Warming winters and New Hampshire’s lost ski areas: An integrated case study

New Hampshire’s mountains and winter climate support a ski industry that contributes substantially to the state economy. Through more than 70 years of history, this industry has adapted and changed with its host society. The climate itself has changed during this period too, in ways that influenced the ski industry’s development. During the 20th century, New Hampshire’s mean winter temperature warmed about 2.1° C (3.8° F). Much of that change occurred since 1970. The mult‐decadal variations in New Hampshire winters follow global temperature trends. Snowfall exhibits a downward trend, strongest in southern New Hampshire, and also correlates with the North Atlantic Oscillation. Many small ski areas opened during the early years while winters were cold and snowy. As winters warmed, areas in southern or lowelevation locations faced a critical disadvantage. Under pressure from both climate and competition, the number of small ski areas leveled off and then fell steeply after 1970. The number of larger, chairliftoperating ski areas began falling too after 1980. Aprolonged warming period increased the importance of geographic advantages, and also of capital investment in snowmaking, grooming and economic diversification. The consolidation trend continues today. Most of the surviving ski areas are located in the northern mountains. Elsewhere around the state, one can find the remains of “lost” ski areas in places that now rarely have snow suitable for downhill skiing. This case study demonstrates a general approach for conducting integrated empirical research on the human dimensions of climate change

Biaxial Fatigue Testing Of Vulcanizates

Abstract Extensive fatigue tests of vulcanizates of natural rubber and SBR were carried out using a cycle of alternate stretching in two perpendicular directions. It is shown that the data can be best handled statistically by assuming a lognormal distribution or by the use of extreme probability techniques. Illustrative results are given to compare the fatigue life of different types of SBR ; to show the value of the method for studying the effects of processing variations on fatigue life ; to determine the effect of various loadings of different types of carbon black; and to evaluate the effectiveness of anitoxidants and antiozonants. Exploratory tests using ozone instead of pinholes to initiate the failure eliminated the wide range in fatigue life between natural rubber and SBR, and in this respect gave a result which is more consistent with general service experience. This type of biaxial fatigue testing has many areas of usefulness for developing good endurance qualities in vulcanizates.</jats:p

Cadet and Civilian Undergraduate Attitudes toward Transgender People

We explore American military academy, Reserve Officers\u27 Training Corps (ROTC) and civilian undergraduate attitudes toward transgender people in general, in the workplace, and in the military. Earlier this decade, the US military experienced both the repeals of the Don\u27t Ask, Don\u27t Tell policy and the exclusion of women from combat, yet transgender people are prohibited from serving openly in the military. This study explores tolerance toward perceived gender nonconformity by military affiliation, race/ethnicity, sex, religious affiliation, and political leaning. Most members of our sample, regardless of military affiliation, do not report that having a transgender person in the workplace would impact their job. At first glance, military academy and ROTC cadets are least tolerant of transgender people in the military and in society more generally. Further analyses shows that the impact of military affiliation is reduced substantially by controlling for background characteristics, especially political ideology and religious affiliation

Intersecting Identities: Race, Military Affiliation, and Youth Attitudes towards War

African-Americans in the U.S. military encompass at least two distinct identity groups: a racial status associated with lower support for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a military status which tends to be more ‘hawkish\u27 in perspective. This study examines the intersection of these two status characteristics utilizing survey data of American military academy cadets, Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) cadets, and civilian students (n = 5,051). Majorities of military cadets, regardless of race, supported both of these wars more than their civilian counterparts, but African-Americans are significantly less supportive of the wars relative to their peers within each group. African-American cadets support both wars less so than whites and cadets of other races, but African-American cadets supported both wars more than African-American civilians. It appears that racial and military affiliations combine to yield a unique perspective on war, adapting elements of both statuses. These findings support the concept of intersectionality