New mercantilism: A perspective on how politics is shaping world metal supply

The major countries consuming metals tended historically to be also the major countries producing them. It was in their interest to promote mine development to provide low cost raw materials. Over the past fifty years, the share of global production accounted for by consuming countries has declined and producers and consumers of metals have been slowly moving into separate camps having distinct and differing interests. As a consequence of this, governments of producing countries have become more focused on how to maximise the benefit of metal extraction to their economies rather than on how to supply cheap raw materials; a tendency which has found expression in resource nationalism. Governments of consuming countries have in response become increasingly concerned about the implications of this tendency to their economic development and some countries, most notably China, have adopted robust policies to secure their supplies. Through their actions to influence capital flows within the mining industry and to force metals trade into channels which better serve their national interests (a process characterised here as ‘new mercantilism’), metal producing and metal consuming countries are reshaping global supply.     

At the source: the origins of the Massachusetts toxics use reduction program and an overview of this special issue

This special edition of the Journal of Cleaner Production celebrates the twentieth anniversary of a piece of legislation that has special significance to the environmental movement - the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act of 1989 (TURA). Most of the papers in this issue were presented at a symposium to commemorate the twentieth anniversary that was held on November 4, 2009.Much has been written about the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Program. It has been heralded as a major pollution prevention success story. It has been lauded as a premier American example of the precautionary principle in action. It has been condemned by the American chemical industry trade association as “bad for the chemical industry”. And it has been praised by the Ford Foundation and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government as an award-receiving example of innovation in government (Harvard Kennedy School, 2005).Looking back now to some twenty years ago—back to the early origins of the program concept—it can be seen both as a landmark breakthrough in international chemicals policy, and as a fairly conventional next step in the political evolution of Massachusetts environmental policy.Where did this idea come from? How did it develop? How were pieces put together? Why did Massachusetts adopt such an idea into law? And how did the idea change during the early years of implementation? This paper provides a brief history of the development of the concept of toxics use reduction and the process by which it was drafted into law in Massachusetts, followed by an introduction to the articles included in this special edition and their assessment of TURA - past, present, and future.     

Trace Metal Voltammetric Determination of Otoliths of Tench Tinca Tinca (L.): Its Possible Uses in Monitoring the Quality of Fresh Waters

New data of heavy metals in otoliths of fresh water teleosts are reported. Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) has been used for determining copper, lead, cadmium and zinc in otoliths of tench, Tinca tinca (L.). the analytical procedure followed gives data of good repeatability and with low detection limits, in a simple and inexpensive way. Tench of age ranging from 3 to 8 years were examined. Four year old fish had maximum concentrations of heavy metals, and an otolith weight adequate for experimental determinations in bulked samples. Fresh water teleosts are less mobile than marine ones, and could be used for monitoring the quality of waters suspected for pollution, and eventually verifying the influence of the environmental variations on the metal bioaccumulation.     

A sustainable extension package for rural and urban communities: An undertaking in western Sri Lanka

The biggest challenge of agricultural extension in urban communities is how to reach the appropriate target group, because the majority of people are engaged in agricultural production as well as homestead development in a part-time or restricted-time basis, and have different interests. Therefore, an agricultural extension research package, initiated in late 1990, is being tested, with special reference to the horticultural interests of the population in the Western Province. It has three modules: first, dealing with rehabilitation of already existing fruit trees (rambutan, mango) for long-term economic benefits; second, strengthening the income-generating activities at the homestead level, namely leafy vegetable cultivation, value-added products from fruits and vegetables, cultivation of vegetables in pots and hanging baskets, in situ budding, and post-harvest management techniques in fruits, vegetables and flowers; third, the improvement of soil fertility and waste management—particularly soil conservation, compost making, and landscaping techniques. The package integrates traditional and modern extension methods, and at present is still undergoing the implementation process (currently 15% complete). Moreover, it includes a mechanism enabling the mixing of indigenous knowledge and exogenous knowledge by viewing the target group as the subject of the extension process.     

砷污染生境下挺水植物香蒲对砷的积累与迁移特性

为探究典型湿地挺水植物香蒲（Typha angustifolia L.）不同生长阶段对As（砷）污染生境中As累积与迁移的影响,采用室内模拟方式,通过外源添加Na₂HAsO₄·7H₂O设置不同的As污染生境,w[As（V）]分别为0、50、100、150、200、400 mg/kg,探析As胁迫下不同物候期（幼苗期、花果期、枯黄期）香蒲的生长发育、As累积特征及对土壤中As的提取迁移效果.结果表明:①As对挺水植物香蒲的生长产生低促高抑的作用,在w[As（Ⅴ）]为100~150 mg/kg处理下香蒲的生长状态显著优于其他处理;在w[As（Ⅴ）]为400 mg/kg污染生境下,香蒲的生长存在受害症状,但仍可完成整个生命期.不同生长阶段香蒲对As的耐受性特征存在差异,随着生育期的延长,植株对As污染反应的敏感性下降,表现出较强的耐受性,其中花果期最为突出,在w[As（Ⅴ）]为100 mg/kg时耐性指数最大,比0 mg/kg处理增加了54.0%.②香蒲不同部位对As的积累特征均反映出剂量依赖效应,在幼苗期、花果期和枯黄期香蒲地上部w（As）均低于地下部,转运系数均小于1;但不同生长阶段植株富集转运水平差别较大,以花果期为最高,幼苗期次之,伴随"稀释"效应的产生,枯黄期最低.③在As污染生境下,香蒲对土壤中As的去除作用大于固定作用,其迁移效果表现为花果期>枯黄期>幼苗期,在花果期进行刈割可使其发挥最佳修复效果.研究显示,挺水植物香蒲对As具有较强的耐性,并且对As的积累与迁移在不同物候期存在差异,因此,其可作为修复As污染河湖湿地土壤的推荐性植物加以深入研究与利用.      

