Navigating the dilemmas of climate policy in Europe: evidence from policy evaluation studies

Climate change is widely recognised as a ‘wicked’ policy problem. Agreeing and implementing governance responses is proving extremely difficult. Policy makers in many jurisdictions now emphasise their ambition to govern using the best available evidence. One obvious source of such evidence is the evaluations of the performance of existing policies. But to what extent do these evaluations provide insights into the difficult dilemmas that governors typically encounter? We address this question by reviewing the content of 262 evaluation studies of European climate policies in the light of six kinds of dilemma found in the governance literature. We are interested in what these studies say about the performance of European climate policies and in their capacity to inform evidence-based policy-making. We find that the evaluations do arrive at common findings: that climate change is framed as a problem of market and/or state failure; that voluntary measures tend to be ineffective; that market-based instruments tend to be regressive; that EU-level policies have driven climate policies in the latecomer EU Member States; and that lack of monitoring and weak enforcement are major obstacles to effective policy implementation. However, we also conclude that the evidence base these studies represent is surprisingly weak for such a high profile area. There is too little systematic climate policy evaluation work in the EU to support systematic evidence-based policy making. This reduces the scope for sound policy making in the short run and is a constraint to policy learning in the longer term.     

Theory and analytical performance evaluation of generalizedcorrelation beamformers

Traditionally, passive detection and localization of an acoustic source has been based on exploiting the relative differences in temporally averaged power outputs of contiguous beams of an element-weighted beamformer. An alternate approach, the generalized correlation beamformer (GCBF), is proposed where a weighted Toeplitz-averaged (spatially averaged) correlation function is used to estimate the beamformer output power. All element-weight sequences can be transformed into correlation-weight sequences through a convolution operation. Additional weight sequences which cannot be generated from a convolution of real element-weight sequences are available for use in the GCBF. A special case of the GCBF was proposed by Wilson et al. (1995) in which the correlation-weights are set to unity, a correlation-weight sequence which cannot be obtained from any classical element-weight sequence. Although such a “boxcar” correlation-weight sequence produces a sharper main peak power response (improved resolution), it has the undesirable effect of producing abnormally high (positive and negative power) sidelobes. General analytical performance bounds are developed that accurately reflect the GCBF detection and bearing localization performance for a noise model that includes spatially white noise and spatially discrete interferers (clutter). Analysis results indicate that the GCBF with Bartlett correlation-weights outperformed the GCBF with unity correlation-weights for both detection and bearing estimation except when the clutter bearing is close to the signal bearing     

Exploring LiDAR data for mapping the micro-topography and tidal hydro-dynamics of mangrove systems: An example from southeast Queensland,Australia

The aim was to explore the use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to map the micro-topography of an intertidal wetland in southeast Queensland Australia. The driver for this was the need to identify and map the habitats of the immature stages of an aedine disease vector mosquito (Aedes vigilax (Skuse)). We derived a high resolution digital elevation model (DEM) data set at a vertical resolution of 0.05 m from LiDAR data. The relative accuracy of the DEM across the site was tested by comparing water depth predictions derived from the DEM against in-situ water depth readings from pressure sensors over a 10-day tidal cycle, which included high spring tides. We found that the field observations of micro-topographic units important for mosquito management matched those delineated from the DEM. The micro-topography included a low berm or central ridge that was more or less continuous across the site, a shallow back basin and fringing mangroves. The fringing mangroves had unimpeded connection to the tidal source, however the central ridge blocked tidal water from the back basin for all but the highest tides. Eggshell survey indicated that the back basin was the area suitable for immature mosquitoes. We conclude that LiDAR data has application for understanding and mapping the structure of mangrove wetlands. We have also demonstrated (in a small area) that LiDAR is useful for modelling the effect of sea level changes on the coastal fringe. LiDAR may be the only method to inform research on changes to land use and ecosystems caused by sea level change.     

Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert,USA

The interactions between playa hydrology and playa‐surface sediments are important factors that control the type and amount of dust emitted from playas as a result of wind erosion. The production of evaporite minerals during evaporative loss of near‐surface ground water results in both the creation and maintenance of several centimeters or more of loose sediment on and near the surfaces of wet playas. Observations that characterize the texture, mineralogic composition and hardness of playa – surfaces at Franklin Lake, Soda Lake and West Cronese Lake playas in the Mojave Desert (California), along with imaging of dust emission using automated digital photography, indicate that these kinds of surface sediment are highly susceptible to dust emission. The surfaces of wet playas are dynamic surface texture and sediment availability to wind erosion change rapidly, primarily in response to fluctuations in water‐table depth, rainfall and rates of evaporation. In contrast, dry playas are characterized by ground water at depth. Consequently, dry playas commonly have hard surfaces that produce little or no dust if undisturbed except for transient silt and clay deposited on surfaces by wind and water. Although not the dominant type of global dust, salt‐rich dusts from wet playas may be important with respect to radiative properties of dust plumes, atmospheric chemistry, windborne nutrients and human health. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of land runoff on rates and agents of bioerosion of coral substrates

Annually large volumes of fresh water laden with sediment are washed down the Daintree River in North Queensland into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. To investigate the effects of land runoff on bioerosion, samples of recently killed colonies of Porites were laid at 6 sites on a cross shelf transect from Snapper Island at the entrance to the river to Osprey Reef, approximately 328 km from the river mouth out in the Coral Sea. Rates and agents of bioerosion were determined over 4 years and inshore sites exhibited significantly lower rates of total bioerosion than the other sites. Offshore sites experienced high rates of bioerosion primarily due to grazing and internal bioerosion by macroborers such as sponges and bivalves was also important at some of these sites. Inshore sites were covered in heavy layers of silt which inhibited colonization and growth of microborers, primarily algae. This resulted in lower levels of grazing than at offshore sites. However the activity of macroborers (primarily sponges and bivalves) was often high at these sites. The macroboring communities differed between sites and over time and it is hypothesised that these site differences were due to different levels of terrestrial runoff. These results are compared with those from French Polynesia where contaminated terrestrial runoff greatly influenced rates and agents of bioerosion. However other factors such as overfishing may also play an important role in some locations.     

Density dependence of forbidden transitions within 3s 23p 53d of the coronal ion Fe IX

The relative populations of metastable levels within the configuration 3s ²3p ⁵3d of the ion Fe ix have been calculated as a function of electron density N _e . The results are used to derive emissivities of the most intense lines originating from these levels. Comparison with observations confirms the proposed identifications. The density dependence of some line ratios may be used to determine N _e .     

Contribution of electron-electron bremsstrahlung to solar hard X-radiation during flares

The bremsstrahlung produced in collisions of energetic electrons with thermal electrons and protons of a hydrogen plasma is calculated. The importance of electron-electron bremsstrahlung to the X-radiation in solar flares is discussed.     

Global Health Studies Based on Local Realities

A major new programme launched by the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Council forInternational Exchange of Scholars will examine the "Challenges of Health in a Borderless World". The Fulbright New Century Scholars (NCS)Program is intended to build on the strengths of the traditional Fulbright ScholarProgram, which sponsors individual researchers to spend some time working in a country other than their own. The new programme aims to extend the idea of individual exchange, to provide a forum for international, interdiscipli-nary collaboration among groups of researchers.In choosing health as the subject for the first such collaboration, the Program recognises the key significance of the topic to developed and developing countries alike, as well as theneed for a coordinated global response to many of the health problems facing the world today.     

Is there an Insect Signal for the "Little Ice Age"?

The downturn in temperature in the late medieval period is likely to have had significant impact upon insect distribution. Despite the amount of study fossil insect faunas have been afforded, there is presently little convincing evidence of climatic, rather than human impact upon faunas during the "Little Ice Age". This probably reflects as much the paucity of suitable sites, as the overarching scale of habitat destruction by Man.