Recycling – the importance of understanding the complexity of the issue

Natural resources and raw materials such as metals and minerals are often taken for granted in today’s society. Without them, the offerings of an enormous variety of modern conveniences, including computers and mobile phones, would not be possible. The production of these everyday items depends on a secure, sustainable, and reliable supply of critical raw materials. In addition, product development also requires new hybrid materials when targeting lightweight structures, etc. However, the mandatory recyclability of new products or materials is not obligatory or even prevailing practice in present manufacturing business. Therefore, the main research question in this article is: “how to solve the challenge of recycling in industrial system?” In this article, a comprehensive approach to recycling based on the findings of research projects is presented. Simplified, this involves moving the challenge from the end of the product’s life cycle to the beginning, to the design or even to material development phases. Life cycle and system thinking and material know-how in the design phase are found to be essential elements of a new approach to recycling. This approach stems from the material development and market economy perspectives. Furthermore, the vulnerability of the industrial system to create uncertainty to recycling is also demonstrated.     

Reproduction of the Siberian spruce in the timberline ecotone of the Iremel’ Massif

Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of cones and seeds and the emergence and survival of seedlings in the Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) were studied in different parts of the timberline ecotone on the Iremel’ Massif, the Southern Urals, from 2003 to 2006. In the productive year 2003, a decrease in the number of cones (from 110000 to 3000 per hectare), the yield of seeds (from 13 × 10⁶ to 0.09 × 10⁶ per hectare), and their laboratory germination rate (from 34 to 14%) with an increase in elevation above sea level was recorded. In 2004, significant differences in the number of seedlings per hectare were revealed between the lower, middle, and upper parts of the ecotone (85 200, 19 800, and 0–400 ind., respectively). It has been shown that the greater part of seedlings (76–96%) perish during the first cold period. New generations of spruce trees are formed only after productive years. Seed production and seedling mortality in spruce apparently depend not only on air temperature and soil moistening but also on snow depth and soil temperature, which change more abruptly along the altitudinal gradient.     

Sustainability assessment in the Brazilian Amazon: the municipalities of the state of Amapá

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Although sustainability assessment is widely discussed at Brazil, in Brazilian Amazon its use is still little applied, considering this territory is...     

Analysis of the Difference of the Basic Pension by Regions

Nowadays, the disparity of the basic pension in local regions of China can be described as follows: the low level of the unification of the basic pension systems, the large disparity of the level of the basic pension, and unfairness of the enterprises’ payment for the basic pension in different local regions in China. These have already brought many negative influences, which have greatly held back the development of the society and national economy. We should build the basic pension system in all local regions of China as a whole, which can cover all people and decrease the disparity in different local regions in China.     

Packaging redesign – benefits for the environment and the community

Abstract

This paper aims to underline the importance of the packaging redesign process and the potential benefits that can be derived from this for both the environment and the community. The research demonstrates that the redesign of paper corrugated packaging has cost savings for most links of the supply chain such as the industrial customers, retailers, wholesalers and final consumers. In addition, an applied case study will be used that aims to provide evidence that the redesign process could further offer weight and transportation benefits, provide better environmental performance and finally offer better protection for the packaged products. The alternative packaging suggestions made in the research refer to the secondary paper corrugated packaging since the objective is to show the value of the redesign process. The research provides the tools for a packaging designer, on how to estimate, analyse, redesign and compare different approaches, finding the way to a more sustainable packaging supply chain.     

Reintroduction of the european bison into the forest ecosystem of the Orlovskoe Poles’e National Park

The forest ecosystem of the Orlovskoe Polese National Park has been studied in reference to the reintroduction of a rare species: the European bison (Bison bonasus L.). Preliminary data characterizing the state of forest resources and the populations of ungulates living in the forests, as well as the genetic problems associated with maintaining a viable population of the European bison, are considered.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 2, 2005, pp. 132–137.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Belousova, Smirnov, Kazmin, Kudrjavtsev.     

On the Law Right of the Gas Water of Water Resources

With the development of science and technology, the researches and application of water resources including the gas water have been constantly developed. Through an analysis on the flaws of the water right theory, and by executing reconstruction and renewal of the theory and system of water right in modem society, the water right position of the gas water will be established, leading to the maturity of the whole law effectiveness and substantial results of water right.     

Effects of the Bacterial Component on the Viability of the Paramecium bursariaSymbiotic Complex (Infusorian–Zoochlorella)

A hypothesis is considered that the establishment and maintenance of mass exchange processes in the Paramecium bursariasymbiotic complex (infusorian–alga) depends on the presence of the third component—bacteria—whose role is underestimated but essential for completing the exchange cycle. The role of this component in the symbiotic cycle of Paramecium bursariais possible to reveal using special bactericidal preparations specifically inhibiting the bacteria involved in the metabolic cycle but having no effect on the functions of the host cell and the zoochlorella population. Experiments with various preparations of this type were performed, and the response to treatment was estimated from growth rates of the symbiotic complex and its components. This allowed identification of an antibiotic (rifampicin) that had no adverse influence on free-living zoochlorella and chlorella-free paramecia (the basic components of the symbiotic cycle) but drastically inhibited the growth of the P. bursariasymbiotic complex, which could be interpreted as evidence in favor of the hypothesis concerning the existence of the third symbiotic component.     

