Machismo and Consequential Aphrodisiac Consumption in Oaxaca, Mexico

Aphrodisiacs have been used in many cultures around the world, including, but not limited to those of Greece, Egypt, Rome, and pre-Columbian societies. Aphrodisiacs are substances consumed to increase sex drive, sexual desire, and sexual performance. In Oaxaca, Mexico males are the primary people who consume aphrodisiacs, particularly Olive ridley sea turtles eggs, which are on the brink of extinction. One of the main reasons males consume these so-called aphrodisiacs is to combat erectile dysfunction, which impedes sexual performance. Many of the men who consume the Olive ridley sea turtle eggs possess traits associated with machismo, a form of masculinity often characterized by objectification of women and hypersexuality, both of which are drives for men to seek aphrodisiacs

Hood Canal Shellfish Initiative: A collaborative multi-benefit approach to shellfish aquaculture, ecosystem protection, and cultural opportunities

The Hood Canal watershed in Washington State is characterized by its iconic shellfish, which are ecologically, culturally, and economically critical to local communities. The Hood Canal Coordinating Council (HCCC) led the development of the Hood Canal Shellfish Initiative (HCSI) to preserve this rich ancestral shellfish culture and to identify coordinated and mutually beneficial strategies and actions that support and expand Hood Canal’s thriving shellfish populations for current and future generations. The HCSI is built on a foundation of collaboration. A representative and inclusive workgroup of Hood Canal tribal and non-tribal shellfish interests developed the HCSI Action Plan using a transparent and consensus-based structured decision-making process. The HCSI strives to support and expand Hood Canal’s thriving shellfish populations, honor Tribal treaty rights, build resilience, pursue ecosystem protection and restoration, and support careful stewardship of commercial and recreational shellfish harvest now and into the future. The Action Plan guides shellfish planning and funding efforts across Hood Canal through six objectives and prioritized actions that contain a comprehensive review of the barriers and opportunities for sustaining robust Hood Canal shellfish resources and supporting a healthy ecosystem and community. The HCSI’s inclusive and collaborative process enabled HCCC to dig into issues from many perspectives and develop actions addressing many interests across multiple objectives. The legitimacy and authority developed during this process has led to organic opportunities to pursue priority actions and partnerships to achieve Action Plan objectives. HCCC continues to pursue opportunities to implement the HCSI Action Plan for the benefit of all shellfish interests in Hood Canal

Shadows of the Past: Exploring the Resurgence and Evolution of Far-Right Politics in Germany: A Comparative Visual Analysis of the Election Propaganda of the AfD and the Nazi Party

Populism and nationalism have become buzzwords in international politics. With the success of Donald Trump and Brexit in 2016, a wave of populism and nationalism has seemingly swept across Europe and the world, posing new threats to democratic institutions everywhere. In Europe specifically, it seems as if new right-wing populist parties are springing up and gaining influence every week. The success of Le Pen in France, Vox in Spain, and &ldquo;League&rdquo;(Lega) in Italy are all worrying examples. Out of all these groups, however, the rise of the Alternative f&uuml;r Deutschland (AfD) in Germany is the most unnerving. Germany&rsquo;s increased importance in the European Union (as a result of Brexit) and the pressure for Germany to be more assertive and active militarily in the face of Russian hostility, makes the possibility of a right-wing populist group leading the country all the more concerning.</p

An Assessment of Knowledge, Behavior, and Consumption Patterns Surrounding Sugar- Sweetened Beverages Among Young Adults

Background The obesity epidemic is a growing problem in this country. Many studies have been conducted in effort to unravel and derail the rise in obesity and overweight status among Americans. Strong evidence supports the notion that excessive sugar consumption is largely contributing to an increase in obesity and risk for many chronic diseases and conditions. Objective This study assessed sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, knowledge of sugar-sweetened beverages, disease risk associated with consumption, and correlation between the knowledge and consumption among a sample of students at a large midwestern university. A cross-sectional, retrospective design with random sampling was utilized for this study. Results This study has shown that while participants are aware of the disease risks associated with SSB consumption, no change in consumption was observed. Participants are aware of the links between SSBs and obesity and other chronic diseases. Knowing this information did not change the decision to consume SSBs. No correlation was noted when comparing knowledge to consumption. This study also revealed that while there is knowledge of disease risk, knowledge of SSB content and what constitutes a healthy beverage is unclear. Knowledge levels were low when asked about sugar content of certain SSBs, health benefits of low-sugar or sugar-free beverages, and health benefits of 100% juice. These results indicate that consumers may not be aware of the amount of sugar being consumed

The Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration Project: A Case Study of Government-to-Government Co-Management

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2013The contribution of indigenous groups in natural resource management is generally believed to enhance management practices and produce positive outcomes for its participants, by improving stewardship and encouraging power-sharing arrangements, among other outcomes. For federally recognized Native American communities, government-to-government co-management relationships with the U.S. federal government have provided opportunities to modernize the treaty trust relationship, and enrich linkages between environmental ethics and cultural heritage, building tribal capacity and autonomy. The case of the Elwha River dam removal and ecosystem restoration on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State presents an opportunity to demonstrate the progress made in consultation practices and co-management efforts on the behalf of the U.S. government, in the execution of the largest dam removal project ever attempted. For the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, river restoration will re-connect the Tribe to the legendary salmon runs that are its cultural livelihood. The co-management relationship established between the project's two lead actors, the National Park Service and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, has demonstrated the positive outcomes of a mutually respected process facilitated through power-sharing, as well as the dilemma for tribal decision-makers in maintaining cultural tradition and engaging in environmental management under congressional mandates

Monitoring Human Wellbeing as an Ecosystem Indicator in Hood Canal

The Hood Canal Coordinating Council (HCCC) is a council of local governments around the Hood Canal, a narrow 65 mile long fjord on the west side of Puget Sound, in Washington State. HCCC’s member jurisdictions include county and tribal governments, and it works in partnership with a large community of environmental organizations and consortiums to protect and conserve Hood Canal’s extraordinary environment under a unifying framework, the Hood Canal Integrated Watershed Plan (IWP). In 2014, HCCC adopted indicators of human wellbeing to its suite of ecosystem indicators in the IWP. The six indicators represent each of the domains of human wellbeing, including: Physical, Psychological, Governance, Cultural, Social, and Economic. Over the past year, HCCC has initiated monitoring of the selected indicators using a combination of objective and subjective measures with the goal to integrate this information into strategic planning. HCCC continues to refine its indicator measures and monitoring approach and improve the way ecosystem status and programmatic outcomes are communicated. A major component of this effort is OurHoodCanal.org, an online ecosystem report card that provides annual status updates and serves to re-frame our management approach. With the addition of human wellbeing indicators, HCCC has initiated an ongoing conversation with many of its member jurisdictions, partners, and the public around how to make environmental management more inclusive and more responsive to the entire social-ecological system. Opening this discussion with decision-makers and project implementers has begun to re-shape HCCC’s and our partners’ approach to environmental management in a way that will better serve the wellbeing of Hood Canal’s natural and social communities