The Stony Ground is the story of Cornish farmworker James Ruse, reprieved from the hangman's noose and transported to Botany Bay on the First Fleet in 1788. Ruse, commemorated as a pioneer in his adopted country, was reputedly the first prisoner ashore, carrying an officer on his back. Eventually pardoned, at Experiment Farm he became Australia's first settled farmer, the first ex-convict to be granted land and the first settler to become self-sufficient, bringing him into conflict with indigenous people. In this gripping historical novel the life of Australia's most symbolic convict is described in Ruse's own voice.
The life and chemical sciences are in the midst of a period of rapid and revolutionary transformation that will undoubtedly bring societal benefits but also have potentially malign applications, notably in the development of chemical weapons. Such concerns are exacerbated by the unstable international security environment and the changing nature of armed conflict, which could fuel a desire by certain States to retain and use existing chemical weapons, as well as increase State interest in creating new weapons; whilst a broader range of actors may seek to employ diverse toxic chemicals as improvised weapons. Stark indications of the multi-faceted dangers we face can be seen in the chemical weapons attacks against civilians and combatants in Iraq and Syria, and also in more targeted chemical assassination operations in Malaysia and the UK.
Using a multi-disciplinary approach, and drawing upon an international group of experts, this book analyses current and likely near-future advances in relevant science and technology, assessing the risks of their misuse. The book examines the current capabilities, limitations and failures of the existing international arms control and disarmament architecture - notably the Chemical Weapons Convention - in preventing the development and use of chemical weapons. Through the employment of a novel Holistic Arms Control methodology, the authors also look beyond the bounds of such treaties, to explore the full range of international law, international agreements and regulatory mechanisms potentially applicable to weapons employing toxic chemical agents, in order to develop recommendations for more effective routes to combat their proliferation and misuse. A particular emphasis is given to the roles that chemical and life scientists, health professionals and wider informed activist civil society can play in protecting the prohibition against poison and chemical weapons; and in working with States to build effective and responsive measures to ensure that the rapid scientific and technological advances are safeguarded from hostile use and are instead employed for the benefit of us all.
The starvation, disease, and death caused by the Great Famine (1845-49) could have been greatly alleviated, if not totally averted, had the people of Ireland known about mussel farming and the abundant supply of this high-protein food source that could have been harvested in the bays and estuaries all around the Irish coast. The causes of the Great Famine, both immediate and in the long term, as well as its appalling consequences, are succinctly presented.
The author outlines in layman's language the life cycle of the mussel, Mytilus edulis. Being a filter feeder, this bivalve mollusk has the capacity to monitor the presence of viruses, bacteria, and heavy metals in the surrounding seawater. Thus, marine pollution may be detected and controlled.
The author documents his pioneering work that spearheaded the development of the Irish mussel-farming industry. Currently, there are 375 people employed in Ireland in the harvesting of ten thousand tons annually of both rope-suspended and seabed-harvested mussels. He proceeds to give a concise account of the four internationally recognized mussel culture methods.
In the event of some future famine or global food shortage, the humble mussel could prove to be the ideal, cheap, plentiful, protein-rich food source to help mitigate the dire consequences of such a scenario.
This book explores how revolutionary developments and convergence of the chemical, life and associated sciences are impacting contemporary toxin and bioregulator research, and examines the risks of such research being misused for malign purposes. Investigating illustrative cases of dual use research of potential concern in China, India, Iran, Russia, Syria and the USA, the authors discuss how states can ensure such research and related activities are not utilised in weapons development. Although toxins and bioregulators are, in theory, covered by both the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and Chemical Weapons Convention, this apparent overlap in reality masks a dangerous regulatory gap - with neither Convention implemented effectively to address threats of weaponisation. This book highlights the potentially damaging consequences for international peace and security, and proposes realistic routes for action by states and the scientific community.
This book explores how revolutionary developments and convergence of the chemical, life and associated sciences are impacting contemporary toxin and bioregulator research, and examines the risks of such research being misused for malign purposes. Investigating illustrative cases of dual use research of potential concern in China, India, Iran, Russia, Syria and the USA, the authors discuss how states can ensure such research and related activities are not utilised in weapons development. Although toxins and bioregulators are, in theory, covered by both the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and Chemical Weapons Convention, this apparent overlap in reality masks a dangerous regulatory gap - with neither Convention implemented effectively to address threats of weaponisation. This book highlights the potentially damaging consequences for international peace and security, and proposes realistic routes for action by states and the scientific community.
The starvation, disease, and death caused by the Great Famine (1845-49) could have been greatly alleviated, if not totally averted, had the people of Ireland known about mussel farming and the abundant supply of this high-protein food source that could have been harvested in the bays and estuaries all around the Irish coast. The causes of the Great Famine, both immediate and in the long term, as well as its appalling consequences, are succinctly presented.
The author outlines in layman's language the life cycle of the mussel, Mytilus edulis. Being a filter feeder, this bivalve mollusk has the capacity to monitor the presence of viruses, bacteria, and heavy metals in the surrounding seawater. Thus, marine pollution may be detected and controlled.
The author documents his pioneering work that spearheaded the development of the Irish mussel-farming industry. Currently, there are 375 people employed in Ireland in the harvesting of ten thousand tons annually of both rope-suspended and seabed-harvested mussels. He proceeds to give a concise account of the four internationally recognized mussel culture methods.
In the event of some future famine or global food shortage, the humble mussel could prove to be the ideal, cheap, plentiful, protein-rich food source to help mitigate the dire consequences of such a scenario.