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The empirical evidence of Kondratieff cycles is highly controversial. In this paper, the question is analysed how far World War I and II are responsible for this situation. It is shown that after estimating the effects of the Wars and other exogenous shocks the long-term economic development is characterized not by Kondratieff - but rather by Kuznets cycles. The long-term growth rate for the US economy seems constant, for the European economies there are significant changes in speed of the growth process. These growth phases seem to be in significant inverse correlation with the innovation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europe has to face new problems. Since the WWII catastrophe, it has renounced to internal wars. And, under the American umbrella, it can provide for such an ambition. It stands for the voice of Kant's vision of international relations. However, as it is protected by USA, the European position as regard to risks of war arising may seem ambiguous. If it wants to be credible, it has to give good example at its borders. But, two cases, in Caucasia and in Africa, show that it is not so. This paper aims at recalling how the ‘geographic-induced’ war pressures, during the European history, above all since 1800 (the Napoleonic wars) and even more since 1914 (the first world war) were. This first enables to look at the way the situation has essentially evolved, and secondly how that very situation can modify the verdict of the Modelski-Goldstein's theory about risks of war in the world for the coming fifty years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we describe the Neutrec ® process, a flue gas cleaning technique, consisting in the addition of dry Sodium Bicarbonate and active carbon in the gas flow to be treated. As this technique complies with the most stringent requirements in the new European Waste Legislation (2000/76/EC) with low cost, its development has been very high in the last ten years. Attached is a table showing the evolution of the emission limit values from 1989 up to the new Directive 2000/76/EC. With the aim to show the simplicity of this technology, reference is made to the chemical and physical principies and reactions which allow acids to be neutralized and dioxins and heavy metals present in the flow to be adsorbed. A typical Neutrec ® installation is then described and its main advantages are also explained. Finally, mention is made of techniques for recycling and purification for Sodium Salts obtained from the fume treatment. As an example the SOLVAL facility in Italy is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas multi-stage flue gas cleaning concepts were first primarily applied after the implementation of strict emission thresholds in the 17. BImSchV in Germany and in similar regulations in the Netherlands and Austria at the beginning of the nineties, which contained several selective separating stages for the individual pollutants, a trend has now been noticed, in Germany as well, towards less expensive, integrated flue gas cleaning plants processes applied to Municipal Waste Combustors (MWCs) and other waste incineration technologies. Simplification of process chains normally means doing without the recycling of treated products into the economic circuit. There are a kind of mixed products generated instead which serve as packing material in old mines or, after adequate chemico-physical treatment, are used for landfill without any impact on the environment. Not only the plant components required for proper flue gas cleaning are reduced as a result thereof, but also the number of plant components for residue treatment, part of which are often rather sophisticated and expensive. The very low and stringent emission limits are met with the use of improved or new additives and control technologies. The introduction of an EC regulation comparable to the German BImSchV for the incineration of municipal solid waste, and also the increased requirements on pollutant control measures in some Asian countries, have meant that development of cost-effective flue gas cleaning solutions is mandatory. In some countries, the importance of high thermal or electrical efficiency of a waste-to-energy facility will lead to enhanced heat recovery processes in the flue gas cleaning plant as well. In this paper suitable flue gas cleaning concepts shall be presented, depending on site-specific cost limits and emission thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]