Plutonium isotopes in the lower reaches of the River Rhône over the period 1945-2000: fluxes towards the Mediterranean Sea and sedimentary inventories

Plutonium isotopes in the Rh?ne River originate from both the weathering of the catchment basin contaminated by global atmospheric fallout, and the liquid effluents released from the Marcoule reprocessing plant since 1961. Due to a new treatment process applied to the liquid effluents, a decrease of two orders of magnitude in the industrial plutonium discharged into the River Rh?ne has been registered from 1991. Today, 238Pu industrial inputs to the River Rh?ne are still about 10 times higher than those derived from global fallout, while 239+240Pu inputs from industrial and global fallout sources are of similar importance, i.e. 1 GBq y(-1). Our results indicate that the river sedimentary compartment act either as a sink or a delayed-source term of plutonium for the freshwaters depending on the hydraulic regime and flood events. This compartment may then represent an important industrial delayed-source term for the River Rh?ne freshwaters in the coming years as the Marcoule reprocessing plant is being dismantled. These results were obtained from samples collected from the lower course of the River Rh?ne over the 1987-1998 period and analysed for 238Pu and 239+240Pu activities. Both river sedimentary inventories of plutonium isotopes and effective outputs from the River Rh?ne towards the Gulf of Lions have been estimated for each year over the 1945-2000 period. Regarding 239+240Pu, the sedimentary inventory accumulated since 1945 is estimated to be 172+/-35 GBq. If mobile, this amount represents a significant delayed-source term of plutonium on the scale of the Rh?ne watershed.     

Scenarios of the old industrial regions’ development: selecting the methodology

Management of the old industrial regions’ development is a very actual problem, in particular for the post-Soviet countries. It is connected with the fact that the purposes of manufacture modernization which provide employment and incomes of the population of such regions, can contradict requirements of environmental protection. Here the most different scenarios of development are possible which need to be evaluated. Usual neoclassical criteria for this purpose do not match. Therefore, in our paper, there was a task to develop such criterion which can be used for regulation of the old industrial regions’ development taking into account the environmental factor. The paper begins with construction of regional economy model. Our model based on the J. Forrester's “world model” idea, i.e. it considers the influence of environmental pollution (atmosphere, water, earth) on the population disease level, and then—on the lifetime and the human capital; the latter ones are considered as one of the most important factors of the economic growth. On the ground of this model, the consequences for realization of different scenarios of the regional economy development are estimated. To substantiate the regulation of regional economy, the criterion of sustainable development, based on the idea of simultaneous improvement of economic and ecological parameters, is offered. The main feature of the criterion offered is that, first of all, it guarantees simultaneous improvement of each of the chosen indicators of the region’s development, and, second, allows considering interests of various coalition groups by finding realistic compromises at a choice of ways of old industrial regions’ development.     

Trends in the levels of halogenated flame retardants in the Great Lakes atmosphere over the period 2005–2013

Air (vapor and particle phase) samples were collected every 12 days at five sites near the North American Great Lakes from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2013 as a part of the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN). The concentrations of 35 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and eight other halogenated flame retardants were measured in each of the ~ 1,300 samples. The levels of almost all of these flame retardants, except for pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB), hexabromobenzene (HBB), and Dechlorane Plus (DP), were significantly higher in Chicago, Cleveland, and Sturgeon Point. The concentrations of PBEB and HBB were relatively high at Eagle Harbor and Sturgeon Point, respectively, and the concentrations of DP were relatively high at Cleveland and Sturgeon Point, the two sites closest to this compound's production site. The data were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model to determine significant temporal trends in these atmospheric concentrations. The concentrations of PBDEs were decreasing at the urban sites, Chicago and Cleveland, but were generally unchanging at the remote sites, Sleeping Bear Dunes and Eagle Harbor. The concentrations of PBEB were decreasing at almost all sites except for Eagle Harbor, where the highest PBEB levels were observed. HBB concentrations were decreasing at all sites except for Sturgeon Point, where HBB levels were the highest. DP concentrations were increasing with doubling times of 3–9 years at all sites except those closest to its source (Cleveland and Sturgeon Point). The levels of 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (TBE) were unchanging at the urban sites, Chicago and Cleveland, but decreasing at the suburban and remote sites, Sturgeon Point and Eagle Harbor. The atmospheric concentrations of 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EHTBB) and bis(2-ethylhexyl)-tetrabromophthalate (BEHTBP) were increasing at almost every site with doubling times of 3–6 years.     

