Assessing the contribution of mobility in the European Union to rubber expansion

Nearly three-quarters of global natural rubber production is used to produce tyres, supporting mobility around the globe. The projected increase in mobility could contribute to further expansion of rubber plantations and impact tropical ecosystems. We quantified the use of natural rubber in tyres in the European Union (EU), the corresponding land footprint, and explored drivers of tyre use using country-specific transport statistics and trade registers of rubber goods. Five percent of the world’s natural rubber is consumed in tyres used in the EU, using up to a quarter of the area under rubber plantations in some producing countries. Car use is responsible for 58% of this consumption, due to car-dependent lifestyles that are associated with economic prosperity and spatial planning paradigms. While the EU’s transport policy focuses on reducing dependence on fossil-fuels, cross-cutting policies are needed to address car-dependency and reduce the EU’s land footprint in tropical landscapes without compromising progress towards decarbonisation.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01579-x.     

Sediment-based investigation of naturally or historically eutrophic lakes -- implications for lake management

Implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive will call for new lake monitoring and management strategies. Therefore, different methods need to be tested in order to achieve reliable assessment of lake background conditions and water quality. Sediment-based techniques provide one such tool for lake management. In this work, 10 lakes, presumed to be naturally eutrophic, were investigated with a paleolimnological short core study. The aim of the study was to examine the composition of the diatom assemblages in their natural state, estimate their change over time and assess the background nutrient levels. One sediment profile from each lake was divided into six sub-samples that were analyzed for diatoms (60 samples). Diatom-based inference models were applied to reconstruct the past total phosphorus concentration and assess the eutrophication. The results indicated that all the lakes studied had already been nutrient-rich before the impact of modern agriculture. However, diatom assemblages have changed remarkably over time and total phosphorus concentrations have generally increased, so at present only two of the study lakes are close to their natural status. This suggests that naturally eutrophic lakes will probably require management actions to fulfill the new directive requirements in the future.     

Tracer transport model at Japan meteorological agency and its application to the ETEX data

This paper describes the JMA tracer transport model and its sensitivity to model physics and initial conditions by using the ETEX data. Compared with observations, the model overestimates ground-level concentration in the early stage within about one day from the emission, possibly due to underestimation of vertical diffusion. In the early stage, the enhanced vertical diffusion effectively transports the tracer upward and decreases the ground-level concentration, while in the later stage, it enhances downward transports from the upper layer and increases the ground-level concentration. A conceptual model is given for understanding the vertical transport due to vertical diffusion. The horizontal diffusion introduced to the model has preferable impacts on forecasts especially in the early stage. Finally, we discuss the predictability of this model based on sensitivity to initial conditions of emission time and height.     

Use of demand for and spatial flow of ecosystem services to identify priority areas

Policies and research increasingly focus on the protection of ecosystem services (ESs) through priority‐area conservation. Priority areas for ESs should be identified based on ES capacity and ES demand and account for the connections between areas of ES capacity and demand (flow) resulting in areas of unique demand–supply connections (flow zones). We tested ways to account for ES demand and flow zones to identify priority areas in the European Union. We mapped the capacity and demand of a global (carbon sequestration), a regional (flood regulation), and 3 local ESs (air quality, pollination, and urban leisure). We used Zonation software to identify priority areas for ESs based on 6 tests: with and without accounting for ES demand and 4 tests that accounted for the effect of ES flow zone. There was only 37.1% overlap between the 25% of priority areas that encompassed the most ESs with and without accounting for ES demand. The level of ESs maintained in the priority areas increased from 23.2% to 57.9% after accounting for ES demand, especially for ESs with a small flow zone. Accounting for flow zone had a small effect on the location of priority areas and level of ESs maintained but resulted in fewer flow zones without ES maintained relative to ignoring flow zones. Accounting for demand and flow zones enhanced representation and distribution of ESs with local to regional flow zones without large trade‐offs relative to the global ES. We found that ignoring ES demand led to the identification of priority areas in remote regions where benefits from ES capacity to society were small. Incorporating ESs in conservation planning should therefore always account for ES demand to identify an effective priority network for ESs.     

Is research keeping up with changes in landscape policy? A review of the literature

Several innovative directions for landscape policy development and implementation have emerged over recent years. These include: (i) an expansion of scope to include all landscape aspects and landscape types, (ii) an increased emphasis on public participation, (iii) a focus on designing measures appropriate for different contexts and scales, and (iv) encouraging support for capacity-building. In this paper, we evaluate the extent to which these policy directions are reflected in the practice of academic landscape research. We evaluate all research papers published in three leading landscape journals over six years, as well as published research papers relating directly to the European Landscape Convention. The latter, which was adopted in 2000, establishes a framework for landscape protection, planning and management in Europe and is to date the only international legal instrument of its kind. Results indicate that whilst policy innovations do not appear to be a major stimulus for academic research, studies nevertheless address a range of landscape aspects, types and scales (albeit with a slight bias towards bio-physical landscape aspects). However, geographical representativeness of research is weak and dominated by the United States and northern/western Europe, and research capacity likewise appears to be unevenly distributed. Landscape research is also limited in the extent to which it involves stakeholders or develops innovative methods for doing so, notwithstanding that this remains a key challenge for policy-makers. Results point to the potential for landscape research to address areas (topical and geographical) which have received little attention to date, as well as suggesting mutual benefits of stronger links between policy and academia.     

