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This article seeks to discuss the associations elaborated by riverine interlocutors between infrastructures and the landscape in which they occur, within the context of climate change in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Here, we debate the relational character of infrastructures, and how they act as important markers of river seasonality, landscape, people's existence, and practices from the perspective of the accessed riverine people. This paper's discussion is supported by qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and field notes from two riverine communities in the Amazonas state: Tumbira and Lago do Catalão. Inspired by authors who dialogue with Social Studies of Science and Technology and discuss infrastructures, their effects, their relational and ontological character, we seek to identify entanglements of landscape and infrastructure, and their implications in the practices and ways of living of riverine Amazonian people. Elements such as gas pipelines, power transmission lines, hydroelectric plants, cargo ships, and highways emerge, affect, and are affected in these entangled landscapes in the eyes of the riverine people. They merge with other entanglements such as the rivers and creeks that perform the riverine landscape and life. Thus, they induce reflections on such relationships and the affectations permeated by fears, wishes, and (dis)trust of their operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, many studies are already available on people's theoretical knowledge about climate change. The results of some of these studies show the existence of serious confusion regarding certain phenomena and basic concepts of great importance, even despite the fact that, in recent years, the problem regarding climate change has become increasingly relevant in different media, and it is also present in school curricula as a fundamental part of Education for Sustainability. Some of these confusions constitute true alternative ideas. This paper first analyses the incidence and strength of five of these ideas in students of Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE) and in various groups of teachers in training. Then, a didactic proposal is made to achieve change in one of those ideas, which involves various concepts and principles of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, three case studies are analyzed in Uruguay at the basin level, to identify the factors that favor the flood phenomenon. Transformations in land use and eventually climate change are considered. Over a 30-year period, land use modifications were evaluated using a Geographic Information System, and the variability of rainfall and river levels was analyzed. The three basins show completely different behavior from their land use change, and show increasing trends in rainfall over the period analyzed. It is evident that land use change is one of the most influential factors in the increase of flooding in urban areas. These transformations are mostly related to the exploitation of soil for the generation of commodities for export and generate modifications in the agrarian territories in Uruguay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast climate change that is felt on the planet, evidenced by the unsustainable scenario of waste generated by the current sources and loss of biodiversity, shows the necessity of changes in the energetic and material sources. Within the scope of these discussions, the Amazon is always seen as a crucial point. In this scenario, this paper proposes a green accord for the Brazilian Amazon. Therefore, it is analyzed the preservation of the Amazon, the contextualization of the necessity of changes on the economy and the Modern Monetary Theory as supportive of this governance of economic transition, placed per suggestions and proposals in that green accord. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The election of Donald Trump brought disarray to the climate change regime. The changes in what was up to then a promoter of the liberal international order (LIO) exacerbated existing tensions while creating new ones. This paper investigates how that challenge impacted the behaviours of Brazil, China and the European Union (EU) by comparatively analysing their dissimilar positions with respect to three indicators before and after Trump's coming into power. These indicators are individual pledges and climate-related policies; approaches to climate finance; and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC). The analysis first shows how the US started eroding the broader LIO and the climate change regime to then delve into the behaviours of the three respective key players concerning climate talks. I sustain that the EU, despite its inner divisions, is already counteracting Washington, whereas China is combining a pro-status quo position based on a rhetorical condemnation of the United States. Brazil, in turn, had a transition towards a climate-sceptic government, shifting from being a cooperative actor to abdicating hosting the COP25. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper interrogates to what extent the gender component of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Support Programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reaffirms the post-political condition of climate change. By analysing the incorporation of gender in the NDC Support Programme and its articulation in Colombia's Low-Carbon Development Strategy, the study exposes the strategic, epistemological, and normative risks of advancing feminist ideas within mainstream institutional frameworks. Thus, this paper shows the opportunities and challenges of dislocating the political and epistemological boundaries of climate change policies by promoting feminist ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a complex and uncertain global problem because it is driven by human behavior, with long-term climate-related risks for natural and human systems. Changes in human behavior, financing flow, policy instruments, and multilevel governance are needed for mitigating and managing major climate risks. Understanding the social dimensions of climate change is, quite literally, a hot topic to be studied. Most of the scientific literature in the field is focused on the 'hard science'. Different methods of theory building are used in applied social sciences. However, the use of the grounded theory approach in sustainability research, specially on 'soft science' in the fi eld of climate change, is scarce. The intent of this paper is to discussion the use of the grounded theory method in an emergent research fi eld that combines governance and climate change. The article presents substantive results of an emerging theoretical framework that explain the governance process of REDD+ in Brazil, an United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) climate fi nance mechanism focused on mitigating forest-related emissions in developing countries. Instead of discussing best procedures and techniques to build grounded theory, which are largely accessed through several peer-reviewed publications, our focus is to provide a practical guide and discuss lessons learned from the fi eld to integrate the 'REDD+ Governance Theoretical Framework'. Thus, scholars and graduate students are encourage to test and validate (or not) the emerging theoretical framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its impact on human health and its capacity to cause damage, disasters are one of the global problems that most concern the international community. However, and in spite of the efforts made by many health systems, the reduction of vulnerabilities and the lack of strategies to avoid or minimize risks have not received enough attention yet. As Cuba is located in an area of permanent danger of disasters, its health sector has accumulated considerable experience in the management of risks and in the assurance of less risky future scenarios, with active participation of the community and a planned and organized process to address the impact of climate change. This paper summarizes some of these experiences and describes the dangers, vulnerabilities, and risks of disasters in Cuba, its