The importance of scientific literacy in fostering education for sustainability: Theoretical considerations and preliminary findings from a Brazilian experience

Scientific literacy can be considered as a new demand of post-industrial society. It seems necessary in order to foster education for sustainability throughout students' academic careers. Universities striving to teach sustainability are being challenged to integrate a holistic perspective into a traditional undergraduate curriculum, which aims at specialization. This new integrative, inter- and transdisciplinary epistemological approach is necessary to cultivate autonomous citizenship, i.e., that each citizen be prepared to understand and participate in discussions about the complex contemporary issues posed by post-industrial society. This paper presents an epistemological framework to show the role of scientific literacy in fostering education for sustainability. We present a set of 26 collaborative concept maps (CCmaps) in order to illustrate an instance of theory becoming practice. During a required course for first-year undergraduate students (ACH 0011, Natural Sciences), climate change was presented and discussed in broad perspective by using CCmaps. We present students' CCmaps to show how they use concepts from quantitative and literacy disciplines to deal with the challenges posed by the need of achieving a sustainable development.     

Evaluating Consistency of Categorizing Biodiversity Management Status Relative to Land Stewardship in the Gap Analysis Program

The gap analysis process provides an overview of the distribution and conservation status of several components of biodiversity. Lands are categorized relative to management status, the degree to which an area is managed to maintain biodiversity. This study examines how various socio-politicalgroups interpret and apply the management status codes used to categorize land tracts in gap analysis. A key finding is the considerable variation among individuals in their application of the status codes. This shows a large degree of uncertainty about the land tracts and the status codes, and suggests the need to develop an objective and repeatable management categorization process.     

fluoride concentrations in the ambient air

The body of the information presented in this paper is of general interest to those concerned with air quality. This paper reports data for ambient atmospheric concentrations of water-soluble fluorides determined in samples of suspended particulate matter collected on glass-fiber filters by the National Air Surveillance Network. Data for over 12,000 samples collected in calendar years 1966, 1967, and 1968 are examined. The purpose of the examination of the data is to give an estimation of current air quality with respect to fluoride content.

The samples are extracted with pure boiling water, and the fluoride concentration of the extracts measured using a fluoride-ion selective electrode. The data engendered are tabulated on an annual basis, and a table is presented summarizing the results. Comparative data will be presented showing the distribution of urban and non-urban stations that exhibit various specified fluoride levels. The results show that the fluoride content in the majority of the samples is below the minimum detectable amount of 0.05 µgF/m³. Conclusions that can be drawn include the observations that: few of the urban samples contain over 1.00 µg/m ³ of fluoride, very few of all samples exceeded 1.00 µ/m³ of fluoride, and no non-urban sample contained over 0.16 µg/m³ of fluoride. It was also concluded that only in rare instances would the fluoride concentrations at the sites sampled be in excess of published standards.     

Transmission of employment shocks before and after the Oklahoma City tornado

This study examined the economic impact of the May 3, 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak on the labor markets of Oklahoma City (OK), Wichita (KS), and Kansas City (MO). In particular, this article examines the transmission of shocks to employment growth across these different labor markets. Using monthly employment data from January 1990 to December 2004, we provide empirical evidence on the cross-market relationships that existed before and after the Oklahoma City tornado. The results suggest that the impact of the wind event may have altered labor market dynamics in Oklahoma City, as well as Wichita and Kansas City.     

Perspectives on the Use of Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management in Cleveland and Milwaukee

Green infrastructure is a general term referring to the management of landscapes in ways that generate human and ecosystem benefits. Many municipalities have begun to utilize green infrastructure in efforts to meet stormwater management goals. This study examines challenges to integrating gray and green infrastructure for stormwater management, informed by interviews with practitioners in Cleveland, OH and Milwaukee WI. Green infrastructure in these cities is utilized under conditions of extreme fiscal austerity and its use presents opportunities to connect stormwater management with urban revitalization and economic recovery while planning for the effects of negative- or zero-population growth. In this context, specific challenges in capturing the multiple benefits of green infrastructure exist because the projects required to meet federally mandated stormwater management targets and the needs of urban redevelopment frequently differ in scale and location.     

The impact of climate-induced distributional changes on the validity of biological water quality metrics

We present data on the distributional changes within an order of macroinvertebrates used in biological water quality monitoring. The British Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) have been shown to be expanding their range northwards and this could potentially affect the use of water quality metrics. The results show that the families of Odonata that are used in monitoring are shifting their ranges poleward and that species richness is increasing through time at most UK latitudes. These past distributional shifts have had negligible effects on water quality indicators. However, variation in Odonata species richness (particularly in species-poor regions) has a significant effect on water quality metrics. We conclude with a brief review of current and predicted responses of aquatic macroinvertebrates to environmental warming and maintain that caution is warranted in the use of such dynamic biological indicators.