A discourse-analytical perspective on sustainability assessment: interpreting sustainable development in practice

Sustainable development is a ubiquitously used concept in public decision-making: it refers to an ideal vision of global society where human development and environmental quality go hand in hand. Logically, any decision-supporting process aiming at facilitating and steering society toward a sustainable future then seems desirable. Assessing the sustainability of policy decisions is, however, influenced by what sustainable development is believed to entail, as different discourses coexist under the umbrella of the sustainable development meta-discourse. This paper proposes a typology of sustainable development discourses, and, subsequently, applies a discourse-analytical lens on two practical cases of sustainability assessment in different institutional and geographical contexts (in Belgium and in Benin). The results indicate that sustainability assessments tend to be influenced mainly by the consensual ‘sustainable development as integration’ discourse, while also providing a forum for dialogue between different discourses. The results shed light on context-specific discursive and institutional dynamics for the development and application of sustainability assessment. Acknowledging these dynamics as well as sustainable development’s inherent interpretational limits can lead to an improved use of sustainable development as a decision-guiding strategy.     

Evaluation of the Effect of Chemical or Enzymatic Synthesis Methods on Biodegradability of Polyesters

This work compares the biodegradability of polyesters produced by an esterification reaction between glycerol and oleic di-acid (D 18:1) issued from green chemical pathways, via either classical thermo-chemical methods, or an enzymatic method using the immobilized lipase of Candida antartica B (Novozym 435). An elastomeric polymer synthesized by enzymatic catalysis is more biodegradable than an elastomeric thermo-chemical polyester synthesized by a standard chemical procedure. This difference lies in percentage of the dendritic motifs, in values of the degree of substitution, and certainly in cross-links inducing an hyper-branched structure less accessible to the lipolytic enzymes in a waste treatment plant. However, when the elastomeric polymer synthesized by enzymatic catalysis is processed at high temperature as required for certain industrial applications, it presents an identical rate of biodegradation than the chemical polyester. The advantages of the thermo-chemical methods are greater speed and lower cost. Enzymatic synthesis appears be suited to producing polyesters, devoid of metallic catalysts, which must be used without processing at high temperature to keep a high biodegradability.     

Overview of Traditional and Environmental Factors Related to Bone Health

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Bone mass in adulthood depends on growth and mineralization acquired during childhood and adolescence. It is well known that these stages of life are...     

Hydrobiogeochemical Controls on Riparian Nutrient and Greenhouse Gas Dynamics: 10 Years Post‐Restoration

Little is known about the impact of agricultural legacy on subsurface biogeochemical processes in the years following restoration of riparian wetlands (WLs). More knowledge is also needed on the relative importance of seasons, precipitation events, and inputs of water and nutrients driving nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and greenhouse gas (GHG) (N₂O, CO₂, CH₄) dynamics in these systems. This investigation of a riparian zone comprising a restored WL area and a nonrestored well‐drained alluvium (AL) area in the United States Midwest revealed that despite successful hydrological restoration a decade earlier, biogeochemical conditions in the WL area remained less anoxic than in natural WLs, and not significantly different from those in the AL area. No significant differences in N, P, S, and C compound concentrations or fluxes were observed between the AL and WL areas. Over the duration of the study, nitrate (NO₃^?) and soluble reactive phosphorus appeared to be primarily driven by hillslope contributions. Ammonium (NH₄⁺), sulfate (SO₄^2?), and CO₂ responded strongly to seasonal changes in biogeochemical conditions in the riparian zone, while N₂O and CH₄ fluxes were most influenced by large rewetting events. Overall, our results challenge overly simplistic assumptions derived from direct interpretation of redox thermodynamics, and show complex patterns of solutes and GHGs at the riparian zone scale.     

Heavy metal contamination from mining sites in South Morocco: 2. Assessment of metal accumulation and toxicity in plants

Metalliferous soils cover a relatively large surface area in Morocco, and up to now no hyperaccumulating plants have been identified on these mining or these industrial sites. The aim of this work was to assess the extent of metal accumulation by plants found in three mining areas in southern Morocco with the ultimate goal of finding metal hyperaccumulating species by using the MetPAD biotest. The biotest helps to obtain information on the selective metal toxicity of aqueous extracts from the plants. A strong metal toxicity, as revealed by the biotest is an indication of a hyperaccumulating plant. Toxicity tests were run concurrently with chemicals analyses of metals in plants and their water extracts. The chemical analyses allow the determination of the hyperaccumulated metal(s). Specimens of the plant species mainly growing on and in the vicinity of the three mines were sampled with their corresponding soils. The results show that all plants analyzed had lower heavy metal content and toxicity despite the relatively very high soil concentrations. A comparison of our results with the criterion used to classify the hyperaccumulator plants indicates that plants we collected from mining sites were hypertolerant but not hyperaccumulators. This was confirmed by transfer factors generally lower than 1. Nevertheless, these tolerant plants species can be used as tools for revegetation for erosion control in metals-contaminated sites (phytostabilization).     

