The effects of videotape modeling and daily feedback on residential electricity conservation, home temperature and humidity, perceived comfort, and clothing worn: Winter and summer

Two studies were conducted in all-electric townhouses and apartments in the winter (N = 83) and summer (N = 54) to ascertain how energy conservation strategies focusing on thermostat change and set-backs and other low-cost/no-cost approaches would affect overall electricity use and electricity used for heating and cooling, the home thermal environment, the perceived comfort of participants, and clothing that was worn. The studies assessed the effectiveness of videotape modeling programs that demonstrated these conservation strategies when used alone or combined with daily feedback on electricity use. In the winter, the results indicated that videotape modeling and/or feedback were effective relative to baseline and to a control group in reducing overall electricity use by about 15% and electricity used for heating by about 25%. Hygrothermographs, which accurately and continuously recorded temperature and humidity in the homes, indicated that participants were able to live with no reported loss in comfort and no change in attire at a mean temperature of about 62°F when home and about 59°F when asleep. The results were highly discrepant with prior laboratory studies indicating comfort at 75°F with the insulation value of the clothing worn by participants in this study. In the summer, a combination of strategies designed to keep a home cool with minimal or no air conditioning, in conjunction with videotape modeling and/or daily feedback, resulted in overall electricity reductions of about 15% with reductions on electricity for cooling of about 34%, but with feedback, and feedback and modeling more effective than modeling alone. Despite these electricity savings, hygrothermograph recordings indicated minimal temperature change in the homes, with no change in perceived comfort or clothing worn. The results are discussed in terms of discrepancies with laboratory studies, optimal combinations of video-media and personal contact to promote behavior change, and energy policies that may be mislabeled as sacrificial and underestimate the effectiveness of conservation strategies such as those investigated in these studies

The State of Knowledge about Grizzly Bears (Kakenokuskwe osow Muskwa (Cree), Ursus arctos) in Northern Manitoba

Grizzly bears have been observed with increasing frequency in northern Manitoba, Canada over the last four decades (1980 – 2020), likely originating from the established population in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. We summarize and present an interdisciplinary synthesis of documented observations of grizzly bears in northern Manitoba from historical records from the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, published literature, direct observations, remote camera observations, government agency reports, the first author’s field notes, volunteered observations, and media and social media reports. A total of 160 observations were recorded, 140 of them since 1980. Spatially, these observations all fall within the Southern Arctic, Hudson Plains, and Taiga Shield ecozones within Manitoba and span from the northern limit of Manitoba at the Nunavut border to the south shore of the Nelson River. Grizzly bears were historically present in northern Manitoba prior to 1980, though in very low numbers, but the frequency of observations has increased significantly since then. Most observations (86%) were less than 1 km from the Hudson Bay coast. Grizzly bears appear to select for open habitats and against forested ones. Reported observations, however, have been largely opportunistic, and the geographical distribution of observer efforts was uneven, so our data likely contain spatial and temporal biases. All confirmed observations were of single bears, suggesting that the present population is likely maintained by dispersal from the population to the north. Understanding grizzly bear ecology, distribution, and demographics north and west of Churchill will be critical for more accurately assessing the status and conservation needs of grizzly bears in the province.   Au cours des quatre dernières décennies (1980 – 2020), de plus en plus de grizzlis ont été observés dans le nord du Manitoba, au Canada, vraisemblablement en provenance de la population établie au Nunavut et dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Nous résumons et présentons une synthèse interdisciplinaire d’observations documentées de grizzlis dans le nord du Manitoba à partir de dossiers historiques des archives de la Compagnie de la Baie d’Hudson, d’ouvrages publiés, d’observations directes, d’observations en provenance de caméras à distance, de rapports d’organismes gouvernementaux, de notes prises sur le terrain par les principaux auteurs, d’observations participatives ainsi que de signalements prélevés dans les médias et les médias sociaux. Dans l’ensemble, 160 observations ont été consignées, dont 140 depuis 1980. Du point de vue géographique, ces observations ont toutes été faites dans les écozones du sud de l’Arctique, des plaines hudsoniennes et de la taïga du Bouclier du Manitoba, allant de la limite nord du Manitoba à la frontière du Nunavut jusqu’à la rive sud du fleuve Nelson. Les grizzlis étaient présents dans le nord du Manitoba avant 1980, bien qu’en très petits nombres, mais la fréquence des observations s’est accrue considérablement depuis cette époque. La plupart des observations (86 %) ont été faites à moins d’un kilomètre de la côte de la baie d’Hudson. Les grizzlis semblent opter pour les habitats ouverts au détriment des habitats forestiers. Cependant, les observations signalées sont largement opportunistes et la répartition géographique des efforts des observateurs n’était pas égale, ce qui signifie que nos données sont vraisemblablement empreintes d’un biais spatial et d’un biais temporel. Toutes les observations confirmées se rapportaient à des ours seuls, ce qui suggère que la présente population découle probablement de la dispersion de la population du Nord. La compréhension de l’écologie, de la répartition et de la démographie des grizzlis au nord et à l’ouest de Churchill jouera un rôle critique dans l’évaluation plus précise de l’état des grizzlis et de leurs besoins en conservation au sein de la province