The Winnipeg principles, WTO and sustainable development: Proposed policies for reconciling trade and the environment

There is, a widespread belief that the WTO has made virtually no concessions to environmentalists about their concerns arising from free trade and the process of globalization. There are concerns that these processes may undermine prospects for sustainable development. Following, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the International Institute for Sustainable Development was established to advocate policies to support sustainable development within Canada and globally. In 1994, it proposed the Winnipeg Principles as. a means for reconciling international trade and development so as to: achieve sustainable development (ISD, 1994a,b). These seven principles are outlined in this article and assessed:. Although the International Institute for Sustainable Development had hoped: through these principles to influence the work programme of the Environment and Trade Committee of WTO, it seems to have little effect. Probably if these principles had been seriously considered by WTO, the serious social conflicts which emerged globally at the beginning of this century would have been avoided, and we would be in a better position to understand the complex links between trade, environment and sustainable development and adopt relevant policies. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Trade and environment: Evidence from China's manufacturing sector

This paper focusing on the Chinese manufacturing sector assesses the environmental impact of trade liberalization in China. The results show that China's experience with the trade liberalization-environment nexus is consistent with international evidence. On one hand, trade liberalization has had various positive effects on the environment. Firstly, it promoted specialization in areas of comparative advantage, which, in general, included industries that contributed less to environmental degradation. Secondly, it allowed China to access and adopt the best international practices in pollution abatement technology. Thirdly, it enabled China to transfer environmental costs to other countries by importing intermediate products whose production contributed to environmental degradation. On the other hand, these positive effects were overwhelmed by a negative scale effect, which was the result of a huge increase in the demand for Chinese exports. The paper concludes that if China is to prevent pollution from reaching a critical threshold, environmental regulations need to be tightened. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Survivors and victims: A case study of organisational restructuring in the public health sector

This paper examines a process of major organizational restructuring in an Australian hospital within a context of decentralization of health services and relocation of clients, brought about by changes in government policy. The change process differed from the abrupt downsizing often found in the private sector in that the organization initiated significant job losses concomitantly with the development of new facilities around the State, while attempting to deal with employee issues related to downsizing. The paper focuses on the process involved in the downsizing, from the perspective of both the "survivors" and "victims" of the change. It draws on interviews and focus groups with managers, union officials and employees, as well a survey of employees to assess the outcomes and effectiveness of the restructuring process. Using a stakeholder analysis framework, the paper examines the complex issues and perspectives raised by the downsizing process.

Quasimode theory of quantum optical processes in photonic band gap materials

This paper deals with atomic systems coupled to a structured reservoir of quantum EM field modes, with particular relevance to atoms interacting with the field in photonic band gap materials. The case of high Q cavities has been treated elsewhere using Fano diagonalization based on a quasimode approach, showing that the cavity quasimodes are responsible for pseudomodes introduced to treat non-Markovian behaviour. The paper considers a simple model of a photonic band gap case, where the spatially dependent permittivity consists of a constant term plus a small spatially periodic term that leads to a narrow band gap in the spectrum of mode frequencies. Most treatments of photonic band gap materials are based on the true modes, obtained numerically by solving the Helmholtz equation for the actual spatially periodic permittivity. Here the field modes are first treated in terms of a simpler quasimode approach, in which the quasimodes are plane waves associated with the constant permittivity term. Couplings between the quasimodes occur owing to the small periodic term in the permittivity, with selection rules for the coupled modes being related to the reciprocal lattice vectors. This produces a field Hamiltonian in quasimode form. A matrix diagonalization method may be applied to relate true mode annihilation operators to those for quasimodes. The atomic transitions are coupled to all the quasimodes, and the true mode atom-EM field coupling constants (one-photon Rabi frequencies) are related to those for the quasimodes and also expressions are obtained for the true mode density. The results for the one-photon Rabi frequencies differ from those assumed in other work. Expressions for atomic decay rates are obtained using the Fermi Golden rule, although these are valid only well away from the band gaps.

