Deconstructing compassionate conservation

Compassionate conservation focuses on 4 tenets: first, do no harm; individuals matter; inclusivity of individual animals; and peaceful coexistence between humans and animals. Recently, compassionate conservation has been promoted as an alternative to conventional conservation philosophy. We believe examples presented by compassionate conservationists are deliberately or arbitrarily chosen to focus on mammals; inherently not compassionate; and offer ineffective conservation solutions. Compassionate conservation arbitrarily focuses on charismatic species, notably large predators and megaherbivores. The philosophy is not compassionate when it leaves invasive predators in the environment to cause harm to vastly more individuals of native species or uses the fear of harm by apex predators to terrorize mesopredators. Hindering the control of exotic species (megafauna, predators) in situ will not improve the conservation condition of the majority of biodiversity. The positions taken by so-called compassionate conservationists on particular species and on conservation actions could be extended to hinder other forms of conservation, including translocations, conservation fencing, and fertility control. Animal welfare is incredibly important to conservation, but ironically compassionate conservation does not offer the best welfare outcomes to animals and is often ineffective in achieving conservation goals. Consequently, compassionate conservation may threaten public and governmental support for conservation because of the limited understanding of conservation problems by the general public.     

Challenges facing the sustainable consumption and waste management agendas: perspectives on UK households

The management of municipal waste is one of the most emotive local environmental issues in the UK at present and represents a key sustainability “battleground” as local authorities seek to reduce waste arisings and encourage the reuse and recycling of materials among households. Within the literature on household waste management, a broad range of disciplinary perspectives and practical recommendations exist and it is the aim of this paper to step back and take stock of the role of households and communities in resource consumption and waste generation patterns across the UK within recent decades. By exploring the household in this context, trends in consumption and waste generation are outlined in addition to key influencing factors such as lifestyles and well-being, demographics and environment. Finally, key lessons learnt, challenges faced going forward and approaches for developing more sustainable practices at the household, community and national levels are discussed.     

Fatty acid signature analysis documents the diet of five myctophid fish from the Southern Ocean

Fatty acid (FA) and fatty alcohol (FAlc) compositions of both total lipid and neutral lipid fractions were studied for five myctophid species sampled in Kerguelen waters. Both qualitative and quantitative FA signature analyses were then performed to investigate their diet over longer time scales than the conventional stomach content analysis. Regarding their lipid class, FA and FAlc compositions, the five species could be discriminated into two groups: wax-ester-rich species (Electrona antarctica, Krefftichthys anderssoni) characterised by large amounts of monounsaturated FAs (>73% of total FAs) and triacylglycerol-rich species (Electrona carlsbergi, Gymnoscopelus nicholsi, Protomyctophum bolini) with major amounts of saturated and monounsaturated FAs (>29 and >46% of total FAs, respectively). Qualitative and quantitative FA analyses showed that K. anderssoni mainly preyed upon copepods, E. antarctica upon copepods and more euphausiids and P. bolini and E. carlsbergi mainly upon euphausiids with some copepods, while G. nicholsi had a more diverse diet. This study shows the usefulness of quantitative statistical analysis to determine the diet of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic predators and stresses the need of increasing the lipid and FA analyses of more zooplanktonic and micro-nektonic marine species.     

Is atmospheric oxidation capacity better in indicating tropospheric O3 formation?

● This study summarizes and evaluates different approaches that indicate O₃ formation. ● Isopleth and sensitivity methods are useful but have many prerequisites. ● AOC is a better indicator of photochemical reactions leading to O₃ formation. Tropospheric ozone (O₃) concentration is increasing in China along with dramatic changes in precursor emissions and meteorological conditions, adversely affecting human health and ecosystems. O₃ is formed from the complex nonlinear photochemical reactions from nitrogen oxides (NO_x = NO + NO₂) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Although the mechanism of O₃ formation is rather clear, describing and analyzing its changes and formation potential at fine spatial and temporal resolution is still a challenge today. In this study, we briefly summarized and evaluated different approaches that indicate O₃ formation regimes. We identify that atmospheric oxidation capacity (AOC) is a better indicator of photochemical reactions leading to the formation of O₃ and other secondary pollutants. Results show that AOC has a prominent positive relationship to O₃ in the major city clusters in China, with a goodness of fit (R²) up to 0.6. This outcome provides a novel perspective in characterizing O₃ formation and has significant implications for formulating control strategies of secondary pollutants.     

Effects of water viscosity upon ventilation and metabolism of a flatfish,the common sole <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solea solea</Emphasis> (L.)

The French Atlantic coast contains large highly productive intertidal mudflats that are colonised by juveniles of numerous flatfish species, including the common sole (Solea solea, L.). These ecosystems are also heavily exploited by the shellfish farming industry. Intensive bivalve culture is associated with substantial biodeposition (1–6 t-dw ha⁻¹ day⁻¹), which directly or indirectly contributes to increase exopolysaccharide (EPS) concentrations at the interface between water column and seabed. EPS are long-chain molecules organised into colloids, which influence rheological properties of water, particularly viscosity. Increased water viscosity had consequences for ventilatory activity of juvenile flatfish, whereby the minimal pressure required to ventilate the medium increases directly with EPS concentration. Moreover, the critical EPS concentration ([EPS]_crit) at which water was no longer able to flow through the branchial basket ranged from almost nil to over 30 mg l⁻¹, depending on species and size. [EPS]_crit was lower in small individuals and individuals from species with high metabolic rates (turbot and plaice). These differences may depend upon gill and bucco-branchial cavity morphometrics. The ventilatory workload of sole increased with viscosity to a maximum at 2 mg EPS l⁻¹. Viscosity might, therefore, be a limiting factor for flatfish post larvae, which colonise the intertidal mudflats, depending upon their size and species. EPS concentrations in the field can reach 15 mg l⁻¹. A selective effect is conceivable but remains to be estimated in the field.     

An empirical analysis of air pollution dose-response curves

The authors combine information from 2 million death certificates and 2 million observations from the Public Use Sample. With several strategies for controlling extraneous variation, the authors explore these data in order to measure the chronic effects of several air pollutants on white mortality rates. In the United States, approximately 140,000 deaths a year (Wo of all deaths) may be associated with air pollution. The size of this effect increases dramatically with age, with children displaying no detectable associations. Some pollutants, especially sulfate, are closely associated with many deaths, whereas other pollutants, especially ozone and nitrogen dioxide, have no apparent effect on expected lifetimes.     

Exploring the Use of Online Platforms for Climate Change Policy and Public Engagement by NGOs in Latin America

The engagement of environmental non-governmental groups in collaborative communication efforts and decision-making about climate change remains a significant challenge. In Latin America, the website Intercambio Climático was set up to attempt to play a breakthrough role in the region's discussion of climate change. This case study focuses on the development, accomplishments, and challenges of this unique online communication initiative among non-governmental organizations working in climate change issues in Latin America with a US-based partner, as a vehicle to achieve their goals. We used secondary data and in-depth interviews to examine this platform's role in disseminating information and influencing decision-making. The results suggest that generally the participants perceive the website positively, but there are also problematic aspects of the collaboration that are not fully recognized by the members, which prevents a more functional and effective communication strategy.