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Modifying the Virginia Regulated Investor-Owned Utility Model for the Common Good
No full textThis paper examines the structural challenges inherent in the Virginia regulated investor-owned utility market, operating under a traditional rate making model, when attempting to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. In the broader context, the energy sector plays a massive role in the overall U.S. economy, and carbon emissions from energy consumption are linked to climate change. Therefore, solutions are needed to address the sustained health of the economy, energy sector, and our environment. Within the context of our new climate reality, this paper examines: the trends associated with energy efficiency and distributed renewable energy; the current electricity rate making model in Virginia; the threat electricity utilities face under the traditional rate design; and policy actions that can help modify the rate structure to align the interests of the energy sector and customers.
The goal of this paper is to provide research and recommendations to Virginia advocacy organizations involved in environmental and renewable energy work. A deeper analysis of the policy solutions and regulatory tools emerging in the energy sector can help create a strategy to transform the electric utility industry within the state.
Unless regulatory action is taken to modify the traditional rate structure, under which Virginia investor owned utilities operate, little progress can be made towards shifting to a sustainable energy future. This future, under new policy and regulatory interventions, can benefit all stakeholders involved in the production, consumption, and adoption of alternative renewable energy generation innovations and/or increased energy efficiency standards. For this reason, the state of Virginia should take proper policy actions to transform the traditional rate structure for investor-owned electric utilities. This paper recommends that investor-owned electric utility revenues be “decoupled” from the volumetric consumption of energy and that incentives are created to encourage adoption of energy efficiency measures and distributed renewable energy capacity. This will ensure the continued viability of electric utilities while embracing energy production/reduction strategies that benefit the common good
Rebuilding Houses, Rebuilding Ukraine: Peacebuilding through Youth Service-Learning
Get PDFIn order to successfully transform conflict in a complex situation such as Ukraine, it is critical to examine projects designed by Ukrainians themselves that support and reflect Ukrainian attitudes towards conflict and peace. Lviv Education Foundation is one such Ukrainian-run organization developing and implementing peacebuilding projects between the east and west of Ukraine. From interviews with Lviv Education Foundation personnel, this paper examines the feasibility of two important peacebuilding interventions through the lenses of positive and negative peace, basic human needs, and conflict transformation through ritual. This project finds that Lviv Education Foundation’s programs encourage peacebuilding in all three of these areas, although such endeavors still need to operate in a sphere with other interventions in order to have maximum impact. It is hoped that this study will provide a starting point for other organizations seeking to develop culturally-appropriate projects to help stabilize the situation in Ukraine and prevent future conflict
The Gender Imbalance in U.S. Outbound Study Abroad: A Case Study of Semester at Sea
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to explore the phenomenon of female college students studying abroad with Semester at Sea (SAS) at twice the rate of their male peers, in the hope of better understanding the significant gender imbalance overall in U.S. outbound study abroad. To put this issue into context, this study uses the theoretical framework of Deci and Ryan’s (1985) Self-Determination Theory of Motivation. Data was analyzed through the lens of intrinsic verses extrinsic motivation to answer the guiding research question: Is there a difference between male and female college students in their motivations to study abroad and, if so, does SAS appeal to these different motivations?
To answer this research question, data was collected through a survey of 79 male and female students enrolled in SAS’s Spring 2015 Voyage. A group of four male students participated in an all-male focus group. Six recruitment staff members from the Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) were also interviewed.
Data analysis revealed that both male and female students are intrinsically motivated to study abroad with SAS. The top two motivations, regardless of gender, are the desire to travel and to have new experiences. Students chose to study abroad with SAS because of the program’s multi-country model, which allows them to “see the world”. However, male students intrinsically motivated to study abroad are the minority among their male college peers. While female students received support for their decision to study abroad from their female friends, male students reported that their male friends did not see the academic nor career value in studying abroad. Previous studies criticize study abroad marketing for only highlighting the intrinsic benefits of studying abroad, such as personal development.
