Shape Theorems for Poisson Hail on a Bivariate Ground

We consider the extension of the Euclidean stochastic geometry Poisson Hail model to the case where the service speed is zero in some subset of the Euclidean space and infinity in the complement. We use and develop tools pertaining to sub-additive ergodic theory in order to establish shape theorems for the growth of the ice-heap under light tail assumptions on the hailstone characteristics. The asymptotic shape depends on the statistics of the hailstones, the intensity of the underlying Poisson point process and on the geometrical properties of the zero speed set.Comment: Final version accepted in Advances in Applied Probabilit

OMEGA: Playing for Change

Despite all the information we have regarding climate change and the potential perils of continuing on our path of consumption, people are slow to make the necessary changes. Our tendency to live habitually and the dampening effect continuous negative messaging has on people’s motivation are affecting society’s environmental practices. But one Edmonton based company is working to improve the way we interact with sustainability by making daily “green actions” fun and competitive.

The price of development: The importance of preserving local agricultural lands

Regardless of the fact that we have long been warned of the negative impact of industrial farming, rural communities are being wiped out as local producers, like Riverbend Gardens, are put at risk in favour of urban expansion. The industrial food production industry is unsustainable, leading to increased energy consumption and food costs because of the gross use of energy to transport food hundreds kilometres from where it is produced. Toxic chemicals used to combat swarms of pests that are nurtured by acres of single crop farming have lead to the increase of these substances in our environment. The growing disconnection between ourselves and how our food is produced, fostered by diminishing farm communities, allows us to continue as we always have, until our current system collapses. This will have a deleterious effect on our health and our environment. Many of the answers to the problems we face in our food production industry lies in support for our small, local food producers. Located within Edmonton city limits, sustainable, family run, Riverbend Gardens, is at risk of being wiped out if government and consumers do not recognize the importance of small producers and their part in solving the food industry’s failures

Echoes of Our Past

This article is a brief overview of Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond. In his book, the author makes a comparative argument about the effect human impact on the environment has on the success or failure of a civilization. He examines past and current societies using case studies to discuss social history, social change, and environmental impact. The historical and scientific details packed into this book help to demystify ancient cultures including Easter Island, and his delivery invokes images of their lives. He solidifies his compelling argument by focusing on current world trade and environmental policies

The influence of anaerobic muscle activity, maturation and season on the flesh quality of farmed turbot

In order to test seasonal, rearing, maturing and anaerobic muscle activity effect on the flesh quality of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) a total of 80 farmed turbot from three different strains from reared under natural or continuous light were killed by a percussive blow to the head in November (winter, Icelandic strain), March (spring, Portuguese strain) and June (summer, domesticated strain (France turbot)). To test the effect of anaerobic muscle activity, 10 fish were on each occasion pre rigor filleted, where one fillet was used as a control, while the other fillet was electrically stimulated using a squared 5 Hz, 10 V pulsed DC for 3 min. All pre rigor fillets were measured for pH, weighed, wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in polystyrene boxes with ice. After 7 days of storage the fillets were measured instrumentally for pH, drip loss, colour (CIE L* a* b*) and texture properties such as hardness and shear force, while fillet shrinkage and colour (RBG) were evaluated with computer imaging on photographs from a standard lightbox. Results showed that softness of the flesh was mainly influenced by factors associated with growth, such as season, photoperiod and maturation. Anaerobic muscle activity simulated with electrical stimulation caused an increase in drip loss (<1%) and loss of shear force (<4%), but had no effect on hardness or fillet shrinkage. Computer imaging revealed that muscle contractions related to the electrical stimulus forced out blood from the fillet causing less reddishness for the entire storage period. We conclude that a pH drop upon slaughter associated with anaerobic muscle activity has a minor effect on the flesh quality in the short run, while seasonal/alternatively genetic effects are predominant