Second Chance Game: local (university-community) partnerships for global awareness and responsibility

This paper reviews the evolution of an inter-organizational partnership between Ball State University and local organizations to develop the Second Chance Game (SCG), an environmental education sustainability awareness game that has been tested with sixth grade students in Muncie, Indiana and that has become a part of the educational program of the Minnetrista Cultural Center and Oakhurst Gardens. The SCG game helps students discover how to live responsibly on the land, and to understand that every decision they make (to obtain and process food, mine or harvest resources, build shelters, produce and consume products) has an impact on local and regional systems and resource-flows. In this paper, partnerships are presented as a strategy to help organizations deal with similar challenges and also as a strategy to increase global awareness about environmental issues and to build environmental responsibility. The authors discuss partnerships using the SCG as a case study. First, the authors review the process of formation, evolution, and maintenance of the partnership to design the SCG game and other components. They then present the game and a stand-alone preparatory program for middle school teachers to help their students play the game, as specific products. The paper closes with a reflection about the potential of partnerships for sustainable development initiatives between universities and local stakeholders.     

“Educating the educators” as a strategy for enhancing education on cleaner production

During the last ten years, much progress has been made in initiating Cleaner Production and related Preventive Environmental Management (PEM) training activities within many countries. Much of this work was facilitated through special National Cleaner Production Centers, established through national support or through the facilitation of organizations such as UNEP, UNIDO, The World Bank, and other regional development organizations. Most earlier PEM training was predominantly short-term and was not embedded within a deeper academic framework. Although much has been accomplished as a result of such training, deeper and broader educational programs are needed.The Faculty at IIIEE at Lund University in Sweden decided to develop an innovative “Educate-the-Educators” (ETE) Program on Cleaner Production and on related PEM approaches. This paper summarises the goals, objectives and results of the first ETE program at IIIEE. The three-week educational program was attended by 32 educators from 22 different countries. This included participants from China, India, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, New Zealand, South Africa, Zambia, Ethiopia, Bahrain, Turkey, Jordan, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad–Tobago, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia. According to the participants, the intensive educational program was very useful in preparing them to integrate Cleaner Production components into the course(s) and curricula in their home institutions. The participants are now actively engaged in initiating follow-up activities within their academic institutions.     

A survey and analysis on public awareness and performance for promoting circular economy in China: A case study from Tianjin

The main objective of this study is to create a better understanding of public awareness and performance in the promotion of a Circular Economy (CE) in Tianjin, China. The data and information used in this paper were collected by distributing questionnaires randomly in 6 urban districts and interviewing 600 respondents. The results indicate that the residents have limited awareness and a poor understanding about the CE program. However, they hold a positive attitude toward garbage sorting while most of the residents simply classify the garbage into categories that can be sold, reused or exchanged for new ones. People's awareness of the CE program has a positive correlation to their educational level, whereas their pro-environmental and resource conservation behavior has a positive correlation to the age of the respondents.     

Structural differences in the drone olfactory system of two phylogenetically distant Apis species, A. florea and A. mellifera

Male insects that are attracted by sex pheromones to find their female mates over long distances have specialized olfactory subsystems. Morphologically, these subsystems are characterized by a large number of receptor neurons sensitive to components of the female's pheromones and hypertrophied glomerular subunits ('macroglomeruli' or 'macroglomerular complexes') in the antennal lobes, in which the axons of the receptor neurons converge. The olfactory subsystems are adapted for an increased sensitivity to perceive minute amounts of pheromones. In Apis mellifera, drones have 18,600 olfactory poreplate sensilla per antenna, each equipped with receptor neurons sensitive to the queen's sex pheromone, and four voluminous macroglomeruli (MG1-MG4) in the antennal lobes. In contrast, we show that drones of the phylogenetically distant species, Apis florea, have only 1,200 poreplate sensilla per antenna and only two macroglomeruli in their antennal lobes. These macroglomeruli are homologous in anatomical position to the two most prominent macroglomeruli in A. mellifera, the MG1 and MG2, but they are much smaller in size. The morphological and anatomical differences described here suggest major modifications in the sex-pheromone processing subsystem of both species: (1) less pheromone sensitivity in A. florea and (2) a more complex sex-pheromone processing and thus a more complex sex-pheromone communication in A. mellifera.     