Diagnosis of abiotic and biotic stress factors using the visible symptoms in foliage

Visible symptoms in the foliage of trees are recorded to monitor the effects of abiotic and biotic stress. Difficulties are reported in diagnosing the origin of stress. The present paper discusses several diagnostic criteria which are usable in different species for a better determination of the stress factor type. A new diagnosis scheme to differentiate between classes of abiotic and biotic stress factors is supplied. Abiotic stress generates gradients of symptoms. The symptom specificity is determined by the degree of interaction between the stress factor and plant defense system. Symptoms caused by abiotic stress and natural autumnal senescence can be morphologically different or undistinguishable according to the stress and plant species. With biotic stress, the class of parasitic is generally recognizable on the basis of the visible symptoms. Structurally and physiologically based explanations of the symptom morphology are still missing for many stress factors.     

The role of personality characteristics in young adult driving

BACKGROUND: Motor vehicle injury is the major cause of mortality among young adults. Information about the individual characteristics of those who drive dangerously could enhance traffic safety programs. The goal of this research was to examine the association between various personality-related characteristics and risky driving behaviors. METHODS: Young adults in Michigan, USA (n = 5,362) were surveyed by telephone regarding several personality factors (risk-taking, hostility, aggression, tolerance of deviance, achievement expectations) and driving behaviors (competitive driving, risk-taking driving, high-risk driving, aggressive driving, and drink/driving). Michigan driver records were obtained to examine offenses, serious offenses, driving offense points, crashes and serious crashes in the three pre-interview years. Multivariate regression analyses, adjusting for age, race, and marital status were conducted separately by sex to identify personality factors related to driving. RESULTS: For men and women, greater risk-taking propensity, physical/verbal hostility, aggression, and tolerance of deviance were significant predictors of a competitive attitude toward driving, risk-taking driving, high-risk driving, driving aggression, and drink/driving. Greater risk-taking propensity, physical/verbal hostility, aggression, and to a small degree, expectations for achievement predicted higher numbers of offenses, serious offenses, and points. CONCLUSION: Traffic safety policies and programs could be enhanced through recognition of the role personality factors play in driving behavior and the incorporation of this knowledge into the design and implementation of interventions that modify the behaviors associated with them.     

纳滤去除水中内分泌干扰物双酚A和四溴双酚A的研究

用死端过滤法考察纳滤膜Desal 5 DK处理水中内分泌干扰物双酚A(BPA)和四溴双酚A(TBBPA)的效率,并研究吸附对纳滤截留有机分子的影响.结果表明,纳滤膜Desal 5 DK对BPA的表观截留率随累积吸附量的增加而降低,从初始的89%降至达到平衡状态时的47%,BPA累积吸附量相应达到约30 μg·m-2.较高压力时,吸附层较高的溶质浓度引起膜通量下降.虽然Desal 5 DK对TBBPA累积吸附量达到50 μg·m-2,但由于分子量较大和分子结构复杂,截留率较高(>95%).5×105 Pa压力下解吸时TBBPA分子由于位阻效应几乎不能透过纳滤膜;而BPA则扩散通过纳滤膜,并且在流出30 mL时浓度达到峰值,流出的BPA总量约占总吸附量的30%.     

添加生物炭对西北黄土吸附克百威的影响

研究了不同温度下制得的生物炭对西北黄土吸附农药克百威的影响,并对溶液p H值和初始浓度对吸附的影响进行了探讨.结果表明,克百威在添加生物炭黄土上的动力学吸附过程较好地符合准二级吸附动力学模型;热力学吸附较好地符合Freundlich等温吸附模型;随着系统温度的升高,添加生物炭的黄土对克百威的吸附量增大,且其对克百威的吸附自由能变(ΔGθ)小于0,吸附焓变(ΔHθ)及吸附熵变(ΔSθ)均大于0,表明吸附是一个自发吸热且体系混乱程度增大的等温吸附过程.溶液p H值和克百威的初始浓度对添加生物炭的土样吸附影响较明显.当p H值为4~7时,添加生物炭的土样饱和吸附量随p H升高呈缓慢降低,当p H值大于7时,吸附容量随p H升高呈明显降低趋势.克百威初始浓度从20 mg·L-1增至50 mg·L-1的过程中,吸附量快速上升,初始浓度大于50 mg·L-1时,吸附量随初始浓度的升高而缓慢增加并逐渐趋于平衡.     

Are Artificial Barrages Necessary to Prevent Saline Incursion? A Modelling Approach to Restore the Healthy Ecosystem of the Vembanad Lake

Environmental Modeling & Assessment - The Thanneermukkom Bund was constructed to prevent salt water intrusion in the low lying areas of the Kuttanad region which increase the paddy cultivation...