Implications of human value shift and persistence for biodiversity conservation

Large‐scale change in human values and associated behavior change is believed by some to be the ultimate solution to achieve global biodiversity conservation. Yet little is known about the dynamics of values. We contribute to this area of inquiry by examining the trajectory of values affecting views of wildlife in North America. Using data from a 19‐state study in the United States and global data from the Schwartz Value Survey, we explored questions of value persistence and change and the nature of attitudinal responses regarding wildlife conservation issues. We found support, based on subjects’ ancestry, for the supposition that domination is a prevalent American value orientation toward wildlife that has origins in European Judeo‐Christian traditions. Independent of that effect, we also found indications of change. Modernization is contributing to a shift from domination to mutualism value orientations, which is fostering attitudes less centered on human interests and seemingly more consistent with a biocentric philosophy. Our findings suggest that if value shift could be achieved in a purposeful way, then significant and widespread behavior change believed necessary for long‐term conservation success may indeed be possible. In particular, greater emphasis on mutualism values may help provide the context for more collaborative approaches to support future conservation efforts. However, given the societal forces at play, it is not at all clear that human‐engineered value shift is tenable. Instead of developing strategies aimed at altering values, it may be more productive to create strategies that recognize and work within the boundaries of existing values. Whereas values appear to be in a period of flux, it will be difficult to predict future trends without a better understanding of value formation and shift, particularly under conditions of rapid social‐ecological change.     

丹东市降水pH值及酸雨分析

分析2013年大气降水pH值及近10年历史演变的方法分析丹东市酸雨污染现状、特征,并从污染源和气候条件解释酸雨形成的原因,确定酸雨的形成受外来空气污染物影响较大,而酸雨强度的大小具有本地环境条件和环境污染特征。     

环境保护部发布《2013年中国机动车污染防治年报》

环境保护部日前发布《2013年中国机动车污染防治年报》,公布了2012年全国机动车污染排放状况。本期“研究成果报道”专栏以七篇文稿形式连载该年报摘要和六部分主要内容。本文刊载《2013年中国机动车污染防治年报》摘要及其主要目录内容,以飨读者。     

车用燃料环保管理——《2013年中国机动车污染防治年报》（第V部分）

环境保护部日前发布《2013年中国机动车污染防治年报》,公布了2012年全国机动车污染排放状况。本期“研究成果展示”专栏以六篇形式连载。本文刊载关于车用燃料环保管理的内容,以飨读者。该年报指出。2012年,全国实施车用汽油国Ⅲ阶段标准,硫含量不超过150ppm。按照国家强制性标准《车用汽油》（GB17930—2011）要求,自2014年1月1日起,全国实施车用汽油国IV阶段标准,硫含量不超过50ppm。2012年,我国车用柴油生产和销售执行《车用柴油》（GB19147—2009）标准和《普通柴油》（GB252—2011）标准。按照规定,车用柴油硫含量不得超过350ppm,2013年7月1日后普通柴油硫含量将不得超过350ppm。在已发布第四阶段车用汽油标准（硫含量不大于50ppm）的基础上,由国家质检总局、国家标准委尽快发布第四阶段车用柴油标准（硫含量不大于50ppm）,过渡期至2014年底;2013年6月底前发布第五阶段车用柴油标准（硫含量不大于10ppm）,2013年底前发布第五阶段车用汽油标准（硫含量不大于10ppm）,过渡期均至2017年底。加快国内炼油企业升级改造,确保按照汽、柴油标准升级实施时间如期供应合格油品。2012年环境保护部发布的《关于加强储油库、加油站和油罐车油气污染治理工作的通知》指出,按照国务院批复的《重点区域大气污染防治“十二五”规划》要求,列入大气污染防治“重点控制区”的地区,应限时完成加油站、储油库、油罐车的油气回收治理;大气污染严重的地区可根据本地实际,提前完成油气污染治理工作。     

Extended geometric method: a simple approach to derive adsorption rate constants of Langmuir-Freundlich kinetics

A new and simple equation has been presented here for calculation of adsorption and desorption rate constants of Langmuir-Freundlich kinetic equation. The derivation of new equation is on the basis of extension and correction to the geometric method which has been presented by Kuan et al. [Kuan, W.-H., Lo, S.-L., Chang, C.M., Wang, M.K., 2000. A geometric approach to determine adsorption and desorption kinetic constants. Chemosphere 41, 1741-1747] for the kinetics of adsorption/desorption in aqueous solutions. The correction is to consider that the concentration of solute is not constant and changes as adsorption proceeds. The extension is that we applied Langmuir-Freundlich kinetic model instead of Langmuir kinetic model to consider the heterogeneity and therefore it is more applicable to the real systems. For solving Langmuir-Freundlich kinetic model, some geometric methods and also Taylor expansion were used and finally a simple and novel equation was derived (Eq. (20)) for calculation of adsorption rate constant. This new method was named "extended geometric method". The input data of the obtained equation can be simply derived from initial data of adsorption kinetics. Finally the adsorption of methyl orange onto granular activated carbon was carried out at dynamic and equilibrium conditions and the capabilities of extended geometric method were examined by the experimental data.     

