Climate change, urban air problems and transport policy in the European Union

This paper surveys some recent studies on conventional air pollution and climate change in the transport sector in Europe. Fuel efficiency standards, car emission standards and transport pricing instruments are analysed from an economic perspective taking into account environmental and economic efficiency objectives. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Influence of a portable air treatment unit on health-related quality indicators of indoor air in a classroom

During periods of two weeks in February and June 2010 the performance of portable air treatment units (PATUs) was evaluated in a primary school classroom using indicators of indoor air quality. Air samples were collected in an undisturbed setting on weekend days and in an occupied setting during teaching hours. In the first week PATUs were turned off and in the second week they were turned on. On weekend days PATUs reduced indoor levels of PM-10 by 87% in February and by 70% in June compared to weekend days when PATUs were turned off. On schooldays, indoor PM-10 was increased by 6% in February and reduced by 42% in June. For PM-2.5 reductions on weekend days were 89% in February and 80% in June. On school days PM-2.5 was increased by 15% in February and reduced by 83% in June. Turning on the PATUs reduced total VOC by 80% on weekend days and by 57% on school days (but not in June). No influence on formaldehyde, NO(2), O(3) and molds was observed. PATUs appeared to be less effective in removal of air pollutants when used in an occupied classroom compared to an unoccupied setting. Our study suggests that such devices should be tested in real-life settings to evaluate their influence on indoor air quality.     

Climate Change Policy in European Countries and its effects on industry

In this paper we discuss the effects ofdifferent climate change policies onindustrial activity and on welfare. Wecompare the effects of carbon taxes andgrandfathered permits and the effects ofexemptions for energy-intensive industries.We survey first the insights from economictheory and from model experiments for theUS. Next we use a general equilibrium modelto assess the effect of different climatechange policies on industrial activity persector and per member country in the EU. Wepay particular attention to the effects ofpolicies where one EU member state exemptsits energy-intensive sectors from abatementefforts. The main findings are that, in theEU, the effects on industrial activity andthe welfare costs of tradable permits orcarbon taxes are small when no industrialsectors are exempted. When one membercountry exempts its energy intensivesector, this will reduce somewhat theimpact on its activity level but willgenerate an extra welfare cost for theEU.     

Ecosystem response to climatic change: the importance of the cold season

Winter climate and snow cover are the important drivers of plant community development in polar regions. However, the impacts of changing winter climate and associated changes in snow regime have received much less attention than changes during summer. Here, we synthesize the results from studies on the impacts of extreme winter weather events on polar heathland and lichen communities. Dwarf shrubs, mosses and soil arthropods were negatively impacted by extreme warming events while lichens showed variable responses to changes in extreme winter weather events. Snow mould formation underneath the snow may contribute to spatial heterogeneity in plant growth, arthropod communities and carbon cycling. Winter snow cover and depth will drive the reported impacts of winter climate change and add to spatial patterns in vegetation heterogeneity. The challenges ahead lie in obtaining better predictions on the snow patterns across the landscape and how these will be altered due to winter climate change.     

Ecosystem Response to Climatic Change: The Importance of the Cold Season

Winter climate and snow cover are the important drivers of plant community development in polar regions. However, the impacts of changing winter climate and associated changes in snow regime have received much less attention than changes during summer. Here, we synthesize the results from studies on the impacts of extreme winter weather events on polar heathland and lichen communities. Dwarf shrubs, mosses and soil arthropods were negatively impacted by extreme warming events while lichens showed variable responses to changes in extreme winter weather events. Snow mould formation underneath the snow may contribute to spatial heterogeneity in plant growth, arthropod communities and carbon cycling. Winter snow cover and depth will drive the reported impacts of winter climate change and add to spatial patterns in vegetation heterogeneity. The challenges ahead lie in obtaining better predictions on the snow patterns across the landscape and how these will be altered due to winter climate change.     

