110 research outputs found
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY IMPLEMENTATION IN URBAN NIGERIA
No full textA global new deal (describing a comprehensive programme designed to respond to multiple crises in financial, economic, environmental and social sectors) recently adopted by advanced countries comprises sustainable (renewable and efficient) energy and environmentally-friendly technologies. Despite the abundance of natural renewable energy resources in Nigeria, sustainable energy remains ignored and underplayed. Aetiological method and concept of postneoliberalism were used to analyse historical data on sustainable energy production and use in Nigeria. The findings include prolonged use of neoliberalistic political framework: military dictatorship, ineptitude in terms of adoption of sustainable energy due to the culture comprising historical scramble to steal and misappropriate funds earned from export, production and use, of fossil fuels (petroleum oil and natural gas). After criminally enriching themselves by stealing public funds, Nigeria’s elite (characterized by opulent living) over-use and rely on conventional energy technologies (CETs)-especially gigantic and powerful fossil fuel-run power generating sets It is concluded that the failure of Nigeria’s elite to facilitate massive and rapid implementation of sustainable energy technologies to address multiple crises hampering the achievement of sustainable development in the country beckons for the creation of new postneoliberalistic policies are required to promote massive and rapid implementation of sustainable energy technologies at decentralized sub-national urban regions based on the proven model of distributed generation and supply of SETs.postneoliberalism, sustainable energy technologies, Nigeria, conventional energy technologies
Simulation des données SWOT haute résolution et applications à l'étude de l'estuaire de l'Amazone
No full textLa thèse se déroule dans le cadre de la préparation de la mission spatiale SWOT (Surface Water Ocean Topography). Cette mission est née d'une collaboration entre la NASA/JPL (National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Jet Propulsory Laboratory), le CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales), et l'ASC-CSA (Agence Spatiale Canadienne), son lancement est envisagé pour 2019. Il s'agit d'un interféromètre en bande Ka à visée proche nadir (0.6°- 4.1°). Elle aura pour but d'aider à mieux comprendre l'évolution des eaux de surface (variations de volume des lacs, des rivières, évaluation des zones inondables...) et la dynamique des océans à méso-échelle (tourbillons) grâce au passage d'une résolution de 10km à 1km.
Afin de déterminer l'apport de la mission SWOT à l'étude de l'estuaire amazonien plusieurs outils de simulation ont été développés. Un premier outil modélisant les coefficients de rétrodiffusion radar pour trois types de surface (eau, sols nus et végétation) issue d'une étude CNES et la société Capgemini a permis de définir les conditions limites pour lesquelles l'eau ne serait plus discernable des autres milieux. Ce modèle a permis de mettre en évidence la sensibilité de la bande Ka aux paramètres de rugosité.
Le phénomène de layover, mélange d'informations de plusieurs contributeurs dans un même pixel à cause du relief, sera plus présent dans les futures données SWOT que dans les radars imageurs existants. Or les fleuves ou les lacs sont généralement bordés d'arbres. Pour estimer les erreurs sur l'estimation des élévations des surfaces d'eau, j'ai développé un simulateur interférométrique incluant des modèles de rétrodiffusion radar simplifiés pour la végétation et l'eau. Cet outil m'a permis d'évaluer la sensibilité de la bande Ka à la densité de la végétation. Ainsi que de mettre en évidence la capacité de SWOT à détecter les zones d'inondations sous la canopée. Lorsque la forêt est inondée, l'estimation de hauteur des arbres est très faible par rapport aux résultats obtenus sans inondation : par exemple pour une fraction de trou de 10% (végétation dense), les élévations obtenues sont de l'ordre de 1m57 pour des arbres de 5m, au lieu de 4m50.
