Sustainability: a Dissent

Abstract:  Broadly conceived and considered in its many usages, sustainability has grave defects as a planning goal, particularly when used by conservationists: it confuses means and ends; it is vague about what is being sustained and who or what is doing the sustaining; it is uninspiring; it is little more than Pinchot-era conservation (and thus ignores the many lessons learned since then); it need not be linked to land, to the land's functioning, or to any ecological science; it need not include a moral component; it is consistent with the view of humans as all-powerful manipulators of the planet; and, in general, it is such a malleable term that its popularity provides only a facade of consensus. When sustainability is defined broadly to include the full range of economic and social aspirations, it poses the particular risk that ecological and biodiversity concerns will be cast aside in favor of more pressing human wants. Given these many defects, the conservation movement should discard the term in favor of a more alluring goal, attentive to nature and its ecological functioning. A sound goal would incorporate and distill the considerable ecological and moral wisdom accumulated since Pinchot's day while giving conservationists the rhetorical tools needed to defend the land against competing pressures. In our view, conservation would be well served by an updated variant of "land health," Aldo Leopold's ecologically grounded goal from the 1940s. Land health as an independent understanding should set the essential terms of how we live and enjoy the earth, providing the framework within which we pursue our many social and economic aims.     

The influence of collection facility attributes on household collection rates of electronic waste: The case of televisions and computer monitors

In the US, household electronic waste collected for recycling is primarily by voluntary drop-off at designated collection facilities. This study examines the influence of specific collection facility attributes (recycling fees charged, number of days open, and driving distance) on the household collection rate of e-waste in the US state of Maine. Data were collected for household computer monitor and television collection for 92 municipal waste transfer facilities representing 30% of the state's population for one year. Results suggest that recycling fees are negatively correlated with the number of televisions and computer monitors collected; furthermore, the more frequently facilities were open, the more televisions and computer monitors were collected per capita. The distance from the facility had no correlation, which prompted an analysis of whether the existence of a curbside collection system in the municipality was influential. Results show a negative correlation between computer monitor and television collection and a municipality having recycling (but not e-waste) curbside collection. Based on the results of this study, policymakers may be able to increase the collection rate of household e-waste by eliminating or lowering recycling fees, expanding collection days and hours to increase convenience, and/or considering curbside collection of e-waste.     

Conversion of a Missouri River Dam and Reservoir to a Sustainable System: Sediment Management1

Abstract: A present and future challenge for water resources engineers is to extend the useful life of our dams and reservoirs. Ongoing reservoir sedimentation in impoundments must be addressed; sedimentation in many reservoirs already limits project benefits and effective project life. Sustainability requires that incoming sediment be moved downstream past the impounding dam. We use Lewis and Clark Lake, the most downstream of the six Missouri River main stem reservoirs, to demonstrate how a reservoir in advanced stages of its project life could be converted to a sustainable system with local benefits exceeding costs by a factor of 1.5. Full consideration of benefits would further enhance project justification. The proposed strategy involves four phases that will take about 50 years to complete. Cost estimates for this potential project range from the quantitative to the plausible, but it is clear that the results justify a full engineering, environmental, and economic study of this model project. If implemented, the project will create scientific knowledge and develop technologies useful for achieving sustainability at many other reservoirs in the Mississippi River basin and beyond.     

基于活性污泥微生物冻后再生对废水基质降解效能的研究

采用高径比为12.5的序批式反应器(SBR)对冷冻的成熟好氧颗粒污泥（AGS）解冻驯化,研究母体颗粒冻后富集培养及其在番茄废水基质降解中的循环利用。结果表明：冻后恢复活性的污泥第60天全部颗粒化,平均粒径不小于0.45 mm;高通量测序结果显示,相较母体颗粒,该污泥中与颗粒化相关的变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)优势菌群富集,微生物丰度呈显著差异（P<0.05）;复合菌株对COD、NH3-N和PO3-4-P去除率分别为98.9%、82.1%和82.2%,可实现番茄废水的有效降解。     

不同复垦措施下土壤微生物群落的响应及组装过程

复垦对恢复矿区土壤生态功能极为重要,但不同复垦措施下土壤生态功能重建的微生物学机制尚不清晰.厘清不同复垦措施下土壤细菌、真菌群落特征、组装过程及其与理化性质的关系,对重塑矿区土壤生态稳定性至关重要.采用宏基因组测序技术并结合零模型,分析复垦自然恢复区(LH)和复垦农田区(MM)土壤微生物多样性、群落组成、网络结构及群落组装过程的差异.结果表明:①与LH处理相比,MM处理显著提高了土壤养分含量,全氮(TN)、全磷(TP)、有效磷(AP)和速效钾(AK)含量分别提高了34.70％、72.72％、468.98％和45.74％(P＜0.05).②LH处理和MM处理下细菌和真菌的优势菌群均未发生变化,但细菌优势菌群落丰度发生显著变化.与LH处理相比,MM处理酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)相对丰度显著增加5.4％,念珠菌门(Candidatus Rokubacteria)相对丰度显著降低235.72％,不同复垦措施下细菌与真菌群落指示微生物发生改变(P＜0.05).③与LH处理相比,MM处理细菌网络复杂性增强,真菌网络复杂性降低,MM处理土壤细菌节点数、连接数均增加.LH处理的关键类群为念珠菌门和浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes),MM处理的关键类群为变形菌门(Proteobacteria).真菌的关键类群均为子囊菌门(Ascomycota).④确定性过程主导了细菌和真菌群落的组装,LH处理细菌群落组装以同质性选择贡献最大,MM处理以异质性选择贡献最大;真菌群落均以异质性选择为主.这些结果为采煤沉陷复垦区土壤微生物群落结构及生态功能恢复提供了新见解.     

