Consumer attitudes on the use of plastic and cloth bags

This paper examines consumer attitudes and behavior on the use of plastic and cloth bags in Eski?ehir, Turkey. To this end, a structural equation model is proposed. Environmental consciousness regarding the use of plastic bags, social pressure, support for the banning of plastic bags, the intention to use cloth bags and behavior to reduce plastic bag use are employed as latent variables in the model. The intention to use cloth bags and the behavior to reduce the use of plastic bags are defined as endogenous latent variables in the structural model. In the conclusion of the study, it is identified that consumers who are environmentally conscious and feel under social pressure, tend to reduce the use of plastic bags and switch to using cloth bags.     

Economic potential for conversion to organic farming: a net present value analysis in the East Mau Catchment,Nakuru, Kenya

This paper discusses the economic potential in terms of income changes that may result from conversion to low-external-input agriculture (LEIA) organic farming in a Kenya’s catchment area. A spreadsheet model applying the gross margin and net present value analysis was developed to estimate economic returns to labour and land of alternative smallholder cropping systems in the East Mau Catchment. The income and costs over a 10-year horizon associated with current cropping practices of a typical farm household cultivating 1.12 hectares of maize–bean intercrop, Irish potato, carrots, tomatoes, cabbages and kales mix were characterized based on field work conducted in 2008–2010. An “average” smallholder LEIA organic farm was simulated based on the conventional one, and its income discounted. A comparison was then made of the two farm types. Results indicate annual net present value returns to cropped land average Ksh 21,878/ha ($ 267/ha) and Kshs 22,561/ha (€ 275/ha) in 2010 values for conventional and prototype LEIA organic farming systems, respectively. Net returns are particularly sensitive to crop yields and price and cost of fertilizers and seeds. Further efforts should be made to provide an economic analysis of other LEIA organic farming practices such as composting, double digging and agroforestry in terms of additional labour costs resultant. The model can be extended to build more scenarios on the role of price premiums. Additionally, further research should be done to exploit the socio-demographic factors affecting the adoption of low-external-input systems.     

When experts disagree: the need to rethink indicator selection for assessing sustainability of agriculture

Sustainability indicators are well recognized for their potential to assess and monitor sustainable development of agricultural systems. A large number of indicators are proposed in various sustainability assessment frameworks, which raises concerns regarding the validity of approaches, usefulness and trust in such frameworks. Selecting indicators requires transparent and well-defined procedures to ensure the relevance and validity of sustainability assessments. The objective of this study, therefore, was to determine whether experts agree on which criteria are most important in the selection of indicators and indicator sets for robust sustainability assessments. Two groups of experts (Temperate Agriculture Research Network and New Zealand Sustainability Dashboard) were asked to rank the relative importance of eleven criteria for selecting individual indicators and of nine criteria for balancing a collective set of indicators. Both ranking surveys reveal a startling lack of consensus amongst experts about how best to measure agricultural sustainability and call for a radical rethink about how complementary approaches to sustainability assessments are used alongside each other to ensure a plurality of views and maximum collaboration and trust amongst stakeholders. To improve the transparency, relevance and robustness of sustainable assessments, the context of the sustainability assessment, including prioritizations of selection criteria for indicator selection, must be accounted for. A collaborative design process will enhance the acceptance of diverse values and prioritizations embedded in sustainability assessments. The process by which indicators and sustainability frameworks are established may be a much more important determinant of their success than the final shape of the assessment tools. Such an emphasis on process would make assessments more transparent, transformative and enduring.     

Status differences in collective action and forest benefits: evidence from joint forest management in India

Does status matter in community-based forest management? If so, are the high-status households more benefited than the low-status households? What drives status differences, if any, in the appropriation of forest resources? To address these questions, we draw on a theory of status and resource use that defines one’s status as one’s relative position in a group on the basis of power, prestige, honor and deference. Following this perspective, we surveyed the heads of 341 forest-based rural households in India from 2009 to 2010. We find that collective actions themselves are status-driven and the high-status households are more interested and involved in status-maintaining collective actions such as decision-making and implementation, while the low-status households perform general tasks like forest patrol. Moreover, the high-status households derive benefits from local forest significantly more than the low-status households. Further, decomposition analysis shows that a household’s prestige and honor measured by its access to social resources, problem faced and useful contacts explain about 56 % of the status gap in forest benefits, while socioeconomic characteristics explain only 16 % of the gap. Thus, due emphasis on household status from a broader socioeconomic perspective is required to reduce inequality in participation and the distribution of forest benefits in co-management.     

