On Estimating Compensation for Injury to Publicly Owned Marine Resources

It is well established that the public has the right to use certain marine resources, including fish stocks, beaches, and marine waters, for certain purposes, including recreational fishing. Rights in public resources are held "in trust" by federal and state governments for the public, both now and in the future. Given public rights, we not only argue that minimum willingness-to-accept-compensation (WTA) is the theoretically correct measure of economic damages when a publicly owned marine resource is injured, but that it is, in fact, feasible to measure WTA, and therefore, WTA should be used to estimate compensation. Two utility-theoretic approaches for welfare analysis, which use Hausman's (1981) method and the contingent valuation method, are outlined.willingness-to-accept-compensation, natural resource damages, marine pollution, recreational fishing, contingent valuation method, public trust doctrine, Demand and Price Analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, Public Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Pros and cons of a credit society

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Chicago: Reviving the inner city

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The International Regulation of Small Cetaceans

This Article examines the current international regulatory regime for the conservation and management of cetaceans. The author argues that there are approximately sixty species of small cetaceans, but because the primary focus of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has been the setting of commercial harvest levels and conservation measures for large cetaceans, nations have assumed that the IWC\u27s jurisdiction is limited to the regulation of larger species, although nowhere in the IWC Convention or in any rule or regulation is the term whale defined. The author argues that, in light of the fact that the harvest levels of small cetaceans have increased dramatically, there is a need to establish and implement an international regulatory regime for the conservation and management of these other species which are currently without international protection and which, biologically speaking, may be in need of regulation

Efficiency of the built environment: Interdependencies in transportation, development form and public health

Retrofitting existing neighborhoods and communities to remove barriers to walking and allow residents to choose walking as a mode of transportation has the potential to both stabilize energy used for transportation and transportation infrastructure and provide physical activity for improved health, shifting the energy used for transportation from cars to people. This study brings together community-based research, an interdisciplinary team approach, and multi-level modeling to investigate how community design impacts transportation behavior in the context of smaller, northeastern cities. Ten neighborhoods of varying design, connectivity, proximity to services, and average income were selected in each of the cities for a total of twenty neighborhoods studied. A survey of neighborhood residents provided demographic, health, and transportation behavior information. The built environment within the neighborhoods was analyzed using field visits and published GIS data. Data analysis included multi-level modeling to account for the within-neighborhood clustered design of data collection. Working together with the people for whom the results were intended allowed for use of a greater network of contacts for project development and implementation, which helped greatly. Involving municipal and regional authorities throughout the project increased the chances that results will be useful and will reach residents, and resulted in increased communication between the authorities themselves. Presence of sidewalks and intersections were found to be associated with the number of destinations respondents reported walking. Municipalities that would like to increase walking for public health or energy use reduction should investigate improving the condition and availability of sidewalks in neighborhoods, increasing connectivity of pedestrian ways, and improving safety and perceived security at intersections. Age appeared to be the most important demographic factor in decisions to walk, more important than self-reported health or income. Helping the elderly, as they age in place, to continue to feel secure through improved walking surfaces and walking environments could be a fruitful focus of municipal programs and initiatives

Walking builds community cohesion: Survey of two New Hampshire communities looks at social capital and walkability

This brief reports the results of a survey conducted in 2009 of approximately 2,000 households in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire, to examine the connection between walkability and social capital. Authors Shannon Rogers, Kevin Gardner, and Cynthia Carlson report that higher levels of social capital are found in areas that are perceived to be more walkable, as measured by the number of places people can walk to in their community. In addition, walkability is influenced by concerns of safety, access, time, and health and by physical characteristics such as proximity, scale, and aesthetics. Given the link between walkability and greater social capital, and in turn the link between social capital and numerous positive outcomes, refitting communities with greater walkability can have short- and longer-term payoffs. The authors conclude that more walkable communities are healthier communities, and as the research in the brief shows, residents in them are more connected to one another not only by sidewalks but also through the social networks and social capital they form when they live in communities that encourage gathering and meeting face-to-face

Resilience Within and Resilience Without: Mindfulness and Sustainability Programming Using an Embedded Engineering Librarian Approach

Students are facing an increasingly chaotic world in part due to global climate change and environmental degradation, causing rising levels of stress and anxiety. Mindfulness and sustainability programs were initiated over three years by a faculty-librarian collaborative team to assist first-year engineering students in building environmental literacy and personal resilience skills. The faculty-librarian team established in class and out of class themes, games, assignments, and programming using an embedded librarian approach. Sustainability programming included environmental movie nights with curricular links and conversations about climate change using the World Café methodology. These activities allowed students time outside of class to engage with topics in an interdisciplinary manner as they were open to students in all departments and the public. Mindfulness interventions were introduced in the fall 2019 semester and included thought awareness, breathing techniques, a Biodot® activity, and an introduction to meditation. Overall, 98% of the 58 students completing a survey in the fall 2019 semester felt the mindfulness techniques were at least a little bit helpful, and 64% felt the techniques would help them fairly well to a tremendous amount. Introducing first-year engineering students to mindfulness techniques and strategies along with sustainability topics, may help students cope with stress and anxiety about environmental challenges and their early college transition, in addition to providing strategies for resilience. These are skills that engineers can benefit from for the rest of their lives

