The Least Harm Principle May Require that Humans Consume a Diet Containing Large Herbivores, Not a Vegan Diet

Based on his theory of animalrights, Regan concludes that humans are morallyobligated to consume a vegetarian or vegandiet. When it was pointed out to him that evena vegan diet results in the loss of manyanimals of the field, he said that while thatmay be true, we are still obligated to consumea vegetarian/vegan diet because in total itwould cause the least harm to animals (LeastHarm Principle, or LHP) as compared to currentagriculture. But is that conclusion valid? Isit possible that some other agriculturalproduction alternatives may result in leastharm to animals? An examination of thisquestion shows that the LHP may actually bebetter served using food production systemsthat include both plant-based agriculture and aforage-ruminant-based agriculture as comparedto a strict plant-based (vegan) system. Perhapswe are morally obligated to consume a dietcontaining both plants and ruminant(particularly cattle) animal products.     

THREE‐DIMENSIONAL KRIGING ANALYSIS OF SEDIMENT MERCURY DISTRIBUTION: A CASE STUDY1

ABSTRACT: This study presents an application of a three‐dimensional kriging technique to estimate spatial distribution of total mercury (Hg) in the Cedar‐Ortega Rivers watershed located in the lower St. Johns River basin, Florida. The kriging procedures, including preliminary data analysis, structural data analysis and the log kriging estimation, are presented. Results show watershed wide Hg contamination of river sediment to a depth of 1.0 m. A three‐dimensional plot of Hg against the Florida Sediment Assessment Guidelines (i.e., the probable effect level or PEL) demonstrates that the Cedar River is more contaminated with Hg than the rest of the watershed. The maximum sediment depth with Hg concentrations above PEL value (0.696 mg/kg) is 1.5 m. Hg concentrations at or above this level could pose a significant hazard to aquatic organisms. Analysis of the spatial distribution of Hg in the watershed finds multiple input sources. This study suggests that there is a need to identify the major sources of Hg in the watershed, and to determine the pathways that allow Hg to enter the river.     

Links between food trade,climate change and food security in developed countries: A case study of Sweden

Food security is a global concern affecting even highly developed countries. Ongoing globalisation of food systems, characterised by trading interdependencies, means that agricultural production can be disrupted by climate change, affecting food availability. This study investigated Sweden’s food security by identifying major food import categories and associated trade partners (using the World Integrated Trade System database) and vulnerability to frictions in trade deriving from climate change. Vulnerability was assessed through three indicators: exposure based on diversity of sources, dominance and direct trade from supplying countries; sensitivity, assessed using the Climate Risk Index, and adaptive capacity, assessed using the Fragile State Index. The results revealed that Sweden’s grain imports may be most vulnerable, and animal products least vulnerable, to climate change. Management strategies based on this preliminary assessment can be developed by integrating climate vulnerability deriving from food trading into the ‘Gravity’ model, to improve prediction of trade flows.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01623-w.     

Benthic Biological Processes and EH as a Basis for a Benthic Index

It is proposed that the common measures of benthic community condition can be augmented with a vertical EH profile taken through the benthic bioturbation zone. Sediment EH, an electrochemical measure of oxidized and reduced compounds in sediment porewater, measures the integrative consequences of all metabolic and transport processes of the benthic community. Biota, especially microbiota, metabolize carbon using a variety of electron acceptors, including O2, SO4 and some nitrogen and metal compounds. Motile benthic macrofauna ingest and transport particles, ventilate deep burrows and anoxic sediment with overlying seawater while sedentary suspension-feeding fauna deposit suspended organic matter onto the sediment surface. Collectively, these metabolic and behavioral processes advect particles and seawater between bottom water and deep sediment and define the overall structure of porewater chemistry. That structure creates a full spectrum of biogeochemical conditions of solubility, reactivity, and microbial metabolism which remineralizes excess organic carbon and most organic contaminants, defines solubility of trace metals, and pushes the vertical EH profile toward oxidizing conditions. It is proposed that a standard EH probe inserted downward through the bioturbation zone will provide a general measure of this resulting porewater chemistry and thus the impact of feeding, irrigation, and metabolism of the total macro, meio, and microbenthic community. If such a measure can be validated it will permit extended measurement of community function and reduced efforts in measuring community structure.     

Assessment of water quality monitoring for the optimal sensor placement in lake Yahuarcocha using pattern recognition techniques and geographical information systems

Pollution and the eutrophication process are increasing in lake Yahuarcocha and constant water quality monitoring is essential for a better understanding of the patterns occurring in this ecosystem. In this study, key sensor locations were determined using spatial and temporal analyses combined with geographical information systems (GIS) to assess the influence of weather features, anthropogenic activities, and other non-point pollution sources. A water quality monitoring network was established to obtain data on 14 physicochemical and microbiological parameters at each of seven sample sites over a period of 13 months. A spatial and temporal statistical approach using pattern recognition techniques, such as cluster analysis (CA) and discriminant analysis (DA), was employed to classify and identify the most important water quality parameters in the lake. The original monitoring network was reduced to four optimal sensor locations based on a fuzzy overlay of the interpolations of concentration variations of the most important parameters.     

Identifying municipal solid waste management opportunities in Al-Bayda City,Libya

In Libya, municipal solid waste management is one of the services provided by the authorities to keep the county clean. This study was conducted in the City of Al-Bayda, located in the eastern part of Libya, as there have been several major problems facing the city in dealing with solid waste management. One of these problems is the generation, collection, handling, transportation, recycling, and disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW). This study has identified that the ongoing disposal of MSW to poorly engineered “dump sites” on the outskirts of the city is unsustainable and will not meet the demands of the growing population and increasing urbanization currently experienced within Al-Bayda. Factors impacting the decision-making and operational processes of MSW include lack of resources and services that significantly affect the disposal of waste, an inadequate number of waste collection containers making the distance to these containers for many households excessive, and thus leading to an increasing likelihood of dumping solid waste in open areas and roadsides. The study recommends that the city government of Al-Bayda should identify synergies and increase partnership-working arrangements with the private sector to ensure efficient management of MSW within the city area.     

Maintaining your EMS: The stages of EMS development

Registering to ISO 14001 doesn't mean you're forever green. If you want an environmental management system (EMS) to keep moving your organization forward to improved environmental and business performance, you need to maintain and refine it. The first step toward doing so is understanding the stages that each EMS goes through on its way to full business integration. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Herbicides based on 2,4-D: its behavior in agricultural environments and microbial biodegradation aspects. A review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - One of the main herbicides used in the agricultural environments is 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). It is a synthetic plant hormone auxin...     

Postural sway following prolonged exposure to an inclined surface

Fatal and non-fatal falls from elevation have been documented to be a significant issue. Historically, roofing work has been ranked among the highest in incidents of falls. Recent literature has indicated that exposure to inclined surfaces (roof) has a detrimental effect on postural stability. The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine if postural instability was found to increase following extended exposure to an inclined surface. Twenty-three participants were pre/post tested under four postural stability conditions while varying duration exposure (0.0–2.0 h) to an inclined surface. Dependent variable postural sway measures were calculated from center of pressure data derived from a portable force plate. The results indicate significant differences between pre and post-exposure measures. Specifically, the results imply that an individual is less stable directly after performing tasks on an inclined surface. These findings contribute to the literature and serve as a basis for further research into work rest cycles for those individuals who routinely work on inclined surfaces.