Safeguarding The Future

In an era of populist politics, Brexit, Donald Trump, 24-hour news cycles and perpetual election campaigning, how do we govern well for the future? How do we take the long view, ensuring that present-day policy decisions reflect the needs and safeguard the interests of future generations? In this timely BWB Text, acclaimed policy scholar Jonathan Boston sets out what ‘anticipatory governance’ might look like in New Zealand. Confronted with a world becoming more uncertain by the day, this book is essential reading for anyone questioning how democratic societies can tackle the unprecedented challenges ahead.

Our democracies repeatedly fail to safeguard the future. From pensions to pandemics, health and social care through to climate, biodiversity and emerging technologies, democracies have been unable to deliver robust policies for the long term. In this book, Graham Smith asks why. Exploring the drivers of short-termism, he considers ways of reshaping legislatures and constitutions and proposes strengthening independent offices whose overarching goals do not change at every election. More radically, Smith argues that forms of participatory and deliberative politics offer the most effective democratic response to the current political myopia, as well as a powerful means of protecting the interests of generations to come.

Platform Embedded Security Technology Revealed is an in-depth introduction to Intel’s platform embedded solution: the security and management engine. The engine is shipped inside most Intel platforms for servers, personal computers, tablets, and smartphones. The engine realizes advanced security and management functionalities and protects applications’ secrets and users’ privacy in a secure, light-weight, and inexpensive way. Besides native built-in features, it allows third-party software vendors to develop applications that take advantage of the security infrastructures offered by the engine. Intel’s security and management engine is technologically unique and significant, but is largely unknown to many members of the tech communities who could potentially benefit from it. Platform Embedded Security Technology Revealed reveals technical details of the engine. The engine provides a new way for the computer security industry to resolve critical problems resulting from booming mobile technologies, such as increasing threats against confidentiality and privacy. This book describes how this advanced level of protection is made possible by the engine, how it can improve users’ security experience, and how third-party vendors can make use of it. It's written for computer security professionals and researchers; embedded system engineers; and software engineers and vendors who are interested in developing new security applications on top of Intel’s security and management engine. It’s also written for advanced users who are interested in understanding how the security features of Intel’s platforms work.

Climate change is no longer deniable. Neither is the fact that greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities need to be mitigated. The question is how to rapidly transit to an increasingly low-carbon world while essentially sustaining the quality of life of the fortunate and providing better lives for the less fortunate.The challenge is to decarbonize both energy consumption and production with electricity at the core of energy systems.Perhaps Energia, a fictitious country whose 50 million inhabitants endorse climate change objectives and that embodies the energy mutations proposed by the authors, has the answers. Along with Energia, four families living in Africa, America, Asia and Europe who represent us, the consumer, set the stage for the book's discussions.On the user front, the presentation primarily focuses on energy consumption at home and for transport. On the energy production front, the focus shifts to the integration of renewables with fossil and nuclear energy. The book's coverage includes crucial systemic issues related to energy storage, electric power systems and multi-energy systems. In a dedicated chapter, the authors put forward their energy and environmental public policy observations and proposals, including a carbon fee scheme.Electricity is written for readers interested and concerned by the environmental and energy challenges we face, and who seek to participate, as well-informed citizens, in discussions on future energy-related options. The book provides a balanced, factual and unemotional presentation of readily available energy systems and technologies which, when widely deployed, can contribute, both short and long term, toward a low-carbon and electricity-centered world.

Utilizes Heidegger in rethinking common environmental paradigms.

This book offers a unique multigenerational approach to saving Social Security. Public programs have adapted to societal aging, but fears overwhelm hopes for Social Security’s future prospects. Conservatives want to privatize operations that liberals seek to expand. Younger workers are happy that Social Security protects their elders, but most do not expect benefits when needed. Achenbaum reframes conflicting perspectives and offers new models of respectful transgenerational dialogue that can mobilize pragmatic reforms. Designed for use in gerontology, social work, and public policy courses, Safeguarding Social Security for Future Generations offers measured hope for leaving a legacy that safeguards the common good.