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Abstract A user-friendly system designed to understand local littoral processes and design/evaluate coastal interventions, named the Coastal Modeling System (SMC ε) is presented. The system, which comprises a set of numerical models, state-of-the-art methodologies and numerical databases, is prepared to provide a method for coastal practitioners, researchers and decision-makers to address coastal issues, such as erosion and flooding or to evaluate coastal defense structures. The system incorporates a method to transfer numerically generated, calibrated and validated wave series to the surf zone; to estimate the sediment littoral drift by means of up-to-date formulations; and to estimate the flooding level and impacts such as those produced by climate change. In this paper, these skills are detailed. The system, which is adaptable to any coastal region, was implemented for the Brazilian coast (SMC-Brasil). The implementation includes databases and methodological adaptations to local characteristics, a dissemination plan and the development of several study cases. Highlights • SMCε is modeling software to deal with all stages of Coastal Engineering Projects. • Database includes 60-year time series of waves, storm surge and astronomical tide. • Methodology/models to study dynamics/impacts at all scales including climate change. • Erosion/flooding assessment due to interventions/natural causes even climate change. • SMCε is free and adaptable to any country. Adaption to Brazilian coast is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Energy-Water-Food Nexus is one of the most complex sustainability challenges faced by the world. This is particularly true in Brazil, where insufficiently understood interactions within the Nexus are contributing to large-scale deforestation and land-use change, water and energy scarcity, and increased vulnerability to climate change. The reason is a combination of global environmental change and global economic change, putting unprecedented pressures on the Brazilian environment and ecosystems. In this paper, we identify and discuss the main Nexus challenges faced by Brazil across sectors (e.g. energy, agriculture, water) and scales (e.g. federal, state, municipal). We use four case studies to explore all nodes of the Nexus. For each, we analyse data from economic and biophysical modelling sources in combination with an overview of the legislative and policy landscape, in order to identify governance shortcomings in the context of growing challenges. We analyse the complex interdependence of developments at the global and local (Brazilian) levels, highlighting the impact of global environmental and economic change on Brazil and, conversely, that of developments in Brazil for other countries and the world. We conclude that there is a need to adjust the scientific approach to these challenges as an enabling condition for stronger science-policy bridges for sustainability policy-making. Highlights • Overview of the Energy-Water-Food Nexus in Brazil for science, law and policy. • Review of the complex linkages in the Nexus for water, energy and food security. • Review of the law addressing the Nexus and its coordination deficiencies. • Recommendations for strengthening the Nexus science-policy bridge in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The paper aims to discuss the adaptation of a brazilian social housing project to the Passive House standard, by defining the thermal envelope construction fabric for different climates of southern Brazil, from a base line according to the Brazilian performance standard. The study was developed in 4 steps, where a numerical model was set up and runned in a transient regime, using EnergyPlus® software. In the first step, the thermal and energy performance of the reference base model was assessed. In the second step, a sensitivity analysis was performed, varying the thermal envelope parameters of the building case study, in order to satisfy the minimum performance of the classification level A, according to the Brazilian Energy Efficiency Regulation (RTQ-R). In a third step, the external envelope of the building was optimised, through a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm. In a last step, the numerical model defined according to the Passive House standard was optimised, in order to obtain optimal solutions. Thermal and energy performance and economic viability of the solutions were analysed. Solutions attending to RTQ-R presented additional investment between 26% and 27% and solutions attending to Passive House standard presented additional costs of 39% and 42% for the three bioclimatic zones. Highlights • An optimisation methodology for Passive House design is presented. • An evolutionary multi-objective algorithm is used for thermal building simulation. • Different bioclimatic zones in Brazil are investigated. • Energy performance and thermal comfort of the buildings are significantly improved. • The Passive social interest housing is economically viable for bioclimatic zone 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montane climates are shaped by high spatial variability that depends on net radiation and synoptic weather, and much on elevation and topographic features of terrain. We measured near‐ground meteorological variables using a weather station network during 14 months, in a valley‐shaped basin in southeast Brazil, to address the spatiotemporal climate variability at the meso‐γ atmospheric scale. The terrestrial climatic gradients were evident in the cross‐valley direction of the basin, where the valley tended to warm/wet up at day and cool/dry down at night relatively from the slopes. The temperature at noon showed high variability and decreased at a mean gradients of about −0.7 °C (100 m)−1. The nocturnal air temperature increased with height up to a maximum at about 200 m (the thermal belt), and showed seasonal rates higher/less in dry/wet season of +1.1/+0.2 °C (100 m)−1 over the full altitude. The vapour pressure decreased from the valley bottom upwards, in general below −0.5 hPa (100 m)−1, whereas the wind speed increased at a rate of 0.9 m s−1 (100 m)−1. We noted significant differential warming along the valley and mountain sides. The middle valley was circumstantially colder at night and warmer at daytime, relatively to the upper catchment, under mean magnitudes below 1.0 °C. The west slope at upper catchment was slightly warmer at night, and colder in the afternoon, at magnitudes below 0.5 °C, highlighting the control of hills' aspect at daytime, and the sheltering to flow aloft in east side. The cross‐valley gradients appeared to be well associated with local circulation, where downslope wind and positive temperature gradients, as well as upslope wind and negative temperature gradients strictly coexisted during the morning. The terrestrial gradients and the thermal circulation were in general dampened by cloudiness and mechanical mixing. This paper presents the spatiotemporal variability of near‐surface temperature, specific humidity and wind across the landscape of a mesoscale basin in southeast Brazil. We show the daily and seasonal variation of climatic gradient across the catchment and the characteristics of the thermally driven wind circulation and highlighted the influence of the topography and synoptic weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We combined occupational accidents data and climatic variables into a new database. • We verified a positive association between heat stress and occupational accidents. • There is an association between high levels heat stress and death of the worker. • Workers of color are associated to higher levels of heat stress. • Unprecedented results and database on Brazilian research. Work accidents result in consequences to the employment of the population and increasing public spendings. Caused by workplace and work activity characteristics, occupational accidents may also derive from ergonomics and comfort issues. Heat stress is a discomfort factor that affects workers when exposed to temperatures above the body limits, resulting in exhaustion, dizziness, reduced cognitive performance and, eventually, injuries and accidents. Under the current climate change scenario characterized by increase of temperature projections all around the world, the heat stress issue becomes even more significant. However, in Brazil, this topic is yet little explored, especially regarding the investigation of historical data on occupational accidents considering the climatic variables. This paper aims at filling a part of this gap by presenting a new database that unifies a work accident database - recording from 2006 to 2019 - with meteorological data of the place and time of the accident. We investigate the relationship between these two datasets through the application of Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) in the R Software. Our results show some association between accident variables and heat stress variables. We identify some of the