Openness in the face of systemic constraints on science, public participation, and the Western Australian Regional Forest Agreement

The aim of this thesis is to explore the role of science and public participation in environmental policy-making processes in Australia. To this end, I analyse the Western Australian Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) process, a recent Australian Federal Government initiative designed to resolve a longstanding dispute over native forest use and management. Theoretically underpinned by an open systems approach, the thesis employs a case study method for the analysis of the RFA process, using data from three distinct sources; interviews, RFA-related literature, and media content. The analysis of the RFA occurs against the historical background to this policy process and in context of contemporary discussions on science and public participation in natural resource conflicts. Interview data is used for the construction of a meta-narrative of the RFA from multiple stakeholder perspectives as a means of learning about the inclusiveness of, and the treatment of science during, the RFA process. The interview data is analysed using an adaptation of discourse analysis, the findings of which are integrated with information derived from the other data sources. This combined data set is then used to inform a systems critique of the Western Australian RFA process in view of gauging its perceived strengths and weaknesses. The analysis reveals a sense of systemic failure in the management of the Western Australian RFA, pointing towards a process and governing structures which constrained opportunities for stakeholder input and deliberation-based decision-making. A range of cultural, socio-political, and personality-based issues are seen to have given rise to constraints, underlying which is found to be an economic rationality subtly driving a systemic closure of political structures and processes. The resultant degree of closedness is shown to have caused an insensitivity of the political apparatus towards community opposition to, and scientific concerns about, commercial forestry, which is understood to have contributed to the social and political rejection of the process and its outcomes. In this thesis I unearth a paradox arising out of the political need to reduce and simplify the complexity inherent in messy socio-ecological affairs but in doing so adding ii complexity due to political over-simplification. The findings suggest that the political process depends on the trimming of complexity for pragmatic reasons but that, at the same time, the politicality of such closure demands deliberative approaches to negotiate the terms of closing so as to attain sustainable process outcomes. This thesis echoes calls from the literature in support of political and scientific pluralism. An opening of political structures and processes is suggested to enable and facilitate active stakeholder participation and decision-making. Similarly, it is argued that science also needs to become more open towards alternative, yet equally valid, modes of knowing and understanding so as to avert threats to its relevance and trustworthiness in political processes dealing with complex socio-ecological problems. Complex problems demand problem solving with requisite complexity. An openness of politics and science and the processes they engage in invites variety of perspective, which in turn increases capacity to deal effectively with socio-ecological messes. Finally, this thesis understands the dominance of economic rationality as a constraint for environmental policy-making, working against notions of openness and plurality and thus precluding trans-formational change in the structure, mode, and outcomes, of political decision-making. For its implicitness this constraint has so far defied needed societal reflection on its implications for science, society, politics, and nature, which is why this thesis stresses the need for explication and for searching pathways towards more balanced rationalities in policy making processes

The role of management in the movement towards sustainability: Perceived responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities

The aim of this thesis was to explore the role of management in the movement towards ecologically sustainable development (ESD), investigating perceived responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities facing business management today. The point of departure for this study was the acknowledgement of the present paucity of references to ESD within the management literature, widespread amoral business conduct, and the dominance of economic rationalism within business science. This research provided an analytical review of ESD related literature, concentrating on the history and rise of the ESD paradigm, its ethical underpinnings, and economic implications to management practice. The paper highlighted the importance of ESD to management theory and practice, urging for a re-conceptualisation of business core values and a redirection of economic systems onto a development path that is economically, socially, and ecologically sustainable in the long-term

Renewables

There exist overwhelming – and morally compelling – reasons for shifting to renewable energy (RE), because only that will enable us to timely mitigate dangerous global warming. In addition, several other morally weighty reasons speak in favor of the shift: considerable public health benefits, broader environmental benefits, the potential for sustainable and equitable economic development and equitable energy access, and, finally, long-term energy security. Furthermore, it appears that the transition to RE is economically, technologically, and politically feasible at this point in time. However, there are different possible pathways towards that goal, all of which involve tough choices. Some of these concern different ways of living: Do we have to make a choice between being sustainable and maintaining our current living standard? And if so, how can we balance the value of high living standards against that of a sustainable energy regime? In this chapter, I will not conduct a comprehensive analysis of all available renewable energy technologies, but rather provide a number of examples of tough choices entailed by solar, wind and hydropower. I will also attempt to rebut some of the common misconceptions regarding RE technologies

The Case for Social Enterprise

The bottom of the pyramid (BoP) approach popularised Prahalad (2004) as well as other writers such as Hart (2005) and London (2007), calls for the engagement of business with the bottom segment of the global income pyramid, and has attracted considerable attention and debate. The BoP lens is applied chiefly to communities experiencing ‘extreme poverty’ in low income countries with little reference to the growing number of people living in ‘relative poverty’ in high income countries. For the purpose of stimulating academic debate this paper seeks to explore the role of the so-called fourth sector, a domain for hybrid business ventures of social (and, in the case of this paper, Indigenous) entrepreneurs, at what we refer to as ‘the bottom at the top of the income pyramid’ in Australia. Using examples of Indigenous and social entrepreneurship within disadvantaged communities, we seek to highlight the scope for fourth sector enterprises at the lower end of the income spectrum within developed countries. It is suggested that the business models found within the fourth sector offer promising, alternative approaches for addressing the economic as well as social and cultural needs of those living on the fringes of today’s increasingly fragmented high-income societies

