Sustaining without Changing: The Metabolic Rift of Certified Organic Farming

Many proponents of organic farming claim that it is a sustainable alternative to conventional agriculture due to its reliance on natural agro-inputs, such as manure based fertilizers and organic pesticides. However, in this analysis we argue that although particular organic farming practices clearly benefit ecosystems and human consumers, the social context in which some organic farms develop, limit the potential environmental benefits of organic agriculture. Specifically, we argue that certified organic farming’s increased reliance on agro-inputs, such as organic fertilizers and pesticides, reduces its ability to decrease global water pollution. We review recent research that demonstrates the environmental consequences of specific organic practices, as well as literature showing that global organic farming is increasing its reliance on agro-inputs, and contend that organic farming has its own metabolic rift with natural water systems similar to conventional agriculture. We use a fixed-effects panel regression model to explore how recent rises in certified organic farmland correlate to water pollution (measured as biochemical oxygen demand). Our findings indicate that increases in the proportion of organic farmland over time increases water pollution. We conclude that this may be a result of organic farms increasing their reliance on non-farm agro-inputs, such as fertilizers

Latino Destinations and Environmental Inequality: Estimated Cancer Risk from Air Toxics in Latino Traditional and New Destinations

Since the 1990s, Latino migration patterns have shifted from traditional destinations to new destinations away from the Mexico border. Scholars note disparities between destinations in housing, crime, and health care, yet no study has examined environmental inequalities. In this article we employ theories of spatial assimilation and environmental inequality to evaluate health risks across Latino destinations by asking the question, is there a difference in estimated cancer risk from air toxics among established, new, and nondestination locations? Using county-level data with spatial lag regression analyses, we find that early new destinations (i.e., counties with significant Latino growth from 1990 to 2000) and recent new destinations (i.e., counties with significant Latino growth from 1990 to 2010) have higher estimated cancer risk from air toxics than established destinations (i.e., counties at or greater than the national average of Latinos in 1990) and nondestinations. The effect remains significant when controlling for various economic indicators

Is Labor Green?

In this article, we assess whether unionization of national workforces influences growth in national carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita. Political-economic theories in environmental sociology propose that labor unions have the potential to affect environmental conditions. Yet, few studies have quantitatively assessed the influence of unionization on environmental outcomes using cross-national data. We estimate multilevel regression models using data on OECD member nations from 1970 to 2014. Results from our analysis indicate that unionization, measured as the percentage of workers who are union members, is negatively associated with CO2 emissions per capita, even when controlling for labor conditions. This finding suggests that unionization may promote environmental protection at the national level

Epidemic spreading and immunization strategy in multiplex networks

A more connected world has brought major consequences such as facilitate the spread of diseases all over the world to quickly become epidemics, reason why researchers are concentrated in modeling the propagation of epidemics and outbreaks in Multilayer Networks. In this networks all nodes interact in different layers with different type of links. However, in many scenarios such as in the society, a Multiplex Network framework is not completely suitable since not all individuals participate in all layers. In this paper, we use a partially overlapped Multiplex Network where only a fraction of the individuals are shared by the layers. We develop a mitigation strategy for stopping a disease propagation, considering the Susceptible-Infected-Recover model, in a system consisted by two layers. We consider a random immunization in one of the layers and study the effect of the overlapping fraction in both, the propagation of the disease and the immunization strategy. Using branching theory, we study this scenario theoretically and via simulations and find a lower epidemic threshold than in the case without strategy.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, accepted in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS

Impossible Choices: How Workers Manage Unpredictable Scheduling Practices

A total of 16 percent of hourly workers and 36 percent of workers paid on some other basis experience unstable work schedules due to irregular, on-call, rotating, or split shifts, which negatively impact workers’ ability to manage family responsibilities, finances, and health. Primarily drawing on data from in-depth interviews conducted in Oregon in 2016, this study expands research on how workers navigate through “bad jobs” by exploring the ways in which they respond in an attempt to manage the individual impacts of precarious work arrangements. We found that workers respond to unpredictable scheduling in four ways: they acquiesce, self-advocate, quit, or directly oppose employers. Our findings highlight the “impossible choices” workers face as they negotiate prevalent, unpredictable work conditions, juggle work-life obligations, and struggle to remain employed. We conclude with fair week, work policy recommendations

