• Energy Research
• 11. Sustainability close
• 2. Zero hunger close
• ES close
• US close
• Spanish close

In this issue we address the practice of rainwater harvesting in different settings, presenting experiences from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Paraguay. Some of the papers were originally presented at the IX International Meeting of the WATERLAT-GOBACIT Network“Water, Rights, and Utopias: priorities in the process of democratization of water politics“, João Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil, 3-7 September 2018. Article 1 was authored by David Sauri, from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, co-editor of this issue. The article provides an overall introduction to the topic of rainwater harvesting. Article 2, by Martin Sanzana Calvet, Institute of Strategic Studies for Human Development (INEDH), Concepción, Bio-Bio, Chile, addresses the practice of fog catching in arid and semi arid regions of Chile. In Article 3, Daniel Tagle-Zamora, University of Guanajuato, Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, presents findings from research on the implementation of public policies oriented at the provision of rainwater catchment technologies, mostly for domestic use ,in several municipalities of the semi arid State of Guanajuato, Mexico. Article 4 was co-authored by Roberto de Sousa Miranda, Federal University of the interior of Pernambuco and Federal University of Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil, and Laiany Tassila Ferreira, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil.The article discusses the implementation of a national plan to provide rainwater cisterns in the semi arid region of North eastern Brazil, with emphasis on the experience of the State of Paraiba. Finally, Article 5, by Ana Maria Attias Sole and Ricardo Lombardo Lopez, from the North-eastern National University, Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina, provides an overview of the historic legacy of water practices and technologies inherited fromthe“syncretism”between indigenous communities (Tupi-Guarani), and the Jesuit territorial expansion that took place between the early seventeenth and the mid eighteenth centuries in a large region of South America encompassing parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The article focuses mainly on examples from Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, and provides insights into the significance of historical-cultural research in the production of knowledge about rainwater technologies and the associated culture and practices, which also contributes to our network’s Thematic Area 7, Water-related Art, Communication, Culture, and Education.

El siglo XXI es el siglo de la sostenibilidad ambiental y de la lucha contra el cambio climático. El cambio climático va a condicionar políticas públicas y acciones privadas en todo el mundo para alcanzar el objetivo de reducción de emisiones establecidos en los acuerdos internacionales (Kyoto, París). El objetivo de este trabajo es llevar a cabo una revisión de los efectos ya constatados del cambio climático en la región mediterránea, así como las medidas de adaptación y mitigación a corto-medio plazo para hacer frente al calentamiento global, como son la adaptación de los espacios urbanos (escala local), y la mejora de la enseñanza sobre este fenómeno. Según la Agenda 2030, y concretamente los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible, el nº13 (“Acción por el clima”), establece dos acciones principales que los países deben culminar en 2030: la aprobación de leyes y planes de mitigación y adaptación, y la puesta en marcha de programas educativos. Finisterra, Vol. 58 N.º 122 (AOP) (2023)

