scholarly journals Tackling Energy Poverty through Collective Advisory Assemblies and Electricity and Comfort Monitoring Campaigns

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9671
Author(s):  
Joana Ortiz ◽  
Mariana Jiménez Martínez ◽  
Alba Alegría-Sala ◽  
Sergio Tirado-Herrero ◽  
Irene González Pijuan ◽  
...  

The present work aims to describe and analyze the results of the interventions carried out in the Barcelona pilot site of the EmpowerMed project. The overall objective of EmpowerMed is to tackle energy poverty and to help improve the health of people in coastal areas of Mediterranean countries, with a particular focus on women. The main support approach implemented in Barcelona is Collective Advisory Assemblies (CAA), in the framework of Alliance against Energy Poverty. CAA is an innovative, collaborative empowering engagement tool that offers an alternative to the more traditional one-off individual household advice and support approaches. CAAs take place together with a monitoring campaign where: electricity consumption is analyzed to optimize the supply contracts, and indoor environmental comfort to provide recommendations for wellbeing improvement. Through the different approaches, a characterization of the people that have participated in the Barcelona pilot site was completed, from a socioeconomic, energy, thermal comfort and air quality perspective. Additionally, it was compared with a group of energy poverty non-affected households, which are involved in the monitoring campaign. Finally, the impact was quantified in terms of empowerment of energy poverty population and, potential economic savings.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fotios Danaskos

<p>Teaching the Geology course at my school and implementing each year Environmental programs focused on Geosciences, we dared with my students to participate in the CRL WORKSHOP.</p><p>We tried to give simple answers to the main questions that trigger the Earthquake phenomenon.</p><p>What is an earthquake? Most of the people believe that an earthquake is a shake of the surface of the Earth as a result of the sudden movement of the ground.  During this release of energy seismic waves travel in the Earth's lithosphere.</p><p>Is an earthquake predictable, when, where, how big the next earthquake will be? These are the questions everybody asks.</p><p>Consequences of an earthquake? Which houses are more susceptible to ground vibrations and what kind of house should I have in order not to be scared</p><p><em>The answer is: <strong>No, they are all at risk!!    </strong><strong>Because of Plates Tectonics</strong></em></p><p>Using the know-how and knowledge gained in <strong>CRL 2018 - 2019</strong>, we built our uploaded <strong>SEISMOBOX</strong> and replica / models of the tectonic plates. Using the SEISMOBOX during the course, I managed to explain the phenomenon of earthquake and in the long run to achieve the main objectives and goals of the program:</p><ul><li>Stimulate students (citizens of tomorrow) to the knowledge of earthquake as a natural phenomenon</li> <li>To sensitize students to the consequences that an earthquake may have on buildings in relation to the type of soil (rock) on which buildings are constructed and the type of buildings itself.</li> <li>To raise awareness of school teachers to use new educational techniques in order to educate students</li> <li>To make all teachers aware of the use of new educational tools in order to understand and deepen students' understanding of a phenomenon that ranks our country first among Mediterranean countries in earthquake action.</li> </ul><p>Also by using this educational tool, the students succeeded:</p><ul><li> to build a seismic table</li> <li>create an earthquake on their own and</li> <li>record and monitor its effects on anthropogenic construction understanding the earthquake phenomenon.</li> </ul><p>Capitalizing the knowledge and educational techniques I learned during the CRL School, I used SEISMOBOX in order to approach students and make them sociable in the earthquake. During the course in the classroom, with the help of Dr Francesca Cifelli, I made it more accessible to the pupils and teachers involved in Hellenic educational system.</p><p>Through the implementation of our environmental programs, we began disseminating this educational tool to partner schools and spread SEISMOBOX to several schools in Hellas.  Our goal is to reach it in every school in our country through the Sch.gr and OSOS platform.</p><p>In relation to the educational level of our students we focused on the best teaching performance and it was done with the purpose to understand the phenomenon of earthquakes and the impact on human structures.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7866
Author(s):  
Mª Desirée Alba-Rodríguez ◽  
Carlos Rubio-Bellido ◽  
Mónica Tristancho-Carvajal ◽  
Raúl Castaño-Rosa ◽  
Madelyn Marrero

Energy poverty is a social problem that is accentuated in a climate change future scenario where families become increasingly vulnerable. This problem has been studied in cold weather, but it also takes place in warm climates such as those of Mediterranean countries, and it has not been widely targeted. In these countries, approximately 70% of its building stock was built during 1960–1980, its renovation being an opportunity to reduce its energy demand, improve tenants’ quality of life, and make it more resilient to climate change. In the retrofitting process, it is also important to consider tenants’ adaptability and regional scenarios. In this sense, the present work proposes an assessment model of retrofitting projects that takes into consideration energy consumption, comfort, tenants’ health, and monetary poverty. For this, the Index of Vulnerable Homes was implemented in this research to consider adaptive comfort in the energy calculation as well as the adaptability to climate change. A case study of 40 social housings in Seville, Spain, was analyzed in 2050 and 2080 future scenarios, defining the impact in energy poverty of the building retrofitting projects.


