Consumption-based accounting of CO2 emissions in the sustainable development Goals Agenda

In 2017 the paper ‘The Sustainable Development Oxymoron: Quantifying and Modelling the Incompatibility of Sustainable Development Goals’ was published, showing that there is a conflict between socio-economic development goals and ecological sustainability goals using cross-country time-series data. The authors looked at production-based CO2 emissions to measure and model the 13^th SDG goal addressing climate change. Their models showed that production-based CO2 emissions were stalling or even decreasing in rich countries, which suggests that other countries are also likely to see stalling and decrease in their CO2 emissions once they become rich. However, this conclusion can be challenged when accounting for consumption-based CO2 emissions rather than production-based CO2 emissions. In this follow-up paper, we re-run some of the analyses performed in the original paper making use of consumption-based CO2 emissions. The analysis confirms the inherent SDG conflict between socio-economic and ecological SDGs. But, this new analysis demonstrates that from a consumption perspective the trend of stalling or decreasing CO2 emissions is reversed, with natural depletion costs being exported to poorer countries. Despite this new perspective on CO2 emissions, the conflict between SDG goals can still be avoided by making investments in public health, education and renewable energy, as suggested in the original paper.     

Cumulative Impacts of Dock Shading on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spartina alterniflora</Emphasis> in South Carolina Estuaries

Salt marshes dominated by Spartina alterniflora and the associated networks of tidal creeks that drain them are characteristic geographical features of southeastern estuaries, important nursery habitat areas, and preferred sites for residential development. As the size of the coastal population increases, so has the number of requests for dock permits. With each new request for a dock permit, public concerns about the cumulative environmental impacts of dock proliferation on the coastal environment have increased. The objective of this particular study was to evaluate the impacts of shading by dock structures on stem densities of S. alterniflora in South Carolina coastal marshes. Shading impacts under individual docks were extrapolated to the tidal creek (local), county, and statewide scales. Dock structures were sampled both under and next to the walkway in the Charleston Harbor area of South Carolina. The density of S. alterniflora under docks was significantly lower than that which occurred next to the docks (i.e., 5 m away) for the short-form, tall-form, and both forms combined. We estimated that shading effects from dock structures in South Carolina decreased the stem density of S. alterniflora by 71%. Dock shading effects were small when evaluated from the perspective of the amount of marsh that occurs within specific tidal creeks (0.03–0.72%), in coastal counties at a maximum dock length (0.01–0.98%), or statewide (0.01–0.13%) at a maximum dock length. However, approximately 7,000 docks have been permitted over the last decade, resulting in a loss of salt marsh equivalent to 60 ha.1Denise M. Sangers present address: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, 1362 McMillan Avenue, Suite 400 Charleston, South Carolina 29405, USA. 2 A. Frederick Hollands present address: Hollings Marine Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, South Carolina 29412, USA.     

Diversity and connections in community gardens: a contribution to local sustainability

Sustainability requires the integration of social, environmental and economic concerns in international, national and local policy-making. One of the most powerful forces for sustainable development in practice was the Earth Summit of 1992, with its Agenda 21 and Local Agenda 21 (LA21). This latter agenda—the set of policies that aims to create the means to facilitate local sustainability—is particularly important for communities. Community development programmes that also include aspects of sustainable development would seem to embody the spirit of LA21. There are many such diverse schemes and what has emerged is a range of local initiatives that demonstrate parts of the sustainability concept but not a clear picture of sustainable development which covers all of its aspects.

In order to examine this proposition further, an analysis of the community garden movement in the UK was carried out. Community gardens are open spaces managed and operated by members of the local community for a variety of purposes. In the UK many of these are to be found in inner city areas such as in Bradford, Leeds, Bristol and Sandwell. Their growth is marked by their own association—the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens. The gardens have a variety of purposes: in conjunction with vegetation growing (either as landscape or for consumption), some schemes are experimental permaculture plots, others use organic methods and yet others are concerned with health, education and training issues. All appear to be based in a sense of community, with participation and involvement being particularly strong features.

This sense of community participation and empowerment is what links examples of community gardening. The research reported here collates information gathered from the respondents of a questionnaire and from in-depth interviews, and draws out some of the similarities and themes that community gardens exhibit. From the results, it is suggested that the community garden movement could act as a model for the implementation of social, economic and environmental policies at the local level.     