Ecological footprint: an indicator of environmental sustainability of a surface coal mine

Ecological footprint of mining can be used as an indicator to monitor and regulate mining operations and ensure long-term environmental sustainability. It can be viewed as a mining footprint, which is surrogate of the environmental impacts of mining. In this paper, a methodological framework is developed to demonstrate how ecological footprint can be used as an indicator of environmental degradation. Nine air quality and 26 soil quality samples are collected from the adjoining area of a mechanized coal mine, located in Raniganj coal mining belt of Burdwan district, West Bengal. Geographical information system is used for data interpolation and preparation of air and soil quality maps. The weights of different air and soil quality parameters are calculated by running principal component analysis. These derived weights are used for preparation of final composite air and soil quality maps. The composite maps show the mining footprints, expressed as land equivalent, around the active mine sites. The impact zones reveal the extent of degradation of the soil and air qualities in the areas near a mine. It is found that the impact zones, with respect to air and soil qualities, extend over areas which are 7.7 and 7.8 times the actual mining areas, that is, the area covered under mining operations, respectively. The results show the extent of degradation of air and soil qualities of the area. At different stages of mining, these footprints can be used as indicators to reveal the areas where soil and air qualities are adversely impacted.     

Sustainable cooking energy options for rural poor people in India: an empirical study

Currently, energy consumption for cooking in rural households of India is mostly based on fuelwood used in traditional stoves. This paper presents results of a study carried out in a forest fringe area of India on cooking energy use. The concept of calculating levelized cost as cost per unit of useful energy is applied on source–device combinations of cooking and validated in Bargaon Community Development Block of Sundergarh District in Odisha, India. About 92 % of the households in the study area use fuelwood as the only energy source for cooking; the total use of fuelwood for only cooking, in the Block is nearly 1.8 times the total sustainable wood supply showing an urgent need for promoting alternative cooking energy options. This paper also presents an assessment of different cooking options in terms of cost per unit of useful cooking energy. LPG, biogas and gasifier stoves are found to be far too expensive for the local people. Briquette-fired improved stoves appear to be a promising cooking energy option in the study area. Government support and intervention are recommended for promoting this option.     

水泥窑共处置废物过程中重金属的流向分布

为了探索水泥窑共处置危险废物过程中重金属流向分布规律,研究了不同温度条件下Cr、As、Pb在煅烧熟料、颗粒物和尾气中的残留率。在900、1 000、1 100、1 200、1 300和1 450℃温度条件下,将添加Cr、As和Pb化学试剂的生料分别进行煅烧,模拟重金属在水泥窑内不同温度带的煅烧过程。结果表明,6个温度条件下,Cr主要分布在熟料中并且呈现不规则变化;颗粒物中的Cr在1 200℃条件下分布量最大,所占比例为32.79%(w);在900℃和1450℃条件下,烟气中的Cr分布量最大,所占比例为0.24%(w)。6个温度条件下As主要分布在熟料中并且1 000~1 450℃条件下稳定在81%~83%之间;在900℃条件下,As在熟料中的残留率最大,所占比例为97%(w);在1450℃条件下,As在尾气中的分布达到最大值,所占比例为0.0023%(w)。6个温度条件下,Pb在熟料中的残留率随着温度升高而逐渐减少,挥发颗粒物中的含量呈现相反的趋势;尾气中Pb的含量随着温度的升高逐渐增加。     

氨改性中孔活性炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附

为讨论表面改性对活性炭吸附特性的影响,用氨改性活性炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附性能进行了研究。通过高温氨气吹扫对活性炭进行表面改性处理,观察了改性后活性炭物化性质的变化,研究了氨改性活性炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附等温关系与动力学,并对吸附前后氨改性活性炭的形貌进行了分析。结果表明,氨改性后活性炭比表面积和总孔孔容均略有增大,活性炭中N元素含量明显增高,含氧官能团数量减少,零电荷点增大。氨改性后活性炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附效果明显提高,吸附过程数据可用等温吸附方程描述,改性后活性炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附符合拟二级动力学。Pb(Ⅱ)在氨改性活性炭表面上的附着明显可见。通过红外光谱分析,活性炭表面含氮官能团与Pb(Ⅱ)发生缔合作用。     

改性膨润土联合混凝剂处理微污染水中有机物

采用十二烷基多糖苷季铵盐作为改性剂制备改性膨润土,研究了改性膨润土联合混凝剂去除有机物的效果,考察了有机改性剂用量、微波辐射功率、辐射时间、膨润土投加量、pH值对有机物去除效果的影响,探讨了改性膨润土的改性和去除机理。结果表明,经微波改性后,实现了十二烷基多糖苷季铵盐阳离子对膨润土的插层,增大了层间距,提高了膨润土的吸附性能。联合混凝剂投加改性膨润土能够改善絮凝性能,显著提高有机物的去除效果。在最佳条件下,改性膨润土与PAC联合后的强化混凝,对初始浓度15.3 mg/L的微污染水中有机物的去除率达到95%以上,吸附符合Freundlich吸附等温方程。