Osamuyimen Enabulele, Mahdi Zahraa and Franklin N. Ngwu
This chapter examines the UK and the Nigerian approach to reducing emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the environment as a result of gas flaring utilising the market-based…
Abstract
Purpose
This chapter examines the UK and the Nigerian approach to reducing emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the environment as a result of gas flaring utilising the market-based regulation. Determining how different jurisdictions fare in the quest to reduce GHG emissions associated with the oil and gas industry is essential because: policy makers have realised the advantages of market-based regulation over the command-and-control regulation; and in the light of various pledges different countries have made in different forum to reduce the emission of GHGs, particularly in the wake of the recently held Paris climate change conference.
Design/methodology/approach
Library-based approach is used, providing conceptual and theoretical understanding of climate change, GHG emissions and various market-based regulatory tools utilised in the United Kingdom and Nigeria in regulating emission associated with operations in the oil and gas industry.
Findings
The study reveals the significance of environmental regulations that encourage region integration and flexibility in the implementation of environmental policies. Moreover, it finds that the Paris Agreement re-affirms the utilisation of market-based regulations and indicates a future for investment in the oil and gas industry.
Practical implications
The study revealed that there are lacunas in regulations and strategies for the implementation of environmental regulations which need to be addressed in order to achieve zero or a significant decrease in gas flaring.
Originality/value
This study provided an ample opportunity to theoretically examine market-based regulatory tools utilised in the oil and gas industry in a developed country in relation to a developing country.
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Students living in university residence halls often have refrigerators for food storage, and are often living alone and handling food for the first time in their lives. Therefore…
Abstract
Purpose
Students living in university residence halls often have refrigerators for food storage, and are often living alone and handling food for the first time in their lives. Therefore, an investigation of their safe food storage practices is important to help prevent food-borne illness in this population. This research seeks to evaluate the food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices related to food storage and refrigeration among undergraduate students at a university campus.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional study was conducted by administering a questionnaire to undergraduate students (n = 93) living in two residence halls on a university campus.
Findings
Many respondents (43.3 percent) were unaware of the maximum temperature a refrigerator should be set at to prevent microbial growth, while 83.7 percent reported ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ checking the temperature of their refrigerator using a thermometer. Many respondents (43.1 percent) incorrectly ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that the smell and appearance of food can be used as an indicator for food safety, and 64.1 percent self-reported often or always using this practice. Respondents that were born outside of Canada had more positive food storage attitudes, while those that identified as Caucasian had higher knowledge scores. A positive correlation was identified between knowledge and attitude scores (r = 0.217) but neither were significantly associated with practice scores.
Originality/value
The study revealed gaps in the knowledge, attitudes and practices of university students living in residence halls related to safe food storage. Hence, there is a need to increase awareness and education in this population on key food storage practices.
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Abstract
There is an increasing emphasis on the importance of innovation for the longterm economic success of businesses. At the same time the construction industry is characterized as being a poor innovator in comparison to other industries. If the university sector is to play a role in increasing innovation within construction companies it is necessary to for it to understand what the benefits and risks of innovation might be and what the motivation is for a business to adopt innovation. This paper attempts to develop answers to these questions through the analysis of a case study involving a small heating and plumbing company that embarked upon a performance improvement initiative and as a result implemented a number of innovative practices in its operations. Building upon on the results of this case study, suggestions for more effective collaboration between the university sector and industry are made.
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Margaret S. Crocco, Judith Cramer and Ellen B. Meier
Focusing on gender as an aspect of diversity, the purpose of this paper is to review social studies research on technology, and suggest a new direction, with gender redefined from…
Abstract
Purpose
Focusing on gender as an aspect of diversity, the purpose of this paper is to review social studies research on technology, and suggest a new direction, with gender redefined from a gap to be eliminated to a difference to be explored.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a literature review of research on gender, technology, and social studies from 1987 to 2007.
Findings
Previously, men had more access and used more types of technology than women, but a shift to web‐based computing eliminates some gender gaps. Women dominate online communication. Although “male” technology culture interferes with girls' self‐efficacy in schools and potential computer careers, the new Web 2.0 “participatory culture” holds promise because it relies on collaboration and networking, two well documented female strengths.
Research limitations/implications
The gap notion of gender is questionable because: technology culture has been constructed as male; and social studies education, where women greatly out number men, pays little attention to gender. Evidence suggests that girls and women use technology well when it serves their interests, which may not be the same as men's. Defining gender as difference helps researchers answer calls to integrate “21st century literacies” into future studies and put gender equity at the center of future technology policy.
Originality/value
Very little has been written about gender as a facet of multicultural social studies education in its relation to social studies.
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Patrick T.I. Lam and Kelvin S.H. Mok
This study aims to identify the challenges facing innovative startups in the construction environment, recommending possible self-help measures and society support.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the challenges facing innovative startups in the construction environment, recommending possible self-help measures and society support.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive literature survey informed a questionnaire survey on built environment startups in Hong Kong, followed by a statistical analysis and supplemented by written views of respondents. Validation by experts confirms the survey results.
Findings
Triangulated findings highlight the problems of conservative policies, investors’ preference on short payback periods, price competition, high operation cost and a lack of promotion channels. The firm’s size and its age differentiate its networking and fund-raising capabilities.
Research limitations/implications
While the survey samples cover the spread of startups in Hong Kong’s construction/real estate industries well, the number is still limited because the city is relatively compact. The barriers and solutions may be particularly relevant to the built environment there, but also worth noting elsewhere.
