The Implications of Solidarity for Food Ethics

This essay examines numerous ways in which commitments to solidarity have relevance in the area of food ethics. Among the topics explored are food insecurity and hunger, workers’ rights, ecology, and the treatment of animals. Particular attention is paid to the impacts of the production and consumption of animal products. These issues are examined through the lens of the developing understanding of solidarity present in the tradition of Catholic social teaching (CST). The ethical framework provided by CST, it is suggested, could be further enhanced by insights drawn from the growing tradition of “Black veganism” and its holistic, intersectional understanding of solidarity and liberation

Catholic Social Teaching and Economic Rights (abstract)

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) has much to contribute to ongoing discussions of human rights. One important feature of CST is its holistic understanding of human rights, which includes social and economic rights along with political/civil rights. This paper will explore the understandings of economic rights and of economic democracy that are developed in the Catholic social tradition, with particular attention to the thought of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis. Some implications of these concepts for current realities in the United States and globally will be highlighted. Attention will also be given to critics of economic rights and economic democracy, such as Catholic author Michael Novak. Novak argues that an affirmation of economic rights would grant excessive power to the state and thus undermine liberty. This paper will argue that it is rather the absence of economic rights that is currently a more fundamental threat to liberty, leading to both concentrated economic power and concentrated control of political processes by monied interests. The deep connection between economic democracy and political democracy that is present in Catholic Social Teaching will be stressed. Concrete actions that could be taken to help foster greater political and economic democracy will be highlighted

Soil Microbial Diversity and Litter Decomposition Increase with Time Since Land Use Disturbance in Tropical Montane Forests of Malaysian Borneo

Logging and forest conversion are occurring at alarming rates in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. These disturbances alter soil chemistry, microbial diversity, and disrupt carbon cycling through shifts in litter decomposition. Direct links between microbial diversity and soil properties such as pH are well established; however, the indirect impacts of logging and forest conversion on microbial diversity and litter decomposition are poorly understood. We used surface (5 cm) soil to assess soil physicochemical properties, next-generation DNA sequencing to assess soil microbial diversity, and standardized litterbags to assess litter decomposition stabilization at five sites along a land use disturbance gradient in the tropical montane forests of Sabah state in eastern Malaysia. We used a hierarchical approach to explore how land use disturbance affects soil properties; how those soil properties in conjunction with land use disturbance affect soil microbial diversity; and how each of those factors affects litter decomposition and stabilization. We show that soil pH, total nitrogen, and bacterial diversity increase with time since disturbance; and sulfur, total carbon, percent sand, soil organic matter, and fungal diversity display a peaked response with peak around 100 years since the last disturbance. Fungal diversity is positively correlated with onsite forest cover, litter decomposition rate, and litter stabilization. Bacterial diversity shows a positive linear relationship with litter decomposition rates, but a peaked relationship with litter stabilization with peak around the mid-range of bacterial diversity. In summary, soils of the older forests harbor significantly greater microbial diversity and stabilize greater amounts of litter than soils of the younger forests and converted sites. Our results suggest that logging and forest conversion significantly affect soil microbial diversity and have lasting effects on carbon cycling in tropical montane forests

Pope Francis, Human Rights, and the Crises of Our Time

My paper/presentation will explore the holistic understanding of human rights contained in Catholic social teaching, with a focus on how Pope Francis applies this tradition to some of the major crises of our time. Particular attention will be given to issues of economic inequality, ecological devastation, migration, violence, and the rise of neo-fascist populist movements around the world. Francis’ integrated analysis of the common roots of these problems and his proposed constructive responses will be explored and assessed. Strong emphasis will be placed upon his understanding of the critical role to be played by grassroots movements and widespread popular mobilization

Pope Francis and Alternative Economic Visions

Pope Francis has expressed deep concern about the injustices and ecological harms of the current global economic system: “[L]et us not be afraid to say it,” Francis proclaimed to a worldwide gathering of grassroots social movements in Bolivia. “We want change, real change, structural change. This system is by now intolerable.” In this paper I explore Francis’ multifaceted critiques of our current global economic system, including the empirical evidence that supports such critiques. I will both highlight continuities in the views of Francis and previous popes—especially Paul VI and John Paul II—and highlight several ways that Francis articulates important new or enhanced emphases in Catholic social teaching. Among these new emphases are a more central awareness of the profound depths of the world’s ecological crises and Francis’ stress on grassroots action and popular movements as the manner in which CST is to be implemented—a welcome change from more top-down visions of social change present in most prior CST documents. I will also suggest several ways that CST could be yet further enhanced, particularly in developing a clearer notion of what viable alternatives to current dominant policies might entail. This will include dialogue with the work of prominent proponents of “economic democracy” and “ecological economics.

