Business & management:
• A prominent UK businessman has provoked controversy by suggesting that a law that prohibits interviewers discriminating against women by asking them whether they have or plan to have children, should be removed.
• A series of articles from Fast Company, looks at the nature and importance of teamwork, and how to lead teams.
Education
• A collaboration between a district care trust and the local public library now means that people with various learning disabilities feel more encouraged to use the library’s learning centre, when they may have previously felt libraries weren’t for them.
Environment & sustainability:
• A London tree officer has devised a new method of valuing a tree (other than just for its visual value), so that large trees aren’t felled because of doubtful suspicions about problems like subsidence. (A description of the valuation system can be found in a case study from the Trees in Towns II project.)
• Community gardens are a growing movement worldwide. Good information is available from the American Community Gardening Association, and locally Christchurch City Council has donated money to the Christchurch Community Gardens Association.
• An alternative approach to starting gardens in cities is the one taken by the world’s guerrilla gardeners. (LOGIS has ordered a copy of the author’s book, but in the meantime a US book “Guerrilla gardening: a manualfesto” is already in the LOGIS collection.)
• The Product Stewardship Foundation commissioned a report on “Waste Levies and Product Stewardship”, and results show that there is increasing support amongst NZers to pay more for a product, if it will ensure that they are disposed of correctly at the end of their useful life.
• The Asia-Pacific region is lagging behind In terms of providing access to energy services such as electricity, and must promote the sustainable and efficient use of energy.
• A United Nations Special Rapporteur says the US and the EU are one of the main causes of the current worldwide food crisis.
Health & wellbeing:
• While a third of people suffering depression in the UK say that they’ve been turned down for jobs due to their mental health status, many people also admit that if they discovered they had a serious illness, they wouldn’t tell colleagues or management at work.
• A Victoria University researcher has collaborated in a study that shows that a person’s memory of their decisions about end-of-life medical treatments and the contents of their living wills may not be as strong as they think. A high proportion of people falsely remembered that their original views on the issues matched their new ones.
Law & Government:
• Electronic methods of recording election votes were introduced in the US after the problems with punch-card voting systems in the 2000 elections. However, a number of states are now going back to paper-based ballot systems.
• Much can be learned for local government from “cross-national learning”. Some of the advantages and disadvantages are outlined by Robin Hambleton, Professor of City Leadership in the Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Bristol.
People, culture & diversity:
• A general increase in concerns about terrorism, paedophiles and privacy has meant that some innocent amateur photographers in the UK are being challenged by police and others in authority when they try to take photos out in public.
• Voicing your opinion via the Internet has become such an accepted part of life, that Time has announced its first annual list of their choices for the top 25 blogs.
• The Joint Information Systems Committee and the British Library commissioned research as part of their “Google Generation” project, which has produced a report called “Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future”. It shows that although the young have ease and familiarity with computers, they rely on the most basic search tools and do not possess the critical and analytical skills to asses the information that they find on the web.
• The Urban Libraries Council in the US have published “Welcome, stranger: public libraries build the global village” (118Mb). The report covers 5 strategies for successful immigrant inclusion and community adaption, and shows how they can be translated into public library outreach and programmes.
• The Joseph Rowntree Foundation was set up in the UK to work towards overcoming poverty, disadvantage and social evil. 100 years after Rowntree named the evils of his day, a survey commissioned by the Foundation has found that Britons’ modern view of social evils has covered some of the old ones, but includes some new ones, such as the decline of the family, immigration and responses to it, crime and violence, and young people as victims or perpetrators.
• A UK think tank says that the London Olympics in 2012 may improve tourism, leisure and infrastructure, but it won’t help to improve the lives of east London’s poorest residents. It says that local businesses will be unable to compete and local people will be priced out of the housing market because of gentrification.
• A “State of the Nation” survey by CIGNA Life Insurance shows that 64 percent of respondents said they thought life in New Zealand is getting harder.
Science, technology & transport:
• Royal Dutch Shell says "We don't understand the oil price at this stage", while announcing a 25% increase in 1st quarter profits.