Practical implications
Built environment startups are emerging and their path of development is obscured by industry barriers. While the findings reflect the current situation in Hong Kong, which is a metropolitan city with a vibrant construction market, government policies may present a varying factor in different economies. Conservatism in the construction industry may also be a hindrance, but gradual signs of improvements are seen.
Originality/value
The recommendations provided may help mitigate the problems of startup growth. They also provide insights into the construction “startup eco-system” worth the attention of policy makers and project managers, who may make better use of the innovative technology and services of built environment startups if the difficulties are alleviated.
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Marie Lange, Helen Göranzon, Lena Fleig and Ingela Marklinder
The purpose of this paper is to investigate where students in a Swedish compulsory school acquire their knowledge of food safety and how trustworthy they deem them to be.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate where students in a Swedish compulsory school acquire their knowledge of food safety and how trustworthy they deem them to be.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of students’ self-reported sources of and trust in food safety knowledge was performed. A student response system was used for data collection, and the students were asked to answer questions presented on a PowerPoint presentation using a small wireless handheld device: a clicker. A questionnaire with 24 questions was used, and the responses were collected at 18 different schools with a total of 529 participants attending school Year 9.
Findings
Mothers were reported as being the most important source of food safety knowledge (38 per cent), especially among girls, and were also given high credibility (36 per cent). Boys reported trusting home and consumer studies (HCS), fathers and media to a higher extent. Girls reported cooking at home more often but, for all students, it was more common to rarely or never cook at home, which is why HCS teaching can be seen as valuable for many students. HCS teaching needs to be improved in order to raise its credibility. About half of the students (51 per cent) reported to have the highest trust for their source of knowledge.
Research limitations/implications
The students could only choose one source of knowledge and trust, although it is usual to learn from many different sources.
Practical implications
HCS teaching needs to get higher credibility among students as a counterweight against other sources.
Social implications
Educated consumers could influence their health.
Originality/value
Limited research has been performed on food safety knowledge among adolescents.
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Siwa Msangi and Miroslav Batka
In this chapter, we explore the future global supply and demand trends for key agricultural products under baseline assumptions of socioeconomic changes in population and income…
Abstract
Purpose
In this chapter, we explore the future global supply and demand trends for key agricultural products under baseline assumptions of socioeconomic changes in population and income. We examine nutritional trends under this baseline to highlight countries that lag behind in attaining key dietary sufficiency targets.
Methodology/approach
Using a global multimarket agricultural model, we disaggregate the key macronutrients within food commodities to understand how progress toward target dietary intake levels of nutrients compares across various regions. We look particularly at those regions whose populations fall into the bottom sixth of nutritional attainment (the Bottom Billion) and note their slow projected progress toward achieving dietary sufficiency in key macronutrients.
Findings
Many countries falling into the Bottom Billion category of nutritional attainment are in Africa and Asia. Colombia is the only Latin American country that fell into this category. Most populations in the Bottom Billion are deficient in carbohydrate, protein, and fiber intake.
Practical implications
Policies aimed at eliminating hunger and improving the nutritional status of populations must be aligned with evolving socioeconomic patterns and changes that shape food consumption and dietary patterns. This analysis evaluates regions of the world in greatest need of attaining sufficient dietary intake of important nutrients, and sets the stage for a deeper discussion of policy options for improving these regions’ food security.
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THE following list of contracts placed by the Air Ministry during February is extracted from the March issue of The Ministry of Labour Gazette:—
Carol Byrd‐Bredbenner and Carl A. Bredbenner
Mobile Universal Product Code (UPC), or barcode, scanning technology provides an efficient, accurate and comprehensive method for conducting home food inventories intended to…
Abstract
Purpose
Mobile Universal Product Code (UPC), or barcode, scanning technology provides an efficient, accurate and comprehensive method for conducting home food inventories intended to describe the household's nutrient supply. However, heretofore this technology has had limited use in research because of equipment and software complexities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to describe a data collection system that overcame these complexities.
Design/methodology/approach
A data collection system was developed that utilized off‐the‐shelf barcode scanners and laptop computers running commercial diet analysis software modified to use two large databases linking UPCs with nutrient data in addition to usual data sources (e.g. USDA Standard Reference). This system was designed for use at the data collection site to ensure 100 percent verification that scanned UPCs on food packages matched database foods and make corrections as needed. This system also permitted researchers to capture the presence of foods lacking standard UPCs (e.g. fresh produce) using a keyword search. To ensure that all data were collected uniformly and new foods not in the original database were added to the database in the same fashion, a protocol flowchart consisting of a series of branching “yes/no” questions was developed and applied to each food of interest in the household.
Findings
The system was used to conduct household food inventories of 160 families with widely varying socioeconomic strata and races/ethnicities. Households had between 13 and 389 foods on hand, the vast majority of which were identified by standard UPCs. The average inventory took approximately two hours. Study participants expressed interest in the data collection method and were very cooperative.
Practical implications
Home food inventories conducted by researchers are objective and help minimize reporting errors and social desirability bias; however, the cost (e.g. researcher time, equipment, software, and database licensing) of conducting home food inventories, even using mobile UPC scanning technology, is important to consider. To improve access to databases linking UPCs and nutrients, collaborative links between researchers and industry are needed.
Originality/value
This paper is among the first to demonstrate the feasibility of using mobile barcode scanning technology to conduct home food inventories on a large‐scale basis and solve the technical problems associated with this data collection methodology.