The Intersection of the Environment and Niche Technology: A Cross-Jurisdictional Analysis of the Integration of Energy Storage Technologies in North America

The purpose of this paper is to identify regulatory and market barriers to energy storage as a model for the adoption of future sustainable energy technologies in Ontario. This paper examines current barriers and makes recommendations for increased sustainable energy technologies, such as storage, in Canadian markets. Utilizing the Multi-Level Perspective theoretical framework, this paper deconstructs the current state of energy storage technology in North America. An agnostic energy storage technological overview is provided to offer an understanding of where the technology is today and how quickly it is advancing. Three cross-jurisdictional storage markets are reviewed: Ontario, Alberta, and California, along with the American Federal agency, FERC. Each jurisdiction examined is evaluated by highlighting the key regulatory bodies along with the market rules and structures that currently apply to storage. Finally, the paper concludes with a policy overview, a view on the role of consumer engagement, and recommendations for adoption of new energy technologies. The recommendations are offered as a result of the comparative analysis conducted, interviews with energy professionals in Ontario, and a legal and policy review along with a literature review. While it is concluded that major barriers presently exists for energy storage in North America, the paper finds that major transformations are occurring resulting from pressure from consumers and the need to combat climate change

Imaging the division process in living tissue culture cells

Author Posting. © The Authors, 2005. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B. V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Methods 38 (2006): 2-16, doi:10.1016/j.ymeth.2005.07.007.We detail some of the pitfalls encountered when following live cultured somatic cells by light microscopy during mitosis. Principle difficulties in this methodology arise from the necessity to compromise between maintaining the health of the cell while achieving the appropriate temporal and spatial resolutions required for the study. Although the quality of the data collected from fixed cells is restricted only by the quality of the imaging system and the optical properties of the specimen, the major limiting factor when viewing live cells is radiation damage induced during illumination. We discuss practical considerations for minimizing this damage, and for maintaining the general health of the cell, while it is being followed by multi-mode or multi-dimensional light microscopy