Thursday, 1 May 2008
Thursday, 17 April 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 17/04):
Business & management:
• The UN believes that the global tourism industry has a key role to play in the solution to climate change.
• The NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development is suggesting that prudent businesses should be looking at ways to cut waste from their processes now, with high public support for the Waste Minimisation Bill. The Bill proposes a $10 per tonne levy on waste, but the Council expects that rate to rise in the future.
• UK research shows that for working women, the gender pay gap for women earning less than men, jumps from 1% in their 20s to 20% in their 40s. Older women are more likely to have career breaks to care for children and elderly parents.
• There is much excitement at the possibility that a new oilfield has been discovered off the coast of Brazil with the potential to rival those in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, although doubts are already being expressed about the size of the field.
• A study released by the UN University shows that the “brain-drain” of migrants taking their skills to other countries, in some industries may actually promote growth in their native countries. However, one industry where this is not true is the health industry.
• An online survey of NZ companies has investigated local organisations’ perceptions around environmental sustainability, and what role IT played in organisations’ energy plans. The survey shows that IT managers and IT professionals were less likely to believe that New Zealand must be environmentally sustainable to succeed in the global economy.
Education
• A new publication has been launched that aims to help parents and teachers to identify and nurture gifted children: “Nurturing Gifted and Talented Children - A Parent-Teacher Partnership” (Printed copies can also be ordered.)
Environment & sustainability:
• The government has released a booklet containing eco-advice that can be downloaded from its sustainability website, aimed at the NZers who have said that they’d like to know more about how to protect the environment. Called “25 easy steps towards sustainability”, it won’t be printed, as that will save on paper.
• The Proposed NZ Coastal Policy Statement 2008 is available on the Dept of Conservation website, with submissions closing at 5pm 7 May 2008.
• Low-lying countries could be at serious risk from rising sea levels by the end of this century. New research presented at a Vienna conference suggests that the rise will be somewhere between 0.8m and 1.5 m.
• US studies show that energy use of new buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification system are performing nearly 25 percent to 30 percent better than non-certified buildings.
Health & wellbeing:
• A review of medical studies has resulted in a group of influential scientists saying that special vacuum cleaners, mattress covers and chemicals are a waste of money in preventing asthma attacks due to dust mites.
• A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has shown a "strong correlation" between deaths, engine exhaust fumes and other transport-related substances.
• Nutritionists in the UK are concerned about the food being given to children in nurseries – some are being fed a diet that is good for adults, but not for toddlers. There is confusion or misinformation about what entails healthy eating for the under-five age group.
• There is concern from UK MPs that there is over-prescribing of anti-psychotic drugs in nursing homes as a means to control dementia or Alzheimer’s patients.
People, culture & diversity:
• A noticeable trend in society is the 'freemales' phenomenon, part of a definite culture of singledom. The UK Office of National Statistics has recently released a report showing that the number of women living alone aged between 25 and 44 - when traditionally they’d be married, having families - has doubled in the past two decades. In Australia, they call single people living in cities “SPUD”s.
Science, technology & transport:
• This year’s Webby Awards have included 2 NZ websites as Official Honourees: Stuff for the News category, and the ACC’s Active Smart in the Health category.
• The government is calling for feedback on the Draft Digital Strategy version 2.0. Naturally, feedback is being sought through the website’s forum and blog and a wiki as well as the usual methods of making submissions. Consultation is from 14th April to 5.00 pm 12th May.
• American research indicates that building new rail transit schemes in an attempt to reduce greenhouse emissions doesn’t seem to be working. Not surprising, when a US reporter says that US think tanks embrace roads as a solution to traffic congestion, seeing them as "an expression of the free market and American individualism, and a rail line as an example of government meddling and creeping socialism."
• Since the 1990s, an invention by a Nigerian teacher has made a huge improvement to the lives of people in Africa by providing a means of keeping food cool so that it will last longer, and away from disease-carrying flies – without electricity.