If Engineers solve problems, why are there still so many problems to solve?: Getting beyond technical “solutions” in the classroom

This Evidence-Based Practice Paper describes implementation and assessment of an exercise bringing international perspectives, liberal arts, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into a first-year engineering program - challenging the arbitrary boundary between engineering and the liberal arts. First-year engineering students (Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical) participated in a role-playing game recreating the 2009 United Nations Climate Talks in Copenhagen, Denmark. The exercise is part of a series of published games called Reacting to the Past (RTTP), with the purpose of engaging students to enhance their understanding of a given event or topic, while improving their research and communication skills. In this case, the further goal was for students to broaden their understanding of the technical aspects of climate change, as well as the political and social reasons that technological solutions are not always implemented, despite the best intentions and technical knowledge. Students practiced researching a topic, selecting and evaluating resources, proper citation of works used, written and oral communication, and advancing a position in a professional manner. These skills, while crucial for practicing engineers, are often relatively weak in incoming students. Our initial success integrating international perspectives and traditional liberal arts concepts into a first-year engineering course was supported by several classroom innovations, including a classroom-embedded librarian and gamification. Benefits of this activity in the first-year classroom include: - Getting students to interact with each other in a substantive way, strengthening the cohort, and supporting retention. - Providing structure for learning library, writing, and presentation skills, etc. - Introducing how professionals handle concepts of politics, tact, and negotiating across boundaries. - Providing an experiential learning environment to understand how politics, both personal and professional, can interact with technical solutions, leading to improvement or disruption in the lives of all. - Starting a discussion about United Nations Sustainable Development Goals early in the careers of engineering students. Certainly, students will see these concepts again; there are multiple group projects and research projects in their time at our school, as well as courses on ethics and professionalism. However, introducing these concepts in their first semester prepares students for future courses, and helps them understand that engineering is not just problem sets and robotics

Resilience Within and Resilience Without: Mindfulness and Sustainability Programming Using an Embedded Engineering Librarian Approach

Students are facing an increasingly chaotic world in part due to global climate change and environmental degradation, causing rising levels of stress and anxiety. Mindfulness and sustainability programs were initiated over three years by a faculty-librarian collaborative team to assist first-year engineering students in building environmental literacy and personal resilience skills. The faculty-librarian team established in class and out of class themes, games, assignments, and programming using an embedded librarian approach. Sustainability programming included environmental movie nights with curricular links and conversations about climate change using the World Café methodology. These activities allowed students time outside of class to engage with topics in an interdisciplinary manner as they were open to students in all departments and the public. Mindfulness interventions were introduced in the fall 2019 semester and included thought awareness, breathing techniques, a Biodot® activity, and an introduction to meditation. Overall, 98% of the 58 students completing a survey in the fall 2019 semester felt the mindfulness techniques were at least a little bit helpful, and 64% felt the techniques would help them fairly well to a tremendous amount. Introducing first-year engineering students to mindfulness techniques and strategies along with sustainability topics, may help students cope with stress and anxiety about environmental challenges and their early college transition, in addition to providing strategies for resilience. These are skills that engineers can benefit from for the rest of their lives

If Engineers solve problems, why are there still so many problems to solve?: Getting beyond technical “solutions” in the classroom

This Evidence-Based Practice Paper describes implementation and assessment of an exercise bringing international perspectives, liberal arts, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into a first-year engineering program - challenging the arbitrary boundary between engineering and the liberal arts. First-year engineering students (Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical) participated in a role-playing game recreating the 2009 United Nations Climate Talks in Copenhagen, Denmark. The exercise is part of a series of published games called Reacting to the Past (RTTP), with the purpose of engaging students to enhance their understanding of a given event or topic, while improving their research and communication skills. In this case, the further goal was for students to broaden their understanding of the technical aspects of climate change, as well as the political and social reasons that technological solutions are not always implemented, despite the best intentions and technical knowledge. Students practiced researching a topic, selecting and evaluating resources, proper citation of works used, written and oral communication, and advancing a position in a professional manner. These skills, while crucial for practicing engineers, are often relatively weak in incoming students. Our initial success integrating international perspectives and traditional liberal arts concepts into a first-year engineering course was supported by several classroom innovations, including a classroom-embedded librarian and gamification. Benefits of this activity in the first-year classroom include: - Getting students to interact with each other in a substantive way, strengthening the cohort, and supporting retention. - Providing structure for learning library, writing, and presentation skills, etc. - Introducing how professionals handle concepts of politics, tact, and negotiating across boundaries. - Providing an experiential learning environment to understand how politics, both personal and professional, can interact with technical solutions, leading to improvement or disruption in the lives of all. - Starting a discussion about United Nations Sustainable Development Goals early in the careers of engineering students. Certainly, students will see these concepts again; there are multiple group projects and research projects in their time at our school, as well as courses on ethics and professionalism. However, introducing these concepts in their first semester prepares students for future courses, and helps them understand that engineering is not just problem sets and robotics