Climate and market shocks impact on the livelihood strategies of families in Altiplano communities. A household survey of 360 families in the Altiplano sheds light how families participate in markets, cope with climate and market shocks, and their feelings of control over these events. Theory proposes that the higher levels of capitals and climate resilient activities will result in a greater sense of control and therefore lower sense of dread. Cluster analysis identified three groups by wealth and life cycle characteristics in each region, as well as clear differences in income, assets, and market production activities between and within regions. Coping strategies in region facing warming and drying trends has focused on loss of assets, such as sales of animals. While in both regions there is diversity of income sources, the major source of diversity in Ancoraimes is crop varieties. While in both regions climatic shocks have had a negative impact on production, this has been experienced in Ancoraimes by 99 to 100 percent of the families, which has implications in terms of coping mechanism that rely on community networks. The other region has also experienced high rates of production shocks, from 71 to 92 percent of household members in each group. Strategies to diversify to climate resilient activities have resulted in increased off farm activities, mostly migration, in the lower income, lower asset region, while the greater assets in livestock, which face a more stable market and ability to withstand climate shocks presents a bifurcated response. Comparison between groups identified in the clusters for each region found no significant differences between groups on climate shock and climate change perceptions, in both regions. The rating on the risk of climate shock hazards at the household level was above 4 in a scale of 1-5 where 4 meant a very high threat and 5 an extreme threat. Umala households ratings were higher for the shocks than for change in climate with an average of 3.79 for the latter, while in Ancoraimes most of the risks were rated from 3.70 to 3.92, with the exception of climate change that was around 4. Overall though, in both regions climate hazard perceptions are high. Market risks are also considered a threat but rated lower than climate. Dread of losing outside networks of support was ranked high by elderly men and women, as well as the change in climate, in Umala, with no differences in Ancoraimes, but higher rates of dread overall do to the significance of this income in their livelihood strategies. Finding to date are consistent with theory, in that the dread, a reflection of the coping or lack of coping mechanisms, is higher in terms of markets for livestock in Umala, and higher in terms of loss of remittances from family members in Ancoraimes. The study finds that coping mechanism are based on individual household strategies, rather than community or institutions. LTRA-4 (Practices and Strategies for Vulnerable Agro-Ecosystems)

Spanish abstract: Unas notas sobre el final del libro 'El lugar del hombre en el cosmos' de Fred Spier, sobre la sostenibilidad de la actual comunicación globalizada. La Gran Historia sitúa al ser humano en el contexto de la evolución cósmica y de la ecología de los recursos. Vivimos hoy en la Era de los Combustibles Fósiles. Con esta energía, la globalización se acelera. Las estructuras económicas, y por ende las políticas, cabalgan a lomos de combustibles fósiles, y sobre esta economía descansa la red de comunicaciones global que tiende a creer que está autosustentada y a ignorar esta dependencia. __________________________________________________________________________________ English abstract: "Globalization and Sustainability" — Some notes on the end of Fred Spier's 'Big HIstory and the Future of Humanity', with regard to the sustainability of present-day globalized communications. Big History contextualizes humanity within the context of cosmic evolution and the ecology of resources. Today we live in the Age of Fossil Fuels—which fuel accelerated globalization. Economic structures, and political ones likewise, ride on the availability of fossil fuels, and so does the present-day network of global communications, which tends to forget this dependency and rests on an illusion of self-sustainability.

In this article, it was reviewed as the postpartum negative energy balance (NEB) affects the health and the reproductive efficiency of water buffaloes. The increase in the world buffalo population has been accompanied by an improvement in the milk yield per lactation and this could be causing negative consequences for health and reproductive efficiency, although there are still few studies about this relationship. Higher milk yield without the corresponding increase in the dry matter and energy intake can intensify the NEB, increasing weight and body condition loss, and this implies a decrease in glucose, insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and the increases of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). This scenario may imply a greater susceptibility to diseases such as placental retention, endometritis, metritis and mastitis, as well as a longer period of anestrus, lower fertility and the lengthening of the interval to conception. To solve this situation, it is necessary to guarantee a good body condition at calving, and a high dry matter intake that allows reducing weight loss and body condition and different management, feeding and genetic alternatives are proposed.

Olive cultivation is an activity that has been present in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula since ancient times. The way in which agricultural activities take place in the olive farms is a reflects the relationship between society and nature. However, these relationships are complex and there is no single form of connection between society and nature, but rather a dependence on both the natural and socio-economic context in which they develop. The society-nature relationship is influenced, on the one hand, by the social and economic framework in which it operates and, on the other hand, by physical and biological processes that determine how the transformations of natural resources are carried out. Understanding these interactions has required the development of a conceptual framework based on the ontological foundation of critical realism. This has allowed the integration, from the point of view of the complexity and transdisciplinarity, of different theoretical approaches that are related to the ecological economics. The aim of this investigation was the analysis of interactions between energy, material and economic processes in the agricultural system of the olive grove that, on the one hand, are conditioned by the natural characteristics of the territory and, on the other hand, driven by the social institutions involved in its development. The hypothesis assumes that currently an incipient change of energy consumption pattern exits, and consists in reducing the intensity of energy and material consumption in the society-nature relationship. The design of a consistent methodological approach that combines methodologies in a pluralistic framework through a relational link has allowed the integration of positivist and hermeneutic analysis tools for the representation of reality in its various dimensions. The results have confirmed the existence of an emerging trend, although minor and limited to certain processes of modernization, by which increased consumption of fossil energy is stopped and replaced by the use of renewable energy, while increases in production are achieved.