more critical workers' characteristics in this context and the most exposed regions of Brazil. Our database allows the continuity and expansion of this type of research in Brazil, and the MCA results point to a positive association between the occurrence of accidents with climatic variables. It may pave a new path for research that can detail and deepen the discussion on the behavior of these variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical deforestation in Brazil is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Brazil has taken several steps to reduce emissions associated with deforestation including the development of policies to promote and reward cattle ranching intensification. Intensification practices are hypothesized to reduce the conversion of tropical forests while simultaneously increasing the productivity of ranching on current pasture lands. This paper assesses the impact of intensification on the demand for productive land. A theoretical model of land use, which considers the degree of intensification in the estimation of the derived demand for pasture, is tested with data from small-scale landowners who operate dairy farms and calving operations in the greater Ouro Preto do Oeste region of Rondônia. Results suggest different trajectories for beef and dairy production. The intensification of cattle production exhibits a nonlinear relationship with the demand for productive land: first as farms become more intensive the demand for newly cleared land increases, but then decreases with further intensification. The results are different for dairy intensification, which is found to be correlated with reduced deforestation. Findings suggest that the reliance on policies that promote intensification can be a risky way of achieving climate change objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to reconstruct an 11,000-year history of depositional environmental change in southeastern Brazil, based upon the integration of particulate organic matter and stable isotope (C and N) data from a 136-cm sediment core from Lake Canto Grande. These proxies are used to explore the evolution of terrestrial and marine influence on the lake. Isotopic (δ 13 C: −27.87‰ to −31.9‰; δ 15 N: −0.07‰–4.9‰) and elemental (total organic carbon - TOC: 0.58%–37.19%; total nitrogen - TN: 0.08%–1.73%; C/N: 0.3 to 54.7) values recorded in Lake Canto Grande suggest that the sedimentary organic matter was derived from mostly C 3 land plants and freshwater phytoplankton. Particulate organic matter and cluster analyses distinguished four associations characterized by the predominance of amorphous organic matter, followed by phytoclasts and palynomorphs. These results indicate two different phases of lake evolution. The first phase (136 - 65 cm; ∼10,943 cal yr. B.P. to ∼8529 cal yr. B.P.) is recorded by sand layers interbedded with mud, which contain amorphous organic matter (AOM, 45–59%) and phytoclasts (opaques - OP: 6–18%; non-opaques – NOP: 17–23%) which indicate a floodplain area. The second phase (65–0 cm; ∼8529 cal yr. B.P. to ∼662 cal yr. B.P.) comprises mud, AOM (68–86%) and palynomorphs (PAL, 8–16%) related to lake establishment comparable to modern conditions. Thus, characterizing particulate organic matter, in combination with stable isotopes, proved to be invaluable proxies for lacustrine paleoenvironmental change through the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

City governments worldwide are increasingly introducing adaptation actions and climate responses in their policies and agendas, but the speed and success of these initiatives vary widely. Understanding these interventions, barriers and opportunities for urban adaptation remains a challenge for scholars and policy-makers. In this paper, we assess climate adaptation policy in the megacity of São Paulo, Brazil, paying special attention to missed opportunities and potential synergies. We focus on climate policies and urban interventions in São Paulo, specifically on the analysis of documents related to the Municipal Climate Change Policy (launched in 2009) and New Master Plan (concluded in 2014). We describe local responses to climate change already implemented in the city and explore some of the factors that affect its adaptation. We argue that although the megacity has recently implemented innovative urban policies and a set of municipal actions that aim to overcome many of the city's challenges, São Paulo is missing an opportunity to mainstream climate change to improve its adaptive capacity. In exploring some of the local initiatives implemented in recent years, we seek to understand responses to climate change that emerge in Brazilian cities, particularly considering that cities learn from each other to adapt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social housing sector is very important in Brazil, due to the necessity of expansion and investments being placed through a substantial government program. Residential buildings are expected to last at least 50 years according to Brazilian standards. Many residential projects in the sector already perform medium or poorly in terms of energy efficiency and thermal comfort today, and their designs are not analysed considering climate change. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate the result of analysing the thermal and energy performance of social housing projects considering climate change, and to assess the impact on the operational phase of introducing energy efficiency measures in the sector, and exploring methods of adaptation to climate change. A representative project of the lower income sector housing was used as case study with the evaluation of measures through thermal and energy simulation with current and future weather files for the cities of São Paulo and Salvador. Results were compared using predicted energy consumption and cooling and heating degree-hours as indicators. The results highlighted some differences related to the climate scenarios and indicator analysed, and showed that the incorporation of energy efficiency measures in current social housing projects is of fundamental importance to minimize the effects of climate change in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obraczka, M.; Beyeler, M.; Magrini, A., and Legey, L.F., 2017. Analysis of coastal environmental management practices in subregions of California and Brazil. Globally, human and natural systems in urban coasts face multiple threats, most importantly from climate change. Increasingly, subnational state and local governments are being forced to include climate change impacts into coastal planning and management. Urban coastal managers are looking to more transparent and integrated coastal and environmental management regimes to better address the multiple stressors and uses, as well as to integrate public and stakeholder participation, and maximize a broad range of community economic and environmental and ecosystem benefits. This research presents a case study of coastal and environment management systems in two important coastal regions: an urbanized area of the central coast of California, United States; and the rapidly urbanizing and developing coastal lowlands of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Similarities and differences in coastal environmental governance, management, and outcomes were identified and analyzed. The contrasting federalist governance structures are compared, and the coastal management and environment assessment systems in the case study locations are analyzed. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on subnational coastal environmental management systems through the review of previous relevant studies; the examination of historical primary and secondary source official reports; and the collection, analysis, and discussion of important qualitative and quantitative interviews and survey data. The study concludes that transparency and accessibility to the decision-making process are essential to the success of coastal environmental management in both locations, with benefits arising from the presence of public participation and trust. The successful integration of broad stakeholders and public awareness in California provides an example that could possibly be replicable in Rio de Janeiro to increase stakeholder participation in the decision-making processes. The paper concludes with recommendations for further studies of governance and management alternatives, and for extending and strengthening state and local capabilities of coastal environmental processes within integrated coastal environmental management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an adapted methodology to evaluate coastal erosion vulnerability, which provides a basis for decision-making concerning risk management strategies, is described. The vulnerability evaluation was based on weighted indicators and assessed the vulnerability under different climate change scenarios. To generate the vulnerability index, dynamic processes, geo-indicators, and social and morphological parameters