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Contradictions, Contestations, and Challenges to the Green Economy
No full textFor almost half a century global climate policy has professed that economic growth and climate mitigation can co-occur by decoupling the global economy from environmental degradation vis-a-vis market-based solutions and more efficient technologies. This framework and the intellectual and political developments that co-produced it supported the notion of infinitely growing economies. In fact, the global climate policy frame would evolve to proclaim that economic growth was not only good for the environment but also a necessity for human development and the poorest in the global economy. However, almost two decades since the Kyoto Protocol came into force and the enactment of the first multi-national carbon market, global greenhouse gas emissions and raw material extraction are both at their highest recorded points in history. For scholars across the critical humanities, capitalism would not be able to green itself due to the imperative for growth and accumulation. This dissertation provides new developments and critiques to historical and present-day global political economy as it reaches new points of contradiction and expands in search of new frontiers of accumulation. I do this through an eclectic frame of study with a particular focus on global North and South relations. I do this through several approaches to the contradictions of climate change mitigation in the global political economy. First, I ground the so-called green economy in key politico-economic and intellectual enactments that took place in post-World War II reconstruction, following onto the sustainable development agenda that would institutionally and discursively marry the environment to economic growth and poverty alleviation in the global South. Second, the core of this dissertation provides new critical political economy interpretations of and objections to recent enactments in the green economy: green technology solutions such as electric vehicles over collective modes of transport, critical raw materials mining in the European peripheries and the push to mine international waters to fuel green technologies. Third, I take these contradictions as supporting cases for degrowing economies and consumption in the global North.This dissertation is composed of five key chapters – adjacent to an introductory chapter, literature review chapter and concluding remarks. The opening chapters work to integrate this thesis into what I consider to be the macro debates surrounding the broader contentions and the contradictions of climate change mitigation under capitalism. The literature review establishes that there are ontological differences between the mainstream presentation of the Anthropocene, compared to critical politico-economic interpretations of the origins of the climate crisis as embedded in the longue durée of capitalism, its environment making practices, and the exploitation of not only non-human nature, but also other humans. Chapters Four, Five, and Six are thematically entwined while the complexity of the cases differ, they explore new frontiers of mining, both terrestrial and oceans mining – which is being carried out in the name of the green transition. Chapter Four explores two cases of civil society resistance to the EUs onshoring of mining in pursuit of its dual geopolitical and industrial aims and to facilitate the decarbonisation of the transport sector. The chapter explores the unequal distribution of ecological harms and economic benefits in mining frontiers from the frame of core-periphery relations within both EU and non-EU European countries. Chapter Five introduces the complex political economy and legal nexus of deep seabed mining, potentially the newest frontier of mining in which proponents employ the language of the green economy to gain tacit legitimacy for the yet accepted practice. The seabeds of international waters should be governed in the common interest of all of humanity and are also home to continental scales of raw materials needed for the proliferation of green technologies. As ongoing economic growth justified through promissory visions of green techno-utopian futures has steered mining into the most socially and ecologically fragile frontiers, Chapter Seven turns to the degrowth and post-growth literature. This chapter presents a case for high-income, high-consumption societies to de-grow economies and reduce materials footprints which would free up space and materials for low-income countries where more energy and material consumption may be necessary for human development.</p
Designing an Anionic Layer in Low-Concentration Electrolytes to Promote In-Plane Ion Diffusion for Dendrite-Free Zinc-Ion Batteries
No full textIn contrast to high-concentration electrolyte systems, low-concentration electrolytes provide a cost-effective strategy to advance the commercialization of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). However, such electrolytes frequently exhibit severe dendrite formation caused by localized Zn2+ concentration gradients, which critically compromise the cycling stability and operational safety of AZIBs. In this work, an innovative approach is proposed that involves the in situ construction of a fluoride-ion (F−) enriched interfacial layer on zinc anodes. This method facilitates in-plane diffusion of zinc ions at the anode interface, resulting in accelerated lateral growth of zinc deposits rather than dendritic formation. The results indicate that this orientated growth is closely associated with an anionic layer that effectively reduces random and irregular deposition as well as undesirable side reactions. The proposed system exhibits exceptional electrochemical performance within a low-concentration electrolyte framework, achieving a battery lifespan exceeding 1500 h at a current density of 2 mA cm−2. Furthermore, it maintains Coulombic efficiency above 99% after 800 h of cycling. Additionally, the Na2V6O16·3H2O (NVO)//Zn full battery incorporating this additive showcases enhanced long-term cycling performance and improved capacity retention, further confirming the excellent reversibility of the plating/stripping processes for zinc anode.</p
