Trade Unions and Green Jobs in the post-Fordist Economy: Just Rhetoric or a Fundamental Shift?

This paper looks at green jobs within the context of the new economy and post-Fordism, with a focus on why unions are supporting green jobs and the potential for creating decent employment and unionized jobs in green industries. The simultaneous economic and environmental crises create a window for political and economic change. The direction of green jobs will be determined by larger economic and political trends and will depend on the action of the state and organized labor. Unions are supporting green jobs because it is a way to promote reindustrialization, an active government industrial policy, corporatism and social partnerships. Green jobs has become a new framework to critique free market ideology and build a progressive coalition between unions and environmentalists that addresses both labor and environmental concerns. Market conditions, state policy, production demands, union strength and business strategies will influence the ability to create high-road green post-Fordist jobs

Towards best management of drained peatland forests : Impacts of different silvicultural regimes on productivity and financial returns of Scots pine stands

This thesis examines the impacts of silvicultural activities on productivity and financial returns of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands on drained peatlands in Finland. The effects of ditch network maintenance operations (DNM) and thinnings, with different timings and intensities, were studied. Based on stand development simulations, the best regimes for different types of stands according to site type, climatic area, and stand silvicultural status were defined from the viewpoint of both wood production and financial profitability. Certain aspects affecting the management outcomes, such as the timing of the first thinning, were examined using data from thinning experiments. Long-term predictions of the impacts of different management regimes were carried out by simulating the development of well-representative model-stands which were composed from appropriate inventory data sets. The MOTTI stand simulator used to perform the simulations enables the predictions by utilizing specific models for drained peatland stands. In addition to natural stand dynamics, these models describe the effects of silvicultural treatments on the development of a given stand. The mean annual increment of merchantable wood (MAImerch) was used as the measure of wood productivity, and the financial feasibility of the regimes was compared using net present value (NPV) analysis. Silvicultural treatments, when applied to appropriately match stand condition, increased both the productivity and financial returns of stand management. Applying DNM resulted in a small increase in MAImerch. When thinning was introduced along with DNM, their combined effect on wood productivity was considerable. According to current operational practices, DNM is generally combined with thinning. In some cases, e.g., in sites of low productivity, the need for DNM may become apparent prior to the thinning stage. As for profitability, thinnings proved to be crucial. The regimes with heavy and late thinnings were generally more profitable than those with normal thinnings. Further, early thinning (relative to stand volume) lacked appeal when seeking a financially profitable removal from the first thinning. In young stands with an initially poor silvicultural condition, however, applying even a low-yielding first thinning considerably increased the NPV when compared to a regime with no thinning at all. Generally, the regimes resulting in the best profitability included heavier thinnings and fewer DNM and thinning treatments than did the regimes resulting in the best yield results. This study demonstrates considerable potential for profitable wood production-oriented management in pine stands on drained peatlands despite their challenging circumstances and long rotations. The results can be used for defining new and more site-specific silvicultural guidelines for various types of drained, pine-dominated peatland stands within the entire range of boreal conditions.Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin ojitettujen mäntyvaltaisten suometsien metsänkasvatuksen tuloksen muodostumista. Simulointilaskelmien avulla selvitettiin kunnostusojitusten sekä ajoitukseltaan ja voimakkuudeltaan erilaisten harvennusten vaikutuksia puuston kehitykseen, kasvatusajan kokonaistuotokseen sekä metsänkasvatuksen taloudelliseen tulokseen. Kasvupaikan, ilmastoalueen ja puuston metsänhoidollisen tilan suhteen erilaisille metsille määritettiin kasvatusketjut, jotka tuottivat parhaat tulokset joko puuntuotoksen tai metsänkasvatuksen taloudellisen kannattavuuden näkökulmasta. Metsänkasvatuksen tulokseen vaikuttavia osatekijöitä, kuten ensiharvennuksen ajoitusta, tarkasteltiin harvennuskokeiden avulla. Päätehakkuuseen saakka ulottuvissa tarkasteluissa tutkittiin alueittain ja kasvupaikoittain edustavia inventointiaineistoihin perustuvia puustoja. Puustojen kehitysennusteet tuotettiin MOTTI-simulaattorilla, joka mahdollisti pitkän aikavälin metsikkökohtaisen tarkastelun ojitusaluemetsien kasvumallien avulla. Mallit kuvaavat puuston luontaisen dynamiikan lisäksi myös toimenpiteiden vaikutuksia puuston määrän ja rakenteen kehitykseen. Kasvatusketjujen tuotoksia vertailtiin keskimääräisen vuotuisen käyttöpuun kasvun avulla ja toimenpiteiden taloudellista kannattavuutta nettotulojen nykyarvon avulla. Metsänhoidon keinoin ja valitsemalla kullekin kohteelle sopivimmat toimenpiteet voitiin oleellisesti parantaa metsänkasvatuksen tulosta. Kunnostusojitukset tuottivat pienehkön lisäyksen keskimääräiseen vuotuiseen kasvuun. Kun kasvatusaikana tehtiin kunnostusojituksen lisäksi harvennus, oli tulos selkeästi parempi kuin kasvatusketjussa, johon ei sisältynyt kumpaakaan toimenpidettä. Pääsääntöisesti kunnostusojitus toteutetaan harvennusten yhteydessä, mutta pohjoisilla tai karuilla kasvupaikoilla se olisi joskus tarpeen jo ennen harvennusta. Taloustuloksessa harvennustulojen merkitys oli keskeinen. Harvennusten voimistaminen ja kohtuullinen viivästäminen lisäsivät yleensä kasvatusketjun kannattavuutta. Riittävän ensiharvennuskertymän saavuttamiseksi oli tärkeää välttää liian aikaisia hakkuita. Kuitenkin metsänhoidolliselta tilaltaan heikon nuoren metsän ensiharvennus, joka sinällään saattoi jäädä heikkotuottoiseksi, oli usein hyödyllinen koko kasvatusketjun taloustuloksen kannalta. Parhaita taloustuloksia tuottaviin kasvatusketjuihin sisältyi yleensä voimakkaampia harvennuksia ja vähemmän harvennus- ja kunnostusojituskertoja kuin tuotoksen näkökulmasta parhaisiin kasvatusketjuihin. Tulosten mukaan ojitettujen soiden mäntyvaltaisissa metsissä on tuotospotentiaalia, joka mahdollistaa metsätalouden kannattavan harjoittamisen haasteellisista olosuhteista ja verraten pitkistä kasvatusajoista huolimatta. Hoidon puute heikentää kuitenkin metsien potentiaalin hyödyntämistä. Tutkimuksen tuloksista voidaan johtaa entistä tarkempia toimenpidesuosituksia kasvupaikan ja maantieteellisen sijainnin suhteen erilaisille ojitusalueiden metsille