Bridging the Maghreb’s water gap: from rationalizing the virtual water trade to enhancing the renewable energy desalination

The debate about the water resources shortages and finding appropriate solutions to close the water gap in many regions is still not finished. The Mediterranean region is among the most arid regions in the world and hosts more than the half of the world’s water-poor population. The situation is more severe in the southern shore of the Mediterranean, in particular, the Maghreb countries. In this region, water resources are very limited and polluted and most countries rely on groundwater yet overexploited. On the other hand, several factors, including rapid economic growth, expanding populations and changing climate, are driving up demand for water. This pushes forward the Maghreb countries to more and more rely on non-conventional and costly water resources such as wastewater treatment and desalination. Obviously, this bears a heavy burden on the economic growth within these countries. In this paper, rationalizing the virtual water trade and enhancing desalination using renewable energy are presented as two promising options to bridging the Maghreb’s water gap.     

Will the application of Ammonium-Ferric-Hexacyano-Ferrate enhance the vertical migration of radiocaesium?

The consideration of a possible enhanced vertical migration of radiocaesium with the application of ammonium-ferric-hexacyano-ferrate (AFCF) as countermeasure, due to the colloidal nature of AFCF, made us set up a series of migration experiments. For the study two soil types were considered, which were either left unplanted or cultivated with ryegrass. Two AFCF concentrations, 1 and 10 g m^-2, and an untreated control were applied. A simple diffusion–convection model was fitted to the data.The application of AFCF did not enhance the downward migration of radiocaesium in the profile. Moreover, for an unplanted sandy soil the application of AFCF significantly retarded the migration: 10 g AFCF m^-2 decreased the convection term, V, from 0·78 to 0·42 cm a^-1 and the diffusion component, D, from 0·21 to 0·09 cm² a^-1. For all other experimental conditions (unplanted loamy soil, ryegrass cultivated sandy and loamy soil), the application of AFCF did not have any effect on radiocaesium migration. Since AFCF does not promote the vertical migration of radiocaesium, enhanced groundwater contamination is improbable.     

Land cover change explains the increasing discharge of the Paraná River

Regional Environmental Change - Over the past 40 years, the discharge in South America’s Paraná River basin has increased despite no evidence of significant rainfall increases...     

Study of the Optimization and Adjustment ofthe IndustrialStructure Subjected to Water Resource in the Drainage Area of the Yellow River

Since the 1990s, the Yellow River stream has been temporarily interrupted for several years, which affects the development of society, the economy and human life, limits the economic potential of the drainage areas, and especially causes great harm to regions on the lower reaches. Based on the analysis of the relationship between the development of society and economy and water scarcity, the author thinks it is necessary to optimize and adjust the industrial structure that has extravagantly consumed enormous amounts of water, and to develop ecological agriculture, industry and tourism which are balanced with the ecological environment. Finally, the author puts forward several pieces of advice and countermeasures about how to build the economic systems by which water can be used economically.     

Do nanoparticles present ecotoxicological risks for the health of the aquatic environment?

Nanotechnology is a major innovative scientific and economic growth area, which may present a variety of hazards for environmental and human health. The surface properties and very small size of nanoparticles and nanotubes provide surfaces that may bind and transport toxic chemical pollutants, as well as possibly being toxic in their own right by generating reactive radicals. There is a wealth of evidence for the harmful effects of nanoscale combustion-derived particulates (ultrafines), which when inhaled can cause a number of pulmonary pathologies in mammals and humans. However, release of manufactured nanoparticles into the aquatic environment is largely an unknown. This review addresses the possible hazards associated with nanomaterials and harmful effects that may result from exposure of aquatic animals to nanoparticles. Possible nanoparticle association with naturally occurring colloids and particles is considered together with how this could affect their bioavailability and uptake into cells and organisms. Uptake by endocytotic routes are identified as probable major mechanisms of entry into cells; potentially leading to various types of toxic cell injury. The higher level consequences for damage to animal health, ecological risk and possible food chain risks for humans are also considered based on known behaviours and toxicities for inhaled and ingested nanoparticles in the terrestrial environment. It is concluded that a precautionary approach is required with individual evaluation of new nanomaterials for risk to the health of the environment. Although current toxicity testing protocols should be generally applicable to identify harmful effects associated with nanoparticles, research into new methods is required to address the special properties of nanomaterials.     

Moving beyond the linear model of expertise? IPCC and the test of adaptation

In early 2009, few would have expected that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) would come under such massive attack. The IPCC had enjoyed a pristine reputation and had even advanced to become a role model for biodiversity and food security assessments (Loreau et al. 2006; Watson 2005). However, public trust and, with it, the organization’s credibility eroded dramatically after November 2009 with the events that became known as ‘climategate’. This article seeks to contribute to current debates about how to reform the IPCC. It argues that there are major flaws in the design of the IPCC which are rooted in the linear model of expertise and which are helping to stoke the backlash against the IPCC. The article analyzes the ways in which the IPCC’s activities conform to the linear model of expertise and considers the consequences of this for integrating adaptation into the IPCC assessments. It explains why adaptation played only a marginal role up until the IPCC Third Assessment Report. It then demonstrates why the use of the linear model of expertise constrains the scientific and political debate about adaptation and leads to proxy debates about scientific evidence, which result in depoliticizing the politics of adaptation and politicizing science. Finally, the article calls for the debate to be opened up to accommodate alternatives that are both politically more feasible and at the same time more appropriate to the specific needs of adaptation policies at different levels of decision-making.