Environmental crime, human rights and green criminology

This chapter is concerned with the prospects for a safe and sustainable environment in a fair and just world. At present, these prospects look bleak. However there are a number of legal developments and ethical principles on which to build, including the European Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law, notions of environmental, ecological and species justice, and conceptions of human rights. The chapter considers these in five sections: first providing an overview and exploring the links between human rights and environmental issues; then examining examples of environmental crimes / harms and attempts to regulate or criminalise these; before outlining the development of a Green Criminology and proposals for an international law against ecocide as a framework for addressing this range of challenges. Finally, concluding comments draw attention to debates and directions for discussion and research.

Colonoscopy requirements of population screening for colorectal cancer in New Zealand

Aim: To estimate the colonoscopy burden of introducing population screening for colorectal cancer in New Zealand. Methods: Screening for colorectal cancer using biennial immunochemical faecal occult blood tests offered to people aged 50-74 years of age was modelled using population estimates from Statistics New Zealand for 2011-2031. Modelling to determine colonoscopy requirements was based on participation and test positivity rates from published results of screening programmes. Estimates of the number of procedures required for ongoing adenoma surveillance were calculated using screening literature results of adenoma yield, and New Zealand Guidelines for Adenoma Surveillance. Sensitivity analysis was undertaken on key parameters. Results: For a test positivity of 6.4%, biennial screening using immunochemical faecal occult blood testing with a 60% participation rate, would require 18,000 colonoscopies nationally, increasing to 28,000 by 2031. The majority of procedures are direct referrals from a positive FOBT, with surveillance colonoscopy numbers building over time. Conclusion: Colonoscopy requirements for immunochemical faecal occult blood based population screening for colorectal cancer are high. Significant expansion of services is required and careful management of surveillance procedures to ensure timely delivery of initial colonoscopies whilst maintaining symptomatic services. A model re-run informed by data from the screening pilot will allow improved estimates for the New Zealand setting.

Barriers and supports for development of a clinician scientist role in cerebrovascular nursing: A position paper

This position paper will: 1. Provide an update on relevant current developments in the education, training and positioning of clinician nurse scientists; 2. Provide and promote a rational argument for the development of the clinician nurse scientist role, and; 3. Discuss issues related to capacity building in clinical research in neuroscience nursing, with specific reference to and support for the cerebrovascular (stroke) specialty nursing area.

Large scale monitoring of crowds and building utilisation: A new database and distributed approach

Public buildings and large infrastructure are typically monitored by tens or hundreds of cameras, all capturing different physical spaces and observing different types of interactions and behaviours. However to date, in large part due to limited data availability, crowd monitoring and operational surveillance research has focused on single camera scenarios which are not representative of real-world applications. In this paper we present a new, publicly available database for large scale crowd surveillance. Footage from 12 cameras for a full work day covering the main floor of a busy university campus building, including an internal and external foyer, elevator foyers, and the main external approach are provided; alongside annotation for crowd counting (single or multi-camera) and pedestrian flow analysis for 10 and 6 sites respectively. We describe how this large dataset can be used to perform distributed monitoring of building utilisation, and demonstrate the potential of this dataset to understand and learn the relationship between different areas of a building.

Engaging a multiple-track approach to building capacity for 21st Century engineering, opportunities and challenges for rapid curriculum renewal

‘Complexity’ is a term that is increasingly prevalent in conversations about building capacity for 21st Century professional engineers. Society is grappling with the urgent and challenging reality of accommodating seven billion people, meeting needs and innovating lifestyle improvements in ways that do not destroy atmospheric, biological and oceanic systems critical to life. Over the last two decades in particular, engineering educators have been active in attempting to build capacity amongst professionals to deliver ‘sustainable development’ in this rapidly changing global context. However curriculum literature clearly points to a lack of significant progress, with efforts best described as ad hoc and highly varied. Given the limited timeframes for action to curb environmental degradation proposed by scientists and intergovernmental agencies, the authors of this paper propose it is imperative that curriculum renewal towards education for sustainable development proceeds rapidly, systemically, and in a transformational manner. Within this context, the paper discusses the need to consider a multiple track approach to building capacity for 21st Century engineering, including priorities and timeframes for undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum renewal. The paper begins with a contextual discussion of the term complexity and how it relates to life in the 21st Century. The authors then present a whole of system approach for planning and implementing rapid curriculum renewal that addresses the critical roles of several generations of engineering professionals over the next three decades. The paper concludes with observations regarding engaging with this approach in the context of emerging accreditation requirements and existing curriculum renewal frameworks.

Reducing environmental pressures of road building

Although road construction and use provides significant economic and social benefits its environmental impact is of growing concern. Roads are one of the greatest greenhouse gas contributors both directly through fossil energy consumed in mining, transporting, earthworks, and paving work, along with in-direct emissions from road use by vehicles. This discussion paper will outline opportunities within the Australian context for reducing environmental pressure in road building and consider the future environmental impacts of road projects.

Evaluating the level of stakeholder involvement during the project planning processes of building projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the current level of stakeholder involvement during the project's planning process. Stakeholders often provide the needed resources and have the ability to control the interaction and resource flows in the network. They also ultimately have strong impact on an organisation's survival, and therefore appropriate management and involvement of key stakeholders should be an important part of any project management plan. A series of literature reviews was conducted to identify and categorise significant phases involved in the planning. For data collection, a questionnaire survey was designed and distributed amongst nearly 200 companies who were involved in the residential building sector in Australia. Results of the analysis demonstrate the engagement levels of the four stakeholder groups involved in the planning process and establish a basis for further stakeholder involvement improvement.

