Countries Of North-west Europe Research Articles

A systemic framework of energy efficiency in schools: experiences from six European countries

Schools are complex physical and social institutions within national education systems. They account for significant energy consumption and like other buildings can demonstrate inefficient patterns of energy use. Poor energy performance of educational facilities is an intricate issue driven by complex causality of interconnected and dynamic factors. Addressing this issue requires a systemic approach, which is heretofore lacking. The aim of this research is to present and describe a systemic framework to facilitate energy reduction in schools across different European contexts. This transdisciplinary approach to sustainable energy use has been piloted in 13 post-primary schools located in six countries in northwest Europe. The research implements a series of planned activities and interventions, which help to unveil a systemic approach to improving energy efficiency in schools. The findings demonstrate how this approach, together with its ensuing methodologies and strategies, can contribute to reducing carbon emissions and improve knowledge and awareness around sustainable energy.

Metal-Detecting Rallies

ABSTRACTHobby metal detectorists search for archaeological finds as individuals and within groups, the latter being the focus of this article. Such groups come together as “clubs” and “meetings,” but also as part of large, often commercially run events typically known as “rallies.” All these activities are attractive to detectorists because they provide them with access to land to search, along with the promise of making interesting (even valuable) discoveries, and they have a social dimension. They are common in England and also well established in several countries in northwest Europe, partly due to changing legislation. Although policies and mechanisms are often in place for collaboration with individual detectorists and even local metal-detecting clubs, larger events (not least, the large-scale commercial rallies increasingly occurring in England) present challenges for professional archaeologists, specifically in relation to the capacity to properly record finds and manage potential damage to the historic environment. To respond appropriately to these changes, a greater understanding of detectorists’ events is needed. For this reason, we explore and define the scale, nature, and diversity of group events, relating them to different legislative and cultural contexts in Flanders (Belgium), England (and Wales), and Finland. Subsequently, we outline challenges associated with group events and identify possible ways forward.

Negotiating the green obstacle course: Ranking priorities and problems for municipal green infrastructure implementation

This paper sets out the results of a study exploring, and ranking in order of perceived significance, the priorities and obstacles faced by smaller cities when implementing green infrastructure (GI) projects. The study captured the views of 49 municipal officers and elected representatives in cities of less than 500,000 population across four countries in northwest Europe, using a closed card sorting methodology as part of a semi-structured interview format. The results show a clear hierarchy in priorities, with particular attention paid to anthropocentric benefits to residents, especially the importance of aesthetics and liveability as a key objective in GI delivery, and the desirability of securing visible benefit to residents within the electoral cycle; longer-term objectives linked to environmental and economic challenges, although acknowledged in corporate policies, attract a lower priority when it comes to delivery, and may encounter trade-offs against other desired benefits. The greatest obstacle to GI delivery is not funding, as found in other studies, although this remains significant; rather, it is difficulty of collaborations and fragmentation within the city organisation which participants attributed to a lack of leadership and prioritisation of green initiatives. Capacity is also a clear issue, and the results highlight a lack of resources (including funding) but also skills in assembling evidence in support of projects, and staff time to bid for and deliver new GI proposals. When comparing these findings to others from larger cities, particularly those with a population over 1 million, the results suggest differences in prioritisation, critical mass, resources and capabilities and capacities influencing GI implementation, these are important to consider as they may prevent transferability of GI best practices from larger cities, who tend to be more active and innovative, to smaller scale cities. Co-production of knowledge, could offer considerable potential to improve GI implementation, but the design of any such schemes should recognise the issue of capacity by providing resources to allow participation of practitioners in smaller municipalities. Finally, respondents highlighted increasing environmental awareness of local communities and whilst the effect of this is yet to be seen, this was considered as having considerable potential in improving GI implementation in smaller municipalities.

Measuring nest incorporation of anthropogenic debris by seabirds: An opportunistic approach increases geographic scope and reduces costs

Data on the prevalence of anthropogenic debris in seabird nests can be collected alongside other research or through community science initiatives to increase the temporal and spatial scale of data collection. To assess the usefulness of this approach, we collated data on nest incorporation of debris for 14 seabird species from 84 colonies across five countries in northwest Europe. Of 10,274 nests monitored 12% contained debris, however, there was large variation in the proportion of nests containing debris among species and colonies. For several species, the prevalence of debris in nests was significantly related to the mean Human Footprint Index (HFI), a proxy for human impact on the environment, within 100 km of the colony. Collecting opportunistic data on nest incorporation of debris by seabirds provides a cost-effective method of detecting changes in the prevalence of debris in the marine environment across a large geographic scale.

