Encountering metis in the Security Council

The “origin” story of Resolution 1325 is probably amongst the most well-known narratives of successful feminist intervention in international politics.1  Becoming equally familiar is the narrative that the Security Council’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) policy discourse has not lived up to the resolution’s transformative promise.2  The language of these critiques varies, but it is not uncommon to hear the accusation that those who are meant to be “working on the inside” for the feminist project have abandoned the struggle or, as is often averred, have “been co-opted.”3  This paper does not set out to dispute these claims and I mostly agree with their overall assessment of the “state of play” of WPS policy.4 However, I argue that interventions to secure particular feminist (or other) meanings in an institution such as the Security Council will “almost inevitably involve the most microscopic struggles around individual and institutional practices.”5  That is, if we want to understand courses of action in or by the Security Council, for example the acceptance or refusal of certain language in its policy texts, we must account for the prevailing possibilities of language in that space.

Telling feminist space at the Security Council

In ‘Encountering Metis in the Security Council’, the latest in the LSE WPS Working Paper Series, Sam Cook explores the practices of feminist advocacy on women, peace and security at the UN, and introduces us to the lesser-known Greek goddess, Metis

Session B6- Dam Removal on Main Street in Historic Pawtuxet Village

The Pawtuxet River is the third-largest tributary of Narragansett Bay, with a watershed area of approximately 230 square miles. As with most urban rivers, the Pawtuxet and its tributaries have been extensively modified for industry, transportation, and development. Today, there are more than 140 dams on the Pawtuxet system, most of which are less than 20 ft. in height. Small dams degrade riverine habitat, water quality, and biodiversity; on the Pawtuxet, they have caused extirpation of native anadromous fish runs. Large areas of the Pawtuxet’s natural floodplains have beenfilled or modified, creating flooding problems for communities along the river corridor. The Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, R.I. Dept. of Environmental Management, EA Engineering, Science and Technology, and other partners are restoring ecological functions to the lower Pawtuxet River and Narragansett Bay watersheds by removing a large portion of the Pawtuxet Falls Dam, the first downstream dam on the system (located at the head of tide), and creating a low-flow fish passage channel by using the natural pool and bedrock formations. The project will restore migratory fish habitats, reestablish ecological connections between the lower Pawtuxet River and Narragansett Bay, and enhance natural riverine functions and values. River restoration in such an urbanized setting presents many social and technical challenges. The dam is a prized historic and aesthetic feature of one of the most historic communities in Rhode Island. Its impoundment or backwater effect impacts approximately 5 linear river miles; HEC-RAS modeling is being used to design the restoration and predict post-removal changes in water surface elevation and flow. The Pawtuxet’s industrial legacy also presents challenges, requiring evaluation of potential risks to human health, with mitigation measures incorporated as necessary into restoration plans. We will discuss the social, ecological, and technical aspects of the projects to inform other urban river restorations

Remodelling façade design for improving daylighting and the thermal environment in Abuja’s low-income housing

The housing typologies that were developed as part of Abuja’s master plan over 30 years ago are still in use today as prototypes for low-income housing developments. The value of the local climate received only cursory consideration in the early developments; as the process was mainly focused on the delivery of units needed to accommodate those involved in the construction of the city. More detailed records of the climate have become available since the mid-1990s. Yet, despite the availability of such data and the global interest in eco-friendly architecture, energy use per household has increased in Abuja over the last two decades. Nigeria is already struggling to meet its current energy demands; therefore, it is important to examine whether improvements made to future housing design can assist in reducing their energy use. This paper evaluates the performance of four of Abuja’s common housing types and examines the impact of changing their fenestration design on occupants’ comfort, using validated simulation. Assessing the performance of the buildings in their existing state revealed clear overheating problems and excessive natural lighting. However, the investigation indicated a 4-6% reduction in the frequency of thermal discomfort and a 4-29% reduction in visual discomfort by adjusting the orientation of the facades. Integrating external shading components can also reduce thermal and visual discomfort by up to 4% and 29%, respectively

