Pragmatic financialisation: the role of the Japanese Post Office

The Japanese Post Office, one of the world’s largest financial institutions, was finally privatised in 2015, marking an appropriate time to examine financialisation in Japan. Literature on financialisation and changes in Japanese capitalism assumes convergence on Anglo-American capitalism with a diminishing of state power. The main argument of this paper is that financialisation is instead a more contingent process. This is put forth through an examination of how this process has been mediated by the Japanese state through the workings of the Japanese Post Office. The state has frequently shaped the direction of financialisation by intervening in the routing of household funds via the postal savings system in order to achieve its objectives in different circumstances, particularly evident in the protracted and contested nature of the post bank’s privatisation. Financialisation is thus not preordained; instead its path is hewn by crisis, catastrophe, demographics and the agency of domestic social actors

Chapter 20 Assessment of radiation pollution from nuclear power plants

Nuclear power plants split uranium atoms in a process called fission. In a nuclear power plant, heat is generated to produce steam that spins a turbine to generate electricity. Nuclear energy has been proposed in response to the need for a clean energy source compared to CO2 production plants. However, nuclear energy is not necessarily a source of clean energy as nuclear power plants release small amounts of greenhouse emissions in activities related to building and running the plant. Moreover, even if all safety measures are followed, there is no guarantee that an accident will not occur in a nuclear power plant. In the case of an accident involving a nuclear power plant, the environment and the people around it may be exposed to high levels of radiation. Another important environmental problem related to nuclear energy is the generation of radioactive waste that can remain radioactive and dangerous to human health for thousands of years. There are also several issues with burying the radioactive waste. Here, we describe different types of radioactive waste pollution from nuclear power plants, their environmental effects, nuclear regulations, and nuclear power plant incidents. Moreover, two case studies on nuclear power plant accidents and their consequences are discussed

Sport versus climate: Introducing the climate vulnerability of sport organizations framework

© 2018 Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand Climate change presents a significant and growing challenge to the sport industry, especially outdoor and winter sports. The authors present a conceptual framework that elucidates the varying states of climate vulnerability a sport organization may face, so practitioners may better understand the risks of climate change. The authors developed the Climate Vulnerability of Sport Organizations (CVSO) framework by building on—and linking—concepts of climate vulnerability, exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity in the context of sport organizations. By placing potential impact on one axis and organizational climate capacity on the other, the authors present four quadrants representing four types of climate vulnerability: the Problem State, the Redundant State, the Responsive State, and the Fortified State. Positioning organizations within the CVSO framework facilitates a better understanding of the effort and resources needed to address climate-related risks. Though not all sport organizations will be equally impacted by climate change, all must be prepared to identify the risks to their organizations