基于GGE双标图和纤维长度选择的长江流域棉花区域试验环境评价

采用GGE双标图方法对2000~2010年期间27个独立的长江流域棉花品种区域试验的安庆、南阳、黄冈、荆州、武汉、襄阳、常德、岳阳、南京、南通、盐城、九江、简阳、射洪和慈溪等15个试验环境（试验点）在棉纤维长度选择上的鉴别力、代表性、理想指数和离优度指数进行了全面分析和综合评价。对各试验环境基于纤维长度选择的综合评价表明,荆州、九江、安庆和常德是最理想的试验环境,对以长江流域为目标环境的广适性新品种选育和作为区域试验环境鉴别理想新品种的效率最高,而江苏和浙江省沿海棉区的试验环境（南通、盐城和慈溪）和四川盆地棉区试验环境（简阳和射洪）不适宜作为针对长江流域的纤维长度选择与推荐环境,从而展示了GGE双标图在棉花区域试验环境评价方面的应用效果,也为长江流域国家棉花区域试验方案的决策提供理论依据     

耕作方式对太湖地区冬小麦生长季N2O排放的影响

采用静态暗箱-气相色谱法对2009年11月至2010年6月冬小麦(Triticum aestivum L.)生长季N2O排放通量进行田间原位观测,研究不同耕作方式(免耕、少耕、传统耕作)对太湖地区稻麦轮作系统麦季土壤N2O排放的影响。结果表明:有植株参与下免耕、少耕和传统耕作的冬小麦生长季N2O平均排放通量分别为63.75μg·m-2·h-1、39.94μg·m-2.h-1和48.83μg·m-2·h-1,无植株参与下分别为73.48μg·m-2·h-1、52.97μg·m-2·h-1和63.60μg·m-2·h-1,麦季N2O排放通量的季节变化与5 cm、10 cm土壤温度呈显著或极显著线性正相关(r=0.400*～0.654**,n=28)。小麦种植对N2O的排放影响较大,无植株参与的N2O季节总排放量显著高于有植株参与的处理(P<0.05);耕作方式显著影响冬小麦农田N2O季节总排放量(P<0.05),有植株参与下麦季N2O总排放量少耕较免耕和传统耕作分别减少37.3%和17.9%,无植株参与下分别减少28.0%和16.7%。研究表明太湖地区冬小麦采用少耕措施可减少麦季N2O的排放。     

How to evaluate raw material supply risks—an overview

Some strategic raw materials do have an extremely unsecure supply situation. Several working groups around the world have made criticality assessments for metallic raw materials to analyze the driving impact factors for this instability. However, the influences on raw material availability are manifold and therefore criticality assessment methods are very heterogeneous. Here we give an overview about the differences and similarities of supply risk evaluation in 15 criticality assessment methods. We take the example of Indium, which has been rated in 60% of these criticality studies, and show which data base is used for supply risk evaluation. Our results show a lack of consensus about which indicators give reliable information for raw material supply risk and how these indicators should be aggregated. We anticipate our essay to be a starting point for more justified indicator selection and weighting in criticality assessments.     

Social licence and mining: A critical perspective

In 2002 the International Institute of Environment and Development published the landmark report Breaking New Ground: Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD). The report portrayed an industry distrusted by stakeholders and under threat from opposition groups. When read closely, the MMSD report reveals an inextricable link between industry's ‘survival’ instincts and the notion of a social licence. Within the context of a growing divergence around the expectations of minerals-led development, social licence has emerged as an industry response to opposition and a mechanism to ensure the viability of the sector. The objective of this article is to reinvigorate discussion and debate over how best to frame the industry's social and environmental obligations and how these obligations can be met by the sector. Where social licence has contributed to raising the profile of social issues within a predominantly industrial discourse, a primary failure is its inability to articulate a collaborative developmental agenda for the sector or a pathway forward in restoring the lost confidence of impacted communities, stakeholders, and pressure groups. We argue that a necessary first step in this process is for industry to reconcile its internal risk-orientation with external expectations which requires a less defensive and more constructive approach to stakeholder engagement and collaboration.     

Trisomy 20 mosaicism confirmed in a phenotypically normal liveborn

Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 20 mosaicism in this case was based on cytogenetic analysis of cultured amniotic fluid cells (23/52 cells were trisomy 20 representing cells from each of four primary cultures). The pregnancy continued to term and the mosaicism was confirmed in the phenotypically normal male neonate by analysis of cultured foreskin fibroblasts (7/49 cells + 20) and placental cells 20/20 cells + 20) whereas the peripheral lymphocytes were cytogenetically normal (20/20 cells were 46,XY). This represents the first confirmation of trisomy 20 mosaicism in a phenotypically normal full-term neonate.