Is community-based sustainability education sustainable? A general overview of organizational sustainability in outreach education

Educators recognize the ecological, economic, and social components of environmental sustainability. For community-based programs, there is another sustainability trio that, if neglected, will lead to a decline in program quality and function. To be sustainable over the long term, community-based programs must have superior educational quality, clear organizational structure, and continued financial stability. Many educational outreach programs that have neglected this sustainability trio have been weakened or eliminated as they are not seen as priority items during budget reductions. The Master Gardener Program exemplifies this premise, representing a cadre of tens of thousands of university-trained volunteer educators who deliver environmental education to their communities. Over the years, the vision for educational quality, use of clear organizational structures fitting an increased reliance on volunteers, and securing of outside funding for sustainability education have waned in many states, resulting in a lack of university leadership and programmatic devolution. We propose revising outreach education to align with the best practices in adult pedagogy and science by developing a centralized organizational structure and by looking outside traditional university resources for funding opportunities. These strategies can easily be adapted for other community-based outreach programs.     

废旧塑料处置地沉积物中邻苯二甲酸酯污染特征及其生态风险

为了解废旧塑料处置活动对区域水体的影响,采用气相质谱联用仪(GC-MS),对河北省某废旧塑料处置地沉积物中16种PAEs(phthalate esters,邻苯二甲酸酯)的污染特征和生态风险进行了研究. 结果表明:研究样地的w(∑₁₆PAEs)为0.527~102 μg/g, 平均值为18.9 μg/g,其中,DEHP〔邻苯二甲酸(2-乙基己基)酯〕是PAEs最主要的污染单体,平均占w(∑PAEs)的66.6%. 对该处置地的污染物源分析表明,沉积物中PAEs主要来源于废旧塑料回收利用过程中的环境排放. 沉积物中w(DEHP)(14.2 μg/g)和w(DBP)(1.41 μg/g)(DBP为邻苯二甲酸二正丁酯)均超过各自环境风险限值(ERLs),w(DIBP)(DIBP为邻苯二甲酸二异丁酯)超过了美国华盛顿州颁布的沉积物质量警戒限值(0.610 μg/g). 研究显示,沉积物中DBP对鱼类的生态风险及DEHP对藻类和鱼类的生态风险水平不可接受,应引起足够重视.      

Effects of forest policy on landscape pattern of late-seral forest of the Western Olympic Peninsula,Washington

Forest harvest policies and regulations in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States have changed considerably across all land ownerships over the last 25 years, primarily in response to concerns over threatened and endangered species. For example, in July 2001, Washington State adopted new forest practice rules for private ownerships, which were aimed primarily at improving habitat for aquatic and riparian species. Before adopting the new rules, an environmental impact assessment was conducted in which three alternatives were considered in detail for their contributions to riparian habitat. Implications for upland species were not considered, although riparian protection has the potential to make contributions to habitat for obligate late-seral species.Effects of the three management alternatives were projected on private lands 200 years into the future, holding constant current practices on other lands managed for timber (federal, tribal, and state). The resulting distribution of late-seral forest across the Western Olympic Peninsula was compared. Simulations predicted that late-seral forest would cover between 39 and 48% of the landscape, well above the 8% that it currently occupies. Five to 21% of this late-seral forest would be on private lands (compared to <1% currently), and 71–85% on public lands (compared to 91% currently). Landscape pattern analysis indicated that the total amount of late-seral forest was significantly different among the three scenarios. However, there was no discernible difference in interior forest area, edge density, and mean distance between patches between a “no-action” alternative and the alternative that was ultimately adopted into rule. The most protective alternative had significantly more interior forest area and greater mean distance between patches, but it also had significantly higher edge density as a result of the linear nature of the riparian reserves and small patches of steep, unstable slopes. Our analysis framework will be useful for evaluating the effects of alternative management scenarios on landscape pattern across broad geographic areas with complex ownership.     

