Sustainable Peach Compote Production: A Life Cycle Thinking Approach

Peach production as well as the fruit canning industry is one of the most important agricultural supply chain sectors in Greece. In 2016 Greek canned peach production reached 300,000 tones. In this study we perform an environmental analysis of a peach compote production system in Greece, using Life Cycle Assessment. The system studied includes the stages of cultivation, transportation of peaches to the peach compote plant, the canning and finally packaging. The data used were collected directly from an orchard located in Larissa, in central Greece, and covers the production year of 2016. The functional unit adopted is the production of one paper box containing 24 cans of peach compotes. The Life Cycle Analysis results indicate that 48.41%, 25% and 20.98% of the environmental burdens are attributed to the acidification potential, global warming potential and particular matter formation impact categories, respectively; whereas eutrophication impact potential and photochemical oxidation formation impact accounted for 5.38% and 0.23%, respectively. The results of this study provide an understanding of the key environmental impact issues related to peach compote production in Greece.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF HOT SUMMER WEATHER IN PATIENTS WITH INTERMEDIATE AND HIGH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK

Background. The potential global warming justifies the need for further investigation of the impact of abnormally hot summer weather on health and the prevention of these negative health effects.Aim. To study the effects of extreme climatic conditions (hot weather) on hemodynamics, electrolyte metabolism, oxidative stress (OS), and quality of life (QoL) in cardiac patients.Material and methods. In total, the study included 123 patients (52 men and 76 women) with intermediate (17,3%) and high or very high (82,7%) cardiovascular risk. The following parameters were assessed: office blood pressure (BP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), plasma levels of potassium (K), sodium (Na), oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL), and malondialdehyde (MDA), erythrocyte activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and MDA/SOD ratio. The QoL scale, Shikhan clinical anxiety scale, and a questionnaire specifically designed for this study were also used.Results. Subjective health deterioration in hot weather was reported by 46,3% of the participants. The number of cardiovascular events (CVE) was higher during the hot weather period, compared to the following period (p=0,009). Hot weather was associated with a reduction in the levels of systolic BP (SAD; p=0,004), diastolic BP (DBP; p=0,04), PWV (p=0,05), and heart rate (HR; p=0,06). The levels of Na were elevated by the second visit (p=0,002). The number of CVE during the hot weather period negatively correlated with the dynamics of PWV (r= –0,304, p<0,001), SBP (r= –0,225, p=0,009), and DBP (r= –0,292, p=0,001) and positively correlated with the Na concentration dynamics. There was a negative correlation between QoL and age (r= –0,202, p=0,03). The hot weather period was characterised by the OS development, with the OS regression during the subsequent colder period.Conclusion. Hot summer weather, even within the climatic norm range, is associated with increased CVE risk in some cardiac patients. Negative health effects of hot weather were self-reported by 46,3% of participants. Inadequate heat adaptation was linked to OS development, lesser degree of BP and PWV reduction, more pronounced Na elevation, and older age.

Negatively correlated local and global stock externalities: tax or subsidy?

Fossil fuel combustion generates both CO2 and SO2. CO2 is the most important greenhouse gas; SO2 can cause serious local pollution. But it can alleviate the potential global warming because of negative radiative forcing. Such a phenomenon can be characterized as negatively correlated local and global stock externalities. In this paper, we set up an optimal control problem of negatively correlated local and global stock externality provision. The efficiency conditions for this problem are derived. These conditions modify the Samuelson rules for optimal provision of externalities. In addition, we examine several policy related scenarios of negatively correlated local and global stock externality provisions. Finally, we discuss policy implications and limitation of the theoretical results derived in this paper. We also indicate applications of the theoretical results here to empirical research, particularly to economic analysis of multiple-gas issues in climate change.