Suchergebnisse

In order to meet climate goals, it will be necessary to significantly reduce the greenhouse gases emitted by homes. A key factor in the US is to reduce the on-site combustion of fossil fuels for heating end-uses and to replace this with use of electric heat pump technologies connected to a low-carbon grid. The replacement of natural gas furnaces with electric heat pumps is a key home decarbonization strategy. However, the potential for space heating electrification to reduce greenhouse gas emissions depends on the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) content of the electricity used by the heat pump. This varies considerably depending on the source of electricity, with large state to state variability. Furthermore, household energy costs are likely to be impacted by the electrification of space heating, because retail energy prices for both natural gas and electricity in each state vary by factors of seven and four, respectively. Contractors, energy programs, government and building code officials, as well as consumers need clear indications of the likely CO2e and energy cost impacts of proposed electrification projects, because these will affect decarbonization choices and rationales around scaled heating electrification. Government and utility programs also need to be aware of the likely outcomes of any supported/incentivized measures. In this paper, we investigate these effects by looking at new metrics to analyze the change in CO2e emitted and the cost to meet home heating loads when switching from a natural gas furnace to a heat pump for the contiguous 48 states of the mainland US.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), customary female genital modification practices common in parts of Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the Middle East are inherently patriarchal: they reflect deep-rooted inequality between the sexes characterized by male dominance and constitute an extreme form of discrimination against women. However, scholars have noted that while many societies have genital modification rites only for boys, with no equivalent rite for girls, the inverse does not hold. Rather, almost all societies that practice ritual female genital modification also practice ritual male genital modification, often for comparable reasons on children of similar ages, with the female rites led by women and the male rites led by men. In contrast, then, to the situation for boys in various cultures, girls are not singled out for genital modification on account of their sex or gender; nor do the social meanings of the female rites necessarily reflect a lower status. In some cases, the women's rite serves to promote female within-sex bonding and network building—as the men's rite typically does for males—thereby counterbalancing gendered asymmetries in political power and weakening male dominance in certain spheres. In such cases, and to that extent, the female rites can be described as counter-patriarchal. Selective efforts to discourage female genital modifications may thus inadvertently undermine women-centered communal networks while leaving male bonding rites intact. Scholars and activists should not rely on misleading generalizations from the WHO about the relationship between genital cutting and the social positioning of women as compared to men. To illustrate the complexity of this relationship, we compare patterns of practice across contemporary societies while also highlighting anthropological data regarding pre-industrial societies. Regarding the latter, we find no association between the presence of a female initiation rite and a key aspect of patriarchy as it is classically ...

The extent of organochlorine pesticide contamination in 3 species of predatory birds from the central regions of South Australia was investigated. Residues in both eggs and tissue, as well as measurements of shell thickness, were obtained for Falco peregrinus (peregrine falcon), Pandion haliaetus (osprey) and Haliaeetus leucogaster (white-bellied sea eagle). Organochlorine residues in some prey species were also measured. Residues of DDE and DDT in the predatory birds were found to be low to moderate. Concn of total DDT were greatest in F. peregrinus (mean 1.82 mg/kg), followed by the H. leucogaster and P.haliaetus (mean 1.07 and 0.11 mg/kg, resp.). A comparison of F. peregrinus eggs collected before and after 1947 showed significant eggshell thinning (mean 16%). DDT residue levels of concern were recorded for several prey species commonly found in the diet of H. leucogaster and F. peregrinus, particularly in Columbia livia (feral pigeons) (37.46 mg/kg) and Larus novaehollandiae (silver gulls) (3.06 mg/kg). These concn were well above those known to cause reproductive failure in falcons. DDT was also found at high concn in eggs of Pelecanus conspicillatus (pelican) (mean 2.04 mg/kg). Dieldrin was present in most samples, but at low concn. The degree of pesticide contamination detected was considered sufficient to interfere with the reproduction of F. peregrinus in South Australia.

The diet of nestling rainbow bee-eaters, Merops ornatus, was determined by analysis of droppings and
regurgitated pellets collected at one site on Rottnest I., W.A. in the summer of 1982/83, and five sites
in the summer of 1983/84. In total, 2187 insects from 10 families were identified. These comprised:
Hymenoptera (95%), including Scoliidae (14%), Tiphiidae (38%), Sphecidae (l8.5%), Apoidea (1%),
Formicoidea (7.5%) and undetermined Hymenoptera (16%); Coleoptera, Buprestidae (1.5%); Diptera,
Muscidae (<1%); Hemiptera (3%); Odonata (<1%); and Orthoptera (<1%). The relative proportions
of the different prey types varied significantly between sites and between different sampling times at
the same site. There were also site-related differences in the mean length of nestling prey and at three
sites nestlings were fed different sizes of prep during their development. Estimates of prey length based
on wing remains were significantly smaller than those based on head remains at four of the six sites,
and shapes of prey length distributions based on wings and heads were significantly different at all
six sites.