Reurbanisation and suburbia in Northwest Europe: A comparative perspective on spatial trends and policy approaches

Following decades of urban decline in many European cities, there is now an abundant literature identifying a process of reurbanisation, which has now also reached many secondary cities, including those in post-industrialised regions. Reurbanisation is an umbrella concept involving several related but distinct processes, though has its roots in spatial cycle models that consider reurbanisation to be a specific stage in the development of urban regions. Most of the emerging reurbanisation debate, however, is primarily concerned with processes in and impacts on the urban core while suburbia (the ring) is notably absent from much of this discussion. This is all the more surprising since part and parcel of many definitions of reurbanisation is the relationship between the core and the ring. This paper seeks to fill this gap, looking at four highly developed countries in Northwest Europe from a comparative perspective: England, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Far from being uniform, reurbanisation differs substantially between the countries in terms of temporal and spatial patterns due to differences in policy responses in both the urban core and suburbia.

Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa): its invasion and colonisation of the Sefton Coast, north Merseyside, UK

A spiny shrub native to north-west Pacific coasts, Rosa rugosa Thunb. (Japanese Rose) was introduced into Britain in the 19th century as a garden plant. It has since become a well-established and widespread naturalised alien, especially on sand-dunes, shingle beaches and other dry coastal habitats. The plant is also considered invasive on coasts of many other countries in Northwest Europe. Mounting concern about its recent spread on the internationally important sand-dune system of the Sefton Coast, north Merseyside, led to a volunteer survey being organised in 2014, involving 47 participants. They searched most of the 27 km-long coastal zone, recording almost 500 patches with a total area of nearly 6 ha. R. rugosa occurred especially on younger calcareous dunes (soil pH 5.6 – 8.2) near the sea and close to roads and human habitation. Few patches were found on older, more acidic duneland, or on a 5 km erosion front around Formby Point. This pattern of occurrence accords with that reported elsewhere for R. rugosa, indicating that the sea is implicated in the dispersion of propagules and that the species also establishes from anthropogenic sources, including ornamental plantings. It is concluded that the plant is a threat to dune habitats and species on the Sefton Coast. Control measures are discussed and the early stages of patch removal are described.

A Study on the Improvement Plan of the Korean funeral System

본 논문은 우리나라 장례제도를 북서 유럽 선진국들의 장례제도와 사례를 비교 검토하여 우리나라의 바람직한 장례문화의 대안을 찾고자 한다. 이 논문에서 가장 핵심적인 내용은 경제적 생산성이 전혀 없는 묘지가 인구밀도 세계 3위인 우리나라의 좁은 국토를 잠식한다는 것이다. 즉 전 국토의 1%가 묘지화 되었으며, 매년 일정 면적이 묘지로 잠식되어가고 있는 실정이다. 우리나라는 좁은 국토에 매년 묘지 설치로 막대한 산림이 훼손되고 있으며, 특히 양지 바른 곳이나, 교통이 편리한 지역에 묘지가 살치 되는 바람에 국토가 효율적으로 사용되지 못하고 있다. 우리나라도 시대적인 변화에 맞추어 화장 문화가 확산되어야 한다. 그러기 위해서는 개인의 의식구조의 변화와 더불어 사회나 국가가 화장시설의 설치에 앞장서야 한다. 따라서 본 논문에서는 우리나라의 매장ㆍ화장ㆍ기타 장례제도에 대한 현황을 파악하고, 북서유럽 선진 국가들의 여러 장례제도를 열거 비교하여 우리 실정에 적합한 제도를 찾고자 한다. 이를 위해서 우리나라의 장묘문화 문제점의 원인을 세부적으로 지적하여 보고, 이에 대하여 개선을 위한 정책적 제도를 마련하고자 한다.This paper examines the funeral system of Korea and the advanced countries of Northwest Europe. The most important point in this paper is that the cemetery, which has no economic productivity. It induces the encroachment of the land. In other words, 1% of the whole country has been cemetery, and a certain area is being eroded every year by the cemetery. In Korea, a huge buried forest is damaged due to the installation of cemetery every year in a narrow territory. Especially, the graveyard is installed in a place where sunny place and traffic are convenient, and the land is not used effectively. In Korea, culture of cremation should be spread according to the change of the times. In order to do so, society or the state should take the lead in establishing cremating facilities and crypts with the change of individual consciousness structure. Therefore, in this paper, we would like to find out the current status of burial, cremation, and other funeral systems in Korea and to find out the system suitable for our situation by enumerating and comparing the funeral systems of advanced countries in Northwest Europe. For this purpose, I will point out the problems of Korean burial in detail and prepare a policy system for improvement.

