Governing the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels: The Role of International Institutions

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harro van Asselt
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
International Institutions

Introduction to geomicrobiology

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Kirchman
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Direct Reduction ◽  
Iron Oxidation ◽  
Mineral Dissolution ◽  
Precipitation Process ◽  
Soluble Ions ◽  
Chemolithoautotrophic Bacteria ◽  
The Impact

Geomicrobiology, the marriage of geology and microbiology, is about the impact of microbes on Earth materials in terrestrial systems and sediments. Many geomicrobiological processes occur over long timescales. Even the slow growth and low activity of microbes, however, have big effects when added up over millennia. After reviewing the basics of bacteria–surface interactions, the chapter moves on to discussing biomineralization, which is the microbially mediated formation of solid minerals from soluble ions. The role of microbes can vary from merely providing passive surfaces for mineral formation, to active control of the entire precipitation process. The formation of carbonate-containing minerals by coccolithophorids and other marine organisms is especially important because of the role of these minerals in the carbon cycle. Iron minerals can be formed by chemolithoautotrophic bacteria, which gain a small amount of energy from iron oxidation. Similarly, manganese-rich minerals are formed during manganese oxidation, although how this reaction benefits microbes is unclear. These minerals and others give geologists and geomicrobiologists clues about early life on Earth. In addition to forming minerals, microbes help to dissolve them, a process called weathering. Microbes contribute to weathering and mineral dissolution through several mechanisms: production of protons (acidity) or hydroxides that dissolve minerals; production of ligands that chelate metals in minerals thereby breaking up the solid phase; and direct reduction of mineral-bound metals to more soluble forms. The chapter ends with some comments about the role of microbes in degrading oil and other fossil fuels.

Energy Markets and Trading

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Mares
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Adjustment Costs ◽  
Institutional Context ◽  
Energy Markets ◽  
Energy Resources ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Social ◽  
Impact Risk

This chapter discusses the role of energy in economic development, the transformation of energy markets, trade in energy resources themselves, and the geopolitical dynamics that result. The transformation of energy markets and their expansion via trade can help or hinder development, depending on the processes behind them and how stakeholders interact. The availability of renewable, climate-friendly sources of energy, domestically and internationally, means that there is no inherent trade-off between economic growth and the use of fossil fuels. The existence of economic, political, social, and geopolitical adjustment costs means that the expansion of international energy markets to incorporate alternatives to oil and coal is a complex balance of environmental trade-offs with no solutions completely free of negative impact risk. An understanding of the supply of and demand for energy must incorporate the institutional context within which they occur, as well as the social and political dynamics of their setting.

An international hierarchy of science: conquest, cooperation, and the 1959 Antarctic Treaty System

2021 ◽  
pp. 135406612110338
Author(s):  
Joanne Yao
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
International Institutions ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
International Status ◽  
Antarctic Treaty System

The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), created in 1959 to govern the southern continent, is often lauded as an illustration of science’s potential to inspire peaceful and rational International Relations. This article critically examines this optimistic view of science’s role in international politics by focusing on how science as a global hierarchical structure operated as a gatekeeper to an exclusive Antarctic club. I argue that in the early 20th century, the conduct of science in Antarctica was entwined with global and imperial hierarchies. As what Mattern and Zarakol call a broad hierarchy, science worked both as a civilized marker of international status as well as a social performance that legitimated actors’ imperial interests in Antarctica. The 1959 ATS relied on science as an existing broad hierarchy to enable competing states to achieve a functional bargain and ‘freeze’ sovereignty claims, whilst at the same time institutionalizing and reinforcing the legitimacy of science in maintaining international inequalities. In making this argument, I stress the role of formal international institutions in bridging our analysis of broad and functional hierarchies while also highlighting the importance of scientific hierarchies in constituting the current international order.

History, Politics, Law

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Political Thought ◽  
International Institutions ◽  
The Political ◽  
Global Order ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Many

Historians of political thought and international lawyers have both expanded their interest in the formation of the present global order. History, Politics, Law is the first express encounter between the two disciplines, juxtaposing their perspectives on questions of method and substance. The essays throw light on their approaches to the role of politics and the political in the history of the world beyond the single polity. They discuss the contrast between practice and theory as well as the role of conceptual and contextual analyses in both fields. Specific themes raised for both disciplines include statehood, empires and the role of international institutions, as well as the roles of economics, innovation and gender. The result is a vibrant cross-section of contrasts and parallels between the methods and practices of the two disciplines, demonstrating the many ways in which both can learn from each other.