The effect of rabbit control methods on rabbit populations and subsequent changes in vegetation were
assessed over 2 years on a calcareous shrubby grassland in central Australia. Warren ripping and
fumigating decreased mean population levels to four rabbits per kilometre of spotlight transect, and
1080 poisoning decreased mean levels to 9 km-1, compared to the untreated levels of 20 km-l. Release
of European rabbit fleas did not have any significant effect on rabbit populations. In the untreated rabbit
populations, 68% of the fluctuation in numbers was accounted for by total rainfalls in the previous
summer and the previous winter, and by a forage greenness rating. Experimental control of rabbits
combined with exclosures indicated that grazing by high numbers of rabbits reduced the frequency of
Enneapogon spp. at one site whereas levels rose in all other sites during the two years of good rainfall.
The frequency of several species, such as Chenopodium cristatum, Phyllanthus rhytidospermus and
Portulaca oleracea, was highly correlated with rabbit density in the previous year, suggesting that rabbit
grazing promotes their increase. Grazing'by rabbits alone depressed standing biomass in the following
season by 300 kg ha-1 from a maximum 1200 kg ha-1 within the exclosures. Cattle grazing further
decreased biomass by 150 kg ha-1. Seedlings of Acacia kempeana were almost absent in those areas
open to rabbit grazing, but they were reasonably dense where rabbits were excluded. However, the
vegetation response over the 2 years of experiment was due mainly to seasonal changes rather than
rabbit control, and does not justify the expense of rabbit control at this stage. Substantial improvement
in vegetation composition over the longer term may alter this conclusion.

[…] published here for […]

North Kolaka is one of the largest cocoa producing districts in Southeast Sulawesi, however in the last 10 years, there has been a decline in the area and production of cocoa plants in North Kolaka. Cocoa is the main source of income for the people of North Kolaka, a source of regional income (PAD), and a provider of employment for the community. Currently, the government is temporarily revitalizing the people's cacao plants in an effort to restore the prestige of North Kolaka as a leading production center in Indonesia. Pruning is one aspect of cultivation that is important for good cocoa production. Pruning cocoa consists of pruning shapes, pruning maintenance and pruning production. So far, the community has not done shape pruning, especially for clonal cocoa from plant propagation using shoot grafting techniques. This is reflected in the condition of the plant growth system, especially in clonal plants. Community service activities are carried out by way of outreach and counseling about pruning and maintenance of cocoa farmer groups. The activity received a positive response from partner farmers who were very enthusiastic about participating in extension activities and hoped that the same activities would continue to be carried out not only in pruning, but all aspects of the election, especially in supporting the revitalization activities that were being carried out by the Government and the Community of North Kolaka. Keywords: Cocoa, shape pruning, maintenance pruning, clonal tree. ABSTRAK Kolaka Utara merupakan salah satu kabupaten penghasil kakao terbesar di Sulawesi Tenggara, akan tetapi dalam 10 tahun terakhir, terjadi penurunan areal dan produksi tanaman kakao di Kolaka Utara. Kakao merupakan sumber pendapatan utama masyarakat Kolaka Utara, sumber pendapatan asli daerah (PAD), dan penyedia lapangan kerja bagi masyarakat. Saat ini pemerintah sementara melakukan revitalisasi tanaman kakao rakyat dalam upaya pemerintah daerah mengembalikan pamor Kolaka Utara sebagai sentra produksi terkemuka di Indonesia. Salah satu aspek budidaya yang penting untuk mendapatkan produksi kakao yang baik adalah pemangkasan. Pemangkasan kakao terdiri dari pemangkasan bentuk, pemangkasan pemeliharaan dan pemangkasan produksi. Selama ini masyarakat belum melakukan pemangkasan bentuk khususnya pada tanaman kakao klonal dari perbanyakan tanaman dengan teknik sambung pucuk. Hal ini tercermin dari kondisi sistem pertajukan tanaman khusunya pada tanaman klonal. Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat dilakukan dengan jalan sosialisasi dan penyuluhan tentang pemangkasan bentuk dan pemeliharaan pada kelompok tani kakao. Kegiatan mendapat respon positif dari petani mitra yang sangat antusias mengikuti kegiatan penyuluhan dan mengharapkan kegiatan yang sama terus dilakukan tidak terbatas hanya pada pemangkasan, tetapi seluruh aspek pemiliharaan terutama dalam mendukung kegiatan revitalisasi yang sementara dilakukan oleh Pemerintah dan Masyarakat Kolaka Utara. Kata kunci: Kakao, pemangkasan bentuk, pemangkasan pemeliharaan, kakao klonal.

Local and regional governments in the U.S. rely increasingly on voter-approved local option sales taxes (LOSTs) to fund transportation capital investments, maintenance, and operations. LOSTs typically present voters with lists of local transportation projects and programs to be funded by a ¼ to 1 percent sales tax increase. Most research on LOSTs are case studies, which make generalizations about LOSTs difficult. We conducted a comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional analysis of LOST measures in California, the U.S. state with the greatest number of LOST measures. We examined 76 LOST measures put to voters between 1976 and 2016 to assess factors associated with voter support. LOSTs in California are enacted by counties, which we examined in addition to smaller intra-county geographies using both regression models and case studies. We tested several explanatory variables for association with voter support including macroeconomic and political context, planned measure expenditures, voter characteristics, and spatial distribution of proposed projects. We found that funding dedicated to public transit and returned to local jurisdictions predicts support at the county level, and that LOSTs that create new taxes—as opposed to extending or renewing existing taxes—are less popular with voters, all else equal. Our analyses of sub-county geographies revealed that political party affiliation is the strongest predictor of local voter support for LOSTs and that voters living adjacent to funded projects tended to be more supportive of LOSTs.