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Who is to Interpret the Anthropocene? Nature and Culture in the Academy
No full textIt is somewhat ironic that just when scholars seem to be reaching an academic consensus critiquing the human exceptionalism of modern humanism, and to be replacing such an exceptionalism with a contextual and processual understanding of the human species, we are suddenly told that we are living in a new geological era named The Anthropocene. Just when we had begun to overthrow such anthropic tendencies in philosophy and the social sciences, we are faced with the undeniable presence of the human in the entire eco-system, from deet-resistant mosquitoes to the o-zone hole in the heavens. If humanism understood the role of the human as exceptional in the positive sense of enacting progressive transformation on the world as defined by the Enlightenment, the centrality of the human in the Anthropocene lies in a different and regressive transformation, not of the cultural world but of the geological earth, in what is an unprecedented ecological decline. Such a dissolution of the nature/culture divide is thus also a dissolution of the disciplinary divide between natural and human sciences, since moral issues can no longer be separated from biological concerns, and politics can no longer be separated from nature. To resolve the Anthropocene will thus require the collaboration of scholars from many different disciplines addressing both scale and value, for though we must measure the o-zone and the acidification of the oceans, we must also revise the ecological soundness of our political and economic practices and ideologies, establish a new understanding of the collective co-determination of human and other forms of life, and educate our species about its newfound responsibilities for both the human world and the nonhuman earth. Yet notwithstanding widespread recognition of the dissolution of the nature/culture divide that is intrinsic to Anthropocene discourse, there is considerable disagreement about when and how such a divide came about, and the role his divide plays as cause and/or effect of the Anthropocene. The scientific discourse claims that prior to the Anthropocene, human niche culture in the Holocene did not interfere in any significant way with natural processes, which were independent of human society. Actor-Network Theory and many social scientists claim on the other hand that the nature/culture divide has never existed, and that it was simply a short-lived invention of modernity to set an active subject against a passive world to be exploited. Yet other social scientists disagree with both of these positions, and claim that not only has the distinction between nature and culture always existed, but it continues to exist in the Anthropocene, requiring social scientific rather than scientific expertise in order to come to terms with its political and economic causes. For these scholars, the Anthropocene term is itself misleading for its universalizing of homo sapiensas responsible for the geological shift. What are we to make of these conflicting interpretations of the nature/culture divide, and how might they influence our understanding of the Anthropocene, and of possible responses to it? With such contradictory interpretations, the Anthropocene has come to represent the node in a theory debate with important consequences for understanding who we are and how to respond to the crisis and envision our future on the planet earth. This paper will seek to disentangle these different positions, and evaluate the solutions each position provides to ensure a future for life on the planet. If the scientific position reduces nature to a garden that must be managed by technology to allow for neoliberal lifestyles to continue and Actor-Network Theory reduces human agency to a material force no different from that of technological tools and thereby justifies a form of technological determinism where might makes right, the political positions either call for the demolition of capitalism and with it the nature/culture divide it created, or for the rehabilitation of the nature/culture divide that was destroyed by scientific determinism in order for a social critique of the Anthropocene to be possible at all. Though each position helps us to understand the stakes of the Anthropocene, none are able to develop a politics of nature that interprets the dissolution of the nature/culture divide in such a way as to imagine a polis shared by human and non-human actors. Instead of reducing such politics to a play of material forces or to the human management of the non-human world, such a shared polis requires a transversal ecology capable of rehabilitating solidarity and communication between human and non-human actors. The ecosophy developed by philosopher and psychoanalyst Félix Guattari will be proposed as just such a transversal solution, since it develops a mental, social and environmental ecology that is able to incorporate the perspectives of human and non-human subjects into a shared politics of nature
Evaluation of fluoride levels in bottled water and their contribution to health and teeth problems in the United Arab Emirate
No full textoai:repository.aus.edu:11073/16269Fluoride is needed for better health, yet if ingested at higher levels it may lead to health problems. Fluoride can be obtained from different sources, with drinking water being a major contributor. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), bottled water is the major source for drinking. The aim of this research is to measure fluoride levels in different bottled water brands sold in UAE, to determine whether fluoride contributes to better health or health problems. The results were compared to international and local standards. Fluoride was present in seven out of 23 brands. One brand exhibited high fluoride levels, which exceeded all standards, suggesting it may pose health problems. Other brands were either below or above standards, suggesting either contribution to better health or health problems, depending on ingested amount. A risk assessment suggested a potential for non-cancer effects from some brands. The results were compared to fluoride levels in bottled water sold in UAE and neighboring countries (e.g. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain), over 24 years, to reflect on changes in fluoride levels in bottled water in this region. The research presents the need for creating, stricter regulations that require careful fluoride monitoring and new regulations that require listing fluoride level on the bottled water label, internationally and regionally. The research will have local and global health impact, as bottled water sold in UAE and neighboring countries, is produced locally and imported from international countries, e.g. Switzerland, the USA, France, Italy, New Zealand, and Fiji
Does the Answer to Water Security in the UAE Lie in Pakistan?
