SUSTAINABILITY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL: MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND MUNICIPAL TAX INCENTIVE MODEL

The implementation of sustainable development may seem a simple concept when written on paper. However to carry-out long term actions put forward by the Agenda 21 (AG21) at the local level represents one of the main challenges as municipal governments in general do not have the capacity to effectively implement the process. Regional environmental assessment (REA) has shown to be effective in supporting decision-making not only to correct environmental problems due to past unsustainable social-economic developments but also help local governments to implement sustainable actions. However this requires long-term investments of AG21 plans and projects. The allocation of regular and consistent financial resources is one of the main ingredients for the sustainable development process. But traditional plans and projects financed by national and/or international funds may not be sustainable in the long-term because they become dependent on external funding. Research demonstrate that innovative economic instruments such as ecotaxes represent a feasible alternative to sponsor local sustainability because taxes are collected permanently by the government and could be invested in continuous actions. Ecotaxes experiences have provided important reference to structure a municipal incentive model (MIM) to sponsor AG21’s environmental plans and projects on a long-term (permanent) basis. However sustainable development cannot be solely through economic investments. A comprehensive municipal environmental management scheme (MEMS) has been established to support the incentive model. The scheme seeks not only to improve local institutional framework but also incentive continuous participation of local stakeholders at all levels of society. Participatory events and the provision of incentives (educational and financial) are key to motivate society to protect the environment and support actively the sustainable development process as emphasised in the RIO-92 Conference.     

Slow-fast dynamics in Wonderland

Taking Wonderland—a simple model of demographic, economic and environmental interactions—as our artificial world, we illustrate the use of geometric singular perturbation theory in environmental demoeconomics. The theory of slow-fast dynamics helps us to gain new insights into the system's behaviour and enables one to reduce the inherent unpredictability of a “natural catastrophe” in Wonderland. Though we cannot predict the exact date of such an “environmental crash”, we can state the specific demographic, economic and environmental constellations of our artificial world at which the sustainability of nature becomes endangered.     

Further studies using X-ray fluorescence to sample lead contaminated carpeted surfaces

The sampling of carpeted surfaces to test for lead contamination primarily focuses upon vacuum techniques. Vacuum sampling techniques, however, require time-consuming, expensive laboratory analysis of the dusts obtained and are unable to determine total lead load on the carpet. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis is an on-site, inexpensive, non-destructive, quick technique for predicting metals levels in a variety of media, such as water, soil, filter paper and painted surfaces. A 1992 study of the feasibility of XRF to analyze for lead and soil loadings on carpeted surfaces indicated that XRF can detect lead at a low enough level to warrant further study. This paper expands this earlier study and developes lead and soil loading calibration curves for three different carpet types based upon XRF lead L-beta peak areas and XRF iron and barium K-alpha peak and background areas. Results indicate that variation in the data can be reduced through modifications of the XRF analysis technique, thus reducing the statistically determined detection level, and that carpet type does affect the calibration. Detection levels of approximately 70 mg/m² for lead and 5 g/m² for soil were obtained. Overall, good agreement was found between results of this study and the earlier one. XRF shows excellent potential for quantitative analysis of lead on carpeted surfaces.     

Technical and theoretical considerations in the HLA typing of amniotic fluid cells for prenatal diagnosis and paternity testing

HLA typing of amniotic fluid cells has been used for the prenatal diagnosis of the HLA linked diseases congenital adrenal hyperplasia (21-OH-deficiency (21-OH-def) type) and complement C4 deficiency and it has also been used for the prenatal de termination of paternity. There are, however, technical difficulties in this test associated with the weak expression of some B locus antigens on amniotic fluid cells, and theoretical difficulties related to associations between particular HLA antigens and the 21-OH-def allele. Since certain HLA-B locus antigens are found in significantly increased frequencies among patients with 21-OH-def, there is a relatively high incidence of HLA-B homozygosity among the patients and over 40 percent of the parents of these patients share one or more HLA-B locus antigens. Results of some prenatal HLA typing tests may thus be difficult to interpret, and supplementary tests should be used whenever possible. HLA typing of amniotic cells is, however, the only available procedure for prenatal diagnosis of C4 deficiency and it is the best available procedure for prenatal determination of paternity. A modification of our original procedure allows HLA typing to be performed with increased numbers of HLA typing sera, and sera with optimum reactivity for amniotic fluid cells have now been selected for the definition of most of the more commonly expressed HLA antigens. Although amniotic fluid cells do not express DR antigens, amniotic fluid cells can be typed for the HLA-linked marker glyoxalase I (GLO) and this may be the informative for prenatal diagnosis in some cases.     