associated with modeled scenarios of sea level rise and predicted wave height changes were integrated. The study area included the sandy beaches in Pernambuco, NE Brazil, and was used to describe the practical application of this approach. Because the occupation of large sectors of the coastline was low, the vulnerability was concentrated in urbanized areas. The high-vulnerability sections of the coast were those with high population densities, high-rise buildings, induced coastal squeeze and hard engineering structures. The low-vulnerability beaches generally had low urbanization rates and well-conserved, resilient coastlines. Under future scenarios, the vulnerability of this coastal region will increase with sea level rise and wave height changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lateral and vertical distribution of sedimentary facies and ichnofacies in lacustrine systems records sensitive climatic variations and rates of subsidence. The Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous lacustrine system of the Pastos Bons Formation in the Parnaíba Basin, northeastern Brazil, is an excellent opportunity to evaluate the depositional history of the post-CAMP thermal subsidence. This subsidence event succeeded the voluminous emplacement of mafic magma linked to the Central Atlantic magmatic province (CAMP), ∼201 Ma, forming a large subsiding area in West Gondwana. In this sense, this paper developed outcrop-based facies and ichnofacies analysis, allowing the interpretation of two depositional phases and four facies associations (FAs): 1) The lower depositional phase comprises lacustrine deposits showing an aggradational stacking pattern. FA1 - central lake records fibrous gypsum interbedded with fossiliferous shale beds, forming shallowing-upward cycles. 2) The upper depositional phase reveals a fluvio-lacustrine succession, forming a progradational stacking pattern. Central lake (FA1) comprises laminated mudstone and sandstone beds hosting a suite representative of Mermia ichnofacies, forming coarsening-upward cycles. Lakeshore (FA2) comprising mudstone beds, limestone lenses, and sandstone beds hosting a suite representative of Scoyenia ichnofacies, forming shallowing-upward cycles; and conglomerate lenses overlaid by sandstone beds hosting a suite representative of Skolithos ichnofacies, forming fining-upward cycles. A braided fluvial system (FA3) comprises conglomerate and sandstone beds, forming fining-upward cycles. Delta front (FA4) comprises mudstone lenses and sandstone beds hosting a suite representative of Skolithos ichnofacies, organized in coarsening-upward cycles. The fluvial discharge and wave activity oxygenated the water lake in the progradational phase, creating chemical and biological conditions that allowed the establishment of the epifaunal and infaunal benthic communities, represented by the well-preserved ichnological record. The decrease of the post-CAMP thermal subsidence rates (accommodation potential) related with the increase of the wet periods to the top of the succession (sedimentary supply) indicate a depositional evolution from underfilled to overfilled lake basin, during Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous, in West Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we use palynology and geochemical proxies to reconstruct late Quaternary vegetation changes within the hydrographic basin of Parnaíba, Northeast Brazil, over the last 130 kyrs. Findings are based on the analysis of a marine sediment core (GL-1248) retrieved from the western equatorial Atlantic (0°55.2′S, 43°24.1′W), close to the coast. Geochemical proxies (Fe/K ratio and Ɛ Nd) indicative of soil erosion match changes in reconstructed vegetation, suggesting a dynamic pattern of hydrological disturbances and ecosystem evolution. Given that reconstructed vegetation does not present the same response to precipitation anomalies on the millennial scale, we sought the main drivers of vegetation changes in the Parnaíba watershed. Results indicate that vegetation succession was primarily influenced by austral insolation from March to May, which triggered changes in the pioneer vegetation types. Our study improves the knowledge of tropical vegetation dynamics in an orbital framework, suggesting 23-kyr precessional cycles as the main driver of landscape evolution in Northeast (NE) Brazil. We also infer that such past climate change events may have been a key causal factor of the high biodiversity of the Neotropics, mediated through the biological exchange of the Amazon and Atlantic rainforest species via ecological forest corridors in the semi-arid Northeast Brazil. • We discuss vegetation change and how it reflects hydrological changes within the Parnaíba Basin, northeastern (NE) Brazil, over the past 130 kyrs • Geochemical proxies (Fe/K ratio and ƐNd) in core GL-1248 are synchronous with reconstructed vegetation patterns, highlighting periods of enhanced or reduced local soil erosion during hydrological disturbances • We define three major vegetation groups (tropical dry forest, lowland rainforest, and wetland), and the discrepancy in water requirements between tropical dry forests and lowland rainforests is discussed • Analysis of the hydroclimatic mechanisms in NE Brazil that triggered the succession of vegetation during glacial phases is discussed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the role of the BASIC countries — Brazil, South Africa, India, and China — in UN climate change negotiations. The paper explores the formation and evolution of the group, and focuses on how the four major developing countries of China, India, Brazil, and South Africa have coordinated their positions and acted jointly to achieve an agreed outcome with other players in the recent UN Climate Change Conferences in Copenhagen and Cancun, based on an analysis of their country profiles and negotiation positions on a wide range of climate issues. The paper argues that the emergence of the BASIC Group is a reflection of the ongoing power shift from EU–US agreement to BASIC–US compromise in UN climate negotiations since the early 1990s. The rise of BASIC also has its roots in recent global market dynamics and further reflects the power transformation in the economic dimension of the international system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the legal and ecological problems facing the Guarani Aquifer System. Because the majority of the Guarani Aquifer System underlies Brazil, the Brazilian legal regime forms the paper's principal focus. The importance of the region makes the need for accurate information crucial. Yet relying on such information to manage a complex resource presents risks. Too often, the role of uncertainty in regulating is underplayed. Increasing knowledge over the resource demands categorizing 'hard' and 'soft' uncertainties, especially those presented by climate change. In addition, regulators must acknowledge the unitary nature of the aquifer while remaining sensitive to differing national priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terrestrial biosphere is an important global carbon (C) sink, with the potential to drive large positive climate feedbacks. Thus a better understanding of interactions between land use change, climate change and the terrestrial biosphere is crucial in planning future land management options. Climate change has the potential to alter terrestrial C storage since changes in temperature, precipitation and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations could affect net primary production (NPP), C inputs to soil, and soil C decomposition rates. Climate change could also act as a driver for land use change, thus further altering terrestrial C fluxes. The net balance of these different effects varies considerably between regions and hence the case studies presented in this paper (the GEFSOC project countries Kenya, Jordan, Brazil, and India) provide a unique opportunity to study climate impacts on terrestrial C storage. This paper first presents predicted changes in climate for the four case study countries from a coupled climate-C cycle Global Circulation Model (HadCM3LC), followed by predicted changes in vegetation type, NPP and soil C storage. These very coarse assessments provide an initial estimate of large-scale effects. A more detailed study of climate impacts on soil C storage in the Brazilian Amazon is provided as an example application of the GEFSOC system. Interestingly in the four cases studied here precipitation seems to control the sign of the soil C changes under climate change with wetter conditions resulting in higher soil C stocks and drier conditions in lower soil C stocks, presumably because increased NPP in wetter conditions here will override any increase in respiration. In contrast, globally, it seems to be temperature that controls changes in C stocks under climate change. Even if there is a slight increase in precipitation globally, a decrease in C stocks is predicted—in other words, the regional response to precipitation differs from the global