A comparison of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) management strategies in Ireland and the Czech Republic and the lessons learned

In order to meet the recycling and recovery targets set forth by the European Union's (EU) Waste and Landfill Directives, both the Irish and Czech governments’ policy on waste management is changing to meet these pressures, with major emphasis being placed upon the management of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW). In particular, the EU Landfill Directive requires reductions in the rate of BMW going to landfill to 35% of 1995 values by 2016 and 2020 for Ireland and the Czech Republic, respectively. In this paper, the strategies of how Ireland and the Czech Republic plan to meet this challenge are compared. Ireland either landfills or exports its waste for recovery, while the Czech Republic has a relatively new waste management infrastructure. While Ireland met the first target of 75% diversion of BMW from landfill by 2010 and preliminary 2012 data indicate that Ireland is on track to meet the 2013 target, the achievement of the 2016 target remains at risk. Indicators that were developed to monitor the Czech Republic's path to meeting the targets demonstrate that it did not meet the first target that was set for 2010 and will probably not meet its 2013 target either. The evaluation reports on the implementation of Waste Management Plan of Czech Republic suggest that the currently applied strategy to divert biodegradable waste from landfill is not effective enough. For both countries, the EU Waste Framework and Landfill Directives will be a significant influence and driver of change in waste management practices and governance over the coming decade. This means that both countries will not only have to invest in infrastructure to achieve the targets, but will also have to increase awareness among the public in diverting this waste at the household level. Improving environmental education is part of increased awareness as it is imperative for citizens to understand the consequences of their actions as affluence continues to grow producing increased levels of waste.     

欧洲环境执政新模式分析

对欧盟新的、开放式的和更具弹性的环境治理模式进行了评估,发现该政策的新模式并不是一剂万能药.在实际的引进与使用过程中,存在很多障碍,这些障碍主要与机构和文化因素有关.对政策制定或(和)执行所做的任何创新都必须从现有的机构设置和旧有的工作常规起步.证明机构路径依循的影响取决于具体事件和国家.因此,即使对于相同的一件事,在不同的政治系统中影响也可能不同.同一项政策在某个国家可能成功执行,在另一个国家可能要产生严重的问题.即使是很多基本特征都相似的邻国,也可能会出现这种差异.环境执政新模式,如自愿或协商的协议和其他方式,关注对公共-私营关系的加强,尤其是决策权力从国家中央向执行的分支部门和私营部门的转移.这要求所有有关方面情愿脱离现有的行政路径,从根本上重新分配各自的权力.解决问题的适当形式和成功很大程度上取决于运用新模式的国家的政治和机构背景.一般说来,市场手段要求正常运作的市场经济氛围,而公众参与或公共-私营关系只有可能在国家、企业和公民社会之间有相对公开沟通的背景下才能进展良好.当满足这些基本条件后,根据创新模式的具体特点,还有各种具体的政治和机构因素与其执行有关.     

Registration of polymers in accordance with directive 67/548/EEC

This paper clarifies how polymers are dealt with under the Directive 67/548/EEC. Polymers are a particular group of substances under the Directive 67/548/EEC [1] and amendments [2,3] as they are not listed in the European INventory of Existing Commercial chemical Substances (EINECS [4]) which otherwise lists all substances which were on the European Community Market between 1 January 1971 and 18 September 1981, the ‘existing substances’. Instead, in EINECS polymers are registered under their ultimate building blocks. With the 6th amendment to the Directive [2] polymers became notifiable substances if containing 2% or more of new substance(s) (i.e. as a general rule substances not listed in EINECS), and the reporting criteria were used as definition. With the 7th amendment to the Directive [3] an exact definition was introduced and a special test package, given in Directive 93/105/EEC [5], was designed for polymers to take into account their particular properties. Changing the definition of polymers created a group of substances which under the 6th amendment had been defined as polymers, and could no longer be regarded as polymers under the 7th amendment, the No‐Longer‐Polymers.     

Ozone‐induced xeromorphism of beech leaves (Fagus sylvatica L.)

The influence of different concentrations of ozone under different light intensities on young trees of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is studied. Young beeches were exposed continuously for 5 months in fumigation chambers, located outdoors, with 131±30/μg/m³O₃, and for 2 months in fumigation chambers, located in air‐conditioned greenhoouses, with 100±10, 200±20 and 300±30/μg/m³O₃, respectively. The observed symptoms point towards an increased xeromorphism in beech leaves, positively influenced by high light intensities. Ozone‐induced water stress may be the cause of xeromorphic tissue changes. On the ultrastructural level chloroplasts have become senescent.     

A statistical study of the quality of surface water intended for human consumption near Valencia (Spain)

Water quality in the European Union is subject to legislation through directives that are applicable in all Member States. The directives specify a set of physical and chemical parameters that should be regularly controlled using a network of sampling points, with sampling based on the intended use of the water. This paper presents the results of a statistical comparison of the quality of water intended for human consumption at two different locations (the Canal de Benagéber and the Canal Júcar-Turia) near the town of Valencia (Spain). These are currently the only canals that could supply Valencia and other nearby towns with drinking water. The parameters considered in this paper are the ones specified in the European directives for determining the quality of water intended for human consumption. These directives specify that the 95th percentile of the distribution of each parameter should be used to assess water quality, so accurate estimation of these percentiles was essential in this paper. We found statistically significant differences among locations in chlorides, sulfates, temperature, coloration, and manganese, but the results varied depending on the statistical tests that we used; parametric methods gave better results than nonparametric methods.