A Blue Economy for Aotearoa New Zealand?

Vandana Shiva has argued that the world is experiencing the triple crises of climate change, peak oil and increasing global food insecurity (Shiva 2008). A Green Economy, which focuses on a “low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive economy” (UNEP 2011, 16), has been viewed in some quarters as a way to begin combating the triple crises. In Aotearoa New Zealand, some of the local indigenous peoples Maori are looking at green opportunities, primarily in renewable energy production. Some scholars suggest, however, that the Green Economy should be combined with a Blue Economy. The Blue Economy, as explained by Gunter Pauli 2010, is one which focuses on nature and encourages companies and entrepreneurs to mimic nature in their processes and in the creation of their products. In this article, I suggest that considering a Blue Economy through the lens of a Maori worldview allows us to explore in another way the questions that the Blue Economy raises.     

Assessment of aluminum bioavailability in alum sludge for agricultural utilization

Inorganic aluminum ions, [Al(H₂O)₆]³⁺, [Al(OH)(H₂O)₅]²⁺, and [Al(OH)₂(H₂O)₄]⁺, are toxic to a number of crops. The aim of this study was to estimate the danger of soil contamination of bioavailable aluminum and heavy metals forms because of alum sludge which was a by-product of water, and wastewater treatment technology using aluminum coagulant is introduced into the soil. Aluminum and selected heavy metal fractionation was carried out in the post-coagulation sludge collected at a water treatment plant (where aluminum was used as a coagulant), fermented sewage sludge at a municipal wastewater treatment plant (which did not apply aluminum coagulant), and soil from water treatment plant as well as the mixtures of sludge and soil. It has been found that post-coagulation sludge used as natural fertilizer is a secondary source of bioavailable aluminum, especially when aluminum coagulants are used during water and wastewater treatment. The evaluation of applicability of the sludge to very weak acidic and acidic agricultural soils was carried out. The authors shall debate the question whether, in this case, the Regulation of EU and Polish Government on sewage sludge should also take the bioavailable aluminum into account and add to the list of the elements whose allowable contents are limited.     

Agricultural adjustment,population dynamics and forests redistribution in a subtropical watershed of NW Argentina

Patterns of land-use and land-cover change are usually grouped into one of two categories defined by the dominant trend: (1) deforestation resulting from expanding agriculture and (2) forest expansion, usually related to the abandonment of marginal lands. At regional scale, however, both processes can occur simultaneously even in the absence of net change. Given the focus on net change, such redistribution of agricultural and natural and seminatural lands has been generally overlooked. The interaction between agriculture modernization, human demography and complex topographic gradients of northwestern Argentina has resulted in processes of both forest recovery and deforestation, thus providing the opportunity to analyze patterns and driving forces of land-cover redistribution. We analyzed 20 years (1986–2006) of land-cover change in a subtropical watershed in relation to topographic and demographic variables. Although net forest change represented <1 %, forests redistribution affected 7 % of forest lands. There was a consistent geographic segregation of deforestation and forest recovery, with forests expanding over steep highlands and agriculture expanding over lowland irrigated areas. Population trends were not associated to forest expansion in lowlands but they explained 32 % of forest recovery in highlands. Highland forest expansion and lowland deforestation, respectively, imply conservation opportunities for humid montane forests and the environmental services they provide (e.g., watershed conservation) and threats for the conservation of dry forests and its biodiversity. Our study exemplifies the importance of land-use redistribution (rather than net change) with relevant environmental consequences at regional scale.     

Applying the Kuhn–Tucker model to estimate the value of recreational ecosystem services in Sicily

This paper applies the Kuhn–Tucker model to estimate recreation demand of parks in Sicily. We estimate a fixed coefficient specification and a random coefficient specification to take into account heterogeneity across visitors. Estimates suggest a diversity of preferences across the population and that parks with higher level of quality attributes are more likely to be visited. We also simulate two sets of hypothetical policy scenarios to evaluate and compare the recreational value of each park and the welfare impacts of changes in a quality attribute.     

The impact of global change on economic values of water for Public Irrigation Schemes at the São Francisco River Basin in Brazil

Economic values of water for the main Public Irrigation Schemes in the sub-middle region of the São Francisco River Basin, in northeastern Brazil, are determined in this study using an integration of a global agro-economic land and water use (MAgPIE) with a local economic model (Positive Mathematical Programming). As in the latter, the water values depend on the crops grown, and as Brazilian agriculture is strongly influenced by the global market, we used a regionalized version of the global model adapted to the region in order to simulate the crop land use, which is in turn determined by changes in global demand, trade barriers, and climate. The allocation of sugarcane and fruit crops projected with climate change by the global model, showed an impact on the average yields and on the water costs in the main schemes resulting in changes in the water values locally. The economic values for all schemes in the baseline year were higher than the water prices established for agricultural use in the basin. In the future, these water values will be higher in all the schemes. The highest water values currently and in the future were identified in municipalities with a significant proportion of area growing irrigated sugarcane. Being aware of current water values of each user in a baseline year and in a projected future under global climate and socioeconomic changes, decision makers should improve water allocation policies at local scale, in order to avoid conflicts and unsustainable development in the future.     

