Organizing Communities to Protect West Virginia's Natural Environment: Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC)

The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC) is a relatively small group that effectively takes on the most powerful industrial interests in West Virginia. Since 1987 Janet Fout, Dianne Bady (and their cofounder, the late Laura Forman), have organized Appalachian communities to protect their air, water and mountains from being destroyed for oil, timber, coal and other profitable enterprises

Taxing Fracking: Proposals for Ohio's Severance Tax

Outlines the proposal to raise the state's severance tax on oil and gas extracted by fracking and return most of the revenues in income tax cuts, concerns with the proposal, and recommendations for using the severance tax to restore jobs and services

Fish fights over fish rights: managing exit from the fisheries and security implications in Southeast Asia: Philippines case study on conflicts arising from zoning of municipal waters

Disputes, Aquaculture, Water rights, ISEW, Philippines,

The biology and behaviour of a free-living population of black rats (Rattus rattus)

A population of wild Rattus rattus living in the roofs of the laboratory buildings was studied by supplying food every evening and watching the behaviour of the animals at the feeding place. Some observations were also made on caged animals. The rats were predominantly of the black rattus variety but white-bellied greys appeared now and then. In breeding tests the grey colour behaved as though determined by a single recessive gene. The study covered two periods of approximately 9 months each, separated by an interval of 3 months during which a reduced quantity of food was provided and the rat population underwent a major decline. During the two periods of richer feeding the population first increased and then stabilized at a level where the animals remained in good condition and there was no starvation. In the first 9-month period, stabilization was achieved by emigration of young adults who colonized neighbouring buildings. Towards the end of the second period, stabilization was achieved by limitation of breeding. The rats accepted a wide variety of foods, including meat, and a number of instances of predation were seen. Small vertebrates as well as insects were killed and eaten. Small pieces of food were usually eaten in situ but large bits were taken up to the nests in the roof. Such differential treatment in relation to size may be a factor of some importance in the evolution of hoarding. The rats visiting the feeding place formed a unit with a definite social structure. A single dominant male and never more than one, was always present and in certain circumstances a linear male hierarchy was formed. There were usually two or three mutually tolerant top ranking females who were subordinate to the top male but dominant to all other members of the group. Within the group attacks were directed downwards in the social scale. An attacked subordinate either fled or appeased and serious fights therefore did not develop. The most essential component of the appease. ment appeared to be a mouth to mouth contact which may be derived from the infantile pattern of 'mouth suckling'. Appeasement permitted superior rats to maintain their status without the necessity of carrying attacks on subordinates to the point where actual hurt was inflicted. A group territory round the feeding place was defended against interlopers. Both sexes took part in chasing out intruders but since males showed inhibition in attacking females, the exclusion of strange females was due principally to the activities of the home females. The point at which pursuit of an intruder stopped was regarded as the territorial boundary. This was also the limit beyond which a group member would not allow himself to be chased but it was not a prison wall. When agonistic tendencies were not aroused the animals no longer always I turned back at the boundary and foraging beyond its limits allowed them to become familiar with an area larger than the territory. Although intruders were normally driven out, it was occasionally possible for a particularly determined animal of either sex to force its way in and ultimately become a member of the group. The patterns of behaviour seen are described, particularly those concerned with hostile encounters and with mating. Scent marking with urine drip trails was not seen but adults of both sexes marked by rubbing the cheeks and ventral surface on branches. The circumstances in which tooth gnashing was heard suggest that this behaviour is not a form of threat but a response to unfamiliar auditory or visual stimuli. There was some evidence that it functioned as an alarm signal within the group. Pilo-erection and a gait or posture with the hind legs much extended ('stegosauring') are considered to function as threats. Pilo-erection occurred in situations where there was little to suggest conflict and is considered to represent a form of threat which has undergone emancipation. Various forms of displacement and ambivalent behaviour were seen. Rapid vibration of the tail occurred in thwarting situations, either during mating or when a defeated opponent suddenly vanished. There was no evidence that it acted as a signal. The common form of amicable behaviour was social grooming. Another amicable action was sitting together with the bodies in contact. Animals reared in cages remained shy and wary and even hand reared young developed the usual alarm responses to movement and noises. Females had their first litters at ages of 3 to 5 months. For first litters gestation periods were 21 to 22 days but in females that were simultaneously lactating they ranged from 23 to 29 days. Eight was the commonest litter number and ten the highest recorded. At birth the tail is very much shorter than the body but has outstripped it by the time the youngster emerges from the nest. This was found to be the result of a period of extremely rapid tail growth immediately preceding emergence. In Rattus norvegicus the peak in tail growth rate was found to be later and less striking. The difference is interpreted as related to the importance of the tail in climbing in the more arboreal R. rattus. During the second week of life an edge response (retreat from a declivity) and a clinging response made their appearance: these have the function of preventing accidental falls from a nest situated above ground level. Mouth suckling was seen only during a period of a few days towards the end of lactation. Play developed within a few days of emergence from the nest: locomotor and fighting play were the common types. Older animals occasionally joined in play with the young. In problem solving tests, first solutions were not insightful but once a solution had been found, the successful technique was at once adopted and subsequently perfected. There was no evidence of learning by imitation but the rats did learn from each other's behaviour that food could be obtained at a certain location and thus the solution of a problem by one rat accelerated its independent solution by others. The reasons for the differences between the behaviour of the free living population and the caged animals studied by other authors are discussed