Developing a Regional Open Space Strategy (ROSS) for Central Puget Sound,Washington State,USA

Ecosystem services provided by the landscapes of regions and cities are critical to human and environmental health, quality of life, environmental justice, biodiversity and climate mitigation and adaptation. In the Pacific Northwest region of the US, a team led by the University of Washington Green Futures Lab is working to identify, conserve and enhance regionally-significant landscapes and to evaluate their contributions as ecosystem or “open space” services. This paper outlines the goals and planning methods of the ongoing Regional Open Space Strategy for Central Puget Sound (ROSS) project, and the frameworks and processes being developed to evaluate ecosystem and open space services in order to inform and influence local and regional governance structures and decisions.     

Hydrocarbon emissions from twelve urban shade trees of the Los Angeles,California, Air Basin

The large-scale planting of shade trees in urban areas to counteract heat-island effects and to minimize energy use is currently being discussed. Among the costs to be considered in a cost/benefit analysis of such a program is the potential for additional reactive organic compounds in the atmosphere due to emissions from these trees. In this program, 15 species of potential shade trees for the Los Angeles Air Basin were studied and emission rates were determined for 11 of these trees, with one further tree (Crape myrtle) exhibiting no detectable emissions. The emission rates normalized to dry leaf weight and corrected to 30°C were (in μg g⁻¹ h⁻¹), ranked from lowest to highest emission rate: Crape myrtle, none detected; Camphor, 0.03; Aleppo pine, 0.15; Deodar cedar, 0.29; Italian Stone pine, 0.42; Monterey pine, 0.90; Brazilian pepper, 1.3; Canary Island pine, 1.7; Ginkgo, 3.0; California pepper, 3.7; Liquidambar, 37; Carrotwood, 49. In addition to the emission rates per unit biomass, the biomass per tree must be factored into any assessment of the relative merits of the various trees, since some trees have higher biomass constants than others. The present data shows that there are large differences in emission rates among different tree species and this should be factored into decision-making as to which shade trees to plant. Based solely on the presently determined emission rates, the Crape myrtle and Camphor tree are good choices for large-scale planting, while the Carrotwood tree and Liquidambar are poor choices due to their high isoprene emission rates.     

Evaluation of alternatives for extending the life of landfills

Given the difficulty, as well as the high cost, of siting and constructing municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills it is incumbent on landfill managers to evaluate all practical measures to extend the useful life of existing landfills. This necessitates not only identifying potential methods to extend their life, but also the means to assess at what time horizons in the landfill's life such measures are cost effective. Some typical examples of methods to extend their life include: size reduction of incoming waste, improved in-place compaction density, use of alternative daily cover, waste diversion, and accelerating the degradation to enhance attendant settlement on the MSW. Most, if not all, of these methods incur capital/operating costs that must be evaluated. The methodology for this analysis is presented using the existing landfill at Andersen Air Force Base (AAFB), Guam, as a model for the procedure. The Landfill Extension Model (LEM) computer program was written to model the AAFB landfill and to analyze various extension alternatives to include compaction, shredding, alternative daily cover and operation outsourcing (contracting). The LEM computer program may be used to evaluate any landfill operation and is consequently useful for evaluating any existing landfill. It was found that by utilizing all of the proposed alternatives the life of AAFB landfill could be extended from 10 years to 48 years.     

木耳菌糠生物炭对阳离子染料的吸附性能研究

为了有效处理印染废水,以废弃木耳菌糠（AG）为原料,采用限氧热解法在350、550、750℃的温度下制备木耳菌糠生物炭（AGBC）,处理含有孔雀石绿（MG）、番红花红T （ST）的有色废水.考察了不同初始pH值、吸附时间、初始浓度对AGBC吸附MG、ST的影响,讨论了吸附动力学及等温吸附特性.并利用傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）、X射线衍射仪（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）等技术对吸附前后的菌糠生物炭进行表征,探究吸附机理.结果表明：随着热解温度的升高,吸附剂表面的含氧官能团数量逐渐减少,而比表面积和芳香化程度逐渐增加.MG的平衡吸附量随溶液pH值的升高而增大,而ST的平衡吸附量呈现相反趋势.AGBC对MG、ST的吸附分别在8h和4h基本达到平衡.AGBC对MG的吸附过程符合准一级动力学模型与Freundlich模型,说明吸附过程以物理吸附为主;对ST的吸附过程符合准二级动力学模型与Freundlich模型,说明吸附过程以化学吸附为主.与AG350和AG550相比,AG750对MG和ST的吸附量更高,经Langmuir模型拟合,其对MG和ST的最大吸附量分别为10249.79mg/g、3353.49mg/g.吸附机理表明,AGBC对MG的吸附主要为静电引力和π-π共轭作用,对ST的吸附主要为氢键作用、π-π共轭作用以及静电引力.说明AGBC对阳离子染料具有一定的吸附潜力,是一种经济高效的吸附材料.     

