Methodological considerations in reserve system selection: a case study of Malagasy Lemurs.

Although data quality and weighting decisions impact the outputs of reserve selection algorithms, these factors have not been closely studied. We examine these methodological issues in the use of reserve selection algorithms by comparing: (1) quality of input data and (2) use of different weighting methods for prioritizing among species. In 2003, the government of Madagascar, a global biodiversity hotspot, committed to tripling the size of its protected area network to protect 10% of the country’s total land area. We apply the Zonation reserve selection algorithm to distribution data for 52 lemur species to identify priority areas for the expansion of Madagascar’s reserve network. We assess the similarity of the areas selected, as well as the proportions of lemur ranges protected in the resulting areas when different forms of input data were used: extent of occurrence versus refined extent of occurrence. Low overlap between the areas selected suggests that refined extent of occurrence data are highly desirable, and to best protect lemur species, we recommend refining extent of occurrence ranges using habitat and altitude limitations. Reserve areas were also selected for protection based on three different species weighting schemes, resulting in marked variation in proportional representation of species among the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species extinction risk categories. This result demonstrates that assignment of species weights influences whether a reserve network prioritizes maximizing overall species protection or maximizing protection of the most threatened species.

“Building performance evaluation: The case of McClay Library”

The government of the UK has set an ambitious target that all newly built homes be carbon neutral by 2016 and to achieving an overall 80% carbon emission by 2050. Carbon Trust in 2009 published a research revealing that non-domestic buildings accounted for 18% of the emissions in the UK. They argued that to achieve the targets of low carbon emission there is need for better building stock that are better used. The evaluation of the performance of buildings is therefore critical if the understanding of how they are used is to be known. This paper is a brief building performance evaluation of the newly build library at Queens University Belfast carried out during the summer of 2010. It employed the Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) methodology to assess its performance. The results reveal that despite the intelligent technologies in the building there was a mismatch between the measured data and the perception of users of its performance. The study suggests the need for further study for reasons of dichotomy of the data. Keywords: building performance evaluation, carbon reduction strategies, passive environmental design techniques, active renewable energy technologies, Northern Ireland

A study of the 10% electric vehicles target of the single electricity market

In late 2008, the Government of the Republic of Ireland set a specific target that 10% of all vehicles in its transport fleet be powered by electricity by 2020 in order to meet European Union renewable energy targets and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. International there are similar targets. This is a considerable challenge as in 2009, transport accounted for 29% of non-emissions trading scheme greenhouse gas emissions, 32% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, 21% of total greenhouse gas emissions and approximately 50% of energy-related non-emission trading scheme greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper the impacts of 10% electric vehicle charging on the single wholesale electricity market for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is examined. The energy consumed and the total carbon dioxide emissions generated under different charging scenarios is quantified and the results of the charging scenarios are compared to identify the best implementation strategy.

The Stormont Papers: 50 years of Northern Ireland Debates Online

This website offers access to the Parliamentary Debates of the devolved government of Northern Ireland from June 7 1921 to the dissolution of Parliament in March 28 1972.

These papers cast a unique and valuable light on the development of the Province. The 92,000 printed pages of Parliamentary Debates are held by few institutions and they have no comprehensive subject index. Hence they have been inaccessible and difficult to use. This project, with the support of academics, archivists and politicians, has taken the Papers and fully digitised them. The resource has been available online since October 2006.

Visitors to the site can search either the full text or specific keywords (for example Prisons, Westminster or Drunkenness), or they can browse particular debates according to the combined subject index, or they can simply view the volumes.

A review of offshore wind power development in the United Kingdom

Currently wind power is dominated by onshore wind farms. However, as the demand for power grows driven by security of energy supply issues, dwindling fossil fuel supplies and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, offshore wind power will develop rapidly because of the decline of viable onshore sites. The United Kingdom has a target of 21% renewable electricity by 2020 and this is expected to come mostly from wind power. Britain is the most active internationally in terms of offshore wind farm development with almost 48GW in some stage of development. In addition the Scottish Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and the Government of Ireland undertook the 'Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study' (ISLES), which examined the feasibility of creating an offshore interconnected transmission network and subsea electricity grid based on renewable energy sources off the coast of western Scotland and the Irish Sea. The aim of this paper is to provide an appraisal of offshore wind power development with a focus on the United Kingdom. © 2013 IEEE.

Grassroots mobilisations against waste disposal sites in Greece

The government of Greece has gained notoriety for its failure to implement EU environmental directives in general, and is criticised specifically for its lack of an effective plan for the safe disposal of waste. Local mobilisations against a series of planned 'Sanitary Waste Disposal Sites' (HETAs) in three municipalities of Attica are examined. Should such protests be classified as NIMBY (not in my backyard)? Or do they present broader claims of justice and equity? Qualitative analysis of the protesters' on-line campaign material reveals that while these mobilisations do demonstrate some NIMBY characteristics, such campaigns should rather be perceived as ad hoc mobilisations reflective of tensions of late modernity. The public's mistrust of science and concerns about democratic deficit and accountability, as well as different perceptions of risk, are prominent.

Credit Unions in Great Britain: Recent Trends and Current Prospects

Against the current backdrop of deteriorating economic and financial conditions we consider recent trends and current prospects for credit unions in Great Britain. We note that although credit unions have experienced solid membership and asset growth there are clouds on the horizon. Bad debts and loan arrears are on the rise and may be linked to recent legislative amendments and the increasing use by Government of credit unions as a mechanism to achieve its financial inclusion goals. Whatever the reason, the deterioration in the loan book needs to be quickly addressed, or it will ultimately result in either more government bailouts or a stream of failing credit unions.

Electric Vehicles and Energy Storage: a case study on Ireland

Renewable energy is generally accepted as an important component of future electricity grids. In late 2008, the Government of the Republic of Ireland set a target of 10% of all vehicles in its transport fleet be powered by electricity by 2020. This paper examines the potential contributions Electric Vehicles (EVs) can make to facilitate increased electricity generation from variable renewable sources such as wind generation in the Republic of Ireland. It also presents an overview of the technical and economic issues associated with this target.

Foreign Policy Essay: Hamas's Islamist Foes

Editor’s Note: The United States rightly regards the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Palestinian organization Hamas as a terrorist group, but Hamas is also the de facto government of the Gaza Strip. There it juggles the responsibilities of governing Gaza and the associated need to mollify Israel with its self-image as an Islamic “resistance” movement. Making this difficult act even harder, Hamas faces a terrorism problem of its own. Gaza is home to a range of groups that see Hamas as too accommodating toward Israel and too lenient when it comes to imposing Islamic law at home. Beverley Milton-Edwards, a professor at Queen’s University Belfast and renowned expert on Hamas, assesses these Islamist rivals and the risks for Hamas of being too confrontational or too passive in dealing with them.