Problem For Future Generations Research Articles

Retrospective Attitudes and Non-Identity

Many philosophers think the non-identity problem undermines the ability for future generations to have been wronged by past ones. This problem has prompted a number of responses, some of which purport to vindicate the relevant claims of wrongdoing. However, I argue that a closely related issue remains even for those convinced by these responses. It is commonly thought that wrongdoing makes certain retrospective attitudes, such as resentment, fitting toward the wrongdoer. In this paper, I shift a familiar problem of future generations from wrongdoing to the fittingness of retrospective attitudes, and I show that a narrative sense of identity provides one means of addressing the puzzle of how these attitudes can be fi tting in non-identity cases.

Human Editing: From Geneticization to New Forms of Equality and Identity

The article analyzes a number of philosophical problems caused by the emergence of the new genetic engineering tool CRISPR/Cas9 and the possible legitimization of genetic engineering technologies, in general. The non-therapeutic context of the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 tool is considered, and in this context the problem of future generations' rights and human species identity is analyzed. Using J. Rawls' idea of the “veil of ignorance”, the problem of the distribution of genetic advantages is analyzed and possible trajectories for its solution are demonstrated. The link between genetic enhancement and new forms of biosociality and inequality is presented. It is concluded that the rights of future generations in the competition of opposing ethical-philosophical attitudes will be problematized both within the framework of defending the attitude to the naturalness and in the context of defending human genetic modification.

Defining a mountain landscape characterized by grazing using actor perception, governmental strategy, and environmental monitoring data

In multi-functional mountainous landscapes worldwide, conservation of natural values is a major task. Here, pro-active policies can be a way forward. National Environmental Quality Objectives (EQO) to solve environmental problems for future generations, however, often wrestle with being too visionary and lacking specificity, which complicates their implementation. The EQO “A Magnificent Mountain Landscape” that has been adopted by the Swedish Parliament in 1999 to preserve the pristine mountain environment in Sweden, experiences all these flaws. To aid its implementation, we studied the conditions and processes needed to define, to evaluate, and to preserve its goals across the Swedish mountain chain, using one of its milestone targets (a landscape characterized by grazing) as a study system. Applying qualitative and quantitative methods, we analyzed three types of data: 1) referral responses to the governmental strategy document, 2) interviews with relevant actors, and 3) environmental monitoring data (reindeer position data). Nationally, our results suggest a need for geographical differentiation to match regional/local conditions. Regionally, difference in both perception and definition of the milestone target among the actors hinders the formulation, monitoring, and evaluation of a common goal. Next to a culture-nature divide, we found that a “within as a user” and “from the outside as an observer” perspective influenced suggested definitions. Moreover, we found a need for better defining whether the goal is maintaining current conditions or restoring previous ones. Our result supports the use of animal position data as a decision support tool to monitor and to aid evaluation of the target. Given the number of actors involved and conflicts of interests present, we suggest the application of a structured decision process to accomplish agreements on a common goal. Here, environmental monitoring data can aid a “landscape assessment step” as a natural part in the decision process to target landscape management actions resourcefully and effectively.

Incremental Relaying for Time-Varying Fading Channels With Thresholds at Relay and Destination

Incremental relaying is a spectral-efficient relaying approach which introduces itself as one of the possible solutions to the spectrum scarcity problem for future generations of cellular communications systems. In this paper, we study threshold amplify-and-forward incremental relaying for correlated fading channels, i.e., fading channels for which the channel gain amplitude varies during the time interval of a block transmission; however, the variation occurs in a correlating fashion. From this aspect, these channels are different from both block-fading and fast-fading channels. Due to the correlating nature of the channels, it is possible to compress channel state information (CSI) sequences and employ the compressed CSI sequences as side information to carefully select the bits transmitted by the relay. This idea is already employed in previous works to increase the spectral efficiency; however, those works consider block-fading channels and also assume maximal ratio combining (MRC) at receiver. In case of MRC, explicit expressions for the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) exist, which enable packet error rate analysis by aid of Moment Generating Functions of the SNR. However, to apply MRC, the receiver requires all channel gains (including source-relay channel gain). In case of correlated channels, communicating all real-valued channel gains, requires a large overhead. This fact renders applicability of MRC for correlated channels. We apply the more practical Equal-Gain Combining method. We derive series approximations for symbol error rate, given M-QAM and MPSK modulations, and assuming Nakagami- $m$ fading channels. We also analyze the spectral efficiency by assuming Markov models for the channels. We compare the spectral efficiency in case of correlated and fast-fading channels and show that, unlike fast-fading channels, correlated fading channels allow for a spectrally efficient scheme.