response. The reason for this may be that whilst temperature increases under climate change were predicted everywhere, the nature of precipitation changes varies greatly between regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper measures the influence of climate normals (average long-term surface wetness and temperature) and interannual climate variance on farms in the United States and Brazil using satellite data. The paper finds that just climate normals or just climate variance variables can explain both net revenues and how much land is used for cropland. However, because they are correlated with each other, it is important to include both normals and variance in the same statistical model to get accurate measures of their individual contribution to farm outcomes. In general, higher climate variance increases the probability that land is used for cropland in both countries and higher temperatures reduce both cropland and land values. Other annual effects were not consistent across the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper updates the SCVI (Socio-Climatic Vulnerability Index) maps developed by Torres et al. () for Brazil, by using the new Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) projections and more recent 2010 social indicators data. The updated maps differ significantly from their earlier versions in two main ways. First, they show that heavily populated metropolitan areas - namely Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Salvador, Manaus, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo - and a large swath of land across the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Bahia now have the highest SCVI values, that is, their populations are the most vulnerable to climate change in the country. Second, SCVI values for Northeast Brazil are considerably lower compared to the previous index version. An analysis of the causes of such difference reveals that changes in climate projections between CMIP3 and CMIP5 are responsible for most of the change between the different SCVI values and spatial distribution, while changes in social indicators have less influence, despite recent countrywide improvements in social indicators as a result of aggressive anti-poverty programs. These results raise the hypothesis that social reform alone may not be enough to decrease people's vulnerability to future climatic changes. Whereas the coarse spatial resolution and relatively simplistic formulation of the SCVI may limit how useful these maps are at informing decision-making at the local level, they can provide a valuable input for large-scale policies on climate change adaptation such as those of the Brazilian National Policy on Climate Change Adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil is one of the first major developing countries to commit to a national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target that requires a reduction of between 36.1% and 38.9% relative to baseline emissions by 2020. The country intends to submit agricultural emissions reductions as part of this target, with livestock production identified as offering significant abatement potential. Focusing on the Cerrado core (central Brazilian savannah), this paper investigates the cost-effectiveness of this potential, which involves some consideration of both the private and social costs and benefits (e.g. including avoided deforestation) arising from specific mitigation measures that may form part of Brazil's definition of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Measures (NAMAs). The analysis used an optimisation model to define abatement costs. A baseline projection suggests that beef production in the region will emit 2.6 Gt CO 2 e (CO 2 equivalent) from 2010 to 2030, corresponding to 9% of national emissions (including energy, transport, waste, livestock and agriculture). By implementing negative-cost measures identified in a marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) by 2030, the 2.6 Gt CO 2 e could be reduced by around 24%. Pasture restoration, involving avoided deforestation, offers the largest contribution to these results. As the Brazilian Cerrado is seen as a model for transforming other global savannahs, the results offer a significant contribution by identifying alternatives for increasing productivity while minimizing national and global external costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies dealing with the reconstruction of Holocene climate change of tropical areas are scarce. Of these, multi-proxy investigations using peatlands are still absent. In this paper, we present the Holocene record of environmental changes in central–eastern Brazil reconstructed from a core sampled in Pau de Fruta mire (Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, Brazil). We combined palynological and geochemical analyses, supported by core stratigraphy, 14 C dating and multivariate statistics. The location of the mire is ideal because it is in an area which is directly associated with the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ). Six main phases of change suggested by vegetation and local and regional landscape dynamics were described. In phase I (~ 10,000–7360 cal. yr BP) the climate was very wet and cold and was accompanied by soil instability in the mire catchment (severe local erosion) and the 8.2 ka event was easily recognizable by a large increase in the deposition of regional dust. Phase II (~ 7360–4200 cal. yr BP) was characterized by wet and warm conditions, catchment soil stability and enhanced deposition of regional dust. In phase III (~ 4200–2200 cal. yr BP), climate was dry and warm and soil erosion in the catchment increased again. In phase IV (~ 2200–1160 cal. yr BP) dry and punctuated cooling was reconstructed, together with enhanced deposition of regional dust. Phase V (~ 1160–400 cal. yr BP) reflects sub-humid climatic conditions (like the current climate), the lowest inputs of local and regional dust and the largest accumulation of peat in the mire. While in phase VI (< ~ 400 cal. yr BP) sub-humid conditions continued but both local and regional erosion significantly increased. Our results demonstrate that the tropical peatlands of Serra do Espinhaço Meridional contain relevant records of Holocene climate changes, and that a multi-proxy approach offers good opportunities for a detailed reconstruction of palaeoenvironments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the relative contribution of Land Use and Cover Changes (LUCC) and climate changes on runoff still represents a great challenge for water resources management. This issue is particularly critical for the Upper Paraná River Basin (UPRB), one of the most important basins in South America and responsible for most of the production of food, ethanol, and electricity generation in Brazil. In this paper, we used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to quantitatively assess the relative contribution of both forcings. The simulation period included a time of great importance for climate studies, known as the 1970s global climate shift, and of great impact on river discharge within the UPRB. Three land use and cover scenarios were assigned to the 1961–1990 period of simulations, representing land use and cover during a pristine period (around the Year 1500), 1960, and 1985. Thirteen years of precipitation before and after the climate shift (considered to be the period 1974–1977) were analyzed and compared. Results showed a precipitation increase for the basin in general after the climate shift. The increase in rainfall reached up to 15% in many northern areas and more than 20% in the southern parts of the basin. By comparing all simulations, results indicate that both LUCC and precipitation increase due to the climate shift had a significant effect on the changes in annual discharge of the largest rivers of the UPRB. However, the results suggest that the impact of the precipitation increase on the discharge exceeded that of the LUCC. Between 1960 and 1985 the LUCC accounts for about 16% of the increase of the median annual discharge, whereas climate shift accounts for an increase of about 32%. These findings, suggesting a more relevant role for the climate, are consistent with two recent water crisis experienced by the country in the last decades, caused by prolonged below-normal rainfall throughout 2001/2002 and again in 2014/2015. [Display omitted] • We simulated land use and cover from a pristine period (Year 1500), 1960, and 1985. • We evaluated the effects of precipitation change on discharge from 1961 to 1990. • Natural vegetation fell by more than half of the original area up to 1985. • Precipitation increased by more than 20% after the 1970s global climate shift. • Results suggest that climate shift is the main driver in increasing annual discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an empirical case study on the interface between microfinance and climate change actions. Climate change, which until recently seemed a luxury for the microfinance sector, now