What is the potential for reducing national greenhouse gas emissions from crop and livestock production systems?

Agriculture has a devolved commitment to reduce national emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Using a systems model-based life-cycle analysis we explored the potential for reducing GHG in systems used to produce twelve crop and seven livestock commodities. With a functional unit of kg of product, differences in GHG between crops reflect differences in yield. Metabolisable energy (ME) or crude protein (CP) could be used, but deriving an economic value of GB£8.6/GJ ME and GB£0.62/kg CP, leads to a relatively consistent 2.6 kg CO2e/£ nutrient value. Potential GHG reductions ranged from 2% (sugar beet) to 15% (cereals) with agronomic changes, and 4–12% with increased crop yields. The best alternative livestock systems reduced GHG ranging between 7% (beef from the dairy herd) and 21% (extensive sheep meat). Half of the options reduced national production and hence increased imports. Overall, improvements in productivity and use of resources are the best options for reducing GH

Impact of the 2001 RICS education reforms on building surveying

It is of major concern to the Surveying profession that the seven years between 1994 and 2001, witnessed a decline in the numbers of UK student surveyors of nearly 50%. This was significant, especially when considered in the context of rising student numbers overall. Of equal concern, and set against the backdrop of a general move in education and the workplace to widen participation, was the reduction in applications from females, some 50% of the workforce. Furthermore demand for surveyors was high, and practices found it difficult to recruit graduate surveyors. The factors leading to low uptake in the profession were; low starting graduate salaries; lack of publicity and awareness of surveying as a career option, and a poor public image. The RICS decided to implement an education policy with the aim of increasing graduate quality. The policy adopted stated that 75% of each student cohort was to have an average of 17 A level points or 230 UCAS points for entry on undergraduate courses. These changes were introduced in UK Universities from September 2001. A number of Universities saw their professionally accredited courses withdrawn as the RICS imposed academic entry standards and research output based on the UK Government&rsquo;s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) criteria on which to base their &lsquo;partnership&rsquo; relationships. Simultaneously there has been the development of post-graduate degree courses in surveying in the UK to attract noncognate degree holders into the profession on a fast track basis. The policy has generated a considerable amount of debate and very strong views within academia and also within the profession as to whether the policy was appropriate, and likely to succeed. It is now over 3 years since the policy was implemented and figures released by the RICS in 2003 indicated that surveying student numbers have increased by 17%, in all areas except Building Surveying where they fell by just under 25% to 445 in 2001. A number of questions arise. Why were Building Surveying courses failing to recruit students whereas other surveying courses have increased their numbers? If the figures continue to decline or remain at these low levels, what is the future for the BS? In short, could Building Surveying become an endangered profession? All university BS course leaders were approached by questionnaire and approximately half responded. The small amount of quantitative data collected, suggest that recruitment is static at a time when other built environment courses are recruiting well. Course leaders expressed strong views about the impact of the education reforms.<br /

The employers\u27 perspective of the impact of RICS education reform on building surveying

Purpose: This paper seeks to present the second part of research funded by the RICS Education Trust to investigate the impact of the 2001 education reforms on Building Surveying. The first part of the research involved the collection of data from university course leaders.Design/methodology/approach: This research involved the collection of data from large national, mainly London-based, employers of building surveyors at a focus group meeting.Findings: The paper finds that issues of concern to these employers include the extent of construction technology knowledge of graduates, the delivery of contract administration, the placement year, post-graduate conversion courses and the high referral rate for the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). Recommendations include advice to universities on the design of building surveying undergraduate and conversion courses, a call for further research on the high APC referral rate, and greater liaison between industry and universities.Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of the research is that the employers from whom data were collected were mainly large, national firms. Further research would be required to elicit the views of smaller regional organisations.Practical implications: Both parts of this RICS Education Trust funded research provides a foundation for the Building Surveying Faculty of the RICS to complete their review of the education and training of building surveyors.Originality/value: The research provides useful data on the impact of RICS education reform on building surveying, but mainly large, national firms.<br /

