The moral self: A review and integration of the literature

The role of the self in moral functioning has gained considerable theoretical and empirical attention over the last 25 years. A general consensus has emerged that the self plays a vital role in individuals' moral agency. This surge of research produced a proliferation of constructs related to the moral self, each grounded in diverse theoretical perspectives. Although this work has advanced our understanding of moral thought and behavior, there has also been a lack of clarity as to the nature and functioning of the moral self. We review and synthesize empirical research related to the moral self and provide an integrative framework to increase conceptual coherence among the various relevant constructs. We then discuss emerging opportunities and future directions for research on the moral self as well as implications for behavioral ethics in organizational contexts. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Protection policy for Hawaii's native wildlife during geothermal energy development

Hawaii possesses abundant geothermal resources and rare native wildlife. Geothermal energy development has not posed a threat to native wildlife in the past, but development potential has recently reached a level at which concern for native wildlife is warranted.Potential geothermal resource areas in Hawaii intersect important native forest and endangered species habitat. The ability of existing laws to constrain development in these areas is in question. State and federal endangered species and environmental reporting laws have little ability to constrain geothermal development on private land. Hawaii's Land Use Law had been viewed by conservationists as protecting natural areas important to native wildlife, but recent decisions of the state Land Board sharply challenge this view.While this dispute was being resolved in the courts, the state legislature passed the Geothermal Subzone Act of 1983. Wildlife value was assessed in the geothermal subzone designation process mandated by this act, but the subzones designated primarily reflected inappropriate developer influence. All areas in which there was developer interest received subzone designation, and no area in which there was no developer interest was subzoned. This overriding emphasis on developer interest violated the intent of the sub-zone act, and trivialized the importance of other assessment criteria, among them native wildlife values.     

Chemical and Physical Controls on the Oxygen Regime of Ice‐Covered Arctic Lakes and Reservoirs1

Abstract: We examined the chemical, morphological, and anthropogenic controls on winter‐oxygen biogeochemistry in ice‐covered lakes and reservoirs on the North Slope of Alaska. We measured dissolved oxygen (DO), solute concentrations, water depth, and ice thickness at three natural thaw lakes and four reservoirs (flooded gravel mines) for two winters. In all seven study sites, DO concentration and pH decreased with depth, and temporally through the winter (November to April). DO concentration was four to six times greater in the deeper reservoirs (8‐13 mg/l) compared with shallow natural lakes (ca. 2 mg/l). Lakes and reservoirs with high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration were susceptible to large decreases in oxygen over the winter. DO concentration differed markedly between years, but was not attributed to changes in water‐use or winter water‐chemistry. Alternatively, we suggest that dissolved oxygen concentration was lower during freeze‐up, possibly associated with higher lake‐productivity during the summer. Our results suggest that current water‐use practices on the North Slope of Alaska caused little to no change in DO concentration over the winter. In particular, considering the high pumping activity and shallow depth, lakes with low DOC concentration (≤6 mg/l) showed strong resilience to change in chemistry over the winter. We suggest that both lake and reservoir depth, and DOC concentration are key factors influencing oxygen consumption in ice‐covered arctic lakes and reservoirs.     

Pre-dispersal seed predation: the role of fruit abortion and selective oviposition

Oviposition sites of phytophagous insects should correlate with plant traits that maximize survival of the progeny. Plants, on the other hand, should benefit from traits and developmental patterns that complicate oviposition decisions. In the antagonistic interaction between plant and pre-dispersal seed predator the time lag between egg laying and seed development may allow for abortion of fruits in plants, potentially reducing fitness loss through predation. We studied the perennial herb Lathvrus vernus and the beetle pre-dispersal seed predator Bruchus atomarius in Sweden to determine the fitness consequences of nonrandom fruit abortion in the plant and oviposition patterns of the beetle. The beetle had a sophisticated ability to locate fruits with high probability of retention, partly by fruit position and phenology but also by some additional unidentified cue. Mortality of eggs was density dependent, but still the egg-laying pattern was clumped. We found no defensive strategy in the plant; instead the predictable fruit abortion pattern was associated with decreased plant fitness. We discuss how interactions may pose simultaneous selection pressures on plant and insect traits and how life history traits and other selective forces may shape the adaptive outcome of the interaction in plant and insect, respectively.     

