romikgosai/squad_modified huggingface dataset:
Tax shifting has been widely discussed and endorsed by economists. It involves lowering income taxes while raising levies on environmentally destructive activities, in order to create a more responsive market. For example, a tax on coal that included the increased health care costs associated with breathing polluted air, the costs of acid rain damage, and the costs of climate disruption would encourage investment in renewable technologies. Several Western European countries are already shifting taxes in a process known there as environmental tax reform.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What involves lowering income taxes while raising levies?
A: Tax shifting', '
Q: Several Western European companies are shifting taxes in a process known as what?
A: environmental tax reform', '
Q: What is the purpose of tax shifting?
A: to create a more responsive market']
Just as there is a need for tax shifting, there is also a need for subsidy shifting. Subsidies are not an inherently bad thing as many technologies and industries emerged through government subsidy schemes. The Stern Review explains that of 20 key innovations from the past 30 years, only one of the 14 was funded entirely by the private sector and nine were totally publicly funded. In terms of specific examples, the Internet was the result of publicly funded links among computers in government laboratories and research institutes. And the combination of the federal tax deduction and a robust state tax deduction in California helped to create the modern wind power industry.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Besides tax shifting, what is another need?
A: subsidy shifting', '
Q: What was the result of publicly funded links among computers in government labs and reserach institutes?
A: the Internet', '
Q: What helped create the modern wind power industry?
A: federal tax deduction and a robust state tax deduction in California']
Renewable energy commercialization involves the deployment of three generations of renewable energy technologies dating back more than 100 years. First-generation technologies, which are already mature and economically competitive, include biomass, hydroelectricity, geothermal power and heat. Second-generation technologies are market-ready and are being deployed at the present time; they include solar heating, photovoltaics, wind power, solar thermal power stations, and modern forms of bioenergy. Third-generation technologies require continued R&D efforts in order to make large contributions on a global scale and include advanced biomass gasification, hot-dry-rock geothermal power, and ocean energy. As of 2012, renewable energy accounts for about half of new nameplate electrical capacity installed and costs are continuing to fall.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: As of 2012, what accounts for about half of new nameplate electrical capacity?
A: renewable energy', '
Q: What involves the deployment of three generations of renewable energy technologies dating back more than 100 years?
A: Renewable energy commercialization', '
Q: Name one second-generation technology that is market ready.
A: wind power']
Lester Brown has argued that "a world facing the prospect of economically disruptive climate change can no longer justify subsidies to expand the burning of coal and oil. Shifting these subsidies to the development of climate-benign energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal power is the key to stabilizing the earth's climate." The International Solar Energy Society advocates "leveling the playing field" by redressing the continuing inequities in public subsidies of energy technologies and R&D, in which the fossil fuel and nuclear power receive the largest share of financial support.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What group advocates leveling the playing field?
A: International Solar Energy Society', '
Q: How does the International Solar Energy Society propse to level the playing field?
A: by redressing the continuing inequities in public subsidies of energy technologies and R&D', "
Q: What is the key to stabilizing the earth's climate?
A: development of climate-benign energy sources"]
Some countries are eliminating or reducing climate disrupting subsidies and Belgium, France, and Japan have phased out all subsidies for coal. Germany is reducing its coal subsidy. The subsidy dropped from $5.4 billion in 1989 to $2.8 billion in 2002, and in the process Germany lowered its coal use by 46 percent. China cut its coal subsidy from $750 million in 1993 to $240 million in 1995 and more recently has imposed a high-sulfur coal tax. However, the United States has been increasing its support for the fossil fuel and nuclear industries.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What country is reducing its coal subsidy?
A: Germany', '
Q: What country has been increasing its support for the fossil fuel and nuclear industries?
A: United States', '
Q: Some countries have phased out all subsidies for what substance?
A: coal']
Setting national renewable energy targets can be an important part of a renewable energy policy and these targets are usually defined as a percentage of the primary energy and/or electricity generation mix. For example, the European Union has prescribed an indicative renewable energy target of 12 per cent of the total EU energy mix and 22 per cent of electricity consumption by 2010. National targets for individual EU Member States have also been set to meet the overall target. Other developed countries with defined national or regional targets include Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, and some US States.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Setting national renewable energy targets can be an important part of what?
A: renewable energy policy', '
Q: The European Union has prescribed an indicative renewable energy target of what percent?
A: 12 per cent of the total EU energy mix', '
Q: Name one outher country with defined national or regional target?
