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Scarcity Antidotes: How the Colonial Agenda Demands Our Bodies to be Sites/Sights of Scarcity, and Our Possible Futures
Get PDF2024This first-person action research thesis explored the question, “How might I shift from a scarcity mindset to a possibility mindset to strengthen my anti-oppressive practice?” An anti-oppressive paradigm oriented this research to unconscious colonial norms within white supremacy culture that perpetuate power disparities in society. Using methods of structured journaling, collaging, and kitchen table conversations, the key findings of this research resonate in themes of limiting values and how they created barriers to change, embodiment and the impact of sensory and emotional realities, disrupting patterns in day-to-day life for personal growth, integrating juxtapositions within the self by accepting one’s opposite ways of being, and learning what it means to live within community. The recommendations are to orient to playful disruption, engage deep presence, metabolize past selves, and live with collective responsibility. This study exists within the tension between individual development and community participation, suggesting collective liberation is strengthened through a personal journey of reimagining the future using a possibility mindset
Counterweight mass influences single-leg cycling biomechanics
Get PDFThis article was originally published as: Asmussen, M.J., Casto E,. E., MacInnis, M.J., & Nigg, B.M. (2024). Counterweight mass influences single-leg cycling biomechanics. PLoS ONE 19(6), Article e0304136. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304136The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of varying counterweights on the kinematics (joint angles) and kinetics (joint moments, work) of cycling using a 3D analysis.We would like to thank the International Society of Biomechanics International Travel Grant Program to EC, and the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council Discovery Grant to MJA (RGPIN-2021-02461) and MJM (RGPIN:2018-06424)
Evaluating the Outcome of the Cheakamus River Water Use Plan: Long Term Collaborative Planning Successes and Failures
Get PDF2024Collaborative planning has been used as a tool for water use planning throughout British Columbia to increase social benefits of hydroelectric production. This study evaluates the Cheakamus River Water Use Plan (WUP) based on its capacity to meet WUP objectives and collaborative planning principles. These values are captured by a document analysis (DA) of BC Hydro documents and an interview analysis (IA) of transcripts from discussions with participants. The result of the DA suggests that BC Hydro has been successful at fulfilling their duties through meeting plan objectives, having diverse representation, a high level of inclusion, influence, and commitment of the stakeholders. Weaknesses are related to issues of communication and negotiation, not identifying timing for reviews and revisions, and lack of participant funding. Results from the IA concludes that the process is partially successful because of participants being non-committal to declaring success due to issues of communication, work that still needs to be done and distrust. Success in the IA is related to the development of high-quality information, expansion of Squamish Nation’s role, diverse representation, and the extensive level of inclusion, influence, and commitment of the stakeholders. The key conclusions of this research are that First Nations rights to self-determination, trust, communication, and high-quality information are central to the success of long-term collaborative processes like the Cheakamus River WUP. The extent to which the Cheakamus River WUP met its objectives and principles of collaboration is inconclusive, as the process is not an outright success or failure
A Paradigm Shift To Utilizing Uncomfortable Conversations
No full text2024This first-person action-oriented thesis explored the primary question: “How can I increase my dialogic skills and abilities in uncomfortable conversations to help maintain and build relationships through open dialogue?” To explore boundaries and judgments within myself and with others, I framed the research in critical heuristics systems and a theory of boundary critique. I also applied an appreciative lens throughout inquiry questions and discussions with participants. Data came from self-reflective journaling sessions, one-on-one interviews with well-known subject matter experts, as well as reflective, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations with feedback partners. The research adhered to the Royal Roads University Research Ethics Policy. Findings showed that I had skills and competencies in uncomfortable conversations and showed how I can improve through continued learning. Five findings, five conclusions, and four recommendations came from this thesis. An appreciative lens is critical. Some recommendations may be of value to other practitioners and organizations.Keywords: uncomfortable conversations, boundary critique, critical heuristics systems, personal mastery, unconscious bias, diversity, equity, inclusion, dialogue, systems thinking, confidence, digital journaling
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Nature-Based Awe and The Role it Plays in Water Professionals’ Commitment to Their Work
Get PDF2024This research explores the role of awe-inspiring experiences in nature, particularly focusing on water professionals who work closely with natural environments. The study aims to deepen our understanding of how nature-based awe influences professionals' commitment to their work within the water sector. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating a literature review to establish foundational knowledge on the concept of awe. Through a survey-based empirical study, water professionals' nature-based awe experiences are examined, addressing questions around the frequency, characteristics, and preferred forms of these experiences. Findings underscore the significance of nature-centric awe in shaping professionals' commitments to environmental stewardship. The research identifies several implications for practice and future research. This research underscores the imperative of prioritizing and preserving our connection to the natural world. By recognizing the profound influence of nature-based awe on individuals, particularly within professional contexts, this study contributes to a broader understanding of how nature-based awe experiences can influence environmental professionals commitment to protecting the natural world
