Does Oil and Goodwill Mix?: Examining the Oil and Gas Industry’s Impact on Stakeholder Engagement on Facebook

The present study explores how oil and gas companies use Facebook to communicate about community-supporting initiatives and engage stakeholders. Drawing from the company–cause fit and social interactivity literature, we examined the type of message and the language used in company Facebook posts to elicit stakeholder engagement, as measured by the number of likes, shares, and comments. We content analyzed 953 Facebook posts from 12 companies featured on Oil & Gas Journal’s top 50-company list. The results showed that, although oil and gas companies are posting about their CSR-related efforts on Facebook, their lack of two-way messaging and interactive language use are not effectively engaging stakeholders. In terms of theory, this study advances company–cause fit and interactive studies by applying them to the oil and gas industry. In terms of practice, the results highlight the importance of using diverse messaging and interactive language when utilizing Facebook to engage stakeholders.     

Digital technology and human development: A charter for nature conservation

The application of digital technology in conservation holds much potential for advancing the understanding of, and facilitating interaction with, the natural world. In other sectors, digital technology has long been used to engage communities and share information. Human development—which holds parallels with the nature conservation sector—has seen a proliferation of innovation in technological development. Throughout this Perspective, we consider what nature conservation can learn from the introduction of digital technology in human development. From this, we derive a charter to be used before and throughout project development, in order to help reduce replication and failure of digital innovation in nature conservation projects. We argue that the proposed charter will promote collaboration with the development of digital tools and ensure that nature conservation projects progress appropriately with the development of new digital technologies.     

Physical and ecological thresholds for deposited sediments in streams in agricultural landscapes

Excessive sedimentation in streams and rivers remains a pervasive problem for the protection of aquatic habitat and the sustainability of aquatic communities. Whereas water quality criteria have been determined for suspended sediments in many jurisdictions across North America, comparably little has been done for deposited (also known as bedded) sediments. Through Canada's National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative, assessment techniques and analytical tools were developed for estimating environmental thresholds for deposited sediments in agricultural watersheds in New Brunswick (NB) and Prince Edward Island (PEI) in the Atlantic Maritimes of Canada. Physical thresholds were developed through assessment of geomorphic metrics, which were then analyzed using y-intercept and 25th percentile approaches. For NB, there was strong agreement in physical thresholds for both analytical approaches (e.g., percent fines <2 mm were 7.5 for y-intercept and 6.9 for 25th percentile approaches). In contrast, physical thresholds for PEI differed considerably between approaches (e.g., percent fines <2 mm were 6.1 for y-intercept and 19.6 for 25th percentile approaches), likely due to a narrower range in agricultural land cover. Cross-calibration of our provisional physical thresholds for NB with ecological (i.e., benthic macroinvertebrate) assessments show that ecological thresholds, calculated as change-points in relationships between Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera relative abundance or Modified Family Biotic Index and geomorphic criteria, were more liberal than physical thresholds. These results suggest that provisional thresholds developed using geomorphic criteria should demarcate change from the least disturbed condition and reduce the risk of sedimentation degrading benthic ecosystems.     

Using the soil and water assessment tool to estimate achievable water quality targets through implementation of beneficial management practices in an agricultural watershed

Runoff from crop production in agricultural watersheds can cause widespread soil loss and degradation of surface water quality. Beneficial management practices (BMPs) for soil conservation are often implemented as remedial measures because BMPs can reduce soil erosion and improve water quality. However, the efficacy of BMPs may be unknown because it can be affected by many factors, such as farming practices, land-use, soil type, topography, and climatic conditions. As such, it is difficult to estimate the impacts of BMPs on water quality through field experiments alone. In this research, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to estimate achievable performance targets of water quality indicators (sediment and soluble P loadings) after implementation of combinations of selected BMPs in the Black Brook Watershed in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Four commonly used BMPs (flow diversion terraces [FDTs], fertilizer reductions, tillage methods, and crop rotations), were considered individually and in different combinations. At the watershed level, the best achievable sediment loading was 1.9 t ha(-1) yr(-1) (89% reduction compared with default scenario), with a BMP combination of crop rotation, FDT, and no-till. The best achievable soluble P loading was 0.5 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) (62% reduction), with a BMP combination of crop rotation and FDT and fertilizer reduction. Targets estimated through nonpoint source water quality modeling can be used to evaluate BMP implementation initiatives and provide milestones for the rehabilitation of streams and rivers in agricultural regions.     

Metal exposures in an inner-city neonatal population

ObjectivesWe measured concentrations of lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), and copper (Cu) in umbilical cord whole blood and examined sources of environmental Pb exposures in a predominantly African-American population.MethodsBetween April and July 2006, we collected reproductive histories, questionnaires, and blood samples from 102 women, aged 16–45 years, who delivered at a Memphis, TN hospital.ResultsThe prevalence of preeclampsia and low birth weight infancy in the study population was 11% and 10%, respectively. Twenty-eight percent of mothers reported living near a potential Pb-contaminated area, while 43% lived in a residence built before 1978. Geometric mean (GM) concentrations for umbilical cord blood in the study population were 1.3, 3.5, 9.0, and 52.0 µg/dL for Pb, Mn, Cr, and Cu, respectively. Six neonates had cord blood Pb (CBL) concentrations above 10 µg/dL, while 20 had CBL concentrations ≥ 2 µg/dL. GM umbilical CBL levels were higher in neonates born to women living near a potential Pb-contaminated area (2.2 vs. 1.1 µg/dL) and those with friends, family or household members exposed to lead products (1.6 vs. 1.1 μg/dL). Some evidence of an exposure–response relationship was also detected between all four metal concentrations and an increasing number of maternal lead exposures. After adjustment for confounding, proximity to a Pb-contaminated area was the strongest environmental determinant of CBL levels among neonates with CBL concentrations of ≥ 2 µg/dL (odds ratio = 5.1; 95% CI = 1.6, 16.7).ConclusionsMetal concentrations were elevated in this population, and CBL levels were associated with proximity to Pb-contaminated areas.     

