Who got their way? Advocacy coalitions and the Irish climate change law

Which organisations saw their positions on two contentious issues reflected in the Irish climate law of 2015, and what role did advocacy coalitions play in the policy process? These questions are answered drawing theoretically from the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) and by conducting a network analysis of survey data collected from the organisations involved in the national climate policy process. The study finds that several institutionally important or economically powerful organisations, particularly those involved in the agricultural sector, as well as the government parties saw their preferences reflected in the law. This resulted in legislation that excluded binding emission reductions targets, differentiating it from similar laws introduced in other European countries. Organisations in favour of stronger regulation formed a coalition to advocate for their positions, but they largely failed to get their way.     

Immunocompetence analysis of the aquatic snail Lymnaea stagnalis exposed to urban wastewaters

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Wastewater treatment plant effluents from urban area are a well-known source of chronic multiple micropollution to the downstream living organisms. In...     

Improving rigor in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon source fingerprinting

Source identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples has advanced greatly in the last 20 years and continues to advance. To realize potential benefits and avoid possible pitfalls, however, great care is needed as one applies published diagnostic tools to data sets. This commentary reflects some recent observations, concerns, and recommendations.     

Does information on the interdependence of climate adaptation measures stimulate collaboration? A case study analysis

A key issue in implementing adaptation strategies at the landscape level is that landowners take measures on their land collectively. We explored the role of information in collective decision-making in a landscape planning process in the Baakse Beek region, the Netherlands. Information was provided on (a) the degree to which measures contribute to multiple purposes, (b) whether they are beneficial to stakeholders representing different sectors of land use, and (c) the need for landscape-level implementation of adaptation measures. Our analysis suggests that the negotiation process resulted in collective decisions for more collaborative adaptation measures than could be expected from individual preferences previous to the planning session. Based on the results, it is plausible that the provided information enhanced integrative agreements by leading stakeholders to realize that they were mutually interdependent, both in acquiring individual benefits as well as in implementing the measures at the landscape level. Our findings are significant in the context of the emerging insight that targeted information provision for climate adaptation of landscapes can support collaboration between the relevant stakeholders.     

A methodology for electricity monitoring and targeting (M&T) in an Irish precision engineering SME

Abstract

Energy management in small to medium enterprises (SMEs) remains undeveloped due to competing priorities and a lack of specialist knowledge. However considerable savings can be demonstrated where companies take the time to investigate their energy use. Savings of over 20% can be achieved through changes to operational and behavioural practice. Additional benefits, such as improved production tracking and improved maintenance, can been seen which add to the value in undertaking an energy monitoring and targeting (M&T) plan. The method described involves the application of a series of ‘virtuous’ cycles of engagement and energy savings that can be applied from the highest factory level right down to a specific machine. The analysis of overall energy use from utility bills and the visualisation of typical machine power profiles aid in understanding the drivers of energy consumption and in engaging management in energy efficiency. The monitoring of specific machines in production highlights the significant consumption of electricity during non-productive times. The development of energy performance indicators is described for product variations which can be useful in tendering for business and selecting optimum production pathways. The approach is illustrated with data from a case study of a precision engineering SME based in Limerick, Ireland.     

Metaphors for the War (or Race) against Climate Change

Despite overwhelming scientific consensus, millions of Americans fail to view climate change as a pressing threat. How can we address this disconnect between science and public opinion? In the present study, we investigated the role of metaphorical framing in shaping attitudes toward climate change. Participants read a brief article that metaphorically described US efforts to reduce carbon emissions as a war or race against climate change, or non-metaphorically described it as the issue of climate change. We further manipulated whether these emission-reduction goals emphasized the relatively near or distant future. We found that, compared to the race frame, the war metaphor made people perceive more urgency and risk surrounding climate change and express a greater willingness to increase conservation behavior, irrespective of the time horizon. Those who read the non-metaphorical report tended to respond in between these two extremes. We discuss the implications of these findings for climate communications.     

