Insects of Stored Products

The late 1940s and early 1950s was a dangerous period of cold war posturing, with few bridges between the United States and Soviet Union. Nuclear weapons were a reality, and ballistic missiles were inevitable. It was during this period in the wake of World War II (as revealed in minutes of U.S. National Security Council meetings from 1954 to 1959) when President Eisenhower became the catalyst for an unprecedented mixture of global strategies to achieve “a day of freedom and of peace for all mankind.” One of the possibilities was to create an international status for the Antarctic area, as suggested in the draft agreement that was circulated by the United States to the seven claimant nations in 1948. Planning also was underway for the International Geophysical Year (IGY) in 1957–1958 with scientific satellites anticipated to advance upper atmospheric research and promote the freedom of space, which was seen to be analogous to the longstanding concept of the freedom of the seas. In support of this space policy, the White House restrained the Army Ballistic Missile Agency from launching its JupiterC rocket into orbit in September 1956, which enabled the freedom of space to emerge with the IGY launch of Sputnik in October 1957. Building on this momentum of scientific cooperation, in May 1958, President Eisenhower invited the Soviet Union and the 10 other nations involved with Antarctic research to begin secret negotiations that would result in adoption of the Antarctic Treaty in Washington, D.C., on 1 December 1959, creating an international space “forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes . . . with the interests of science and the progress of all mankind.” Following the 1958 Convention on the High Seas that had created the initial international space beyond sovereign jurisdictions, the Antarctic Treaty also became the first nuclear arms agreement with nonarmament and peacefuluse provisions that would become precedents for the outerspace and the deepsea regimes that further established these areas as international spaces. The statesmanship of President Eisenhower that led to the Antarctic Treaty and the other international spaces demonstrates the role of science as a tool of diplomacy to build on the common interests of allies and adversaries alike for the lasting benefit of all humanity.

Science diplomacy : Antarctica, science, and the governance of international spaces

Plant products as fumigants for stored-product insect control [Erratum: 2008, v. 44, issue 3, p. 304.]

On Cold Storage

. Total ozone column measurements can be made using Brewer spectrophotometers,
which are calibrated periodically in intercomparison campaigns with respect
to a reference instrument. In 2003, the Regional Brewer Calibration Centre
for Europe (RBCC-E) was established at the Izana Atmospheric Research
Center (Canary Islands, Spain), and since 2011 the RBCC-E has transferred its
calibration based on the Langley method using travelling standard(s) that are
wholly and independently calibrated at Izana. This work is focused on
reporting the consistency of the measurements of the RBCC-E triad (Brewer
instruments #157, #183 and #185) made at the Izana Atmospheric
Observatory during the period 2005–2016. In order to study the long-term
precision of the RBCC-E triad, it must be taken into account that each Brewer
takes a large number of measurements every day and, hence, it becomes
necessary to calculate a representative value of all of them. This value was
calculated from two different methods previously used to study the long-term
behaviour of the world reference triad (Toronto triad) and Arosa triad.
Applying their procedures to the data from the RBCC-E triad allows the
comparison of the three instruments. In daily averages, applying the
procedure used for the world reference triad, the RBCC-E triad presents a
relative standard deviation equal to σ =  0.41 %, which is
calculated as the mean of the individual values for each Brewer
( σ157 =  0.362 %, σ183 =  0.453 % and
 σ185 =  0.428 %). Alternatively, using the procedure used
to analyse the Arosa triad, the RBCC-E presents a relative standard deviation
of about σ =  0.5 %. In monthly averages, the method used for
the data from the world reference triad gives a relative standard deviation
mean equal to σ =  0.3 % ( σ157 =  0.33 %,
 σ183 =  0.34 % and σ185 =  0.23 %).
However, the procedure of the Arosa triad gives monthly values of
 σ =  0.5 %. In this work, two ozone data sets are analysed:
the first includes all the ozone measurements available, while the second
only includes the simultaneous measurements of all three instruments.
Furthermore, this paper also describes the Langley method used to determine
the extraterrestrial constant (ETC) for the RBCC-E triad, the necessary first
step toward accurate ozone calculation. Finally, the short-term or intraday
consistency is also studied to identify the effect of the solar zenith angle
on the precision of the RBCC-E triad.

/pdf/internal-consistency-of-the-regional-brewer-calibration-3fmd00mi7h.pdf

Internal consistency of the Regional Brewer Calibration Centre for Europe triad during the period 2005-2016

The ozone layer forms a thin shield in the stratosphere, protecting life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Emissions of ozonedepleting substances (ODS) used in many sectors (such as refrigeration, airconditioning, foams, and firefighting) destroy stratospheric ozone. Increased ultraviolet radiation from major depletion of stratospheric ozone can cause increases in skin cancer and cataracts, weaken the human immune systems, damage some agricultural crops, impact natural ecosystems, and degrade materials such as plastic. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer seeks worldwide phaseout of the production and consumption of ODS. Scientists confirmed that the protocol is working and that the ozone layer is on its way to recovery around the year 2050. Science and technology, including research at Antarctic stations proving that manufactured chemicals destroy stratospheric ozone and cause the Antarctic ozone hole, played important roles in the evolution and success of the protocol. Scientists provided early warning about the issue, discovered the Antarctic ozone hole, and linked it to CFC emissions and, along with nongovernmental organizations and the media, informed the public. The United Nations Environment Programme facilitated negotiations by governments. Science and technology panels of the protocol verified the performance of and facilitated periodical strengthening of the protocol. The scientific findings stimulated and motivated industry to innovation of alternatives to ODS. The protocol promoted universal participation, early action, continuous learning, and progressively tougher action. The protocol’s Multilateral Fund and its implementing agencies assisted developing countries through technology transfer, creation of national focal points and networks, training, and introduction of regulations and policies.

/pdf/science-and-diplomacy-montreal-protocol-on-substances-that-4qs0eaj148.pdf

K. M. Sarma

Papers

Science and Diplomacy: Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer