Emission ensemble approach to improve the development of multi-scale emission inventories

Many studies have shown that emission inventories are one of the inputs with the most critical influences on the results of air quality modelling. Comparing emission inventories among themselves is, therefore, essential to build confidence in emission estimates. In this work, we extend the approach of Thunis et al. (2022) to compare emission inventories by building a benchmark that serves as a reference for comparisons. This benchmark is an ensemble that is based on three state-of-the-art EU-wide inventories: CAMS-REG, EMEP and EDGAR. The ensemble-based methodology screens differences between inventories and the ensemble. It excludes differences that are not relevant and identifies among the remaining ones those that need special attention. We applied the ensemble-based screening to both an EU-wide and a local (Poland) inventory. The EU-wide analysis highlighted a large number of inconsistencies. While the origin of some differences between EDGAR and the ensemble can be identified, their magnitude remains to be explained. These differences mostly occur for SO2 (sulfur oxides), PM (particulate matter) and NMVOC (non-methane volatile organic carbon) for the industrial and residential sectors and reach a factor of 10 in some instances. Spatial inconsistencies mostly occur for the industry and other sectors. At the local scale, inconsistencies relate mostly to differences in country sectorial shares that result from different sectors/activities being accounted for in the two types of inventories. This is explained by the fact that some emission sources are omitted in the local inventory due to a lack of appropriate geographically allocated activity data. We identified sectors and pollutants for which discussion between local and EU-wide emission compilers would be needed in order to reduce the magnitude of the observed differences (e.g. in the residential and industrial sectors). The ensemble-based screening proved to be a useful approach to spot inconsistencies by reducing the number of necessary inventory comparisons. With the progressive resolution of inconsistencies and associated inventory improvements, the ensemble will improve. In this sense, we see the ensemble as a useful tool to motivate the community around a single common benchmark and monitor progress towards the improvement of regionally and locally developed emission inventories.</p

Social organization and control of tuberculosis: the experience of a Brazilian town

OBJECTIVE: this study was aimed at analyzing the participation of a committee formed by representatives of the community in tuberculosis control based on a participatory management model. METHOD: this is a Case Study involving a tuberculosis committee with data collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with nine individuals. The data, organized through the Association of Ideas Map technique, were analyzed based on the Social Constructionism perspective. RESULTS: the participation of the Tuberculosis Committee studied was shown to be effective and associated with aspects articulated according to the measures taken by the social parties involved in the committee, culminating with assistances inserted into certain parts of the town's co-management. CONCLUSION: it was concluded that the reality of this case study shows that relationships among civil society can guide the management model in the search for effective processes of tuberculosis control

Historical Everyday Geopolitics on the Chile-Peru Border

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Geopolitics is increasingly seen by scholars as occurring in everyday spaces and performed by ordinary people. This paper extends this idea to historical work to examine how citizens themselves (re)produce geopolitics at the time of historical events. It does so through a case study of geopolitical tension on the Chile‐Peru border in the 1970s. Through oral histories and newspaper analysis, a historical everyday geopolitics approach reveals how those living in the Chilean border city of Arica played a part in promoting national and border security. This centres the embodied and emotional experiences of those affected by violence and conflict

Construindo a participação social no SUS: um constante repensar em busca de equidade e transformação

Trata-se de um ensaio que expõe reflexões sobre a busca e o exercício da participação social no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), compreendendo seu conceito como as diferentes ações dos grupos sociais que influenciam a formulação, execução, fiscalização e avaliação das políticas públicas. Por isso o fato de a comunidade participar no sistema de saúde é visto como condição fundamental para o exercício pleno da saúde, capaz de promover equidade e de transformar a atenção à saúde. As ações de construir a cidadania e formar sujeitos coletivos são tomadas como fundamentos para a conquista de espaços democráticos e de direitos sociais. Mapeou-se a normatização atual referente à participação popular, considerando seus avanços, mas explicitando também suas fragilidades, principalmente no que tange aos conselhos e conferências de saúde. No ambiente dos espaços institucionais de participação, foram destacados elementos necessários para consolidar e efetivar a participação popular, como a relação entre os atores e a comunicação para a socializar as informações e conhecimentos em saúde. Busca-se também problematizar o assunto, trazendo à tona alguns dos obstáculos e críticas relativos à participação social. Pretende-se, com este ensaio, colaborar para a democratização dos diferentes espaços de escuta da sociedade civil, tornando-os locais cada vez mais apropriados para as tomadas de decisão sobre a construção de políticas e serviços de saúde, dos quais a população se apropria coletivamente, superando a simples obrigatoriedade burocrática da participação e contribuindo para a saúde e qualidade de vida.It concerns an essay that presents reflections on the search and the practice of the social participation in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), including the understanding of its concept as to how the different actions of the social groups influence the formularization, execution, fiscalization and evaluation of the public policies. Therefore the participation of the community in the health system is considered an essential condition for the full exercise of the health, capable of promoting fairness and to transforming the health attention. The building of citizenship and the formation of collective citizens are taken as beddings for the conquest of democratic spaces and social rights. The current normalization of the public participation has been mapped considering its advances, but also stating its fragilities, mainly those that concerning the participation out of health councils and conferences. In the institutional environment, some elements where pointed as necessary to consolidate and effect the communitarian participation, like the relation between the actors and the communication for the socialization of health information and knowledge. Questions of the subject are also sought by bringing to attention some of the critical obstacles in relation to the social participation. This essay is intended to collaborate in behalf of the real democratization of the different spaces where the civil society can be heard, transforming these places in more appropriate locations to make decisions concerning the construction of health policies and services. The population can benefit from these spaces collectively surpassing the simple bureaucratic obligatoriness of the participation and contributing for the health and quality of life

Conselheiros usuários do conselho municipal de saúde de Belo Horizonte: características sociais e representatividade

A preocupação com os representantes dos usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) em Conselhos Municipais de Saúde é uma realidade, pois mesmo com todo aparato jurídico que garante a paridade com relação aos demais membros, não se pode garantir a representatividade de sua participação. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi conhecer os Conselheiros Usuários do Conselho Municipal de Saúde de Belo Horizonte, suas características sociais, bem como sua relação com a base que representa. Foram aplicadas técnicas de pesquisa quantitativa para conhecer as características e qualitativa para avaliar o relacionamento com a base. Quanto às características encontradas, observa-se que os conselheiros são na maioria homens, aposentados e com baixa escolaridade. Os mandatos repetem-se sugerindo profissionalização dessa categoria. O relacionamento com a base apresenta limitações, principalmente quanto à comunicação, e, ao que tudo indica, a educação continuada dos conselheiros pode ser uma solução para esse problema.The concern about the representatives of the users of SUS (Brazil's National Health System) in Municipal Health Councils is a reality, because even with all the legal apparatus that guarantees parity with regard to the other members, it is not possible to guarantee the quality of their participation. The objective of this research was to learn who the Councillors Users of the Municipal Health Council of Belo Horizonte are, their social characteristics, as well as their relation with the base they represent. Quantitative research techniques were applied to learn the characteristics, and qualitative techniques were employed to evaluate the relationship with the base. Regarding the characteristics, it was observed that the majority of the Councillors are retired men with low level of schooling. The terms of office are repeated, suggesting professionalization of this category. The relationship with the base has limitations, mainly concerning communication, and it seems that the continuing education of the Councillors to work adequately with their base may be a solution to this problem