Integrated models to support multiobjective ecological restoration decisions

Many objectives motivate ecological restoration, including improving vegetation condition, increasing the range and abundance of threatened species, and improving species richness and diversity. Although models have been used to examine the outcomes of ecological restoration, few researchers have attempted to develop models to account for multiple, potentially competing objectives. We developed a combined state‐and‐transition, species‐distribution model to predict the effects of restoration actions on vegetation condition and extent, bird diversity, and the distribution of several bird species in southeastern Australian woodlands. The actions reflected several management objectives. We then validated the models against an independent data set and investigated how the best management decision might change when objectives were valued differently. We also used model results to identify effective restoration options for vegetation and bird species under a constrained budget. In the examples we evaluated, no one action (improving vegetation condition and extent, increasing bird diversity, or increasing the probability of occurrence for threatened species) provided the best outcome across all objectives. In agricultural lands, the optimal management actions for promoting the occurrence of the Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus), an iconic threatened species, resulted in little improvement in the extent of the vegetation and a high probability of decreased vegetation condition. This result highlights that the best management action in any situation depends on how much the different objectives are valued. In our example scenario, no management or weed control were most likely to be the best management options to satisfy multiple restoration objectives. Our approach to exploring trade‐offs in management outcomes through integrated modeling and structured decision‐support approaches has wide application for situations in which trade‐offs exist between competing conservation objectives.     

Disinfection byproducts in chlorinated or brominated swimming pools and spas: Role of brominated DBPs and association with mutagenicity

Although the health benefits of swimming are well-documented, health effects such as asthma and bladder cancer are linked to disinfection by-products (DBPs) in pool water. DBPs are formed from the reaction of disinfectants such as chlorine (Cl) or bromine (Br) with organics in the water. Our previous study (Daiber et al., Environ. Sci. Technol. 50, 6652; 2016) found correlations between the concentrations of classes of DBPs and the mutagenic potencies of waters from chlorinated or brominated swimming pools and spas. We extended this study by identifying significantly different concentrations of 21 individual DBPs in brominated or chlorinated pool and spa waters as well as identifying which DBPs and additional DBP classes were most associated with the mutagenicity of these waters. Using data from our previous study, we found that among 21 DBPs analyzed in 21 pool and spa waters, the concentration of bromoacetic acid was significantly higher in Br-waters versus Cl-waters, whereas the concentration of trichloroacetic acid was significantly higher in Cl-waters. Five Br-DBPs (tribromomethane, dibromochloroacetic acid, dibromoacetonitrile, bromoacetic acid, and tribromoacetic acid) had significantly higher concentrations in Br-spa versus Cl-spa waters. Cl-pools had significantly higher concentrations of Cl-DBPs (trichloroacetaldehyde, trichloromethane, dichloroacetic acid, and chloroacetic acid), whereas Br-pools had significantly higher concentrations of Br-DBPs (tribromomethane, dibromoacetic acid, dibromoacetonitrile, and tribromoacetic acid). The concentrations of the sum of all 4 trihalomethanes, all 11 Br-DBPs, and all 5 nitrogen-containing DBPs were each significantly higher in brominated than in chlorinated pools and spas. The 8 Br-DBPs were the only DBPs whose individual concentrations were significantly correlated with the mutagenic potencies of the pool and spa waters. These results, along with those from our earlier study, highlight the importance of Br-DBPs in the mutagenicity of these recreational waters.     

Showering in Flint, MI: Is there a DBP problem?

Lead contamination in the City of Flint, MI has been well documented over the past two years, with lead levels above the EPA Action Level until summer 2016. This resulted from an ill-fated decision to switch from Detroit water (Lake Huron) with corrosion control, to Flint River water without corrosion control. Although lead levels are now closer to normal, reports of skin rashes have sparked questions surrounding tap water in some Flint homes. This study investigated the presence of contaminants, including disinfection by-products (DBPs), in the hot tap water used for showering in the homes of residents in Flint. Extensive quantitative analysis of 61 regulated and priority unregulated DBPs was conducted in Flint hot and cold tap water, along with the analysis of 50 volatile organic compounds and a nontarget comprehensive, broadscreen analysis, to identify a possible source for the reported skin rashes. For comparison, chlorinated hot and cold waters from three other cities were also sampled, including Detroit, which also uses Lake Huron as its source water. Results showed that hot water samples generally contained elevated levels of regulated and priority unregulated DBPs compared to cold water samples, but trihalomethanes were still within regulatory limits. Overall, hot shower water from Flint was similar to waters sampled from the three other cities and did not have unusually high levels of DBPs or other organic chemicals that could be responsible for the skin rashes observed by residents. It is possible that an inorganic chemical or microbial contaminant may be responsible.