Browsing by Author "Hamilton, James T"
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Item Open Access A comparative analysis of newspaper and blog coverage of natural gas extraction policies in North Carolina(2013-04-18) O'Doherty, Lauren ForbesNorth Carolina is home to natural gas deposits, both onshore and offshore. The state has debated whether or not to allow extraction of these resources on many occasions. This study analyzes the newspaper and blog content published during two major policy debates: offshore drilling from 1987 through 1989, and hydraulic fracturing from 2010 through 2012. A newspaper was selected from each region of the state, and articles were analyzed for stakeholder coverage and the use of thematic and episodic frames. The results of the analysis show that coverage did vary across the state, with evidence of spatially driven demand for coverage of both debates. Less apparent were time driven trends across the two debates. The political landscape of NC, as well as the large changes in news media markets, made it hard to identify the effects of time on coverage of natural gas policies.Item Open Access A Strategy for Addressing Climate Change in the North Carolina Legislature(2012-04-26) Conlin, BethAnnThe North Carolina Conservation Network (ConNet) is seeking a successful legislative strategy to achieve the passage of policy in North Carolina General Assembly addressing climate change. This is a particular challenge in the light of the 2010 election, which ushered in a Republican majority in both Houses, which are generally either indifferent or hostile to climate policy and ConNet. Further, ConNet’s previous legislative strategy frequently depended on strong ties to the then Democratic legislative leadership which helped to move their legislative priorities forward, legislators who no longer hold that power. This is not the only challenge facing ConNet’s strategy. Even when there was a Democratic legislative majority, achievements were generally in the related field of energy policy and few climate policies made it through the many informal planning processes to actually make it to the Assembly floor. Finally, ConNet is a coalition of diverse environmental organizations which has split in the past over legislative issues. Therefore, ConNet needs a strategy that is amenable to all of its coalition members, or have a strategy for handling disagreement without severely weakening their coalition. This paper examines both policy and political strategy options available to ConNet in the next legislative session. Policy options include greenhouse gas mitigation policy, energy generation and efficiency policy, climate adaptation policy and fuels policy. The analysis will narrow these options by evaluating their policy effectiveness, political feasibility, and their alignment with the short and long-term interests of ConNet and its coalition. The paper will also suggest some political strategy options that can be effective in moving these policy options forward in the short and long term. They are titled in this paper: “Divide and Conquer”, “Fight the Power”, “New Coalitions”, “Proactive Agenda”, “Reactive Agenda” and “Venue Change”. Each uses the resources available to the ConNet coalition and its members to attempt to move climate policy forward, or at least limit reversals of policy implemented thus far.Item Open Access County Costs and Funding in North Carolina’s Electronic Recycling Program(2013-04-19) Leven, RachelSenate Bill 887, better known as the “Amend Electronics Recycling Law,” banished electronic waste from landfill disposal in 2010. It also set up a system of funding to ensure that manufacturers of electronics sold in the state dedicate resources to electronics recycling. Thanks in a large part to this system, county recycling programs expected to manage electronic material with little cost. However, in FY11/12 and 12/13 local counties reportedly spent large amounts of money to run their electronic recycling programs. Using survey data from 21 counties in the state, this paper seeks to describe the costs experienced by county electronic recycling programs. It also aims to determine if there is a fault in the funding system with large monetary consequences for counties, or if programs are reacting dramatically to smaller costs based on their original perception that counties should have zero costs to managing this material. Finally, it analyzes the factors in county demographics and program management that predict high costs. This paper finds that counties are experiencing high costs in the form of fees from their recycling vendors. Vendor fees were made necessary due to an unexpected drop in the value of CRTs and underfunding from the state’s producer responsibility system. Prior to FY12/13 many programs had a zero-cost–zero-revenue relationship with their vendors. Many were also saving the annual electronic management funds distributed by The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). While this indicates a low investment in program infrastructure, the savings may have helped to soften the blow when vendor fees were put in place. It is unlikely that counties will be able to return to a cost free scenario such as existed prior to 2012. However, there are steps that programs can take to secure themselves against future spikes in cost. The level of capital investment counties made in their electronic programs appears to have positively affected their program’s vendor relationships. Programs can also make sure they are getting the best deal possible by shopping for more vendors and noting where else vendors may be collecting material as well as how much manufacturer funding they have received. The type of material counties collect will be a critical component to county costs in FY12/13 and will likely remain so going forward. Programs may be able to improve on the quality of material by increasing the number of customers served while staying aware of the potential for CRTs to increase with the adoption of schools. Programs can also invest in infrastructure and outreach to minimize the receipt of scavenged material. For its part, DENR should work to make sure that a market place for purchased TV tonnage is available. DENR can also consider the role that per capita income plays in the type of material county programs receive.Item Open Access Coverage of Burma in Six Elite Newspapers(2011-12-09) Fairchild, CarolineThis project compares the United States, United Kingdom and Thailand’s print media coverage of Burma. Examining six newspapers’ coverage of Burma in 2008 and 2010, the project studies how newspapers frame Burma differently in international coverage. For each newspaper, news coverage of Burma is driven by politics, with an emphasis on the political role of Aung San Suu Kyi. Aside from instances when a specific event demands international engagement with Burma, news organizations rely on policy elites to reduce the cost of reporting news about Burma.Item Open Access How could the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press cooperate with Beijing MTR Corporation to launch a reading promotion program via subway advertising?