[ES] La aplicación de baterías acopladas a sistemas de conversión de energía renovable en las ciudades ayudará en gran medida a superar algunos de los retos tecnológicos para la electrificación de la red y el transporte, como la difícil accesibilidad a puntos de carga, y de coste, mejorando sus capacidades técnicas y haciendo que el sistema energético a nivel global sea más sostenible. Además, su aplicación tendrá un efecto inmediato en la salud de los ciudadanos debido a la disminución de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero a la atmósfera, así como otros contaminantes. A continuación, presentamos una revisión de los esfuerzos recientes para desarrollar nuevas tecnologías avanzados para las futuras baterías sostenibles. También destacaremos las estrategias actuales de reciclado de baterías que se aplican hacia un futuro con cero emisiones de carbono y basado en el concepto de economía circular. [EN] The application of batteries coupled to renewable energy conversion systems in cities will greatly help to overcome some of the technological challenges for grid electrification and transport, such as difficult accessibility to charging points, and cost, by improving their technical capabilities and making the energy system globally more sustainable. Furthermore, its implementation will have an immediate effect on citizens’ health due to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, as well as other pollutants. Below is a review of recent efforts to develop new advanced technologies for future sustainable batteries. We will also highlight current battery recycling strategies that are being implemented towards a zero-carbon future based on the concept of the circular economy. Peer reviewed 4 figuras

The purpose of this report, firstly, is to deepen our understanding of the European food manufacturing firms, identifying what their main characteristics are in terms of size, profitability, sales volume, geographical distribution and their evolution in the last ten years. Secondly, this report aims to assess the environmental sustainability of European food manufacturing firms, and thirdly, to understand the scope of their international operations. Industries in the food manufacturing subsector transform livestock and agricultural products into products for intermediate or final consumption. The industry groups are distinguished by the raw materials (generally of animal or vegetable origin) processed into food products. The food products manufactured in these establishments are typically sold to wholesalers or retailers for distribution to consumers. As classified under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS 311), the Food Manufacturing sector, consists of nine subsectors. This publication has been funded by the project ECO2016-75909-P, PID2019-106725GB-I00, PID2019-107767GA-I00 to MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER/Junta de Andalucía-Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento/ Proyecto A-SEJ-291-UGR18.

The amount of energy and food consumed in Puerto Rico is more indicative of a developed nation than one than is underdeveloped. All the energy consumed in Puerto Rico is from fossil fuels, while the agricultural sector marginally provides the needs of the consumer. In addition, the animal production sectors rely exclusively on imported feedstock for the preparation of feeds. There is a potential to develop an ethanol industry based initially on sugarcane, as the main feedstock and then turn to biomass from energy cane and or organic solid waste in the future. In order to move to the second generation of ethanol production, the cellulosic ethanol industry has to become economically viable. A limiting factor in the use of sugarcane is that only 40,000 ha are currently available to grow this crop. Potentially, Puerto Rico can produce 200 million liters of ethanol on this area which could substitute 5% of the gasoline that was consumed in 2007. On the other hand, biomass could be obtained from bagasse, energy cane, and from 1.3 metric tons of organic solid waste (food and yard waste) produced annually on the island. This strategy can provide a relief to decreasing the amounts of organic solid waste that end up in the landfills.