From teleconnection to telecoupling: taking stock of an emerging framework in land system science

Land use change is influenced by a complexity of drivers that transcend spatial, institutional and temporal scales. The analytical framework of telecoupling has recently been proposed in land system science to address this complexity, particularly the increasing importance of distal connections, flows and feedbacks characterising change in land systems. This framework holds important potential for advancing the analysis of land system change. In this article, we review the state of the art of the telecoupling framework in the land system science literature. The article traces the development of the framework from teleconnection to telecoupling and presents two approaches to telecoupling analysis currently proposed in the literature. Subsequently, we discuss a number of analytical challenges related to categorisation of systems, system boundaries, hierarchy and scale. Finally, we propose approaches to address these challenges by looking beyond land system science to theoretical perspectives from economic geography, social metabolism studies, political ecology and cultural anthropology.     

Reactive barriers for Cs retention

¹³⁷Cs was dispersed globally by cold war activities and, more recently, by the Chernobyl accident. Engineered extraction of ¹³⁷Cs from soils and groundwaters is exceedingly difficult. Because the half-life of ¹³⁷Cs is only 30.2 years, remediation might be more effective (and less costly) if ¹³⁷Cs bioavailability could be demonstrably limited for even a few decades by use of a reactive barrier. Essentially permanent isolation must be demonstrated in those few settings where high nuclear level wastes contaminated the environment with ¹³⁵Cs (half-life 2.3×10⁶ years) in addition to ¹³⁷Cs. Clays are potentially a low-cost barrier to Cs movement, though their long-term effectiveness remains untested. To identify optimal clays for Cs retention, Cs desorption was measured for five common clays: Wyoming Montmorillonite (SWy-1), Georgia Kaolinites (KGa-1 and KGa-2), Fithian Illite (F-Ill), and K-Metabentonite (K-Mbt). Exchange sites were pre-saturated with 0.16 M CsCl for 14 days and readily exchangeable Cs was removed by a series of LiNO₃ and LiCl washes. Washed clays were then placed into dialysis bags and the Cs release to the deionized water outside the bags measured. Release rates from 75 to 139 days for SWy-1, K-Mbt and F-Ill were similar; 0.017% to 0.021% sorbed Cs released per day. Both kaolinites released Cs more rapidly (0.12% to 0.05% of the sorbed Cs per day). In a second set of experiments, clays were Cs-doped for 110 days and subjected to an extreme and prolonged rinsing process. All the clays exhibited some capacity for irreversible Cs uptake. However, the residual loading was greatest on K-Mbt (0.33 wt.% Cs). Thus, this clay would be the optimal material for constructing artifical reactive barriers.     

Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines: An Evaluation of Sustainable Development Metrics for Industry

How can we monitor companies' progress towards the goal of sustainability? No one set of metrics is recognized universally, although several approaches have been proposed. This article uses the environmental reports of ten leading companies to evaluate the GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Polymetallic pollution from abandoned mines in Mediterranean regions: a multidisciplinary approach to environmental risks

Regional Environmental Change - Abandoned mines are a recurrent problem for nearby communities in Mediterranean regions because mine tailings represent a major source of polymetallic contamination....     

Predicting Pesticide Volatility Through Coupled Above- and Belowground Multiphysics Modeling

Pesticides are applied to agricultural fields to control unwanted pests but can volatilize and be transported downwind by wind currents to create the potential for non-target organism exposure. Volatilization rates change through the growing season due to pesticide application timing, meteorological differences, and the differential flux rates from soil and vegetation matrices. Field studies quantifying pesticide volatility are expensive and cannot capture the semi-infinite parameter combinations of soil, crop, management, and meteorological conditions encountered under regional agronomic practices. A numerical approach was used to simulate pesticide dissipation above- and belowground to augment field and laboratory experimental observations. Above- and belowground physics are coupled into a single numerical tool using the COMSOL Multiphysics® software package with the current emphasis on pesticide volatility into air from soil and vegetation and resulting near field neighboring air concentrations. Comparison of simulation results against experimental observations for an insecticide (chlorpyrifos) applied to potato and alfalfa fields shows good agreement (R² 0.68–0.98). Chlorpyrifos volatility from plant surfaces drives the overall volatility within the first several days post application. The maximum volatility flux rate simulated and observed were 0.79 and 0.66 μg m^?2 s^?1 for the alfalfa trial and 2.72 and 2.17 μg m^?2 s^?1 for the potato field, respectively. This coupled multiphysics tool [computational fluid dynamics (CFD), mass transfer coefficients, and variably saturated flow in soil] can be used to estimate volatility flux rates of pesticides when little or no prior knowledge is available and for extrapolating field study observations to different and diverse scenarios.     