孔雀石绿诱发的蚕豆根尖细胞微核及染色体畸变

采用蚕豆根尖细胞微核试验和染色体畸变试验方法,研究孔雀石绿对蚕豆根尖细胞的致畸效应。实验结果表明:孔雀石绿浓度在0.05~2.0 mg/L之间时,蚕豆根尖细胞的微核率和染色体畸变率随着浓度的增加而升高。当达到1.0 mg/L时,微核率和染色体畸变率达到最高水平,随后,均开始下降。在同一浓度下,随着处理时间的不断延长,微核率和染色体畸变率不断增大。微核率在36 h时,达到最高水平,而染色体畸变率在48 h时达到峰值,之后下降。但仍显著高于对照组。     

A survey of the use of IPM by New York apple producers

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was first introduced to New York apple growers in 1975 through an Extension pilot program. Since that time, growers have become aware of the methods, results and potential benefits of following an IPM approach in their orchards. Differences in pesticide use, demography and behavior between IPM users and non-users are presented in this study. Results showed that > 80% of the apple producers in New York State (NY) incorporate some aspect of IPM into their pest control strategies. IPM users were younger and better educated and had less farm experience than non-users. Cornell Cooperative Extension was considered a primary source of written pest management and pesticide information to NY growers. However, agricultural sales persons were also considered useful by the growers for making pest management decisions. Growers that employed comprehensive IPM practices used 30% less insecticides, 47% less miticides and 10% less fungicides than growers that did not use IPM practices. This resulted in 235 kg active ingredient ha⁻¹ not having to be absorbed by the environment and saved IPM apple growers an average of US$ 95.80 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ over an 11-year period (1976–1986) without significantly affecting fruit quality.     

漆酶介体系统对孔雀绿的脱色研究

研究了漆酶介体系统对代表性三苯甲烷类染料孔雀绿的脱色处理。漆酶介体系统对孔雀绿的脱色效率比单独使用漆酶要高出10倍。高浓度的孔雀绿对漆酶介体系统的脱色效率有抑制作用,最适的pH值和温度分别在4.2和32°C左右。介体浓度的提高可促进脱色率的增加,但高浓度的介体会抑制脱色效率。漆酶和漆酶介体系统对孔雀绿的脱色机制上存在不同,前者的作用机制为脱甲基反应,而后者的脱色机制为自由基介导的聚合反应。     

关于资源学科定位及其学科与人才培养体系的建设

环境问题的根源是资源利用问题。加强资源问题的研究是解决资源利用所引起的环境问题的关键措施。在环境问题研究日趋完善与深化的今天,加强对资源学科体系和资源领域人才培养体系的建设显得更加迫切。论文依据作者近年来从事资源问题研究和资源领域人才培养的实践,以及推动资源学科建设的行动,就资源学科定位、学科体系及其人才培养体系构建,提出一个初步的框架。对资源问题的研究可归纳为“资源学”作为“交叉学科”门类,与理学、工学、管理学等学科门类同级。资源学可进一步划分为资源科学、资源技术学与资源管理学总计3个一级学科,8个二级学科,22个三级学科,59个四级学科,其学位均应授予理学(科学)博士学位。资源领域人才培养应满足科学研究、产业发展与管理等领域的需求,即本科仅设1个专业,研究生设3个专业;逐渐形成本科与研究生专业培养,学士、硕士、博士学位共同组成的人才培养体系,努力建设满足资源领域人才培养的33门核心课程。     