Identifying perspectives of public project managers on project success: Comparing viewpoints of managers from five countries in North-West Europe

Public and private project managers contribute to the success of Large Infrastructure Projects. Considering the public client, so far researchers have been looking at him in a passive role with respect to project success. The focus of this exploratory research is what public project managers who are actively involved in the project, consider project success. Using Q-methodology, we identify four viewpoints in the respondent group, consisting of managers from five North-Western European countries and the specific success criteria accompanying these viewpoints. Within each viewpoint, the managers have the same vision on the ranking of project success criteria. Next to the conventional project manager, we distinguish the product driven manager, the parent oriented manager and the manager with a stakeholder focus. In Large Infrastructure Projects, where public and private partners collaborate, awareness of these different perspectives will help to understand the motives of the public project manager.

Survival, cold tolerance and seasonality of infection of European horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) by Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi

Bleeding canker of European horse chestnut, caused by the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi (Pae), is now an established disease throughout several countries in northwest Europe after first emerging in 2001–2002. Pae infects the woody branches of horse chestnut directly via natural discontinuities in the bark, such as lenticels, leaf scars and leaf traces, and nodes. However, the timing of infection in relation to seasonality of host development, and the dispersal mechanisms of Pae, in particular its ability to survive and spread in soil and water, remains unknown. In this study, infection of freshly cut horse chestnut shoots by Pae was assessed at monthly intervals over a 12 month period. Pae infected the greatest numbers of lenticels and leaf scars of horse chestnut when inoculated onto actively elongating shoots in spring and early summer, whereas lesion extension from artificial wound sites was greatest after inoculation during early dormancy. Soil survival experiments showed that Pae was still detectable and viable after 50 weeks' incubation in sterile soil and 41 weeks' incubation in nonsterile soil in the absence of host debris. Pae also remained viable and pathogenic after 1 year's storage in King's B broth at −20 and −80°C, and was not killed by freeze/thaw treatments. Thus Pae is able to survive independently for extended periods in soil and water, and can tolerate lengthy periods of freezing at very low temperatures. Such information may facilitate a greater understanding of the epidemiology and spread of Pae in northern Europe.

Variation in the reactive phosphorus concentrations in rivers of northwest Europe with respect to their potential to cause eutrophication

AbstractBy 2002, there had been a variable implementation of phosphorus (P) removal at waste water treatment works in a set of countries in northwest Europe; ranging from close to 100% of the urban populations in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden to between 2% and 56% of the inland urban populations in Belgium, France, Ireland and the UK. This variable application has resulted in a proportional lowering of reactive phosphorus (RP) concentrations in rivers. Thus, although the inland urban population density of Germany exceeds that of the UK (207 vs. 148 persons km−2), mean RP in 2004 was lower in German rivers (75 vs. 265 μg P L−1). By adjusting urban populations downwards by the P equivalent populations removed through tertiary treatment, the resulting effective urban population density was strongly and positively correlated with mean river RP concentration (r = 0.99) and the percentage of rivers with average RP >100 μg P L−1 (r = 0.98). Two agricultural variables, the agricultural area as a percentage of total area and the application of P in manures and fertilizers to the national land area were uncorrelated with either mean or median RP concentrations but were negatively correlated with the proportion of rivers with low mean concentrations of RP (<25 μg P L−1). Phosphorus discharges associated with urban populations remains the strongest driver of a time‐weighted variable such as average RP concentration, although agricultural variables may exert a stronger influence on flow‐weighted concentrations or loadings of RP.

Migrant Populations Approaching Old Age: Prospects in Europe

The 1950s was the crucial decade for the initiation of mass migration in postwar Europe. By 1960 many countries of North-West Europe had witnessed the establishment of what were to become significant communities of immigrant origin. Although a number of the early migrants have since returned to their places of origin, considerable numbers remain in their migratory destinations. They constitute a population sub-group that has recently approached retirement age and where the further ageing of the migratory cohort will be of particular significance over the next decade. This study considers the demographic legacy of mass migration in Europe, paying particular attention to the age structure of the immigrant populations. The paper considers the projection of immigrant age structures in a number of countries over the period to 2010. It is shown that the numbers of older first-generation migrants are set to increase very considerably, but with some variations between groups. The paper ends with a consideration of the significance of such demographic evolution for areas such as health and social services support.