In order to effectively attract more male students, ISE should modify its programming and marketing to make it more appealing to the extrinsic motivations of male students. Strategies include showcasing successful male alumni, highlighting the academic and career benefits of the SAS program, and offering more STEM courses
Asbestos Management and Non-profit Action in Macedonia
No full textThis paper was written to answer the question “What can NGOs do to improve asbestos management in Macedonia?”. The majority of the research focuses on four subjects Asbestos Advocacy and Projects, Macedonia Asbestos Business Climate and Economics, Macedonian Asbestos System, and Asbestos Health Effects. Research into Asbestos Advocacy and Projects revealed that there are no local NGOs currently addressing the subject. However, there are currently several agencies and experts working on the issue. The section on Macedonia Asbestos Business Climate and Economics reveals problems within the construction sector which are exacerbated by national level economic problems. Literature and interviews revealed that the Macedonian Asbestos System is not able to manage this hazardous waste safely. Problems of identification and storage are the primary concerns. The Asbestos Health Effects is an exercise in understanding the true nature of this hazard that we might better understand how and why it is so harmful to people.
This paper concludes a number of things. Advocates in favor of better asbestos management practices in Macedonia would do well to target their efforts. The first objective should be to target future organizational level asbestos projects and initiatives toward the construction and waste management industries, The second is that future asbestos studies should focus on Construction Workers, Day Laborers, and Asbestos Material Salvagers as their primary beneficiary groups. Three, advocates should organize around an initiative to create a safe asbestos disposal site within the country. Lastly, advocates should lobby for certified asbestos identification laboratory in Macedonia
Child Marriage: Addressing the Challenges and Obstacles in the Post-2015 Agenda
Get PDFThis study explores the progress of child marriage eradication over the last forty years in order to identify the weak points of implementation as well as how these are being incorporated in the post-2015 agenda. An assessment of current rates by geographic region and several other demographic factors is included along with future projections for these affected areas. The shortcomings identified include a lack of program evaluation, negligence towards married children, a shortage of data on sub-national legislation efficacy, and minimal attention paid to child marriage in the context of slavery and human trafficking. The scope of the problem is laid out semi-chronologically by causes, consequences, solutions, related harmful practices, obstacles, and upcoming necessary changes. Insight into these areas was obtained through interviews with child protection policy workers of World Vision UK and experts in issues of gender equality within development. A need for continuity of commitment, increased scope of data collection, protection of overlooked populations, and inclusion of those most affected, including women and youth, are emphasized
A Study on The Multidimensional Effects of Animal Rights and Tourism in Bandia Reserve
Get PDFThe guiding theme of this research was to gain an insiders perspective on animal welfare with Bandia Reserve and learn how the tourism generated by the reserve affected[US1] [LW2] the community. I sought to answer these questions by living in[US3] Mbour within close proximity to the guides to view their day-to-day activities, spending time in participant observation at the reserve, conducting interviews within Bandia and in the surrounding communities. This research is important to address the guiding motivation behind Bandia Reserve. It sheds light on how tourism affects[US4] not only La Petite Cote, but all of Senegal. It illuminates the truth of animal rights and the pervasive cultural views on animal rights. This study allows further knowledge of how and why so many high income generating businesses are dominated by Europeans and what implications that has on the community.
[US1]Affected ?
[LW2]
[US3]in
[US4]effect means to bring in (something) for example ‘how the reserve effects tourism in the area
Contemporary Challenges of Urban Planning in Amman
No full textSince 1955, there have been various efforts to create city plans for the future expansion and development of Amman. These plans were built upon on a foundation of British town planning theory as the remnants of British rule over Jordan, which later morphed into a Western ideology known as “international style”. These theories are incompatible with the many unique factors that characterize the urban environment in Amman. This project calls for the further study of urban planning in Amman in the context of its cultural heritage and traditional style, and challenges many of the planning principles upon which Amman has been built until today.
