Some political aspects of pollution control

In this paper some principles of optimal control theory are applied to an examination of the possible differences that political and economic decisions making may have in the area of pollution control. The main points are that (1) Pollution Control Boards (PCB's) may behave as though they place weights on control and benefit functions that differ from market determined weights, (2) divergencies between political and market weights impose welfar; losses, and (3) given that PCB's may be succeeded by another board the current PCB may adapt its behavior to counteract or enforce the expected future behavior of the new PCB.     

A pattern of disasters and victims

Two three-dimensional conceptual models are presented that should help those concerned with disasters and disaster victims to integrate the numerous studies on the topic. The first, concerning disasters, involves matters ecological, technological and social scientific. It covers the elements earth, air, fire, water/liquid, and people. It includes the time dimensions of preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. The second introduces a six-fold classification of victims, together with dimensions to cover the methods and kinds of delivery of different interventions that might be made available to help them. The suggestion is that, were the appropriately noted victim model placed within the larger disaster model according to the types of disaster study being examined, there might be useful academic, political, and professional implications.     

Fish Cognition and Consciousness

Questions about fish consciousness and cognition are receiving increasing attention. In this paper, I explain why one must be careful to avoid drawing conclusions too hastily about this hugely diverse set of species.     

Bioaccessibility of arsenic in soils developed over Jurassic ironstones in eastern England

Jurassic ironstones outcropping over parts of eastern England give rise to soils with arsenic concentrations in excess of the UK soil guideline value of 20 mg kg⁻¹ for residential areas. Total arsenic concentrations were determined for 73 ironstone derived soils and bioaccessible arsenic determined using an in vitro physiologically based extraction test. The bioaccessible arsenic concentration for these soils was found to be well below the soil guideline value with a mean concentration of 4 mg kg⁻¹ and a range of 2–17 mg kg⁻¹. The bioaccessible fraction ranges from 1.2 to 33%. Data from a sequential extraction test based on the use of aqua regia as the main extractant is presented for a subset of 20 of the soils. Chemometric data reduction is used to demonstrate that the bioaccessible arsenic is mainly contained within calcium iron carbonate (sideritic) assemblages and only partially iron aluminosilicates, probably berthierine, and iron oxyhydroxide phases, probably goethite. It is suggested that the bulk of the non-bioaccessible arsenic is bound up with less reactive iron oxide phases.     

Diurnal vertical migration of an estuarine cladoceran,Podon polyphemoides,in the Chesapeake Bay

Populations of the marine cladoceran Podon polyphemoides (Leuckart) in the Chesapeake Bay (USA) zooplankton typically occur in large patches, extending the length of the estuary. These patches are characterized by well defined maxima, which do not move seaward during a given season. During the day, the bulk of the population is situated in the upper part of the two-layered estuarine circulation, where it is subjected to transport by net non-tidal seaward current. One mechanism for maintaining the population within the estuary is provided by the diurnal behavior of the podonids, which migrate to deeper water during the night. The landward advection of the deeper currents, thus, helps to counterbalance seaward population loss during the day. The extent of the vertical movement of the population can be modified by various environmental factors, but a suggestive correlation with light was found. It is thought that the downward component of the migration is due to passive sinking.     

The Precautionary Principle and the Prevention of Marine Pollution

This paper argues that the environmental changes witnessed in the past decade call for a new approach to environmental management; an approach based not on the principle of the assimilative capacity of the environment but on the precautionary principle, and the emerging preventive environmental paradigm. Uncertainties in scientific knowledge and complexities in ecological systems have presented specific failures of the assimilative capacity methodology. It is argued that these failures are not circumstantial in nature, nor are they the result of misapplication of science by scientists. Rather, they represent inherent problems in the use of the assimilative capacity concept in environmental management. The emergence of the precautionary principle is discussed and a formulation of the principle is presented. In conjunction with the operational approach of clean production, we believe that this principle offers a sounder basis for the prevention of marine pollution in the next decade.