A European comparison of the costs and risks of mortgages for owner-occupiers

Mortgage take-up by homeowners differs enormously across Europe. The loan-to-value and loan-to-income ratios are quite dissimilar, ranging from some 20% and 0.9 respectively in Italy to more than 90% and 3.5 respectively in some countries in northwest Europe. In addition, the mortgage characteristics vary from a short-term serial loan to a high-risk endowment mortgage based on shares. To a certain extent, a statistical comparison of the loan-to-value and loan-to-income ratios can provide a good indication of the risks that owner-occupiers run in financing their own home. At the same time, this kind of comparison ignores the causes of the risks, namely the volatility or uncertainty of future interest rates, house prices and changes in income. It also disregards the main mortgage characteristics, the cost of taking out a mortgage, and the direct and indirect subsidies, including interest deductibility, factors that have a big influence on the real costs and risks for homeowners. A Monte Carlo simulation mod...

International variations in availability and diffusion of alternatives to in-patient care in Europe: the case of day surgery

Objectives: Technological and medical developments have contributed to the increasing number of surgical procedures carried out as a day-case rather than an inpatient hospital setting. The diffusion of day surgery varies among European countries. This study aims at explaining this variation in healthcare system characteristics. Methods: Questionnaires were sent to experts in 12 countries in Northwest Europe. The questionnaire contained questions about the organization and diffusion of day case surgery (at country level and individually for 18 selected procedures), and relevant healthcare system characteristics (financing systems, organization of after care, etc.). Results: It is demonstrated that hospital bed supply relates to the diffusion of day surgery. In countries with fewer beds, a higher day surgery rate is found. The financing system of hospitals does not influence the choice of surgical setting. In countries with a fee-for-service financing system for hospital-based physicians, day surgery rates are not higher than in countries with salaried medical specialists. With respect to aftercare, the availability of sufficient home nurses favours day surgery. Conclusions: The relative scarcity of hospital beds or large reductions in bed supply has led to the perception of day surgery as an alternative that could meet the growing demand for surgical treatment. It is worthy of note that, although the majority of experts state that financial incentives discourage day surgery, the supply is growing.

Respiratory infection and coronary heart disease: progression of a paradigm.

We have developed a previously published paradigm concerning causation of coronary heart disease, based on the probability that the fundamental cause is a microbe, probably Chlamydia pneumoniae, and that the progress of the disease is influenced by number of accelerating and inhibiting factors. We propose that cigarette smoking acts via respiratory infection, this itself being influenced by immunocompetence resulting from sunlight exposure. We also propose an immuno-enhancing effect of oestrogen and an anti-inflammatory effect of statin therapy. In respect of the geographical variation of coronary heart disease, we emphasize that this must be viewed as part of the bigger picture of a high mortality from all causes in countries of North-west Europe that have a particularly low level of sunlight exposure. Finally, we draw attention to the Albanian, French, Italian, Northern Ireland and Scottish paradoxes which should lead to a major review of the conventional wisdom concerning the aetiogenesis of coronary heart disease.

Annual variation in birth rate of people who subsequently develop schizophrenia.

Previous attempts to decide whether there is significant year-to-year variation in the birth rate of people who subsequently develop schizophrenia have given conflicting results, probably because of differences in the statistical methods employed. To determine whether there is significant year-to-year variation in the birth rate. Variation in the birth rate for the period 1921-1960 was studied in three separate national data sets--English, Danish and Scottish--using cubic splines to smooth the distribution curve before calculating residuals from a Poisson distribution. Over-dispersion was found in all three data sets, particularly in the Danish and Scottish data. However, the correlation between the sets of standardised residuals derived from the three data sets was only statistically significant for Denmark v. England. There was statistically significant year-to-year variation in the birth rate of people who subsequently developed schizophrenia in three countries in north-west Europe in the years 1921-1960. This is potentially a clue to the nature of the environmental determinants of schizophrenia, but better data will be needed before useful explanatory hypotheses can be generated and tested.

Seafaring Missionary Societies and Maritime Education and Training, 1815–1914

With a revivalist, evangelical fervour, seamen's missions spread rapidly in the 1820s to many parts of the world, but especially in the United Kingdom and the United States. The religious objective was conversion and salvation, but to achieve this the missions addressed the spiritual and social needs of the whole person. Illiteracy was widespread and the improvement of the basic education of seafarers and their families leading to Bible study was a key technique. From the earliest beginnings missions operated Sunday and day schools, and some made provision for professional education in the form of navigation classes. The paper makes a detailed examination of selected schooling in both categories, using British examples but drawing attention to parallel developments in the United States. Mission involvement in maritime education in mainland countries of north-west Europe was probably not significant. In Britain and America seamen's mission elementary schooling died with the development of state systems, though Sunday schools were sustained into the twentieth century. However some missions remained invoked in and even developed navigation teaching in the new century. Missions were significant educational providers in port districts in the early decades; in the later period they were no more than one provider amongst several