The Feminine Margin: The Re-Imagining of One Professor\u27s Rhetorical Pedagogy--A Curriculum Project

Writing pedagogy uses techniques that institutionalize dichotomous thinking rather than work against it. Cartesian duality has helped to create the marginalization of people, environments, and animals inherent in Western thought. Writing pedagogy based in current-traditional rhetoric uses a writing process that reinforces the hierarchical structure of Self/Other, Author/Reader, and Teacher/Student. This structure, in conjunction with capitalism, prioritizes the self and financial gain while diminishing and objectifying the other. The thought process behind the objectification and monetization of the other created the unsustainable business and life practices behind global warming, racism, sexism, and environmental destruction. A reframing of pedagogical writing practices can fight dichotomous thinking by re-imagining student writers as counter-capitalism content creators. Changing student perceptions from isolation to a transmodern, humanitarian, and feminist ethics of care model uses a self-reflexive ethnography to form a pedagogy of writing that challenges dichotomous thought—by focusing on transparency in my teaching practice, the utilization of liminality through images, the use of technology to publish student work, and both instructor and student self-reflection as a part of the writing and communication process. This practice has led me to a theory of resistance and influence that I have titled The Resistance Hurricane, a definition of digital rhetoric that includes humanitarian and feminist objectives that I have titled Electric Rhetoric, and a definition for the digitally mediated product of that rhetoric that I call Electric Blooms or electracy after Gregory Ulmer\u27s term for digital media

Keynote address: Community health in Las Vegas

New Urbanists present both a theory for strong community development and an architectural planning program for moving towards sustainable urban environments. They argue neighborhoods should be compact, pedestrian-friendly, with mixed-usage of housing and activities, and available public spaces. These design elements foster and encourage social interaction among residents which creates and enforces neighborhood community. I tested New Urbanism Theory by performing ethnographic fieldwork to assess the quality of neighborhoods in Las Vegas. Then I compared neighborhood qualities to residents’ responses to their neighborhood, neighbors, and quality of life from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area Social Survey. My results confirmed New Urbanist claims

La representación del espacio en instituciones totales : Una mirada desde la antropología visual

Resumen temporalmente no disponible. La presente obra no cuenta con resumen provisto por el autor.Fil. Alvarez, Camila. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras

Fe-Mn/ZrO2 catalysts: Sulfate-based-advanced oxidation process for the degradation of olive oil industry model pollutants

Fe, Mn and a bimetallic Fe[sbnd]Mn catalysts supported on ZrO2 were synthesized and tested for the activation of persulfate (PS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in the degradation reaction of three different organic compounds: cinnamic acid (CA), benzoic acid (BA), and catechol (C). The catalysts were prepared and tested in order to evaluate the effect of the metal and the metal combination on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The characterization of the catalysts was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The best degradation results were obtained when PMS was activated with the bimetallic Fe-Mn/ZrO2 catalyst in the CA degradation. Moreover, the Fe-Mn/ZrO2 catalyst reusability was tested for up to three consecutive cycles of reaction, with mineralization levels >90%. A synergistic effect between the Fe and Mn metal species, which increases the catalyst activity if compared to the monometallic catalysts, is postulated. Both sulfate and hydroxyl radicals were generated in the PMS activation process. The activation mechanisms of the oxidants were proposed.Fil: Loffredo, Camila Macarena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Química del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Química. Instituto de Química del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Dennehy, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Química del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Química. Instituto de Química del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Química del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Química. Instituto de Química del Sur; Argentin