The Immediate Tasks of International Law and Organization [Part 2]

A continuation of the article from the January 1946 issue

National Law and International Order

The thesis of the present paper is that the future of law in this country is dependent upon the solution of the problem of international security and that without this solution we must expect to see a progressive decline in the rule of law and a probably unlimited growth at an increasingly rapid rate of official discretionary power with all the dangers to national liberty which such a development would entail. The problem springs from the effect of total war which itself has derived from the application of technological discoveries to war upon an anarchical world society, i. e., a world society lacking in adequate organs of government. One of four papers delivered at the Legal Institute of the Seattle Bar Association held at the University of Washington Law School on April 7, 1944

The Immediate Tasks of International Law and Organization [Part 1]

Within recent years the legal profession has shown remarkable activity in the study of international relations. At Bar Association meetings, resolutions have been adopted; members of the bench and bar have associated themselves with important movements and pronouncements; and international organizations comprising lawyers and judges have borne witness to the widening sphere of interest and action on the part of those to whom law and order make a peculiarly immediate appeal in view of their training and professional activity. The few examples which will be given may serve as justification for an attempt to summarize a number of important developments which have recently taken place, and proposals which have been made in the field of international law and organization

Kinetics Modelling of

Natural gas contains high amounts of impurities that are important to remove for commercial usage. One of these impurities are known to be carbon dioxide and it is the main culprit in degrading the gas. It reduces the energy content of natural gas has as well as speeds up corrosion in pipelines and equipment. There are several methods in the removal of this gas one being chemical absorption where the usage of amines are incorporated. In this project, kinetics modelling of blended amine solution of aqueous N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) and diethanolamine (DEA) were studied where its behavior was simulated using MATLAB. Determining the reaction rate kinetics and the equilibrium constants enabled us the determination of liquid bulk concentration for the overall system. The kinetics at five different temperatures were observed; 303K, 308K, 313K, 318K and 323K for blended amine solution of different MDEA concentrations (1.0 and 1.5 kmol/m3) and DEA concentrations (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 kmol/m3). The Arrhenius relation, activation energy and reaction rate coefficients were obtained showed promising results at three different randomly selected temperatures; 303K, 308K and 323K, where the condition is at its best at 323K at 0.999952193kmol/m3 of MDEA concentration and 0.999912787kmol/ m3 of DEA concentration. This concludes that the kinetic model developed is valid thus can be further enhanced using different and more sophisticated software to ensure best operating conditions for the solution

RC column strengthening by lateral pre-tensioning of FRP

This paper presents a unique strengthening technique for existing concrete columns that use expansive materials to apply lateral pre-tensioning. The technique increases the capacity and ductility of a column as well as achieving better utilisation of the confining FRP (Fibre Reinforced Polymer) material. The confinement material properties and the confined cylinder performance are investigated experimentally. From the results, it is shown that it is possible to control the degree of applied pre-tension by controlling the amount of expansive material used. In addition, it is confirmed that jacketing columns by pre-tensioned FRP materials can increase the load bearing capacity up to 35% compared with no pre-tensioning and up to more than four times compared with unconfined concrete. The paper presents details of experimental work undertaken for the development of the confinement pressure with different confining materials (Carbon-CFRP, Glass-GFRP and Steel) and makes comparisons with predictive models

Damage avoidance design steel beam-column moment connection using high-force-to-volume dissipators

Existing welded steel moment frames are designed to tolerate substantial yielding and plastic rotation under earthquake loads. This sacrificial design approach can lead to permanent, and often irreparable damage when interstory drifts exceed 2%. The experimental seismic performance of a 50% full-scale damage avoidance designed structural steel beam-column connection is presented. The beam-column joint region consists of a top flange-hung beam connected to the column by an angle bracket. High-force-to-volume (HF2V) devices are attached from the column to the beam to provide joint rigidity and energy dissipation as the joint opens and closes. The HF2V devices are connected either below the beam flange or concealed above the beam's lower flange. Reversed cyclic lateral load tests are conducted with drift amplitudes up to 4%. No damage is observed in the principal beam and column structural elements. The need for stiff device connections to achieve optimal device performance is demonstrated, and potential design solutions presented. Stable hysteresis and repeatable energy dissipation for a large number of cycles up to the 4% drift level is observed. It is concluded that superior and repeatable energy dissipation without damage can be achieved for every dynamic motion cycle, in contrast to conventional sacrificially designed welded moment frame connections

Co-deployment of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in the UK: Growth or gridlock?

This study critically evaluates a BECCS-Hub within the North-West Industrial Carbon Capture cluster using advanced digital twin modelling via the Carbon Navigation System and detailed biomass mapping. It investigates five distinct BECCS supply chains at the Protos site, each reflecting novel configurations that closely align with real-life upcoming BECCS projects within the cluster. This research highlights significant carbon performance and scalability variations, crucial for aligning with evolving BECCS business models. A key finding is the essential role of biomass security and adaptability in uncertain future biomass availability and heightened intra-BECCS competition. The study reveals potential gridlock scenarios where intense competition for biomass could severely limit the scalability and efficiency of BECCS operations, especially under high competition scenarios. These gridlocks could significantly hinder strategic BECCS deployments by constraining resource availability and complicating logistics, thus impacting the pursuit of the UK's Net-Zero goals. The findings underscore the need for diverse and adaptable deployment strategies that account for biomass availability, technological feasibility, and local infrastructure—factors pivotal to achieving scalable and efficient BECCS operations. Advocating a nuanced, integrated approach to managing biomass competition and optimise resource use, the paper calls for proactive strategic planning and adaptability in BECCS deployment. By leveraging modelling innovations, the study aligns BECCS operations with the UK's stringent Net-Zero objectives and specific business models for BECCS. Such an approach will enhance the sustainable and efficient deployment of BECCS technologies in a competitive and rapidly evolving energy landscape

Balancing resource protection and development in a highly regulated river: The role of conjunctive use

The central position of water in social and economic development drives the imperative for water storage, particularly in water-stressed parts of the world. A consequence is that rivers are perceived primarily as locations for water storage as we seek to manage risks to social welfare and development. Assurance of supply becomes the dominant paradigm shaping decisions about allocation of water from impoundments. When this paradigm is deeply ingrained it constrains decision-making around flow management for other purposes, particularly for sustaining ecological systems. Ten years ago South Africa introduced progressive legislation for water resource management (the National Water Act of 1998) which enshrines the ecological Reserve. This requirement for the environment is not considered as a water use, because the environment is the resource. However, due to the very complex Reserve determination process, and perhaps a lack of political will, the ecological Reserve has proved difficult to implement and has only now started to be implemented in some river systems. In the case of the lower uMngeni River in KwaZulu-Natal, besides releases to maintain a minimum river flow (the so called ‘compensation flows’, which were never designed as environmental flows), for nearly 20 years there has been an unofficial policy to allow spates on between 1 and 4 days per year to make possible the continuation of the prestigious Dusi Canoe Marathon. The total amount of water involved is just over 1.2% of the river’s virgin MAR, although in years perceived to be dry the releases may be cut to as little as 0.3% of the virgin MAR. While these releases have been tolerated for the continuation of a high-value recreational industry, they are in fact aligned, albeit with a fraction of the necessary volume, with the environmental flows that would be required if the ecological Reserve had been determined. The releases for these events therefore have a dual or conjunctive value, serving both environmental and recreational purposes at the same time. We suggest that considerations of conjunctive use offer practical opportunities for balancing resource protection and development in regulated rivers. Keywords: resource protection, regulated rivers, assurance of supply, conjunctive use, ecological Reserve, environmental water allocation, environmental flows, recreational use, canoein