Around the Bloc: Around the Bloc - Tajik Mega-Dam Starts Producing Power
Rogun dam project was for long a sore point with neighbor Uzbekistan, but international investors felt the potential gains outweighed the risk.
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Rogun dam project was for long a sore point with neighbor Uzbekistan, but international investors felt the potential gains outweighed the risk.
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Named the town with zero unemployment (rate) in Romania, due to numerousforeign and native investments,Sebeş has a steady economic growth,reflected also in the ascending numerical evolution of the population (32.256 inhabitants - January 2015, compared to 29.954 inhabitants in 1992) being the second largest town in the county. The town of Sebeş is an economic motor of the county, placing Alba county on the second place in the country as economic performance in 2016 compared to 2015 (13% economic growth compared to a national average of 4%). The two biggest companies, as turnover, in the county are from Sebeş: Star Assembly (Daimler gearboxes) and Kronospan, which together have a turnover of over 2.5 billion lei (2016).
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Cheap Russian oil is a keystone of Belarus’s centrally planned economy.
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As Ukraine’s coal production drops, Belarusian coal exports shoot up.
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The decades of strategic competition that are deep buried into the gunpowder and blood stained water of the South China Sea are foremost rooted in the extensive value of the Spratly Islands. From economic to geopolitics, with a nod to national value, the Spratlys encompass the embodiment of national interests that aroused dreadful tempests over the Asian continent. The timeline of the past narratives depicts rampant clashes that still tarnish the memories of the claimant states that are gradually drawn into a new reality forged on the China’s stunning rise. Outlined on the assumption that the states’ interests are rendered with respect to the system dynamics, the main objective of the paper is to investigate the evolution of the dispute shaped on antagonistic views, national pride and interdependencies. Pinpointing the grounds for the strategic competition, identifying the levels of the main players, the research attempts to depict China’s power projection in the Spratly Islands as the prime incentive on the regional scene.
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The study deals with the problems of Euroregions in the context of their multifunctionality. Multifunctionality is presented by analyzing the institutional structure and objectives pursued. The institutional structure presents the functions of individual Euroregional institutions and the importance of the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) as the superior representation of Euroregions. Referring to the objectives, they are presented in the light of the theoretical assumptions adopted for this type of structure, emphasizing that in their implementation there is a “hidden” multifunctionality of the Euroregion. In addition, the implementation of the objectives was verified in practice on the example of direct empirical research carried out in selected Polish Euroregions just after their creation and from the perspective of them operating for several years. Positive opinions in this respect, which prevail as integration awareness and the maturation of the Euroregion increases, support the establishment of such structures and verify their importance for the activation of border areas.
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The author defines the alternative interest as an interest aiming at radical change of the condition. Being an objective interest, it is global in scope. The framework of the aggregation of alternative interest depends on the degree to which it becomes a subjective interest. The attempts at articulation and aggregation of the alternative interest encounter resistance of the protagonists of the so-called institutional interests, as well as of those they have succeeded in manipulating. In analyzing the constitutional¬-legal possibilities for the articulation of the alternative interest in Yugoslav society, the author suggests that these are mainly local in character, even though they represent the interest of an extremely wide section of subjects. A good example of this is the mode of decision-making on the site of the nuclear power plant, in Prevlaka. The decision was made by the Parliament of Croatia on the basis of the opinion of the Communal Assembly of Dugo Selo. In examining this mode of decision-making, as well as the economic, ecological and political profitability and justification of nuclear power plants in general, the author calls for a re-examination and reversal of the decision to locate the nuclear plant in Prevlaka.
