The dramatic impact of climate change is physically and economically affecting the world, a consequence of neglecting scientific information known since the 1960s and 1970s. International discussion has focused on the needs of the physical environment and general health concerns (such addressing greenhouse gas production and population health issues); however, little acknowledgement has yet bee...

BACKGROUND Although controlled laboratory experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the sensitivity of allergenic pollen production to future climatic change (ie, increased CO(2) and temperature), no in situ data are available. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this investigation was to assess, under realistic conditions, the impact of climatic change on pollen production of common ragweed, a ubi...

Asset, activity and income diversification lie at the heart of livelihood strategies in rural Africa. This paper introduces a special issue on the topic “Income Diversification and Livelihoods in Rural Africa: Cause and Consequence of Change.” We concentrate on core conceptual issues that bedevil the literature on rural income diversification and the policy implications of the empirical evidenc...

The concession of rural credit in the Brazilian Amazon became conditional upon stricter legal and environmental requirements in 2008. This paper uses this policy change to investigate credit constraints in the region, and how the variation in credit impacts deforestation. Di!erences-indi!erences estimation based on a panel of municipalities shows that the policy change led to a reduction in rur...