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Book part
Publication date: 24 April 2023

J. Isaac Miller

Transient climate sensitivity relates total climate forcings from anthropogenic and other sources to surface temperature. Global transient climate sensitivity is well studied, as…

Abstract

Transient climate sensitivity relates total climate forcings from anthropogenic and other sources to surface temperature. Global transient climate sensitivity is well studied, as are the related concepts of equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) and transient climate response (TCR), but spatially disaggregated local climate sensitivity (LCS) is less so. An energy balance model (EBM) and an easily implemented semiparametric statistical approach are proposed to estimate LCS using the historical record and to assess its contribution to global transient climate sensitivity. Results suggest that areas dominated by ocean tend to import energy, they are relatively more sensitive to forcings, but they warm more slowly than areas dominated by land. Economic implications are discussed.

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Essays in Honor of Joon Y. Park: Econometric Methodology in Empirical Applications
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-212-4

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Book part
Publication date: 5 June 2023

Harmeet Singh, Fatemeh Massah and Paul G. O'Brien

In this chapter the potential to use water-based Trombe walls to provide heated water for building applications during the summer months is investigated. Design Builder software…

Abstract

In this chapter the potential to use water-based Trombe walls to provide heated water for building applications during the summer months is investigated. Design Builder software is used to model a simple single-story building with a south-facing Trombe wall. The effects of using different thermal storage mediums within the Trombe wall on building heating loads during the winter and building cooling loads during the summer are modeled. The amount of thermal energy stored and temperature of water within the thermal storage medium during hot weather conditions were also simulated. On a sunny day on Toronto, Canada, the average temperature of the water in a Trombe wall integrated into a single-story building can reach ∼57°C, which is high enough to provide for the main hot water usages in buildings. Furthermore, the amount of water heated is three times greater than that required in an average household in Canada. The results from this work suggest that water-based Trombe walls have great potential to enhance the flexibility and utility of Trombe walls by providing heated water for building applications during summer months, without compromising performance during winter months.

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Pragmatic Engineering and Lifestyle
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-997-2

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Book part
Publication date: 2 November 2009

Sean T. Doherty

Health scientists and urban planners have long been interested in the influence that the built environment has on the physical activities in which we engage, the environmental…

Abstract

Health scientists and urban planners have long been interested in the influence that the built environment has on the physical activities in which we engage, the environmental hazards we face, the kinds of amenities we enjoy, and the resulting impacts on our health. However, it is widely recognized that the extent of this influence, and the specific cause-and-effect relationships that exist, are still relatively unclear. Recent reviews highlight the need for more individual-level data on daily activities (especially physical activity) over long periods of time linked spatially to real-world characteristics of the built environment in diverse settings, along with a wide range of personal mediating variables. While capturing objective data on the built environment has benefited from wide-scale availability of detailed land use and transport network databases, the same cannot be said of human activity. A more diverse history of data collection methods exists for such activity and continues to evolve owing to a variety of quickly emerging wearable sensor technologies. At present, no “gold standard” method has emerged for assessing physical activity type and intensity under the real-world conditions of the built environment; in fact, most methods have barely been tested outside of the laboratory, and those that have tend to experience significant drops in accuracy and reliability. This paper provides a review of these diverse methods and emerging technologies, including biochemical, self-report, direct observation, passive motion detection, and integrated approaches. Based on this review and current needs, an integrated three-tiered methodology is proposed, including: (1) passive location tracking (e.g., using global positioning systems); (2) passive motion/biometric tracking (e.g., using accelerometers); and (3) limited self-reporting (e.g., using prompted recall diaries). Key development issues are highlighted, including the need for proper validation and automated activity-detection algorithms. The paper ends with a look at some of the key lessons learned and new opportunities that have emerged at the crossroads of urban studies and health sciences.

We do have a vision for a world in which people can walk to shops, school, friends' homes, or transit stations; in which they can mingle with their neighbors and admire trees, plants, and waterways; in which the air and water are clean; and in which there are parks and play areas for children, gathering spots for teens and the elderly, and convenient work and recreation places for the rest of us. (Frumkin, Frank, & Jackson, 2004, p. xvii)

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Transport Survey Methods
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84-855844-1

Book part
Publication date: 4 December 2012

Nitin Srivastava, Sunil Prashar, Akhilesh Surjan and Rajib Shaw

The chapter tries to trace the development of concept of urban ecosystem as a problem-solving approach for urban problems, including the unwarranted problems caused by climate…

Abstract

The chapter tries to trace the development of concept of urban ecosystem as a problem-solving approach for urban problems, including the unwarranted problems caused by climate change. Urban management has increasingly shifted from infrastructure-based to a more regional-based approach. There has been a shift in the domain of urban ecosystem as well, from the established urbanized area to the aggregation of urban and surrounding rural area. Also, urban-rural linkages are given more attention in resource management in urban areas, thereby reducing the overall risk due to climate change. The chapter provides examples and challenges of urban ecosystem management from across the world.