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The miners are best known for their accidents and strikes, that are the inherent part of their everyday life; however, underneath these two elements, that are general points of their identity, there are much more complex processes of survival, as well as attempts to create their workers' underground tradition and to make it nobler. It is best expressed through the "communication" with the work habitat, connected with its reverence, that results in the comparison of the mine with the war. The use of specific signalization and materials, the co-existence of the miners and mine mice sensitive to underground gas, "listening" to the cliffs and waterways are just some of the examples of the underground culture or the miners' attempts to stay underground as long and as successful as possible, to survive and to satisfy the daily norm of coal mining given throughout the twentieth century by the Austrian, Italian, Yugoslav and Croatian colliery management. The relationship between the workers who earned their daily or monthly paycheck seven hundred meter under the Earth's surface has been strongly influenced by the extreme environment of their workplace, the result of which was a specific work ethic and adaptation to the workplace, developed as opposition to the managements who have very often, by employing "scientifically and ideologically organized" work (Anbinden system, Bedeaux system, the Udarništvo or high-impact work), taken advantage of the miners and the mine, without taking neither their safety nor the necessary preservation of the ore into consideration, which in return resulted in numerous disasters, but had also created a basis for workers to build their specific feeling of unity – an important element of the complex miners' identity. The underground everyday life of the miners has oscillated between the two, neither grateful nor benignant masters – the management, that often perceives the worker and the mine merely as a means of making profit and the nature, to which it could be defined only as an usurper. It is this narrow space between the "punishment and obligation" that the wit and even the creativity of one of the most burdensome and difficult professions lies; it is translated into the miners' and workers' underground tradition, inherent and specific skills whose elements can be found above the surface as well, and that has survived and has, due to their efforts, changed and developed.
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Often the side effects of the regional crisis have broad implications on the energy security issues. This is what happened recently when the Ukraine crisis emerged. Now, more than ever, the international attention focuses on the Black Sea Region, a place where major interests of actors in the political international arena converge. The energy security will be the next big challenge for all the developed countries and, in the same time, a great opportunity for new ways of energy diversification. In this context, Romania has the chance to play the role of an energetic hub in the Black Sea Region as long as it seizes correctly all the opportunities.
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Energy is one of the most sensitive issues on the security agenda of states and human communities. Because of the scarcity of resources, the depletion of non-regenerable resources and their highly unequal distribution across the globe, there is a need to rationalize consumption and identify alternative non-poluting sources. At the same time, bio-fuels create problems for the environment and are controversial for diverting food from poor nations in the Third World, while atomic energy carry the risk of natural and man-made disasters like the Fukushima example. Great powers but also alliances often draft strategies to deal with access to energy, at the same time trying to avoid typical problems related to hyper-abundance of resources which generate corruption, authorities tendencies and drops of the national currencies. Romania still possess important amounts of natural energy but it cannot avoid dependence on importations and it is highly interested in establishing privileged partnership and co-participate in pipelines building in order to avoid dependence on Russia and get access to Caspian and Black Sea gas and oil.
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The present paper aims to develop a critical approach on one of the most urgent energy security challenges: the Arctic region. Until recently, it was considered as being a frozen desert, upon which no one raised any legal demands or interests. The global warming, the technological development and the increased need for energy resources had transformed the frozen High North into a very hot spot, where states like: US, Canada, Norway, Denmark or Russia started an energy race that threatens to escalate. The game tends to complicate as non-rim players like NATO intervene in the region and try to influence its development.
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Tatra National Park is the only national park in Poland located within Alpine mountain range. Berchtesgaden National Park can be regarded as an analogous example in Germany. So far, as many as 23 national parks have been established in Poland (1% of country’s total area), and 14 national parks in Germany (0.55%). The main aim of this article is to compare the availability of both these mountainous areas for touristic activity including legal foundations, elements of touristic development, and tourist arrivals. Touristic activity in Tatra and Berchtesgaden Alps dates back to the last decade of 19th century. No permanent tourist facilities existed in both considered parks during their official establishment: in 1954 (Tatra National Park) and 1978 (Berchtesgaden National Park). Presently, chiefly the Tatra National Park grapples with very intense tourist attractiveness. Mountain hostels available to the general public exist in both parks, but they are diverse as far as their functions and elevation above the mean sea level are concerned. Other forms of tourist facilities found in both parks include: accommodation for advanced activities (available for mountaineers and cavers) and food service. Nevertheless, ski resorts operate only in Tatras. These mountains are also distinguished by roads and parking lots located within the National Park’s boundaries whereas in Berchtesgaden Alps such infrastructure is located beyond the protected area. Both parks are comparable with respect to the length of mountain trails, but not to the number of tourist information points, something more typical for Berchtesgaden National Park. Lastly, all of the considered elements of touristic development are confronted with fixed protected zones in order to detect man-made impacts upon natural resources in both parks.