Fatty acid composition of the triacylglycerols of the cypris larva of the barnacle Balanus balanoides during metamorphosis

In the free-swimming cypris larva of Balanus balanoides, the mean level of triacylglycerols (triglycerides) was 8% of the ash-free dry weight. During metamorphosis into the juvenile barnacle, the triacylglycerol level in the newly settled non-feeding cypris larva fell to a mean of 2% of the ash-free dry weight. The ratio of fatty acids in the triacylglycerols remained constant throughout metamorphosis, indicating that all species of fatty acids were used as energy sources. There was no evidence for the selective utilisation of particular fatty acids.     

Fine structure of spermatids and sperm of Dolioletta gegenbauri and Doliolum nationalis (Tunicata: Thaliacea): implications for tunicate phylogeny

In Dolioletta gegenbauri and Doliolum nationalis, collected in 1987 in the bay of Villefranche-sur-mer (French Mediterranean Sea), spermiogenesis is essentially the same. Early spermatids have a round head, a flagellum arising from a single centriole with short microtubules at 45° to its base, several mitochondria, and an acrosome 50 nm thick and 250 nm long with its long axis parallel to the plasma membrane. The acrosomal contents are dense, with a central denser plate. The nuclear envelope next to the acrosome is thickened and concave. In elongating nuclei, strands of chromatin become oriented parallel to the length of the nucleus and then twist helically. Although the mitochondria surround the nucleus, they remain relatively short and do not fuse into a single mitochondrion as in sperm of other tunicates. In very late doliolid spermatids, the acrosome undergoes exocytosis, and exposes fibrous material that stays associated with the tip of the sperm; no acrosomal tubule forms. Exocytosis at this stage may be triggered by fixation. If so, exocytosis probably occurs naturally at some time before fusion of sperm and egg. Sperm have elongate heads (1 m×10 m), with the anterior two-thirds of the nucleus surrounded by mitochondria. Spermiogenesis in doliolids, compared to that in other tunicates, is most like that in solitary members of the class Ascidiacea, except that in the latter the sperm mitochondria fuse and the acrosome appears incapable of exocytosis. In contrast, previous work has shown that salps (class Thaliacea) and colonial didemnid ascidians have an acrosomeless sperm with a spiral mitochondrion, while the class Appendicularia has a sperm with a midpiece, a compact head and an acrosome capable of exocytosis and acrosomal tubule formation. By outgroup comparison with echinoderms and acraniates, appendicularian sperm are plesiomorphic within the Tunicata. Thus, gamete morphology indicates that (1) solitary ascidians and doliolids had a common ancestor, (2) the popular idea that doliolids gave rise to appendicularians is incorrect, and (3) the Thaliacea are polyphyletic, doliolids having arisen very early from the ascidian lineage and salps having arisen later.     

A Numerical Study of the Dynamics of the Riverine Thermal Bar in a Deep Lake

A numerical model based on a Finite Volume formulation of the Navier–Stokes equations is used to simulate a range of scenarios leading to a thermal bar formed by a river inflow to an idealised deep lake. The results presented here show that small riverine salinity increases have a profound effect on the dynamics of the thermal bar, suppressing horizontal propagation of the plume and raising the possibility of a thermal bar which is capable of sinking to great depths. This finding is particularly relevant to Lake Baikal in Siberia, where the vigorous deep-water renewal is still not fully understood. An analysis of the buoyancy forces governing the depth of penetration of the thermal bar plume shows that realistic salinity gradients are an important factor in determining the circulation of Baikal waters. Observations of the saline curtailment of the thermal bar's horizontal propagation also reveal a potential for reduced productivity in the ecosystem of any temperate river delta during the Spring renewal period.     

Biochemical composition and energy reserves in the larvae and adults of the four british periwinkles Littorina littorea,L. littoralis,L. saxatilis and L. neritoides

The biochemical composition of the adult body tissue is similar in Littorina littorea, L. littoralis, L. saxatilis and L. neritoides. In the newly crawling metamorphosed young of L. littoralis and L. saxatilis, the biochemical composition is similar to that of the mature adults. The newly released planktonic veliger larvae of L. littorea and L. neritoides, which represent and earlier stage of development than the newly crawling young, have a neutral lipid level (mean, 16.5% of ash-free dry flesh weight) approximately three times the level (5.4%) in the newly crawling young of L. littoralis and L. saxatilis. Otherwise the biochemical composition of free-swimming larvae is similar to that of newly crawling young and adults. Neutral lipid is apparently utilised by L. littoralis and L. saxatilis larvae during larval development and metamorphosis. It is suggested that neutral lipid is the major energy reserve of Littorina veliger larvae whereas in the adults, as exemplified by L. littorea, both lipid and carbohydrate are important as energy reserves.     

