Mapping the ‘Anthropocentric-Ecocentric’ Dualism in the History of American Presidency: the Good, the Bad, and the Ambivalent

This article examines the way the ‘anthropocentric-ecocentric’ dualism has come to bear on the history of the American presidency since the turn of the century, with special focus on three American Presidents, namely Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama. The major argument in this paper is that this duality constitutes not only a philosophical divergence of views, but also a determinant factor that has guided the beliefs, decisions, and policies of American presidents over more than a century. On account of their contradictory environmental records, both Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan are believed to stand for the two extremes of an ‘anthropocentrism-ecocentrism’ spectrum while Barak Obama ambivalently oscillates in the middle. Coming to power with different, sometimes conflicting, agendas, Presidents Roosevelt, Reagan, and Obama used the presidency as a bully pulpit to implement their ideological vision of nature, the environment, and economic growth in line with either ‘ecocentrism’ or ‘anthropocentrism.’ Focusing on their rhetoric and policies, this article highlights the three presidents’ differentiation along the ‘anthropocentric-ecocentric’ continuum and discusses the divergence of their respective political and philosophical beliefs as well as their implementation strategies. Ultimately, mapping the anthropocentric-ecocentric dualism in the history of American presidency provides a valuable insight into how this divide has been transferred from the philosophical realm to the political one

The Contribution of Domestic Investment, Exports and Imports on Economic Growth: A Case Study of Peru

This article has examined the contribution of domestic investment, exports and imports on economic growth in Peru. To achieve this objective, annual data for the period between 1970 and 2017 were used and tested based on Johansen co integration analysis and the vector error correction model. According to the results of the analysis, it has been determined that domestic investment, exports and imports have not any effect on economic growth in the short run and in the long run. These outcomes manifest that trade openness and domestic investments are not beholden as a provenance of economic growth in Peru over this extended period and suffer from many issues and a miserable economic organization

The Contribution of Domestic Investment, Exports and Imports on Economic Growth: A Case Study of Peru

This article has examined the contribution of domestic investment, exports and imports on economic growth in Peru. To achieve this objective, annual data for the period between 1970 and 2017 were used and tested based on Johansen co integration analysis and the vector error correction model. According to the results of the analysis, it has been determined that domestic investment, exports and imports have not any effect on economic growth in the short run and in the long run. These outcomes manifest that trade openness and domestic investments are not beholden as a provenance of economic growth in Peru over this extended period and suffer from many issues and a miserable economic organization

An Exploratory Study of the Causality between Internet Use, Innovation, and Economic Growth in Tunisia: An indispensable Case Analysis

In line with the exogenous and endogenous theory coupled with the seminal Schumpeterian contribution, we attempt to investigate the impact of the use of internet and innovation on economic growth in the case of the Tunisian economy. For this purpose, we employ the ARDL bounds testing methodology over the period 1985-2018. In the short-run, our empirical facts outline the absence of a significant effect of innovation on economic growth. Also, our empirical findings reported that the internet stimulates economic growth. However, in the long-run, our empirical findings pointed out the presence of the negative impact of the innovation and the use of internet on economic growth. Moreover, our results show a significant positive impact of the internet and economic growth on innovation in the long-run. Finally, our results show a negative impact of economic growth on the use of the internet. However, the results display a significant positive impact of innovation on the use of the internet. From these perspectives, the Tunisian authorities should take seriously the innovation and the potential of the use of the internet which can help the economy to be modernized, diversified, and robust to create new jobs and to find new markets and new strategic partners, and new opportunities

Feldstein-Horioka puzzle and international capital mobility in high income countries: a pool mean group approach

This paper reexamines the status of international capital mobility under the Feldstein-Horioka (1980) hypothesis by comparing the results from the OECD and non-OECD high income categories. Data on savings and investment ratios of 21 OECD and 17 non-OECD countries were analyzed using the dynamic heterogeneous panel estimators of Pooled Mean Group (PMG), Mean Group (MG) and Dynamic Fixed Effects (DFE). Based on the series of Hausman post-estimation test, result from the PMG is upheld. The saving-retention coefficient, showing the level of international capital mobility, reads 0.89, 0.93 and 0.16 for the high-income group, OECD category and non-OECD category respectively. This suggests lower capital mobility in high-income as a whole and OECD countries, and higher capital mobility in the non-OECD countries. The contradictory findings confirmed that the Feldstein-Horioka saving-retention coefficient is unlikely, a viable option of measuring cross-border capital mobility. Further researches therefore need to re-observe the qualification of saving-retention coefficient in explaining international capital mobility

Child Abuse in Zanzibar West district, Tanzania: Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP)

The main goal of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice on child abuse in Zanzibar. The study involved 100 respondents at Fumba village who were parents, caregivers and other people within the community. The respondents had the age from 20 years old and above and who expected to have a parenting role at the time of study. Face to face interview was administered to these respondents through survey held house to house. 100 % of the respondents had knowledge on child abuse, 51% of the respondents said that child abuse occurs at home, 63% of the respondents said beating a child who misbehaves is a common child abuse in the West District. 65% of the school children who fill questionnaires responded that they were beaten using stick by their parents and care givers as a punishment when they misbehaved, 16% of the school children witnessed their fellow children married at the age of 15. The study concluded that parents, care givers and other people in the West District have adequate knowledge on child abuse. Parents, caregivers and other people in the West District practice all forms of child abuse to their children. People’s attitudes and practices on child abuse are greatly influenced by Zanzibar culture. The study recommended the following as a measure to control child abuse in the West District; Zanzibar government to take a leading role in protecting abused children in Zanzibar including the West District, education on child abuse to be given to children and community, the mass media be enabled and equipped to spearhead the spread of education on child abuse and its impact on children, the household and community in general. Further researches are need on various aspects of child abuse in Tanzania (including Zanzibar)

The Development of a Multi-arm Mobile Robot System for Nuclear Decommissioning Applications.

