Thought for Fuelling Change: A Review of Three Models for Understanding Environmentally Significant Transitions

For over a century, western economic development has depended upon the use of combustible hydrocarbons for its energy needs. The 20th century saw the prolific exploitation of fossil hydrocarbon sources (coal and oil) which are finite and exhaustible. There is a clear need for society to conserve such non-renewable resources. In addition to conservation, a wholesale switch to renewable energy sources should be seen as the first research and development priority. In the interim, moving towards a crop-based fuel economy appears to be a good alternative to provide the necessarily dramatic changes in lifestyle and mindset that would be required of consumers, for a wholesale shift away from hydrocarbon combustion. Before programs and policies designed to address the need for an interim or alternative energy and materials economy are put into place however, it is important to understand the barriers and opportunities put forth by society itself. Conventional frameworks designed to understand this type of change are of limited assistance. This paper argues that institutional thinking is a very useful tool in addressing these types of environmental problems.     

SEPTAGE QUALITY AND ITS EFFECT ON FIELD LIFE FOR LAND APPLICATIONS1

ABSTRACT: Maintenance of the more than 24 million septic tanks in the U.S. requires removal and disposal of septage. Disposal options include application to agricultural lands where the nutrients and organic matter can provide soil benefits. However, pathogens and contaminants are also contained in septage. An extensive search turned up very few data on septage quality, and those reveal high variability. The data used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in developing regulations had the lowest metal concentrations among the nine data sets that could be compared. Based on these data, EPA assumed that septage could be applied to agricultural land for more than 100 applications before reaching unacceptable cumulative loading of metals. They thus did not establish federal standards for metals in septage, and no monitoring is required under federal rules governing septage disposal. Analysis of the nine data sets we found showed that field site life would be reached in less than 100 applications for most septage and cumulative loading limits established by EPA for sewage sludges will be exceeded in 16 applications for some septage as opposed to the 100 application estimate used by EPA. Determination of acceptable cumulative loading depends on numerous technical and policy considerations. All septage sources reached the more restrictive loading limits such as those established by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the recommendations in Cornell publications in less than 100 applications. In one case the cumulative limit for copper was exceeded in a single application. These findings suggest additional data are needed on septage quality and that the federal and state agencies responsible for regulating application of septage to agricultural land should reassess their standards.     

CATCHMENT RESPONSE TIME AS A PREDICTOR OF FLOOD QUANTILES1

ABSTRACT: A regression analysis using a generalized least squares approach on flow data from the driftless area of Wisconsin indicates that the ratio of drainage area to time-to-peak is a good predictor of flood quantiles. The estimation of time-to-peak (or some other measure of basin response time) requires direct measurement of river stage and possibly rainfall at the site of which the quantiles are to be estimated. The cost-effectiveness of such an approach must yet be determined.     

Finding Water for Growth: New Sources,New Tools,New Challenges1

Abstract: Rapidly growing regions such as the western United States face difficult challenges in mobilizing new water supplies to meet new demands. Environmental concerns have curtailed the scope for large new surface storage projects, and widespread basin overdraft has limited ground water’s potential as a source of expansion. Drawing on the California experience, this article explores modern water planning approaches, which focus on a portfolio of options including nontraditional sources (recycling, desalination, underground storage) and more efficient use of existing supplies (conservation and water marketing). It reviews the advantages and drawbacks of the elements of the portfolio, provides examples of innovative planning approaches, and assesses the role for supportive government policies.     

