Urban political ecologies of housing and climate change: the ‘Coolest Block’ Contest in Philadelphia

Urban authorities and a range of private and civil society actors have come to view housing as a key arena in which to address climate change whilst also pursuing wider social, economic and environmental objectives. Housing has been a critical area for urban studies, but often considered in sectoral terms and work on urban responses to climate change has followed this positioning. By contrast, an Urban Political Ecology (UPE) perspective would position housing in more integrated terms as part of the metabolism of the city. Yet so far there has been relatively little written in UPE about either housing or climate change. This paper therefore seeks to bring UPE into dialogue with the emergent literature focused on governing climate change through housing. It does so through a detailed study of the ‘Retrofit Philly “Coolest Block” Contest’. We argue that this contest highlights the ways climate change is changing the way housing is embedded in the circulations of the city, pointing to changes in who is governing housing, how housing is being governed and who is able to access the benefits of (climate change-branded) action on housing

Sustainability Assessment of Wetland Rice Farming in Sri Lanka: A Case Study in Kaduwela Wetland Ecosystem

Achieving sustainability in farming systems which are in close connection with natural ecosystems is a challenging task for farmers, researchers and policy makers. There is long history for use of floodplains for agriculture, due to their high fertility created by regular flooding events. Kaduwela wetland ecosystem is such floodplain which is situated in Colombo district. Paddy is the most prominent cultivation in this area and intensive farming practices hence has led to continuous reduction of sustainability and natural biodiversity of this wetland ecosystem. The objective of the study is therefore to calculate a total sustainability index (TSI) for the paddy farmers with social, economic and environmental components. A household survey using a pre-tested questionnaire was conducted among randomly selected 100 paddy farmers from Dedigamuwa Grama Niladhari Division of Kaduwela Divisional Secretariat Division. Key informant interviews were also conducted to collect information. Thirteen different indicators were developed to analyse economic, social and environmental sustainability. These data were used to derive an Economic Efficiency Index (EEI), Social Security Index (SSI) and an Environmental Security Index (ESI). Total Sustainability Index (TSI) was calculated finally combining all indices. According to the results only 3% (TSI>0.5) of paddy farmers were totally sustainable within the system. Overall results emphasized that only 13%, 8% and 4% of paddy farmers respectively were economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. Further, as a result of continuous reduction of paddy productivity and higher labour cost, 87% of paddy farmers were economically vulnerable while overuse of fertilizers and agrochemicals has lead to reduction of environmental sustainability of the system. Lack of proper extension services and poor women involvement in agriculture has lead 92% of paddy farmers towards the social vulnerability. The study concludes that lack of adequate knowledge on sustainable farming systems and unfamiliarity with resource conserving practices negatively related to less adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Finally the study suggest that government support and intervention in agricultural advisory services can serve as an engine to promote sustainability in paddy production while conserving the natural characteristics of this wetland ecosystem.Keywords: Paddy farming, Sustainability index, Wetland ecosyste

Evaluation of Essential Oil Yield and Chemical Composition of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon Spp.) Cultivars Grown Different Locations in Sri Lanka

The leaf oil obtained by hydro-distillation of two different lemongrasses (Cymbopogon spp.) were investigated by Gas Chromatography Flame-Ionization Detector (GC-FID) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Six samples (3 dried leaf samples and 3 fresh samples) randomly collected in different locations at Matale and Ranna areas were subjected to analysis. The main constituents of C. flexuosus Stapf (East Indian red stem lemongrass) grown Matale and Ranna areas were identified as d-limonene (1.7%, 4.0%), neral (39.9%, 23.7%), geranial (40.7%, 30.5%), citronellol (0.2%, 1.5%) and geraniol (5.0%, 23.1%). Plants grown Ranna area showed highest mean leaf oil yield (0.4% v/w). The essential oil of C. citratus Stapf (West Indian white stem lemongrass) grown Ranna area was characterised by high content of myrcene (9.1%), neral (33.3%), geranial (47.6%), geraniol (3.2%) and geranyl acetate (0.4%). Total citral content is a significant quality parameter of lemongrass oil. Total citral content is considered as a mixture of the trans-isomers geranial (ctiral a) and cis isomer neral (citral b). Citral fraction can be used for ionone synthesis which is valuable ingredient for perfumery industries. Hence high oil and citral yielded lemongrass varieties are required. Gas Chromatography of lemongrass oil showed that the West Indian white stem lemongrass grown Ranna area produced highest total citral content (80.9%). The East Indian variety grown in Ranna area showed a higher content of geraniol (23.1%). However, there is no such a high content of geraniol reported in both species of lemongrass oil in Sri Lanka.Keywords: Citral, Geranial, Neral, Cymbopogon spp., GC-MS, GC-FID analysi

Thermal comfort assessment in a typological non-isolated maternity pig sheds with different types of farrowing systems

Received: February 1st, 2021 ; Accepted: May 8th, 2021 ; Published: May 19th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] facilities in tropical climates, especially the maternity, have worked with typological systems that have been little studied to determine the influence of the type of farrowing on microenvironmental conditions and its effect on both the sows and the piglets' physiological parameters. Therefore, the aim of the research was evaluate the thermal environment (Temperature Humidity Index - THI and Radiant Thermal Load - RTL) and its influence on some physiological parameters (respiratory frequency - RF and rectal temperature - TRectal) in the sows and piglets in two different types of farrowing systems (Traditional and Slatted), in a typological swine facility located in tropical climates in Colombia. The findings showed that in the two systems, both for sows and piglets, the type of farrowing system did not generate significant differences in the physiological responses RF and TRectal. Also, the RTL did not show significant differences in the two types of farrowing system at the piglets and the sows’ level, without exceeding the maximum allowed levels. Temperature-Humidity Index was above the threshold during all experimental time, being slightly higher at the piglets' level with Slatted systems. These results show that the type of floor has little impact on the conditions of animal thermal comfort at the sows and piglets’ level. However, variables like low-temperature, low radiant energy exchange, and high humidity, which were found mainly at the piglets’ level, could have the highest incidence for not achieving a suitable microenvironment. This means that almost all Colombian pig farming facilities require a redesign of their farrowing system to guarantee better thermal conditions for both piglets and sows