Development of Eco-friendly Reactive Powder Concrete
No full textThis thesis presents the development of an eco-friendly Alkali-Activated Reactive Powder Concrete (AARPC) that eliminates the use of Portland cement (PC) entirely by employing alkali-activated materials such as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and fly ash (FA). The primary objective was to reduce the carbon footprint associated with conventional ordinary PC-based reactive powder concrete (RPC), which typically relies on energy-intensive heat and pressure curing, by developing a mix capable of achieving high performance under ambient curing conditions.A new mix design methodology was developed based on particle packing theory, employing the Funk and Dinger particle size distribution (PSD) model. This method aimed to minimize void content in the solid matrix and optimize the fresh-state packing factor by systematically adjusting the liquid content through wet packing tests. The methodology also incorporated the rheological behavior of alkali activators, recognizing their high viscosity as a critical factor affecting workability and particle rearrangement.Experimental investigations were carried out to evaluate the effects of the type of alkali activator, the viscosity of alkali-activator, and precursor composition on particle packing behavior. The results revealed that the packing factor increased with the liquid ratio up to an optimum point (optimum liquid ratio), beyond which further increases in liquid ratio led to a decrease in the packing factor. A strong correlation was observed between the optimum liquid ratio and the viscosity of the alkali activators: lower viscosity activators of 10M NaOH achieved an optimum liquid ratio of 0.40, whereas higher viscosity activators (sodium silicate) showed a higher optimum liquid ratio of 0.50 to attain maximum packing.Based on the insights gained from the analysis of the packing factor and its influencing parameters, AARPC mixtures were designed following the developed particle packing approach. The findings indicate that the wet packing factor has a significant influence on the mechanical and durability performance of AARPC. The maximum packing factor, achieved at the optimum liquid ratio, produced AARPC with the lowest apparent volume of permeable voids (AVPV). Conversely, a reduction in the packing factor—caused by increasing the liquid ratio beyond the optimum liquid ratio—led to an increase in AVPV. This decrease in packing factor was directly associated with reductions in mechanical performance. The highest mechanical performance was obtained at the optimum liquid ratio, highlighting the critical role of optimized packing in enhancing the structural and durability performance of AARPC.The influence of curing conditions: 50% relative humidity (RH), 80% RH, and immersion in lime-saturated water, all conducted at an ambient temperature of 23 ± 2 °C on the performance of AARPC was investigated. The results demonstrated that curing conditions had a pronounced effect on the microstructural and mechanical properties of AARPC. The lowest AVPV was recorded under 80% RH curing, followed by water immersion and then 50% RH curing. Correspondingly, the highest compressive strength was achieved under 80% RH curing, with water immersion and 50% RH yielding progressively lower strengths.This study further examined the effect of the distribution modulus in the Funk and Dinger particle size distribution (PSD) model on particle packing behavior and the performance of AARPC. Only GGBFS was used as the precursor for this investigation. It was observed that particle packing improved with increasing distribution modulus up to an optimum value of 0.45. Beyond this distribution modulus, the packing factor decreased. Notably, at a distribution modulus of 0.45, the lowest AVPV was recorded, corresponding to the highest packing factor. The AARPC mixes with distribution moduli up to 0.45 met the minimum compressive strength criteria for ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), attaining compressive strengths up to 138.4 MPa.The drying shrinkage of AARPC incorporating GGBFS as the sole precursor was investigated, with an emphasis on assessing the effectiveness of copper-coated microwire steel fibers in mitigating shrinkage. The copper-coated microwire steel fibers effectively mitigated the high drying shrinkage typically observed in GGBFS-based AARPC mixtures without fibers.</p
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor-Mediated Metabotropic Signalling in Human Microglia
