Local policies for reducing the ecological impact of households: the case study of a suburban area in France

Since Rio, governments have increased measures to promote sustainable household consumption, but this has induced limited changes in consumers’ daily practices. This article argues that one of the reasons behind the poor efficiency of these policies is the low level of consideration granted to local decision-making. The article discusses the results of a study which aims at better ascertaining the practices and representations of local government leaders in promoting sustainable development in households. We shall analyse the motivations, obstacles, interaction of players, communication and action plans associated with promoting sustainable development, in which individual will and effort are the keywords. The results obtained show how important it is to introduce better management systems for information and resource exchange between the different institutions involved. The study was carried out in a suburban area of south-west France counting 71 small towns and villages, characteristic of the spatial dynamics triggered by the global phenomenon of urbanisation.     

Illegal logging,governance effectiveness and carbon dioxide emission in the timber-producing countries of Congo Basin and Asia

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The empirical link between governance and illegal logging is widely accepted amongst scientist, although a minority still purports that illegal logging...     

Polynomial response of 2,4-D mineralization to temperature in soils at varying soil moisture contents,slope positions and depths

The herbicide 2,4-D [2,4-(dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid] is a widely used broadleaf control agent in cereal production systems. Although 2,4-D soil-residual activity (half-lives) are typicaly less than 10 days, this herbicide also has as a short-term leaching potential due to its relatively weak retention by soil constituents. Herbicide residual effects and leaching are influenced by environmental variables such as soil moisture and temperature. The objective of this study was to determine impacts of these environmental variables on the magnitude and extent of 2,4-D mineralization in a cultivated undulating Manitoba prairie landscape. Microcosm incubation experiments were utilized to assess 2,4-D half-lives and total mineralization using a 4 × 4 × 3 × 2 factorial design (with soil temperature at 4 levels: 5, 10, 20 and 40°C; soil moisture at 4 levels: 60, 85, 110, 135 % of field capacity; slope position at 3 levels: upper-, mid- and lower-slopes; and soil depth at 2 levels: 0–5 cm and 5–15 cm). Half-lives (t_1/2) varied from 3 days to 51 days with the total 2,4-D mineralization (M _T ) ranging from 5.8 to 50.9 %. The four-way interaction (temperature × moisture × slope × depth) significantly (p< 0.001) influenced both t_1/2 and M _T. Second-order polynomial equations best described the relations of temperature with t_1/2 and M_T as was expected from a biological system. However, the interaction and variability of t_1/2 and M_T among different temperatures, soil moistures, slope positions, and soil depth combinations indicates that the complex nature of these interacting factors should be considered when applying 2,4-D in agricultural fields and in utilizing these parameters in pesticide fate models.     

Biopesticides: Has their time come?

Abstract

The increased tempo of developments in biopesticides is closely related to the growing awareness and emphasis on integrated pest management (IPM) and sustainable agriculture. Several economic forecasting sources predict a growth rate for the biopesticide industry at 10 to 15% per annum over the next 10 years in contrast to a 1 to 2% growth rate for synthetic chemical pesticides.

The greatest opportunity for biopesticides is in the insect pest management arena. This paper discusses several types of bioinsecticides that may have significant economic impact in the coming years.     

Teratogenicity of bifenox and nitrofen in rodents

Abstract

The teratogenicity of the diphenyl ether herbicide bifenox [2,4‐dichlorophenyl 3'‐carboxymethyl‐4'‐nitrophenyl ether] was compared to that of nitrofen [2,4‐dichlorophenyl 4'‐nitrophenyl ether] in rats and in mice. Neither compound increased prenatal mortality in mice. Because nitrofen causes both malformations that are compatible with survival to weaning and a high incidence of perinatal (but not of fetal) mortality, emphasis was placed on postnatal parameters of bifenox toxicity. In rats, bifenox caused a low incidence of “bloody tears”;, but it did not decrease survival to term or to weaning in rats or mice, and did not reduce Harderian gland weight in mice. Because the weight of the Harderian glands is a more objective measure of their status than is the presence of an eye discharge, it is concluded that bifenox is not teratogenic at the levels administered. Nitrofen decreased litter size, pup weight, and Harderian gland weight in mice.     

Penetration of soil dust through woven and nonwoven fabrics

Abstract

Several types of fabrics were laboratory‐tested for their effectiveness in worker protection to pesticide‐laden dust encountered in the agricultural environment. Of the applied <100 mesh dust, penetrations through knitted jersey and woven fabrics were greater than 87% and less than 5.8%, respectively. Treatment of woven fabrics with fluorocarbon polymers curtailed penetration by greater than 60%. Nonwoven fabrics allowed less than 0.5% dust penetration. Parathion mixed with 100‐mesh sieved dust resulted in increasing “ppm”; levels with decreasing particle size; extent of parathion conversion to paraoxon was independent of particle size for the sandy loam dust used.     

Lidar Observations of the Diurnal Behavior of the Cumberland Power Plant Plume

Mobile lidar observations were made downwind of TVA’s Cumberland (Tennessee) power plant as part of the STATE (Sulfur Transport and Transformation in the Environment) program. Vertical profiles of aerosol backscatter have been processed and displayed to show plume structure as an intensity-modulated TV presentation. Available meteorological data, especially the pilot balloon and radiosonde measurements collected during the STATE experiment, have been used to aid in the interpretation of the lidar display. The data show: ? Well defined nighttime plumes, which often tilt or display a layered structure in the shape of a “>”.

? Late morning convective breakup of the plume.

? Well mixed convective plumes during the day.

? Reformation of the layered nighttime plume during the late afternoon.

It appears that the nighttime plume behavior can be related qualitatively to the strong directional shear of the wind with height that often accompanies the stable nighttime atmosphere. The nighttime plume shapes frequently differ markedly from the oval shape one expects of a gaussian plume. Daytime plumes are in better conformance to the expected shape except when constricted by the surface or the top of the mixing layer