Earthquake-mail (E-mail?) for low-seismic zone earthquake hazard assessment

Abstract The Roermond earthquake of 13 April 1992 in the Netherlands, of magnitude 5.8 on the Richter scale, although claiming only one fatality through a heart-attack, caused significant damage estimated at £30–40 million. The low recurrence determined at 135 years for an earthquake of this magnitude, does not encourage the funding of research despite the large quantity of data assembled, especially in connection with surveys to assess compensation grants from the earthquake hazard fund set up by the Netherlands government. Electronic mail (E-mail) is a tool made used both to transfer information and solicit information. An earthquake mail facility could be integrated in a Seismological Engineering Information System (SEIS). Such a facility is being set up to provide links between users and suppliers of the data and analysis methods in the SEIS. An earthquake discussion box, on E-mail, concerned with problems in earthquake engineering in low-seismicity countries in northwest Europe is a cautious preliminary initiative to provide a communication platform between researchers in seismology and earthquake engineering.

Recent trends in migration between core and peripheral regions in developed and advanced developing countries.

"The main finding of this article is that net internal migration to the core regions in the countries of the developed world, which subsided in the 1970s, increased in the 1980s, although not to the level of the 1960s. In some countries of northwest Europe there is a balance now in net flows between core and periphery. In the countries of the periphery of Europe and Japan net internal migration to the core regions increased slightly in the 1980s. Net migration flows to the periphery have completely reversed in Canada, and net flows out of the core regions of the United States have been significantly reduced. In eastern Europe, however, there is still moderate net migration to the core regions without any interruption as seen in western Europe, North America, and Japan. In South Korea and Taiwan rates of net migration to the core regions have been reduced from their high levels of the 1970s, but they are still quite high and show no clear sign of a break from the past."

The Security Policies of Small NATO Countries: Factors of Change

Petersen, N. The Security Policies of Small NATO Countries: Factors of Change. Cooperation and Conflict, XXIII, 1988, 145-162. During the 1980s the traditional security policies of the smaller NATO countries in Northwest Europe have been under considerable stress. Policy changes have been most profound in Denmark, but similar trends have been evidenced in Norway, Holland and Belgium. Based on a simple analytical framework the article analyses the nature of these trends, mostly in the Danish case, and their background in domestic, transnational as well as systemic factors. Security policy values have changed, especially with respect to nuclear weapons; the policy process has become more complex and conflictual, and resulting policies have deviated from the old alliance loyalty of these countries. Among explanatory factors the article focuses on the breakdown of detente and increasing pressures on the European NATO members which were especially onerous for the small countries, changes in public opinion, transnational cooperation between political parties and social movements, and developments in Social Demo cratic perceptions. Even though some of these factors have been eclipsed by the present era of renewed detente, the adaptation of the small NATO countries to it is likely to be conditioned by the significant changes in perceptions, processes and policies which occurred in the 1980s.

Reduced tillage in north-west Europe—A review

The main features of the climate and soils of the main crop production areas of different countries in north-west Europe are outlined, and the main crops grown are summarised. The need for tillage is considered; provided that suitable conditions exist for germination, root growth is most likely to be influenced by mechanical impedance and aeration. Traditional tillage may not always be necessary and may hinder timely sowing of crops. Shallow tillage can facilitate planting a larger area of crops closer to the optimum dates in autumn and in spring, which also saves energy and labour. Research experience with reduced tillage over the last 20–25 years is reviewed. Shallow tillage has been as good as mouldboard ploughing at the traditional depth in most countries on a wide range of soil types, if weed control was satisfactory. Direct drilling has often proved satisfactory in the absence of crop residues for autumn sown crops (wheat, barley, oil-seed rape and beans) where drainage (and therefore soil aeration) was not limiting. Direct drilling has not generally been successful for spring sown crops. Direct drilling is inappropriate for root crops, but strip tillage for sugar beet may become practicable. Some research on soil conditions associated with these experiments is considered. Crop residues are a major constraint to shallow tillage or direct drilling of autumn sown crops. The limitations of reduced tillage due to inadequate weed control, wheel-traffic damage and unsatisfactory drainage are reviewed. The need for occasional deep loosening is also discussed. Where the amount of residues is small, much tillage may be unnecessary, except to relieve compaction by wheels; bed systems or wide-span gantries to avoid wheel damage could become practical developments for some crops.