(2013-04-22) Yuan, YiPOLICY QUESTION (PAGE 1) How could the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) cooperate with Beijing MTR Corporation (BJMTR) to launch a reading promotion program via subway advertising? BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM STATEMENT (PAGE 1) Literacy, essential to social and human development, is considered an instrument of empowerment to improve one’s health, one’s income, and one’s relationship with the world (UNESCO). In the past decade, the adult literacy rate has increased at a global level while millions of people are still struggling with this basic skill. Despite the growth of literacy, currently both adults and juveniles seem to be less interested in reading, especially under the influence of the development and popularity of mass media, such as TV, internet and radios. Many countries have launched various national and local campaigns to promote reading among the public. In China, the reading rate of books in 2011 was below the rate in 1999 due to a dramatic decline from 1999 to 2005. Average amount of reading for juveniles in urban areas is much larger than the rate in rural areas; and less than one-third of young children are willing to read independently. Like governments in other countries in the world, the Chinese government also launched campaigns to promote reading since 1997. A policy of Nationwide Reading was implemented by the government in 2006 to enhance citizens’ ideological, moral and cultural qualities. In response, the FLTRP hope to cooperate with BJMTR, who operates the Beijing Metro Line 4 and will provide free advertising space at the Renmin University station, Haidian Huangzhuang station and Zhongguancun station along the Line 4, to promote reading among the general public, especially subway commuters and children. The message of this campaign will be mainly delivered via subway advertising, and supported by on-line interaction and large off-line events. METHODOLOGY (PAGE 4) This project involves qualitative analysis and will design strategies through literature review, case studies and interviews. Literature review part will rely on academic papers and theories to define the best practices by examining the public service advertising (PSA) or education programs via transportation system or other high-tech tools (e.g., subway, smart phones and mobile TV). Three case studies will be included in this section to examine the best practices from foreign and domestic efforts, and discuss the strengths and concerns that could be applied to the campaign. The results and lessons from the interviews with FLTRP officials will be included in the alternative and analysis sections. SUBWAY PSA AND READING PROMOTION ACTIVITIES (PAGE 5) This part aims at analyzing factors that influence the message delivery of PSAs and subway advertisements from different aspects. First, the paper discusses the effect of celebrities and spokescharacters in PSA and the effectiveness of PSA. Second, the paper focuses on the features and different effects of subway advertisement forms, including the tunnel advertisement, posters and shelter-sized diorama, escalator squares, brand trains, mobile TV and station domination. Recall rate of the advertisements is often used to examine the advertising effects. CASE STUDIES (PAGE 10) In this part, three cases from Mexico, China and the US are discussed to learn the best practices and provide guidance to the FLTRP reading campaign. The case studies show various strengths to organize a successful campaign, including using various and lasting promotion approaches, involving all stakeholders and celebrities, eliminating potential barriers for the participants, conducting scientific research and actively interacting with media. ALTERNATIVES AND CONCERNS (PAGE17) The campaign aims at enhancing people’s awareness of reading, encouraging people to read more and building a long-run cooperation with BJMTR which benefits branding of both companies. More specifically, the campaign has the following expected results that reflect the achievement of the goals: Recall rate of the PSAs is above 50%, which means that more than 50% of respondents in evaluation survey could remember seeing the reading promotion advertisements. The kick-off event has more than 1000 participants. Collect more than 2000 books from the book drop-off spots. Receive more than 5000 e-book downloads. To achieve the goals and expected results, the following alternatives are provided: 1. Choose one form of Subway advertising Use print advertisements such as posters and shelter-sized diorama in transfer walkways, platforms and escalators. Use station domination. Use mobile TV or tunnel advertisement. 2. Promote e-books using Quick Response Code (QR Code) on posters. 3. Choose one form of Off-line events Organize book donation events. Organize BookCrossing events. Organize book borrow events. 4. Invite school students to kick-off event where they will make a commitment to read at least one book during the three months. 5. Invite famous writers to participate in events or use celebrity endorsers. 6. Conduct active communication plan on different media. 7. Conduct scientific research to assess and evaluate the campaign. RECOMMENDATIONS (PAGE 27) 1. Combine the walkway advertising, platform posters and Shelter-sized Diorama, and escalator squares together to present the message. 2. Promote e-book reading by putting the QRCode on platform posters and giving out gift cards for on-line forum at the events. 3. Conduct Book Donation event during the whole project. 4. Launch a kick-off event for children and other subway commuters where they will make a commitment to read at least one book between June and August. 5. Invite famous writers to participate in events or use celebrity endorsers. 