Tipping Toward Sustainability: Emerging Pathways of Transformation

This article explores the links between agency, institutions, and innovation in navigating shifts and large-scale transformations toward global sustainability. Our central question is whether social and technical innovations can reverse the trends that are challenging critical thresholds and creating tipping points in the earth system, and if not, what conditions are necessary to escape the current lock-in. Large-scale transformations in information technology, nano- and biotechnology, and new energy systems have the potential to significantly improve our lives; but if, in framing them, our globalized society fails to consider the capacity of the biosphere, there is a risk that unsustainable development pathways may be reinforced. Current institutional arrangements, including the lack of incentives for the private sector to innovate for sustainability, and the lags inherent in the path dependent nature of innovation, contribute to lock-in, as does our incapacity to easily grasp the interactions implicit in complex problems, referred to here as the ingenuity gap. Nonetheless, promising social and technical innovations with potential to change unsustainable trajectories need to be nurtured and connected to broad institutional resources and responses. In parallel, institutional entrepreneurs can work to reduce the resilience of dominant institutional systems and position viable shadow alternatives and niche regimes.     

Assessment of basin-scale hydrologic impacts of CO2 sequestration,Illinois basin

Idealized, basin-scale sharp-interface models of CO₂ injection were constructed for the Illinois basin. Porosity and permeability were decreased with depth within the Mount Simon Formation. Eau Claire confining unit porosity and permeability were kept fixed. We used 726 injection wells located near 42 power plants to deliver 80 million metric tons of CO₂/year. After 100 years of continuous injection, deviatoric fluid pressures varied between 5.6 and 18 MPa across central and southern part of the Illinois basin. Maximum deviatoric pressure reached about 50% of lithostatic levels to the south. The pressure disturbance (>0.03 MPa) propagated 10–25 km away from the injection wells resulting in significant well–well pressure interference. These findings are consistent with single-phase analytical solutions of injection. The radial footprint of the CO₂ plume at each well was only 0.5–2 km after 100 years of injection. Net lateral brine displacement was insignificant due to increasing radial distance from injection well and leakage across the Eau Claire confining unit. On geologic time scales CO₂ would migrate northward at a rate of about 6 m/1000 years. Because of paleo-seismic events in this region (M5.5–M7.5), care should be taken to avoid high pore pressures in the southern Illinois basin.     

Automated benthic counting of living and non-living components in Ngedarrak Reef, Palau via subsurface underwater video

We introduce an automated benthic counting system in application for rapid reef assessment that utilizes computer vision on subsurface underwater reef video. Video acquisition was executed by lowering a submersible bullet-type camera from a motor boat while moving across the reef area. A GPS and echo sounder were linked to the video recorder to record bathymetry and location points. Analysis of living and non-living components was implemented through image color and texture feature extraction from the reef video frames and classification via Linear Discriminant Analysis. Compared to common rapid reef assessment protocols, our system can perform fine scale data acquisition and processing in one day. Reef video was acquired in Ngedarrak Reef, Koror, Republic of Palau. Overall success performance ranges from 60% to 77% for depths of 1 to 3 m. The development of an automated rapid reef classification system is most promising for reef studies that need fast and frequent data acquisition of percent cover of living and nonliving components.     

Quantifying nickel in soils and plants in an ultramafic area in Philippines

In this study, concentrations of nickel (Ni) were quantified in the soils and plants in the agricultural areas of Salcedo watershed in Eastern Samar Island, Philippines. The quantity of total Ni in soils (TS-Ni) was significantly high with a mean of 1,409 mg kg^?1, while the soil available Ni (SA-Ni) was low with a mean of 8.66 mg kg^?1. As the levels of TS-Ni in the Salcedo watershed greatly exceeded the maximum allowable concentrations for agricultural soils, the site is not suitable for agricultural purposes. Despite significant TS-Ni levels, SA-Ni levels were very low due to tight binding between Ni and soil components. Consequently, all plants investigated did not meet the criterion for a Ni hyperaccumulator plant with low Ni contents (mean TP-Ni of 14.7 mg kg^?1). Comparison of Ni levels between food plants and its recommended daily intake (RDI) suggests that consumption of food-plants grown in the study area is unlikely to pose health risks. However, caution must be taken against combined consumption of food plants with high Ni levels or their prolonged consumption, as it can induce accumulation of Ni above RDI.     