Sorting the green from the wash

The problem of greenwashing requires a robust, integrated approach to law reform to discourage a practice that drowns out the legitimate voices.

Full scale experiments of a steel portal frame building

While numerous full scale experimental programs have been conducted around the world over the past 50 years to investigate the behaviour of steel portal frame buildings, none have comprehensively investigated the behaviour of such buildings under wind uplift. Wind uplift loads often govern designs in the Australian environment and this became the subject of a recent research project at Queensland University of Technology (OUT). This paper describes the full scale experiments on a steel portal frame building subject to wind uplift, racking and gravity loads. The portal rafter and column members utilised hollow flange beam (HFB) sections [5-8] though the paper's findings on the theoretical and experimental building responses relate to conventional types of steel portal frame buildings.

The commodification and exploitation of fresh water: Property, human rights and green criminology

In recent years, both developing and industrialised societies have experienced riots and civil unrest over the corporate exploitation of fresh water. Water conflicts increase as water scarcity rises and the unsustainable use of fresh water will continue to have profound implications for sustainable development and the realisation of human rights. Rather than states adopting more costly water conservation strategies or implementing efficient water technologies, corporations are exploiting natural resources in what has been described as the “privatization of water”. By using legal doctrines, states and corporations construct fresh water sources as something that can be owned or leased. For some regions, the privatization of water has enabled corporations and corrupt states to exploit a fundamental human right. Arguing that such matters are of relevance to criminology, which should be concerned with fundamental environmental and human rights, this article adopts a green criminological perspective and draws upon Treadmill of Production theory.

Innovation in Road Building: Removing Obstacles for Diffusion of Novel Building Products

How can obstacles to innovation be overcome in road construction? Using a focus group methodology, and based on two prior rounds of empirical work, the analysis in this chapter generates a set of four key solutions to two main construction innovation obstacles: (1) restrictive tender assessment and (2) disagreement over who carries the risk of new product failure. The four key solutions uncovered were: 1) pre-project product certification; 2) past innovation performance assessment; 3) earlier involvement of product suppliers and road asset operators; and 4) performance-based specifications. Additional research is suggested in order to illicit deeper insights into possible solutions to construction innovation obstacles, and should emphasise furthering the theoretical interpretation of empirical phenomena.

A comparison of international and Australian rating tools for sustainability elements of residential property

The Australian housing sector contributes about a fifth of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GHG emissions contribute to climate change which leads to an increase in the occurrence or intensity of natural disasters and damage of houses. To ensure housing performance in the face of climate change, various rating tools for residential property have been introduced in different countries. The aim of this paper is to present a preliminary comparison between international and Australian rating tools in terms of purpose, use and sustainability elements for residential property. The methodologies used are to review, classify, compare and identify similarities and differences between rating tools. Two international tools, Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) (UK) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes (LEED-Homes) (USA), will be compared to two Australian tools, Green Star – Multi Unit Residential v1 and EnviroDevelopment. All four rating tools include management, energy, water and material aspects. The findings reveal thirteen elements that fall under three categories: spatial planning, occupants’ health and comfort, and environmental conditions. The variations in different tools may result from differences in local prevailing climate. Not all sustainability elements covered by international rating tools are included in the Australian rating tools. The voluntary nature of the tools implies they are not broadly applied in their respective market and that there is a policy implementation gap. A comprehensive rating tool could be developed in Australia to promote and lessen the confusion about sustainable housing, which in turn assist in improving the supply and demand of sustainable housing.

Rio+ 20: Who owns the green economy?

The Rio+20 summit has raised a number of difficult questions about law and technology: what is the relationship between intellectual property and the environment? What role does intellectual property play in sustainable development? Who will own and control the Green Economy? What is the best way to encourage the transfer of environmentally sound technologies? Should intellectual property provide incentives for fossil fuels? What are the respective roles of the public sector and the private sector in green innovation? How should biodiversity, traditional knowledge and Indigenous intellectual property be protected?

Towards sustainable poverty alleviation: Building NGO accountability to beneficiaries in microenterprise development programs

This thesis investigates the operations of non-government organisations (NGOs) engaging in microenterprise development programs in Bangladesh and Indonesia, to understand the nature and mechanisms of NGO accountability to the poor. Findings reveal both barriers and mechanisms contributing to success within these programs. A range of mechanisms enhance both accountability of NGOs and the poor, facilitating more effective programs and sustainable poverty alleviation.

Team building activities in dance and discoveries from reflective essays

The purpose of this study was to determine if using team building activities within a university Latin dance course enhances cohesion. Students (N=30) completed the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ; Carron, Widmeyer, & Brawley, 1985), which measures group integration (individuals’ perceptions of the closeness, similarity, and bonding within the group as a whole) and individual attractions to the group in terms of both task and social cohesion. Students also completed an evaluation of the team building activities and wrote reflective essays about their experiences in the course. The course consisted of twenty 90-minute classes. In the third class students were provided an information sheet describing the research. In the fourth class the students completed a demographics questionnaire and the GEQ. The students completed the GEQ again during the ninth class. In classes 10 to 14 team building activities took up roughly the first third of each class. The students completed the GEQ again in classes 15 and 20. In class 16 the students completed the evaluation. The reflective essays were submitted two weeks after the last class. There were no significant differences across time in social cohesion. Group integration task, however, was significantly higher at times 3 and 4 compared to time 1. Students agreed that the team-building activities helped to bond class members, and felt it was valuable for these activities to be included in the unit in the future. The reflective essays indicated the students felt the team building activities improved social factors, and interpersonal, dance, and personal mental skills.