Application of the City Blueprint Approach to assess the challenges of water management and governance in Quito (Ecuador)

In this paper, we provide an assessment of the challenges of water, waste and climate change in the city of Quito by performing the City Blueprint Approach consisting of three assessment frameworks: (1) the Trends and Pressure Framework (TPF), (2) the City Blueprint Framework (CBF) and (3) the water Governance Capacity Framework (GCF). The TPF summarizes the main social, environmental and financial aspects that may affect urban water management. The CBF provides a clear overview of sustainable urban water management performance and its bottlenecks in municipalities and regions. The GCF comprises nine governance conditions which each consist of three indicators. The GCF provides insight in the most effective improvements to increase the governance capacity to address the identified urban water challenges. Our results show that poor wastewater treatment and long-term drinking water security are Quito’s main water challenges that may be jeopardized given the city’s rapid urbanization and economic pressure. The GCF analysis reveals that cooperation between stakeholders, implementing capacity and citizens’ awareness are the most important conditions for further development to find adequate solutions for Quito’s long-term drinking water security. We also suggest that more attention should be drawn to the transparency, accountability and participation principles. The results of Quito show that the City Blueprint Approach can serve as an affordable quick-scan to facilitate cities in their strategic planning to reach their sustainable development goals.     

New contributions to the study of common double mutants in the human <Emphasis Type="Italic">LDL</Emphasis> receptor gene

Variations in the gene encoding the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) can cause familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), one of the most common inherited metabolic disorders in humans. The functional effects of the p.Gln92Glu and p.Asn564His alterations are predicted as benign, but the c.313 + 1G>C and p.Lys799_Phe801del changes are believed to cause disease. Although p.Gln92Glu and c.313 + 1G>C have been observed only in Spain, p.Asn564His and p.Lys799_Phe801del are widespread in Western Europe. In order to estimate the ages (t generations) of these four variants of the gene, to determine their possible origin and to consider the influence of age and selective pressure on their spread, we analyzed 86 healthy individuals and 126 FH patients in Spain. Most of the FH patients investigated carried two of these four LDLR variants simultaneously, while only one patient carried three of them simultaneously. Haplotype analyses were based on five LDLR SNPs: c.81T>C, c.1413G>A, c.1725C>T, c.1959T>C and c.2232G>A. The results suggest that p.Gln92Glu and c.313 + 1G>C arose at about the same time (99 and 103 generations ago, respectively) in the CACTG haplotype and that p.Asn564His and p.Lys799_Phe801del appeared in the CGCCG haplotype and might be slightly more recent variations (92 and 95 generations ago, respectively). Low selective pressures could explain the maintenance of these variants in spite of their ages. The origin of p.Gln92Glu and c.313 + 1G>C appears to be in Spain whereas p.Asn564His and p.Lys799_Phe801del could have been introduced in Spain by Celtic migrations in the seventh to fifth centuries BC.     

Determinants of multiple central-place territory use in wild young-of-the-year Atlantic salmon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmo salar</Emphasis>)

Patterns of space use provide key insights into how animals exploit local resources and are linked to both the fitness and distribution of individuals. We studied territory size, mobility, and foraging behavior of young-of-the-year Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in relation to several key environmental factors in Catamaran Brook, New Brunswick, Canada. The 50 study fish were all multiple central-place foragers (i.e., alternated among several sit-and-wait foraging stations) and showed great variability in territory size and the total distance traveled within the territories. Territory size increased with the mean distance traveled between consecutive foraging stations, the number of stations visited, and the mean foraging radius. Fish also varied greatly in how much of the total travel distance was associated with foraging at a station (14.8–91.8%) versus switching among stations (4.6–84.3%). As predicted, fish in slow-flowing waters, where drifting prey were scarce, used larger multiple central-place territories than individuals in faster, more productive waters. Interestingly, however, the most mobile fish did not inhabit slow-running waters as predicted but were found at intermediate (optimal) water current velocities. Hence, our study suggests that among some multiple central-place foragers, increased mobility may not only serve to increase prey encounter rate but may reflect an attempt to patrol territories in favorable habitats. Further studies are needed to determine the generality and the ultimate benefits of multiple central-place space use among stream-dwelling fish and other animals.