春季生物作用对山地岩溶池水地球化学特征的影响

岩溶水文系统对外界环境变化敏感,使得岩溶区水质存在昼夜、小时甚至分钟等尺度的变化.许多地表水体都会经历p H值、溶解性气体、微量元素以及其他水化学指标的昼夜变化.重庆金佛山水房泉及受其补给的水池地处海拔2 050 m的山地岩溶区,具有温带气候特征.通过对水房泉泉水(以下简称泉水)及水池进行为期3 d的昼夜监测,以期探究春季生物作用对岩溶池水地球化学的影响.研究发现,在昼夜时间尺度上,泉水地球化学指标基本稳定,未表现出昼夜变化,池水地球化学指标化学表现出了昼夜波动,但水温、溶解氧、p H值、电导率等物理化学指标昼夜变化幅度较小.在不同的天气条件下,水温、溶解氧、Cl-等昼夜变化幅度存在差别;池水二氧化碳分压(p CO2)、Ca2+、DIC白天降低、晚上升高,方解石饱和指数(SIc)相反;这些指标的变化受控于温度、碳酸盐岩矿物的溶解与沉淀、水生植物光合作用与呼吸作用;通过亨利常数的计算,发现水温变化对p CO2变化的影响仅占0.79%~10.01%,水温、碳酸盐岩沉淀等物理因素对DIC损失量的贡献率为39%,水生植物光合作用的贡献率为61%.     

Motives as Predictors of the Public's Attitudes Toward Solid Waste Issues

/ Surveys focusing on solid-waste-related issues, conducted over a period of several years, provided data from independent samples of residents of a Midwestern, USA, community. The collection of these data yielded useful information about the relationship between residents' recycling motives and their attitudes toward solid waste management in light of several changes in the solid waste infrastructure of the community over that time. The initial survey assessed baseline beliefs and attitudes, while later surveys were conducted after the implementation of a community educational program and a curbside recycling program. The findings indicated that for recyclers and nonrecyclers, different motives predicted endorsement of solid waste programs and policies. Although a similar percentage of recyclers and nonrecyclers were in support of various proposed programs and policies, concern for the environment was found to be positively related to nonrecyclers' support of proposed programs, particularly before these programs were implemented. Prior to program implementation, motives other than environmental altruism were found to be related to recyclers' support of the programs. Additional findings support the idea that educational programs and increased accessibility to recycling opportunities affect the relationship between people's attitudes toward solid waste management and their recycling motives.     

Sound management of brominated flame retarded (BFR) plastics from electronic wastes: State of the art and options in Nigeria

Management of flame retarded plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has been posing a major challenge to waste management experts because of the potential environmental contamination issues especially the formation of polybrominated-dioxins and -furans (PBDD/F) during processing. In Nigeria, large quantities of electronic waste (e-waste) are currently being managed—a significant quantity of which is imported illegally as secondhand electronics. As much as 75% of these illegal imports are never reused but are rather discarded. These waste electronic devices are mostly older equipment that contains brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as penta-brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) which are presently banned in Europe under the EU WEEE and RoHS Directives. Risk assessment studies found both to be persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic. The present management practices for waste plastics from WEEE in Nigeria, such as open burning and disposal at open dumps, creates potential for serious environmental pollution. This paper reviews the options in the environmentally sound management of waste plastics from electronic wastes. Options available include mechanical recycling, reprocessing into chemicals (chemical feedstock recycling) and energy recovery. The Creasolv^® and Centrevap^® processes, which are the outcome of the extensive research at achieving sound management of waste plastics from WEEE in Europe, are also reviewed. These are solvent-based methods of removing BFRs and they presently offer the best commercial and environmental option in the sound management of waste BFR-containing plastics. Because these developments have not been commercialized, WEEE and WEEE plastics are still being exported to developing countries. The industrial application of these processes and the development of eco-friendlier alternative flame retardants will help assure sound management of WEEE plastics.     

Removal of 17β-estradiol in laccase catalyzed treatment processes

The removal of 17β-estradiol （E2） in laccase catalyzed oxidative coupling processes was systematically studied in this work. We focused on the influence of pH and natural organic matter （NOM） on the performance of the enzymatic treatment processes. It was found that the optimal pH for E2 removal was between 4 and 6. The removal of E2 was slightly inhibited in the presence of NOM. Enzymatic transformation of E2 was second-order in kinetics with first-order to both the concentrations of the enzyme and contaminant. Mass spectrum （MS） analysis suggested that coupling products were formed through radical-radical coupling mechanism. The results of this study demonstrated that laccase catalyzed oxidative coupling process could potentially serve as a treatment strategy to control steroid estrogens.