Counting Carbon: The Politics of Carbon Footprints and Climate Governance from the Individual to the Global

This article considers carbon footprints as a form of climate governance. Drawing on science studies to consider the contingent nature of calculative devices and governmentality studies to examine the intrinsic relationship between how problems are framed and remedied, this article advances two arguments. First, it argues that efforts to define and deploy carbon footprints contributed to a conceptual shift in emissions accounting, from a narrower metric focused on emissions from fossil fuel and electricity use—Carbon Footprint 1.0—to a more expansive metric that includes emissions embodied in consumption and trade—Carbon Footprint 2.0. Second, this article argues that these approaches to carbon footprints at the individual level have intersected with broader discussions about allocating emissions responsibilities and examining mitigation strategies at the national and international levels, offering alternative grounds for assigning responsibility for climate-change mitigation and expanding the range of policy options available for addressing emissions

A Rooftop Revolution? A Multidisciplinary Analysis of State-Level Residential Solar Programs in New Jersey and Massachusetts

The success of alternative energy policies is usually measured in terms of energy capacity. By this metric, state-level policies to promote solar installations in New Jersey and Massachusetts have been a success. To fully evaluate these policies, however, it is necessary to consider how these policy programs are structured and funded, who participates in these programs, and the complete life-cycle consequences of \u27clean\u27 energy technologies. This paper focuses specifically on residential solar installations, which represent more than half of the total U.S. rooftop solar capacity potential. It takes a multidisciplinary approach that draws on policy analysis, spatial and demographic analyses, and life-cycle assessment. The analyses reveal three key conclusions: First, state-level policies have shifted from subsidies for solar installations to incentive-based support based on system performance, which have reduced the payback period for residential solar to less than ten years and have contributed to the growth of third-party leasing companies. Second, communities with low median income and/or a high percentage of non-white residents generally remain at lower than expected levels of participation. Third, while residential solar installations significantly offset greenhouse gas emissions and compounds that harm human respiratory health after 18 months, switching to photovoltaic panels generates a net increase in the production of ecotoxic chemicals. Drawing on these observations we recommend policy changes to encourage broader geographic and demographic participation, to recognize the importance of solar leasing companies and landlords, and to promote the use of solar panels with lower environmental impacts across the lifecycle

Judicial Review, Irrationality, and the Legitimacy of Merits-Review

The definition of the irrationality ground of judicial review recognises the constitutional principle of the separation of powers, in allowing for judicial control of the executive only very rarely. The author in a previous article in this study found that the courts, on occasions, had intervened in circumstances where administrative decisions arguably were not irrational. To this end, the purpose of this article is to assess the constitutionality of these seemingly low standards of irrationality. The author does so by reference either to the manner of review employed—the use of the proportionality principle, for example—or the context of the administrative decision under scrutiny, such as the infringement of the applicant’s fundamental rights. The author finds that the cases from the previous article where low standards of irrationality were arguably adopted were, in fact, legitimate according to these chosen methods of evaluation. However, this is an interim conclusion because, for reasons of word length, the author is unable to complete a full assessment here. It is therefore proposed that a subsequent article will continue to examine the constitutionality of these cases. Furthermore, the author will also try and establish a zone of executive decision-making, for reasons of democracy, where the courts are excluded from irrationality review. If the author is unsuccessful in this regard, the final conclusion of this study will inevitably be that low standards of judicial intervention exist without limit—a clear assault on the constitutional principle stated above

Hate crimes against trans people: assessing emotions, behaviors and attitudes towards criminal justice agencies

Based on a survey of 593 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the United Kingdom, this study shows that direct anti-LGBT hate crimes (measured by direct experiences of victimization) and indirect anti-LGBT hate crimes (measured by personally knowing other victims of hate crime) are highly prolific and frequent experiences for LGBT people. Our findings show that trans people are particularly susceptible to hate crimes, both in terms of prevalence and frequency. This article additionally highlights the negative emotional and (intended) behavioral reactions that were correlated with an imagined hate crime scenario, showing that trans people are more likely to experience heightened levels of threat, vulnerability, and anxiety compared with non-trans LGB people. The study found that trans people are also more likely to feel unsupported by family, friends, and society for being LGBT, which was correlated with the frequency of direct (verbal) abuse they had previously endured. The final part of this study explores trans people’s confidence levels in the Government, the police, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in relation to addressing hate crime. In general, trans people felt that the police are not effective at policing anti-LGBT hate crime, and they are not respectful toward them as victims; this was especially true where individuals had previous contact with the police. Respondents were also less confident in the CPS to prosecute anti-LGBT hate crimes, though the level of confidence was slightly higher when respondents had direct experience with the CPS. The empirical evidence presented here supports the assertion that all LGBT people, but particularly trans individuals, continue to be denied equal participation in society due to individual, social, and structural experiences of prejudice. The article concludes by arguing for a renewed policy focus that must address this issue as a public health problem

Writing in Britain and Ireland, c. 400 to c. 800

No abstract available

Playing Position is Associated with Injury Incidence Rate in Male Academy Soccer Players