Crisis ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 238-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. C. Wong ◽  
Wincy S. C. Chan ◽  
Philip S. L. Beh ◽  
Fiona W. S. Yau ◽  
Paul S. F. Yip ◽  
...  

Background: Ethical issues have been raised about using the psychological autopsy approach in the study of suicide. The impact on informants of control cases who participated in case-control psychological autopsy studies has not been investigated. Aims: (1) To investigate whether informants of suicide cases recruited by two approaches (coroners’ court and public mortuaries) respond differently to the initial contact by the research team. (2) To explore the reactions, reasons for participation, and comments of both the informants of suicide and control cases to psychological autopsy interviews. (3) To investigate the impact of the interviews on informants of suicide cases about a month after the interviews. Methods: A self-report questionnaire was used for the informants of both suicide and control cases. Telephone follow-up interviews were conducted with the informants of suicide cases. Results: The majority of the informants of suicide cases, regardless of the initial route of contact, as well as the control cases were positive about being approached to take part in the study. A minority of informants of suicide and control cases found the experience of talking about their family member to be more upsetting than expected. The telephone follow-up interviews showed that none of the informants of suicide cases reported being distressed by the psychological autopsy interviews. Limitations: The acceptance rate for our original psychological autopsy study was modest. Conclusions: The findings of this study are useful for future participants and researchers in measuring the potential benefits and risks of participating in similar sensitive research. Psychological autopsy interviews may be utilized as an active engagement approach to reach out to the people bereaved by suicide, especially in places where the postvention work is underdeveloped.


Author(s):  
Emilda Emilda

The limitations of waste management in the Cipayung Landfill (TPA) causing a buildup of garbage up to more than 30 meters. This condition has a health impact on people in Cipayung Village. This study aims to analyze the impact of waste management at Cipayung Landfill on public health in Cipayung Village, Depok City. The research is descriptive qualitative. Data obtained by purposive sampling. Data was collected by interviews, observation and documentation. Based on interviews with 30 respondents, it was found that the most common diseases were diarrhea, then other types of stomach ailments, subsequent itching on the skin and coughing. This is presumably because the environmental conditions in the form of unhealthy air and water and clean and healthy living behaviors (PHBS) have not become the habit of the people. The results indicated that there were no respondents who had implemented all of these criteria. In general respondents have implemented  3 criteria, namely maintaining hair hygiene, maintaining skin cleanliness, and maintaining hand hygiene. While maintaining clean water storage is the most often overlooked behavior. To minimize this health impact, improvements in waste management in Cipayung landfill are needed along with continuous socialization and education to develop PHBS habits and the importance of maintaining a clean environment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-85
Author(s):  
Sarah French Russell

Under the First Step Act of 2018, federal prisoners may now petition courts directly for reduction of their sentences, and judges may grant such requests if “extraordinary and compelling reasons” support reduction. Judges are also in the process of imposing reduced sentences in thousands of cases where the First Step Act has retroactively reduced statutory penalties. Not only does the First Step Act offer prisoners new opportunities for sentence reduction, but the law also may change how federal judges understand the impact of their sentencing decisions. Before now, in federal cases, judges rarely had the chance to take a second look at the prison sentences they (or their colleagues) imposed. Encounters between judges and the people they sentenced typically occurred only if a person violated the terms of supervised release after leaving prison. Now, judges can reassess sentence length while someone is still in prison and evaluate whether a reduction in the sentence is warranted. This newfound power allows judges to see their sentencing decisions in a new light and may influence how they conceive of the prison time they impose in future cases.


Author(s):  
Ana Rita Damas Oliveira ◽  
Paulo Alexandre Guedes Lopes Henriques ◽  
Teresa Cristina Clímaco Monteiro de Oliveira

Much has been written about the link between HR and performance, however consensus has yet not been found concerning the understanding on how that relationship comes together. Empirically, no direct impact has been found and research has only suggested an indirect impact. Consequently, the Strategic HRM field is particularly interested on the understanding of the mediating variables that impact the organization performance. Besides the integrated and business strategy alignment of the HR function, it should be considered that it is the people (HR) of the organization and not their practices that determine the company´s competitive advantage. (Messersmith & Guthrie, 2010) argue that it is the impact of those practices that represent “the true resource and enable a sustainable advantage over industry rivals”. The objetive of this research proposal is to study the impact of strategic human resources practices on the organization performance through a case study methodology, supported by longitudinal data. Namely, the project aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the variables that affect the process stream during strategy implementation. How the HR practices impact on people? And why human resources are the most valuable asset? These core premises are in line with the most recent economic concerns about people productivity, employment policies and labor flexibility.


