ALBERT

Description: The Changning MS6.0 earthquake and its moderate to strong aftershocks, which occurred in the axial area of Changning anticline, exhibit different features with the moderate to strong earthquakes that occurred in the southern syncline area nearby, although these two areas are only a dozen kilometers away. Whether this difference is only caused by different fault structures, or caused by local change is still a matter of debate. In order to answer this question, basing on the correction of small earthquake location and seismic velocity structure through double-difference tomography inversion, this paper determined the fine structure of the crustal stress field by using comprehensive focal mechanism solutions, and analyzed its mechanical consistency with the focal mechanism solutions of moderate to strong earthquakes. It is found that for the different subareas of Changning area, the maximum principal stress remains horizontal, and its azimuth remains almost East-West oriented although it has a small clockwise rotation from north to south; meanwhile, the stress regime exhibit a significant local change, which is thrust stress regime for the axial area of Changning anticline, against strike-slip stress regime for the southern syncline area. The stress fields in these two subareas highly accord with the focal mechanism solutions of moderate to strong earthquakes in the corresponding area, but poorly accord with, or even contradict that in the non-corresponding area, which indicates that the local stress change of stress field is the necessary mechanical basis for the complex seismicity behavior in Changning area. Additional rock mechanics analysis points out that lateral difference of Poisson's ratio of rock is probably the main cause of this local change of stress field. This paper also discusses the seismogenic fault structure of Changning MS6.0 earthquake sequence, and suggests the activation of the basement fault(s) in the depth range of 6 to 9 km in the axial area of Changning anticline driven by regional stress field is the potential cause of the occurrence of Changning MS6.0 earthquake sequence.

Description: For a long time， with the continuous expansion of the oil and gas genesis theory and the increasing global demand for clean energy， hydrogen， as an important link connecting the theory of inorganic and organic hydrocarbon generation， as well as a promising clean energy， has gradually attracted widespread academic attention. The genesis of hydrogen in natural gas is relatively complex and diverse. According to its reaction mechanism， it can be divided into two categories： inorganic and organic. Inorganic genesis is mainly earth degassing， water rock reaction and water radiation decomposition， while organic genesis is dominated by biological action and organic matter pyrolysis. At present， hydrogen isotope and geochemical characteristics of associated gases are mainly used to identify the origin of hydrogen. However， due to the complex and diverse sources of hydrogen and its active chemical properties， it is still unable to identify the origin of hydrogen systematically and accurately. Due to the extensive genesis of hydrogen， natural gas with different hydrogen concentrations has been found in different geological conditions around the world， and the hydrogen content varies greatly （0.1%-99%）. Hydrogen can participate in hydrocarbon generation in Fischer Tropsch synthesis as a reducing agent， and also can be used as a hydrogen source to improve the hydrocarbon yield during the thermal evolution of organic matter. Therefore， the existence of hydrogen may extend the lower limit of deep gas exploration and development. Based on the systematic summary of the genetic mechanism and distribution of hydrogen， this paper discusses the energy significance of hydrogen in natural gas， and provides a reference for the future research on hydrogen rich natural gas resources.

Description: As soluções pactuadas na COP26 implicam a financeirização de florestas e territórios e beneficiam notadamente investidores privados. Contudo, os movimentos de resistência latino-americano e global seguem trilhando caminhos em busca da justiça climática. Leia mais um artigo da série Resistências latino-americanas.

Description: Embora não devamos alimentar ilusões ou expectativas irrealistas com relação ao Brics, é importante destacar que ele de fato abre novas possibilidades para forjar uma ordem internacional menos injusta

Description: Classical approaches to policy advice envisage a clear division of roles between its providers and recipients, i.e. experts and politicians. However, this dualistic scheme is beginning to erode. In the concept of policy-oriented public advice, which this chapter takes as its starting point, an additional, distinct role is assigned to citizens. Using the heuristic of Römmele and Schober (2011), as well as examples from Germany and Poland, we argue that – under some conditions – ordinary citizens can help develop solutions to complex and ambiguous socio-political challenges. Citizen assemblies offer a methodology that can allow for articulation of citizens’ consultative voice, based on the principle of random selection of participants. The chapter includes a discussion of the characteristics of this format, presents their functions and the boundary conditions that should be met for the use of citizen assemblies to be purposeful and effective. Similarities and differences in the functioning of citizens’ assemblies in Poland and Germany are also presented, particularly regarding the advisory mandate of these bodies.