Institutional Resilience, Deterrence and the Transition to Zero Nuclear Weapons

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (2-4) ◽  
pp. 262-280
Author(s):  
Ulrich Kühn
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Weapons ◽  
International Institutions ◽  
Arms Control ◽  
Timely Manner ◽  
Shared Interest ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Institutional Cooperation ◽  
Factors Of Influence ◽  
Governing Institutions

The goal of a world free from nuclear weapons is directly related to the issues of international institutions and deterrence. Assuming that it would be possible, first, to move to significantly lower numbers of nuclear weapons and then to zero nuclear weapons, governing institutions would have to be resilient enough to respond in a timely manner and to uphold the bargain. But what factors determine and influence institutional resilience? And what would be the likely role of deterrence? This article first assesses what the general ir narratives tell us about determining factors. It then examines two empirical cases from the realm of arms control institutions (the cfe and the npt treaties) and asks why these agreements are not as effective as intended. The next section discusses three additional factors of influence and identifies a shared interest in overcoming the deterrence principle as a key variable for institutional cooperation and as a factor that continues to influence resilience and effectiveness. The last section presents the conclusions.

The Role of Renewable Energy Sources in a Sustainable World

1992 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruud Pleune
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
World Energy ◽  
World Concept

Present energy use - largely dependent on fossil fuels - is incompatible with the sustainable world concept. In a sustainable world, energy sources are renewable and used in a way that damage to the environment is minimalized. This study investigates the possibility of a sustainable world using renewable energy sources. It appears that - when strict energy conservation is applied - such a sustainable world seems to be attainable. This requires, however, drastic changes in most parts of society.

scholarly journals Small and Medium Enterprises: Importance for the Kosovo Economy

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 215-221
Author(s):  
Afrim Loku ◽  
Nadire Loku ◽  
Naim Baftiu
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
International Institutions ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Scientific Contribution ◽  
Documentary Sources ◽  
Scientific Papers ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
National Economies

This study aims to broaden the understanding of the importance of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) for the economy of Kosovo, especially in terms of economic development, labor market and innovation. The study was conducted through analysis of documentary sources such as relevant reports of national and international institutions as well as relevant scientific papers. The scientific contribution of this study is theoretical and aims to help researchers of the field for an expanded understanding of SMEs over national economies. This study provides a concise framework of important elements on the economic impact of SMEs on Kosovo's economy. Examination of available data has shown that the SME sector plays a crucial role for the Kosovo economy. The key role of SMEs was emphasized in terms of overall value generated and the labor market while innovation remains a challenge to be addressed by stakeholders

scholarly journals Almacenamiento energético frente al inminente paradigma renovable: el rol de las baterías ion-litio y las perspectivas sudamericanas/Energy storage towards the imminent renewable paradigm: the role of ion-lithium batteries and South American perspectives

2018 ◽  
pp. 108-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ariel Kazimierski
Keyword(s):  
Electric Propulsion ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Energy System ◽  
South American ◽  
Potential Market ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
New Energy ◽  
A Current

El actual sistema energético mundial se caracteriza por una alta dependencia de los combustibles fósiles, un paradigma que empieza a encontrar dificultades en tanto se agotan las reservas existentes y aumentan los costos ecológicos. Así, la incorporación de energías renovables, su generación en forma distribuida y el crecimiento del parque automotor eléctrico, se presentan como la triada más prometedora en la conformación de un nuevo paradigma más eficiente y sustentable. Este artículo se centra en la importancia que adquieren los acumuladores energéticos ante este panorama, principalmente por su rol en la estabilización de las redes y posibilitar el autoconsumo y la propulsión eléctrica. Identifica en las baterías de ion-litio un abanico de posibilidades para Sudamérica, que posee las reservas más importantes de litio en el mundo, incorporando la idea del desarrollo dentro del nuevo patrón energético y en un mercado actual y potencial de grandes dimensiones. Abstract The current global energy system is characterized by a high dependence on fossil fuels, a paradigm that begins to encounter difficulties as existing reserves are depleted and ecological costs increase. Thus, the incorporation of renewable energies, their generation in a distributed form and the growth of the electric motor park, are presented as the most promising triad in the conformation of a new, more efficient and sustainable paradigm. This article focuses on the importance that energy accumulators acquire in this scenario, mainly due to their role in stabilizing networks and enabling self-consumption and electric propulsion. It identifies lithium-ion batteries with a wide range of possibilities for South America, which has the most important reserves of lithium in the world, incorporating the idea of ​​development within the new energy pattern and in a current and potential market of large dimensions.

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