6. Actively perform on social media and other tradition media, including Sina Weibo, on-line forum, newspaper, on-line news and TV news. 7. Conduct scientific research to assess and evaluate the campaign.Item Open Access REDUCING ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN PUBLIC HOUSING: AN IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF BOULDER HOUSING PARTNERS’ FY 2010 ENERGY PERFORMANCE CONTRACT AND ANALYSIS OF OPTIONS TO ENGAGE RESIDENTS IN CONSERVATION(2013-04-18) Dimmitt, RachelIn an attempt to further its goals of environmental stewardship, Boulder Housing Partners, the public housing authority for Boulder, CO, has made a public commitment to reduce the electricity consumption of its public housing portfolio enough to attain net-zero electricity consumption, or have all consumption offset by the on-site generation of renewable power. Furthermore, Boulder Housing Partners strives to surpass the City of Boulder’s stringent energy efficiency standards, which far exceed state and federal efficiency requirements for rental housing. As a result, Boulder Housing Partners recently decided to invest heavily in energy efficiency measures via an Energy Performance Contract (EPC) executed by Johnson Controls, Inc. in fiscal year (FY) 2010. Initial results suggest that properties in the treatment group— those which received the EPC work—experienced an overall decline in electricity consumption. Average monthly electricity consumption for the treatment group declined by 17.44% from FY 2009 to FY 2011, while average monthly electricity consumption increased by 7.96% for the control group. However, a series of simple t-tests suggests the absence of any statistically significant change. This is confirmed by a difference-in-difference analysis. The EPC had an effect on the treatment group to the magnitude of -2701.865 kWh per month and was not statistically significant. In order to verify that outliers in the treatment group did not substantially affect these results, the difference-in-difference analysis was repeated after dropping the outliers from the dataset. This resulted in an increase in the effect of the EPC on the treatment group to -4284.125 kWh per month and an increase in statistical significance from 0.88 to 0.122. Although this is a substantial change, 0.122 remains well past the standard 0.05 threshold for statistical significance. Consequently, it does not change the conclusions or interpretation of the results. In order to further organization progress toward the net-zero electricity consumption goal, it is recommended that BHP pursue a combination of the installation of sub-meters, the provision of monthly notice to residents detailing their previous month's usage and performance compared to other property residents, the institution of a monthly or annual savings sharing program, and solicitation of written commitments to achieving conservation goals from residents. If the organization so chose and resources permitted, they also could pursue information sessions and the dissemination of written materials. The recommended incentive- and information-based interventions, as well as additional building upgrades, should allow Boulder Housing Partners to capture substantive additional increases in energy savings, while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.Item Open Access The Stories Not Told: Understanding the Gap in Local Accountability News Coverage(2011-04-26) Morgan, FionaThis study examines the policy question, what levels of government should address the market failures relating to public affairs coverage and accountability journalism at the local level? The toolbox of possible policy interventions is a known quantity, but existing research has not established at what level of government those policies may have the most impact, and where the civic need for information policy intervention is greatest. This requires an examination of the gap between the optimal level of accountability coverage and the coverage produced. While it is not possible to do a full cost-benefit analysis, we must examine the difference between the coverage that is produced and that which is the socially optimal amount. Which stories go untold? This study examines four communities at the periphery of the Raleigh-Durham media market: Mebane, Siler City, Apex, and Garner, employing a multi-phase qualitative analytical process to form hypotheses about which community characteristics and related factors contribute to a gap between the current level of local accountability news coverage and the ideal level, in an economic sense. The first phase is site selection, using descriptive statistics that include socioeconomics, population, and distance from Raleigh (center of the local media market). The second phase involves asking officials with an insider's view of relevant issues provides insight into what that level of coverage would be, how it compares to the level produced, and how the answers to those questions differ according to community characteristics. The third phase is an assessment of information provision using stakeholder interviews, analysis of available media, and relevant public policies. The study finds that in communities at the periphery of the media market: broadcast and metro outlets fail to provide consistent coverage of municipal and local affairs; weekly print newspapers are the main sources of local news; information exchange and debate between stakeholders tends to be informal; blogs and other digital media are virtually non-existent and do not provide significant outlet for news or public debate; and media outlets have little interest in online media, though public officials show an interest in improving their governments' websites. The most significant issues facing a community can and should be drilled down to specific topics that relate to specific places, people, and decisions facing local government. The narrative thread of any given topic extends from the community's past into a set of connected decisions in the present day, and it becomes increasingly complex the more bodies of governmental jurisdiction are involved. That context is what enables a reader to understand the decision from multiple points of view and to investigate further, should he or she desire to do so. Quantitative analysis of news coverage should provide metrics that establish some sense of depth and quality as well as quantity of stories in various outlets. Those measures of quality could be used as an outcome variable, while community characteristic could serve as independent variables. Based on the findings in this paper, the most relevant independent variables would likely pertain to population size, distance from the center of the media market, educational attainment, household income, and the percentage of residents who speak Spanish at home. The preliminary hypothesis of this study is that such analysis would find lower quantity and quality of local news coverage in municipalities with lower educational attainment, lower income, further distance from the center of the market, and higher percentage of Spanish speakers.