in this process, and highlight prospects for international cooperation. Methods of comparative and content analysis were used in the research. It is maintained that, in search of its own strategy, the DPRK's leadership is trying to use international experience by integrating the SDGs into national development plans. North Korean specifics lie in reformulating global SDGs according to the national narrative of local-style socialism construction, the decisive role of the state in the development and implementation of actual plans, a formal approach to the implementation of some SDGs, and a focus on economic self-sufficiency as a guarantee of sustainable development. Despite the need for external assistance to achieve the main national SDGs, at present, the possibilities for international cooperation with the DPRK are significantly limited. The implementation of joint initiatives or assistance projects requires both obtaining permission from the UN Security Council 1718 Sanctions Committee and opening the borders of North Korea, which have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, given the global scope of the tasks set out in the 2030 Agenda, it is highly likely that in the medium and long term the DPRK will resume international cooperation in key areas of sustainable development—agriculture, health care, access to clean drinking water and sanitation, and climate change, as well as energy and transport infrastructure modernization. The main partners in this cooperation can be international organizations and neighbouring Russia and China.

A functioning waste management system (WMS) is essential for a good quality of life, a clean environment and the conservation of natural resources. However, the WMS quality can vary widely from country to country. Many countries of the Global South do not have a functioning WMS. The reasons for this are manifold (e.g., lack of political will, lack of financial resources, poverty). In these countries, generated waste is mainly managed in a linear way, means discarded in open dumps or landfills or even openly burned. However, some countries are making efforts to promote a circular economy (CE) in their respective territories, which, in contrast to linear waste management, aims to close loops through recycling. The aim of this work is to develop a method to assess the CE status of urban WMSs, especially in the context of the Global South. This method should help to identify CE potentials in a structured manner by evaluating existing framework conditions and, based on this, deriving concrete recommendations for action. To achieve this, an assessment tool (WMS – development stage concept, WMS-DSC) was developed. It is based on five development stages with stage 1 representing a WMS with the absence of essential waste management (WM) elements and stage 5 exemplifying a functioning CE. Morocco, as a Global South country, has already launched strategies and programs in the past to bring their WM to a better standard and establish a basis for a CE. However, it is not clear whether current efforts will be sufficient to establish a CE in the future. With the aid of the WMS-DSC, this will be assessable. The WMS-DSC was tested and validated using the Moroccan city of Marrakech as an example. The results of the WMS-DSC analysis show that, depending on the system components, the development stages of Marrakech vary from stage 1 to stage 4, with stage 2 and stage 3 being dominant for the following components: governance, sector and market, and waste disposal. The least developed components are waste recycling and energy ...