Space law and space resources

Space industrialization is confronting space law with problems that are changing old and shaping new legal principles. The return to the Moon, the next logical step beyond the space station, will establish a permanent human presence there. Science and engineering, manufacturing and mining will involve the astronauts in the settlement of the solar system. These pioneers, from many nations, will need a legal, political, and social framework to structure their lives and interactions. International and even domestic space law are only the beginning of this framework. Dispute resolution and simple experience will be needed in order to develop, over time, a new social system for the new regime of space

GIS-based approach for assessing the energy potential and the financial feasibility of run-off-river hydro-power in Alpine valleys

In the last decade, European attractive policies are favoring the construction of new run-off hydro-power plants. The realization cost of these plants is quite low in mountain areas thanks to small water discharges and high gross heads. For this reason, small rivers have been strongly exploited without considering an optimal use of the resource. Nowadays, available sites are often in areas with low accessibility and a greater specific cost of civil engineering works. However, during the planning of new small hydro-power plants, the dependency of physical, technical, legal and financial variable on space is often not assessed. The tool presented in this paper addresses this gap to support the planning of run-off-river plants. The method improves on previous approaches by (1) integrating all the legal, technical and financial analysis in a GIS tool, and (2) trying to validate the site-specific model with local knowledge. The tool is applied to the Gesso and Vermenagna valleys in the Alps. Information and data were collected and discussed with local stakeholders in order to improve the model results

Engineering Feasibility Study of Fire Island as a Location for a Future Correctional Facility: Final Report

The "Legal Factors" section appearing on page 38–50 of this report was prepared by Stephen Conn of the UAA Justice Center, School of Justice. / This report is part of the Fire Island Prison Feasibility Study, a project conducted jointly by the School of Justice and School of Engineering at University of Alaska, Anchorage under contract to the Alaska Department of Corrections. The project undertook to assess the feasibility of locating a correctional facility on a 4,240 acre tract of land on Fire Island, which lies in Upper Cook Inlet about three miles off Point Campbell within the Municipality of Anchorage. The project was divided into three major phases: (1) an assessment of future bed space needs of the Alaska Department of Corrections; (2) an evaluation of the physical site and cost estimates for prison construction and operation; and (3) a public opinion survey and open discussion.This report provides the final results of an engineering assessment and evaluation of a 4,240 acre tract of land on Fire Island for a proposed correctional facility. Fire Island is an island in Upper Cook Inlet about three miles off Point Campbell within the Municipality of Anchorage. The report describes climatic and geophysical factors on the island including temperature, precipitation, wind, topography, geology and soils, seismicity, slide potential, and coastal erosion; facility site evaluation including suitability of soils for building foundations, transportation and site access, utility availability (water, wastewater and solid waste disposal, electricity, and communications), and legal factors (constitutional issues, prison security, and access to prisons); and estimated construction costs. Comparisons with alternative prison sites at Palmer and Goose Bay, both located within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, are provided. A bibliography of land and facility studies of Fire Island is included.Alaska Department of Corrections1. Executive Summary / 2. Introduction / 3 . Location of the Fire Island Site / 4. Engineering Feasibility of Fire Island as a Potential Prison Site / 5. Estimated Construction Costs for Correctional Facilities / 6. Benefits and Liabilities of Alternative Sites / 7. Summary and Conclusions / References / Bibliography of Fire Island Land and Facilities Studie

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 39 Number 1, Spring 1997

6 - BLUE SKY INVASION Searching for the American Dream, aerospace workers transform the Santa Clara Valley. By David Beers \u2779, Illustrations by Dug Waggoner 15 - SEEING IS BELIEVING Professor Sally Wood develops software to help students visualize basic engineering concepts. By Laura Trujillo \u2792 18 - CONFRONTING THE SCARS OF CENTURIES A legal challenge to California\u27s Proposition 209 is the latest round in a long- running debate over affirmative action. By Margaret M. Russell 26 - SHADOWY ALLIANCE A recent expose alleging CIA links to the crack cocaine epidemic in California\u27s inner cities raises questions about responsibility and truth in journalism. By Peter Kornbluhhttps://scholarcommons.scu.edu/sc_mag/1063/thumbnail.jp

Training Competences in Industrial Risk Prevention with Lego® Serious Play®: A Case Study

