Realising local food policies: a comparison between Toronto and the Brussels-Capital Region’s stories through the lenses of reflexivity and co-learning

ABSTRACT

This paper revisits the development of Toronto and Brussels’ local food policies by analysing reflexivity and co-learning as important dimensions within a Hybrid Governance Approach (HGA); it approaches the interaction between four forms of governance (bottom-up, networked, state, market-led) and the tensions between them as hybrid dynamics. Within this approach, reflexivity refers to the positionality of agents, i.e. to the ways local food actors embody as well as reflect on and reconsider their principles and practices through time. Closely related to reflexivity, co-learning involves agential interactions to co-construct enabling food policy delivery systems. The HGA is mobilised to understand the ways in which reflexive capacities, as well as co-learning, take place in the two cases and how they lay the basis of particular modes of (de)institutionalisation. Learning from the two cases’ trajectories, this paper highlights: (a) the role of key governance tensions as triggers as well as breeding grounds for reflexivity and co-learning outcomes; (b) the challenges of food movement actors to surmount or valorise key tensions in order to build accountable modes of food policy delivery through time; (c) the struggles to build legitimacy and accountability in local food movements through the development of bottom-linked organisations and governance modes.     

HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF RIME ICE DEPOSITS IN THE COLORADO ROCKIES1

ABSTRACT Observations and measurements were made during storm periods at mountain top sites in the Colorado Rockies during the winter of 1981-1982. On average, liquid clouds occurred with and without snowfall for, respectively, 75 percent and 15 percent of the observations. On average, the rime ice deposition rates were measured to be seven times the precipitation rates. The rime deposits were estimated to contribute 10 percent to the water content of the snowpack. Combining this figure with the estimated rime deposits on falling snow crystals (up to 50 percent by mass), up to 60 percent of the water content of the annual snowpack in the mountains near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, could be due to rime ice deposits.     

Evaluating the effects of local floodplain management policies on property owner behavior

Floodplain management programs have been adopted by more than 85% of local governments in the nation with designated flood hazard areas. Yet, there has been little evaluation of the influence of floodplain policies on private sector decisions. This article examines the degree to which riverine floodplain management affects purchase and mitigation decisions made by owners of developed floodplain property in ten selected cities in the United States. We find that the stringency of such policies does not lessen floodplain property buying because of the overriding importance of site amenity factors. Indeed, flood protection measures incorporated into development projects appear to add to the attractiveness of floodplain location by increasing the perceived safety from the hazard. Property owner responses to the flood hazard after occupancy involve political action more often than individual on-site mitigation. Floodplain programs only minimally encourage on-site mitigation by the owner because most owners have not experienced a flood and many are unaware of the flood threat. It is suggested that floodplain programs will be more effective in meeting their objectives if they are directed at intervention points earlier in the land conversion process.     

A review of the military approach to urban environmental deterioration in Nigeria

The concern of this paper is a review of the urban environmental degradation and the current approach by the military (environmental task force) in solving the problem. It is based on the experience of a few states in Nigeria. The paper proposes a comprehensive urban planning approach which should be integrated with an awareness campaign.     

A pattern of contractor selection for oil and gas industries in a safety approach using ANP-DEMATEL in a Grey environment

Contractor selection is one of the major concerns of industry managers such as those in the oil industry. The objective of this study was to determine a contractor selection pattern for oil and gas industries in a safety approach. Assessment of contractors based on specific criteria and ultimately selecting an eligible contractor preserves the organizational resources. Due to the safety risks involved in the oil industry, one of the major criteria of contractor selection considered by managers today is safety. The results indicated that the most important safety criterion of contractor selection was safety records and safety investments. This represented the industry’s risks and the impact of safety training and investment on the performance of other sectors and the overall organization. The output of this model could be useful in the safety risk assessment process in the oil industry and other industries.     