No full textNicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are well-recognized as ionotropic ligand-gated ion channels in the central and peripheral nervous systems. However, their role in non-neuronal cells such as microglia is less well understood due to challenges in detecting ion channel activity in the plasma membrane of immune cells, which hampers functional characterization. This study investigated nAChR-mediated intracellular signaling pathways in human microglia, exploring possible mechanisms underlying cholinergic modulation of neuroinflammation. We verified transcript expression of nAChR subunits α7, α9, and α10 in human C06 microglia and demonstrated that acetylcholine (ACh) triggers intracellular signaling consistent with nAChR-mediated metabotropic responses, concurrent with pharmacological ablation of muscarinic activity. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, ACh evoked transient elevations in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in functionally enriched microglia. These responses were sensitive to U73122 and 2-APB, indicating the mobilization of internal Ca2+ stores via the phospholipase C (PLC) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) pathways, respectively. In C06 microglia, extracellular Ca2+ is crucial for replenishing Ca2+ stores. Once replenished, repeated ACh exposure enhanced both the incidence and amplitude of microglial [Ca2+]i responses, indicating agonist-induced sensitization. These findings uncover previously unrecognized pathways for nAChR signaling in human microglia, potentially opening new therapeutic avenues for suppressing inflammation. (Figure presented.).</p
Misinformation: what isn't studied
No full textIn recent years, a record number of researchers have been studying misinformation, raising alarms about its dangers. What is striking about the increased concern about misinformation is what isn’t studied.</p
Artistry in Teaching
No full textArtistry in teaching refers to the personalised and creative approach teachers bring to their practice. Each teacher possesses distinctive signatures, contributing to an interconnected and impactful blend of teaching processes, styles, and outcomes, and this is their artistry. This doctoral study illuminates the artistry in teaching, which, although present in all classrooms, is frequently undervalued and hard to recognise within the normalised instrumentalist view of education. In contrast, concepts surrounding artistry align with liberal notions of education that appreciate the holistic self. This idea is naturally embraced in other fields, such as the musical stage or the restaurant kitchen, where practitioners navigate uncertain events, emotions, creative processes, and technical skills, much like teachers. Artistry is a comprehensive term that includes artistic skills, design, and aesthetic experiences. While we may never fully grasp the complete essence of artistry in teaching, this study enhances our understanding and advocates for its significance in education.Conceptualising teaching as an art form contrasts with the long-standing priorities of education systems, which aim to enhance teaching and learning in specific, measurable ways. Significant policy changes in Australia have altered the nature of a teacher’s role by increasing accountability, accreditation processes, professional development initiatives, and teaching standards. These policies have normalised the belief that students’ performance in national standardised tests is the sole measure of success. As a result, the artistic dimensions of teaching are often sidelined and certainly less explored, in tension with a neo-liberal reductionist paradigm to which artistry does not conform. The primary aim of this research study was to explore the artistry in teaching, how it shapes the primary classroom, and what influences that artistry.The theoretical framework underpinning this research draws on the work of American educationalist Elliot Eisner, who articulated the concept of artistry in teaching, emphasising its necessity in practice. Expanding on Eisner’s ideas, the Theory of Practice Architectures provides a structured approach to unpacking the inherent complexities of teaching practices, facilitating cross-case analysis. In addition, a systematic literature review spanning 50 years helped conceptualise artistry in teaching. Themes identified in the literature indicate that artistry is defined in various ways, hindered by measurements, essential for effective teaching, fosters strong social connections, promotes independent thinking in students and teachers, induces rich aesthetic experiences, and is philosophically holistic and disruptive. The published review highlighted a need for more empirical research on artistry and laid the groundwork for a qualitative multiple-site case study methodology.The multiple-site case study thoroughly examined how artistry influences teaching practices in primary classrooms. This involved investigating six Stage 2 primary classrooms from 2023 to 2024 across three Australian states, including public, private, small, and large schools. The participating teachers displayed varying levels of experience and styles. The schools were in diverse regions throughout Australia: one remote, two regional, and three near capital cities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, informal conversations, and lesson observations over two to three days. The data underwent qualitative analysis through an iterative process of ‘Zooming in’ and ‘Zooming out’ in a cross-case analysis using TPA.The findings illustrate how artistry uniquely shapes teaching practices, an intricate blend of skills, qualities, and essential intentions. Interactions and processes among individuals, schools, and systems shape, enable, and constrain such artistry: artistry is needed to balance freedom and control. The significant contribution of this study is the conceptualisation of artistry. Artistry manifests itself in students’ socialisation, a crucial aspect of good teaching, and in the aesthetic experiences provided. Consequently, a nuanced understanding of a teacher’s work emerges, emphasising the significance of emotions and aesthetic arrangements in shaping practice. The study enhances our knowledge of teaching by focusing on the role of artistry within it. It carries implications for how teaching is perceived, valued, and assessed and for policy reform in Australian primary schools.</p
