title: Boat electrofishing survey of common smelt and common bully in the Ohau Channel in December 2009

authors: Brijs, Jeroen

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: We conducted a boat electrofishing survey of the Ohau Channel, which flows from Lake Rotorua to Lake Rotoiti, on 7 December 2009. The purpose of this was to repeat surveys that took place on 13 December 2007 and 11 December 2008 concerning the longitudinal pattern in densities of common smelt (Retropinna retropinna) and common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus). Due to run timing and possibly low water clarity and high water flows, catch rates were lower than those found in 2007 and 2008 as we only caught 353 fish comprising three native species and two introduced species in 2.72 km of fished distance at a total of 10 sites. Native species caught were common smelt, common bully and longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) and introduced species were rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and goldfish (Carassius auratus). The total are fished was 10,884 m² (1.088 ha) giving an estimated density of 3.2 fish 100 m⁻².

text: Boat electrofishing survey of common smelt and common bully in the Ohau Channel in December 2009 We conducted a boat electrofishing survey of the Ohau Channel, which flows from Lake Rotorua to Lake Rotoiti, on 7 December 2009. The purpose of this was to repeat surveys that took place on 13 December 2007 and 11 December 2008 concerning the longitudinal pattern in densities of common smelt (Retropinna retropinna) and common bully (Gobiomorphus cotidianus). Due to run timing and possibly low water clarity and high water flows, catch rates were lower than those found in 2007 and 2008 as we only caught 353 fish comprising three native species and two introduced species in 2.72 km of fished distance at a total of 10 sites. Native species caught were common smelt, common bully and longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii) and introduced species were rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and goldfish (Carassius auratus). The total are fished was 10,884 m² (1.088 ha) giving an estimated density of 3.2 fish 100 m⁻².

year: 2010

title: Corporate environmental performance and its impact on financial performance and financial risk: Evidence from Australia

authors: Muhammad, Noor

abstract: This thesis consists of four essays on Corporate Environmental Performance (CEP) and its impact on Corporate Financial Performance (CFP). The first essay is entitled “Emission Indices for Hazardous Substances: An Alternative Measure of Corporate Environmental Performance”. This essay reviewed significant interdisciplinary research and concluded that firm chemical release/emission can be used as a proxy for a firm measure of environmental performance. It also proposed that due to the variety of chemicals and different levels of toxicity, a risk factor should be calculated for all chemicals on the basis of human health risk, environment risk and risk of exposure. Once a single risk factor is calculated for each chemical, then it should be multiplied by the level of each company chemical release that is reported to National Pollutant Inventory in order to calculate the weighted average risk factor for each company. Thus, the weighted average risk is a robust measure having the combined effect of level of toxicity and volume of chemical emissions.
Once the environmental performance index is formulated, the second essay investigated the nature of the relationship between environmental performance and financial performance of publicly listed companies in Australia. The second essay provided evidence that the nature of the relationship between environmental performance and financial performance is positive. Further, this study divided the sample into a period of economic growth (2001-2007) and a period of economic contraction (2008-2010). The multivariate regression estimation shows a positive relation between CEP and CFP in the period of economic growth but during the extra ordinary circumstances like the financial crisis this relationship is insignificant. This research is of great relevance for managers, academics and society at large.
The third essay investigates the relationship between Corporate Environmental Performance (CEP) and financial risk for Australian listed companies from 2001-2010. Three financial risk measures including firm market risk, systematic risk and downside risk were used. The analytical procedure based on fixed effects estimation provides strong evidence that environmental performance is negatively and statistically associated with market volatility and to different measures of downside risk. The third essay results show that downside risk is a better measure of firm risk especially when investors are not showing linear sensitivity to changes in prices. Therefore, this study concludes that environmental performance (reduction in toxic emissions) provides a wealth protection effect. The results are robust after controlling for several moderating effects including financial, institutional and environmental management.
The fourth essay analyses the causal relationship between firm financial performance and environmental performance. The results provide convincing support for the idea that there is a bi-directional relationship between CEP and CFP in both the short and long run. These results support the Hart and Ahuja (1996) hunch that a ‘virtuous circle’ exists with regard to the relationship between pollution prevention and CFP, that is, firms can realize cost savings and plough these savings back into further emission reduction projects for a number of years before the benefits balance turns negative.