A: Australia']
Public policy determines the extent to which renewable energy (RE) is to be incorporated into a developed or developing country's generation mix. Energy sector regulators implement that policy—thus affecting the pace and pattern of RE investments and connections to the grid. Energy regulators often have authority to carry out a number of functions that have implications for the financial feasibility of renewable energy projects. Such functions include issuing licenses, setting performance standards, monitoring the performance of regulated firms, determining the price level and structure of tariffs, establishing uniform systems of accounts, arbitrating stakeholder disputes (like interconnection cost allocations), performing management audits, developing agency human resources (expertise), reporting sector and commission activities to government authorities, and coordinating decisions with other government agencies. Thus, regulators make a wide range of decisions that affect the financial outcomes associated with RE investments. In addition, the sector regulator is in a position to give advice to the government regarding the full implications of focusing on climate change or energy security. The energy sector regulator is the natural advocate for efficiency and cost-containment throughout the process of designing and implementing RE policies. Since policies are not self-implementing, energy sector regulators become a key facilitator (or blocker) of renewable energy investments.

Questions and answers:
["
Q: What determines the extent to which renewable energy is to be incorporated into a country's generation mix?
A: Public policy", '
Q: Who has the authority to carry out a number of functions that havae implications for the feasiblity of renewable energy projects?
A: Energy regulators', '
Q: Why have energy sector regulators become a key facilitator of renewable energy investments?
A: Since policies are not self-implementing']
The driving force behind voluntary green electricity within the EU are the liberalized electricity markets and the RES Directive. According to the directive the EU Member States must ensure that the origin of electricity produced from renewables can be guaranteed and therefore a "guarantee of origin" must be issued (article 15). Environmental organisations are using the voluntary market to create new renewables and improving sustainability of the existing power production. In the US the main tool to track and stimulate voluntary actions is Green-e program managed by Center for Resource Solutions. In Europe the main voluntary tool used by the NGOs to promote sustainable electricity production is EKOenergy label.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What is the driving force behind voluntary green electricity within the EU?
A: liberalized electricity markets', '
Q: What states that EU Member States must ensure that the origin of electricity produced from renewables can be guaranteed?
A: RES Directive', '
Q: In the US, what is the main tool to track and stimulate voluntary actions?
A: Green-e program']
A number of events in 2006 pushed renewable energy up the political agenda, including the US mid-term elections in November, which confirmed clean energy as a mainstream issue. Also in 2006, the Stern Review made a strong economic case for investing in low carbon technologies now, and argued that economic growth need not be incompatible with cutting energy consumption. According to a trend analysis from the United Nations Environment Programme, climate change concerns coupled with recent high oil prices and increasing government support are driving increasing rates of investment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What made a strong economic case for investing in low carbon technologies?
A: Stern Review', '
Q: In what year did a number of events push renewable energy up the political agenda?
A: 2006', '
Q: What is driving increasing rates of investment in the renewable energy industry?
A: climate change concerns coupled with recent high oil prices']
New government spending, regulation, and policies helped the industry weather the 2009 economic crisis better than many other sectors. Most notably, U.S. President Barack Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included more than $70 billion in direct spending and tax credits for clean energy and associated transportation programs. This policy-stimulus combination represents the largest federal commitment in U.S. history for renewables, advanced transportation, and energy conservation initiatives. Based on these new rules, many more utilities strengthened their clean-energy programs. Clean Edge suggests that the commercialization of clean energy will help countries around the world deal with the current economic malaise. Once-promising solar energy company, Solyndra, became involved in a political controversy involving U.S. President Barack Obama's administration's authorization of a $535 million loan guarantee to the Corporation in 2009 as part of a program to promote alternative energy growth. The company ceased all business activity, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and laid-off nearly all of its employees in early September 2011.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What helped the industry weather the 2009 economic crisis better than other sectors?
A: New government spending, regulation, and policies', '
Q: What suggests that the commercialization of clean energy will hellp countries deal with economic malaise?
A: commercialization of clean energy', '
Q: Which company became invovled in a political controversy?
A: Solyndra', '
Q: What company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy?
A: Solyndra']
As of 2012, renewable energy plays a major role in the energy mix of many countries globally. Renewables are becoming increasingly economic in both developing and developed countries. Prices for renewable energy technologies, primarily wind power and solar power, continued to drop, making renewables competitive with conventional energy sources. Without a level playing field, however, high market penetration of renewables is still dependent on a robust promotional policies. Fossil fuel subsidies, which are far higher than those for renewable energy, remain in place and quickly need to be phased out.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What plays a major role in the energy mix of many countries?
