The potential role of environmental economics in Teagasc - A scoping exercise 2006

End of project reportEnvironmental economics is a new area within the Teagasc vision programme. It is a distinct branch of economics that acknowledges the value of both the environment and economic activity and makes choices based on those values. The goal is to balance the economic activity and the environmental impacts by taking into account all the costs and benefits. The theories are designed to take into account pollution and natural resource depletion, which the current model of market systems fails to do. This (failure) needs to be addressed by correcting prices so they take into account "external" costs. The aim of this project was to look broadly at theses issues in relation to agriculture and natural resource usage in Ireland. In particular it focused on the role that this branch of economics may play in the research agenda of Teagasc in the future. The project was very short in duration (7 months) and was completed on-time (30th November 2006)

Echo-Mapping of Swift J1753.5-0127

We present two epochs of coordinated X-ray-optical timing observations of the black hole candidate Swift J1753.5-0127 during its 2005 outburst. The first epoch in July occurred at outburst peak. Two consecutive nights of observations using the McDonald Observatory Argos camera with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer show a consistent correlation with an immediate response and an extended tail lasting ~5s. The properties of the variability and the correlation are consistent with thermal reprocessing in an accretion disk. The shortness of the lag suggests a short orbital period consistent with that recently claimed. The second epoch in August used the VLT FORS2 HIT mode again in conjunction with RXTE. Again a repeatable correlation is seen between two independent subsets of the data. In this case, though, the cross-correlation function has an unusual structure comprising a dip followed by a double-peak. We suggest that this may be equivalent to the dip plus single peak structure seen by Kanbach et al. (2001) in XTE J1118+480 and attributed there to synchrotron emission; a similar structure was seen during later activity of Swift J1753.5-0127 by Durant et al. (2008).Comment: 7 pages, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ

Trust and mistrust in the lives of forcibly displaced women and children

This paper aims to consider the experiences of displaced women and children throughout the experience of displacement and the issue of trust (or mistrust) throughout this journey towards future emplacement. Issues around trust and mistrust in conflict situations and considerations around interpersonal and broader based gender-based violence in politicised contexts are explored. Various stages of displacement are viewed and, through the use of examples, from experiences within refugee camps, reception in host countries and resettlement in countries of asylum insights into the lived experiences of displaced women and children are provided. This paper therefore draws upon research projects and practitioner experience, including research carried out within refugee camps, in the UK on the dispersal of asylum seekers, qualitative research into agency responses to the trafficking of children and young people, plus a scoping study involving qualitative research into non-statutory understandings of trafficking.

The Urban Criminal Justice System Can Be Fair

This essay contains perspectives on fairness in the criminal justice system. It is written by a prosecutor with experience in an urban setting. He touches on topics such as racism, jury selection, the Rodney King case, the Howard Beach Case

Fiduciary Duties and RUPA: An Inquiry Into Freedom of Contract

The Revised Uniform Partnership Act of 1994 (RUPA) section 404 establishes a comprehensive definition of partnership fiduciary duties and includes an express recognition of the unique position of a partner. The approach taken by RUPA endorses too great an invasion of the principle of freedom of contract among partners, and a change in the language of RUPA is proposed with the goal of expanding freedom of contract without abandoning the requirement of good faith

United Nations Financing of the Law of the Sea Preparatory Commission: May the United States Withhold Payment?

In this Note, the legal basis of the United States position will be evaluated. After an overview of the events surrounding the controversy, the sources of the General Assembly\u27s budgetary and apportioning authority and the United Nations\u27 budget procedures will be considered. There will follow a discussion of an International Court of Justice advisory opinion upon which both the United States and its opponents rely. Finally, the financial arrangement between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission (Commission) will be examined in light of the formal relationship between those two bodies

HST Observations of GRO J1655-40 in Outburst

We examine the results of a coordinated HST-RXTE-CGRO campaign to study the microquasar GRO J1655-40 during its 1996-7 outburst, focusing on interpretation of the overall anti-correlation seen between optical and X-ray fluxes during the early months of the outburst. Our tools include echo-mapping, optical/UV continuum spectral modelling and analysis of spectral variability. We conclude by suggesting one possible interpretation for the anti-correlation.Comment: 4 pages with 11 postscript figures included. To appear in New Astronomy Reviews, as part of proceedings of 2nd Workshop on Galactic Sources with Relativistic Jets. Uses newarcrc.sty (included