• The UN believes that the global tourism industry has a key role to play in the solution to climate change.
• The NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development is suggesting that prudent businesses should be looking at ways to cut waste from their processes now, with high public support for the Waste Minimisation Bill. The Bill proposes a $10 per tonne levy on waste, but the Council expects that rate to rise in the future.
• UK research shows that for working women, the gender pay gap for women earning less than men, jumps from 1% in their 20s to 20% in their 40s. Older women are more likely to have career breaks to care for children and elderly parents.
• There is much excitement at the possibility that a new oilfield has been discovered off the coast of Brazil with the potential to rival those in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, although doubts are already being expressed about the size of the field.
• A study released by the UN University shows that the “brain-drain” of migrants taking their skills to other countries, in some industries may actually promote growth in their native countries. However, one industry where this is not true is the health industry.
• An online survey of NZ companies has investigated local organisations’ perceptions around environmental sustainability, and what role IT played in organisations’ energy plans. The survey shows that IT managers and IT professionals were less likely to believe that New Zealand must be environmentally sustainable to succeed in the global economy.
Education
• A new publication has been launched that aims to help parents and teachers to identify and nurture gifted children: “Nurturing Gifted and Talented Children - A Parent-Teacher Partnership” (Printed copies can also be ordered.)
Environment & sustainability:
• The government has released a booklet containing eco-advice that can be downloaded from its sustainability website, aimed at the NZers who have said that they’d like to know more about how to protect the environment. Called “25 easy steps towards sustainability”, it won’t be printed, as that will save on paper.
• The Proposed NZ Coastal Policy Statement 2008 is available on the Dept of Conservation website, with submissions closing at 5pm 7 May 2008.
• Low-lying countries could be at serious risk from rising sea levels by the end of this century. New research presented at a Vienna conference suggests that the rise will be somewhere between 0.8m and 1.5 m.
• US studies show that energy use of new buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification system are performing nearly 25 percent to 30 percent better than non-certified buildings.
Health & wellbeing:
• A review of medical studies has resulted in a group of influential scientists saying that special vacuum cleaners, mattress covers and chemicals are a waste of money in preventing asthma attacks due to dust mites.
• A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has shown a "strong correlation" between deaths, engine exhaust fumes and other transport-related substances.
• Nutritionists in the UK are concerned about the food being given to children in nurseries – some are being fed a diet that is good for adults, but not for toddlers. There is confusion or misinformation about what entails healthy eating for the under-five age group.
• There is concern from UK MPs that there is over-prescribing of anti-psychotic drugs in nursing homes as a means to control dementia or Alzheimer’s patients.
People, culture & diversity:
• A noticeable trend in society is the 'freemales' phenomenon, part of a definite culture of singledom. The UK Office of National Statistics has recently released a report showing that the number of women living alone aged between 25 and 44 - when traditionally they’d be married, having families - has doubled in the past two decades. In Australia, they call single people living in cities “SPUD”s.
Science, technology & transport:
• This year’s Webby Awards have included 2 NZ websites as Official Honourees: Stuff for the News category, and the ACC’s Active Smart in the Health category.
• The government is calling for feedback on the Draft Digital Strategy version 2.0. Naturally, feedback is being sought through the website’s forum and blog and a wiki as well as the usual methods of making submissions. Consultation is from 14th April to 5.00 pm 12th May.
• American research indicates that building new rail transit schemes in an attempt to reduce greenhouse emissions doesn’t seem to be working. Not surprising, when a US reporter says that US think tanks embrace roads as a solution to traffic congestion, seeing them as "an expression of the free market and American individualism, and a rail line as an example of government meddling and creeping socialism."
• Since the 1990s, an invention by a Nigerian teacher has made a huge improvement to the lives of people in Africa by providing a means of keeping food cool so that it will last longer, and away from disease-carrying flies – without electricity.
Thursday, 10 April 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 10/04):
Business & management:
• The US and Australia don’t have paid statutory maternity leave. A few US companies are talking a lateral approach to the issues surrounding maternity leave, by allowing parents (mostly women) to bring their baby to work. Some UK journalists describe their experience of bringing Baby into the office for the day.