Occupational therapists' use and perceptions of written client education materials

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to examine occupational therapists' use and perceptions of written education materials for clients and the factors that therapists consider before distributing written materials to clients This study also aimed to determine whether use and perceptions of these materials differed for older clients METHOD. A random sample of 50 occupational therapists from Queensland, Australia, working in adult physical disabilities settings was surveyed with a structured questionnaire Data were analyzed descriptively and with nonparametric statistics RESULTS. Of 49 participants who used written materials, 54% had given them to more than halt of their last 10 clients, regardless of the clients' age Written materials, most often information sheets developed by the participants themselves; handwritten notes; and pamphlets were principally used to reinforce verbal information. Clients' cognitive abilities, primary language, communication skills, vision, and level of education most often were considered before distributing written materials Although participants generally were positive about the content and effectiveness of materials, ratings were significantly less positive related to older clients CONCLUSION. Client education was a core treatment modality for participants in this study, with written media most commonly being used to supplement verbal education Because participants were least positive about the effectiveness of written materials for older clients, further development of materials for this audience may be indicated.

Computation of the linear elastic properties of random porous materials with a wide variety of microstructure

A finite-element method is used to study the elastic properties of random three-dimensional porous materials with highly interconnected pores. We show that Young's modulus, E, is practically independent of Poisson's ratio of the solid phase, nu(s), over the entire solid fraction range, and Poisson's ratio, nu, becomes independent of nu(s) as the percolation threshold is approached. We represent this behaviour of nu in a flow diagram. This interesting but approximate behaviour is very similar to the exactly known behaviour in two-dimensional porous materials. In addition, the behaviour of nu versus nu(s) appears to imply that information in the dilute porosity limit can affect behaviour in the percolation threshold limit. We summarize the finite-element results in terms of simple structure-property relations, instead of tables of data, to make it easier to apply the computational results. Without using accurate numerical computations, one is limited to various effective medium theories and rigorous approximations like bounds and expansions. The accuracy of these equations is unknown for general porous media. To verify a particular theory it is important to check that it predicts both isotropic elastic moduli, i.e. prediction of Young's modulus alone is necessary but not sufficient. The subtleties of Poisson's ratio behaviour actually provide a very effective method for showing differences between the theories and demonstrating their ranges of validity. We find that for moderate- to high-porosity materials, none of the analytical theories is accurate and, at present, numerical techniques must be relied upon.

Investigations of growth processes in Y-Ba-Cu-O materials by microstructural examination of quenched samples

Y-Ba-Cu-O samples with additions of Y2O3 and CeO2 were quenched during seeded isothermal melt processing and examined by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Large YBa2Cu3O7-y (Y123) particles in the starting powder were found to form a distinct type of melt during heating, which was unaffected by the Y2O3 or CeO2 additives. This type of melt later formed regions with a low concentration of Y2BaCuO5 (Y211) particles in the Y123 matrix. The maximum growth rate of Y123 that could be sustained in the sample was found to be lower in the melt formed from large Y123 particles, and this may lead to growth accidents and subgrains in some samples.

The paradox of commercialising public sector intellectual property

The juxtapositioning of government providing a public good through research and development investment on one hand and engaging in commercialisation of the research outcome on the other is a paradox. Using agricultural research as an example, we examine the nature of the paradox to determine if commercialisation potentially leads to a conflict in the role of public research institutions set up to fulfil public good responsibilities. We identify the reasons for the shift in policy towards commercialisation and greater exploitation of public sector intellectual property and how this has contributed to the emergence of the apparent inconsistency. We argue that the belief in working for public good is inherent and embedded in an organisation's history and its wider operating environment. We propose that the creation of public sector intellectual property and its commercialisation are influenced by the political, social and economic environment in which the public institutions operate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nexus of value chain integration and e-business applications on public sector agriculture R&D management

We examine the potential impact of interconnectivity of value chain partnerships through electronic means (e-business practices) on the management of Public Sector Agriculture R&D in Australia. We review the changing forms of managing research and development, the forces driving these changes, and R&D processes that are theoretically consistent with the move towards value chain involvement and the increase in active constituents in Public Sector Agriculture R&D. We then explore the potential of emerging e-business models to change the patterns of inter-connectivity, speed and omnipresence of partners in the value chain. Three e-business R&D management practices are identified that provide the prerequisite flexibility necessary to take advantage of opportunistic markets. These R&D business practices are: compressing R&D to reduce time to market, fostering co-development to enter a market at the last moment and building flexible products that allow adjustment at the last possible moment. Some fundamental reallocation of existing resources will be required to meet these markets. Implications of these e-business practices for R&D management are discussed.