The contribution of carbon pricing to sustainable mining

Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are essential to reducing the rate and scale of anthropogenic climate change to levels that can sustain the planet’s biosphere. A carbon tax is a policy measure that is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the prices of the highest carbon-polluting goods and services in an economy, thus encouraging substitution towards resultant relatively cheaper and less-polluting goods where possible. When Australia introduced such a tax in 2012, there was a fear that it could threaten the resources boom, considered the engine of Australian economic growth in recent years. By employing a computable general equilibrium model and an environmentally-extended Social Accounting Matrix, this paper demonstrates the effects of a carbon tax on the resources sector. The modelled results show that, in a flexible exchange rate regime, all resources within the sector will be affected negatively but to different degrees. The brown coal sector will be the hardest hit, with a 25.74 per cent decrease in output, 52.94 per cent decrease in employment and 89.37 per cent decrease in profitability. However, other resources in the sector would be only mildly affected. From the point of view of sustainability, the most significant results are that, under the carbon tax, the resources sector contributes considerably to the carbon emission reduction target of Australia. Given that brown coal accounts for only a small portion of the resources sector, it is reasonable to suggest that a carbon tax would not significantly affect the overall performance of the sector

Wet Grain Delivery Advice: A Previously Impossible Extension Challenge Solved Through App Technology

The delivery of wet grain during harvest is a complex and constantly changing problem about which Extension professionals have been unable to offer more than general advice. By capitalizing on important characteristics of mobile devices, a new app enables producers to fully benefit from detailed information universities have generated on grain drying and costs associated with delivery of grain to different locales. Development of such an app demonstrates the power of apps and mobile devices in allowing Extension to deliver previously unattainable services to its clientele

Temporary Silage Storage

The following information is intended as a supplement to the attached publication entitled Temporary Silage Storage Systems published by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service

Charge-Transport Anisotropy in a Uniaxially Aligned Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Copolymer.

Aligned films of a semiconducting DPP-based copolymer exhibit highly anisotropic charge transport with a band-like temperature dependence along the alignment direction and hole mobilities of up to 6.7 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) . X-ray diffraction measurements reveal an exceptional degree of in-plane alignment, high crystallinity, and a dominant face-on orientation of the polymer backbones. The surprising charge-transport properties are interpreted in a tie-chain model consistent with anisotropic activation energies.The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through a program grant (EP/G060738/1). C.R.M. acknowledges support from the Australia Research Council (FT100100275 and DP130102616). This work was performed in part at the SAXS/WAXS[59] and soft X-ray[60] beam lines at the Australian Synchrotron. C.R.M. and E.G. thank Nigel Kirby of the Australian Synchrotron for technical assistance.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.20150243

Impact of Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) on student midwife praxis.

Midwifery training in Ireland moved to Higher Education in 2006. This shift established a physical and educational separation of theory and practice. The adoption of Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) by one Irish midwifery education institution attempted to address this division. Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) has the potential to develop student reflexivity and evidence assimilation across the career-span and may therefore enhance student praxis. EBL has been championed as an example of an educational model that supports praxis, helping to create competent practitioners through the use of authentic learning scenarios that address the theory practice divide. The current research study represents the first formal evaluation of EBL in undergraduate midwifery education in the South of Ireland. The study was a mixed-methods design that utilised focus groups, interviews and survey to ascertain the opinions of first exposure to EBL amongst a cohort of first year student midwives. Findings demonstrate the value of EBL in enhancing student midwife praxis

Drying Temperature Effect on Kernel Damage and Viability of Maize Dried in a Solar Biomass Hybrid Dryer

Though several maize varieties have been developed and introduced over the years in Ghana, farmers still face challenges of access to quality seed maize. Among the major constraint is lack of proper drying systems to guarantee quality of seed produced. As in most parts of Africa, drying of maize in the open, on bare ground along shoulders of roads is still a common practice in Ghana. In this study, a 5-tonne capacity hybrid solar biomass dryer was developed for drying maize for seed and food/feed in Ghana. Effect of air temperature in the dryer on the physiological quality and germination of maize kernels was investigated. Maize grains were dried in the open sun simulating farmers practice and using the dryer at 4 varying levels (L1, L2, L3 and L4) with corresponding heights (0.6 m, 1.2 m, 1.8 m and 2.4 m, respectively) from the ground. Harvested maize at 22.8% moisture content was dried at the varying levels until reaching the final desired moisture content of 12.8% ± 0.2% (wb). Results showed that, air temperatures in the dryer increased in accordance with height with lowest mean temperature of 44.4°C ± 4.6°C recorded at L1 and mean maximum of 52.8°C ± 5.4°C at L4. Drying temperatures recorded at L1 - L3 and ambient had no significant effect (p \u3c 0.05) on kernel damage and viability. Drying conditions at L1-L3 were considered optimum (\u3c50°C) for kernel drying compared to the topmost tray, L4. Kernel stress crack index (multiple and checked) was therefore reduced on average by 14% while kernel germination increased by 33%. This satisfies the dryer’s potential to be used for commercial drying of maize grains for seed production for smallholder farmers in Ghana