Disaster risk,social vulnerability,and economic development

This paper examines the extent to which economic development decreases a country's risk of experiencing climate‐related disasters as well as the societal impacts of those events. The paper proceeds from the underlying assumption that disasters are not inherently natural, but arise from the intersection of naturally‐occurring hazards within fragile environments. It uses data from the International Disaster Database (EM‐DAT), 1 representing country‐year‐level observations over the period 1980–2007. The study finds that low‐income countries are significantly more at risk of climate‐related disasters, even after controlling for exposure to climate hazards and other factors that may confound disaster reporting. Following the occurrence of a disaster, higher income generally diminishes a country's social vulnerability to such happenings, resulting in lower levels of mortality and morbidity. This implies that continued economic development may be a powerful tool for lessening social vulnerability to climate change.     

Community perceptions of scuba dive tourism development in Bien Unido,Bohol Island,Philippines

The Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation (CCEF), a Philippine environmental organization, in collaboration with Region 7 municipality leaders from Cebu, Leyte, and Bohol, as well as various financial donors, is striving to improve the marine resource management of the Outer Danajon Bank in the Philippines. One of the goals is to develop scuba dive tourism along the Outer Bank, beginning with the municipality of Bien Unido on Bohol Island. Despite previous efforts to attract investors and tourists by the Bien Unido mayor, dive tourism is currently absent from the municipality. During the summer of 2011, the mayor, the CCEF, and a private real estate developer, agreed to invest in infrastructure and livelihood training in Bien Unido for the purpose of developing a scuba dive tourism industry. This study analyzes current community viewpoints on the development of dive tourism in Bien Unido and four selected dive tourist cites. The study consists of thirty-four qualitative interviews conducted in Bien Unido and four other dive tourist sites as well as 1117 quantitative surveys conducted with community members throughout the central portion of the Philippines (Region 7). This study complements the Danajon Bank Marine Park Project of the CCEF and makes recommendations to improve the management of the Danajon Bank Double Barrier coral reef with protected areas and alternative livelihood projects linked to tourism development. The interviews served to define tourism and to document the specific needs of each barangay, or community, for tourism development. The qualitative survey revealed generally positive attitudes regarding scuba dive tourism development. Nintey-one percent of respondents believe tourism will help the barangay and most would participate in selling food/drink or being a recreational tour guide for tourists. Interview and survey respondents expectations that economic benefits will outweigh any social or environmental challenges, primarily alternative livelihoods and increased revenue for the municipality. Overall, Bien Unido and Region 7 community members will likely welcome visitors to their communities due to the expected benefits regardless of other negative environmental and social externalities such as increases in resource pressures and losses of tradition. Four additional municipalities were selected as “tourism developed sites” to further explore the negative and positive impacts of dive tourism, as perceived by the barangay captains or council, over a range of five to thirty years. These findings revealed challenges that were not mentioned in Bien Unido interviews or in the Region 7 qualitative surveys including changes in the price of living, increases in drug trafficking and sex trade, and private investors controlling community decisions.

“As long as tourists like to come, then we want them all. If they will come, we will welcome them all.” Bien Unido interviewee, July 19, 2011

     

Description and preliminary validation of the PMSS fast response parallel atmospheric flow and dispersion solver in complex built-up areas

Noxious atmospheric releases may originate from both accidents and malicious activities. They are a major concern for public authorities or first responders who may wish to have the most accurate situational awareness. Nonetheless, it is difficult to reliably and accurately model the flow, transport, and dispersion processes in large complex built-up environments in a limited amount of time and resources compatible with operational needs. The parallel version of Micro-SWIFT-SPRAY (PMSS) is an attempt to propose a physically sound and fast response modelling system applicable to complicated industrial or urban sites in case of a hazardous release. This paper presents and justifies the choice of the diagnostic flow and Lagrangian dispersion models in PMSS. Then, it documents in detail the development of the parallel algorithms used to reduce the computational time of the models. Finally, the paper emphasizes the preliminary model validation and parallel performances of PMSS based on data from both wind tunnel (Evaluation of Model Uncertainty) and in-field reduced-scale (Mock Urban Setting Test) and real-scale (Oklahoma City) experimental campaigns.     

Unwanted metals and hydrophobic contaminants in bioreactor effluents are associated with the presence of humic substances

Biological treatment of landfill leachate is challenging due to the presence of complex compounds. Here, we treated an old landfill leachate using a membrane bioreactor under the following conditions: 24 h for hydraulic retention, 65 days of sludge retention and an average organic load rate of 1.71 ± 0.16 g/L/day. We observed a high removal of ammonia, phosphorous and some metals. However, removal of organic carbon was incomplete. Despite a major removal of suspended solids, hydrophobic and volatile hydrophilic compounds, high concentration of fulvic acid and hydrophilic contaminants was found in the effluent. Overally, we demonstrate that the presence of humic substances in the effluent is associated with the detection of arsenic, copper and chromium and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate.     

Energetic and exergetic performance comparison of three solar cookers for developing countries

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Three different domestic solar cookers are compared experimentally during water heating experiments using different loads. The solar cookers...