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Guns for Hire: The Corporatization of Conflict The growth of the mercenary phenomenon since the end of the Cold War and their threat to a Liberal world order
Get PDFPrivate military enterprises and individual mercenaries have played a key role in warfare for much of history. This was especially the case until the rise of the European nation-states, when private military actors saw a decline in demand for their services. However, the end of the Cold War marked a turning point for the profession and a nascent private military industry that is today valued at hundreds of billions of dollars—and again indispensable to advancing the interests of the state. The rise of such an industry is the result of growing instability and the unfettered advances of neoliberal policy-making in the role of government; in this sense, instability around the world has created favourable conditions—including increased demand—for security services, and private enterprises have exploited this. This drive for profit, in turn, represents a potential–and serious—risk to a liberal order purportedly founded on the pursuit of cooperation and peace, and not profit. Private military actors have made headlines around the world and set foot in many battlefields across the world, but are they agents of peace or catalysts for war
Editorial by Peter Tsigaris, Editor-in-Chief: Explorations in Art and AI: Reimagining Sustainability Through Student Vision
No full textMultidimensional Valuation of Trees at Thompson Rivers University: An Ecological, Cultural, and Socio-Economic Exploration
Get PDFThis study investigates the ecosystem services provided by the 1,806 trees on the TRU campus, focusing on their economic, environmental, and social contributions. Through established methodologies, the research quantifies key ecosystem services, including carbon storage and sequestration, stormwater management, energy savings, and aesthetic benefits using benchmarked valuation techniques. Using field data, the total appraisal value of the campus trees was determined to be ~ 343,000 CAD. The analysis revealed carbon storage values ranging from 361 to 542 tons, contributing 92,106 CAD, and annual carbon sequestration of 5.4 to 54 tons, valued at 9,211 CAD. The total air pollution removed by campus trees was estimated to be 64 kg/year, corresponding to an economic value of approximately 7,970 CAD by reducing the burden on stormwater infrastructure. Energy savings, derived from reduced heating and cooling demand, added 76,297 CAD per year. While the primary focus is on quantifiable benefits, the research acknowledges the broader role of the forest in enhancing biodiversity, supporting cultural values, and fostering mental well-being.
This research provides a framework for understanding the value of urban forests in academic settings and highlights the need for proactive policies to sustain and enhance these benefits. The findings serve as a resource for decision-makers and contribute to the growing body of knowledge on integrating green infrastructure into campus planning and sustainability initiatives
The Sustainable Software Development Practices
No full textRapid software industry growth has brought significant technological advancement and a great deal of environmental concerns regarding energy consumption, resource usage, and carbon emissions. The area of sustainable software development practices has emerged in recent decades as an important one for addressing these environmental concerns. This research project explores how sustainability principles can be integrated into the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), focusing on energy-efficient coding techniques, sustainable architecture patterns, and resource optimization during deployment and maintenance. The Green SDLC model proposed herein outlines a structured approach for reducing the ecological footprint of software systems without sacrificing performance and scalability. Using a combination of literature review, practical experimentation, and case study analysis, this research identifies influential methodologies that developers and organizations can implement to reduce their software’s environmental impact. Experiments utilizing tools such as GreenMeter and Joulemeter to measure energy consumption and resource efficiency across different software implementations. Case studies conducted by industry leaders such as Google and Spotify further demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of sustainable software practices in reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
The findings of this project prove that sustainable software development is shaping the future of the tech industry by promoting greener and more energy-efficient solutions for software development. Green SDLC guides developers in shaping their contributions to a sustainable digital future; technological progress will be brought together with environmental care. Further research is recommended to unify sustainability metrics and investigate recent technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, for enhancing sustainability in software development.
Keywords: software development, Green SDLC, resource optimization, software sustainability, energy-efficiency coding