A: renewable energy', '
Q: What is becoming increasingly economic in both developing and devloped countries?
A: Renewables', '
Q: As of 2012, prices for what commodity continued to drop?
A: renewable energy technologies']
United Nations' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that "renewable energy has the ability to lift the poorest nations to new levels of prosperity". In October 2011, he "announced the creation of a high-level group to drum up support for energy access, energy efficiency and greater use of renewable energy. The group is to be co-chaired by Kandeh Yumkella, the chair of UN Energy and director general of the UN Industrial Development Organisation, and Charles Holliday, chairman of Bank of America".

Questions and answers:
["
Q: Who is United Nations' Secretary-General?
A: Ban Ki-moon", '
Q: Ban Ki-moon states that renewable energy has the ability to lift the poorest nations to new levels of prosperity?
A: renewable energy', '
Q: Who is chair of UN Energy?
A: Kandeh Yumkella', '
Q: Who is chairman of Bank of America?
A: Charles Holliday']
Worldwide use of solar power and wind power continued to grow significantly in 2012. Solar electricity consumption increased by 58 percent, to 93 terawatt-hours (TWh). Use of wind power in 2012 increased by 18.1 percent, to 521.3 TWh. Global solar and wind energy installed capacities continued to expand even though new investments in these technologies declined during 2012. Worldwide investment in solar power in 2012 was $140.4 billion, an 11 percent decline from 2011, and wind power investment was down 10.1 percent, to $80.3 billion. But due to lower production costs for both technologies, total installed capacities grew sharply. This investment decline, but growth in installed capacity, may again occur in 2013. Analysts expect the market to triple by 2030. In 2015, investment in renewables exceeded fossils.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: In 2012, solar electricity consumption increased by what percentage?
A: 58 percent', '
Q: Use of wind power in 2012 increased by what percentage?
A: 18.1 percent', '
Q: How much was the worldwide investment in solar power in 2012?
A: $140.4 billion', '
Q: Analysts expect the market to triple by what year?
A: 2030', '
Q: In what year did investment in renewables exceed fossils?
A: 2015']
The incentive to use 100% renewable energy, for electricity, transport, or even total primary energy supply globally, has been motivated by global warming and other ecological as well as economic concerns. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that there are few fundamental technological limits to integrating a portfolio of renewable energy technologies to meet most of total global energy demand. In reviewing 164 recent scenarios of future renewable energy growth, the report noted that the majority expected renewable sources to supply more than 17% of total energy by 2030, and 27% by 2050; the highest forecast projected 43% supplied by renewables by 2030 and 77% by 2050. Renewable energy use has grown much faster than even advocates anticipated. At the national level, at least 30 nations around the world already have renewable energy contributing more than 20% of energy supply. Also, Professors S. Pacala and Robert H. Socolow have developed a series of "stabilization wedges" that can allow us to maintain our quality of life while avoiding catastrophic climate change, and "renewable energy sources," in aggregate, constitute the largest number of their "wedges."

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What motivated the incentive to use 100 percent renewable energy?
A: global warming', '
Q: How many nations already have renewable energy contributing to more than 20 percent of energy supply?
A: at least 30 nations', '
Q: Who developed a series of stabilization wedges?
A: Professors S. Pacala and Robert H. Socolow']
Mark Z. Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University and director of its Atmosphere and Energy Program says producing all new energy with wind power, solar power, and hydropower by 2030 is feasible and existing energy supply arrangements could be replaced by 2050. Barriers to implementing the renewable energy plan are seen to be "primarily social and political, not technological or economic". Jacobson says that energy costs with a wind, solar, water system should be similar to today's energy costs.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Who is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University?
A: Mark Z. Jacobson', '
Q: What is a barrier to implementing the renewable energy plan?
A: social and political', "
Q: Who stated that energy costs with a wind, solar, water system should be similar to today's energy costs?
A: Mark Z. Jacobson", '
Q: Jacobson says producing all new energy with wind power, solar power and hydropower is feasible by what year?
A: 2030']
Similarly, in the United States, the independent National Research Council has noted that "sufficient domestic renewable resources exist to allow renewable electricity to play a significant role in future electricity generation and thus help confront issues related to climate change, energy security, and the escalation of energy costs … Renewable energy is an attractive option because renewable resources available in the United States, taken collectively, can supply significantly greater amounts of electricity than the total current or projected domestic demand." .