Description: Klasyczne ujęcia doradztwa politycznego przewidują wyraźny podział ról między jego dostawcami a odbiorcami, tj. ekspertami a politykami. Ten dualistyczny schemat zaczyna jednak podlegać erozji. W koncepcji ukierunkowanego na politykę doradztwa społecznego, którą za punkt wyjścia obiera niniejszy rozdział, dodatkowa, odrębna rola przypada obywatelom. Posiłkując się heurystyką Römmele i Schobera (2011), jak również przykładami z Niemiec i Polski, stawiamy tezę, że zwykli obywatele mogą pomóc w wypracowaniu rozwiązań dla złożonych i niejednoznacznych wyzwań społeczno-politycznych. Metodyką, która – pod pewnymi warunkami – może pozwolić na artykulację głosu doradczego obywateli są panele obywatelskie, opierające się na zasadzie losowego doboru uczestników. Rozdział prezentuje cechy charakterystyczne tego formatu, omawia ich funkcje oraz warunki brzegowe, które powinny zostać spełnione, by zastosowanie paneli było celowe i skuteczne. Przedstawione są również podobieństwa i różnice w funkcjonowaniu paneli obywatelskich w Polsce i Niemczech, w szczególności w odniesieniu do doradczego mandatu tych gremiów.

Description: Starting from the discussion of the concepts of formality and informality, the paper first examines and analyzes empirical findings from a survey of German and Polish political advisors, lobbyists and experts on their perceptions of the access channels to politics and of politics to experts in Germany and Poland. Which access channels are chosen and why, how open are they, and what imbalances exist in access to experts and experts’ access to politics? A second section looks at the degree of formalization of advisory processes and access channels in both countries. In a third section, the focus is on interpretations of perceptions of access channels and degree of formalization and their implications for policy advice in Germany and Poland. The Polish sub-study finds a considerable gap between the perceptions of policy experts and lobbyists. While the former group enjoys a relatively high reputation in Poland, the reputation of lobbyists is much worse. In the German sample, the sharpness of the distinction between the reputation of lobbyists/interest representatives on the one hand and expert advisers on the other is less visible than in the Polish survey. The chapter concludes that political expert cultures in Poland and Germany are not congruent with regard to the perception of access channels and the play with formality and informality, but nevertheless show fundamental similarities – above all the fundamentally positive assessment of access channels to expertise. But below some very general similarities, the different perceptions of expert cultures begin to emerge. In both countries, a technocratic culture of expert advice is held in high esteem, but in Germany the assessment of interest-driven expert advice is perceived less negative than in Poland.

Description: Wychodząc od omówienia pojęć formalności i nieformalności, w artykule najpierw analizowane są wyniki badania przeprowadzonego wśród niemieckich i polskich doradców politycznych, lobbystów i ekspertów w zakresie postrzegania kanałów ich dostępu do polityki oraz polityków do ekspertyzy w Niemczech i Polsce. Jakie kanały dostępu są wybierane i dlaczego, jak bardzo są one otwarte i jakie nierówności istnieją w dostępie polityków do ekspertów i ekspertów do polityki? Druga część tekstu poświęcona jest analizie stopnia sformalizowania procesów doradczych i kanałów dostępu w obu krajach. W trzeciej części skupiono się na interpretacji postrzegania kanałów dostępu i stopnia formalizacji oraz ich implikacji dla doradztwa politycznego w Niemczech i w Polsce. W polskim badaniu cząstkowym stwierdzono znaczny rozdźwięk między percepcją ekspertów ds. polityki a lobbystów. Podczas gdy ta pierwsza grupa cieszy się w Polsce stosunkowo wysoką reputacją, opinia o lobbystach jest znacznie gorsza. W próbie niemieckiej ostrość rozróżnienia między reputacją lobbystów/przedstawicieli grup interesu, z jednej strony, a doradców-ekspertów, z drugiej, jest mniej widoczna niż w badaniu polskim. Rozdział kończy się wnioskiem, że polityczne kultury eksperckie w Polsce i w Niemczech nie są zbieżne pod względem postrzegania kanałów dostępu oraz gry z formalnością i nieformalnością, niemniej jednak wykazują fundamentalne podobieństwa – przede wszystkim zasadniczo pozytywną ocenę kanałów dostępu do wiedzy eksperckiej. Jednak mimo pewnych bardzo ogólnych podobieństw zarysowuje się też odmienność w postrzeganiu kultur eksperckich. W obu krajach technokratyczna kultura ekspercka jest ceniona wysoko, ale w Niemczech ocena doradztwa powiązanego z reprezentacją interesów jest postrzegana jako mniej negatywna niż w Polsce.