Pour évaluer l'apport de SWOT à l'étude de l'estuaire de l'Amazone. Je me suis basé sur le simulateur mis en place par S. Biancamaria pendant sa thèse (soutenue en 2009). Les erreurs de l'instrument étaient assimilées à un bruit blanc, d'écart-type fixé à 20cm. Afin d'avoir des erreurs plus réalistes, je l'ai complété en insérant les erreurs inspirées des bilans de performance. Ce simulateur présente l'avantage de reproduire directement les élévations d'eau. Il a été utilisé dans plusieurs études, dont une assimilation au niveau du fleuve de l'Ohio par K. Andreadis. Dans le cas de mon site d'étude, il m'a permis d'évaluer la capacité de SWOT à mesurer la pente du fleuve et observer la propagation de la marée à l'intérieur du fleuve.The thesis is included in the preparation of SWOT mission (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) preparation process. It has been created from collaborations between NASA / JPL (National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Jet Propulsory Laboratory), CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) and ASC-CSA (Spatial Canada Agency) and its launching is due in 2019. SWOT is a near-nadir radar interferometer in Ka band (incidences form 0.6° to 4.1°). Its purpose is to help our understanding of surface water variations (lakes volume variation, rivers discharge, detect flooded areas ...) and ocean mesoscale dynamics (whirlpool) thanks to a 10km resolution made into a 1km.
In order to determine SWOT improvements in studies of Amazon estuary, several tools were developed. The first one modelize the radar cross-section of three different kind surfaces (water, bare soil and vegetation) and was made for a CNES study by Capgemini. It allows defining the limit condition for water not been discerned between other surfaces. This model emphasizes Ka band sensibility to roughness parameter. This model is not able to represent the layover phenomenon, which is a mix of information within a single pixel due to relief. Due to its near-nadir configuration, it will be more present than in actual radars. As lakes and rivers are more often sided with trees, it is needed to evaluate the error margin on surface water measurement. I developed interferometric model which includes simplified radar backscattering models for vegetation and water. Thanks to this tool I have been able to determine the Ka band sensibility to vegetation. It has even highlighted SWOT capacities to detect flooded areas underneath vegetation. In fact, during a flood, the tree heights observations are weaker than measurements in normal conditions, as an example for a 10% gap fraction (dense vegetation), we observe an 1m57 height for a 5 meters tree, instead of 4m50.
To evaluate SWOT contribution in the Amazon study, I have been using a simulator developed by S. Biancamaria during his thesis (held in 2009). The instrumental errors were simulated with a white noise, with a standard deviation of 20 cm. I improved it in order to have more realistic errors, by inserting errors from performance estimations. This simulator offers the advantage of reproducing water heights directly. It has been used in several studies of which an Ohio River assimilation by K. Andreadis. For my area of study, it allowed me to determine SWOT capacity to accurately measure the river slope and to observe the tide spread within the river
Using Aspect Graphs to Control the Recovery and Tracking of Deformable Models
No full textActive or deformable models have emerged as a popular modeling paradigm in computer vision. These models have the flexibility to adapt themselves to the image data, o
ering the potential for both generic object recognition and non-rigid object tracking. Because these active models are underconstrained, however, deformable shape recovery often requires manual segmentation or good model initialization, while active contour trackers have been able to track only an object's translation in the image. In this paper, we report our current progress in using a part-based aspect graph representation of an object [14] to provide the missing constraints on data-driven deformable model recovery and tracking processes.Technical report DCS-TR-33
Rural Development Policies in Nigeria: A Critical Appraisal
No full textAbstract The development of rural areas and particularly in developing societies has remained a challenge to policy makers, and developments experts. Policies, programmes and theories aimed at improving the broad socio-economic well being of the rural poor have been initiated and pursued since 1960. Characteristically, these policies and programmes have had varying degree of successes and problems. The paper adopts the desk research and takes a critical appraisal of policy documents, theoretical models and programmes of government at all levels (federal, state and local governments) and their implication for rural development. The findings of the study show that though a number of policies, programmes have been initiated and executed, and theories propounded, they have tended to serve the interest of the political elite and their cronies to the chagrin of those whom the policies and programmes were planned for. To a large extent, these policies and programmes have made the policy makers richer and in most cases the programmes abandoned and or not sustainable. Based on the findings we recommended an alternative approach to rural development that is, the participatory approach that is infused with elements of conscientisation. Keywords: Rural development policies; conscientisation and participatory approach. ISSN: 2201-6333 (Print) ISSN: 2201-6740 (Online) www.ijern.com 308 Introduction The development of rural areas until very recently was not given much attention and prominence in Nigeria. Much of her policies were concerned with changing the urban landscape and the fortunes of urban dwellers. The realization on the part of policy makers and development experts that national development cannot be true development until the vast rural areas of the country are developed and brought into the mainstream of development, then and only then can we talk of true developmen