The impact of RICS education reform on building surveying

Purpose &ndash; It is of major concern to the surveying profession that the seven years between 1994 and 2001 witnessed a decline in the numbers of UK student surveyors of nearly 50 per cent. This was significant, especially when considered in the context of rising student numbers overall. The RICS decided to implement an education policy with the aim of increasing graduate quality. Changes were introduced in UK universities from September 2001. A number of universities saw their professionally accredited courses withdrawn as the RICS imposed&nbsp; academic entry standards and research output based on the UK Government\u27s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) criteria on which to base their &ldquo;partnership&rdquo; relationships. Figures released by the RICS in 2003 indicated that surveying student numbers increased by 17 per cent in all areas except building surveying, where they fell by just under 25 per cent to 445 in 2001. The paper seeks to answer a number of questions. Why were building surveying courses failing to recruit students whereas other surveying courses have increased their numbers? If the figures continue to decline or remain at these low levels, what is the future for the BS? In short, could building surveying become an endangered profession?Design/methodology/approach &ndash; All UK university BS course leaders were approached by questionnaire and approximately half responded. The study was partly funded by the RICS Education Trust.Findings &ndash; The small amount of quantitative data collected suggests that recruitment is static at a time when other built environment courses are recruiting well. Course leaders expressed strong views about the impact of the education reforms.Research limitations/implications &ndash; Failure by some BS course leaders to provide some statistical data prevented completion of the quantitative part of the study.Originality/value &ndash; Key recommendations have been made to the BS Faculty Board of the RICS about the future of BS education.<br /

Tracing the Pattern of Maize Introduction and Spread in Africa using Chloroplast DNA Markers

A genetic assessment of maize landraces from 14 African countries was conducted in order to determine relationships among the landraces so as to infer the pattern of spread after introduction. Seeds were planted and DNA was extracted from ten randomly selected seedlings per accession. Eight published chloroplast SSR primers were used in PCR and purified products were directly sequenced. Allele size data from the chloroplast microsatellites were organized in MS Excel spreadsheets and sorted into haplotypes. Mantel‟s test and Principal Component Analysis were used in determination of haplotype diversity and biogeography of alleles. Results indicated that there was considerable variation in the geographic range of alleles. However, Mantel tests performed to examine the correlation between genetic and geographical distances likewise showed no association between genetic and geographic distances (r = -0.0138, p = 0.5600, 1000 permutations). Furthermore, principal component analysis provided little evidence for population differentiation based on geographical region; projection of the populations over the first two planes revealed two outlier accessions whilst the rest appear to be sub-accessions associated with South Africa. Hence, results from this study support a hypothesis of successive introductions of landraces in Africa with South Africa as one of the likely entry points. Key Words: Maize Landraces, SSR Markers, Haplotype, Genetic Diversity, Africa

Payments, Participants and Network Supply

If New Zealand's EFTPOS networks receive stronger use than similar networks overseas because of differences in price structures what motivations lie behind the structures each has chosen? An analysis of the economic history of networks in New Zealand and a number of other developed countries provides an economic answer to this question. It indicates that it is potential competition between payment networkds for banks and other supply-side participants which promotes efficient networks. government controls that reduce this sort of competition risk harming the development of payment networks and the interests of those that use them.Starting with the introduction of Diner's Club payment card in 1949 the means of payment in the developed world have progressed well beyond the traditional instruments such as notes coins and cheques. Insights can be gained from economic analysis of new retail payment systems in Australia Canada Germany New Zealand Norway and the United Kingdom and United States. Mike uses such analysis to construct a framework to understand the incentives faced by the users of payment instruments and the payment networks that provide them. It also provices a means to assess the role of government in the evolution of retail payment systems

Payments, Participants and Network Supply

If New Zealand's EFTPOS networks receive stronger use than similar networks overseas because of differences in price structures what motivations lie behind the structures each has chosen? An analysis of the economic history of networks in New Zealand and a number of other developed countries provides an economic answer to this question. It indicates that it is potential competition between payment networkds for banks and other supply-side participants which promotes efficient networks. government controls that reduce this sort of competition risk harming the development of payment networks and the interests of those that use them.Starting with the introduction of Diner's Club payment card in 1949 the means of payment in the developed world have progressed well beyond the traditional instruments such as notes coins and cheques. Insights can be gained from economic analysis of new retail payment systems in Australia Canada Germany New Zealand Norway and the United Kingdom and United States. Mike uses such analysis to construct a framework to understand the incentives faced by the users of payment instruments and the payment networks that provide them. It also provices a means to assess the role of government in the evolution of retail payment systems