This PhD thesis is based in the field of robotics and introduces a case study of the design and development of a multi-arm mobile robot system for nuclear decommissioning (MARS-ND). A key premise underlying the research was to develop intelligence in the robot that is similar to the cooperation and communication between the human brain and its two arms; hence the human body was adopted as the starting point to establish the size and functionality of the proposed system. The approach adopted for this research demonstrates the development, integration and configuration of a multi-arm robot system which consists of two human armlike off-the-shelf manipulators whose joints are controlled using potentiometer sensors and hydraulic actuators. Using the manipulators' sensor feedback, a wide variety of complex tasks found in the rapidly expanding field of nuclear decommissioning can be undertaken. The thesis also considers the issue of collaboration, collision detection and collision avoidance between the two arms of MARS-ND. As part of the final stage of this research the author participated in a collaborative research project with the Sugano Laboratory at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. The three major research issues addressed in this thesis are: 1. The selection and integration of off-the-shelf hardware in the development of MARS-ND using the latest technology available for robotic systems 2. The creation of a suitable control system for the robot arms; and the building of an advanced, user-friendly interface between the robot system and the host computer 3. The investigation and implementation of collaboration, coordinated motion control and collision detection & avoidance techniques for the robot arms The hardware and software integration for the whole robotic system is explained with the proposed software architecture and the use of National Instruments (NI) functions and tools to control the movement of the arm joints and the performance of a selected decommissioning task. This thesis also examines the operational software applied within the research through its discussion of four interlinked areas: 1. The control software and hardware interface for the MARS-ND and the controller architecture 2. The application of an NI Compact FieldPoint controller and FieldPoint I/O modules to facilitate wireless communication between the Multi-Arm Mobile Robot system and the user interface in the host PC 3. The use of Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX) and LabVIEW software tools for calibration and the building of user interfaces required for sending and receiving the signals needed to control the robot arm joints accurately 4. The application of a PID toolkit in LabVIEW for the design of a simple PID controller for the individual arm joints with a potentiometer sensor fitted inside each joint in order to provide a feedback signal to the controller The thesis concludes that MARS-ND is a good example of a robotic system specifically designed for hazardous nuclear decommissioning applications. It demonstrates the complexity of such a system from a number of aspects such as the need for mobility, control, sensor and system design, and integration using modem tools that are available off-the-shelf. In addition the use of these modern tools allows a single mechatronics engineer to design, integrate, interface and build a motion control system for MARS-ND as compared to the traditional way of building a similar robot by a team of specialised engineers. The contribution this research makes to the design and building of multi-arm robot system for nuclear decommissioning industry concerns its size and mobility using a mobile platform to transport the multi-arm robot system. In addition links have been made between Lancaster University and Waseda University in the context of the development of multi-arm robot systems

The Relationship between Economic Growth, Exports and Imports in Morocco: An Empirical Validation Based on VAR Modeling Techniques and Causality in the Meaning of Granger

This paper analyzes the relationship between economic growth, export and import in Morocco. VAR modeling techniques and Granger causality are used in empirical work. The study showed a causal effect ranging from economic growth in exports. Evidence shows that economic growth favors exports. However, there is no effect that goes for export to growth. In addition, there is no relationship between imports and economic growth

The Relationship between Economic Growth, Exports and Imports in Morocco: An Empirical Validation Based on VAR Modeling Techniques and Causality in the Meaning of Granger

This paper analyzes the relationship between economic growth, export and import in Morocco. VAR modeling techniques and Granger causality are used in empirical work. The study showed a causal effect ranging from economic growth in exports. Evidence shows that economic growth favors exports. However, there is no effect that goes for export to growth. In addition, there is no relationship between imports and economic growth

Sustainability’s Inner Conflicts: From ‘Ecologism’ to ‘Ecological Modernization’

Ever since its inception, the project of sustainable development has constituted a challenge to deeply entrenched political, economic, and social beliefs in modern societies. Now matured, the project seems to be highly incompatible with the predominant neoliberal capitalist economic system, constitutes a nuisance to the structure of global governance, and is a noticeably controversial issue in North-South politics. However, the project itself was born out of a conflict between two opposing needs – the need for continuous economic growth on the one hand, and the need to protect the environment and achieve intra-generational and intergenerational social equity, on the other. This article argues that reconciling the needs for economic growth with concerns for the environment has been a very intricate and thorny process, hence the controversy over sustainable development’s definition, aims, and feasibility. By categorizing, examining, and analyzing sustainable development’s inner conflicts, this articles aims at achieving a deeper understanding of today’s sustainability stalemate and potential ways to overcome it. A special focus is placed on the implications of the recent prominence of ecological modernization, especially in the developed countries, on the evolution and integrity sustainable development.