On the adoption of stricter energy efficiency standards for residential air conditioners: Case study Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Space cooling is the fastest-growing energy end-use in buildings worldwide, and Ecuador is no exception. Nevertheless, the last update of the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for air conditioners was in 2013 (EER 3.2W/W); since then, no new standards have been proposed in Ecuador.

Integrating Habitat Availability, Permeability, and Configuration in a Model of Landscape Connectivity: The Contribution of Habitat's Site-to-Site.

The landscape configuration, the permeability of the matrix and the possibility of random dispersal movement of species are essential to robust modeling of the landscape connectivity. To represent this condition, we report a spatial model that integrates graph theory, circuit theory, metrics of habitat availability and includes a temporal aspect by looking into land use changes over time. We identify the possibilities of movement of species site-to-site over time in the landscape, taking into account not only the importance of sites of focal habitats, but also the potential relevance of the matrix for landscape connectivity.

Bioenergy and Biodiversity: Key Lessons from the Pan American Region.

Understanding how large-scale bioenergy production can affect biodiversity and ecosystems is important if society is to meet current and future sustainable development goals. A variety of bioenergy production systems have been established within different contexts throughout the Pan American region, with wide-ranging results in terms of documented and projected effects on biodiversity and ecosystems. The Pan American region is home to the majority of commercial bioenergy production and therefore the region offers a broad set of experiences and insights on both conflicts and opportunities for biodiversity and bioenergy.