Megawatt solar power systems for lunar surface operations

Lunar surface operations require habitation, transportation, life support, scientific, and manufacturing systems, all of which require some form of power. As an alternative to nuclear power, the development of a modular one megawatt solar power system is studied, examining both photovoltaic and dynamic cycle conversion methods, along with energy storage, heat rejection, and power backup subsystems. For photovoltaic power conversion, two systems are examined. First, a substantial increase in photovoltaic conversion efficiency is realized with the use of new GaAs/GaSb tandem photovoltaic cells, offering an impressive overall array efficiency of 23.5 percent. Since these new cells are still in the experimental phase of development, a currently available GaAs cell providing 18 percent efficiency is examined as an alternate to the experimental cells. Both Brayton and Stirling cycles, powered by linear parabolic solar concentrators, are examined for dynamic cycle power conversion. The Brayton cycle is studied in depth since it is already well developed and can provide high power levels fairly efficiently in a compact, low mass system. The dynamic conversion system requires large scale waste heat rejection capability. To provide this heat rejection, a comparison is made between a heat pipe/radiative fin system using advanced composites, and a potentially less massive liquid droplet radiator system. To supply power through the lunar night, both a low temperature alkaline fuel cell system and an experimental high temperature monolithic solid-oxide fuel cell system are considered. The reactants for the fuel cells are stored cryogenically in order to avoid the high tankage mass required by conventional gaseous storage. In addition, it is proposed that the propellant tanks from a spent, prototype lunar excursion vehicle be used for this purpose, therefore resulting in a significant overall reduction in effective storage system mass

ESG Investing, Spring 2021

ESG Investing Project for Sustainability Exchange, Washington University in St. Louis, Spring 202

Peer Assisted Study Support (PASS) and Students as Change Agents (SACA) in Mathematics at the University of Nottingham

In 2015-16, a Peer Assisted Study Support (PASS) scheme was introduced in Mathematics at the University of Nottingham. This PASS scheme is intimately linked to the Universitys Nottingham Advantage Award (NAA) scheme, which recognises a wide range of students extracurricular activities, including serving as a PASS Leader. Furthermore, the PASS scheme has been developed in conjunction with the NAAs Students as Change Agents and Change Leaders (SACA and SACL) programmes, which recognise student-staff partnerships that change teaching and learning practice. Essential to the success of the scheme has been its genesis through a student-staff partnership, in particular two summer internships in 2015 to develop PASS materials, supported by the Sigma Network and the Universitys Teaching Transformation Programme

Chilling Aeration to Control Pests and Maintain Grain Quality during In-Bin Storage of Wheat in Kansas

Chilling aeration of stored grain is becoming very popular around the world since it offers many advantages in situations where ambient air conditions are not adequate to cool grain. It allows to cool grain, independent of ambient conditions, to “safe” temperatures where insect, fungi, and spoilage development is reduced to the minimum, and at the same time can potentially reduce chemical control use. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of chilling aeration to preserve grain quality and control insect-pests. The research trial was developed from August to November 2015 in Central Kansas in two 1,270 metric tons (MT) steel bins with low-moisture wheat from the 2015 summer harvest. One bin was chilled and the other was used as a control (ambient aeration). Variables evaluated were: moisture content (MC), grain and flour quality, insect-pest development and reproduction rate, insect fragments per kg, and fungi presence. Chilling aeration cooled the grain in 135 hours to an average of 17⁰C, with minimum variation through the four months. Ambient aeration in the control bin cooled the grain to an average of 22⁰C after 308 hours, with variation over 16⁰C through the four months. Lower temperatures significantly diminished insect development and reproduction rate. Flour quality was better preserved in the chilled than in the control bin. There was no significant effect on MC, grain quality or fungi presence. The energy cost of running the grain chiller was 0.22 $/MT more than the cost of ambient aeration in the control bin