Characteristics of the Predator–Prey Interactions and the Horizontal Distribution of Macrozoobenthos in Small Lakes of Different Types

The horizontal distribution and quantitative characteristics of macrozoobenthos were studied in small lakes of the Darwin Nature Reserve (southern Vologda oblast). The aggregation index varied in the open areas of acid lakes, which indicated that communities of small acid water bodies were unstable. The aggregation was the lowest in the open area of a neutral lake. In acid lakes, the number and biomass of macroinvertebrates were the highest near the coasts. In the neutral lake, conversely, these values were maximum in open areas and low near the coast due to a strong pressure of predatory invertebrates and fish. An aggregating effect of invertebrate predators was observed near the coasts of lakes of different types.     

Partial characterization of the exopolysaccharide from Oscillatoria trichoides Szafer and the role of released polysaccharide in sequestration of Cr6+

The structural investigation and the chromium adsorptive potential of an exopolysaccharide (EPS) released during the growth of an indigenous cyanobacterium, Oscillatoria trichoides Szafer, were investigated in a laboratory‐scale study. The results showed that, of the total EPS produced, 410.53 milligrams/gram (mg g^?1) were released polysaccharides (RPS) and 11.36 mg g^?1 were capsular polysaccharides (CPS). The sorption of hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺) by the RPS achieved a maximum amount of metal removal (q_max) value of 76.92 mg g^?1 of polysaccharide dry weight. The highest coefficient of determination (0.9742) for the Langmuir adsorption model indicates best fitness of the model in explaining the sorption as a unilayer process. Equilibrium studies indicated that 30 to 40 milligrams per liter initial chromium concentration and a pH of 2 were optimal for biosorption of chromium by the RPS. Scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis of Cr⁶⁺‐treated RPS showed the presence of 3.76% bound chromium. Compositional analysis of the EPS showed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, pyruvic acid, and hexosamines. High‐performance liquid chromatography analysis demonstrated the presence of hexoses, as neutral sugars and glucuronic acid as an acidic sugar. The presence of carboxylic groups was also detected by infrared spectroscopy. The presence of these chemical constituents may serve as binding sites for the metal ions; therefore, the RPS of this species appears to be a promising biosorbent for Cr⁶⁺.     

Petrophysical analysis to investigate the effects of carbon dioxide storage in a subsurface saline aquifer at Ketzin, Germany (CO2SINK)

To test the injection behaviour of CO₂ into brine-saturated rock and to evaluate the dependence of geophysical properties on CO₂ injection, flow and exposure experiments with brine and CO₂ were performed on sandstone samples of the Stuttgart Formation representing potential reservoir rocks for CO₂ storage. The sandstone samples studied are generally fine-grained with porosities between 17 and 32% and permeabilities between 1 and 100 mD.Additional batch experiments were performed to predict the long-term behaviour of geological CO₂ storage. Reservoir rock samples were exposed over a period of several months to CO₂-saturated reservoir fluid in high-pressure vessels under in situ temperature and pressure conditions. Petrophysical parameters, porosity and the pore radius distribution were investigated before and after the experiments by NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) relaxation and mercury injection. Most of the NMR measurements of the tested samples showed a slight increase of porosity and a higher proportion of large pores.     

Disaster risk reduction in developing countries: costs, benefits and institutions

Some 60,000 people worldwide die annually in natural disasters, mostly due to the collapse of buildings in earthquakes, and primarily in the developing world. This is despite the fact that engineering solutions exist that can eliminate almost completely the risk of such deaths. Why is this? The solutions are expensive and technically demanding, so their cost–benefit ratio often is unfavourable as compared to other interventions. Nonetheless, there are various public disaster risk reduction interventions that are highly cost‐effective. That such interventions frequently remain unimplemented or ineffectively executed points to a role for issues of political economy. Building regulations in developing countries appear to have limited impact in many cases, perhaps because of inadequate capacity and corruption. Public construction often is of low quality, perhaps for similar reasons. This suggests the need for approaches that emphasise simple and limited disaster risk regulation covering only the most at‐risk structures—and that, preferably, non‐experts can monitor—as well as numerous transparency and oversight mechanisms for public construction projects.     

Removal of an anionic dye (Acid Blue 92) by coagulation–flocculation using chitosan

Chitosan (a biopolymer) is an aminopolysaccharide that can be used for the treatment of colored solutions by coagulation–flocculation (as an alternative to more conventional processes such as sorption). Acid Blue 92 (a sulfonic dye) was selected as a model dye for verifying chitosan's ability to treat textile wastewater. A preliminary experiment demonstrated that chitosan was more efficient at color removal in tap water than in demineralized water, and that a substantially lower concentration of chitosan could be used with tap water. Dye removal reached up to 99% under optimum concentration; i.e., in terms of the acidic solutions and the stoichiometric ratio between the amine groups of the biopolymer and the sulfonic groups in the dye. The flocs were recovered and the dye was efficiently removed using alkaline solutions (0.001–1 M NaOH solutions) and the biopolymer, re-dissolved in acetic acid solution, was reused in a further treatment cycle.