The huge success of Fairtrade products in the UK represents a grass-roots response to market failure, but the ethical label must not be afraid to ask for more policy changes that would benefit all

As Fairtrade Fortnight launches in the UK on the 28th February, the ethical brand continues to enjoy political support and the backing of millions of consumers. But there is much more that Fairtrade is yet to achieve, argues Deborah Doane, such as challenging the power in global markets that keeps poorer countries in poverty, and pushing for more policy changes that would encourage social justice in the global trading system

State-based Climate Legislation: A Policy Analysis of Carbon Tax Proposals in Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts

To date, there are a number of states that have proposed a carbon tax with meaningful support behind them. This paper will focus on New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont due to their political backing as well as each state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Many states are modeling their tax plans after the one conducted in British Columbia and focusing on tax rebates as a key feature. By recycling the revenue generated back to consumers and businesses, the negative effects of the tax can be mitigated.. This paper conducts a comparative analysis between the British Columbia carbon tax with three U.S. state legislative proposals. Furthermore, evidence of high observed tax salience on gasoline consumption is projected onto each carbon tax plan. Assuming similar aggregate consumer behavior between residents of British Columbia and these states, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York will see gasoline consumption reduced by 42.9 million gallons, 395 million gallons, and 2.887 billion gallons respectively. Vermont would see a reduction in emissions by 0.381 million metric tons from gasoline consumption over 8 years, a 3.8 percent reduction of their 9.99 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (MMT CO2e) in 2015. The Massachusetts proposal would reduce 3.5 MMT CO2e from gasoline consumption, a 5% decline over 7 years. The New York proposal is the most stringent, with an estimated 25.657 MMT CO2 being abated through decreased gasoline sales over 11 years, which represents 14 percent of 2015 total emissions

Metaphysical and absolute possibility

It is widely alleged that metaphysical possibility is “absolute” possibility Conceivability and possibility, Clarendon, Oxford, 2002, p 16; Stalnaker, in: Stalnaker Ways a world might be: metaphysical and anti-metaphysical essays, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003, pp 201–215; Williamson in Can J Philos 46:453–492, 2016). Kripke calls metaphysical necessity “necessity in the highest degree”. Van Inwagen claims that if P is metaphysically possible, then it is possible “tout court. Possible simpliciter. Possible period…. possib without qualification.” And Stalnaker writes, “we can agree with Frank Jackson, David Chalmers, Saul Kripke, David Lewis, and most others who allow themselves to talk about possible worlds at all, that metaphysical necessity is necessity in the widest sense.” What exactly does the thesis that metaphysical possibility is absolute amount to? Is it true? In this article, I argue that, assuming that the thesis is not merely terminological, and lacking in any metaphysical interest, it is an article of faith. I conclude with the suggestion that metaphysical possibility may lack the metaphysical significance that is widely attributed to it

Justification and Explanation in Mathematics and Morality

In his influential book, The Nature of Morality, Gilbert Harman writes: “In explaining the observations that support a physical theory, scientists typically appeal to mathematical principles. On the other hand, one never seems to need to appeal in this way to moral principles.” What is the epistemological relevance of this contrast, if genuine? This chapter argues that ethicists and philosophers of mathematics have misunderstood it. They have confused what the chapter calls the justificatory challenge for realism about an area, D—the challenge to justify our D-beliefs—with the reliability challenge for D-realism—the challenge to explain the reliability of our D-beliefs. Harman’s contrast is relevant to the first, but not, evidently, to the second. One upshot of the discussion is that genealogical debunking arguments are fallacious. Another is that indispensability considerations cannot answer the Benacerraf–Field challenge for mathematical realism

An assessment of the industrial cogeneration market for parabolic dish systems

The value analysis technique used is straightforward. Maximum allowable life-cycle system cost for the cogeneration system is determined as the sum of the present value of fuels displaced plus the present value of revenues from exported power. Each conventional fuel displaced is described by a unit cost in the first year, a uniform annual consumption rate, and a uniform annual escalation rate for unit cost. Exported energy flows are treated the same as displaced energy

Objectivity and Evaluation

I this article, I introduce the notion of pluralism about an area, and use it to argue that the questions at the center of our normative lives are not settled by the facts -- even the normative facts. One upshot of the discussion is that the concepts of realism and objectivity, which are widely identified, are actually in tension. Another is that the concept of objectivity, not realism, should take center stage

Epistemic Non-Factualism and Methodology

I discuss methodology in epistemology. I argue that settling the facts, even the epistemic facts, fails to settle the questions of intellectual policy at the center of our epistemic lives. An upshot is that the standard methodology of analyzing concepts like knowledge, justification, rationality, and so on is misconceived. More generally, any epistemic method that seeks to issue in intellectual policy by settling the facts, whether by way of abductive theorizing or empirical investigation, no matter how reliable, is inapt. The argument is a radicalization of Moore’s Open Question Argument. I conclude by considering the ramifications of this conclusion for the debate surrounding “Modal Security”, a proposed necessary condition on undermining defeat

A human operator simulator model of the NASA Terminal Configured Vehicle (TCV)

A generic operator model called HOS was used to simulate the behavior and performance of a pilot flying a transport airplane during instrument approach and landing operations in order to demonstrate the applicability of the model to problems associated with interfacing a crew with a flight system. The model which was installed and operated on NASA Langley's central computing system is described. Preliminary results of its application to an investigation of an innovative display system under development in Langley's terminal configured vehicle program are considered

PC programs for the prediction of the linear stability behavior of liquid propellant propulsion systems and application to current MSFC rocket engine test programs, volume 1

Research on propulsion stability (chugging and acoustic modes), and propellant valve control was investigated. As part of the activation of the new liquid propulsion test facilities, it is necessary to analyze total propulsion system stability. To accomplish this, several codes were built to run on desktop 386 machines. These codes enable one to analyze the stability question associated with the propellant feed systems. In addition, further work was adapted to this computing environment and furnished along with other codes. This latter inclusion furnishes those interested in high frequency oscillatory combustion behavior (that does not couple to the feed system) a set of codes for study of proposed liquid rocket engines

Reflections on the classics: ‘Exit, Voice and Loyalty’

I’m often asked by people embarking on a career in development , if my time spent at the LSE had any relevance to my current work. I generally find this question peculiar. For me, doing a master’s degree was an opportunity to expand my horizons and to learn; it wasn’t about furthering a career or whatnot