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Rock Hyrax: A study of hyrax energy budget and behavior near Randilen Wildlife Management Area, Tanzania
Get PDFConducted at the gate of Randilen Wildlife Management Area (WMA), the purpose of this study was to contribute knowledge regarding rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) through studying their energy budget and behavior. Rock hyraxes are small mammals belonging to the order hyracoidea. Despite being abundant across most of the African continent and parts of the Middle East, these herbivorous animals remain understudied in Tanzania. During the wet season of spring 2024, a total of 70 hours was applied to this research over the course of 10 days (April 7th to April 16th) using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The aspect of energy budget was defined as the hyraxes being in an inactive or active state, and behavior was measured through socializing or isolating behavior. After the data collection period, the data was analyzed for the frequency of each energy state and behavior. The results from this study show that the hyraxes at Randilen WMA spend most of their time in an inactive state which reiterates what previous studies have claimed, however, more research is needed to better understand these creatures. In addition to contributing to the overall understanding of hyrax behavior, studying hyraxes has the potential to aid behavior research in other gregarious species
El derecho a la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo a inicios del gobierno de Javier Milei (Argentina, 2024) / The right to the voluntary interruption of pregnancy at the beginning of the government of Javier Milei (Argentina, 2024)
No full textEl objetivo de esta investigación fue entender las realidades del activismo en relación con el derecho al aborto en Argentina en el período después de la aprobación de la ley 27.610 del derecho a la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo, particularmente en 2020 y durante el gobierno actual de Javier Milei. Para responder la pregunta que articula la presente investigación, realicé seis entrevistas con activistas procedentes de una variedad de formaciones y con distintos tipos de participación en el movimiento. Primero describo la historia del activismo a favor del aborto en Argentina hasta la aprobación de la ley y el estado de los servicios de aborto en los últimos tres años. A continuación, analizo los resultados de las entrevistas. Si bien se produjo un desánimo en el activismo después de la ley, la militancia continuó militando esta iniciativa mediante el monitoreo de la implementación de la misma. El gobierno que empezó a fines de 2023 plantea amenazas a través de recortes presupuestales a la salud pública y de discursos de odio que estigmatizan el aborto, pero probablemente no promueva la eliminación de la ley. Sin embargo, las activistas tienen confianza en la capacidad del movimiento feminista para mantener la cultura de apoyo y garantizar el derecho del aborto, a pesar de todas las amenazas que existen.
The objective of this investigation was to understand the activist movement for abortion rights in Argentina after the passage of law 27.610 for the right to free voluntary and legal interruption of pregnancy, and during the current reactionary government. To answer my research question I interviewed 6 activists of various backgrounds and levels of involvement in the movement, and asked them about their understanding of the state of activism. The results of my interviews showed that after the law, there was a disinflation in the movement but activism continued in the form of monitoring implementation of the law and ensuring the guarantee of the new right to abortion access. The current government presents threats to the right to abortion in the form of public health budget cuts and hateful rhetoric, but likely not in the overt removal of the law. However, the activists have confidence in the capacity of the feminist movement to maintain the culture in favor of the right to abortion and continue to guarantee the right to abortion
Variations in salinity and forest structure between marginal and cloistered mangrove forests in Boca del Drago, Bocas del Toro, Panama
Get PDFMangroves are incredibly important ecosystems that have an outsized impact on their surroundings, providing crucial ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and coastal protection. At the same time, mangroves are some of the most threatened habitats due to their valuable position along tropical coastlines. Globally, mangrove forests are deforested and degraded by aquaculture, tourism developments, urbanization, and overharvesting. Due to high rates of mangrove loss, mangrove deforestation is now illegal in Panama, though this legislation is inconsistent and allows for exceptions, especially in tourism developments. This study aims to probe the impacts of localized coastal developments on a small mangrove forest in Boca del Drago, Bocas del Toro, which is obstructed from the ocean by a manmade walking path. Measurements of salinity, seedling density, height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and species composition were taken for five plots and compared to previous measurements taken in a nearby undisturbed mangrove forest. Analysis revealed that average height, DBH, prevalence of the mangrove species Laguncularia racemosa, and salinity were significantly greater in the cloistered plot. In combination, these results suggest that the walking path obstructs seawater input, leading to completely freshwater conditions within the forest. The repercussions of this are uncertain, but could include population dynamic changes leading to a reduction in the ecosystem services provided by this forest. It is important to understand how coastal developments directly and indirectly affect mangrove forests, especially as these ecosystems become increasingly important with climate change
Nutri-Score, Warning Signs, and Facts Up Front – In Theory and In Practice A Comparative Analysis of the Effectiveness of Front-of-Package Labeling Systems
Get PDFSuboptimal diets contribute significantly to poor health and chronic diseases, with excessive sodium intake and low consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables being major risk factors. To address this global nutrition burden, various countries have implemented front-of-package labeling (FOPL) systems such as the Nutri-Score, Warning Signs, and Facts Up Front.
