Policy and practice reviews

Environmental planners and managers may want to do their work without political interference, using rational and objective knowledge only. They may also want to serve the common good, be accountable and encourage public participation. This paper explores the tensions between the two approaches and argues that a great deal of politics goes into the very definition and selection of what is considered rational and objective. Too often policy‐makers claim to rely exclusively on objective scientific or economic knowledge, while ignoring other forms of knowledge which may be as essential for the solution or management of the problem. Difficult choices have to be made, and it may well be the political scientist, sociologist or psychologist who can help. Expertise has its own interest in the policy process—it is mainly concerned with perpetuating itself and the search for more knowledge. To be effective as well as rational, environmental managers need to be aware of a broad range of useful knowledge, as well as suspicious of claims that promise too much. They need to be in open communication with society, and this may well require institutional reform.     

Effects of methyl-, phenyl-, ethylmercury and mercurychlorid on immune cells of harbor seals （Phoca vitulina）

Mercury (Hg) is present in the marine environment as a natural metal often enhanced through human activities. Depending on its chemical form, Hg can cause a wide range of immunotoxic e ects. In this study, the influence of methyl-, ethyl- and phenylmercury as well as mercurychloride on immune functions was evaluated. Two parameters of cellular immunity, proliferation and mRNA cytokine expression of interleukin-2, -4, and transforming growth factor , were investigated in harbor seal lymphocytes after in vitro exposure to Hg compounds. While all Hg compounds had a suppressive e ect on proliferation, di erences between juvenile and adult seals were found. Lymphocytes from juveniles showed a higher susceptibility to the toxic e ect compared to lymphocytes from adults. Furthermore, the degree of inhibition of proliferation varied among the four Hg compounds. The organic compounds seem to be more immunotoxic than the inorganic compound. Finally, for the cytokine expression of methylmercury-incubated lymphocytes, timedependent changes were observed, but no dose-dependency was found. Marine mammals of the North Sea are burdened with Hg, and lymphocytes of harbor seals may be functionally impaired by this metal. The present in vitro study provides baseline information for future studies on the immunotoxic e ects of Hg on cellular immunity of harbor seals.     

Place Attachment,Climate Friendly Behavior,and Support for Climate Friendly Management Action among State Park Visitors

This study examined the role of place attachment in determining visitors’ willingness to engage in climate friendly behavior in parks and support for management actions to minimize climate-change impacts. The sample consisted of visitors to Missouri State Parks (n = 1775). Place attachment was measured using 12 items of place identity, place dependence, and social bonding. Exploratory factor analysis of climate friendly behavior items revealed two dimensions: Visit based (i.e., short-term, immediate actions individuals could take during their visit) and Big Picture (i.e., advocacy actions that suggest a long-term engagement with parks). A path analysis demonstrated that the dimensions of place attachment predict climate friendly behavior and support for climate friendly management action in different ways. Specifically, place identity increased climate friendly behavior (big picture) and place dependence increased both climate friendly behavior (visit based) and support for climate friendly management action. Findings from this study provided evidence for the importance of place attachment as a means for engaging visitors in climate-related actions both in and beyond the park setting.     

Antibiotic resistance,virulence factors and biofilm formation ability in Escherichia coli strains isolated from chicken meat and wildlife in the Czech Republic

Attachment of pathogenic bacteria to food contact surfaces and the subsequent biofilm formation represent a serious threat for the food industry, since these bacteria are more resistant to antimicrobials or possess more virulence factors. The main aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between antibiotic resistance against 13 antibiotics, distribution of 10 virulence factors and biofilm formation in 105 Escherichia coli strains according to their origin. The high prevalence of antibiotic resistance that we have found in wildlife isolates could be acquired by horizontal transfer of resistance genes from human or domestic or farm animals. Consequently, these commensal bacteria might serve as indicator of antimicrobial usage for human and veterinary purposes in the Czech Republic. Further, 46 out of 66 resistant isolates (70%) were able to form biofilm and we found out statistically significant correlation between prevalence of antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation ability. The highest prevalence of antibiotic resistance was observed in weak biofilm producers. Biofilm formation was not statistically associated with any virulence determinant. However, we confirmed the correlation between prevalence of virulence factors and host origin. Chicken isolates possessed more virulence factors (66%), than isolates from wildlife (37%). We can conclude that the potential spread of antibiotic resistance pattern via the food chain is of high concern for public health. Even more, alarming is that E. coli isolates remain pathogenic potential with ability to form biofilm and these bacteria may persist during food processing and consequently lead to greater risks of food contamination.     

Pragmatics of Policy: The Compliance of Dutch Environmental Policy Instruments to European Union Standards

Despite a general decrease in Dutch environmental emission trends, it remains difficult to comply with European Union (EU) environmental policy targets. Furthermore, environmental issues have become increasingly complex and entangled with society. Therefore, Dutch environmental policy follows a pragmatic line by adopting a flexible approach for compliance, rather than aiming at further reduction at the source of emission. This may be politically useful in order to adequately reach EU targets, but restoration of environmental conditions may be delayed. However, due to the complexity of today’s environmental issues, the restoration of environmental conditions might not be the only standard for a proper policy approach. Consequently this raises the question how the Dutch pragmatic approach to compliance qualifies in a broader policy assessment. In order to answer this question, we adapt a policy assessment framework, developed by Hemerijck and Hazeu (Bestuurskunde 13(2), 2004), based on the dimensions of legitimacy and policy logic. We apply this framework for three environmental policy assessments: flexible instruments in climate policy, fine-tuning of national and local measures to meet air quality standards, and derogation for the Nitrate Directive. We conclude with general assessment notes on the appliance of flexible instruments in environmental policy, showing that a broad and comprehensive perspective can help to understand the arguments to put such policy instruments into place and to identify trade-offs between assessment criteria.     

Observed cold season changes in a Fennoscandian fell area over the past three decades

We studied trends and variability in snow and climate characteristics in 1978–2012 in the Värriötunturit fell area, northern Finland. Cold season changes were examined using long-term observational data on snow depths, meteorological data, large-scale climate indices, and reindeer herders’ experiences with difficult snow conditions. Snow depths declined, and temperatures increased significantly over the study period, with the largest changes observed in October–December and in April. Snow depths decreased particularly in forests at lower altitudes but not in treeless areas at higher altitudes. Interannual variability (but not the trends) in snow depths could be partially linked to large-scale climate indices. A majority of difficult reindeer grazing conditions were related to deep snow in the winter or spring. Our observations suggest that shortened duration of snow cover may facilitate reindeer grazing, whereas potentially more frequent formation of ice layers and mold growth on pastures in the future is disadvantageous for reindeer husbandry.