This is a study of factors and challenges that affect contemporary urban planning in the Greater Amman Municipality. Through the methods of interviews, observations, and material culture, this project delineates the correlations between social, political, and economic factors on urban planning, architectural style, and patterns of city expansion
Perceptions of Safety Among Adolescents in Jordanian Host Communities: A Pilot Study Conducted In Housing Communities in Baqa’a and Ramtha
Get PDFThe purpose of this research was to understand how refugee and Jordanian adolescents perceive safety by answering the following three questions: 1) How do adolescents in host communities define safety? 2) How do they perceive the safety of their community? 3) What is being done, within their communities, to address the safety needs of adolescents? By answering these questions, this research aimed to increase the understanding of how safety should be defined, assessed, and addressed in regards to adolescents living in Jordanian host communities. Due to resources limitations, this research was only conducted with Syrian adolescents refugees. Four interviews were conducted at a housing community in Baqa’a and twenty surveys were conducted in a housing community run by Al Takaful Charity in Ramtha. This research resulted in a number of findings regarding participants’ experiences of safety within their community. The most notable are: many participants had poor access to extracurricular programming, felt unsafe in their community or felt that their community was divided, and had little knowledge of or confidence in conflict prevention and resolution programs in their community. Additionally, while all participants gave a definition of safety that was focused on freedom from danger and and safe access to basic resources, a majority of participants agreed that social cohesion was a component of safety. This finding suggest that further research should be done to gain a better understanding of the role that social cohesion plays in individuals perceptions of safety and to determine whether a more comprehensive definition of safety needs to be use in safety and protection assessments conducted by humanitarian agencies working with adolescents in Jordan
Seeds of Peace: Visible Cooperation Between Jews and Muslims in Morocco
Get PDFA carrefour in various contexts, Morocco stands in a unique position between the Arab world and Israel for several reasons. The country is unique due to the historical presence of Judaism in the region that, over the years, became a Muslim-majority Islamic kingdom. The members of Morocco’s Muslim and Jewish communities coexisted for centuries, albeit with minor hurdles, as did the Muslims and Jews of Palestine. However, political events around the world in the twentieth century led to the rapid departure of Jews from their Moroccan homeland. Today, with so few remaining in Morocco, “Jew” often becomes synonymous with “Israel,” and as a result, relations between Moroccans–mainly Moroccan Muslims–supporting Palestine and their Jewish compatriots become tense. Despite this unfortunate reality, there are still many Muslims and Jews in Morocco who hope for peaceful relations to once again become more widespread. However, during a time when such efforts bring with them the risk of political categorization, stigmatization and silence, how do these movements seek to successfully counter the tensions caused in Morocco by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? This paper will examine some of the current efforts to encourage mutual understanding between Muslims and Jews in Morocco. By conducting interviews with leaders of peace-building movements, listening to past interviews with and speaking to members of the Jewish community that remains in Morocco, and reading literature discussing Morocco’s past involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict, I was able to connect these present-day efforts to Morocco’s historical role in peace-building between Israel and Palestine. I hope that this paper will begin to bring to light the potential for creative efforts to encourage widespread cooperation between two of Morocco’s most long-standing cultural communities
European Policies on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: A Comparative Study
Get PDFAs the number one cause of death, cardiovascular disease represents a threat to both the economic and social well being of European countries. As a result of a variety of coordinated efforts between the European Union (EU), national governments, nonprofits, private industry, and local communities, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been decreasing in most countries in recent years. Measures such as bans on trans fats in Denmark, social mobilization and prevention policy in Finland, and nutrition labeling in the United Kingdom have had major impacts on heart disease. For instance, Finland’s prevention programs have resulted in a 63% reduction in deaths due to CVD (Laatikainen, Critchley, Vartiainen, Salomaa, Ketonen, & Capewell, 2005). However, other countries, like Greece and Russia, are faced with rising incidences of heart disease due to increased economic stress, change from traditional diets, and poor national coordination. In this study, I have examined the policies that have been recommended by the European Union, as well as individual national policies, to determine that prevention and health promotion are the most effective ways to promote a heart healthy lifestyle