Metrics for integrating sustainability evaluations into remediation projects

The US Sustainable Remediation Forum (SURF) created a compilation of metrics (Metrics Toolbox) in response to a need for a broad set of metrics that could be used to assess and monitor the effectiveness of remedies in achieving sustainability goals. Metrics are the key impacts, outcomes, or burdens that are to be assessed or balanced to determine the influences and impacts of a remedial action. Metrics can reflect any of the three aspects of sustainability (i.e., environmental, social, or economic) or a combination of these aspects. Regardless, metrics represent the most critical sustainable outcomes from the perspective of the key stakeholders. The Metrics Toolbox is hosted online at www.sustainableremediation.org/library/guidance‐tools‐and‐other‐resources . By selecting metrics from the Metrics Toolbox as a starting point and considering a potentially wider suite of metrics in remedial program decisions, appropriate assessments can be made. Qualitative and quantitative metrics are tabulated for each remedial phase: remedial investigation, remedy selection, remedial design, remedial construction, operation and maintenance, and closure. Attributes for each metric are described so that remediation practitioners and key stakeholders can view the universe of metrics available and select the most relevant, site‐specific metrics for a particular site. For this reason, SURF recommends that remediation practitioners consider the metrics compiled in the Metrics Toolbox as a companion to the sustainable remediation framework published elsewhere in this journal and other sustainability evaluations. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A Missed Opportunity?: NOAA’s Use of Social Media to Communicate Climate Science

In the current media landscape, organizations often communicate about science directly with publics through online channels rather than relying on journalist gatekeepers. Online platforms present organizations with the opportunity to participate in two-way communication in order to increase engagement with science. The present study examined how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) utilizes social media to interact with publics. Results suggest that NOAA does not fully utilize the dialogic potential of social media, which could enhance both the public’s science literacy and trust in science regarding climate change specifically. This study informs how public relations theory may complement science communication theory and practice as deficit model-thinking transitions to contemporary approaches for public engagement with science.     

Feasibility of the hydrogen sulfide test for the assessment of drinking water quality in post-earthquake Haiti

In 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, severely damaging the drinking and wastewater infrastructure and leaving millions homeless. Compounding this problem, the introduction of Vibrio cholerae resulted in a massive cholera outbreak that infected over 700,000 people and threatened the safety of Haiti’s drinking water. To mitigate this public health crisis, non-government organizations installed thousands of wells to provide communities with safe drinking water. However, despite increased access, Haiti currently lacks the monitoring capacity to assure the microbial safety of any of its water resources. For these reasons, this study was designed to assess the feasibility of using a simple, low-cost method to detect indicators of fecal contamination of drinking water that could be implemented at the community level. Water samples from 358 sources of drinking water in the Léogâne flood basin were screened with a commercially available hydrogen sulfide test and a standard membrane method for the enumeration of thermotolerant coliforms. When compared with the gold standard method, the hydrogen sulfide test had a sensitivity of 65 % and a specificity of 93 %. While the sensitivity of the assay increased at higher fecal coliform concentrations, it never exceeded 88 %, even with fecal coliform concentrations greater than 100 colony-forming units per 100 ml. While its simplicity makes the hydrogen sulfide test attractive for assessing water quality in low-resource settings, the low sensitivity raises concerns about its use as the sole indicator of the presence or absence of fecal coliforms in individual or community water sources.     

Contrasting pathways of assimilation: stable isotope assessment of fish exposure to pulp mill effluents

Fish are commonly used for monitoring the quality of waters receiving pulp mill effluents (PMEs). Isotopic assays of fish tissues have the potential to provide empirical evidence to link an effluent source to exposure. We show in a 45-d factorial laboratory experiment that different exposure pathways lead to isotopic signatures in fish tissue. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed to 10% PME in three ways; direct exposure through addition of PME to aquaria, indirect exposure through invertebrate food consumption (Chironomus tentans cultured in 10% PME), and a combination of both exposure pathways. Of the four stable isotopes measured (delta13C, delta15N, delta34S, delta37Cl), delta13C, delta34S, and delta37Cl showed significant differences in exposed animal tissues. Delta37Cl of fish muscle tissue showed consistent differences across trophic levels and revealed contrasting pathways of PME exposure. Contrasting delta 37Cl values in C. tentans due to the presence or absence of 10% PME did not translate into delta37Cl differences in fish. Rather, delta37Cl ratios of fish muscle tissue were specifically related to 10% PME exposure in the aquaria (waterborne exposure pathway). Feasible distributions of 37Cl source contributions for observed mixture ratios confirmed that PME accounted for observed differences in delta37Cl among treatments. Direct uptake of chloride ions across gill surfaces is the most likely pathway for assimilation of PME into fish tissues. Considering the variability of PMEs and receiving environments, use of a multi-isotope approach is recommended for tracing exposure of fish. Use of 37Cl should also be considered in light of its alternative assimilation pathway.