The Nexus Between CO2 Emissions and Genetically Modified Crops: a Perspective from Order Theory

Genetically modified crops (GMCs) and climate change have been two ecological issues intensely debated over the years. The search for global solutions to the effects of climate change on agriculture has led to the proposal of GMCs as a tool to reduce the environmental impact of agricultural practices and to improve their efficiency of production. At least 27 countries, all over the world, have cultivated GMCs. The purpose of the present paper is to provide insights about the possible linkages between the cultivated areas and the CO₂ emissions in these countries. In addition, the study intends to establish meaningful relationships between attributes related to the particular socio-economic situations and the environmental impacts of GMCs. Some examples are the connection between acreages of GMCs and the status of each country with respect to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, as well as their classification according to the mean income per capita and their CO₂ emissions. In order to give the mathematical support to these links, the methodology known as Order Theory was employed. The results show that Paraguay, India, Burkina Faso, Brazil and Pakistan could be the best contributors to the mitigation of the climate change by the reduction of their CO₂ emission levels through GMCs.

     

Development of a New Approach to Cumulative Effects Assessment: A Northern River Ecosystem Example

If sustainable development of Canadian waters is to be achieved, a realistic and manageable framework is required for assessing cumulative effects. The objective of this paper is to describe an approach for aquatic cumulative effects assessment that was developed under the Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative. The approach is based on a review of existing monitoring practices in Canada and the presence of existing thresholds for aquatic ecosystem health assessments. It suggests that a sustainable framework is possible for cumulative effects assessment of Canadian waters that would result in integration of national indicators of aquatic health, integration of national initiatives (e.g., water quality index, environmental effects monitoring), and provide an avenue where long-term monitoring programs could be integrated with baseline and follow-up monitoring conducted under the environmental assessment process.     

Social network ties predict land use diversity and land use change: a case study in Ghana

Regional Environmental Change - While it is well documented that informal social ties play a role in information exchange on land management practices, the structural features of such networks that...     

From site-level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities: cocoa in West Africa

The production of tropical agricultural commodities, such as cocoa (Theobroma cacao) and coffee (Coffea spp.), the countries and communities engaged in it, and the industries dependent on these commodities, are vulnerable to climate change. This is especially so where a large percentage of the global supply is grown in a single geographical region. Fortunately, there is often considerable spatial heterogeneity in the vulnerability to climate change within affected regions, implying that local production losses could be compensated through intensification and expansion of production elsewhere. However, this requires that site-level actions are integrated into a regional approach to climate change adaptation. We discuss here such a regional approach for cocoa in West Africa, where 70 % of global cocoa supply originates. On the basis of a statistical model of relative climatic suitability calibrated on West African cocoa farming areas and average climate projections for the 2030s and 2050s of, respectively, 15 and 19 Global Circulation Models, we divide the region into three adaptation zones: (i) a little affected zone permitting intensification and/or expansion of cocoa farming; (ii) a moderately affected zone requiring diversification and agronomic adjustments of farming practices; and (iii) a severely affected zone with need for progressive crop change. We argue that for tropical agricultural commodities, larger-scale adaptation planning that attempts to balance production trends across countries and regions could help reduce negative impacts of climate change on regional economies and global commodity supplies, despite the institutional challenges that this integration may pose.     

Assessment of Mexico��s program to use ethanol as transportation fuel: impact of 6% ethanol-blended fuel on emissions of light-duty gasoline vehicles

Recently, the Mexican government launched a national program encouraging the blending of renewable fuels in engine fuel. To aid the assessment of the environmental consequences of this move, the effect of gasoline fuel additives, ethanol and methyl tert-butyl ether, on the tailpipe and the evaporative emissions of Mexico sold cars was investigated. Regulated exhaust and evaporative emissions, such as carbon monoxide, non-methane hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides, and 15 unregulated emissions were measured under various conditions on a set of 2005?C2008 model light-duty vehicles selected based on sales statistics for the Mexico City metropolitan area provided by car manufacturers. The selected car brands are also frequent in Canada, the USA, and other parts of the world. This paper provides details and results of the experiment that are essential for evaluation of changes in the emission inventory, originating in the low-blend ethanol addition in light vehicle fuel.     

Human factors applied to alarm panel modernization of nuclear control room

Human factors deal with issues related to humans, their behavior and the physical aspect of the environment in which they work. A control room is a complex system where operators perform plant operation using control systems and carry out monitoring and administrative responsibilities. For safe operation of industrial installation, the performance of the control room crew plays an important role. In this respect, a well designed control room is crucial for safe and efficient operation. The aim of this paper is to propose a methodological framework applied to nuclear control room evaluation, through participatory ergonomics, using operator activity analysis and human factors questionnaire as aid tools. We describe a case study in which the methodology framework was used in the evaluation process of a nuclear control room. The information gathered made possible a series of recommendation for the adequacy of the control room design, assisting in the safety assessment of the nuclear plant operation and justifying the alarm panel modernization.     

The value of information in resource exploration: The interaction of strategic plays and institutional rules

Several characteristics of information used in resource exploration have led to conjectures that the private market will provide a suboptimal amount of such information. A public information provision has been proposed as a remedy, both for problems of underproduction and overproduction of private information. This paper demonstrates that, barring exceptional conditions, public provision of information cannot be guaranteed to be a generic solution to the private information overprovision problem. In fact, an example is developed to demonstrate the possibility that public information exacerbates the private overprovision problem.     

Assessing environmental exposure and health impacts of gold mining in Ghana

Understanding the extent to which people are being exposed to environmental contaminants helps to identify those populations which may be disproportionately exposed to the contaminants of potential public health concern. This study represents the first report of a comparison of heavy metal arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), platinum (Pt), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn) concentrations in the blood of residents of mining and non-mining communities in Ghana. Blood sampling, health records, and interviews were used in this study to establish the links between the levels of contaminants and health effects in humans within a mining and non-mining community in Ghana. Results of this study show that mean concentration of As in blood in Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality/Prestea-Huni Valley District (TNMA/PHVD) (mining communities) and Cape Coast Metropolis (CCMA) (non-mining community) was 18- and 2-fold higher, respectively, than the WHO guideline value of 0.002?mg?L^?1. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Mn were elevated up to 20-fold higher in the blood of resident adults and children in TNMA/PHVD than in CCMA. The risk of acute respiratory infections in the exposed populations of TNMA and PHVD were approximately 41- and 12-fold greater than the unexposed group. The risk of diabetes mellitus in the exposed populations of TNMA and PHVD were also approximately 20- and 4-fold higher than the unexposed group. In TNMA and PHVD, 40 blood donors were suffering from hyperkeratosis or pigmentation unlike their CCMA counterparts. Data suggest a potential association between mining activities and the levels of these heavy metals. However, the proportion of anthropogenic contribution to the levels of these metals in the blood remains uncertain. This uncertainty seems to be the umbrella under which both government and mining companies continue to hide, leading to inaction.