The resources and strategies that 10-11 year-old boy use to construct masculinities in the school setting

The data in this paper comes from an ethnographic exploration into the construction of masculinities in three junior schools in the UK between 1998 and 1999. I argue that the construction and performance of masculinity is inextricably linked to the acquisition of status within the school peer group, and I delineate the specific series of resources and strategies that the boys draw on and use in each setting to achieve this. The different meanings and practices at each school, and the different array of resources available, means that there are a different set of options and/or opportunities within each school setting to do boy, and I classify these as being either open (possible), restricted (more difficult), or closed (almost impossible). The principal and most esteemed resource used by the boys was physicality and athleticism, and I highlight the link between masculinity and the body

Mummies and masquerades: English and Caribbean connections

The composite mumming play script that the Ecclesfield-based Victorian children's author Juliana Horatia Ewing published in 1884 found its way to St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, where it was it was taken up enthusiastically by the black population as one of its Christmas Sports. The Mummies continue to act (and dance) to this day. Economic migrants took the Christmas Sports in turn to the Dominican Republic, in particular around the town of San Pedro de Macoris, where the performers recently gained a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Award. This paper derives from a presentation based around two videos, presented here as story boards. Millington introduces Ewing's play, and footage of the St Kitts Mummies and the Bull Play filmed by Joan McMurray. James continues the story by introducing footage of the related tradition from the Dominican Republic called the Wild Indians in English and Los Guloyas (the Goliaths) in Spanish

Troublesome youth groups, gangs and knife carrying in Scotland

"... the research reported here set out to: Provide an overview of what is known about the nature and extent of youth gang activity and knife carrying in a set of case study locations; Provide an in-depth account of the structures and activities of youth gangs in these settings; Provide an in-depth account of the knife carrying in these settings; Offer a series of recommendations for interventions in these behaviours based on this evidence." - exec. summary

A qualitative study of factors affecting mental health amongst low-income working mothers in Bangalore, India.

BackgroundLow-income urban working mothers face many challenges in their domestic, environmental, and working conditions that may affect their mental health. In India, a high prevalence of mental health disorders has been recorded in young women, but there has been little research to examine the factors that affect their mental health at home and work.MethodsThrough a primarily qualitative approach, we studied the relationship between work, caring for family, spousal support, stress relief strategies and mental health amongst forty eight low-income working mothers residing in urban slums across Bangalore, India. Participants were construction workers, domestic workers, factory workers and fruit and vegetable street vendors. Qualitative data analysis themes included state of mental health, factors that affected mental health positively or negatively, manifestations and consequences of stress and depression, and stress mitigators.ResultsEven in our small sample of women, we found evidence of extreme depression, including suicidal ideation and attempted suicide. Women who have an alcoholic and/or abusive husband, experience intimate partner violence, are raising children with special needs, and lack adequate support for child care appear to be more susceptible to severe and prolonged periods of depression and suicide attempts. Factors that pointed towards reduced anxiety and depression were social support from family, friends and colleagues and fulfilment from work.ConclusionThis qualitative study raises concerns that low-income working mothers in urban areas in India are at high risk for depression, and identifies common factors that create and mitigate stress in this population group. We discuss implications of the findings for supporting the mental health of urban working women in the Indian context. The development of the national mental health policy in India and its subsequent implementation should draw on existing research documenting factors associated with negative mental health amongst specific population groups in order to ensure greater impact

The Future Role of the Philanthropy Sector Fighting HIV/AIDS

This paper discusses the possible role of the philanthropic sector in funding the fight against HIV/AIDS over the next 10 to 20 years