The Politics Of Fuel Subsidy, Populist Resistance And Its Socio-Economic Implications For Nigeria
No full textThe study examines the politics of fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria The descriptive nature of the study has necessitated the extensive use of desk research The paper argues strongly that the policy derives its instrumentality from the theory of development racism which only benefits the rulers of the country and multinational companies and not the citizen This explains the massive protests by the Nigerian Labour Congress Civil Liberty Organisations and the masses of Nigerian that usually accompanied fuel subsidy removal We have recommended that for the smooth operation of the petroleum sub-sector government must always engage the people in policies that will affect them We also recommended for the building of more refineries in order to make the product more available to the people and at an affordable pump price This could be done through private public partnershi
Seeking career clarity
No full textWe asked young scientists to serve as peer mentors for “Seeking Career Clarity,” the author of the question below. By asking refl ective questions, sharing relevant personal experiences, and of ering advice, these scientists provide support and perspective. Follow NextGen Voices on Twitter with hashtag #NextGenSci
Influence of cold-formed angle on high strength steel material properties
No full textThis paper describes a study of the S650 high strength steel material properties including the effect of cold-formed angle. Coupon specimens with different cold-formed angles (90°, 100°, 120°, 140°, 160°and 180°) and different thicknesses (4 mm and 6 mm) were examined. Relationships between cold-formed angle and yield stress as well as tensile stress of the material were determined, based on the tensile coupon test results. Yield and tensile stresses assessed by consid ering the influence of the cold-formed angles were compared with those without considering this influence. Analyses revealed that both yield and tensile stresses decreased with increasing cold-formed angle. Ductile-damage material models available in the finite element analysis software ABAQUS were used to simulate tensile coupon tests. The experimental and numerical results showed good agreements.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Steel & Composite Structure
ЦАХИМ ОРЧИНД ХУУРАМЧ МЭДЭЭЛЛИЙН ТАРХАЛТЫГ ХЯЗГААРЛАХ БОЛОМЖ
No full textIn this article, the author discussed the possibility of limiting the spread of false information in the digital environment. The digital environment becoming a part of humanity’s everyday use has created many advantages. At the same time, negative phenomena are also emerging, one of which is false information. Many countries around the world are focusing their attention on limiting the spread of false information. The author concluded that it is important to study the methods used by countries with diff ering political systems, economic situations, technological developments, and press freedom to limit the spread of false information, and to seek a suitable alternative for the specifi c circumstances of Mongolia
Conservation is sexy! What makes this so, and what does this make? An engagement with celebrity and the environment
No full textThis essay offers an engagement with Daniel Brockington’s (2009) recent book Celebrity and the environment. I highlight the book’s contribution to debate regarding processes of human displacement arising through biodiversity
conservation under conditions of neoliberal capitalism. I fi rst situate the book in relation to contemporary
perspectives on displacement, justice, and human rights, using examples to illustrate complex and dynamic patterns
of conservation inclusions and exclusions globally. This is followed by a summary of Brockington’s typology of
conservation celebrities, and of the ways in which celebrities assist with the amassing of conservation finance. I proceed to consider the roles of a celebrity-saturated mass media (and mediated) ‘spectacle of conservation’ in structuring social and consumptive engagements with the ‘non-human’ world globally. I draw attention to how diverse peoples in conservation landscapes might become part of the spectacle of conservation by reconfiguring themselves as cultural objects of touristic consumerism in a script not necessarily of their choosing. By way of acknowledging the significance of social networks and alliances in infl uencing conservation perspectives and
practice, I close with a disclaimer regarding my own long-term collaborations with the author of Celebrity and
the environment
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