Lay perceptions of carbon capture and storage technology

The extent of social acceptance of carbon capture and storage (CCS) is likely to significantly influence the sustainable development of CO₂ storage projects. Acceptance of CCS by the key stakeholders (policy makers, the general public, the media and the local community), linked to specific projects, as well as how the technology is communicated about and perceived by the public, have become matters of interest for the social sciences. This article reports on an investigation of the public perception of CCS technology in Spain. Individuals’ views on CCS are analysed through focus groups with lay citizens using “stimulus materials”. As the analysis shows, lay views of CCS differ significantly from the views of decision-makers and experts. Public concerns and reactions to CCS technology and potential projects, as well as the degree of consensus on its acceptance or rejection are detailed. Implications for the future use of CCS are discussed.     

Land classification and ecosystem classification

Earth, the ecosphere, is a unified functional ecosystem. Ecological land classification (ELC) and regionalization divides and categorizes this unity into similar and dissimilar pieces-sectoral ecosystems - at various scales, in the interests of admiration and understanding. The recognition of land/water ecosystems in a hierarchy of sizes provides a rational base for the many-scaled problems of protection and careful exploitation in the fields of agriculture, forestry, wildlife and recreation. In forested terrain the protection of biodiversity, old growth forests, watersheds and wildlife habitat depends on spatial-temporal planning of forestry operations to maintain a preferred mosaic structure of local ecosystems within each ecological region. Without ecological understanding and a good ELC, this is impossible. Conceiving the world as comprising nested land/water ecosystems that are the source of life, elevates the role of Earth-as-context, an antidote to destructive anthropocentrism.     

Natural environmental impact assessment: A rational approach

A method is presented which combines environmental indices and estimates of inputs from various land uses to aid in environmental impact assessments. Unweighted pair/group cluster analyses are used to obtain relationships between easily observable environmental indices, such as vegetation types, soils, and geology, based on their mutual recurrence. These relationships are shown by using an ordination technique which shows the nature of complex impacts on a natural system. Results are used to develop anenvironmental effects sequence diagram based on known scientific and engineering principles and observed natural relationships. The diagram may be used in conjunction with land use data to estimate the possible magnitude of impacts on the pre-existing system which may result from such land use. Several examples are developed which quantify inputs from various land uses and which compare them with environmental inputs including point source and non-point source liquid and atmospheric emmissions, land modifications, and resource consumption. Known average values are used and a separate comparison is made in describing the vast differences between the project phases of construction versus longterm operation. A hypothetical environmental impact assessment is given for a small residential development in Chambers County, Texas, U.S. of A.     

Testing a post-copulatory pre-zygotic reproductive barrier in a passerine species pair

Sexual selection may drive speciation, but most research focuses on pre-copulatory sexual selection, overlooking post-copulatory processes. Post-copulatory sexual selection in allopatric populations could drive divergence in post-copulatory pre-zygotic (PCPZ) phenotypes, limiting gene flow upon secondary contact. Here, we performed in vitro experiments examining one potential PCPZ barrier between two closely related passerine species, house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and Spanish sparrows (Passer hispaniolensis). In birds, crossing in the vagina may be particularly challenging for sperm, so we tested the effect of female reproductive tract fluids on sperm swimming speed and motility. If a PCPZ barrier exists at this stage of the fertilization process, heterospecific female fluids are predicted to reduce sperm swimming speed or motility relative to conspecific female fluid. We found that house sparrow female fluids affected the two species’ sperm asymmetrically, depending on the control sperm velocity and male species. Overall, however, sperm performed equally in conspecific and heterospecific female fluids, and the species had similar sperm morphology and sperm swimming performance. Low divergence in PCPZ phenotypes between species, perhaps because post-copulatory sexual selection is stabilizing or only moderately strong in these taxa, may be insufficient to cause an overall PCPZ barrier. Reinforcement may be unlikely to drive PCPZ barriers for this species pair, because relatively effective pre-copulatory barriers exist between the species, and because hybrids can be quite successful. Testing the role of PCPZ barriers in birds with more divergent PCPZ phenotypes will improve our understanding of speciation in passerines.     

Empirical realised niche models for British coastal plant species

Coastal environments host plant taxa adapted to a wide range of salinity conditions. Salinity, along with other abiotic variables, constrains the distribution of coastal plants in predictable ways, with relatively few taxa adapted to the most saline conditions. However, few attempts have been made to quantify these relationships to create niche models for coastal plants. Quantification of the effects of salinity, and other abiotic variables, on coastal plants is essential to predict the responses of coastal ecosystems to external drivers such as sea level rise. We constructed niche models for 132 coastal plant taxa in Great Britain based on eight abiotic variables. Paired measurements of vegetation composition and abiotic variables are rare in coastal habitats so four of the variables were defined using community mean values for Ellenberg indicators, i.e. scores assigned according to the typical alkalinity, fertility, moisture availability and salinity of sites where a species occurs. The remaining variables were the canopy height, annual precipitation, and maximum and minimum temperatures. Salinity and moisture indicator scores were significant terms in over 80 % of models, suggesting the distributions of most coastal species are at least partly determined by these variables. When the models were used to predict species occurrence against an independent dataset 64 % of models gave moderate to good predictions of species occurrence. This indicates that most models had successfully captured the key determinants of the niche. The models could potentially be applied to predict changes to habitats and species-dependent ecosystem services in response to rising sea levels.     

Adoption of environmental standards in Australia: focus on ISO 14001

This study aimed to explore the adoption of environmental standards in Australia, focusing on ISO 14001. The authors used purposive sampling to select a group of ISO 14001 certified and a group of ISO 14001 non-certified companies. Data were collected through a combination of website searches and content analysis. The study found that, overall, 92.9% of the ISO 14001 certified compared to 78.4% of the ISO 14001 non-certified companies promoted their environmental commitment through various methods. In addition, 33.4% of ISO 14001 non-certified companies (compared to 19.2% of certified companies) used their environmental engagement activities as a marketing tool. Second, 80.9% of ISO 14001 certified companies' and 26.7% of the non-certified companies' reports are easy to find and are clearly stated. The study concludes that Australian companies engage in similar environmental activities irrespective of whether they are ISO 14001 certified or not. Both management and research implications of the study's findings are presented.     

Estimating recreational trout fishing damages in Montana's Clark Fork River basin: summary of a natural resource damage assessment

This paper summarizes a natural resource damage assessment for the State of Montana. Mining wastes have caused significant reductions in trout stocks in a 145-mile stretch of Montana's Silver Bow Creek and Clark Fork River. To estimate economic damages from decreases in catch rates, we develop and estimate an individual-based utility-theoretic model of where and how often an angler will fish as a function of travel costs, catch rates, and other influential characteristics of the site and individuals. The model includes resident and nonresident anglers who currently fish in Montana, and allows them to have different preferences. Demand parameters and expected catch rates are simultaneously estimated. The value of time is endogenously estimated as a proportion of the wage rate. Catch rates are linked to trout stocks through a stock-catch function. Collection of the angler data involved a three-step process: anglers were intercepted at 26 study sites, a subsample of anglers was selected to reflect the population trip-taking proportions to the study sites, and these anglers received follow-up surveys through the fishing season. Avidity weights are used to correct for the higher level of avidity inherent in intercept samples.