Science and Technology\u27s Impact on Critical Social Issues

Science and technology are uniquely human activities. Today they are terms well known to all of us. Science and technology affect how we think (some would say, not enough ), how we communicate (some would say , constantly but not clearly or credibly ) and how we reproduce, use energy and feed ourselves (some would say for each of these, - too much !) I want to explore briefly the way science and technology affects how we think and, more specifically, their impact on energy and food

So Many Issues, So Little Time: Adapting the National Issues Forum Model for Local Public Issue Forums

After several years of contentious, growth-related public meetings in the county, the Extension educator and citizen-volunteers adapted the National Issues Forums model to produce monthly, locally focused public issues forums. They provide a venue for citizens to learn about and deliberate the emerging and current issues in a non-threatening environment. As a result, public issues education has increased many times over, and citizens are better able to participate in public decision making. Public officials often attend the forum and are willing presenters

Oxygen and hydrogen ion abundance in the near-Earth magnetosphere: Statistical results on the response to the geomagnetic and solar wind activity conditions

The composition of ions plays a crucial role for the fundamental plasma properties in the terrestrial magnetosphere. We investigate the oxygen-to-hydrogen ratio in the near-Earth magnetosphere from -10 RE<XGSE}< 10 RE. The results are based on seven years of ion flux measurements in the energy range ~10 keV to ~955 keV from the RAPID and CIS instruments on board the Cluster satellites. We find that (1) hydrogen ions at ~10 keV show only a slight correlation with the geomagnetic conditions and interplanetary magnetic field changes. They are best correlated with the solar wind dynamic pressure and density, which is an expected effect of the magnetospheric compression; (2) ~10 keV O+ ion intensities are more strongly affected during disturbed phase of a geomagnetic storm or substorm than >274 keV O+ ion intensities, relative to the corresponding hydrogen intensities; (3) In contrast to ~10 keV ions, the >274 keV O+ ions show the strongest acceleration during growth phase and not during the expansion phase itself. This suggests a connection between the energy input to the magnetosphere and the effective energization of energetic ions during growth phase; (4) The ratio between quiet and disturbed times for the intensities of ion ionospheric outflow is similar to those observed in the near-Earth magnetosphere at >274 keV. Therefore, the increase of the energetic ion intensity during disturbed time is more likely due to the intensification than to the more effective acceleration of the ionospheric source. In conclusion, the energization process in the near-Earth magnetosphere is mass dependent and it is more effective for the heavier ions

Magnetospheric convection from Cluster EDI measurements compared with the ground-based ionospheric convection model IZMEM

Cluster/EDI electron drift observations above the Northern and Southern polar cap areas for more than seven and a half years (2001–2008) have been used to derive a statistical model of the high-latitude electric potential distribution for summer conditions. Based on potential pattern for different orientations of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) in the GSM y-z-plane, basic convection pattern (BCP) were derived, that represent the main characteristics of the electric potential distribution in dependence on the IMF. The BCPs comprise the IMF-independent potential distribution as well as patterns, which describe the dependence on positive and negative IMF&lt;I&gt;B&lt;sub&gt;z&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt; and IMF&lt;I&gt;B&lt;sub&gt;y&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt; variations. The full set of BCPs allows to describe the spatial and temporal variation of the high-latitude electric potential (ionospheric convection) for any solar wind IMF condition near the Earth&apos;s magnetopause within reasonable ranges. The comparison of the Cluster/EDI model with the IZMEM ionospheric convection model, which was derived from ground-based magnetometer observations, shows a good agreement of the basic patterns and its variation with the IMF. According to the statistical models, there is a two-cell antisunward convection within the polar cap for northward IMF&lt;I&gt;B&lt;sub&gt;z&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt;+&amp;le;2 nT, while for increasing northward IMF&lt;I&gt;B&lt;sub&gt;z&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt;+ there appears a region of sunward convection within the high-latitude daytime sector, which assumes the form of two additional cells with sunward convection between them for IMF&lt;I&gt;B&lt;sub&gt;z&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt;+&amp;asymp;4–5 nT. This results in a four-cell convection pattern of the high-latitude convection. In dependence of the &amp;plusmn;IMF&lt;I&gt;B&lt;sub&gt;y&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt; contribution during sufficiently strong northward IMF&lt;I&gt;B&lt;sub&gt;z&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/I&gt; conditions, a transformation to three-cell convection patterns takes place

The Potential of Low-Carbon Hydrogen in Norway : A Linear Programming Analysis of Hydrogen Supply Chains in the Norwegian Energy System Towards 2050

