Evaluation of a responsible beverage service and enforcement program: Effects on bar patron intoxication and potential impaired driving by young adults

Objective: Studies of alcohol-related harm (violence, injury, illness) suggest that the most significant risk factors are the amount of alcohol consumed and whether obviously intoxicated patrons continue to be served. This study's objective was to investigate the effects of a responsible beverage service (RBS)/enhanced alcohol enforcement intervention on bars, bar patrons, and impaired driving.

Method: Two communities—Monroe County, New York, and Cleveland, Ohio—participated in a demonstration program and evaluation. The intervention applied RBS training, targeted enforcement, and corrective actions by law enforcement to a random sample of 10 identified problem bars in each community compared to 10 matched nonintervention problem bars. Data were collected over 3 waves on bar serving practices, bar patron intoxication, drinking and driving, and other alcohol-related harm from intervention and control bars and treatment and comparison communities.

Results: In Monroe County, New York, of the 14 outcome measures analyzed, 7 measures showed statistically significant differences from pre- to postintervention. Six of those measures indicated changes in the desired or positive direction and 2 measures were in the undesired or negative direction. Of note in the positive direction, the percentage of intervention bar patrons who were intoxicated decreased from 44 to 27% and the average blood alcohol concentration of patrons decreased from 0.097 to 0.059 g/dL pre- to postintervention. In Cleveland, Ohio, 6 of the 14 measures showed statistically significant changes pre- to postintervention with 6 in the positive direction and 4 in the negative direction. Of note, the percentage of pseudo-intoxicated patrons denied service in intervention bars increased from 6 to 29%.

Conclusions: Of the 14 outcome measures that were analyzed in each community, most indicated positive changes associated with the intervention, but others showed negative associations. About half of the measures showed no significance, the sample sizes were too small, or the data were unavailable. Therefore, at best, the results of these demonstration programs were mixed. There were, however, some positive indications from the intervention. It appears that when bar managers and owners are aware of the program and its enforcement and when servers are properly trained in RBS, fewer patrons may become intoxicated and greater efforts may be made to deny service to obviously intoxicated patrons. Given that about half of arrested impaired drivers had their last drink at a licensed establishment, widespread implementation of this strategy has the potential to help reduce impaired driving.     

Company engagement with supply chains to protect biodiversity and rare,threatened, and endangered species

Future global megatrends project a population increase of 2 billion people between 2019 and 2050 and at least 1–2 billion people added to the global middle class between 2016 and 2030. In addition, 68% of the world's population is projected to be living in urban areas by 2050. With these projected large population increases and shifts, demand for food, water, and energy is projected to grow by approximately 35, 40, and 50%, respectively, between 2010 and 2030. In addition, between 1970 and 2014 there was an estimated 60% reduction in the number of wildlife in the world and an estimated net loss of 2.9 billion birds, or 29%, in North America between 1970 and 2018. Loss of species populations and number of species is interconnected with reduced health of biodiversity and ecosystems. Human activity has been the main catalyst for these substantial declines primarily through impacts on habitats. These losses are accelerating. Since a company's supply chain environmental impacts are often as great or greater than its own direct environmental impacts, it may be prudent for companies to engage with their supply chains to protect and enhance habitats and biodiversity and protect rare, threatened, and endangered species. As one example, companies may have opportunities and strategic reasons to include requirements in their supplier codes of conduct and supplier standards for suppliers to protect biodiversity and rare, threatened, and endangered species, as well as additional requirements to expand or enhance habitats and ecosystems to increase biodiversity. This article follows one pathway that companies could pursue further and with greater speed—to engage with their supply chains to strengthen supplier codes of conduct to protect biodiversity and rare, threatened, and endangered species. The importance of forests, private land, and landscape partnerships is discussed as means to protect much more of the planet's biodiversity and rare, threatened, and endangered species. Lastly, the article identifies examples of opportunities for companies to more formally incorporate biodiversity into their business, supply chain, and sustainability strategies.     

基于颗粒流数值方法的岩石压剪破坏细观特征研究

压剪破坏是影响岩体工程安全的主要因素,基于颗粒流程序的伺服控制原理,采用等效晶质模型模拟了粉砂质板岩的压剪破坏过程,通过与室内试验对比验证了其适用性,并从细观角度揭示了岩石在压剪过程中的破坏机理。结果表明:裂纹增长速率与试件压剪过程中经历的弹性、塑性和破坏3个阶段具有相关性;张拉、剪切裂纹呈同步增长趋势,但峰后张拉裂纹增长速率快于剪切裂纹,即试件峰后以张拉破坏为主;随剪切角增大,由沿晶和穿晶断裂向以沿晶断裂为主转变,裂纹数量减小且扩展方向向断裂面集中;穿晶断裂的扩展更容易导致局部失稳,即在宏观上表现为塑性阶段;穿晶裂纹主要沿断裂面扩展、贯通,一定程度上可以抑制断裂面附近较大破裂块体的产生。     

Scaling down the “Netherlands Fallacy”: a local-level quantitative study of the effect of affluence on the carbon footprint across the United States

Much quantitative research examining the determinants of the ecological footprint has been conducted cross-nationally, where data on cross-boundary flows have been readily available. While local-level studies of the footprint do exist for specific localities, most quantitative research at this scale has examined direct environmental impacts attributed to the internal activities of the locality, for instance, carbon emissions. Our analysis builds on this previous work by exploiting a local-level carbon footprint dataset with coverage for 28,321 zip codes across the United States. Following prior research, we focus on the effect of local affluence, measured in terms of median household income. In spatial regression models, we regress the per capita carbon footprint on local affluence, controlling for a variety of other factors. Consistent with previous work, we find that affluence is positively correlated the carbon footprint and there is no evidence of an environmental Kuznets curve. In the conclusion, we review the results of the study and discuss their implications for policy, specifically in terms of cross-boundary environmental problems.     