Description: A urbanização da Amazônia é um processo complexo e caracterizado pela influência dos ciclos econômicos na região. Com duas metrópoles na Amazônia brasileira (Belém e Manaus), os processos de metropolização e o surgimento de grandes manchas urbanas são isolados e limitados pela conectividade, dinâmica econômica, distribuição espacial de serviços e de infraestrutura e a própria condição do espaço urbano. Recentemente, na Amazônia Legal, outros tipos de processos urbanos surgiram com a multiplicação de pequenas aglomerações urbanas, e o surgimento de cidades médias seguindo os traçados das principais rodovias e rios da região (Sathle, Monte-Mor e Carvalho, 2009).

Description: A urbanização da Amazônia é um processo complexo e caracterizado pela influência dos ciclos econômicos na região. Com duas metrópoles na Amazônia brasileira (Belém e Manaus), os processos de metropolização e o surgimento de grandes manchas urbanas são isolados e limitados pela conectividade, dinâmica econômica, distribuição espacial de serviços e de infraestrutura e a própria condição do espaço urbano. Recentemente, na Amazônia Legal, outros tipos de processos urbanos surgiram com a multiplicação de pequenas aglomerações urbanas, e o surgimento de cidades médias seguindo os traçados das principais rodovias e rios da região (Sathle, Monte-Mor e Carvalho, 2009).

Description: Esta é uma pequena apresentação conjuntural do panorama global do petróleo e, em menor escala, das energias renováveis no contexto de um mundo em pandemia. Nesta análise, serão trazidos dados sobre consumo, produção e preço deste hidrocarboneto, seguidos de uma discussão acerca do impacto sofrido pela indústria de petróleo e as perguntas que se colocam acerca da transição energética em 2020. Conforme se concluirá, a atual dinamicidade das mudanças no mercado energético ainda não permite previsões de monta acerca dos rumos do petróleo e, em menor escala, das energias renováveis, mas é possível delinear algumas possibilidades para a energia em um momento de adaptação à atual crise. Foram utilizados, primordialmente, dados da Agência de Informação Energética dos EUA (EIA) e da Agência Internacional de Energia (IEA). Esta pretende ser uma análise introdutória e não exaustiva acercade um fenômeno que, no momento de sua escrita (junho de 2020), ainda se desenrolava.

Description: Historicamente, os governos centro-americanos têm evitado a necessidade de adotar respostas legítimas, emancipatórias e sistêmicas às crises ecológicas e territoriais que atravessam suas fronteiras. Sobretudo, nos territórios dos povos indígenas

Description: Bolsonaro sempre tentou impor, junto com os seus ministros, um sistema neoliberal agressivo, assim como políticas antiambientais e de perseguição à povos originários e organizações da sociedade civil.

Description: Desmatamentos, vulnerabilidade de povos indígenas, possibilidade de aparecimento de novas doenças, urbanização precária: cenário, que se degradava rapidamente com governo Bolsonaro, piorou na pandemia. Mas é possível transformá-lo.

Description: The report is confidential and only available for the Chinese government.

Description: In this Discussion Paper we show how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the Brazilian Amazon, leading to the collapse of health systems in several Amazon cities, endangering indigenous ethnic groups, facilitating the clearance of huge forested plots, and, in the process, giving rise to growing concerns about the possible emergence of new transmissible zoonotic diseases.