Context: It is unclear whether playing position influences injury in male academy soccer players (ASP). Objective: To determine if playing position is associated with injury in ASP. Design: Descriptive Epidemiology Study. Setting: English, Spanish, Uruguayan and Brazilian soccer academies. Participants: 369 ASP from Under 14 (U14) to U23 age groups, classified as ‘post-peak height velocity' using maturity offset, and grouped as goalkeepers (GK), lateral defenders (LD), central defenders (CD), lateral midfielders (LM), central midfielders (CM) and forwards (FWD). Additional analysis compared central (CENT) with lateral/forward (LAT/FWD) positions. Main Outcome Measures: Injuries were recorded prospectively over one season. Injury prevalence proportion (IPP), days missed and injury incidence rate (IIR, injuries per 1000 training/match hours, n=116) were analysed according to playing position. Results: No association with playing position was observed for any injury type/location regarding IPP (P≥0.089) or days missed (P≥0.235). The IIR was higher in CD than LD for general (9.30 vs. 4.18 injuries/1000h, P=0.009), soft-tissue (5.14 vs. 1.95 injuries/1000h, P=0.026) and ligament/tendon injuries (2.69 vs. 0.56 injuries/1000h, P=0.040). Regarding CENT vs. LAT/FWD, there were no associations with IPP (P≥0.051) or days missed (P≥0.083), but general IIR was greater in CENT than LAT/FWD (8.67 vs. 6.12 injuries/1000h, P=0.047). Conclusions: ASP playing position was not associated with IPP or days missed but the higher general, soft-tissue and ligament/tendon IIR in CD suggests this position warrants specific attention regarding injury prevention strategies. These novel findings highlight the importance of including training/match exposure when investigating the influence of playing position on injury in ASP

Cold War Fictions

This chapter offers a detailed reading of McEwan’s 2012 novel Sweet Tooth as a highly self-conscious and allusive literary spy thriller of the Cold War era, one which invites a renewed attention to the Cold War themes, ideas and literary strategies which have been important in his work since the late 1970s in which the novel is set. These flourished especially in the two novels written around the fall of the Berlin Wall, The Innocent and Black Dogs which also receive extended treatment here. In McEwan’s reworking of the Cold War spy thriller as postmodern literary fiction we find, it is argued, a recurrent fascination with misunderstandings and readjustments in emotional and political relations between the sexes as an analogy for Cold War politics and vice versa. Added to this McEwan increasingly packs his fictions with informed literary debate that constitute a profound exploration of literary genres and of the complex relationship between author and reader

Hypoxic Air Inhalation and Ischemia Interventions Both Elicit Preconditioning Which Attenuate Subsequent Cellular Stress In vivo Following Blood Flow Occlusion and Reperfusion

schemic preconditioning (IPC) is valid technique which elicits reductions in femoral blood flow occlusion mediated reperfusion stress (oxidative stress, Hsp gene transcripts) within the systemic blood circulation and/or skeletal muscle. It is unknown whether systemic hypoxia, evoked by hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) has efficacy in priming the heat shock protein (Hsp) system thus reducing reperfusion stress following blood flow occlusion, in the same manner as IPC. The comparison between IPC and HPC being relevant as a preconditioning strategy prior to orthopedic surgery. In an independent group design, 18 healthy men were exposed to 40 min of (1) passive whole-body HPC (FiO2 = 0.143; no ischemia. N = 6), (2) IPC (FiO2 = 0.209; four bouts of 5 min ischemia and 5 min reperfusion. n = 6), or (3) rest (FiO2 = 0.209; no ischemia. n = 6). The interventions were administered 1 h prior to 30 min of tourniquet derived femoral blood flow occlusion and were followed by 2 h subsequent reperfusion. Systemic blood samples were taken pre- and post-intervention. Systemic blood and gastrocnemius skeletal muscle samples were obtained pre-, 15 min post- (15PoT) and 120 min (120PoT) post-tourniquet deflation. To determine the cellular stress response gastrocnemius and leukocyte Hsp72 mRNA and Hsp32 mRNA gene transcripts were determined by RT-qPCR. The plasma oxidative stress response (protein carbonyl, reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio) was measured utilizing commercially available kits. In comparison to control, at 15PoT a significant difference in gastrocnemius Hsp72 mRNA was seen in HPC (−1.93-fold; p = 0.007) and IPC (−1.97-fold; p = 0.006). No significant differences were observed in gastrocnemius Hsp32 and Hsp72 mRNA, leukocyte Hsp72 and Hsp32 mRNA, or oxidative stress markers (p > 0.05) between HPC and IPC. HPC provided near identical amelioration of blood flow occlusion mediated gastrocnemius stress response (Hsp72 mRNA), compared to an established IPC protocol. This was seen independent of changes in systemic oxidative stress, which likely explains the absence of change in Hsp32 mRNA transcripts within leukocytes and the gastrocnemius. Both the established IPC and novel HPC interventions facilitate a priming of the skeletal muscle, but not leukocyte, Hsp system prior to femoral blood flow occlusion. This response demonstrates a localized tissue specific adaptation which may ameliorate reperfusion stress