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This paper analyses Russian Federation’s energy policy as defined by relevant governmental documents drafted by Kremlin and as resulting from Moscow’s behavioural dynamics (especially those actions with a certain energy dimension). In this context, the paper identifies that although Kremlin’s energy strategy orbits around the core concepts of Gazpromization and Restauration it is still far from being the exclusive result of a monolithic archstrategy of Kremlin, but rather a flexible implementation of Moscow’s interests (deeply linked with global energy market’s price volatility). Finally, the manuscript claims that that conventional vision of Russia being an energy superpower is over dimensioned, because although Kremlin’s actions reflect a certain hegemonic approach, they are fuelled by important survivalist elements (the demographic vulnerability of Russian Federation Eastern provinces, the gas deficit which can severely hit the domestic economy, etc).
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Energy represents the vital element of a modern society, either developed or developing, because everything is achieved with it. Nowadays the hydrocarbons resources have become geostrategic reserves, their intensive exploiting threatening their existing capacities. Every modern state which doesn’t have these reserves is concerned in ensuring its energy security, moreover the continuous flow of oil and natural gas from reliable suppliers in optimum transit conditions, at affordable prices. The owner states tend to use them as geopolitical weapons, very often resorting to energy blackmail. Energy security is the newest part of the entire security concept, and it has an impact over the human, economical and political ones. The methods of obtaining it are various but they require both financial and good diplomatic resources.
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The quality of life in Romania has gradually improved in the last decade, but the current economic transnational crisis and the globalization process, not to mention some bad habits in agriculture and environment management, had generated a lot of troubles for the people and a not so bright future. The main solution would be to change the behavioral patterns of the Romanians concerning the management of available resources and a more assertive and creative attitude, that means the common people must aspire to more than simple survival and self-sufficiency. Because changing the collective mentality requires generally more than 15 years, this will be a big challenge for the Romanian society.
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Energy is an important element in human activities, an indispensable factor and a leading force of our society. Issues such as climate change, an increasing dependence on fossil fuel and rising energy costs are making us to rethink the way we produce and consume it. As for this problem, renewable sources represent a solution for a sustainable energy future. Besides renewable energy, the global demand and issues regarding the energy production, energy security supply and also the climate change, forced the governments to search alternative ways in producing energy. Within this context, the fuel cells that are producing both power and heat can fit into the context of global energy change. The prime markets for fuel cells in Romania are the local and regional one. The fuel cells assay of producing both power and heat may create a market that needs them. The diffusion of this alternative source of energy will be explained by using a market analysis for Romania, which will have as a conclusion Romania’s first step towards a sustainable fuel cell market. The paper will also show the government role in this process.
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As the planetary natural resources are limited, the European Commission has adopted a strategy and action plan called “Bioeconomy for Europe” which aims at making the renewable and bio-renewable bio-resources sustainable in food, energy and other industrial products. The key aspects of the strategy refer to: the development of technologies and processes for bioeconomy, the development of markets and competitiveness in the bioeconomy sectors, close collaboration between all actors involved: local community, state, labor force, bio suppliers, specialists in the field, scientists, economists, chemists, energetics and all the bio-industries. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the most important master programs in bioeconomics at international level and the perspectives of the masters programs in bioeconomics in Romania. The necessity to occupy the positions of specialists in fields such as bio-energy, bio-economics, bio-pharmaceutical, food security, agriculture, fish farming, forestry, green chemistry, bio-food industry supports the idea of attending bioeconomy training courses. Beginning in this new area of activity, Romania should not lose its start by rapidly and dynamically engaging in economic research and study programs that support bioeconomy.
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For the European Union as a political and strategic player, the access to natural energy resources is vital for the economic development and the well-fare of the populations. EU wants to set up energy partnerships with its main neighbors, especially with Russia, the country which provides the bulk of the natural gas and oil importations. But because Russia does not seem to always be a reliable partner, EU has to find alternative sources of energy, also trying to limit the pollution of the environment. Only when EU will manage to speak with “one voice” in the realm of energy and will convince Moscow that there is interdependency between EU and Russia, not a relation based on European dependency, there could be mutually advantageous relations for both of them.
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