Description: W ostatnich latach coraz większą uwagę zyskują wyzwania stojące przed europejskimi regionami związane ze zmianami strukturalnymi w kierunku zrównoważonego rozwoju. Łużyce, leżące na granicy Niemiec i Polski, doświadczają znacznej presji związanej z transformacją. Krajowe i europejskie programy finansowania, m.in. w ramach Europejskiego Zielonego Ładu, mają na celu łagodzenie skutków odchodzenia od wydobycia i konsumpcji węgla. Niedawno przyjęty unijny Mechanizm Sprawiedliwej Transformacji ma za zadanie wspieranie zrównoważonych zmian strukturalnych poprzez pomoc pracownikom i przyczynianie się do dywersyfikacji gospodarki w najbardziej dotkniętych obszarach. Niniejszy Policy Brief przedstawia trzy rekomendacje związane z wykorzystaniem funduszy UE w polsko-niemieckim obszarze granicznym w celu wspierania sprawiedliwej transformacji. Po pierwsze, fundusze udostępnione w ramach Mechanizmu powinny być wykorzystywane w porozumieniu z regionalnymi interesariuszami w Łużycach w celu uzupełnienia krajowych środków wsparcia. Dalsze programy finansowania ukierunkowane na różne obszary polityki publicznej powinny być wykorzystane w celu wzmocnienia spójności w całym regionie. W tym kontekście szczególnie interesujące są programy zarządzane centralnie przez Komisję Europejską (tzn. nie podlegające zarządzaniu dzielonemu z rządami krajowymi). Ściślejsza współpraca polityczna i gospodarcza, w połączeniu z głębszą wymianą doświadczeń, może przyspieszyć integrację regionalną i ukierunkować procesy przekształceń strukturalnych na osiągnięcie trwałych rezultatów. Użycie tych programów w obszarze granicznym obarczone jest jednak praktycznymi przeszkodami, które należy pokonać. Ponadto powyżej wymienione działania powinny być realizowane zgodne z celami zrównoważonego rozwoju (SDGs), przyczyniać się do osiągnięcia celu, jakim jest neutralność klimatyczna, a także do złagodzenia społecznych skutków transformacji strukturalnej na wszystkich poziomach.

Description: The market of political consulting and lobbying from the perspective of Polish and German parliamentarians. The number of forms, contexts and actors of policy advice and lobbying has grown over the years to such an extent that the problem of diffuse boundaries between these processes, and of capturing the specificity of the market that they form, gains in both theoretical and practical importance. This study is based on interviews with members of parliament: the Polish Sejm and the German Bundestag and concentrates on the question about how the market for political advice and lobbying is perceived by the very addressees. The comparative perspective is multi-layered and includes the cognitive, affective and normative dimensions. The image that emerges as a result offers a starting point for a discussion on the role of decision makers (who not only take part in the processes of our concern but also co-shape their regulatory framework) and on the features of a mature market of policy advice and lobbying, including mechanisms that favorably affect it.

Description: Este texto é um ensaio etnográfico com base em situações vivenciadas pelo coautor Rafael da Costa enquanto trabalhava como analista ambiental no departamento de meio ambiente de uma corporação produtora de energia elétrica, entre 2010-2013, período em que integrava a equipe técnica responsável pela condução de programas de mitigação e compensação ambiental da Barragem Belo Monte, na Volta Grande do rio Xingu, Amazônia. Em uma abordagem antropológica, o ensaio busca descrever como os profissionais da expertise ambiental corporativa interpretam um mundo muito mais vasto do que aquele alcançado pelos jargões de sua atividade no cotidiano. Nosso objetivo é demonstrar como os modos mais íntimos de entendimento destes profissionais – os quais se estabelecem em contraste com os padrões técnicos requeridos da análise ambiental empresarial – configuram fator produtivo das dimensões de destruição e morte que marcam o campo de um megaempreendimento.

Description: This paper is an ethnographic essay based on the work experience of one of the authors (da Costa) inside the environmental department of an electric energy producer corporation, between 2010 and 2013, period during which he was part of the technical team responsible for conducting environmental measures of the Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu River, in the region known as Volta Grande, Amazon. Following an anthropological approach, the essay describes how the corporate environmental experts interpret a world vastly more complex than that reached by the jargon vocabulary of their professional activity in their daily lives. Our aim is to show how the most intimate understandings of these professionals – in contrast to the technical standards required by corporate environmentalism – configure a productive factor of the destructive and death dimensions that characterize the territories of a mega-project.