大数据云平台在石化企业突发事件应急管理中的应用

为提高石化企业突发事件应急处置效率,最大限度降低或减少事故的损失,基于石化企业突发事件应急管理,根据大数据云平台及石化企业突发事件的突发性、紧急性和破坏性等特点,探讨了大数据云平台在石化企业突发事件应急管理中的应用。分析显示:大数据云平台的应用有助于提高石化企业突发事件应急管理效率、节省成本和减少损失,旨在为有关需要提供参考。     

基于组合赋权的铁路时间同步网云评估模型及应用

针对模糊综合评价法在铁路时间同步网可靠性评价中的不足,提出了基于组合赋权的铁路时间同步网云评估模型。首先,根据铁路时间同步网的功能结构,构建系统综合能力模型,建立其对应的功能硬件层次结构,从而选取影响铁路时间同步网可靠性的主要评价指标。然后,利用标度扩展AHP法和熵权法分别计算铁路时间同步网各评价指标的主客观权重,并且通过引入欧几里德距离函数计算差异系数,使主、客观权重之间的偏离程度与权重系数一致,从而获得各指标合理的综合权重。最后,计算各指标相对值,并且利用云模型表示,进行云计算得到综合指标云,将该综合指标云与可靠性评价集的云模型进行相似度度量,得到铁路时间同步网综合可靠性评价结果。结果表明,基于组合赋权的铁路时间同步网云评估模型能够实现对铁路时间同步网综合可靠性的评价。     

基于云理论和组合赋权法的牵引变电所风险评估

为解决传统评估方法无法同时反映牵引变电所运行风险的模糊性和随机性的问题,将云理论中的云重心评估法运用于京津城际高速铁路某牵引变电所运行风险评估中。通过建立该牵引变电所运行风险评估指标体系,实现了从管理、人员、设备、环境4个方面的牵引变电所运行风险水平定性概念向定量表示的合理转换,并引入联盟博弈思想对各指标进行组合赋权,进而对该牵引变电所运行风险现状进行综合评估。结果表明,该方法直观可行,评估结果符合客观实际情况。     

Experimental determination of dust cloud combustion parameters of α-AlH3 powder in its charged and fully discharged states for H2 storage applications

This study discusses results of an experimental program for determination of dust cloud combustion parameters of charged and fully discharged states of metastable alane (aluminum hydride, α-AlH₃ polymorph) powder in air. The measured characterization parameters include: maximum deflagration pressure rise (ΔP_MAX), maximum rate of pressure rise (dP/dt)_MAX, minimum ignition temperature (T_C), minimum explosible concentration (MEC), and minimum ignition energy (MIE). These measured values are used for calculating the associated explosion severity (ES) index, and volume-normalized maximum rate of pressure rise (K_St). The experimental results show values of MEC and T_C of fully discharged alane to be greater than those of the charged alane but measured MIE values are about the same. Moreover, the results show higher reactivity of fully discharged alane dust cloud in air compared to its charged state. For example, ES and K_St of discharged alane dust cloud in air are about 300% and 35% greater, respectively, than ES and K_St of charged alane dust. The higher air reactivity of fully-discharged (primarily Al powder) dust cloud compared to its charged state can be attributed to the higher surface energy (J/m²) of Al compared to that of α-AlH₃. These experimental insights have safety implications in postulated risk scenarios involving light-duty vehicles powered by PEM fuel cells. The core insights and critical data provided by this contribution are useful for supporting development and promulgation of hydrogen safety standards and augmenting property databases of hydrogen storage materials.     

Exploration of the key functional proteins from an efficient cellulolytic microbial consortium using dilution-to-extinction approach

In the present study, the cellulose binding proteins(CBPs) secreted by a putative cellulolytic microbial consortium were isolated and purified by affinity digestion. The purified CBPs were subsequently separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE). Using mass spectrometric analyses, eight CBPs were identified and annotated to be similar to known proteins secreted by Clostridium clariflavum DSM 19732 and Paenibacillus sp. W-61. In addition, in combination with dilution-to-extinction approach and zymogram analysis technique, CBPs 6(97 k Da) and 12(52 k Da) were confirmed to be the key functional proteins that influence cellulolytic activities. Moreover, structural domain analyses and enzymatic activity detection indicated that CBPs 6 and 12 contained glycoside hydrolase families(GH) 9 and 48 catalytic modules, which both revealed endoglucandase and xylanase activities. It was suggested that the coexistence of GH9 and GH48 catalytic domains present in these two proteins could synergistically promote the efficient degradation of cellulose.