Comparative analysis on financial viability of cocoa agroforestry systems in Ghana

This study employs an ex-ante analytical approach to explore the financial viability of cocoa agroforestry systems in Ghana using cross-sectional data on smallholder cocoa farmers in the Western Region of Ghana. The empirical results generally show that cocoa agroforestry systems are profitable, but the medium shade tends to be more profitable. The no-shade cocoa agroforestry has the highest yield compared with other cocoa agroforestry systems. Sensitivity analysis revealed that increasing the market price by 12.2 % tends to increase the profitability of cocoa agroforestry systems. Also increasing fertilizer price does not lead to any significant change in the profitability. The study recommends the medium-shade cocoa agroforestry system as the most profitable agroforestry system for optimizing ecological and economic outcomes of smallholder cocoa farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.     

Policy trends of e-waste management in Asia

This paper examines the policy trends of electronic waste (e-waste) management in Asia. E-waste is a rapidly growing waste stream in the world today and is estimated to be growing at 3–5 % per annum. Fast paced obsolescence in the electronic sector has resulted in the generation of e-waste. There are concerns that e-waste generated in developed countries is ending up in developing countries especially in Asia resulting in adverse environmental and health impacts. Consequently, a number of countries in Asia are developing policy instruments to ensure the proper management of e-waste. These include e-waste regulatory frameworks, data and inventories, and infrastructure and capacity building. These trends indicate a positive development path towards sustainable e-waste management in Asia. Nevertheless, potential limiting obstacles for e-waste management in Asia may also include an over-reliance on legislation to drive e-waste management or the simplistic adoption of policies from developed countries without taking into context the local political, cultural and socio-economic waste management issues. Consequently, this paper suggest that e-waste policy development may require a more customized approach where, instead of addressing e-waste in isolation, it should be addressed as part of the national development agenda that integrates green economy assessment and strategic environmental assessment as part of national policy planning. In conclusion, policy trends of e-waste management in Asia appear promising provided there is a paradigm shift from an e-waste perception of an environment problem to a e-waste perception of a potential opportunity as sustainable national green growth strategy in Asia.     

Perception on untreated wastewater irrigation for vegetable production in Ghana

Using household-level survey data, this study investigates farmers’ perceptions on untreated wastewater use for irrigation of vegetable farms in urban and peri-urban Kumasi of Ghana. Empirical results from an ordered probit model show that there is some relationship between personal characteristics of farmers such as age, education and gender, and perceptions of farmers on health-related risks of untreated wastewater use for irrigation. Policy efforts should be geared toward updating the knowledge, skills and attitudes of producers through frequent training and workshops so that wastewater irrigation farmers in Ghana would better appreciate health-related risks of waster irrigation and how to adopt risk mitigating strategies. Further research for a more in-depth analysis on those relationships in the short-term with immediate emphasis on improving adoption of safer irrigation technologies among wastewater irrigation farmers is recommended.     

Long-Term Effects on Soil of the Disposal of Olive Mill Waste Waters (OMW)

Disposal of untreated olive mill waste waters (OMW) is a serious environmental problem in many Mediterranean countries. The aim of this work was to assess whether changes in soil properties have occurred due to direct disposal of raw OMW on soil and in evaporation ponds, and to investigate the potential fate and transport of pollutants after olive oil production had ceased. The results clearly showed that uncontrolled OMW disposal is a significant source of pollution to surface soil and waters. Disposal of OMW on soil greatly increased electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorous (P), exchangeable potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg), organic matter, polyphenols, total and inorganic nitrogen (N), and available micronutrients mainly in surface soil layers. The presence of a high content of clay and carbonates in soil act as barriers and prevent downward transport of pollutants. Residual levels of total carbon (C), polyphenols, total and inorganic N, exchangeable K⁺, available P, iron (Fe), and copper (Cu) were also elevated even 8 years after mill closure. The long term disposal of OMW highlights the need to establish soil quality standards for soil parameters in order to identify soils affected by the disposal of OMW.