Comparison of the Efficiency of Williamson and Anderson Turn Manoeuvre

The paper presents comparison of the ‘Person over board’ manoeuvres. The article was based on research con-ducted on a group of students of the Faculty of Navigation of Gdynia Maritime University. People involved in studies previously conducted on board training on school training ships: "Dar M?odzie?y" and "Horyzont II", but did not have experience as an officers. Research was carried on the Polaris Ships Bridge Simulator, located at the faculty of Navigation, of Gdynia Maritime University

Waters of Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas: their nature and origin

The 47 hot springs of Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, issue from the plunging crestline of a large overturned anticline, along the southern margin of the Ouachita anticlinorium, in the Zigzag Mountains. The combined flow of the hot springs ranges from 750,000 to 950,000 gallons per day (3.29 x 10/sup -2/ to 4.16 x 10/sup -2/ cubic meters per second). The radioactivity and chemical composition of the hot-water springs are similar to that of the cold-water springs and wells in the area. The tritium and carbon-14 analyses of the water indicate that the water is a mixture of a very small amount of water less than 20 years old and a preponderance of water about 4400 years old. The presence of radium and radon in the hot-springs waters has been established by analyses. Mathematical models were employed to test various conceptual models of the hot-springs flow system. The geochemical data, flow measurements, and geologic structure of the region support the concept that virtually all the hot-springs water is of local, meteoric origin. Recharge to the hot-springs artesian-flow system is by infiltration of rainfall in the outcrop areas of the Bigfork Chert and the Arkansas Novaculite. The water moves slowly to depth where it is heated by contact with rocks of high temperature. Highly permeable zones, related to jointing or faulting, collect the heated water in the aquifer and provide avenues for the water to travel rapidly to the surface

State of the low-carbon energy union : assessing the EU's progress towards its 2030 and 2050 climate objectives

Rather than examining aggregate emissions trends, this study delves deep into the dynamics affecting each sector of the EU energy system. It examines the structural changes taking place in power production, transport, buildings and industry, and benchmarks these with the changes required to reach the 2030 and 2050 targets. In so doing it aims to influence both the ambition and direction of future policy decisions, both at Member State and EU level. In order to assess the adequacy of the EU and its Member States policies with the 2030 and 2050 decarbonisation objectives, this study goes beyond the aggregate GHG emissions or energy use figures and analyse the underlying drivers of emission changes, following a sectoral approach (power generation, buildings, industry, and transport). Historical trends of emission drivers are compared with the required long-term deep decarbonisation pathways, which provide sectoral "benchmarks" or "corridors" against which to analyse the rate and direction of historical change for each Member State and the EU in aggregate. This approach allows the identification of the necessary structural changes in the energy system and policy interventions to reach deep decarbonisation, and therefore the comparison with the current policy programs at European and Member State level

Development of DYNAMIX Policy Mixes - Deliverable 4.2, revised version, of the DYNAMIX project

This report documents the development of the initial dynamic policy mixes that were developed for assessment in the DYNAMIX project. The policy mixes were designed within three different policy areas: overarching policy, land-use and food, and metals and other materials. The policy areas were selected to address absolute decoupling in general and, specifically, the DYNAMIX targets related to the use of virgin metals, the use of arable land and freshwater, the input of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, and emissions of greenhouse gases. Each policy mix was developed within a separate author team, using a common methodological framework that utilize previous findings in the project. Specific drivers and barriers for resource use and resource efficiency are discussed in each policy area. Specific policy objectives and targets are also discussed before the actual policy mix is presented. Each policy mix includes a set of key instruments, which can be embedded in a wider set of supporting and complementary policy instruments. All key instruments are described in the report through responses to a set of predefined questions. The overarching mix includes a broad variety of key instruments. The land-use policy mix emphasizes five instruments to improve food production through, for example, revisions of already existing policy documents. It also includes three instruments to influence the food consumption and food waste. The policy mix on metals and other materials primarily aims at reducing the use of virgin metals through increased recycling, increased material efficiency and environmentally justified material substitution. To avoid simply shifting of burdens, it includes several instruments of an overarching character