Historical perspectives on contemporary human–environment dynamics in southeast Africa

The human communities and ecosystems of island and coastal southeast Africa face significant and linked ecological threats. Socioecological conditions of concern to communities, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and researchers include declining agricultural productivity, deforestation, introductions of non-native flora and fauna, coastal erosion and sedimentation, damage to marine environments, illegal fishing, overfishing, waste pollution, salinization of freshwater supplies, and rising energy demands, among others. Human–environment challenges are connected to longer, often ignored, histories of social and ecological dynamics in the region. We argue that these challenges are more effectively understood and addressed within a longer-term historical ecology framework. We reviewed cases from Madagascar, coastal Kenya, and the Zanzibar Archipelago of fisheries, deforestation, and management of human waste to encourage increased engagement among historical ecologists, conservation scientists, and policy makers. These case studies demonstrate that by widening the types and time depths of data sets we used to investigate and address current socioecological challenges, our interpretations of their causes and strategies for their mitigation varied significantly.     

江心洲型船闸通航安全问题及改善措施研究

船闸布置在江心洲上后,由于相邻建筑物的动水作用及两汊水流在洲尾的交汇,将会影响船闸的通航安全.为研究江心洲型船闸下游的船舶航行问题,探讨有效的改善措施,结合澧水艳洲枢纽、沅水桃源枢纽布置的共同特点,在物理模型基础上利用船舶模型试验分析船闸下游影响航行安全的因素,研究采取针对性措施后航行条件的改善效果.结果表明:布置隔流堤、导流墩等辅助建筑物只能解决下游靠近引航道出口部分航段的通航问题;综合采用拓宽航槽、优化航线、合理调度、优化船闸布置等措施,可有效减小船体漂移,优化航行环境,保障船舶通航安全.     

火灾引发超高层建筑非连续倒塌模拟研究

为了解超高层建筑发生火灾后变形特征及失稳后的非连续坍塌过程,掌握引起变形和坍塌的原因,将三维颗粒流软件(PFC3D)作为模拟平台,设置核心筒-框架结构的超高层建筑火灾区域,并模拟坍塌过程。在考虑钢筋和混凝土共同作用结果的基础上,提出火灾区域中构件属性设置方法及模拟步骤。分析得到造成建筑结构摆动的3种原因,一是火区位置不同导致上部结构对火区的压力不同,二是火区位置不同导致结构受到的约束不同,三是受热膨胀性使构件产生不同程度变形。结果表明:燃烧温度为500℃,3 h后建筑发生摆动,表现出对火区位置和燃烧时间敏感的特征。1 000℃下1 h内,建筑物首先发生破坏的是梁构件,然后是承重柱。即建筑一旦进入结构破坏阶段,坍塌将是迅速且不可逆的。     

Practical Moral Codes In the Transgenic Organism Debate

In one study funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, people from North Dakota were interviewed to discover which moral principles they use in evaluating the morality of transgenic organisms and their introduction into markets. It was found that although the moral codes the human subjects employed were very similar, their views on transgenics were vastly different. In this paper, the codes that were used by the respondents are developed, compared to that of the academically composed Belmont Report, and then modified to create the more practical Common Moral Code. At the end, it is shown that the Common Moral Code has inherent inconsistency flaws that might be resolvable, but would require extensive work on the definition of terms and principles. However, the effort is worthwhile, especially if it results in a common moral code that all those involved in the debate are willing to use in negotiating a resolution to their differences.     

对“撞了白撞”问题的思考

在《中华人民共和国道路交通安全法》公布前后有关“撞了白撞”被否决的宣传对交通安全不利。“撞了白撞”的演绎存在片面性 ,“撞了白撞”被否决的宣传不符合自然科学规律 ,存在理论上的误区。人们应该清楚的认识到 :获得交通事故损害赔偿并非获得了交通安全保障 ;行人、非机动车等交通“弱者”在一定条件下可转化为交通“强者”。对法律、法规的宣传 ,既要讲究法律原则和社会道德准则 ,也要讲究科学性。     

CHANGING THE APPROPRIATION DOCTRINE UNDER THE MODEL STATE WATER CODE1

ABSTRACT: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Model State Water Code provides suggested statutory language and commentary helpful in guiding western water law reform. Departing from the past preference for stream diversions and consumptive uses, the code is sensitive to the public's interest in maintaining environmental quality. The traditional doctrine protected inefficient uses and in some states hampered transfers. The model code addresses these issues as well as advocating integrated manage. meat and water resource planning. The debate on how to reform water law has already started, and the model code provides material useful in the reform process. Even with the current draft code, a few gaps exist for later resolution.