Wildfire Effects on the Quantity and Composition of Suspended and Gravel-Stored Sediments

In August of 2003 a severe wildfire burnt the majority of Fishtrap Creek, a 170 km² catchment in central British Columbia, Canada. The objective of this study was to determine the short-term (15-month) influence of the wildfire on the amount and composition of fine sediment delivery and retention in the system and to compare it to a similar unburnt catchment. In the spring of 2004 automatic water samplers were installed at a gauging site on Fishtrap Creek to collect suspended sediments from the snowmelt runoff and gravel traps were deployed on the channel bed surface to collect composite samples of suspended fine sediment. Jamieson, the reference creek, exhibits similar geology and pre-burn vegetation and was sampled in the same manner for comparison. Composite suspended sediment collected in the traps was removed from the streams in mid-summer and early September. Quantitative estimates of the amount and particle size structure of the naturally stored fine sediment in, and on, the gravel creekbed were obtained in pre-melt, mid and late-summer conditions. Estimates of suspended sediment yields indicated that while the burnt system delivered 66% more material per unit area, the total seasonal suspended sediment yield was low (855 kg km⁻²) compared to other fire-disturbed systems. While the burnt catchment was primed to deliver sediment, the hydrologic drivers were not of sufficient magnitude to generate a substantial response, suggesting that in this first post-fire year the system was transport-limited, not supply-limited. Differences were noted in the spatial and seasonal composition of the <500 more OM% composite suspended sedimentswith the burnt catchment having significantly (P≤0.05) more OM%. Seasonally a significant increase of OM% in late summer samples was associated with instream biofilms and possible delivery of black carbon. The system’s post-fire response was not geomorphically substantial but significant biological differences were noted in the short-term.     

Disruption of biofilms from sewage pipes under physical and chemical conditioning

Biofilms grown inside two sewage collecting pipes located in industrial and residential areas are studied. Bacterial biomass inside three layers of biofilms was evaluated. Biofilm cohesion under different mixing rate and ionic strength was also investigated. Effects of physical and chemical parameters in the biofilms were evaluated by monitoring turbidity, chemical and biochemical oxygen demands. Extracted organic matter from biofilms was partitioned to polar, aromatic and saturated fractions using activated silica column chromatography. Results revealed that bacterial biomass growth depending on biofilm thickness and stratification. The most loaded stratum in bacterial biomass was the sewage-biofilm interface stratum that represented 51% of the total bacterial biomass. Stirring rate and ionic strength of mono and bivalent salts showed a major influence in biofilm disruption. The stirring time enhanced the exchange dynamic and matter capture between biofilm fragments at the critical stirring rate 90 r/min. Sodium chloride showed the dispersing effect on biofilms in suspension, and decreased the BOD5 (biochemical oxygen demand) beyond the physiological salt concentration.     

Integument coloration signals reproductive success,heterozygosity, and antioxidant levels in chick-rearing black-legged kittiwakes

Carotenoid pigments are important for immunity and as antioxidants, and carotenoid-based colors are believed to provide honest signals of individual quality. Other colorless but more efficient antioxidants such as vitamins A and E may protect carotenoids from bleaching. Carotenoid-based colors have thus recently been suggested to reflect the concentration of such colorless antioxidants, but this has rarely been tested. Furthermore, although evidence is accruing for multiple genetic criteria for mate choice, carotenoid-based colors have rarely been shown to reflect both phenotypic and genetic quality. In this study, we investigated whether gape, tongue, eye-ring, and bill coloration of chick-rearing black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla reflected circulating levels of carotenoids and vitamins A and E. We further investigated whether integument coloration reflected phenotypic (body condition and fledging success) and genetic quality (heterozygosity). We found that the coloration of fleshy integuments was correlated with carotenoid and vitamin A levels and fledging success but only in males. Furthermore, the coloration of tongue and eye-ring was correlated with heterozygosity in both males and females. Integument colors might therefore be reliable signals of individual quality used by birds to adjust their parental care during the chick-rearing period.     

Constructive conflict at work

Two field studies of interpersonal conflict in organizations and a simulated dyadic negotiation show that problem solving and forcing are frequently combined simultaneously and sequentially. As a robust finding, conglomerations of problem solving and forcing appear to enhance the parties' joint effectiveness. The best substantive and relational outcomes for the organization are reached through forcing followed by problem solving. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.