appears to be crucial for its future. For their low adaptive capacity, the millions of microfinance clients worldwide happen to be the most vulnerable to a changing climate. However, such an arena is still blurred from an academic viewpoint, and inexistent among Brazilian academia. Therefore, by investigating Brazil's largest rural MFI, Agroamigo, we aim at providing an empirical contribution to green microfinance. The main conclusion is that, albeit Agroamigo offers important links to climate change initiatives, it will need to take better account of specific vulnerabilities and risks to protect its portfolio and clients better from climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-cover change detection using satellite remote sensing is largely confined to the era of Landsat satellites, from 1972 to present. However, the Corona, Argon, and Lanyard intelligence satellites operated by the U.S. government between 1960 and 1972 have the potential to provide an important extension of the long-term record of Earth’s land surface. Recently declassified, the archive of images recorded by these satellites contains hundreds of thousands of photographs, many of which have very high ground resolution- 6–9 ft (1.8–2.7 m) even by today’s standards. This paper demonstrates methods for extending the span of forest-cover change analysis from the Landsat-5 and -7 era (1984 to present) to the previous era covered by the Corona archive in two study areas: one area covered predominantly by urban and sub-urban land uses in the eastern US and another area by tropical forest in central Brazil. We describe co-registration of Corona and Landsat images, extraction of texture features from Corona images, classification of Corona and Landsat images, and post-classification change detection based on the resulting thematic dataset. Second-order polynomial transformation of Corona images yielded geometric accuracy relative to Landsat-7 of 18.24 m for the urban area and 29.35 m for the tropical forest study area, generally deemed adequate for pixel-based change detection at Landsat resolution. Classification accuracies were approximately 95% and 96% for forest/non-forest discrimination for the temperate urban and tropical forest study areas, respectively. Texture within 7 × 7- to 9 × 9-pixel (∼13.0–16.5 m) neighborhoods and within 11 × 11-pixel (∼30 m) neighborhoods were the most informative metrics for forest classification in Corona images in the temperate and tropical study areas, respectively. The trajectory of change from the 1960s to 2000s differed between the two study areas: the average annual forest loss rate in the urban area doubled from 0.68% to 1.9% from the 1960s to the mid-1980s and then decreased during the following decade. In contrast, deforestation in the Brazilian study area continued at a slightly increased pace between the 1960s and 1990s at annual loss rate of 0.62–0.79% and quickly slowed down afterward. This study demonstrates the strong potential of declassified Corona images for detecting historical forest changes in these study regions and suggests increased utility for retrieving a wide range of land cover histories around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Araucaria Plateau is a geomorphological unit that occupies approximately three-quarters of the terrain in the southern region of Brazil. The plateau displays different altitudinal levels (600 to <1400 m a.s.l.) that are locally recognized as remnants of planed surfaces (S8-S1). These surfaces are maintained by basic (S3-S8) and acidic (S1 and S2) volcanic flows from the Neocretaceous period of the Paraná Basin. The largest extent of this plateau is located in a humid subtropical climate zone. Colluvial, colluvial-alluvial, alluvial sediments and paleosols (Ab diagnostic horizons) occur predominantly in S2. The paleosols are located in low-hierarchical-order fossil valleys (first- to fourth-order in Strahler's stream classification) and valley heads, which are referred to as paleovalleys in this paper. We employed these paleosols as stratigraphic level markers of the pedogenesis of the regional Upper Quaternary and propose their importance as records of the paleoenvironmental conditions of the Araucaria Plateau in areas above 1200 m a.s.l. These paleosols were dated by 14C and show ages between 23.8 ± 0.05 kyr BP (28.06-29.08 kyr cal. BP) and 41.16 ± 0.48 kyr BP (44.13-45.58 kyr cal. BP). The calibrated ages are related to Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3), in which the last period of global warming occurred (approximately 60-25 kyr cal. BP). We integrated the morphological, pedogeochemical, clay fraction mineralogy, micromorphological and δC-13 analyses of five paleosols from S2 to verify the paleoenvironmental conditions of the Araucaria Plateau and its correspondence with the paleoclimatic phenomena that were identified on a global scale during MIS 3 in the Southern Hemisphere. We obtained the following conclusions: a) the properties of paleosols reflect pedological processes that are adjusted to the paleoenvironmental conditions at the end of MIS 3 and the transition to MIS 2 (Last Glacial Maximum); b) aplasmogenic partial acidolysis was the predominant pedogeochemical process during MIS 3; c) during this period, the water regime was sufficiently humid to develop hydromorphic horizons in the valley bottoms of the entire drainage network to the valley heads; d) regional change toward a drier hydric regime occurred in MIS 2, when erosion of the paleosols predominated; and e) in MIS 1 (current Holocene interglacial), burial of the paleosols and relief inversion occurred, which resulted in fossilization of the valleys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fake controversies have influenced policy making on health and environmental issues for decades, resulting in major implementation setbacks worldwide. As a case study, in this paper we examine fake controversies produced by a small group of active Brazilian researchers that have seriously impacted environmental conservation, particularly in issues related to deforestation and climate change. Based on the literature, we develop a typology of strategies deployed in fake controversies, which include manufacturing uncertainty, misusing scientific credentials, and disregarding scientific literature. Afterwards, we examine the influence of this group of contrarians at the National Congress. We then analyze the fake controversies promoted by these contrarians and argue that, to properly understand them, we need to consider a strategy so far overlooked in the literature: the manufacture of "pseudo-facts", namely, affirmations at odds with the established literature but that strives to appear as scientific facts. Unlike other contexts, in which contrarians have mainly sought to cast doubt on consensual issues by arguing that there are still considerable uncertainties surrounding them, in Brazil pseudo-facts on deforestation have been produced and published outside the peer-reviewed literature. We conclude the study with recommendations on how to oppose fake scientific controversies that threaten environmental conservation in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among several urban design parameters, the height-to-width ratio (H/W) and orientation are important parameters strongly affecting thermal conditions in cities. This paper quantifies changes in thermal comfort due to typical urban canyon configurations in Campinas, Brazil, and presents urban guidelines concerning H/W ratios and green spaces to adapt urban climate change. The study focuses on thermal comfort issues of humans in urban areas and performs evaluation in terms of physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), based on long-term data. Meteorological data of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation over a 7-year period (2003-2010) were used. A 3D street canyon model was designed with RayMan Pro software to simulate the influence of urban configuration on urban thermal climate. The following configurations and setups were used. The model canyon was 500 m in length, with widths 9, 21, and 44 m. Its height varied in steps of 2.5 m, from 5 to 40 m. The canyon could be rotated in steps of 15°. The results show that urban design parameters such as width, height, and orientation modify thermal conditions within street canyons. A northeast-southwest orientation can reduce PET during daytime more than other scenarios. Forestry management and green areas are recommended to promote shade on pedestrian areas and on façades, and to improve bioclimate thermal stress, in particular for H/W ratio less than 0.5. The method and results can be applied by architects and urban planners interested in developing responsive guidelines for urban climate issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper assesses 13 different inputs for biodiesel production and shows that the highest cost currently associated with the processing of residual resources, as well as their small production scale, are compensated by their smaller procurement costs, by their immediate availability in the urban centers and by their larger potential for greenhouse gas emission reduction. Biodiesel production from residues can meet all technical international specifications, even the esterification process. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), the methodology used in this study, allows for the building of an efficiency index up through linear programming with multiple inputs and outputs, enabling the integration of sustainable development dimensions. The experts' conclusions were arrived at through restrictions on virtual weighting, with findings that allow the grading of alternatives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents preliminary results of paleoclimatic signatures of conifer woods during the deposition of the basal Crato and topmost Romualdo members of the Santana Formation within the Tropical Equatorial Hot Arid Belt (late Aptian, Araripe Basin, Brazil). Analysis was carried out using standard thin sections, and the anatomical details were studied in transmitted light. The wood growth pattern from the lowermost laminated lacustrine carbonate level of the Crato Member was characterized by the absence of true growth rings and the common presence of wood growth interruptions, and could be linked to a tropical, equable but erratically humid environment. In an interlayered fine-to-coarse sandstone level attributed to a fluvio-deltaic interval, the wood growth pattern was homogeneous, lacking true growth rings, with weakly delineated growth interruptions over long radial distances. In this level the growth pattern could be related with a transition to a more equable tropical climate during a relatively humid period. In contrast, the wood pattern from the carbonate succession of the uppermost Romualdo Member, interpreted as a lagoon area with marine influence, showed true growth rings with abrupt ring boundaries and rings of variable width, also including frequent growth interruptions. This pattern could be linked to a monsoonal-like climate, subjected to distinct cyclical conditions and periodical droughts during the growing season. • Preliminary wood growth data showed changing climate along the Santana Formation. • A tropical, erratically humid climate was inferred for the lacustrine Crato Member. • Equable humid conditions occurred in the fluvio-deltaic Crato Member. • A tropical monsoon-like climate was inferred for Romualdo Member. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper evaluates the contribution of 75 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects for technology transfer initiatives and for promotion of adoption of cleaner technologies. A documentary content analysis model was developed to acquire secondary data from the 75 Project Design Documents. Technology transfer as a benefit has only 28% share and not more than 21% of the projects led to implementation of cleaner technologies. In conclusion, CDM projects in Brazil have not encouraged a cleaner model of development through cooperation among industrialized and developing countries, as they were expected to do. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During fieldwork carried out in January 2009 at Aurora do Tocantins (Tocantins State, northern Brazil), we recovered a fragmentary right maxilla (UNIRIO-PM 1006) of Catagonus stenocephalus from a sedimentary deposit of presumed late Pleistocene age in a karstic cave. This paper aims to: (1) provide the first record of C. stenocephalus in the northern region of Brazil (and consequently, also the northernmost one); (2) update the geographic distribution of C. stenocephalus; (3) present a date for the specimen; and (4) discuss the palaeoenvironmental and palaeobiogeographical implications of the finding. The species C. stenocephalus (Lund) is known from the Bonaerian (middle Pleistocene) and Lujanian (late Pleistocene to earliest Holocene) ages in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Bolivia. The new record presented here extends the geographical distribution of C. stenocephalus more than 1000km north from the former northernmost record (caves of Lagoa Santa region). Peccaries of the genus Catagonus have several morphological features associated with cursorial habits in relatively open and dry environments. The new distributional range of C. stenocephalus is coincident with the Chacoan subregion, characterized by dry climates and open areas. As the studied material comes from the top of the carbonate layer, this may suggest that the deposition of the C. stenocephalus remains described here is synchronous with the onset of a wetter climate phase. This argument is also in accordance with the datation results, around 20ky BP, just after the last glacial maximum. This increasingly wet climate, which may also be related to the climatic changes that occurred during the late Pleistocene/early Holocene, could be a factor in the extinction of C. stenocephalus in South America. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Tropical deforestation could destabilize regional climate changes. This paper aimed to model the potential climatological variability caused by future forest vulnerability in the Brazilian Amazon over the 21th century. The underlying land surface changes between 2005 and 2100 are first projected based on the respectable output produced by Hurtt et al. Then the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model is applied to assess the impacts of future deforestation on regional climate during 2090-2100. The study results show that the forests in the Brazilian Amazon will primarily be converted into dryland cropland and pasture in the northwest part and into cropland/woodland mosaic in the southeast part, with 5.12% and 13.11%, respectively. These land surface changes will therefore lead to the significant reduction of the sum of sensible heat flux and latent heat flux and precipitation and the increase of the surface temperature. Furthermore, the variability of surface temperature is observed with close link to the deforested areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address Climate Change in Brazil, the Bill 493/09 (plp 493/09) proposes the adoption of a differential tax and tariff treatment for products and services based on co2 emissions. This paper analyses the consistency of Differential Tax Treatment in Brazil and the Principle of Non Discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the issue of whether – in line with the Chinese economic approximation to Latin America during the last decade – the region has experienced political changes in terms of countries' foreign policies, shifting their traditional alignment with the positions of the regional hegemon, the United States. Given this general focus, the research project focuses on evaluating a specific issue of global governance: climate change policy. Here I find a marked difference between the Chinese and the US position, constituting two opposing poles between which Latin American countries must operate. I consider the cases of two countries, Brazil and Chile, in terms of their discursive location between China and the United States on global climate change policy. I was able to identify discursive changes throughout the decade that suggest a political alignment of the two Latin American countries with China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper contributes to the literature that analyses the determinants and measurement of Technological Capabilities (TCs) with empirical evidence on Argentina, Brazil and Chile. Based on the World Bank''s Investment Climate database, the study covers firms from the manufacturing sector. We first construct a Capability Score to provide a preliminary measure of Technological Capabilities at the firm level. We then test it econometrically to explore the determinants of TCs and exports and evaluate their reciprocal relationship through a Two Stage Probit. Our results show that exports and TCs significantly and positively influence each other in some of these countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this paper was to investigate the relationship between land use and topography on the variations of temperature and relative humidity in urban and rural municipalities in the Contagem and Betim, south-central state of Minas Gerais- Brazil. The measurement of climatic data occurred during the winter (20/06 - 21/09/2011) continuously and simultaneously, at intervals of sixty minutes, using the automatic sensors (dataloggers - Icel HT model 4000). The weather station INMET, headquartered on the campus of UFMG were used for calibration of instruments and control of the local variations of climatic elements. The data obtained were analyzed in a comparative way in a time sequence taking into account the environmental characteristics (topography and land use) and atmospheric. The temperature of the air taken in urban showed count on "delay" in its development in hourly and lower amplitude when compared to data measured in Betim (rural area). Was attributed