1989 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-328
Author(s):  
Salahudeen Yusuf

The history of Islam in part of what is known today as Nigeria datesto about the loth Century. Christianity dates to the late 18th Century. Bythe middle of the 19th Century, when Nigerian newspapers began to appearon the streets of Nigeria, both religions had won so many followers and extendedto so many places in Nigeria that very few areas were untouched bytheir influence. The impact of both religions on their adherents not only determinedtheir spiritual life, but influenced their social and political lives aswell. It therefore became inevitable that both religions receive coverage frommost of the newspapers of the time. How the newspapers as media of informationand communication reported issues about the two religions is thetheme of this paper.Rationale for the StudyThe purpose of this study is to highlight the context in which such earlynewspapers operated and the factors that dictated their performance. Thisis because it is assumed that when a society faces external threat to its territory,culture, and independence, all hands (the press inclusive) ought tobe on deck to resist the threat with all might. Were newspapers used as verbalartillery and how did they present each religion? It is also assumed thatin a multireligious society a true press should be objective and serve as avanguard in the promotion of the interest of the people in general and notcreate or foster an atmosphere of religious conflict. The study also aims atfinding out whether the papers promoted intellectual honesty and fosteredthe spirit of unity particularly when the society was faced with the encroachmentof the British who posed a threat to their freedom, culture, economy ...


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
R. Varisa Patraporn

Khmer Girl’s in Action is a nonprofit that successfully utilizes community-based participatory research (CBPR) with university partners to create social change for youth in Long Beach, CA. Based on semi-structured interviews and content analysis of news articles, I explore the impact and sustainability of this research work and the research partnerships. Findings highlight impacts such as youth empowerment, heightened awareness around community needs, policy change, and CBPR curriculum improvements in the field as impacts. Sustainability requires integrating research into program funding, utilizing a tailored training curriculum, building on community members prior relationships, and selecting partners that share common goals, levels of commitment, and flexibility. As funders demand more data to justify community needs, understanding more examples of such work in the Asian American community will be useful for informing future partnerships.


2014 ◽  
pp. 298-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud Petit

Bois-Rouge factory, an 8000 t/d cane Reunionese sugarcane mill, has fully equipped its filtration station with vacuum belt press filters since 2010, the first one being installed in 2009. The present study deals with this 3-year experience and discusses operating conditions, electricity consumption, performance and optimisation. The comparison with the more classical rotary drum vacuum filter station of Le Gol sugar mill highlights advantages of vacuum belt press filters: high filtration efficiency, low filter cake mass and sucrose content, low total solids content in filtrate and low power consumption. However, this technology needs a mud conditioning step and requires a large amount of water to improve mud quality, mixing of flocculant and washing of filter belts. The impact on the energy balance of the sugar mill is significant. At Bois-Rouge mill, studies are underway to reduce the water consumption by recycling low d.s. filtrate and by dry cleaning the filter belts.


2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
Mulyatun Mulyatun

<p>In order to meet households energy needs, one of the groundbreaking efforts that needs to be done is to implement appropriate technology training in utilization of cow manure waste by recycling it into biogas and organic fertilizer. Animal husbandry in Bambankerep Sub-District of Ngaliyan, Semarang City, are sufficiently developed, however, the use of livestock manure has not been optimal, whereas livestock manure can be used as raw material to produce renewable energy in the form of biogas and organic fertilizer. Furthermore, Limited knowledge and skills of the people in Bambankerep sub-district in the utilization of cow manure waste by recycling it into biogas and organic fertilizer have become the main problem. Steps performed in Community service programs are as follow (1) Socialization of recycling livestock waste into a blessing; (2) training, (3) Monitoring and outreaching. The impact generated from this community service programs, among others are: (1) raising public awareness in the utilization of cow manure waste for biogas alternative energy, (2) increasing knowledge and skills of people in processing cow manure into energy and fertilizer, (3) growing number of business groups in cow manure organic fertilizer processing that are expected can improve the welfare of the people in Bambankerep sub-district, Mijen, Semarang City.</p><p> </p><p>Dalam rangka pemenuhan keperluan energi rumah tangga, salah satu upaya terobosan yang perlu dilakukan adalah melaksanakan pelatihan teknologi tepat guna pemanfaatan limbah kotoran sapi menjadi biogas dan pupuk organik. Usaha peternakan di Kelurahan Bambankerep, Ngaliyan Semarang cukup berkembang, tapi pemanfaatan kotoran ternak selama ini belum optimal, padahal kotoran ternak dapat dijadikan sebagai bahan baku untuk menghasilkan energi terbarukan dalam bentuk biogas dan pupuk organik. Keterbatasannya pengetahuan dan keterampilan yang dimiliki masyarakat di Kelurahan Bambankerep mengolah limbah kotoran sapai menjadi biogas dan pupuk organik menjadi permasalahn utama. Tahapan program pengabdian masyarakat yang dilakukan adalah: (1) Sosialisai pemanfaatan limbah kotoran hewan menjadi berkah; (2) pelatihan; (3) Monitoring dan Pendampingan. Dampak yang dihasilkan dari program pengabdian masyarakat ini antara lain: (1) meningkatkan kesadaran masyarakat untuk memanfaatkan limbah kotoran sapi untuk energi alternatif biogas, (2) meningkatnya pengetahuan dan ketrampilan masyarakat bidang pengolahan kotoran sapi menjadi energi dan pupuk, (3) tumbuhnya kelompok usaha pengolahan pupuk organik dari kotoran sapi sehingga diharapkan dapat meningkatkan kesejahteraan masyarakat Kelurahan Bambankerep Ngaliyan Semarang.</p>


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