Environmental protection and the generalized system of preferences : a legal and appropriate linkage?

This article will question the legality of measures of environmental ‘conditionality’ in the Generalized System of Preferences [GSP] of the European Community [EC]. The GSP is a GATT/WTO authorized scheme which permits developed nations to grant non-reciprocal tariff preferences in favour of developing countries. The objectives of the GSP are primarily development-oriented in that it aims to increase the export earnings of developing countries, promote their industrialization and accelerate rates of economic growth. A recent case taken in the WTO examined the legal contours of the grant of tariff preferences and it is in the light of this that this article will examine the so-called ‘special incentive arrangements’ of the reformed EC GSP which offers additional tariff preferences to developing countries on the ‘condition’ that they adhere to specified standards of environmental protection

Vista

Poetry by Sarah Switze

The Academic Librarian and Techno-Communication: Facilitating Social Networking with Generation Y Students

This paper will address the ways in which academic librarians can work to bridge the communication gap with Generation Y students using social networking and techno-communication. Utilizing cyber-communication opens many doors previously shut to educators. Academic librarians, specifically, have much to gain by embracing the trend toward online communication and social networking. Facebook, and other social networking sites like Friendster and MySpace, have helped to dissolve barriers between librarians and students. An online profile can allow, even moderately techno-savvy librarians, a new brand of accessibility to the university community. Academic librarians can gain acceptance and direct access to students, and anyone else in the university network with a Facebook account. Cyber-connected librarians are also able to directly advertise—and even personally invite—online university members to events, inform network users of new library collections, new online databases, upcoming library workshops, and any number of other outreach activities. In addition, a librarian’s online profile page can include links to sites designed to help students with citing sources for a paper, RSS feeds to library and university news and events, current national and world news items, book reviews, and personal and reference desk contact information. Other forms of technological communication, such as IM (instant messaging or chatting) can also be a useful tool for the academic librarian.International Federation of Library AssociationsUniversity of Toronto, LibraryUniversity of Toronto, Faculty of InformationUniversity of Illinois, LibraryTitle VI National Resource Center Grant (P015A060066)unpublishednot peer reviewe

Aviation and emissions trading in the European Union : pie in the sky or compatible with international law?

In 2003, the then European Community1 adopted Directive 2003/87/EC, establishing a scheme for trading allowances of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.2 Directive 2003/87/EC mandated the establishment of an emissions trading scheme (ETS) within the European Community “to promote reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective and economically efficient manner.”

Yours, mine or ours? : a study of intra family income distribution : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University, Albany Campus

Access accorded to family members to the resources of the household are an aspect of distribution which reflects the structure and values of a society. This thesis is an examination of the issues surrounding intra family income distribution. A significant aspect of this broad issue of distribution and the way in which it reflects inequalities in our society, is the use of statistical data on income and its distribution as a base for policy, without examination of the reality of access to economic resources for women. There are traditional assumptions of joint decision making by husbands and wives which influence policy decisions, and these assumptions need to be examined in the light of evidence from research, to determine the extent to which they can be justified. This thesis is based on three foundation studies conducted in Australia (Edwards, 1981), Britain (Pahl, 1989), and New Zealand (Easting and Fleming, 1994), about intra family income distribution, which challenge the traditional assumptions. A qualitative study was carried out for this thesis, employing a feminist perspective within a framework of critical social science and grounded theory, to investigate the systems of pooling of money in four New Zealand households. The thesis considers the findings of this study, and relates them to the three foundation studies conducted earlier in Australia, Britain and New Zealand. The thesis concludes with recommendations for policy and future research

Tracing the cosmological evolution of stars and cold gas with CMB spectral surveys

A full account of galaxy evolution in the context of LCDM cosmology requires measurements of the average star-formation rate (SFR) and cold gas abundance across cosmic time. Emission from the CO ladder traces cold gas, and [CII] fine structure emission at 158 um traces the SFR. Intensity mapping surveys the cumulative surface brightness of emitting lines as a function of redshift, rather than individual galaxies. CMB spectral distortion instruments are sensitive to both the mean and anisotropy of the intensity of redshifted CO and [CII] emission. Large-scale anisotropy is proportional to the product of the mean surface brightness and the line luminosity-weighted bias. The bias provides a connection between galaxy evolution and its cosmological context, and is a unique asset of intensity mapping. Cross-correlation with galaxy redshift surveys allows unambiguous measurements of redshifted line brightness despite residual continuum contamination and interlopers. Measurement of line brightness through cross-correlation also evades cosmic variance and suggests new observation strategies. Galactic foreground emission is $\sim 10^3$ times larger than the expected signals, and this places stringent requirements on instrument calibration and stability. Under a range of assumptions, a linear combination of bands cleans continuum contamination sufficiently that residuals produce a modest penalty over the instrumental noise. For PIXIE, the $2 \sigma$ sensitivity to CO and [CII] emission scales from $\sim 5 \times 10^{-2}$ kJy/sr at low redshift to ~2 kJy/sr by reionization.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, accepted in Ap

Effects of high temperatures on soil properties : lessons to share from smouldering remediation experience

Aggressive, high-temperature contaminant remediation processes such as smouldering remediation are growing in popularity as technical knowledge of their capabilities becomes more widespread. Smouldering remediation is most aggressive of these processes and exposes soils to temperatures across the range of 500-1000 oC for hours to days, displacing water and destroying in excess of 99.9% of contaminant mass. The high temperatures and aggressive chemical reactions result in significant changes to the soil properties, particularly at the particle surface. Shifts in soil geochemistry, mineralogy, and structure are observed. Micro computed tomography shows that grain surfaces become significantly smoother after remediation. The changes are more extensive than initial mineralogy testing had suggested. Increased smoothness affects grain-grain and grain-water interactions and may explain some of the dynamic changes in infiltration, permeability, cohesiveness, and strength that have been observed in soils after smouldering remediation. Understanding these effects is essential to link micro-scale changes to macro-scale behaviour and develop a holistic approach to contaminated soil remediation and reuse. Important analogies can be drawn to the effects of fires on soil properties

New Illinois Butterfly Records for Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, and Edgar Counties

The butterfly (Lepidoptera) fauna of east-central Illinois is largely undocumented. We collected butterflies and examined specimens in the Insect Museum at Eastern Illinois University for unpublished records for five counties in east-central Illinois. Here we report 105 new butterfly county records: 17 for Clark County, 30 for Coles County, 28 for Cumberland County, 9 for Douglas County, and 21 for Edgar County. We also describe behavioral observations, in particular those behaviors related to reproduction, for some of the records. Of special note were two rare vagrants from Coles County found in the museum collection, the orange-barred sulphur (Phoebis philea) and the marine blue (Leptotes marina)