This paper proposes the use of the Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) methodology as a facilitating tool for the introduction of competences for Industrial Risk Prevention by engineering students from the industrial branch (electrical, electronic, mechanical and technological engineering), presenting the results obtained in the Universities of Cadiz and Seville in the academic years 2017–2019. Current Spanish legislation does not reserve any special legal attribution, nor does it require specific competence in occupational risk prevention for the regulated profession of a technical industrial engineer (Order CIN 351:2009), and only does so in a generic way for that of an industrial engineer (Order CIN 311:2009). However, these universities consider the training in occupational health and safety for these future graduates as an essential objective in order to develop them for their careers in the industry. The approach is based on a series of challenges proposed (risk assessments, safety inspections, accident investigations and fire protection measures, among others), thanks to the use of “gamification” dynamics with Lego® Serious Play®. In order to carry the training out, a set of specific variables (industrial sector, legal and regulatory framework, business organization and production system), and transversal ones (leadership, teamwork, critical thinking and communication), are incorporated. Through group models, it is possible to identify dangerous situations, establish causes, share and discuss alternative proposals and analyze the economic, environmental and organizational impact of the technical solutions studied, as well as take the appropriate decisions, in a creative, stimulating, inclusive and innovative context. In this way, the theoretical knowledge which is acquired is applied to improve safety and health at work and foster the prevention of occupational risks, promoting the commitment, effort, motivation and proactive participation of the student teams.Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities / European Social Fund: Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2017-22222

The application of legal standards in materials engineering

Předkládaná práce popisuje některé body, ve kterých základní všeobecný normativní systém práva zasahuje do problematiky materiálového inženýrství. Nosnou částí práce je otázka právních odpovědností, ve kterých dominuje odpovědnost občanskoprávní, a to především jedna její část – odpovědnost za vady. Je proveden základní rozbor právní problematiky týkající se odpovědnosti za vady spolu s kategorizací vad jak z pohledu práva tak technické praxe, a následně jsou popsány některé hlavní metody, principy a zkoušky posuzování a zjišťování vlastností materiálů, a to jak destruktivním tak i nedestruktivním způsobem. Následuje související kapitola o degradačních procesech. Nedílnou součástí práce jsou úvahy nad možnými druhy právní odpovědnosti, které mohou dopadat na materiálového inženýra, s několika základními doporučeními pro kontraktaci, stejně tak jako nástin problémů, se kterými se může odborný pracovník setkat při soudním či mimosoudním řešení sporů. Zvláštní pozornost je věnována otázkám technické normalizace, neboť s touto není odborná jak právní tak technická veřejnost detailněji seznámena.The thesis describes points where the basic universal prescriptive system of law interferes with the questions of materials engineering. The main part of the thesis concerns legal liabilities, mainly civil liability represented with liability for defects. Basic analysis of chosen topics concerning liability for defects is done, defects are divided into groups as far as both technical and legal point of view is concerned. Consequently, the most common methods, principles and tests used for recognition and assessment of materials characteristics, both destructive and non-destructive, are described. Chapter, which deals with degradation processes follows. Integral part of the thesis are thoughts of possible types of legal liabilities, which could be important for materials engineers, with basic recommendations for contracting, as well as chosen problems connected with judicial proceedings and out of court settling of disputes. Technical standards are described with high attention, because both technical and legal public is not familiar with the legal background of technical normalisation.

Recent blackouts in US and continental Europe: is liberalisation to blame?

The paper starts with a detailed technical overview of recent blackouts in the US, Sweden/Denmark and Italy in order to analyse common threads and lessons to be learnt. The blackouts have exposed a number of challenges facing utilities worldwide. Increased liberalisation of electricity supply industry has resulted in a significant increase in inter-area (or cross-border) trades which often are not properly accounted for when assessing system security. The traditional decentralised way of operating systems by TSOs, with each TSO looking after its own control area and little information exchange, resulted in inadequate and slow response to contingencies. A new mode of coordinated operation for real-time security assessment and control is needed in order to maintain system security. This new mode of operation requires overcoming a number of organisational, psychological, legal and technical challenges but the alternative is either to risk another blackout or run the interconnected system very conservatively, maintaining large security margin at a high cost to everyone. The paper also includes technical appendices explaining engineering power system concepts to non-engineering audience.electricity, USA, Sweden, Denmark

Embryos as Patients? Medical Provider Duties in the Age of CRISPR/Cas9

The CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering platform is the first method of gene editing that could potentially be used to treat genetic disorders in human embryos. No past therapies, genetic or otherwise, have been intended or used to treat disorders in existent embryos. Past procedures performed on embryos have exclusively involved creation and implantation (e.g., in-vitro fertilization) or screening and selection of already-healthy embryos (e.g., preimplantation genetic diagnosis). A CRISPR/Cas9 treatment would evade medical malpractice law due to the early stage of the intervention and the fact that it is not a treatment for the mother. In most jurisdictions, medical professionals owe no duty to pre-viable fetuses or embryos as such, but will be held liable for negligent treatment of the mother if the treatment causes injury to a born-alive child. This issue brief discusses the science of CRISPR/Cas9, the background legal status of human embryos, and the case for considering genetically engineered embryos as patients for purposes of medical malpractice law