Civil Defense System, and planning and organization in the health sector for disaster reduction, as well as the main effects and challenges of climate change in the health system. Lessons learned and good practices support the key role of human resources to reduce vulnerabilities; the greatest challenges are to avoid or minimize risks, to advance research, to train professionals for climate change, and to optimize the organization of health systems and services in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to start from the political ecology and the philosophy of the liberation, to present a critique to the Agreements of Climatic Change in Paris 2015, given the little or null effectiveness of the environmental policies that are proposed. For this purpose, a critical theoretical essay was carried out on the current capitalist model and its conflicts regarding sustainable development. The methodology used is a critical test to the production-technology contradiction that capitalism poses to civilization and humanity. The results indicate that there are conflicts between the environmental policies specified in said signed climate change agreement, based on their effectiveness for humanity and nature, such as an expanded reproduction of capital vs. life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the emergence of the environmental agenda in the global arena, Brazil has maintained an active position in the debates around this topic. Although Brazil has always been a protagonist, its foreign policy has shown some changes in relation to addressing climate change in recent years. Likewise, the modalities under which this issue has been framed as a problem since 1992 are fundamentally important to interpreting the Brazilian position in international negotiations and the changes in them over the years. The objective of the following article is to understand the discursive framework on which the foreign policy of climate change in Brazil was structured from a constructivist standpoint on International Relations. Using this approach, this article studies both the international influences and the internal conditions of Brazilian climate policy in the negotiations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The main sources of this research are semi-structured interviews with state and non-state actors in Brazil, complemented with a review of secondary sources such as official documents and academic papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colombia presents a revealing and much needed case study which helps us to understand the formulation of foreign policy on climate change in rising developing countries. This paper analyzes the main factors which shape Colombia's position, and provides useful insights into the evolution of the country's international stance on climate change and the role in it of the bargaining among government agencies and interest groups. It concludes that Colombia's policy has been governed by its institutional structure, ecological vulnerability, emission abatement costs, wish to enhance its global prestige and seek benefits from international cooperation, strategic aims at the United Nations climate negotiations, and the limited influence of domestic pressure groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean acidification is a growing problem that affects global environment. Its effects are detectable now, putting the most extensive water resource on the planet at risk and influencing the climate changes that can be documented across the globe. This paper analyzes the protection of the sea as a measure to ensure a healthy environment for future generations, guaranteeing a better way of life for them. We present the different principles governing bioethics, and we establish their relationship with the processes of sustainable development and the increase of acidification in the ocean, which affects a large number of communities of scarce resources in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union's (EU) decision to include aviation into the Emissions Trade Scheme was heatedly contested. Countries around the world, but mainly the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group (BRICS) and the US, denounced the EU's initiate as illegal and unilateral. Following a decade of frustrated negotiations at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), this paper interrogates why such measure, in principle climate-friendly, inspired so much global resentment. I argue that concerns with competitiveness and risks of legal inconsistency are important, but insufficient elements to explain the core of the conflict. The paper suggests that the EU was strongly criticized because third countries perceived this action as an imposed solution, which fostered an environment of distrust. Therefore, I claim that the problem has more to do with a normative divide than with a substantive divergence on what should be done regarding aviation emissions. My analysis is informed by the present literature on the links between trade and climate change, but gives particular weight to first-hand information through interviews with key stakeholders. The paper is divided in three parts. First, it presents the scope of the EU directive in historical perspective. Second, it explores the EU's measure through three different angles: legal, economical and political. The final part explores some possible solutions to overcome these divergences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the linkages between human rights and the MDGs, international cooperation regarding climate change, and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The paper uses criteria of the right to development to analyze CDM. CDM provides a clear example of an international partnership between the global South and the industrialized North to achieve the twin objectives of promoting sustainable development and mitigating climate change. The CDM is thus directly relevant to MDG 8 regarding global partnerships and technology transfer, as well as to the other MDGs directly affected by climate change. In addition, a focus on the CDM also raises issues concerning investments and resource flows, technology transfer, environmental integrity, and the meaning and operationalization of a rights-based approach to development, all of which are central to effective and equitable climate change mitigation and to the attainment of the MDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, one of the main global risks humankind is currently facing, became a relevant issue on the international agenda in the last few decades. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), adopted in 1992, includes both mitigation and adaptation strategies; however, though both are considered equally important, adaptation has been historically relegated to a secondary role within the Convention. The paper first presents an overview of the trajectory of adaptation as a UNFCCC guideline, discusses its institutional evolution and the Convention’s financing mechanisms, and, finally, explores the relations between adaptation and development. The conclusions point to the insufficiency of the Convention with respect to the implementation of measures for adaptation to climate change, but highlight its relevant role as a scenario for debate, as a source of funding, and as a promoter of both national and subnational actions, especially in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I mainly analyzed the inclusion of environmental budget in climate change models. Considering Kemfert, Lise and Tol (2004)'s approach to show a formal model that puts together economic and climate issues, I analyzed the inclusion of environmental public spending and energy. I tried to show that countries' economic and physical structures establish different public spending, with different environmental impacts and consequences to another nations and that has strong influence on economic models. In relation to public spending, I considered, specifically, the Brazilian federal budget to Environmental Management from 2000 to 2006. In this article, I argue in defense of considering budget for environmental management in the discussion on climate change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]