Understanding the influence of behaviour on strategic decision-making in an Australian board context
No full textA board of directors is the highest decision-making authority in an Australian organisation from a corporate governance perspective, and as stipulated under Australian Commonwealth Law. Decisions made at board level affect the potency and direction of the organisation’s growth and survival. Despite the wide-ranging power of boards of directors, there is limited research regarding the behaviours associated with strategic board decision-making. This study aims to shed light on board directors’ perceptions regarding behaviour inside the board room, and to increase understanding of the ways behaviour affects the board’s ability to access, use, and boost the board’s collective expertise in pursuit of quality strategic board decision-making. In drawing these threads together, this study contributes to the knowledge about the human elements of board behaviour, rather than the economic aspects.Qualitative research was undertaken in the form of two studies investigating the behavioural influences on strategic board decision-making. First, in-depth interviews were conducted with members and chairs of Australian boards of directors to examine the views of current non-executive board directors. These interviews were followed by a three-round Delphi study, designed to elicit the opinions of a panel of experts that included international board and governance academics and practitioners, to establish where consensus might exist regarding the findings of Study 1. A constructivist grounded theory methodology was used to analyse the findings and identify key categories that shape and influence theory and practice in strategic decision-making in an Australian board context.This research identified that specific preconditions are necessary to facilitate quality strategic decision-making within Australian boards. Among key findings, participants explained how boards can generate the conditions that facilitate the members’ ability to access, use, and boost the board’s collective expertise in the pursuit of quality strategic decision-making. The results also identified that behavioural influences are important to create board conditions that facilitate the board decision-making process, overcome barriers, mitigate process loss, and improve logic in decision-making. Moreover, the research revealed that certain individual behavioural influences have the greatest effect during specific phases of a board’s decision-making process.This research contributes to practice by creating a framework that allows an evaluation of board readiness to engage in behaviours that contribute to quality strategic decision-making. The research then makes recommendations to encourage boards and board members to re-evaluate, and then commit themselves to, how they work together as a board team, boosting the behaviours and processes that can lead to effective decision-making. Further, the study makes additional contributions by exploring some of the long-held assumptions regarding the board environment in Australia, reporting that current board landscape is transitioning, with individual disruptors demonstrating a willingness to challenge conventional board behaviour and break down barriers in a way that could potentially revolutionise the board landscape.Recommendations for enhancing board effectiveness are presented for consideration by those with ultimate responsibility for strategic board decision-making: the board members themselves, together with policy-makers and industry associations who support boards in navigating increasing complexity. By acting on the recommendations, Australian boards have the potential to increase their understanding of the context within which quality decisions are made, so that they can build an environment and foster behaviours that enable effective strategic decision-making. While the study has taken place in the Australian context, the recommendations provide insights that have the potential to influence board decision-making in other jurisdictions.</p
Prototyping as a Means to Innovate Affordable Housing Policies and Provision: An Empirical Illustration
No full textIn the face of rising housing affordability challenges, a diverse range of stakeholders are increasingly looking to alternative forms of housing provision and policy, and in particular, a turn to more explicitly experimental and design-inflected approaches. The process of prototyping is one of these. In this paper, we look at how prototyping is being used to address housing affordability in two ways. The first draws upon prototyping’s innovation and design thinking lineage to prototype affordable housing policy. The second example is the use of prototyping to refashion assemblages of finance, regulation, consumer behaviour and built form to enable affordable housing provision. Across these examples, prototyping emerges as a practice of anticipating and prefiguring futures in which the challenge of affordable housing is more successfully addressed.</p
<i>One Woman Show:</i> Challenges facing women video journalists around the globe