Defining disaster resilience: comparisons from key stakeholders involved in emergency management in Victoria,Australia

Three years after the introduction of the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience there remains no unanimously adopted definition of disaster resilience within Australia's emergency management sector. The aim of this study is to determine what the concept means to key stakeholders in the emergency management sector in the Australian State of Victoria, and how these conceptualisations overlap and diverge. Via an online survey, 113 people were asked how they define disaster resilience in their work in the emergency management sector. A data mining software tool, Leximancer, was employed to uncover the relationships between the definitions provided. The findings show that stakeholders see resilience as an ‘ability’ that encompasses emergency management activities and personal responsibility. However, the findings also highlight some possible points of conflict between stakeholders. In addition, the paper outlines and discusses a number of potential consequences for the implementation and the success of the resilience‐based approach in Australia.     

Chromium speciation in the blood of metal-on-metal hip implant patients

The objective of this study was to determine the valence state of chromium (Cr) in the blood of individuals with Cr-containing metal hip implants. Serum and red blood cell (RBC) Cr concentrations from 52 patients with Cr-containing total hip arthroplasties were measured preoperatively and at 3, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Geometric mean and median pre-surgery serum Cr concentrations were consistently below 0.2 µg/L, while geometric mean and median pre-op RBC Cr concentrations were typically about four- to six-fold higher than the serum values. A significant 5- to 13-fold increase was found in the mean and median serum Cr concentrations three months post-surgery, with an 8- to 18-fold rise at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Steady-state serum concentrations were reached between 3 and 12 months. In contrast, there were no marked differences in mean and median RBC Cr concentrations pre- and post-surgery. Slope regression analysis for our data was similar to those reported for Cr(III) in spiked blood samples. The analysis showed that Cr released from hip implants preferentially distributed into serum and not RBC, indicating that the form of Cr present in blood of hip implant patients was in the form of non-toxic Cr(III). Our findings indicate that blood Cr concentrations Cr(III) associated with metal implants do not pose an adverse health risk to patients, which is in agreement with findings published by most investigators.     

应用体内和体外方法评价原油水溶性组分和原油污染的地表水对淡水生物的内分泌干扰潜力

目前关于原油对淡水水生脊椎动物内分泌信号的潜在影响的认知有限。本文以非洲爪蟾(爪蟾属,X. laevis)蝌蚪和莫桑比克罗非鱼幼鱼(口孵非鲫属,O. mossambicus)为研究对象,选择风化原油和未风化提炼后的原油这2种原油的水溶性组分(WAFs)进行暴露实验,选择出可作为内分泌信号改变的生物标志物的基因,对其表达进行了研究。此外,将X. laevis蝌蚪暴露于靠近地下石油库的地表水中,对上述基因表达做了定量分析。利用重组酵母对原油、原油水溶性组分和地表水的(抗)雌激素和(抗)雄激素性进行了评价。在X. laevis对2种原油WAFs的响应中,甲状腺激素受体β表达均显著下调,而另一种与甲状腺相关的基因,2型脱碘酶,在O. mossambicus暴露于高浓度的原油WAF时被上调。此外,这2种WAFs都改变了与脂肪生成相关的过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ在X. laevis中的表达。原油和WAFs在体外表现出抗雌激素和抗雄性激素的活性。然而,O. mossambicus雄激素受体2作为唯一一个代表生殖系统的基因,受到WAF暴露的影响显著。在地表水样品中发现了雌激素、抗雌激素和抗雄激素的作用;但是,在暴露于地表水的X. laevis中没有观察到任何基因表达的明显变化。在所用的2种模式生物以及2种原油中,响应各不相同。尽管如此,这些数据提供了证据证明原油污染可能会因内分泌信号转变对淡水鱼和两栖动物的健康造成不利影响。
精选自Truter, J. C., van Wyk, J. H., Oberholster, P. J., Botha, A.-M. and Mokwena, L. M. (2017), An evaluation of the endocrine disruptive potential of crude oil water accommodated fractions and crude oil contaminated surface water to freshwater organisms using in vitroand in vivo approaches. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 36: 1330–1342. doi: 10.1002/etc.3665
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.3665/full