What if houses were powered by milk?

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. Living architectures and green energy are hot topics of the applied sciences. They aim to develop buildings that co-live with their environment and co-habit with people they house. An ultimate goal would be to make every block in a building capable of producing energy. We present results of scoping, and somewhat illustrative, experiments on generating electrical energy in modified aerated concrete blocks. These blocks are commonly used in modern building industry and therefore make an ideal candidate for ‘inbuilt’ microbial bio-reactors. We fill the blocks with milk to evaluate electro-generation potential of a pasteurised milk and to study power generating potential of the medium nutrient rich for micro-organisms. We assess the practicality of using bio-reactors which become colonised by local micro-flora

Why espresso? : Explaining changes in European coffee preferences from a production of culture perspective

Since the 1990s supposedly ‘historic’ fault lines separating coffee preferences and practices across the European continent have been broken down. The consumption of Italian-style espresso-based beverages outside the home is now widespread. Much of this is drunk in branded coffee-shop outlets, based on a format popularised in the United States. This article investigates these changes employing the culture of production perspective. It is structured in three parts. The first investigates the formation of quasi-national coffee-drinking styles in the at-home and away-from-home sectors with particular reference to Italy; the second analyses the transformation of out-of-home coffee-drinking in the UK during the 1990s; and the third examines the spread of Italian-style coffee across the European continentPeer reviewe

Wilbur Norman Christiansen 1913-2007

W. N. ('Chris') Christiansen was an innovative and influential radio astronomy pioneer. The hallmarks of his long and distinguished career in science and engineering, spanning almost five decades, were his inventiveness and his commitment to, and success with, large-scale projects. These projects were the outcome of his innovative skill as physicist and engineer. Paralleling this was his equal commitment to forging strong international links and friendships, leading to his election as Vice-President of the International Astronomical Union for the years 1964 to 1970, as President of the International Union of Radio Science, URSI, from 1978 to 1981, and subsequently as Honorary Life President in 1984, and as Foreign Secretary of the Australian Academy of Science from 1981 to 1985. Major subsequent developments in radio astronomy and wireless communications on the global scene stand as a legacy to Chris's approach to his work and to the development of those who worked with him.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Maple Syrup Value Systems and Value Chains - Considering Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Perspectives

Harvested from both intensive sugar maple stands and diverse mixed forest ecosystems across Ontario, maple syrup is an important rural and Aboriginal non-timber forest product that contributes to social, economic and environmental sustainability. This paper presents our ongoing work to map Ontario’s maple syrup value system from two different perspectives, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. In the economic sense, analyses of value systems are useful for members to identify the opportunities and challenges they are facing to advance industry growth and innovation. In the social and environmental sense, these analyses provide a window into how different worldviews and belief systems can lead to more effective and sustainable maple production. A value system is the inter-connected network of firms and activities that comprise an industry from the supplier to the consumer that is focused on quality and efficiency rather than costs. In this project, we pushed the boundaries of the traditional business approach, to incorporate sustainable development thinking and re-imagine the mapping according to Aboriginal ways of knowing. We undertook thirty four interviews representing Aboriginal and rural industry members and other key informants. We compare and contrast the rural and Aboriginal models of the value systems and conclude by providing insights useful for community forestry operations

Rapid vulnerability and adaptation assessment of communities in Taveuni & Yanuca, Cakaudrove Province, Fiji

A rapid vulnerability and adaptation (V&A) assessment was carried by a team of four staff and two Masters Students in Health from the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development(PACE-SD), the University of the South Pacific (USP), from the 23rd to the 31st of October 2011. Three priority villages consisting of six sites were identified by the Roko Tui of Cakaudrove Province and visits were made to Naselesele and Qeleni villages in Taveuni, and Yanuca Island located about one an hour boat trip from Taveuni. The main objectives were to (i) assess the level of vulnerability of the sites identified, (ii) assess the level of community perception on climate change, (iii) assess the coast, water supply, health and sanitation, and (iv) gain traditional knowledge on techniques for food preservation and security. All of the sites were assessed as moderately vulnerable, with the main issues being coastal erosion (6 sites), flooding (1 site) and water availability and supply (3 sites). Naisogo Point and Vunitarawau sites on Taveuni had the most severe cases of erosion, while Qeleni Village was prone to frequent flooding and had the most problem with clean water availability. The quality of water was best at Naselesele village (spring and tap water on par with the mineral water control), while the water catchment and spring at Yanuca Island was found to be unfit for consumption with high sediment loads. However poor watershed management practices, including farming and animal husbandry uphill from water catchments were major issues leading to poor water quality. Qeleni village had the highest population, with 425 persons in 75 households, followed by Naselesele with 370 people in 58 households, while Yanuca Island had only a population of 115 persons distributed in 19 households. Sanitation practices varied among the three villages with poor management of liquid wastes in all villages, as well as indiscriminate dumping of rubbish in the sea. Management of human waste and personal hygiene was influenced by the availability of sufficient water supply, and fared the worst at Qeleni village. The highest incidences of childhood diseases were trachoma and sores, followed by ringworm infections. Only one incidence of scabies was noted. There was a direct inverse correlation between water availability and the incidence of hygiene-related diseases in children. Three species of mangroves were seen on Taveuni (Rhizophora samoensis, Rhizophora stylosa and Bruguiera gymnorhiza) and none on Yanuca. Very severe erosion at Vunitarawau near Qeleni displaced Rhizophora populations and brought Bruguiera populations to the forefront on the mudflats. Accretion of sand some distance from eroding sites was seen to affect seagrass beds which were smothered by sediments. Four species of seagrass were found in Taveuni and Yanuca (Halophila ovalis,Halodule uninervis, Halodule pinifolia and Syringodium isoetifolium). Seagrass beds in Naselesele had a rich biodiversity of invertebrates, with a notable absence of holothurians which were overfished for commercial purposes. A total of 35 species of marine algae were found at the Taveuni sites and 11 in Yanuca Island. Naselesele had the highest number of species, attributed to the still relatively healthy seagrass bed communities. Vunitarawai had the least number of species, associated with a state of severe coastal erosion. Red and Green algae were more abundant than brown algae, with a high incidence of green indicator algae species (Boodlea composita, Ulva spp.) at polluted sites. The three villages visited in this study had a good appreciation and wish to learn about the impacts of climate change, and were willing to take adaptive measures to protect their communities and livelihoods

Space, the new frontier

Space program - high thrust boosters with greater payload capabilities, superior guidance and control, and astronaut trainin

Five College Blue Sky Report

This report includes all of the proposals gathered as part of the Five College Directors’ sustainability initiative, “Blue Sky Brainstorm: Envisioning Sustainability for the Five Colleges and Beyond.” The proposals are arranged in the same order as the March 7, 2012 report, and each idea is linked to a full proposal. The Five College working committee includes Jan Dizard (Amherst College), Sue Darlington (Hampshire College), Tim Farnham (Mount Holyoke College), Joanne Benkley (Smith College), Ezra Small (UMass Amherst), and Beth Hooker (Five Colleges)