Rutting behaviour in an enclosured group of wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus Lönnb.)

The rutting behaviour of wild forest reindeer {Rangifer tarandus fennicus Lönnb.) was studied 1981 - 83 in a 15 ha enclosure located in Kivijärvi, Central Finland (63° N). The group consisted of two old stags, 6-9 hinds and their calves and yearlings. The main sections of the study were social structure, social signals, time budget and daily activity. In early September the aggressiveness of the stags towards females concentrated on those individuals which had last dominated them. Adult females were more aggressive to young females than to each other. The proposed aggressiveness of the hinds towards yearlings may be explained by the lower predictability of the hierarchial status of the young animals. The main character of observable social signals seemed to be similar to those described in earlier studies concerning the genus Rangifer. Stags often made snapping-like movements with their mouths during agonistic behaviour. Low-stretch displays and investigation of the urine of the females concentrated on the estrous hind during the day preceeding the pre-copulatory period (which commenced when the hind did not yet avoid the stag). The stag always sniffed at the vulva of the female after copulation. The harem stag did not stop grazing during the peak of the rut. Differences in the time budget between the dominant and subdominant stag as between estrous and anestrous hinds were clear. Mating occurred most often during the 3 hours after sundown. In the dark the old stags often sparred and their activity towards females seemed to be weaker than in the daylight hours. During the peak rut the stags were observed to spar only while the females were resting

Beyond choice of entry mode : How and why SMEs change foreign operation modes during internationalization?

Due to the continuously increasing competition between companies in a global context, the international operations of firms have become increasingly researched subject among scholars. While the research on the choice of operation modes in foreign markets have already gained vast interest, little is researched about mode changes and especially reasons causing the mode change decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to improve the understanding of how and why small and medium sized enterprises change their foreign operation modes. The framework of this thesis is developed by the reviewing literature as well as previous studies on the characteristics of small and medium enterprises, types of foreign operation modes, mode changes and reasons for mode changes. The data for the empirical part was collected through a questionnaire and the final sample consisted of six firms. Accordingly, five dealt with mode increases and one with mode decrease. Empirical findings suggest that managerial attitudes, firm´s performance, firm´s internal environment and external environment all impact the mode change decisions. More specifically, managerial attitudes stimuli dominates both mode directions of mode change decisions, while external environment tends to be the least significant stimuli regarding both direction of mode changes. However, the discussions with the CEOs during the filling of the questionnaire as well as the results from the study highlighted the fact that finding the right partner firm tends to be a significant challenge for international companies, usually resulting as mode increase decision in order to gain more control

Regional differences in density-dependent mortality and reproduction in Finnish reindeer

Reindeer in the southern and central regions of reindeer husbandry in Finland feed on arboreal lichens or are given supplementary rations from midwinter whereas in the northern region reindeer use snow-covered forage throughout winter. Rates of mortality and reproduction were examined using data from population crashes of semi-domesticated reindeer that occurred in Northern Finland during 1960-1987. The mortality and reproductive rate were density-dependent in the southern region and the mortality was density-dependent in the central region. The density-dependence was most probably due to food competition in forest cutting areas where reindeer gather to feed on arboreal lichens from felled trees. In the northern region mortality was not density-dependent indicating that where reindeer feed on over-utilized winter range the effects of increased feeding competition are masked by very large changes in the availability of forage

Reproductive investment by females in semi-domesticated reindeer

This paper discusses maternal investment in a herd of semi-domesticated reindeer in Kaamanen, Finnish Lapland (69°N 27°E). Male-producing cows weighed 2% more at the previous conception then the female-producing cows did. The body weight of cow accounted for more of the variation of birth sex ratio than the age or the parity. The lightest cows (<C61 kg) produced a significant excess (62%) of female calves. Both the medium-sized and the largest cows gave birth to a slight, nonsignificant excess of males. In terms of weight change from one conception to the next, rearing a male to weaning was more expensive to cows than rearing a female. The frequency of reproductive failures did not, however, depend significantly upon the sex of the previous calf. The survival and growth of male and female calves related in an approximately similar fashion to maternal weight