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Why is renewable energy an attractive option?
A: can supply significantly greater amounts of electricity than the total current or projected domestic demand', '
Q: In what country is the National Research Council located?
A: United States', '
Q: Sufficient domestic reneewable resources exist for what reason?
A: to allow renewable electricity to play a significant role in future electricity generation']
Palermo (Italian: [paˈlɛrmo] ( listen), Sicilian: Palermu, Latin: Panormus, from Greek: Πάνορμος, Panormos, Arabic: بَلَرْم‎, Balarm; Phoenician: זִיז, Ziz) is a city in Insular Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old. Palermo is located in the northwest of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: For what is Palermo known?
A: history, culture, architecture and gastronomy', '
Q: How old is the city of Palermo?
A: 2,700 years old', '
Q: On what island is Palermo located?
A: Sicily']
The city was founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians as Ziz ('flower'). Palermo then became a possession of Carthage, before becoming part of the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire and eventually part of the Byzantine Empire, for over a thousand years. The Greeks named the city Panormus meaning 'complete port'. From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule during the Emirate of Sicily when the city first became a capital. The Arabs shifted the Greek name into Balarm, the root for Palermo's present-day name. Following the Norman reconquest, Palermo became the capital of a new kingdom (from 1130 to 1816), the Kingdom of Sicily and the capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Frederick II Holy Roman Emperor and Conrad IV of Germany, King of the Romans. Eventually Sicily would be united with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification of 1860.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: In what year was Palermo founded?
A: 734 BC', '
Q: What name was Palermo originally founded as?
A: Ziz', '
Q: What group of people founded Palermo?
A: the Phoenicians', '
Q: What did the Greeks name Palermo?
A: Panormus', '
Q: During which years was Palermo ruled by the Arabs?
A: 831 to 1072']
Palermo is Sicily's cultural, economic and touristic capital. It is a city rich in history, culture, art, music and food. Numerous tourists are attracted to the city for its good Mediterranean weather, its renowned gastronomy and restaurants, its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque churches, palaces and buildings, and its nightlife and music. Palermo is the main Sicilian industrial and commercial center: the main industrial sectors include tourism, services, commerce and agriculture. Palermo currently has an international airport, and a significant underground economy.[citation needed] In fact, for cultural, artistic and economic reasons, Palermo was one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean and is now among the top tourist destinations in both Italy and Europe. The city is also going through careful redevelopment, preparing to become one of the major cities of the Euro-Mediterranean area.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What types of churches attract tourists to Palermo?
A: Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque', "
Q: Which town is Sicily's primary industrial and commercial center?
A: Palermo", "
Q: What are Palermo's four main industrial sectors?
A: tourism, services, commerce and agriculture"]
Palermo is surrounded by mountains, formed of calcar, which form a cirque around the city. Some districts of the city are divided by the mountains themselves. Historically, it was relatively difficult to reach the inner part of Sicily from the city because of the mounts. The tallest peak of the range is La Pizzuta, about 1,333 m (4,373 ft.) high. However, historically, the most important mount is Monte Pellegrino, which is geographically separated from the rest of the range by a plain. The mount lies right in front of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Monte Pellegrino's cliff was described in the 19th century by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, as "The most beautiful promontory in the world", in his essay "Italian Journey".

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What geographic form is Palermo surrounded by?
A: mountains', '
Q: What geographic form is Palermo surrounded by?
A: mountains', '
Q: Which author desribed Monte Pelegrino as "The most beautiful promontory in the world?"
A: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,', '
Q: Which is the tallest mountain in Sicily?
A: La Pizzuta', '
Q: Where is Monte Pellegrino in relation to other peaks?
A: geographically separated from the rest of the range by a plain']
Today both the Papireto river and the Kemonia are covered up by buildings. However, the shape of the former watercourses can still be recognised today, because the streets that were built on them follow their shapes. Today the only waterway not drained yet is the Oreto river that divides the downtown of the city from the western uptown and the industrial districts. In the basins there were, though, many seasonal torrents that helped formed swampy plains, reclaimed during history; a good example of which can be found in the borough of Mondello.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: How can former rivers be recognised presently?
A: the streets that were built on them follow their shapes', '
Q: What is the only remaining waterway in Palermo?
A: Oreto river', '
Q: Which two former rivers in Palermo are currently building sites?
A: Papireto river and the Kemonia']