This paper aims to analyze the effectiveness of these systems – which vary in development, design, content, and implementation – in both theory and practice. The methodology involves a comparative analysis of three FOPL systems, assessing their theoretical effectiveness with international guidelines and practical effectiveness through expert interviews and secondary data.
Findings show that while both the Nutri-Score and Warning Signs generally adhere to international guidelines, the Nutri-Score faces more divisive consensus, while the Facts Up Front label lacks in several crucial areas. The three systems have varying degrees of academic, industry, and government support, with the voluntary, non-interpretive Facts Up Front label being most preferred by the industry and less supported by research, whereas the vice versa applies for the government-mandated, interpretive Warning Signs label, and the voluntary, interpretive Nutri-Score garners both support and dissent from all stakeholders
“It’s a no brainer”: Ensuring just transitions in Iceland’s fishing industry
Get PDFIceland’s government intends to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, aiming to target various economic sectors and industries for increased renewable-energy usage. One of its most important plans revolves renewable-energy usage in the fishing industry, which accounts for almost 12% of the country’s GHG emissions. This study aims to understand the perspectives of different stakeholders concerning renewable energy in the fishing industry, using these opinions and existing literature to provide recommendations for a just, equitable, and achievable energy transition. Additionally, this study particularly focuses on the opinions of actors in Vestmannaeyjar, an island community of 4,300 with an especially vibrant, significant, and energy-intensive fishing sector. Through interviews with fifteen stakeholders involved in all levels of Vestmannaeyjar’s fishing industry, as well as complementary data from a survey conducted in 2023 on Icelandic small-scale fisheries’ (SSFs) responses to renewable-energy usage, this project illustrates the importance of financial, technological, and political barriers to fisheries’ adoption of renewable energy and the divides between SSFs and large, industrial fisheries concerning knowledge-sharing, ecosystem management, and Iceland’s individual transferrable quota (ITQ) system. Using this data, this paper then provides recommendations for encouraging renewable-energy usage in the fishing industry – including financial incentives, mechanisms for greater inclusion of stakeholders in the policy process, and the transformation of practices and behaviors regarding energy usage
The role of geomorphological context in vegetative succession within the Breiðamerkurjökull glacial foreland
Get PDFAs glaciers retreat worldwide at an accelerating pace, understanding primary succession in these newly exposed landscapes becomes increasingly critical. This study examines the initial vegetative colonization patterns in glacial forelands, focusing on the influence of geomorphological formations of resulting plant communities. By analyzing vegetative communities in glaciofluvial and push moraine deposits, this study highlights how the more varied, channelized morphologies of fluvial deposits create potential microclimates better conducive to heterogenous plant colonization than the homogenous terrain of the nearby push moraine. Vegetative coverage, sediment size, and species abundance was collected at 480 sites across 6 different historical glacial extents across Breiðamerkurjökull’s glacial foreland, spanning 60 years of historical glacial retreat. Results show higher biodiversity, plant coverage, and variability in the fluvial sediment plots, indicative of a wider range of plot development than seen in the push moraine plots.