Spermatogenesis inPyrosoma atlanticum (Tunicata: Thaliacea: Pyrosomatida): Implications for tunicate phylogeny

Colonies ofPyrosoma atlanticum were collected by submersible in October 1988 in the Caribbean Sea, and testes were studied by electron microscopy. Spermatogonia, spermatocytes and early spermatids have two centrioles. The proximal centriole subsequently disappears, its remains apparently persisting in the spermatozoon as dense material adjacent to the distal centriole, which gives rise to the axoneme. At the tip of early spermatids are several 50 nm proacrosomal vesicles, which disappear leaving no trace in early elongating spermatids. The spermatozoon lacks an acrosome and has a head 35µm long. The head is differentiated into a bulbous posterior portion 5µm long × 1µm wide, a thinner anterior portion 25µm long tapering from a width of 0.7µm to a width of 0.4µm, and a very thin anterior extension 5µm long × 0.5µm wide. At the start of elongation, the anterior extension begins to form just lateral to the proacrosomal vesicles as a spiral projection comprising part of the nucleus, covered by a thin sheath of cytoplasm. This sheath of cytoplasm undergoes a complex differentiation. Ultimately, the nucleus in the anterior extension is overlain by two membrane-bound sheaths of cytoplasm connected by a spiral flange of cytoplasm. Between these two sheaths is a spiral space, open to the exterior through a subterminal pore near the sperm tip. In early spermatids the mitochondria fuse into a single mitochondrion, which remains lateral to the nucleus. The cristae become modified late in spermatogenesis. Throughout elongation of the spermatid there are patches of dense material between the nucleus and mitochondrion. A manchette of microtubules transiently encircles the thin anterior portion of the nucleus during the last phase of elongation. A manchette is not present during most of elongation. In the spermatozoon the mitochondrion, which has reticulate cristae, spirals a few times about the nucleus and extends from the junction between the bulbous portion and the thinner anterior portion of the nucleus to the junction between the thinner anterior portion and the nuclear extension. Spermatogenesis inP. atlanticum, compared to that in other tunicates, most closely resembles that in colonial ascidians, and supports the majority view that pyrosomes arose from aplousobranch ascidians that lost their attachment to the substratum. Pyrosome sperm are more highly derived than doliolid sperm, which have an acrosome that is probably capable of exocytosis. When salp and pyrosome sperm are compared, both are highly derived, but neither shares any apomorphies with the other that it does not share with at least one other tunicate order. Thus, sperm morphology does not support the majority view that pyrosomes gave rise to doliolids and neither confirms nor denies the idea that pyrosomes are intermediate between aplousobranch ascidians and salps. Therefore, it is likely that the class Thaliacea is polyphyletic, with doliolids arising very early from the ascidian lineage and with salps and pyrosomes arising somewhat later.     

Embracing diverse worldviews to share planet Earth

Leading societies toward a more sustainable, equitably shared, and environmentally just future requires elevating and strengthening conversations on the nonmaterial and perhaps unquantifiable values of nonhuman nature to humanity. Debates among conservationists relating to the appropriateness of valuing ecosystems in terms of their human utility have eclipsed the more important and impactful task of expressing conservation concerns in terms that are meaningful to diverse stakeholders. We considered the wide global diversity of perspectives on the biosocial complex—the relationships and interactions between all living species on Earth—and argue that humanity's best chance for effective conservation is to take a pluralistic approach that engages seriously with the worldviews of all stakeholders. Many worldviews—particularly those in indigenous cultures—place a higher value on the spiritual and nonmaterial aspects than what is often represented by the discourse surrounding Western conservation policy. Alternative framings of the biosocial complex that recognize nature's intrinsic value can be powerful motivators for social change and for local-scale conservation efforts. At a national and international level, changing ethical framings of human relationships with nature have started influencing conceptions of human rights relating to the environment and of the rights of nature itself. This change has led to an increased role of the judiciary in promoting environmental sustainability and promoting justice for groups who are most often affected by environmental harms. We hope our essay will motivate the scientific community to change its own perception of what a sound and sustainable relationship between humanity and other species should be and will help citizens become active environmental subjects, connected to the ecosystems around them.