these facts to the topographical situation of each of the positions and characteristics of conservation and heat production in the urban environment associated with low specific heat of the materials used in construction, higher density of buildings, relative lack of green areas and participation additional sources of anthropogenic heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a worldwide increase in disasters, the effects of climate change are already being felt, and it is the urban poor in developing countries who are most at risk. There is an urgent need to better understand the factors that determine people's capacity to cope with and adapt to adverse climate conditions. This paper examines the influence of formal education in determining the adaptive capacity of the residents of two low-income settlements: Los Manantiales in San Salvador (El Salvador) and Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), where climate-related disasters are recurrent. In both case study areas, it was found that the average levels of education were lower for households living at high risk, as opposed to residents of lower risk areas. In this context, the influence of people's level of education was identified to be twofold due to (a) its direct effect on aspects that reduce risk, and (b) its mitigating effect on aspects that increase risk. The results further suggest that education plays a more determinant role for women than for men in relation to their capacity to adapt. In light of these results, the limited effectiveness of institutional support identified by this study might also relate to the fact that the role of formal education has so far not been sufficiently explored. Promoting (improved access to and quality of) formal education as a way to increase people's adaptive capacity is further supported with respect to the negative effects of disasters on people's level of education, which in turn reduce their adaptive capacity, resulting in a vicious circle of increasing risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper combines hydrological observations and modelling results of a semi arid catchment in Brazil that could lead to a better understanding of the hydrology of similar catchments in semi-arid regions. The Tapacurá catchment (area 470.5km2) in the Northeast of Brazil was selected for this study. The Distributed Catchment Scale Model, DiCaSM, was calibrated and validated for the stream flows of the Tapacurá catchment. The model performance was further tested by comparing simulated and observed scaled soil moisture. The results showed the ability of the model to simulate the stream flow and the scaled soil moisture. The simulated impacts of climate change of low emission (B1) scenarios, on the worst perspective, indicated the possibility of reduction in surface water availability by −13.90%, −22.63% and −32.91% in groundwater recharge and by −4.98%, −14.28% and −20.58% in surface flows for the time spans 2010–2039, 2040–2069, 2070–2099, respectively. This would cause severe impacts on water supply in the region. Changing the land use, for example by reforestation of part of the catchment area which is currently arable land, would lead to a decrease in both groundwater recharge by −4.2% and stream flow by −2.7%. Changing land use from vegetables to sugar cane would result in decreasing groundwater recharge by almost −11%, and increasing stream flow by almost 5%. The combination of possible impacts of climate change and land use requires a proper plan for water resources management and mitigation strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This invited review paper tends to summarise the results based on the variability of occurrence of temperature extremes in South America. The first thing to note is that there is a geographical imbalance with respect to the number of published studies on temperature extremes. Most of the results come from the southern part of South America, east of the Andes, and a few from the northern part of the continent and for the Altiplano. The workshop organised by the ETCCDMI in Brazil was the first time to have the opportunity to collect information in a regional way and present trends in extreme daily temperatures. A better geographical picture enhanced with more data show significant geographical trends in warm (positive) and cold (negative) nights over Southern South America and over the northern South America coast. All other studies based on smaller regions also agree in finding the most significant trends in the evolution of the minimum temperature, with positive trends in almost all studies on the occurrence of warm nights (or hot extremes of minimum temperature) and negative trend in the cold extremes of the minimum. On the other hand, there is little agreement on the variability of maximum temperature. Generally the maximum temperature in southern South America has decreased, in opposition to the case of northern South America where it has increased. Strong decadal and interannual variability have been found in the occurrence of cold extremes. Reanalysis and climate models underestimate the intensity of extremes, mainly near the Andes. The studies trying to understand the dynamics of the circulation that leads to the occurrence of these extremes are analysed from its occurrence in almost all scales from the synoptic, intraseasonal, seasonal, annual, and multi-year linear trend with different methodologies, also, indentifying the local and remote forcing. A gap was found in studies that relate some specific local forcing (like changes in land use) and compare it with the remote ones. Different aspects of the occurrence of the temperature extremes are still missing in some regions of the continent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper criticizes the progress of the Brazilian government in preventing greenhouse gas emissions originating in urban areas. In 2009, Brazil approved its “National Policy on Climate Change”, complementing the 2008s National Plan on Climate Change (NPCC). In these documents, the federal government established measures to be undertaken in order to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, focusing on deforestation. However, the federal government should have regulated urban emissions, since the present Brazilian urbanization context, with big metropolises and the gradual migration of the population to the suburbs, represents a burden on climate change. With this new reality, transport and electricity use tend to grow, with the consequent increase in emissions. On the other hand, the municipalities are responsible for most city planning and transportation policies in Brazil. Pressed by their daily needs, they show little concern towards climate change and do not include the regulation of major sources of emissions among their priorities. Consequently, the municipalities are inefficient in preventing climate change. There are two main explanations for that: they do not have the know-how to prevent emissions; and they do not share this political agenda, since the impact of climate change is seldom acknowledged in the city where the emissions occur. Therefore, the central government has a role to play in regulating urban emissions. The study concludes that the National Plan and the National Policy, being federal documents, should have addressed urban emissions throughout the nation. Ultimately, they should be revised to guide city planners into planning greener cities. In order to succeed in this task, this legislation should not only require the reduction of emissions, but it should also indicate to the municipalities how they might achieve the reduction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The world's most influential development agency, the World Bank Group (WBG), is the leading actor in development finance and plays a central role in global efforts to protect the environment. Following the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the institution was responsible for all investment projects of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which was then newly established to serve as the interim financial mechanism for the United Nations Conventions on Climate Change and Biodiversity. The promise that the GEF would lead to the “greening” of development finance remains largely unfulfilled. More recently the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change appointed the WBG as the interim trustee of the new Green Climate Fund which plans to mobilize an estimated US$ 100 billion per year by 2020. While the World Bank Group plays this critical role in global environmental efforts, its main business continues to be lending for development. This includes the financing of large-scale infrastructure projects, agribusiness, large dams as well as investments in gas, oil and mining. This regular lending portfolio for development is often at odds with environmental sustainability. For example, despite the growing area of climate finance, support for fossil fuel projects continues to be dominant in the institution's