Environment Kuznets Curve for Carbon Emissions: A Cointegration Analysis for Bangladesh

This article investigates the current status of the association between carbon emissions releases, use of energy, openness of trade and overall output of Bangladesh from its independence to 2012. The research outcomes for Bangladesh show that a robust long-run association is present there along with short-run dynamic adjustment among those variables. The research indicates that environmental degradation in Bangladesh may increase because of high economic growth in future and therefore, policies to tackle environmental pollution are imperative where the use of both market and non-market based management tools is important. Finally, this study provides some future research directions which were beyond the scope of this research. Keywords: Environment; Environmental Economics; Air Pollution. JEL Classifications: Q5; P42

Assessing the Viability of Growing Agave Tequilana as a Biofuel Feedstock in Queensland, Australia

This study assessed farmer's perceptions about cultivating Agave tequilana for bio-ethanol production in Australia and its economic viability. This plant has been growing in Ayr, a trial site in Queensland, Australia. This study found both farmers and stakeholders are ready to accept Agave tequilana as a potential biofuel crop because farmers can use their marginalised land, where they require less water and nutrients. Commercial farming of Agave tequilana could be supported in Queensland by existing sugar mills, infrastructure and technologies to minimise the cost associated with transport and processing. An economic model has been developed with a sensitivity analysis to assess the net present value of bioethanol production over a 40 year period. Keywords: Agave tequilana, bioethanol production, Ayr, Queensland JEL Classifications: Q42, Q48, R1

Community engagement in engineering education : needs and learning outcomes

Engineers usually manage development projects such as dams, weirs and bridge constructions. All of which require community engagement at least during the planning and construction stages of the project. All projects of this nature undertake mandatory or voluntary environmental impact assessments (EIA) before commencing the on ground activities. So, an engineer is no longer just an engineer but also a development professional. They have to understand the role of the community in project development, and must understand the principles and processes of community engagement. Engineers need to be properly trained for community engagement during either undergraduate or post-graduate education or a similar standing of professional training. The purpose of this paper is to give an outline of the key principles and processes of community engagement: it highlights the need for community engagement components in curricula and its learning outcomes in engineering education

Review of the nexus between urban and regional planning and engineering education

The discipline of urban and regional planning teaches us about planning and managing the built environments. Planners have professional responsibility to deliver plans for most aspects of built environment such as land-use, infrastructure, transport and communication, community development and service delivery plans. This is how they make cities, towns and regions visually appealing, ecologically sustainable, socially equitable and economically productive. On the other hand, engineering disciplines, especially those are related to built-environment such as civil, construction, water and transport engineering, also deal with these issues but they focus on tools and design to implement the plans. A number of studies have been conducted on nature of interdisciplinary relationship between the planning and engineering education but none of the studies covers key issues that deserve interdisciplinary approach in addressing the built-environmental problems

Water governance for the urban poor in Bangladesh a model of two pillars with six dimensions/

In the growing number of large and mega-cities in the developing world, an adequate supply of potable water to the urban poor living in informal settlements is a serious problem, with important health, economic and social implications. Based on a review of literature and extensive field work, this paper evaluates the two pillars and six dimensions that limit the accessibility of potable water supply to the urban poor in developing countries. The Pillars are constituted of central actors and complementary actors; and the six dimensions are factors stratified as technical, biophysical, political, institutional, economic and social. The study identified the principles, criteria, indicators and verifiers of each factor within informal settlements in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Aggregated values of the indicators from Weighted Average (WA) and Average Ordered Weighted Average (Av-OWA) operators were used in an overall performance evaluation. It is proposed that planners and managers could make more informed decisions as a result of the model of ‘Two pillars with Six Dimensions’ to improve the present water supply situation in informal urban settlements

Attraction and retention of staff in Queensland secondary schools : factors and implications

Australian public policy has long focused on the quality of education as a means to develop the nation’s economic and social progress. Secondary school education is a key phase in the education system, where most students form their analytical ability and decide on their future career direction. One of the serious problems facing secondary education systems is the attraction and retention of high quality teachers in specialised areas such as sciences, mathematics and technology. Hence, there is a need to develop innovative strategies to recruit educators to meet the current demand and for future generation. This paper aims to explore the factors for choosing teaching as a career. Relevant variables of a teaching career attraction were framed through an extensive literature review and then these were discussed with relevant stakeholders. A questionnaire was devised addressing these variables and a survey was conducted to Year-12, University Students and Secondary Teachers in Queensland. The paper concludes with some strategic guidelines to attracting and retaining the teachers at secondary level

Comparing the household solar system installation patterns between Brisbane metropolitan region and regional Queensland

Akbar, DH ORCiD: 0000-0002-2269-5056; Hossain, M ORCiD: 0000-0002-6835-8274More than 30 percent of Queensland houses have rooftop solar system (photovoltaic i.e., PV). However, it is yet to know the factors affecting the solar power installations between Brisbane Metropolitan region and regional Queensland’ residents. This study examines the PV installations trend and patterns between Brisbane Metropolitan region and regional Queensland. The study also identifies key factors affecting the variation of PV installations between metropolitan and regional households. A quantitative methodology supported by secondary data and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model has been adopted in this study. This study predicted that PV installations in the Brisbane metropolitan area would be increased after 2020. On the other hand, PV installations in regional Queensland is on the peak now and it would decline in 2020 and then a regular trend would appear. In addition, the study found a positive relationship between PV installations and the separate houses with three or more bedrooms. Therefore, these findings can help in future PV expansion planning in Queensland

Enhancing the value of Health Care Services at a regional level

Health Care Services (HCS) industry is an important part of the vital, prosperous society.The presence of quality HCS is considered to be crucial for attracting new industries, retaining the existing ones and attributing to the overall social and economic prosperity of the region. However, it is not clear how to increase the value of HCS industry in regions. HCS industry might be one of the largest industries in the region in terms of creating employment and generating income; it does not necessarily create linkages with other industries in the region, and therefore it does not contribute fully to the prosperity of the regions. Using a case study of Fitzroy Statistical Division (a non metropolitan region in Queensland, Australia) the regional economic diversity is identified using the input output analysis. It is argued that each region needs to identify its key sectors in terms of backward and forward linkages in order to suggest which industries in the region need to be encouraged to increase their connections with HCS industry to increase the value of HCS in the region

Further views down the slope from the Hubbert Peak

Akbar, DH ORCiD: 0000-0002-2269-5056A previous contribution to Queensland Planner generated quite a lot of interest, perhaps because it explored a range of materials relating to the looming global peak of oil supply that many practicing planners might not otherwise have had time to explore. Since then, much more has been written and spoken about the possible implications of the emerging reality of Peak Oil which will signal the end of cheap liquid fuel. This article provides a brief update on the 2005 article