AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIALIZATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Agricultural industrialization and sustainable development issues are important contemporary areas of debate. This paper argues that the two processes are a consequence of a set of forces operating in our global system. It outlines a number of conceptual interactions between the two phenomena and examines economic development and sustainable development policy implications that appear to be logical extensions of the arguments presented.Agricultural industrialization, Sustainable agricultural development, Development assistance, Human capital, Market and policy failures, Public policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Skills formation in the Kenyan informal economy

This paper discusses the manpower development potential of skills training occurring outside formal vocational and technical programs in Kenya. It is argued that apprenticeships in independent small-scale manufactures in the informal sector are contributing to unemployment relief and upgrading the skills of young prospective workers. The results of informal sector surveys conducted in Kenya are reviewed and compared with data collected in the developing market economies concerning the general structural characteristics of informal economies and their patterns of skills formation. The need for adequate descriptive research into Kenyan informal apprenticeships and some of the potential policy applications of such research are also discussed

R/C Mini Baja Car: Drive train and Steering

The purpose of the Baja R/C Car is to compete in the ASME eFX competition in a series of events to prove the functionality of the vehicle. This series of events includes the Slalom, Drag, and Baja race, The Slalom is a test in the steering capability of the vehicle, the Drag is a test in the acceleration of the vehicle in a straight line, and the Baja puts all factors together in a race to test every component of the vehicle. This project is about building an R/C car that not only functions, but also has maximum performance capabilities to win the competition. This report describes the analysis, construction, and testing evaluation of the drivetrain and steering systems of the R/C Baja Car. Collin McKenzie was responsible for the chassis and suspension portion, together the car is a complete system. The drivetrain was built with a two-gear reduction system, one at the motor to the driveshaft, and one from the drive shaft to the rear differential. The steering system was built with a high ratio servo, adjustable tie rods, and camber arms to ensure proper alignment. Lightweight material was used such as 6061 Aluminum and ABS plastic to keep weight low. An enclosed differential casing was used to allow a lubricated system. Testing focused on the acceleration of the vehicle and the turning radius of the steering system. The testing requirements of the Baja car were to exceed a speed of 20 mph, acceleration of 17.2 ft/s2, and turning radius of 60 degrees

An electronic weather vane for field science

This paper details the construction of a weather vane for the measurement of wind direction in field situations. The purpose of its construction was to analyse how wind direction affected the attractiveness of an insect pheromone in a dynamic outdoor environment, where wind could be a significant contributor to odour movement. The apparatus described provides a cheap and easy-to-construct alternative to commercial wind vanes, and was shown to provide accurate and continuous measurement of wind direction

Geology and Ground-Water Hydrology of the Valleys of the Republican and Frenchman Rivers Nebraska

The geology and ground-water resources of the upper Republican River valley west of the town of Alma, Nebr., to the Nebraska-Colorado State line and of the Frenchman River valley from its confluence with the Republican River to a point about 12 miles upstream from Wauneta, Nebr., were studied from January 1950 to April 1951. The purpose of the study was to relate the occurrence of ground water to irrigation and flood control and to aid in the evaluation of the effects of irrigation on the land in the area. The area included in this study consists of 370 square miles of flat or gently sloping terraces and bottom land that border the Republican and Frenchman Rivers on either side. The Republican River is a comparatively shallow stream, ranging in width from about 150 feet at the western end of the area to about 300 feet at the eastern end. The channel banks are low, except where the river cuts into bordering terraces. In many places, natural levees of loose sand and gravel have been formed adjacent to the river banks. The bedrock formations exposed in the area are the Niobrara formation and the Pierre shale of Cretaceous age and the Ogallala formation of Tertiary age. Deposits of sand and gravel, of early Pleistocene age, are present in the bottom of the ancestral Republican River valley and along the north side of the present valley. These coarse deposits are mantled by finer sediments of later Pleistocene and Recent age. Large quantities of ground water are available from the Pleistocene and Recent deposits throughout most of the Republican River valley. In the center of the valley as much as 40 to 60 feet of the deposits are saturated. The ground-water reservoir is recharged principally by precipitation. Ground water also enters the Republican River valley by underflow through the fill of tributary valleys. Ground water is discharged by evaporation, transpiration, and effluent streams; ground water also is drawn upon extensively for irrigation, for municipal supplies, and for domestic and stock use in rural areas