新型氧化石墨烯生物纳米材料对印染废水中镉和孔雀石绿的去除性能及机制

印染废水因其成分复杂,并且难以被自然去除,己成为环境的重点污染源之一.本研究采用甘蔗渣还原液还原氧化石墨烯,并负载伯克霍尔德菌成功制备了新型生物纳米材料MNMs.采用SEM-EDS-Mapping和Raman分析证实该材料具有较好的结构稳定性和良好的吸附效果,并对印染废水的典型污染物Cd²⁺和孔雀石绿的联合去除率均达到80%以上.GC-MS检测结果证实该复合纳米材料可将孔雀石绿降解为N,N-二甲基苯胺和4-（二甲基氨基）二苯甲酮.动力学拟合分析表明Cd²⁺和孔雀石绿被MNMs吸附过程遵循伪二级速率模型（R²>0.99）,而MG的降解过程更遵循伪一级速率模型（R²>0.99）.MNMs对Cd²⁺和MG的理论最大吸附量分别为84.03 mg·g^-1和45.25 mg·g^-1.研究结果表明,该生物纳米材料对水溶液中Cd²⁺和孔雀石绿有较好的去除效果,未来可应用于工业印染废水的污染控制.     

Brown marine algae turbinaria conoides as biosorbent for Malachite green removal: Equilibrium and kinetic modeling

In this study, the biosorption of Malachite green (MG) onto Turbinaria conoides, brown marine algae, was studied with respect to initial pH, temperature, initial dye concentration, and sorbent dosage. The optimum initial pH and temperature values for MG removal were found to be 8.0 and 30°C, respectively. Sorbent dosage was found to strongly influence the removal of MG. Equilibrium studies were carried out to test the validity of the Langmuir (q _max = 66.6 mg/g and b = 0.526 mL mol/L) and the Freundlich (n = 1.826 and K = 3.751 mg/g) isotherms. The kinetic studies indicated the validity of the pseudo first-order and second-order equation.     

Aggressive reproductive competition among hopelessly queenless honeybee workers triggered by pheromone signaling

In the honeybee, Apis mellifera, the queen monopolizes reproduction, while the sterile workers cooperate harmoniously in nest maintenance. However, under queenless (QL) conditions, cooperation collapses and reproductive competition among workers ensues. This is mediated through aggression and worker oviposition, as well as shifts in pheromones, from worker to queen-like composition. Many studies suggest a dichotomy between conflict resolution through aggression or through pheromonal signaling. In this paper, we demonstrate that both phenomena comprise essential components of reproductive competition and that pheromone signaling actually triggers the onset of aggression. We kept workers as QL groups until first aggression was observed and subsequently determined the contestants' reproductive status and content of the mandibular (MG) and Dufour's glands (DG). In groups in which aggression occurred early, the attacked bee had consistently more queen-like pheromone in both the MG and DG, although both contestants had undeveloped ovaries. In groups with late aggression, the attacked bee had consistently larger oocytes and more queen-like pheromone in the DG, but not the MG. We suggest that at early stages of competition, the MG secretion is utilized to establish dominance and that the DG provides an honest fertility signal. We further argue that it is the higher amount of DG pheromone that triggers aggression.     

Prenatal evaluation of fetal renal function based on serum beta2-microglobulin assessment

The relationship between fetal renal function (FRF) and fetal serum beta₂-microglobulin (B2MG) was investigated by comparing its value in 112 unaffected fetuses with that of 23 fetuses presenting with urinary tract malformations (UTM). Fetal serum level of B2MG was totally unrelated to gestational age; its value increased in cases of severe impairment of FRF but was similar to controls in all mild uropathies (p<0.05). Evaluating serum B2MG could be beneficial in fetuses with severe renal damage, but is of no use in unilateral UTM since only the global FRF is tested and not the function of each single kidney. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

UV/H_2O_2/草酸高铁铵体系中孔雀石绿的光降解研究

研究了UV/H2O2/草酸高铁铵体系下孔雀绿(Malachite green,MG)光降解过程中的影响因素,包括MG的初始浓度、初始pH值、投加H2O2浓度和草酸高铁铵浓度等。结果表明:MG初始浓度越低光降解越快,碱性条件有利于MG的降解,其最佳降解pH为11.0;随H2O2浓度的增加,MG降解率先增加后减少,在100mmol/L时,降解率最高;MG降解率随草酸高铁铵浓度增加而增加,于10.0mmol/L时MG降解率最高;UV/H2O2/草酸高铁铵体系的降解效果较强,交叉实验结果表明H2O2:草酸高铁铵浓度比在1～20:1时降解率均高于。因此该体系具有快速、简单、经济并高效率等特点,可应用于染料废水的降解和脱色工艺中。