Exposure Assessment to Estimate the Population Exposed to Low Air Quality from Wildfires in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Get PDF2024In 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2023, British Columbia experienced severe wildfire seasons, leading to increased exposure to PM2.5, which can cause respiratory issues and even death. Hourly PM2.5 data from air quality monitoring stations across the Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD) between 2014 and 2023 were aggregated to daily values. The weighted average daily PM2.5 concentrations were estimated using the indirect method of Thiessen polygons to obtain spatial coverage of the stations. Person-days of exposure to weighted average daily PM2.5 concentrations above the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended level of 15 μg/m3 were calculated considering days during the year with concentrations above this level and the population of the MVRD. During the study period, the number of person-days exposed annually to PM2.5 concentrations exceeding WHO air quality standards in MVRD showed notable peaks in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023, with 2018 recording the highest exposures at 53,283,580 person-days
"A familiar, not fearful place": Sensory histories of hospital birth in twentieth-century North America
No full textThis article was originally published as: Wood, W. (2025). "A familiar, not fearful place": Sensory histories of hospital birth in twentieth-century North America. The Senses and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/17458927.2024.2402966This paper unpacks sensory histories of childbirth in the North American obstetric ward, focusing on the period between 1950 and 1970. Focusing on the intertwining of spaces, bodies, and behaviors, this paper argues that control and mastery of the childbirth experience – including control of pain, key to the “achievement” of a successful natural birth – was seen to be inextricably rooted in familiarity with the hospital environment, the maternity ward, and delivery room. This familiarity, carefully developed during antenatal training, was a necessary precondition for the maintenance of true relaxation throughout the birth experience, a state which demanded the continued management of a range of sensory stimuli, and the strategic use of touch, “whispered encouragements” from the father-to-be, and measured instruction from the (often male) physician to guide the expectant mother through the interpretation of her own sensory experiences and the various stages of labor and delivery
A state-of-the-science review of alcoholic beverages and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Get PDFThis article was originally published as: King, L., Aplin, R., Gill, C., & Naimi, T. (2024). A state-of-the-science review of alcoholic beverages and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Environmental Health Perspectives, 132(1), 016001-1-016001-6, https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13506Background: The association between alcohol and certain cancers is well established, yet beyond ethanol and its metabolite acetaldehyde, little is known about the presence of other carcinogenic compounds in alcoholic beverages, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as benzo[a]pyrene (a Group I carcinogen).
Objectives: We summarized the published literature on PAH levels in alcoholic beverages to identify potential gaps in knowledge to inform future research.
Methods: Medline and Scopus were searched for primary research published from January 1966 to November 2023 that quantified PAH levels among various types of alcoholic beverages, including whisky, rum, brandy, gin, vodka, wine, and beer. Studies that were not primary literature were excluded; only studies that quantified PAH content in the specified alcoholic beverages were included.
Results: Ten studies published from 1966 to 2019 met the criteria for review. Other than beverage type, no publication reported selection criteria for their samples of tested alcohol products. Studies used a variety of analytical methods to detect PAHs. Of the 10 studies, 7 were published after 2000, and 6 assessed products. Of the studies, 7 examined spirits; 3, beer; and 4, wines. Benzo[a]pyrene was most prevalent among spirit products, particularly whisky, with values generally exceeding acceptable levels for drinking water. Some beer and wine products also contained PAHs, albeit at lower levels and less frequently than spirit products.
Discussion: PAHs are found in some alcohol products and appear to vary by beverage type. However, there is an incomplete understanding of their presence and levels among large, representative samples from the range of currently available alcohol products. Addressing this gap could improve understanding of alcohol–cancer relationships and may have important implications for public health and the regulation of alcohol products. In addition, novel methods, such as direct mass spectroscopy, may facilitate more thorough testing of samples to further investigate this relationship.The work was supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) discovery grant RGPIN-2021-02981
Embodied Carbon Reduction in British Columbia Municipalities’ New Residential Development Projects
Get PDF2024Following federal efforts, local governments across Canada are developing and implementing climate change mitigation strategies. British Columbia municipalities (including Vancouver, Port Moody, Nelson, Squamish, Whistler, and Saanich) aspire to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and attain net-zero emissions in municipal operations by 2040. However, current literature falls short of informing BC municipalities’ action plans regarding standards for reducing embodied carbon in new residential developments, municipal buildings, and infrastructure projects. This thesis explores local governments’ policies related to embodied carbon in the design, construction, and end-of-life dismantling of new and existing buildings. Based on interviews with key stakeholders, the research sought to articulate intervention points by examining BC municipalities’ current capacity, coordination, and regulation. The thesis examines how embodied carbon reduction can be incorporated into municipal planning and policy for residential development, and it offers recommendations for municipalities’ future embodied carbon reduction policies