No full textThis practice-based research comprises an exegesis and a documentary film, One Woman Show. It addresses the challenges faced by women video journalists around the globe and explores their strategies for overcoming them.Current literature in journalism studies tends to focus on the intersectionality of gender and journalism or race and journalism. However, from print media to broadcast news, journalism has many faces, and studies have used broad categorisations when exploring how gender or race generates additional hurdles for professional journalists. This study highlights the need to narrow issues to types of journalism and specific roles within media. Few studies specifically address challenges facing video journalists, and fewer consider the intersectionality of the profession with gender and race.Through the lens of intersectionality and Feminist Standpoint Theory, this research engages with the lived experiences and perspectives of women video journalists (VJs) to examine how different identity markers impact their working lives.This study recognises that discrimination is shaped not only by gender but also by identity markers such as race and might be influenced by other geographical and cultural specific factors. Therefore, in the first stage, I conducted 27 in-depth interviews with women VJs worldwide to conceptualise and understand their working lives. In the second stage, I invited four women VJs based in the Global South to conduct in-depth interviews and filmed observations, which became the documentary film One Woman Show. By not focusing only on the Global North, I challenge current Western bias and the male-dominant view of journalism.This research produces original data that sheds light on the experiences of women video journalists in the field and in their private sphere at home. My findings indicate women VJs endure sexism and racism. Moreover, the documentary film contributes non-verbal information to the discourse and functions as a bridge between academia and industry, bringing critical awareness to the burdens women VJs carry.</p
Design of Cathode Materials for High Energy Density Batteries
No full textIn recent decades, the growing global energy demand across industrial sectors and daily life has highlighted the urgent need for efficient renewable energy utilization to support sustainable development. While lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become the standard for powering portable devices and electric vehicles, their scalability for large-scale energy storage is limited by relatively low energy density and high material costs. This thesis explores sulfur-based cathode materials for sodium metal batteries and selenium-based cathode materials for lithium and sodium metal batteries, aiming to develop high-energy-density battery systems for next-generation energy storage applications.Here, we report a catalytically integrated sulfur host that enables a fast two-step quasi-solid-state redox (QSSR) pathway through targeted electronic modulation. Ultrafine molybdenum carbide (Mo₂C) nanoparticles are embedded within cross-linked carbon spheres to form a multifunctional S@Mo₂C/C cathode, where the carbon framework provides physical confinement and electrical conductivity, while Mo₂C accelerates sodium polysulfides (NaPSs) conversion via d-p orbital hybridization. Spectroscopic analyses reveal that Mo₂C actively modulates the redox pathway, enabling direct and efficient S to Na₂S₄ and ultimately to Na₂S conversion. As a result, the S@Mo₂C/C cathode delivers a high reversible capacity of 854 mAh g⁻¹ at 200 mA g⁻¹ and retains 314 mAh g⁻¹ after 10000 cycles at 20 A g⁻¹. These findings establish a mechanistic framework for orbital-level catalyst design, offering new directions for high-rate and long-lifespan room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries.To further enhance catalytic activity and electrochemical performance, a QSSR pathway were activated via an unsaturated coordination chemistry strategy, where unsaturated MoS₂ anchored on cross-linked carbon microspheres constructs a multifunctional sulfur host (S@U-MoS₂/C) that couples strong polysulfide adsorption with accelerated redox catalysis. Structural and electronic analyses reveal that the unsaturated Mo sites function as Lewis acid centers, enabling rapid and selective sodium polysulfide conversion. In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), along with newly developed Na-ion diffusion descriptors, visualize ultrafast nanoscale sodiation dynamics and quantitatively decipher Na-ion transport kinetics. As a result, the S@U-MoS₂/C cathode delivers an impressive capacity of 933 mAh g⁻¹ after 150 cycles at 200 mA g⁻¹ and retains 425 mAh g⁻¹ after 30000 cycles at 10 A g⁻¹. This work provides a mechanistic blueprint for designing high-rate, long-life Na-S batteries by coupling catalysis with structural confinement.Practical applications require not only efficient reaction kinetics but also high active material loading to enhance energy density. Due to its higher electrical conductivity compared to sulfur, selenium has been investigated as an alternative cathode material for thick electrodes. To support this, an advanced host structure is essential. Here, a new selenium host is introduced in the form of a free-standing N, O co-doped vertically aligned porous carbon framework decorated with a carbon nanotube forest (VCF-CNTs), allowing for high mass loading of up to 16 mg cm-2. The low-tortuosity Se@VCF-CNTs architecture facilitates rapid lithiation/sodiation kinetics, while the CNT forests in vertical microchannels enhance efficient selenium loading and serve as a multi-layer fence to prevent undesired polyselenide shuttling. Consequently, the Se@VCF-CNTs cathode displays a significant areal capacity of 10.3 mAh cm-2 at 0.1 C with a selenium loading of 16 mg cm-2 for lithium-selenium batteries, exceeding that of commercial LIBs (4.0 mAh cm-2). In sodium-selenium batteries, the Se@VCF-CNTs electrode with a selenium loading of 5 mg cm-2 exhibits a discharge capacity of 436 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles, proving its consistent cycling performance, which offers a promising avenue for enhancing energy density in the field.</p