In this thesis, we conducted a linear programming analysis to assess the future potential for domestic production and consumption of low-carbon hydrogen in Norway. Our analysis is based on the Institute for Energy Technology’s long-term energy system model “IFE-TIMESNorway" (ITN), which is intended to describe the Norwegian energy system in its entirety. Our analysis in ITN has been performed according to the current-best estimates for the technoeconomic parameters of hydrogen technologies. The primary focus of our data work with the ITN model has been to expand its range of production technologies by adding steam methane reformation with carbon capture and storage, colloquially known as “blue hydrogen”. This allowed us to explore the potential of hydrogen in increased detail compared to prior analyses with ITN. In our analysis, we have analyzed production and consumption of low-carbon hydrogen, and how it flows through the energy system from a supply chain perspective. This has been analyzed through a variety of model runs intended to capture contrasting energy futures. The primary years of our analysis cover the interval 2030 to 2050. The main findings suggest that there is significant potential for low-carbon hydrogen in the Norwegian energy system towards 2050 in industry, road transport, and maritime transport. Our results indicate that the highest potential for hydrogen is as a feedstock in the metal- and chemical industry, for heavy-duty vehicles in road transport, and in the form of ammonia in maritime transport. The competitiveness of hydrogen is however highly dependent on carbon pricing as a higher CO2 tax is connected to increased volumes of hydrogen production and consumption. In addition, the availability of competing zero-emission alternatives is a significant factor for the potential of hydrogen. For current carbon pricing and its expected future increases, hydrogen is the cost-effective option for many end-use processes based on large- and/or small-scale production. However, carbon prices in excess of current and expected future values are associated with higher volumes and adoption across additional end-use processes. At large scales, steam methane reformation with carbon capture and storage is the dominant hydrogen production technology, but its position is challenged by Alkaline electrolysis if power prices are particularly low. At small scales, a combination of PEM electrolysis and alkaline electrolysis is generally preferred, but PEM is increasingly competitive across the model horizon. In addition, our results suggest that hydrogen may be distributed with trucks, but only for shorter distances within spot price regions.nhhma

Investment Creation and Investment Diversion: Simulation Analysis of theSingle Market Programme

This paper studies the investment creation and diversion effects of the EU's Single Market programme (EU92). We first present empirical evidence which suggests that EU92 caused investment diversion in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) nations and investment creation in the EU. The economic logic behind this is simple. Discriminatory liberalization shifts production of tradable goods from nonintegrating countries to the integrating region. Since tradable sectors are capital intensive relative to nontraded sectors, the production shifting raises the rental rate in the integrating regions, lowering it elsewhere. Investment creation and diversion is the result. To simulate what would have occurred if the EFTAns had never gained access to EU92 (via EU membership or the European Economic Area), we employ a computable general equilibrium model with endogenous capital stocks. The results show a modest drop in EFTA capital stocks when they are excluded from EU92, but an important rise (almost 5%) when they are included. In terms of real income, the difference between the included and excluded cases is quite large for the EFTAns (5.5% of GDP). In all cases, the EU experiences investment creation and income gains. The effects on the US and Japan are trivially small, but mostly negative in terms of capital stocks and real income.

Energy conversion at the Earth's magnetopause using single and multispacecraft methods

We present a small statistical data set, where we investigate energy conversion at the magnetopause using Cluster measurements of magnetopause crossings. The Cluster observations of magnetic field, plasma velocity, current density and magnetopause orientation are needed to infer the energy conversion at the magnetopause. These parameters can be inferred either from accurate multispacecraft methods, or by using single-spacecraft methods. Our final aim is a large statistical study, for which only single-spacecraft methods can be applied. The Cluster mission provides an opportunity to examine and validate single-spacecraft methods against the multispacecraft methods. For single-spacecraft methods, we use the Generic Residue Analysis (GRA) and a standard one-dimensional current density method using magnetic field measurements. For multispacecraft methods, we use triangulation (Constant Velocity Approach - CVA) and the curlometer technique. We find that in some cases the single-spacecraft methods yield a different sign for the energy conversion than compared to the multispacecraft methods. These sign ambiguities arise from the orientation of the magnetopause, choosing the interval to be analyzed, large normal current and time offset of the current density inferred from the two methods. By using the Finnish Meteorological Institute global MHD simulation GUMICS-4, we are able to determine which sign is likely to be correct, introducing an opportunity to correct the ambiguous energy conversion values. After correcting the few ambiguous cases, we find that the energy conversion estimated from single-spacecraft methods is generally lower by 70% compared to the multispacecraft methods.Peer reviewe

Development of a Canons of Practice Policy at Washington State University

Public policy educators, researchers, and administrators at Washington State University developed the Canons of Practice to guide faculty and staff engaging in contentious public issues. The need for such a document became evident when existing university policies and procedures lacked a suitable mechanism for resolving external criticism of public policy education and research. The Canons of Practice sets parameters for involvement in public policy research and education, provides guidelines for faculty and staff conduct, defines expectations of citizens and stakeholders, and establishes due process as the core of administrative response