Silver Linings: Connecting During COVID

For our senior shows, the graphic design class of 2020 was assigned the overall theme of data visualization. From this starting point, we branched out and chose topics of interest within the theme. Based on our topics of interest we were sorted into groups of 4 students. The topic that I chose to focus on with my group was connection and shared experience. The original outcome of the project was intended to be an installation in the gallery of the Main Campus Student Center. However, this outcome had to be modified due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the circumstances surrounding the Spring 2020 semester. The project now takes the form of a digital portfolio site that showcases our research, graphics, and findings associated with the project. Because of these circumstances we also chose to modify the topic and scope of the project. While the topic remains connection and shared experiences, the focus of the project became connection and shared experiences in the COVID-19 era with a specific focus on the events of March and April of 2020. The purpose of focusing on this topic was to collect and share instances of positivity that have occurred during this time that has been extremely difficult for many people. The goal of the final portfolio website was to share data and highlight stories and experiences that create hope

Regional development and climate change adaptation: a study of the role of legitimacy

This paper presents results from a study of Czech Local Action Groups (LAGs), focusing on gaining knowledge about their internally perceived legitimacy and their potential role in local adaptation to climate change. Former studies on the role of governance networks in climate change adaptation have suggested that these networks' legitimacy are crucial for their success. In this article we provide an analytical framework that can be used to address different aspects of local governance networks which are important for their legitimacy and the way they are apt as instruments for climate change adaptation actions. We also present a survey among LAG members that provide empirical data that we discuss in the article. The framework and the data are discussed with reference to existing contributions in the intersection of legitimacy, governance networks and climate change adaptation. A specific aim is to provide research based recommendations for further improving LAGs as an adaptation instrument. In addition, knowledge is generated that will be interesting for further studies of similar local governance initiatives in the climate change adaptation context.Web of Science8322620

The design and building of a lifecycle-based process model for simulating environmental performance, product performance and cost in cement manufacturing

State of the art lifecycle inventory (LCI) models are typically used to relate resource use and emissions to manufacturing and use of a certain product. Corresponding software tools are generally specialised to perform normalisation of the flows to the functional unit. In some cases it is, however, desirable to make use of the LCI model for other types of environmental assessments. In this paper, an alternative modelling technique resulting in a more flexible model is investigated. We exemplify the above by designing and building a model of a cement plant. The commissioner\u27s, in this case Cementa AB\u27s, requirements on a flexible model that generates information on environmental performance, product performance and the economic cost were seen as important. The work reported here, thus, has two purposes: on the one hand, to explore the possibility of building more flexible LCI models, and on the other hand, to provide the commissioner with a model that fulfils their needs and requirements. Making use of a calculational a-causal and object-oriented modelling approach satisfied the commissioner\u27s special requirements on flexibility in terms of modularity and the types of calculations it was possible to perform. In addition, this model supports non-linear and dynamic elements for future use. The result is a model that can be used for a number of purposes, such as assessment of cement quality and environmental performance of the process using alternative fuels. It is also shown that by using the above modelling approach, flexibility and modularity can be greatly enhanced. \ua9 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Organising Ethics: The Case of the Norwegian Army

This article shows how institutionalism, a theory in organisational social science, provides a model for diagnosing organisational challenges that influence the ethical practices and integration in the Norwegian Army. Institutionalism provides tools for analysing the differences between expressed values and actual practices and for understanding the organisational dynamics that unfold at the crossroads of the organisation's formal structure, informal culture and stakeholder relations. In this article we present and discuss such differences and dynamics in the Norwegian Army based on findings from a survey and a number of workshops. We also provide some suggestions for effective implementation of strategies for strengthening ethics in such an organisation. We argue that the perspective taken in this project is also relevant for other highly professionalised complex organisations and that such interdisciplinary research will strengthen practical ethics' potential for real impact

Vägar framåt för några nationella myndigheters implementering av konventionen om biologisk mångfald och lokal och traditionell kunskap av betydelse för biologisk mångfald

På uppdrag av Naturvårdsverket genomförde Centrum för biologisk mångfald under 2014 en utredning, vilket resulterade i denna rapport. Syftet med uppdraget var att göra en fördjupad analys över vilka insatser ett antal svenska statliga myndigheter behöver göra för att uppnå Sveriges åtaganden enligt FN:s konvention om biologisk mångfald vad gäller artikel 8j (särskild hänsyn till s.k. traditionell kunskap som finns hos urfolk och lokala samhällen med traditionella sedvänjor) och artikel 10c (hänsyn till hållbart sedvanebruk). Idén är att de framlagda förslagen ska bidra till att Sverige år 2020 ska nå Aichi-mål 18 gällande dessa frågor, som Sverige varit delaktiga i att besluta om inom mångfaldskonventionen. Traditionell kunskap, dvs. praktisk erfarenhetsbaserad kunskap som förts vidare från generation till generation, bedöms vara en viktig förutsättning för att bevara och hållbart nyttja biologisk mångfald samt uppnå ett framtida hållbart samhälle

Are assessments responding to a dynamic environment? Evidence from four emerging techno-scientific domains

Assessments of emerging science and technologies can assist actors to anticipate and influence techno-scientific development. Although the importance of contextual factors in techno-scientific development has been stressed, the extent to which economic, societal and political trends are integrated into assessment practices is unknown. Focusing on a number of such trends, this paper shows that there are clear differences in how trends are being addressed in different techno-scientific domains. Maturity, developmental speed and societal awareness of techno-scientific domains, as well as associated impacts thereof, seem to influence the consideration of trends in assessments. Furthermore, both the extent and quality of trend reflection seem to be related to the methodological approaches applied in conducting assessments, including the use of participatory approaches, temporal orientations and the transparency of assessment processes in general