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Ecosystem-Based Adaptation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-691-1

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Book part
Publication date: 30 December 2004

Elizabeth S. Redden, James B. Sheehy and Eileen A. Bjorkman

This chapter provides an overview of the Department of Defense (DoD) laboratory structure to help equipment designers, modelers, and manufacturers determine where research…

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the Department of Defense (DoD) laboratory structure to help equipment designers, modelers, and manufacturers determine where research, testing programs, or relevant findings can be found. The chapter includes a discussion of the performance measures and metrics typically used in DoD laboratories and concludes by considering the current state-of-the-art as well as the state-of-the-possible for human performance measurement.

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The Science and Simulation of Human Performance
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-296-2

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Book part
Publication date: 22 November 2023

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Stress and Well-being at the Strategic Level
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-359-0

Book part
Publication date: 31 December 2010

Tawhidul Islam, M. Aminur Rahman and Fuad Mallick

Living with physical hazards is an everyday issue for the people of Bangladesh because different seasons bring different kinds of uncertainties. Sometimes traditional knowledge…

Abstract

Living with physical hazards is an everyday issue for the people of Bangladesh because different seasons bring different kinds of uncertainties. Sometimes traditional knowledge and practices (Alam, 2007) help them to adjust to these conditions; in some occasions, these hazards turn into catastrophic disasters causing deaths and bringing unbearable damages in different sectors. In addition to the tangible damages incurred due to hazards, in most of the cases, these hazards injure the internal social organizations at different levels (for example, household, community, and institutional) and affect their assets. Thus, the community resilience is greatly weakened, which makes people susceptible to upcoming hazards. Scientists suggest that climate change-induced threats and uncertainties in the forms of erratic rainfall patterns that result in drought conditions and sometimes floods, abnormal foggy conditions, change in the wind direction and the characteristic patterns of seasons, anomalies in the temperature regimes, and the occurrence of cyclones will bring new dimensions to existing situations. These natural hazards, temperature rises, and sea level rise–induced inundations will contribute to the breakdown of the traditional systems of living; they also bring change in topographical factors (for example, flooding), biophysical factors (changes in the crop yields, runoff, risks of the spread of infectious diseases, changes in the vegetation pattern), and socioeconomic factors (per capital income, health, education, population density) (World Bank, 2001).

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Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction: An Asian Perspective
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-85724-485-7

Book part
Publication date: 4 December 2012

Noralene Uy and Rajib Shaw

In the context of natural disasters and climate change, ecosystems are critical natural capital because of their ability to regulate climate and natural hazards. This chapter…

Abstract

In the context of natural disasters and climate change, ecosystems are critical natural capital because of their ability to regulate climate and natural hazards. This chapter examines the important role of ecosystems and their services in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. It discusses the relevance of adopting ecosystem-based approaches in managing risks brought about by a changing climate.

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Ecosystem-Based Adaptation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-691-1

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Book part
Publication date: 22 November 2023

Kris Irwin and Chris H. Willis

Strategic decisions leaders make involving organizational changes such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), divestitures, and downsizing, which can influence and/or interact with…

Abstract

Strategic decisions leaders make involving organizational changes such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), divestitures, and downsizing, which can influence and/or interact with other organizational factors. For example, within the context of M&A, changes impact financial performance, firm behaviors, and organizational culture. In addition, strategic decisions for these types of change can also interrelate with other more intrapersonal factors, including both leaders’ and employees’ health and well-being. Employee stress, also referred to as “merger syndrome,” outlines individual negative impacts of the changes including, but not limited to, cynicism and distrust, change wariness, and burnout, all accumulating to psychological effects including increases in detachment to work, stress, and sick leave. In this chapter, the authors outline the different impacts M&A phases have on stress and well-being and how they interrelate with the strategic decisions leaders make. The authors also outline future research opportunities and practical implications for how leaders and employees could better manage future major changes such as M&A activities.

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Stress and Well-being at the Strategic Level
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-359-0

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Book part
Publication date: 20 April 2022

Seun Adedokun Okunade

Many scholars have reflected on Ricardo’s comparative advantage theory, but little has been said about Yoruba economic thoughts, especially in the exchange and distribution of

Abstract

Many scholars have reflected on Ricardo’s comparative advantage theory, but little has been said about Yoruba economic thoughts, especially in the exchange and distribution of articles of trade. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans and their activities in the economy of Yorubaland in the pre-colonial period, communities had traded in local, distant markets and across frontiers with neighbours in exchange for products different to the ones they produced. This happened because different towns had specialised in the production of articles which were environmentally suitable to it. Soil fertility, dictated by environmental factors, was a determining factor in what was produced, as agriculture was essentially the predominant economic activity. Textile industries were also established which equally stimulated long-distance trade as specialised clothes were made for export to neighbouring regions. A number of Yoruba towns have been selected for this analysis. The work presents Yoruba economic thoughts and initiatives, and the activities of the indigenous people in the pre-colonial period in Yorubaland and critically assesses the articles which different towns produced for export to other cities and kingdoms in Yorubaland and beyond. Primary source in form of interviews were conducted, proverbs, and secondary sources such as books and journals were also consulted for this work. The economic thought of the people based on specialising in advantaged goods or what they easily produced and achieved is worth historical investigation as a means of celebrating their economic thoughts in a free market.

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Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology: Including a Symposium on David Gordon: American Radical Economist
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-990-3

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