MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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A Discounted Threat: Environmental Impacts of the Livestock Industry
No full textThis article provides an overview of the environmental effects of the livestock industry. Current industry practice, specifically the proliferation of concentrated animal feeding operations as the primary means of production, has left far-reaching ecological consequences in its wake. Animal agriculture is implicated in numerous environmental threats including rising greenhouse gas emissions (particularly through release of nitrous oxide and methane, in addition to carbon dioxide), overconsumption of water for both live animals and feed crops, and decreased water quality. Furthermore, localized pollution owing to copious animal waste has tainted many regions and compromised human health. Alterations of land use and the resulting loss of biodiversity are also of major concern. The problem has expanded as developing countries’ appetite for these products grows – however, the issue has tended not to be a focal point of environmental debate. The article details the environmental destruction wrought by current practices, while outlining recommendations for reducing the environmental toll, at both the individual and systemic leve
Preserving Natural Beauty
No full textThis article pans into the world of art and considers its connection with nature by burrowing into Alyssa Ellis’s painting, Tree Shadows, as well as explores the methods, tools, and process required in order for the painting to be created. Alyssa Ellis is a second-year student in Grant MacEwan University’s Fine Arts Program with an instinctive passion for painting and nature. Learning of Ellis’s search for and experience with painting nature, particularly trees, leads to a glimpse into her history of painting and with nature, which causes consideration for art as a portal capable of provoking environmental appreciation, compassion and conservation
To the Arctic, For the Arctic
No full textTo the Arctic (Judson, MacGillivray & MacGillivray, 2011), the new documentary in IMAX format, which stands for Image Maximum, “a motion picture format with the capacity for greater size and clearer resolution than standard movie systems” (Tech-FAQ, 2012), reveals the verifiable impacts of global warming on the Arctic so that humans can see and hear them up close
Striving for Sustainability: The Contribution of Paul Johnston to Conservation Biology
No full textPaul Johnston, the lead scientist with Greenpeace International, combines scientific knowledge with public debate and awareness campaigns to work towards environmental change and sustainability. Opposed by numerous people internationally, Paul Johnston is in a constant battle to change negative public perceptions of Greenpeace and their scientific endeavors such as reviews and specific studies. Through his position with Greenpeace and as a credited biologist with a PhD in selenium toxicity in aquatic invertebrates he has been involved in numerous international conferences both with public organizations and industry. Paul Johnston has built up a reputation through his tireless efforts and, regardless of criticisms of actions or stances he may take, his dedication to his beliefs and beyond that the fact that he backs his claims with real world action demands respect in the fight against environmental degradation. There are few people who have not heard of Greenpeace and Paul Johnston\u27s contributions in raising public awareness of environmental issues is important should society have a chance of changing
Dune: Desert Planet
No full textThis article is a review of the science fiction classic Dune, by Frank Herbert, and its environmental message. By designing an entirely new universe for his masterpiece, Herbert enables the reader to draw perspective about the world of 20th, and 21st, century Earth, and where humanity is possibly headed. Dune, however, is more than just a space opera, it is an enduring message about the struggle between conservation and human avarice
Water Use and Abuse in the United States: Behavioural Patterns Behind Excess Water Consumption and an Argument for an Efficient Demand Side Remedy
No full textThe last decade saw severe drought in the southeastern United States, which presented questions about the ways in which Americans use water and the best ways for government entities to handle future drought. During and after the droughts, researchers examined existing literature on water overconsumption and conducted new studies to explore water use and related behavior. We review the predominant work on the factors that influence household water consumption, the different methods by which government agencies can combat overconsumption, and argue for the demand-side approach of structured rate increases to limit superfluous use of water
Getting Back to the Garden: Reflections on Gendered Behaviours in Home Gardening
No full textThere is growing interest amongst scholars in people’s gardening behaviours related to food production. This development coincides with society’s increased interest in consuming and producing food in sustainable ways. Local food movements, which include urban agriculture and home gardening, have increased in popularity in several countries, especially during the last decade. Academics from a variety of disciplines have been starting to ask questions: Why are people gardening? How is gardening associated with one’s identity? What motivates people to adopt environmental gardening practices? Some researchers suggest that gardening research could benefit from gender analysis. This paper examines some of the literature in this growing field of inquiry and finds current gardening research often lacks critical gender analysis, thus failing to problematize gardening behaviours and attitudes. It maintains that this development is curious in light of compelling evidence that shows differences in the gardening behaviours of men and women. It proposes that along with Bhatti’s and Church’s theory of gardening spaces as mirrors for changing gender relations, Allen’s and Sachs’s feminist theoretical approach to explore the sociocultural domain of women’s relationship to food could be used to conduct gendered gardening research related to food. This discussion concludes that gender analysis is critical to exploring gardening as a research topic and that understanding women’s role in gardening for food production will be especially critical in future research as climate change impacts necessitate different food production and consumption behaviours
Exploring the Future Direction of Japan’s MBA Education
No full textIn this paper, we explore the future direction of Japan’s MBA education. First, we review literature discussing the problems in the US model of MBA education and then build a framework of analysis. Second, we review the history of MBA education in Japan. We divide its evolution into three stages, demonstrating how MBA education has developed since the first business school was established in Japan. Third, we examine the current situation and define the challenging issues on the basis of our survey of the Professional Graduate School System. Finally, we examine Japan’s case based on a framework of analysis and note some implications. The study clarifies that the main target market of MBA education in Japan has shifted from full-time students dispatched from companies to part-time self-sponsored students. Further, more than 60 percent of the teaching staff in Japan’s professional business schools are professional practitioners. The results suggest that Japan’s MBA education has developed differently than in other foreign countries because the business context of in-house human-resource development is dominant here