No full textA poster submitted in ENG 207 taught by Dr. David Prescott for the Fall 2016 semester.Is importing water into the UAE a practical solution from technological, political and environmental perspectives
Impacts of Feeder Reconfiguration on Renewable Resources Allocation in Balanced and Unbalanced Distribution Systems
No full textIn this article, network reconfiguration and distributed generation allocation in distribution networks are dealt with simultaneously while imposing an objective of minimizing energy loss. The proposed method, which is based on a genetic algorithm, takes into consideration the uncertainty related to renewable distributed generation output power and the load variability. Three scenarios are assessed to analyze the superiority of the proposed method. In the first scenario, distributed generation units are allocated using the base configuration, followed by network reconfiguration. In the second scenario, distributed generations are allocated after network reconfiguration. In the third scenario, distributed generations are allocated simultaneously with network reconfiguration. The constraints involved include voltage limits, line current limits, and radial topology. Both balanced and unbalanced distribution systems are used as case studies
Design and performance of sustainable/green concrete
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Wisam J. Abdulkatib entitled, "Design and performance of sustainable/green concrete," submitted in January 2016. Thesis advisor is Dr. Adil Tamimi. Soft and hard copy available.Concrete is the most used construction material in the world. However, the production of one ton of cement, which is the main ingredient of concrete, releases about one ton of carbon dioxide, and consumes natural resources, such as limestone and clay. Furthermore, a concrete structure made of normal concrete can be permeable which expedites the steel reinforcement corrosion process when exposed to severe weather conditions. Therefore, this reduces its durability and service life. Implementing sustainable/green technologies in concrete design and production can solve these problems and extend the structure lifespan. In this thesis, the possibilities of making sustainable/green concrete from locally available materials were investigated. Supplementary cementitious materials, such as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and silica fume (SF), were used in order to reduce the cement content and to improve the size distribution and the grading of the particles. Their quantities were determined based on a new mix modeling platform called EMMA program. 130 concrete specimens of 10 different concrete mixes were tested and evaluated to measure the improvement levels in the new concrete. Low air content test results between 1% and 1.4% and higher concrete strength were obtained. These results reflected the improved particles packing of the concrete produced by EMMA program. Mechanical tests showed that the compressive strength of concrete incorporating SF and GGBS improved by 16%. Rapid Chloride Permeability Test (RCPT) showed results as low as 392 coulombs for mixes with supplementary cementitious materials. Microstructural analysis using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) supported the RCPT findings and the mechanicals tests which showed that concrete with supplementary materials has less voids, has a more homogenous integration of ingredients and has an abundance of C-S-H product. EMMA program modeling has been useful to improve particles packing in the concrete. Last, a cost analysis showed that sustainable/green concrete in the UAE can be produced at the same price of the regular concrete.College of EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringMaster of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE
Detecting and Fixing Pipeline Faults in a Non-Invasive Manner
No full textA poster submitted in ENG 207 taught by Dr. David Prescott for the Fall 2016 semester.Pipes are usually fixed invasively, or even replaced completely which costs a lot of resources. Inspection of the pipelines and their repair can be automated with the help of autonomous robots and other machinery that aids in reducing the resources required. This research looks into some of the complications that occur in pipelines in addition to the methods used to detect and repair these complications. Solutions considered should lead to reduced time consumption, cost and manpower
The Garden in the Desert: Revitalization of Al Ain's Civic Center
No full textAn Urban Planning Research Workshop II (UPL 682) project by Israa El Shaarani and Lamees Hamid entitled, "The Garden in the Desert: Revitalization of Al Ain's Civic Center", submitted in Fall 2016. Project supervisor is Prof. Rafael Pizarro
Diazepam stability in wastewater and removal by advanced membrane technology, activated carbon, and micelle-clay complex
No full textStability and removal of the anti-anxiety drug diazepam (valium) from spiked wastewater samples were studied. An advanced wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), utilizing ultrafiltration (UF), activated charcoal (AC), and reverse osmosis (RO) after the secondary biological treatment showed that UF and RO were relatively sufficient in removing spiked diazepam to a safe level. Kinetic studies in both pure water (abiotic degradation) and in sludge (biotic degradation) at room temperature were investigated. Diazepam showed high chemical stability toward degradation in pure water, and underwent faster biodegradation in sludge providing two main degradation products. The degradation reactions in sludge and pure water showed first-order kinetics with rate constant values of 2.6 � 10?7 s?1 and 9.08 � 10?8 s?1, respectively (half-life = 31 and 88 d, respectively). Adsorption of diazepam by activated carbon and composite micelle�clay (octadecyltrimethylammonium montmorillonite) complex was studied using both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Based on the determination coefficient, Langmuir isotherm was found to better fit the data, indicating the retention of diazepam monolayer on both adsorbents. Filtration of 100 mg L?1 solutions of diazepam by micelle�clay filter yielded almost complete removal at flow rates of 2 mL min?1
Design and Construction of a Cross-Laminated Timber Skyscraper
No full textA poster submitted in ENG 207 taught by Dr. David Prescott for the Fall 2016 semester.Concrete and steel are currently the building materials in most skyscraper construction. Due to their negative impact on the environment, timber has been proposed as an alternative material
Thermo-economic and comparative analyses of two recently proposed optimization approaches for circular heliostat fields: Campo radial-staggered and biomimetic spiral
No full textIn this paper, comparative analyses between two newly proposed circular heliostat field layout designs, i.e. Campo radial-staggered and biomimetic spiral layouts are carried out. Moreover, different optimization objectives including annual weighted efficiency, annual unweighted efficiency, and levelized cost of energy are considered for field layout optimization. In addition, the effects of different design variables, such as the central tower height, number of heliostats in the field, receiver’s dimensions and size of the mirrors on the field thermal and economical capabilities are investigated. Finally, the analysis’ results indicate that optimum weighted efficiency for Campo radial-staggered and biomimetic spiral layouts are 61.6% and 61.5%, whereas the optimum levelized cost of energy for both methods are 32.4 US$/MWh