Membranpermeation und Antibiotika-Resistenz bei Bakterien

The resistance of mainly gram-negative bacteria against antibiotics is discussed with respect to new discoveries on the permeability barrier of the outer membrane. Proteins originally characterized as virus receptors have been found to be involved in the translocation of certain substrates across the membrane. Antibiotics can reach their target by the same “pores”.     

CCall--healthy and successful work in call centres.

Call centre workplaces are in many ways a challenge to occupational health and safety. The occupation itself can be described as an IT information technology-supported, communication-intensive form of work with often unusual working hours and a high rate of part-time employment. Data on the employee turnover as well as absenteeism related to occupational disability is quite contradictory. Occupational safety and its proponents still have to find new ways into the corporate structures and cultures of this relatively new and rapidly growing branch of industry. In a 2-year research and development project, using a holistic approach and under consideration of all the relevant disciplines, call centre workplaces were studied, and organisational measures were developed and field tested by putting them into practice. Practical help was developed for a sustainable strategy for successful and healthy work in call centres.     

Nutrient pathways and their susceptibility to past and future change in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean

Climate change is altering nutrient cycling within the Arctic Ocean, having knock-on effects to Arctic ecosystems. Primary production in the Arctic is principally nitrogen-limited, particularly in the western Pacific-dominated regions where denitrification exacerbates nitrogen loss. The nutrient status of the eastern Eurasian Arctic remains under debate. In the Barents Sea, primary production has increased by 88% since 1998. To support this rapid increase in productivity, either the standing stock of nutrients has been depleted, or the external nutrient supply has increased. Atlantic water inflow, enhanced mixing, benthic nitrogen cycling, and land–ocean interaction have the potential to alter the nutrient supply through addition, dilution or removal. Here we use new datasets from the Changing Arctic Ocean program alongside historical datasets to assess how nitrate and phosphate concentrations may be changing in response to these processes. We highlight how nutrient dynamics may continue to change, why this is important for regional and international policy-making and suggest relevant research priorities for the future.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01673-0.     

Demonstration of methods to reduce E. coli runoff from dairy manure application sites

Contamination by bacteria is a leading cause of impairment in U.S. waters, particularly in areas of livestock agriculture. We evaluated the effectiveness of several practices in reducing Escherichia coli levels in runoff from fields receiving liquid dairy (Bos taurus) manure. Runoff trials were conducted on replicated hay and silage corn (Zea mays L.) plots using simulated rainfall. Levels of E. coli in runoff were approximately 10(4) to 10(6) organisms per 100 mL, representing a significant pollution potential. Practices tested were: manure storage, delay between manure application and rainfall, manure incorporation by tillage, and increased hayland vegetation height. Storage of manure for 30 d or more consistently and dramatically lowered E. coli counts in our experiments, with longer storage providing greater reductions. Manure E. coli declined by > 99% after approximately 90 d of storage. On average, levels of E. coli in runoff were 97% lower from plots receiving 30-d-old and > 99% lower from plots receiving 90-d-old manure than from plots where fresh manure was applied. Runoff from hayland and cornland plots where manure was applied 3 d before rainfall contained approximately 50% fewer E. coli than did runoff from plots that received manure 1 d before rainfall. Hayland vegetation height alone did not significantly affect E. coli levels in runoff, but interactions with rainfall delay and manure age were observed. Manure incorporation alone did not significantly affect E. coli levels in cornland plot runoff, but incorporation could reduce bacteria export by reducing field runoff and interaction with rainfall delay was observed. Extended storage that avoids additions of fresh manure, combined with application several days before runoff, incorporation on tilled land, and higher vegetation on hayland at application could substantially reduce microorganism loading from agricultural land.