Phytoextraction of metals from soils: how far from practice?

For most trace elements, the technique of phytoextraction needs significant improvements to become practically feasible. Calculations for Cd revealed that the amount of Cd taken up by Thlaspi caerulescens or Salix spp. needs at least to be the double of the present amount to slightly decrease the Cd concentration in the upper 0.5m of the soil within a period of 10 years. Additionally, metals taken up by the plants might pose an important risk. Alternatives as bioavailable contaminant stripping and phytostabilization might be more appropriate.     

Organizational diversity,integration and performance

This research examines how integrative methods of open communications, involvement, and conflict resolution in implementing an organizational change initiative moderate the relationship between cognitive diversity among employees and organization performance. In this longitudinal study of 37 medical clinics, we find that the interaction of integrative methods and diversity of models for organizing among employees has a significant positive effect on clinic revenue, productivity, and patient satisfaction. An important practical implication of these findings is that instead of seeking consensus on a singular vision of a strategic change initiative, managers are more likely to improve organization performance by focusing their interventions on creating integrative methods for encouraging and learning from diverse and opposing views of an organizational change initiative. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Free-air CO2 enrichment of sorghum: soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics

The positive impact of elevated atmospheric CO(2) concentration on crop biomass production suggests more carbon inputs to soil. Further study on the effect of elevated CO(2) on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics is key to understanding the potential for long-term carbon storage in soil. Soil samples (0- to 5-, 5- to 10-, and 10- to 20-cm depths) were collected after 2 yr of grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.] production under two atmospheric CO(2) levels: (370 [ambient] and 550 muL L(-1) [free-air CO(2) enrichment; FACE]) and two water treatments (ample water and limited water) on a Trix clay loam (fine, loamy, mixed [calcareous], hyperthermic Typic Torrifluvents) at Maricopa, AZ. In addition to assessing treatment effects on soil organic C and total N, potential C and N mineralization and C turnover were determined in a 60-d laboratory incubation study. After 2 yr of FACE, soil C and N were significantly increased at all soil depths. Water regime had no effect on these measures. Increased total N in the soil was associated with reduced N mineralization under FACE. Results indicated that potential C turnover was reduced under water deficit conditions at the top soil depth. Carbon turnover was not affected under FACE, implying that the observed increase in soil C with elevated CO(2) may be stable relative to ambient CO(2) conditions. Results suggest that, over the short-term, a small increase in soil C storage could occur under elevated atmospheric CO(2) conditions in sorghum production systems with differing water regimes.     

Environmental,climate and social leadership of small enterprises: Fairphone’s step-by-step approach

ABSTRACT

Achieving sustainable consumption and production requires a break with current practices in many sectors, including the smartphone sector. Leaders are central actors in catalysing such change by developing, implementing and promoting innovative ideas, products and practices. Not only large but also small enterprises can aspire to assume leadership for sustainability. This contribution explores the environmental, climate and social leadership of the social enterprise Fairphone that seeks to start a movement towards a more sustainable smartphone sector. Endowed with barely any structural power, it relies on other leadership types, especially entrepreneurial leadership, which is based on dialogue, persuasion and coalition-building. Small enterprises can be leaders, but pursuing a goal such as transforming the smartphone sector takes a step-by-step approach targeting different follower groups from suppliers, competitors and consumers to end-of-life processors and policymakers. Those different follower groups are susceptible to different (combinations of) leadership types.     

Governance assessment of a protected area: the case of the Alde Feanen National Park

This paper addresses the challenge of appropriate governance of complexity and diversity in the Dutch national park of Alde Feanen. The issue is how to enhance ecosystem resilience. Our focus relates to a navigable waterway within the park that affects the natural values of the area. The governance assessment tool is used to assess the governance context of the waterway and ecosystem resilience in the area. The study shows that a lack of a long-term integrated vision makes the governance context less supportive. Such a vision could maximize the focus on the resilience of the park's nature and motivate actors to work towards a common future for a concerned area. However, institutional complexity, combined with institutional inertia, is revealed as a hindrance to the quality of governance and shapes a weak ability to adapt the current situation to move towards resilience.     

The Triple Bottom Line for Sustainable Community Development

Rural communities in Australia are confronting a period of unprecedented change. They face declining commodity prices, the withdrawal of both public and private sector services, such as banks and hospitals, and the closure of small businesses. Their populations are in decline, with young people leaving for the larger regional centres. Many also face a declining resource base as soils become saline and water resources are sold to areas with higher unit returns. This paper presents a framework for sustainable community development based on emerging ideas of performance auditing and the development of progress indicators. The triple bottom line community audit approach is recast for the community level, measuring performance on improved community wellbeing, reduced environmental impact and increased economic vitality. Rural communities need to redefine their future. A sustainability focus offers a way forward. Las comunidades rurales en Australia estan afrontando un periodo de cambio sin precedente. Enfrentan disminución en los precios de los productos, retiro de servicios de ambos sectores, publico y privado, como bancos y hospitales y el cierre de pequeños negocios. Su población está disminuyendo, la gente joven emigra hacia centros regionales mas grandes. Muchos tambien enfrentan un deterioro en los recursos base ya que los suelos se tornan salinos, y los recursos de agua son vendidos a áreas con retorno de unidad mas alto. Este documento presenta una estructura para el desarrollo comunitario sostenible basado en el surgimiento de ideas de la revisión del desempeño y del desarrollo de indicadores de progreso. El enfoque de auditoria del triple resultado final esta rehecho para el nivel de la comunidad, midiendo el desempeño en el bienestar de la comunidad mejorada, el impacto ambiental reducido, y la vitalidad económica incrementada. Las comunidades rurales necesitan redefinir su futuro. Un enfoque sostenible ofrece una vía hacia adelante.     

Is risk analysis a useful tool for improving process safety?

To improve safety one has to know where risks are. For determining risks, hazards have to be identified and representative accident scenarios defined. This needs effort and technique. Man is quite limited in foresight without having experience and lessons from the past. For knowing the risk of an incidental, undesired event both its severity and probability has to be estimated. Then ways to reduce risk become clear. In a process plant risks are many and it is not possible to remove them all. One has to attribute priorities. Intuitive and qualitative methods can do much, but plant complexity may be large and communication on risk may become difficult without formal methodology. Quantitative risk analysis offers much, but has its weaknesses and drawbacks. The required effort is considerable, specialists are needed, and variability in answers is large. Yet, a model built to go along with the life of an installation and updated periodically may be very useful. This paper presents an overview of the demand, problems encountered, possible remedies, and an outlook on useful improvement and extension of risk analysis methodology, including decision making.     

Dynamic Risk Perception in Two Communities: Risk Events and Changes in Perceived Risk

This paper examines the relationship between perceived risk and hazard events in two communities in terms of the perception and acceptability of risk. One community experienced an acute risk event comprised of a fire at a chemical plant that resulted in a large-scale evacuation (an acute hazard). The other community was involved in a seven-year controversy over the siting of a hazardous waste incinerator (a chronic risk). While the results are broadly consistent with a learning model of perceived risk, the support is more limited than envisioned; hence, the static forces of risk perception are stronger than anticipated.     

Maternal liver transplant: Another cause of discordant fetal sex determination using cell-free DNA

Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) can very accurately determine fetal sex during pregnancy. We present an exceptional case where NIPT contradicts the ultrasound-based sex determination. The pregnant woman was recipient of a liver transplant from a male donor. Graft-derived cell-free DNA released into the maternal circulation clouded the NIPT-based sex determination. Hence, NIPT is not advisable when the pregnant mother underwent an organ transplant.