The findings in this paper add to the growing body of work that challenges traditional directional models of primary succession, suggesting that in this case the high topographic variability and distinct sedimentary niches in the sampled fluvial environments facilitate faster and more diverse plant establishment. The study underscores the importance of considering geomorphological features in ecological research and lays the groundwork for potential feature-scale methodology for chronosequence site selection
Investigating Ocean Carbonate System Changes Across Latitudes in the North Atlantic Basin with a Time-series Mooring System
Get PDFThe world ocean, specifically the Arctic, serves as one of the greatest mitigators for anthropogenic carbon dioxide release, making the study of high latitude ocean carbonate chemistry an increasingly important topic. While much work has been done concerning the science of acidification and future model projections, analyzing data to detect decadal anthropogenic trends and effects is also highly important. Aiming to add to this data pool, this study investigated the ocean carbonate system at three North Atlantic mooring locations at polar, subtropical, and tropical latitudes from 2013 - 2021. Time series datasets of the pH and pCO₂ of surface water along with boundary layer air pCO₂ from each mooring location were analyzed, and a partial pressure ratio (pCO₂sw/pCO₂air) was calculated to investigate saturation and flux more effectively. Important findings included decreasing pH, increasing seawater pCO₂ and increasing air pCO₂ at all three moorings, along with significant correlation between seawater pCO₂ and air-sea CO₂ flux direction across all latitudes. Comparison with past research indicated clearer trends likely occur with larger data availability and strong implications for future Arctic ocean carbon uptake
Solar Energy Adoption in Unguja, Tanzania: Influence of Awareness, Socioeconomics, and Technology Knowledge
Get PDFThis study looked into the effect of information dissemination on the willingness to adopt solar energy on Unguja Island in the Zanzibar Archipelago. Utilizing an information provision survey, I collected data on demographic factors, personal beliefs, and attitudes towards solar energy. The research focused on determining how information provision affects public perceptions and the likelihood of adopting solar technologies. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between detailed and contextually relevant information and increased acceptance of solar energy solutions. The enhanced intervention was particularly effective in changing beliefs about solar energy\u27s reliability and economic benefits, addressing critical local issues such energy reliability. The financial barriers associated with solar technologies remained a significant deterrent for many residents. The study also explores an inverse correlation between educational attainment and change in beliefs. These findings suggested that targeted educational interventions and campaigns are quintessential when considering efforts to promote solar energy adoption. Further research is recommended to investigate the use of more tailored interventions and conducting similar studies across various region to enhance the global applicability of the results
Global Portraits from a Changing Climate: The Influence of Environmental Storytelling on the Climate Narrative
Get PDFEnvironmental Storytelling can influence the climate narrative and serve as a catalyst to structurally alter how individuals think about the environment. The medium of the “Eco-film” allows viewers to create intimate connections with the natural world, and in turn alter how individuals engage and perceive issues like climate change. To combat climate denialism this project showcases different hopeful stories in a deliverable video collection, called “Global Portraits from a Changing Climate”. Two of these videos will be filmed in Germany, featuring the Waldrapp Team Research and Conservation project. One of the videos from Waldrapp Team will touch on the social side of species reintroduction, looking at how the “soul” of a bird inspired a host of art and culture. The other Waldrapp Team video will look at how climate change is threatening a 20-year reintroduction project, and the adaptation of a team determined to save this endangered species. The third video will be filmed in Zanzibar, looking at the resilience of female seaweed farmers whose livelihood and subsequent empowerment has been put at stake by rising ocean temperatures. The last video will be filmed in Iceland, looking at how the reintroduction of trees to a previous barren land has affected forest farmers, and what legacy these individuals may leave behind. This project aims to tie together themes of positionality, resilience, adaptation and culture. Making this deliverable project focus on multiple local scale narratives, enables the audience to draw key spatiotemporal comparisons among projects to recognize a global narrative. The creation of this deliverable has been insightful into the importance of media ethics, slow journalism, the dilemma of visibility and the importance of language. Overall, this study has shown that despite catastrophic changes to the natural world, people are making a difference, and that perhaps a compelling environmental narrative is part of what the world needs to support continued action
Returning Power to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe: Energy Policy and Tribal Autonomy
Get PDFThis policy brief addresses tribal autonomy, energy policy, and the resources of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts. Tribal sovereignty has been a difficult and often painful area of discussion for many tribal communities. For generations, tribes have had to carefully navigate their interactions with colonial forces and the residues of colonialist legacies, especially tied to resource wealth and decision-making. Even with the best of efforts by the tribe, their actions often have not impacted the basic legal or economic situations on-the-ground. Their on-going relationships with states and companies continue to undermine tribal autonomy and sovereignty oftentimes simply because they are seen as ‘different’ and ‘lesser’. These behaviors from the now naturalized U.S. government oppresses them. Even in 2024, many tribes in the U.S. still stand at square one in regards to decision-making about valuable resources. In the West, with reservations spanning thousands of miles, many tribal homes do not have basic utilities, such as electricity and sewage services. In the East, however, tribes are just getting back small patches of their land and can look to the West for inspiration on building infrastructure for tribal members. When it comes to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts, their autonomy continues to be tested, as they are not the sole owners of their resources. This policy brief reviews the underlying history, especially the legal history, of the Wampanoag and immediately related groups. More specifically, it suggests alternatives to extant policy that improve tribal autonomy and energy self-reliance in an era of imbalanced power that weakens tribal self-determination. These policy alternatives take into account economic and social barriers that affect the tribe and, moreover, offer a basic income plan that redefines tribal relations and demands accountability from outsiders