Indigenous entrepreneurship: Closing the gap on local terms

Australian federal government policy over the last ten years has renewed the focus on closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, targeting chiefly improvements in health and economic participation among Indigenous people. Thus far, however, the results have been mixed, in part because of the endurance of Indigenous socio-economic disadvantage in Australia which cannot be expected to be undone within a matter of years. Failure to deliver better policy outcomes, however, can also be seen as a function of an inflexible policy design, which aims at the mainstreaming of Indigenous communities on non-Indigenous terms, whilst militating against the potential for Indigenous entrepreneurial activities especially in rural and remote regions.Against this policy background, this paper reports on local entrepreneurial activities by local Yolngu clans in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territories (NT). In particular, attention is directed to local for-profit and not-for-profit activities by members of the Gumatj clan south of the regional centre of Nhulunbuy and the Rirratjingu operations in the town Yirrkala respectively. The paper describes how the ventures run by the Gumatj and Rirratjingu clans offer pathways for the creation of income, employment and social capital within the respective local communities whilst also being axiomatic in the protection of cultural vitality and integrity. The findings point to the need for more flexible approaches to policy design and delivery, enabling the establishment and growth of Indigenous business activities outside the economic mainstream targeted by federal government policy. As such, the authors echo calls in the literature for policy support for what has been described as the 'hybrid economy', which allows for participation in both economic and cultural activities both of which are crucial for Indigenous future well-being as they are for any cultural group

evaluating a novel online depression intervention for persons with epilepsy

Background Depression is common among persons with epilepsy (PwE), affecting roughly one in three individuals, and its presence is associated with personal suffering, impaired quality of life, and worse prognosis. Despite the availability of effective treatments, depression is often overlooked and treated inadequately in PwE, in part because of assumed concerns over drug interactions or proconvulsant effects of antidepressants. Internet- administered psychological interventions might complement antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, and preliminary evidence suggests that they can be effective. However, no trial has yet examined whether an Internet intervention designed to meet the needs of PwE can achieve sustained reductions in depression and related symptoms, such as anxiety, when offered as adjunct to treatment as usual. Methods/Design This randomized controlled trial will include 200 participants with epilepsy and a current depressive disorder, along with currently at least moderately elevated depression (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) sum score of at least 10). Patients will be recruited via epilepsy treatment centers and other sources, including Internet forums, newspaper articles, flyers, posters, and media articles or advertisements, in German-speaking countries. Main inclusion criteria are: self-reported diagnosis of epilepsy and a depressive disorder, as assessed with a phone-administered structured diagnostic interview, none or stable antidepressant medication, no current psychotherapy, no other major psychiatric disorder, no acute suicidality. Participants will be randomly assigned to either (1) a care-as-usual/waitlist (CAU/WL) control group, in which they receive CAU and are given access to the Internet intervention after 3 months (that is, a CAU/WL control group), or (2) a treatment group that may also use CAU and in addition immediately receives six-month access to the novel, Internet-administered intervention. The primary outcome measure is the PHQ-9, collected at three months post-baseline; secondary measures include self-reported anxiety, work and social adjustment, epilepsy symptoms (including seizure frequency and severity), medication adherence, potential negative treatment effects and health-related quality of life. Measurements are collected online at pre-treatment (T0), three months (T1), six months (T2), and nine months (T3). Discussion Results of this trial are expected to extend the body of knowledge with regard to effective and efficient treatment options for PwE who experience elevated depression and anxiety. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02791724. Registered 01 June 2016

Correspondence between solar fine-scale structures in the corona, transition region, and lower atmosphere from collaborative observations

The Soft X-Ray Imaging Payload and the High Resolution Telescope and Spectrograph (HRTS) instrument were launched from White Sands on 11 December 1987 in coordinated sounding rocket flights to investigate the correspondence of coronal and transition region structures, especially the relationship between X-ray bright points (XBPs) and transition region small spatial scale energetic events. The coaligned data from X-ray images are presented along with maps of sites of transition region energetic events observed in C IV (100,000 K), HRTS 1600 A spectroheliograms of the T sub min region and ground based magnetogram and He I 10830 A images

Arrays of Regenerated Fiber Bragg Gratings in Non-Hydrogen-Loaded Photosensitive Fibers for High-Temperature Sensor Networks

We report about the possibility of using regenerated fiber Bragg gratings generated in photosensitive fibers without applying hydrogen loading for high temperature sensor networks. We use a thermally induced regenerative process which leads to a secondary increase in grating reflectivity. This refractive index modification has shown to become more stable after the regeneration up to temperatures of 600 °C. With the use of an interferometric writing technique, it is possible also to generate arrays of regenerated fiber Bragg gratings for sensor networks