lending for the energy sector. Another climate-related area is the World Bank's pioneering role in advancing REDD+, an initiative designed to reduce the emission of global green house gases by integrating efforts to protect forest areas into global carbon markets. Ultimately, its success will depend on addressing sensitive questions such as land ownership, forest governance and the equitable sharing of benefits. In conclusion the paper considers the underlying corporate culture and the difficulties in reconciling environmental and social sustainability with the institution's supply-side driven focus on meeting lending targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Green roofs have been investigated as a bioclimatic strategy to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. Quantitative data on this subject are still needed for many specific climatic conditions. This paper deals with the investigation of the green roof thermal performance of an experimental single-family residence in Florianópolis (SC, Brazil), a southern city with a temperate climate. Field measurements during a warm period (01-March-2008–07-March-2008) and during a cold period (25-May-2008–31-May-2008) included internal air temperature of rooms, internal and external surface temperature of three types of roofs (green, ceramic and metallic), heat fluxes through these roofs, green roof''s temperature profile, water volumetric content in substrate layer and meteorological data. During the warm period, the green roof reduced heat gain by 92–97% in comparison to ceramic and metallic roofs, respectively, and enhanced the heat loss to 49 and 20%. During the cold period, the green roof reduced heat gain by 70 and 84%, and reduced the heat loss by 44 and 52% in comparison to ceramic and metallic roofs, respectively. From the derived data it has been confirmed that green roof contributes to the thermal benefits and energy efficiency of the building in temperate climate conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In several countries biodiesel blending programs have been implemented looking for reduction in fossil fuel dependence and environmental benefits, including climate change mitigation. The current global biodiesel production, from different fatty raw materials, reaches about 6 billion liters per year and represents 10% of whole biofuel production. Nevertheless, in many cases the actual advantages of biodiesel production and usage are not clearly evaluated. Essentially, the feasibility of biodiesel production can be determined by its efficiency in solar energy conversion, as indicated by agro-industrial productivity and energy balance parameters, which expresses a relative demand of natural resources (land and energy) to produce biofuel. Taking into account the Brazilian conditions, in this paper an assessment of biodiesel production is presented, comparing four different productive systems. According to this evaluation, soybean and castor are limitedly feasible, whereas tallow and palm oil represent more suitable alternatives. The selection of an efficient productive system is crucial for the rationality of biodiesel production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objectives this paper were to monitor and analyze the parameters: temperature, relative humidity, air speed and direction wind, to understand as occurred the main frames of discomfort or thermal comfort in two contrasting periods of the 2009 (summer and winter) in Ourinhos. In different environments were installed measuring instruments to measure the meteorological variables. The Beaufort scale allowed classifying speed wind. From the Excel application and from the Software Surfer 8 performed the analysis of variables. Finally, from the diagram of human comfort it was found the points of greatest vulnerability to adverse weather conditions. It was possible to verify that the chosen points are shown in accordance with the expected characteristics, in other words, different structures of the environment affect systematically the dynamics of climate. Thus, Ourinhos, São Paulo State, has a tendency to present phenomena as heat islands. It can be concluded that the production of space of this city has favored the framework of environmental degradation and social. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The availability and reliability of wind power depend a great deal on current and future climate conditions, which may vary in light of possible global climate change (GCC). Long-term energy planning, however, does not normally take possible future GCC into consideration, which may turn out to be a risky exercise. In the case of Brazil, the untapped wind power potential is known to be impressive, provided that climate conditions remain the same over time. The focus of this study is to analyze some possible impacts of GCC on the wind power potential of Brazil, by simulating wind conditions associated with the IPCC A2 and B2 Scenarios. Results based on the HadCM3 general circulation model and the analysis of the country''s wind database indicate that the wind power potential in Brazil would not be jeopardized in the future due to possible new climate conditions. On the contrary, improved wind conditions are expected, particularly in the Northeast coast of the country. Therefore, investments in wind power generation can be an interesting way to expand renewable energy production in Brazil. However, given the large uncertainties associated with GCC models and scenarios, the findings of this paper should be viewed as a possibility rather than as a projection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Efficient management of water and energy is an important goal of sustainable development for any nation. Streamflow forecasts, have been used in complex optimization models to maximize water use efficiency and electrical energy production. In this paper we develop a statistical model for the long term forecasts of hydroenergy inflow into the Brazilian hydropower system, which consists of more than 70 hydropower reservoirs. At present, the planning of reservoir operation and energy production in Brazil is made with no reliable long term (one season or longer lead times) streamflow forecasts. Here we use the NINO3 index and the main modes of the tropical Pacific thermocline structure as climate predictors in order to achieve skillfull forecasts at long leads. Cross-validated results show that about 50% of the total hydroenergy inflow can be predicted with moderate accuracy up to 20 month lead time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyses environment subject present in public policies for Legal Amazonia, including the Public Forests Management Law (Law 11.284/06), approved with the purpose of regulating public forests management in Brazil and promoting sustainable development. The Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is suggested as a forest conservation mechanism. Through an hypothetical "zero" deforestation scenario and 100% of not emitted carbon linked to forest conservation projects, an economic revenue equivalent to the logging activities was estimated, and could be obtained in carbon market, contributing to maintenance of climatic equilibrium reducing Greenhouse Gases emissions, as well as keeping preserved biodiversity and environment services values related to standing forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We calibrated the DSSAT/CROPGRO for several soybean maturity groups. • Crop model showed good performance under different tropical conditions. • Water productivity increase can ensure the future growth of soybean yield. • Mean soybean yields increase likely in the future climate due to CO 2 increase. In the next decades, the population is expected to rise by more than two billion people, and the projections of climate change have been considered as one of the greatest future challenges for world food security. Soybean represents more than 60 % of all plant protein produced in the world, and Brazil is the largest world exporter and the second-largest producer. In this paper, we simulated soybean yields for 16 strategically selected agroclimatic zones (CZs) to represent Brazilian production. Experiments conducted throughout the country were used to calibrate the CROPGRO-Soybean model for Brazilian conditions, for the main maturity groups used in Brazil, to simulate current and 40 future climate scenarios, provided by Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) for 2050 in the both 4.5 and 8.5 representative concentration pathways (RCP). We found soybean yield varying by +1 to +32 % across 16 CZs in the average scenario of future climate when compared to the current yields. Yet, we found an increase of about 5% in the yield production risk for RCP 8.5. The main reason for such results was associated with the positive effect of increasing CO 2 on crop water productivity, which overcomes the negative effects of temperature and water stress increases on rainfed Brazilian soybeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]