Consideration Of The Protection Of Persons In The Event Of Disasters By The International Law Commission

Recent disasters of epic proportions, such as the Asian Tsunami of 2004, and the accompanying response by the international community, have given rise to renewed interest in the legal aspects of disaster relief activities

Understanding the Hard/Soft Distinction in International Law

A common characterization employed in contemporary international law is that between hard and soft law. A determination that an instrument falls into either category carries with it a series of implications, including that pertaining to the legal consequence of noncompliance with the rules contained in the text. What is at times overlooked is the relatively common phenomenon of the two types of law co-existing, where hard rules provide the context or the limits (boundaries, ceilings, and floors), and the details are filled-out by soft rules. A full appreciation of the resulting legal picture requires not only a familiarity with both types of rules but also an understanding of how they relate to each other. This is explored on two levels: the relative authoritativeness-deficit of the distinction under international law, and the reflection that the ambiguity inherent in the distinction reveals not two, but four, possible outcomes

Anaerobic Digestion at AA Dairy

AA Dairy is a 600-cow dairy operation located on 2,200 acres in the town of Candor in Tioga County, New York The dairy began operating in the summer of 1993. Odor issues began to cause local concern, and thus, the decision was made to construct an anaerobic digester The digester was commissioned in June 1998 Benefits (other than odor control) derived from this digester include: Electricity and heat generated from the biogas Compost from the post-digested separated solids Irrigation liquid from the separated liquid effluent The electricity produced by burning biogas in the engine-generator set, is used for on-farm needs and any excess is sold to New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) under the provisions of the New York State Net Metering law (See Fact Sheet NM-1) The post-digestion separated solids are cured and marketed as compost to local buyers under the name “Field of Dreams Compost” The separated liquid effluent, mixed with milk house wastewater, flows by gravity to an HDPE-lined long-term storage, and is eventually land applied by tanker truck or irrigation by way of underground pipin

Pump Performance Tests as a Method of Determining Influent Mass Flow to Dairy Farm Anaerobic Digesters

A new on-farm anaerobic digester (AD) monitoring protocol, recently released by the Association of State Energy Research Technology and Transfer Institutions (ASERTTI) is being used to assess seven anaerobic digesters on dairy farms in New York State. A key component of the ASERTTI protocol is to perform a mass balance of the AD system. Mass balance data is needed to determine system performance values such as: degree of manure stabilization, biogas produced per unit of influent, and subsequent electrical power produced per unit of influent. The optimal location in the system to obtain AD influent mass flow data is at the AD influent pump. However, pumps used to pump manure generally lack performance data, making it difficult to quantify mass flow without knowing the performance characteristics of the influent pump

Exploring German and American Modes of Pedagogical and Institutional Sustainability: Forging a Way into the Future

Rooted deep in Germany\u27s past is its modern socio-political grounding for environmental respect and sustainability. This translates into individual and collective action and extends equally to the economic and policy realm as it does to educational institutions. This thesis evaluates research conducted in Germany with a view to what best approaches are transferable to the United States liberal arts setting. Furthermore, exemplary American models of institutional sustainability and environmental education are explored and combined with those from abroad to produce a blueprint and action plan fitting for the American college and university

Anaerobic Digestion at Aurora Ridge Farm

Aurora Ridge Dairy is a 2,000-cow dairy operation located near the Village of Aurora in Cayuga County, New York. The farm is owned and managed by William Cook. Digester construction began in late summer 2008 and commissioned in August 2009. Digester construction was funded in part by a USDA Rural Development grant and by NYSERDA. Digester effluent is separated using FAN screw-press separators and post-digested separated solids are used for freestall bedding

Greenhouse Gas (ghg) Emission Reductions Due to Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Manure

Livestock agriculture is a source of greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions in the U.S., and emits one of the most potent greenhouse gases – methane (CH4). Through manure anaerobic digestion technology, a portion of these emissions can be mitigated. The Association of State Energy Research and Technology Transfer Institutions (ASERTTI) protocol, released in 2007, is being used by Cornell University to monitor seven on-production farm anaerobic digesters (ADs) in New York State. Among many other requirements, this protocol recommends to use the EPA Climate Leaders methodology to quantify ghg emission reductions attributed to the anaerobic digester (AD) systems being monitored

Anaerobic Digestion at Twin Birch Farm

Twin Birch Farm, owned by Dirk Young, is located in Cayuga County, New York The farm milks 1,270 Holstein cows. The AD system was commissioned in 2003 (See: Anaerobic Digestion at Twin Birch Farm: Case Study) with several equipment upgrades made on an ongoing basis and a new biogas utilization system added in 2012