Diminishing Prospects for Young People: A Comparison of the Intergenerational Fairness Index and Generational Divide Index in Addressing the Problem

This paper focuses on the origins of the generational divide, namely, the unsustainability of national policies that have disproportionately benefitted the older generations to the detriment of younger generations. Much of southern Europe remains mired by unacceptably high rates of youth unemployment, which leaves an indelible scar on young people, poses economic problems for future generations, and threatens the European economies competitiveness. This paper outlines and compares the objectives, methodologies and results of two cutting-edge approaches in identifying the extent of these generational imbalances, namely: the Intergenerational Foundation’s Intergeneration Fairness Index (IFI) and the Bruno Visentini Foundation’s Generational Divide Index (GDI). The findings outline the differing objectives and methodologies of these respective approaches. Although both instruments arrive at broadly similar conclusions, (i.e. young people’s diminishing prospects over time) there are palpable differences in the results. This is attributable to IFI and GDI’s different aims and objectives: IFI is mainly helpful for country comparisons and GDI for fixing country-specific targets.

Social Contract on Elderly Caregiving in Contemporary Chile

This paper explores the definitions of social contract on elderly caregiving among a group of seven Chilean aging experts. The data show that for Chileans, family remains a strong institution that should provide care of its members, with daughters or daughters-in-law being the preferred person to provide care. Also, age segregation, along with the gradual privatization of services such as health care and the pension system, promotes individuality: this can become a problem for future generations because they are no longer concerned with helping others.

SELECTIVE COLLECTION AND RECYCLING OF SOLID WASTE CASE STUDY: RECYCLING OF SOLID WASTE IN HULENE KA-MAHOTA DISTRICT

The waste collected daily from household and businesses entities can be utilized for various objectives, serving as raw material for business and other most appropriate purposes. You can, for example, recycle plastic, produce compost and energy, recovering the economic value of such waste. Waste recycling generates jobs and income, reduces the amount of natural resources needed for a new product and also decreases the need to occupy (and pollute) space to deposit materials that have served only once their socio-economic function. And what you can't recycle always has another proper disposal, as a principle which is basic in the concept of sustainable development: Do not transfer the solution of the problem for future generations.
 The aim of this study is to evaluate the panorama of the selective collection of household waste from the case study of plastic recycling in the neighborhood of Hulene Dump side, at municipality of Maputo. The methodology used in this research was the bibliographical and documentary analysis, as well as semi-structured qualitative interviews with: representative of Municipal Department of Waste Management, Health and Water Supply in the Maputo municipality; administrative coordinators of four organizations studied (RECICLA and FERTILIZA cooperatives, AMOR and PAGALATA associations). Additionally, technical visits were carried out with written and photographic records, interviews to members of the RECICLA cooperative.

PRINSIP-PRINSIP PEMBANGUNAN JALAN BERKELANJUTAN

Road is one of the transport infrastructure that plays a role in the life of the Indonesian nation and promote the general welfare. The use of materials and non-renewable natural resources can be a problem for future generations. Giving priority to only one road users on road design phase, before and after the implementation of the road construction, will be a problem for other road users. Development program that takes into account social, economic, and environment has been proclaimed by many countries and has been a mutual agreement as sustainable development. Efforts that lead to a sustainable development in Indonesia are to consider the principles of sustainable development path that has been used by other countries. This paper identifies criteria for sustainable development and determines criteria that allow for the achievement of sustainable road in Indonesia. The results indicate that the concept into a sustainable development is the fulfillment of the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations fulfillment, improve the economic, environmental quality, and equality of rights. The criteria for a sustainable road management are efficiency, mobility, safe and comfortable, community participation, restrictions on emissions, natural resources, habitats, and ecosystems.

Integrated solid waste management and energy production - a life cycle assessment approach: the case study of the city of Thessaloniki

Innovative strategies are needed to deal with the waste we produce today to prevent it from causing problems for future generations. As waste management issues gain public awareness, concern has risen about the appropriateness of various disposal methods. The objective of this work is the environmental assessment of different municipal solid waste treatment strategies for the city of Thessaloniki, within the methodological frameworks of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the Integrated Solid Waste Management strategy, taking into account social, environmental and economic effects. The waste management methods in this study include: landfill of all waste fractions, recycling of paper, and anaerobic digestion of food waste in a biological treatment plant. The waste fractions considered are the total amount of food, paper and plastic waste produced in Thessaloniki during the period of one year. Environmental impacts are decreased when the solid waste management methods include some kind of recovery from waste. The results of this work indicate that paper recycling and anaerobic digestion of food waste is preferable compared to landfilling. It is also shown that landfilling of food waste utilizing the biocells method is more attractive than anaerobic digestion in a separate plant; nevertheless, energy recovery is about 45% lower.

CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE LAZER, TRABALHO E TEMPO LIVRE

The aim of this article is to discuss leisure based on the concepts of work and free time. This discussion takes into account recent studies on the leisure issue in a perspective of an expressive increase in the worker’s free time due to worldwide unemployment. When dealing with the question of joblessness, Rifkin (1995) points to the scenario in which thousands of workers advocate more free time to be spent with their families and leisure even though it may reduce their income. This same author, however, foresees a crucial problem for future generations: with the decrease in job availability a greater number of unemployed people will become poverty-stricken with lesser chance to enjoy leisure. There a potentiality for leisure practice that not always comes true because its possibilities do not expand proportionately to the increase in free time. The leisure issue is also inserted in a context in which the appeal for consumption plays the leading role in contemporary world history. Therefore leisure itself has increasingly been regarded as a potential merchandise and thus submitted to the hard and cold market rules.

CO 2 Emissions: Getting Bang for the Buck

In his policy forum “critical assumptions in the Stern Review on climate change” (13 July, p. [201][1]), W. Nordhaus's continued argument for high discount rates—i.e., leaving the problems for future generations to deal with—is part of the thinking that got us into trouble in the first place

Public perceptions of risk and acceptability of forest vegetation management alternatives in Ontario

We examined public perceptions of risk and acceptability for 9 alternatives to controlling forest vegetation in Ontario (N = 2,301) in the fall of 1994. The proportion of respondents indicating whether an alternative was 1) difficult to control, 2) potentially catastrophic, 3) a problem for future generations, and 4) a personal worry determined perceptions of risk for each vegetation management alternative. Ranking of alternatives from highest to lowest perceived risk was: aerially-applied herbicides > biological control > ground-applied herbicides > mulches > prescribed fire > heavy equipment > cover cropping > manual cutting > grazing animals. Public acceptance was lowest for aerially-applied herbicides (18%) followed by ground-applied herbicides (37%), biological control (57%), prescribed fire (57%), mulches (65%), heavy equipment (72%), cover cropping (80%), grazing animals (82%), and manual cutting (89%). Public acceptability of various agents for biological control differed depending on the proposed agent. Natural plant toxins were viewed as most acceptable (73%) followed by microorganims (42%), genetically-engineered organisms (39%), and viruses (21%). We found a strong correlation between a risk perception index and acceptability of the alternatives for the general public (r2 = 0.84) and those in timber-dependent communities (r2 = 0.89). Our results suggest that stronger public support can probably be achieved for forest vegetation management programs that include non-herbicide alternatives. Key words: forest vegetation management, public opposition, risk perception, herbicides, biological control, prescribed fire, mulches, heavy equipment, cover cropping, grazing animals, manual cutting

Perspectives on the battered child syndrome in Nigeria

The battered child syndrome remains an understudied phenomenon in Nigeria. This is partly due to the romanticized and the “noble savage” image which holds that child abuse cannot occur in Africa. Even when it is occasionally discovered, it tends to be blamed on urbanization. Evidence now shows that some cultural practices in Nigeria could be defined as child battering. Many types of child battering which occur include: physical abuse, some forms of female circumcision, nonaccidental injury, corporal punishment, infanticide, and abandonment. Other types are sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and malnutrition. A current focus on the battered child syndrome may avert problems for future generations of Nigerians.

The Parfit Population Problem

Derek Parfit's Reasons and Persons is a long, difficult and fascinating book, inside which three shorter, clearer and better books are struggling to get out. The third of these shorter but better books deals with the problem of Future Generations, and that is the book I want to discuss. In it Parfit tries, but fails, to find a theory—Theory X, he calls it—which will deal with various problems and issues which he develops, and in particular the issue which I will call the Parfit Population Problem, the problem of how many people there ought to be. In this paper I offer not so much a theory as a suggestion as to what the solution(s) might be.

Optimal Growth and the Problem of Future Generations*

Optimal Growth and the Problem of Future Generations*

Biological Changes in American Women in the Last Fifty Years

Abstract A review of research relative to biological changes in women during the last 50 years can be summarized under four main topics: (1) there are more women than men in the population of America today; (2) women tend to live longer than men; (3) women seem to resist diseases better than men and seem to respond more readily to medical treatment; and (4) women are increasing in most anthropometric measures. It appears that old women and their ailments will be an acute problem for future generations.