• Rankers is a ranking and review website that takes the results of interviews with travellers in NZ about their experiences, and makes the rankings available to travellers globally via the website. Rankings are in the categories of “Activities”, “Tours”, “Transport” and “Regions” – under Auckland, the Maritime Museum has an 88% ranking, the Zoo has 85%, and the Museum has 82%.
• Kiwihost is telling people working in customer services not to be so fast to ask customers the “Can I help you?” question. What was once a golden rule of good customer service has become something most people find irritating.
Environment & sustainability:
• The NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development has surveyed NZers on their preferred source of energy – wind and solar power are most preferred, coal, gas and nuclear power are least preferred.
• The NZ Freedom Camping Forum convened by the Tourism Industry Association of NZ is developing a responsible freedom camping code that will help visitors to NZ to respect the environment and camp responsibly.
• A report to be released on 15th April from the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), says that modern agricultural practices may be highly productive, but have also done a lot of damage. The group recommends more emphasis on ‘agro-ecological’ practices.
Health & wellbeing:
• As part of the Children’s Plan in the UK, (the government’s strategy on children’s play), local councils could be required to achieve targets for improving children’s play facilities and families will be surveyed for their opinions as a measure of achieving the target.
• This year’s session of the UN Commission on Population and Development has started with officials stressing that although the number of people living in cities this year outranks those living in rural areas for the first time, it is important to understand how successful cities have dealt with pollution, slums and other ills.
• German scientists are warning about studies show that airborne mould spores from organic waste could lead to allergic reactions, asthma attacks, hayfever-like symptoms and itchy skin lesions.
• The ALAC Partnerships Conference in Nelson this week (Local government – Planning for alcohol in the community) has been told that an Australian study has found increased domestic violence linked to new liquor licences.
• The US Federal Communications Commission is to establish a nationwide cell phone alert system that can be used to send text messages in an area where a crisis or an emergency has occurred.
Law & Government:
• Thefts of copper power transmission lines in the Waikato, and aluminium covers in Manukau pumping facilities are local examples of the rise in crime related to scrap metals. In cities in the US, metal theft is often the result of high scrap metal prices combining with a need by local drug addicts to make money, and million dollar sculptures have been stolen simply for their (much) lower scrap value. The US Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries now provides advice to recyclers, also suffering from the thefts.
• In the UK, councils will now have more powers to hold their members to account for their conduct and local standards committees will have the responsibility for initially assessing all allegations of misconduct by councillors.
• The first all-of-government survey asking NZers how they feel about public services has been released. Local government has a service group satisfaction level of 73%, with the environment and recreation service group taking the top satisfaction level with 79%.
• Over the next fortnight, the UN Human Rights Council will survey 16 member nations by examining their human rights records and gathering information from a variety of sources. The new mechanism will eventually survey all member nations once every four years.
People, culture & diversity:
• In the NZ Herald this week, was the report by the Asia NZ Foundation: “Diverse Auckland: The Face of New Zealand in the 21st Century”. The report is the latest from the Foundation’s Outlook series.
• British grandmothers think their daughters are being put under huge pressure to rigidly control everything in their own babies' lives.
• Parents are more likely to use the Internet for information and entertainment more often than adults with no children.
Science, technology & transport:
• What can the world of ancient Rome tell modern analysts about protecting infrastructure? A US infrastructure protection strategist draws comparisons between the ancient Roman aqueducts and modern infrastructure security. And what lessons can be learned from a Bronze-Age fort about developing Internet security in the Digital Age?
• Microsoft has sponsored research on human-computer interactions, predicting that computers will be able to anticipate what we want from them. A report has been published: “Beyond human: human-computer interaction in the year 2020”.
• The Internet has had a profound effect on the profession of journalism and broadcast media, to the extent that one journalist has predicted that there will be no need for foreign correspondents within 5 years time.