text: Corporate environmental performance and its impact on financial performance and financial risk: Evidence from Australia This thesis consists of four essays on Corporate Environmental Performance (CEP) and its impact on Corporate Financial Performance (CFP). The first essay is entitled “Emission Indices for Hazardous Substances: An Alternative Measure of Corporate Environmental Performance”. This essay reviewed significant interdisciplinary research and concluded that firm chemical release/emission can be used as a proxy for a firm measure of environmental performance. It also proposed that due to the variety of chemicals and different levels of toxicity, a risk factor should be calculated for all chemicals on the basis of human health risk, environment risk and risk of exposure. Once a single risk factor is calculated for each chemical, then it should be multiplied by the level of each company chemical release that is reported to National Pollutant Inventory in order to calculate the weighted average risk factor for each company. Thus, the weighted average risk is a robust measure having the combined effect of level of toxicity and volume of chemical emissions.
Once the environmental performance index is formulated, the second essay investigated the nature of the relationship between environmental performance and financial performance of publicly listed companies in Australia. The second essay provided evidence that the nature of the relationship between environmental performance and financial performance is positive. Further, this study divided the sample into a period of economic growth (2001-2007) and a period of economic contraction (2008-2010). The multivariate regression estimation shows a positive relation between CEP and CFP in the period of economic growth but during the extra ordinary circumstances like the financial crisis this relationship is insignificant. This research is of great relevance for managers, academics and society at large.
The third essay investigates the relationship between Corporate Environmental Performance (CEP) and financial risk for Australian listed companies from 2001-2010. Three financial risk measures including firm market risk, systematic risk and downside risk were used. The analytical procedure based on fixed effects estimation provides strong evidence that environmental performance is negatively and statistically associated with market volatility and to different measures of downside risk. The third essay results show that downside risk is a better measure of firm risk especially when investors are not showing linear sensitivity to changes in prices. Therefore, this study concludes that environmental performance (reduction in toxic emissions) provides a wealth protection effect. The results are robust after controlling for several moderating effects including financial, institutional and environmental management.
The fourth essay analyses the causal relationship between firm financial performance and environmental performance. The results provide convincing support for the idea that there is a bi-directional relationship between CEP and CFP in both the short and long run. These results support the Hart and Ahuja (1996) hunch that a ‘virtuous circle’ exists with regard to the relationship between pollution prevention and CFP, that is, firms can realize cost savings and plough these savings back into further emission reduction projects for a number of years before the benefits balance turns negative.

year: 2014

title: Exploring synergies between Māori pedagogy and communicative language teaching

authors: Nock, Sophie

subjects: Māori language

abstract: The primary aim of this paper is to explore potential synergies between Māori pedagogy and what is known as 'communicative language teaching'. A brief outline of some changes and developments in approaches to language teaching and learning over the last few decades is followed by a summary of some of the main characteristics of communicative language teaching (CLT) and of different approaches to the conceptualization of Māori pedagogy. Some of the primary characteristics of communicative language teaching are then explored in the context of Māori pedagogy and it is argued that there are some important synergies between the two.

text: Exploring synergies between Māori pedagogy and communicative language teaching The primary aim of this paper is to explore potential synergies between Māori pedagogy and what is known as 'communicative language teaching'. A brief outline of some changes and developments in approaches to language teaching and learning over the last few decades is followed by a summary of some of the main characteristics of communicative language teaching (CLT) and of different approaches to the conceptualization of Māori pedagogy. Some of the primary characteristics of communicative language teaching are then explored in the context of Māori pedagogy and it is argued that there are some important synergies between the two.

year: 2008-11-30