Building resilience to water scarcity in southern Spain: a case study of rice farming in Doñana protected wetlands

Agricultural water management needs to evolve in view of increased water scarcity, especially when farming and natural protected areas are closely linked. In the study site of Doñana (southern Spain), water is shared by rice producers and a world heritage biodiversity ecosystem. Our aim is to contribute to defining adaptation strategies that may build resilience to increasing water scarcity and minimize water conflicts among agricultural and natural systems. The analytical framework links a participatory process with quantitative methods to prioritize the adaptation options. Bottom-up proposed adaptation measures are evaluated by a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) that includes both socioeconomic criteria and criteria of the ecosystem services affected by the adaptation options. Criteria weights are estimated by three different methods—analytic hierarchy process, Likert scale and equal weights—that are then compared. Finally, scores from an MCA are input into an optimization model used to determine the optimal land-use distribution in order to maximize utility and land-use diversification according to different scenarios of funds and water availability. While our results show a spectrum of perceptions of priorities among stakeholders, there is one overriding theme that is to define a way to restore part of the rice fields to natural wetlands. These results hold true under the current climate scenario and even more so under an increased water scarcity scenario.     

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry of plankton and the nutrient regime in Cabo Frio Bay, SE Brazil

This long-term study, performed during the years 2003–2005 and 2008–2009, investigated the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents of the phyto- and zooplankton communities and the nutrient regime of Cabo Frio Bay, SE Brazil. The information intends to serve as baseline of the plankton C, N, and P stoichiometry for the calibration of biogeochemical and ecological models in support to future findings related to the local and regional phenomena of climatic change. Cabo Frio Bay is a small semienclosed system set adjacent to a region subject to sporadic coastal upwelling. Zooplankton exhibited average annual C, N, and P contents of 11.6?±?6.9 %, 2.8?±?1.8 %, and 0.18?±?0.08 %, and phytoplankton (>20 μm) 6.8?±?6.0 %, 1.6?±?1.5 %, and 0.09?±?0.08 %, respectively. The C/N/P ratios correspond to the lowest already found to date for a marine environment. The low C contents must have been brought about by a predominance of gelatinous zooplankton, like Doliolids/ Salps and also Pteropods. Average annual nutrient concentrations in the water were 0.21?±?0.1 μM for phosphate, 0.08?±?0.1 μM for nitrite, 0.74?±?1.6 μM for nitrate, and 1.27?±?1.1 μM for ammonium. N/P ratios were around 8:1 during the first study period and 12:1 during the second. The plankton C/N/P and N/P nutrient ratios and elemental concentrations suggest that the system was oligotrophic and nitrogen limited. The sporadic intrusions of upwelling waters during the first study period had no marked effect upon the systems metabolism, likely due to dilution effects and the short residence times of water of the bay.     

Polyurethanes Based on Atactic Poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate]: Preliminary Degradation Studies in Simulated Body Fluids

The aliphatic polyurethanes based on atactic poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (a-PHB) and commercial oligomerols: poly(ε-caprolactone)diol and polyoxytetramethylenediol were investigated. a-PHB was obtained by anionic ring-opening polymerization of (R,S)-β-butyrolactone. The 4,4′-methylenedicyclohexyl diisocyanate and 1,4-butanediol were used as contributors of hard segments. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of synthetic, atactic a-PHB in soft segments of polyurethanes on their degradability in simulated body fluids (SBF) and Ringer solution. The incubation of polymer samples in both degradative solutions was carried out for 36 weeks. It was concluded that the presence of a-PHB in polyurethane structure accelerated their degradation in SBF and in Ringer solution and, protected the calcification process.     

Demand of the tourists visiting protected areas in small oceanic islands: the Azores case-study (Portugal)

In general, tourism plays a significant role in the economy of archipelagos and islands. The Autonomous Region of the Azores has a great potential for tourism, offering multiple attractions, both natural and cultural, creating a big challenge for a sustainable tourism policy since little attention has been paid to the archipelagos and their special needs. This work aims to understand the profile and type of ecotourist that visits the Azores. This knowledge is of great importance for a better management and development of nature-based tourism, and products tailored to the needs and expectations of visitors. The data were collected by means of exit surveys conducted at the Airport of São Miguel Island, the larger and most populated island of the archipelago, during the high tourist season—July–September 2009. The analysis of the visitor’s profile and preferences is crucial to draw adequate strategies of management for tourism, while it helps to adequate the offer to the demand. Results showed that 41.1 % of the tourists claimed to be attracted to the islands due to their “natural values” (e.g., landscape, biodiversity, and geodiversity). The most practiced activities were whale-watching (32.4 %) and mountaineering/hiking (31.6 %), followed by diving (7 %) and other sports (5.1 %). The tourists’ profile points to a mainstream, soft, and incidental type of ecotourist. This information helps to develop and support a strategic planning and management, both at local and regional levels, for sustainable tourism policies.     

Anticipatory capacity in response to global change across an extreme elevation gradient in the Ica Basin,Peru

Regional Environmental Change - Mountainous areas with extreme elevation gradients and corresponding ranges of biophysical and socioeconomic conditions are highly vulnerable to global change. We...