• The US and Australia don’t have paid statutory maternity leave. A few US companies are talking a lateral approach to the issues surrounding maternity leave, by allowing parents (mostly women) to bring their baby to work. Some UK journalists describe their experience of bringing Baby into the office for the day.
• Rankers is a ranking and review website that takes the results of interviews with travellers in NZ about their experiences, and makes the rankings available to travellers globally via the website. Rankings are in the categories of “Activities”, “Tours”, “Transport” and “Regions” – under Auckland, the Maritime Museum has an 88% ranking, the Zoo has 85%, and the Museum has 82%.
• Kiwihost is telling people working in customer services not to be so fast to ask customers the “Can I help you?” question. What was once a golden rule of good customer service has become something most people find irritating.
Environment & sustainability:
• The NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development has surveyed NZers on their preferred source of energy – wind and solar power are most preferred, coal, gas and nuclear power are least preferred.
• The NZ Freedom Camping Forum convened by the Tourism Industry Association of NZ is developing a responsible freedom camping code that will help visitors to NZ to respect the environment and camp responsibly.
• A report to be released on 15th April from the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), says that modern agricultural practices may be highly productive, but have also done a lot of damage. The group recommends more emphasis on ‘agro-ecological’ practices.
Health & wellbeing:
• As part of the Children’s Plan in the UK, (the government’s strategy on children’s play), local councils could be required to achieve targets for improving children’s play facilities and families will be surveyed for their opinions as a measure of achieving the target.
• This year’s session of the UN Commission on Population and Development has started with officials stressing that although the number of people living in cities this year outranks those living in rural areas for the first time, it is important to understand how successful cities have dealt with pollution, slums and other ills.
• German scientists are warning about studies show that airborne mould spores from organic waste could lead to allergic reactions, asthma attacks, hayfever-like symptoms and itchy skin lesions.
• The ALAC Partnerships Conference in Nelson this week (Local government – Planning for alcohol in the community) has been told that an Australian study has found increased domestic violence linked to new liquor licences.
• The US Federal Communications Commission is to establish a nationwide cell phone alert system that can be used to send text messages in an area where a crisis or an emergency has occurred.
Law & Government:
• Thefts of copper power transmission lines in the Waikato, and aluminium covers in Manukau pumping facilities are local examples of the rise in crime related to scrap metals. In cities in the US, metal theft is often the result of high scrap metal prices combining with a need by local drug addicts to make money, and million dollar sculptures have been stolen simply for their (much) lower scrap value. The US Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries now provides advice to recyclers, also suffering from the thefts.
• In the UK, councils will now have more powers to hold their members to account for their conduct and local standards committees will have the responsibility for initially assessing all allegations of misconduct by councillors.
• The first all-of-government survey asking NZers how they feel about public services has been released. Local government has a service group satisfaction level of 73%, with the environment and recreation service group taking the top satisfaction level with 79%.
• Over the next fortnight, the UN Human Rights Council will survey 16 member nations by examining their human rights records and gathering information from a variety of sources. The new mechanism will eventually survey all member nations once every four years.
People, culture & diversity:
• In the NZ Herald this week, was the report by the Asia NZ Foundation: “Diverse Auckland: The Face of New Zealand in the 21st Century”. The report is the latest from the Foundation’s Outlook series.
• British grandmothers think their daughters are being put under huge pressure to rigidly control everything in their own babies' lives.
• Parents are more likely to use the Internet for information and entertainment more often than adults with no children.
Science, technology & transport:
• What can the world of ancient Rome tell modern analysts about protecting infrastructure? A US infrastructure protection strategist draws comparisons between the ancient Roman aqueducts and modern infrastructure security. And what lessons can be learned from a Bronze-Age fort about developing Internet security in the Digital Age?
• Microsoft has sponsored research on human-computer interactions, predicting that computers will be able to anticipate what we want from them. A report has been published: “Beyond human: human-computer interaction in the year 2020”.
• The Internet has had a profound effect on the profession of journalism and broadcast media, to the extent that one journalist has predicted that there will be no need for foreign correspondents within 5 years time.
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