Measure of thermal transmittance of two different infill wall built with bamboo cultivated in Tuscany

ArticleBamboo is used in different scenarios of application, its physical and mechanical characteristics guarantee a high flexibility of use especially in the buildings constructions. The experience gained in civil constructions demonstrates that bamboo can be considered a sustainable material able to replace wood in many constructive elements with structural functions. The applications of bamboo aimed at carrying out structural functions are thoroughly studied. For this reason the present research focuses on the thermal insulation performance. To ensure an approach focused on the sustainability of potential exploitation, the research examined only local material coming from three bamboo fields located in the Tuscany region (Italy). The material harvested and suitably treated was utilized for the realization of two different kind of wall, undergone later to experimental tests in compliance with the ISO 9869 standard for the calculation of the transmittance values. The measure of transmittance enabled to know the characteristics of thermal conduction of bamboo walls. The first wall was made of cut throw longitudinal axis bamboo culms; the second one was made of cut throw longitudinal axis bamboo culms coated in internal face with a sustainable mortar. The test was carried out using insulating thermal box with internal temperature under control. The calculation of the transmittance in place was compared with the images captured by thermal camera. Thermal imagine allowed to highlight the behaviour of the material subjected to a thermal stress induced by the experimental test

Preliminary study on the potential use of RPA images to quantify the influence of the defoliation after coffee harvesting to its yield

Received: January 24th, 2023 ; Accepted: May 22nd, 2023 ; Published: September 18th, 2023 ; Correspondence: [email protected] is an agricultural commodity with global commercial importance capable of impacting the production chain. The quantification of defoliation at harvest is important for monitoring crop yield because defoliation is one of the main types of damage caused by this agricultural operation in coffee crops. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between yield and defoliation obtained in the field and obtained through remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) images. The experiment was conducted in a coffee plantation belonging to the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. An RPA with a rotary wing containing a multispectral camera was used in autonomous flight mode with a height of 30 m, an image overlap of 80%, and a speed of 3 m s-1 . The images were collected before and after the 2020 and 2021 harvest, defoliation data obtained in the field were measured in 2020 and 2021, and the yield was measured from 2019 to 2021. Image processing was performed in the software PhotoScan, postimage processing was performed in QGIS, and statistical analyses were performed using the software R. With the processing of the images in 2020, the crop showed reductions of 17.3% and 18.4% in leaf area and volume, respectively, after harvest. In 2021, the crop showed reductions of 12.8% and 9.8% in leaf area and volume, respectively, after harvest. The leaf area and leaf volume of the coffee plantation after harvest could be quantified by means of images obtained by RPA, which allowed the observation of the loss of area and volume of the coffee plantation. Furthermore, it was possible to analyse the interactions between field data and the yield of the same harvest year, which were directly proportional, and the interaction of image data from one year with the previous yield, which were inversely proportional. In the year 2020, there was a reduction of 17.3% in leaf area after harvest, and a reduction of 18.4% in leaf volume after harvest in the plots under study.In the processing carried out in 2021, there was a 12.8% reduction in leaf area after harvest, and a 9.8% decrease in leaf volume after harvest in the plots under study

Spatial distribution of thermal variables, acoustics and lighting in compost dairy barn with climate control system

ArticleThe main objective of this research was to evaluate the spatial distribution of the thermal variables, acoustics and lighting in climate controlled compost dairy barn. The experiment was conducted in October 2017, in a farm located in the west of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. For the study, the interior of the animal facility was divided into 120 meshes equidistant points, in which air temperature (tdb), relative humidity (RH), noise, illuminance, and air speed (Vair) were manually collected. The technique of geostatistics was used to evaluate the distribution and spatial dependence of variables. Spatial distribution maps showed the occurrence of high variability of attributes and content within the animal facility. Thermal environment variables showed alert situations throughout practically the entire facility. The noise and luminance levels were within the recommended values

Decision three to predict respiratory rate of piglets submitted to cold conditions

Received: January 16th, 2021 ; Accepted: March 13th, 2021 ; Published: October 5th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] subjected to thermal conditions outside their comfort zones may show altered physiological and behavioural responses, which may consequently cause productive losses. For these reasons, the aim of this paper is to develop a decision tree for the prediction of respiratory rate (RR, mov min-1 ) of piglets exposed to different thermal situations. The experiment was carried out in an experimental pig farm of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia Campus Medellin, located at the San Pablo Agraria Experimental Station located in the eastern sector of the department of Antioquia, during August 2019. A database containing the raw data for dry bulb temperature - tdb (°C), and relative humidity - RH (%) as input variables, and RR (mov min-1 ) of six piglets were assessed every two hours as output variable for piglets was generated. The experimental database was composed of 78 observed data. The decision trees were developed to conditions of tdb between 19.2 to 29.5 °C and RH between 50.2 to 88.4%. In the experimental period, RR of piglets submitted to tdb higher than 27.1 °C the RR was around 60 mov min-1 , tdb smaller than 27.1 °C the RR varied from 36 to 46 mov min-1 . These low values of physiological responses may indicate that the piglets are not in a comfortable situation, so their development, welfare and production can be affected. The decision tree developed can be useful to provide a quick understanding of the piglet’s welfare condition based on the environmental variables and physiological responses