Climate change response in Europe: What's the reality? Analysis of adaptation and mitigation plans from 200 urban areas in 11 countries

Urban areas are pivotal to global adaptation and mitigation efforts. But how do cities actually perform in terms of climate change response? This study sheds light on the state of urban climate change adaptation and mitigation planning across Europe. Europe is an excellent test case given its advanced environmental policies and high urbanization. We performed a detailed analysis of 200 large and medium-sized cities across 11 European countries and analysed the cities' climate change adaptation and mitigation plans. We investigate the regional distribution of plans, adaptation and mitigation foci and the extent to which planned greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions contribute to national and international climate objectives. To our knowledge, it is the first study of its kind as it does not rely on self-assessment (questionnaires or social surveys). Our results show that 35 % of European cities studied have no dedicated mitigation plan and 72 % have no adaptation plan. No city has an adaptation plan without a mitigation plan. One quarter of the cities have both an adaptation and a mitigation plan and set quantitative GHG reduction targets, but those vary extensively in scope and ambition. Furthermore, we show that if the planned actions within cities are nationally representative the 11 countries investigated would achieve a 37 % reduction in GHG emissions by 2050, translating into a 27 % reduction in GHG emissions for the EU as a whole. However, the actions would often be insufficient to reach national targets and fall short of the 80 % reduction in GHG emissions recommended to avoid global mean temperature rising by 2 °C above pre-industrial levels. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Medically unexplained symptoms: The need for effective communication and an integrated care strategy

Much is already known about medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in terms of incidence, presentation and current treatment. What needs to be urgently addressed is a strategy for dealing with patients and their conditions, particularly when they do not fall neatly into medical frameworks or pathologies where the syndrome can be easily explained. This article will consider the provision of health and social care support for patients with MUS within an interprofessional education context. The author will contend that a sensitive and valued service for this large client group is dependent upon services without professional boundaries and practitioners with a clinical interest that can work together and agree an appropriate way forward in terms of care, support and strategic service provision. The article will support the idea that clear guidelines through the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence can offer clear clinical direction for practitioners working in primary and secondary care settings to work together interprofessionally to ensure a seamless and sensitive service for people with this condition.

Effects of Elodea nuttallii on temperate freshwater plants, microalgae and invertebrates: small differences between invaded and uninvaded areas

The invasive aquatic plant species Elodea nuttallii could pose a considerable risk to European freshwater ecosystems based on its current distribution, rate of spread and potential for high biomass. However, little research has been conducted on the impacts of this species on native biota. This study takes an ecosystem-wide approach and examines the impact of E. nuttallii on selected physicochemical parameters (dissolved oxygen and pH), algae, invertebrate and macrophyte communities. Elodea nuttallii had small but significant impacts on plant, invertebrate and algal species. The richness of algal periphyton was lower on E. nuttallii than on native macrophytes. The taxonomic composition of invertebrate communities associated with E. nuttallii differed from that associated with similar native plant species, but did not differ in terms of total biomass or species richness. Macrophyte species richness and total cover were positively correlated with percentage cover of E. nuttallii. Not all macrophyte species responded in the same way to E. nuttallii invasion; cover of the low-growing species, Elodea canadensis and charophytes were negatively correlated with E. nuttallii cover, whilst floating-rooted plants were positively correlated with E. nuttallii cover. All observed differences in the macrophyte community were small relative to other factors such as nutrient levels, inter-annual variation and differences between sites. Despite this, the observed negative association between E. nuttallii and charophytes is a key concern due to the rarity and endangered status of many charophyte species.

Negotiating spatiality: Potential of border areas for intergroup mixing in divided cities

This paper will discuss the issues of spatial segregation in the divided city context,focusing on Belfast as a case study it will discuss, issues that limit the inclusivity of shared space in the city, the challenge of insular spatial patterns created by division, and the micro politics of everyday contact. It will argue the significance of creating everyday space to enable practical socio-spatial interaction between divided groups and propose that areas on community borders can be developed as active spaces accommodating services that the communities need, use, and want on an everyday basis, by doing so it offers a potential form valuable contact. It will report on an ongoing study which examines such sites located on community border and assesses their capacity to act as beneficial ‘spaces of engagement’ for communities set within divided context.

Are Alaskan trees found in locally more favourable sites in marginal areas?

Aim Species generally become rarer and more patchily distributed as the margins of their ranges are approached. We predicted that in such marginal sites, tree species would tend to occur where some key environmental factors are at particularly favourable levels, compensating in part for the low overall suitability of marginal sites.

Location The article considers the spatial distributions of trees in Southeast Alaska (the Alaskan 'panhandle').

Methods We quantified range marginality using spatial distributions of eight tree species across more than one thousand surveyed sites in Southeast Alaska. For each species we derived a site core/margin index using a three-dimensional trend surface generated from logistic regression on site coordinates. For each species, the relationships between the environmental factors slope, aspect and site marginality were then compared for occupied and unoccupied sets of sites.

Results We found that site slope is important for more Alaskan tree species than aspect. Three out of eight had a significant core/margin by occupied/unoccupied interaction, tending to be present in significantly shallower-sloped (more favourable) sites in the marginal areas than the simple core/margin trend predicted. For site aspect, one species had a significant interaction, selecting potentially more favourable northerly aspects in marginal areas. A finer-scale analysis based on the same data came to the same overall conclusions.

Conclusions There is evidence that several tree species in Alaska tend to occur in especially favourable sites in marginal areas. In these marginal areas, these species amplify habitat preferences shown in core areas.

Cadmium and lead in vegetable and fruit produce selected from specific regional areas of the UK

Cadmium and lead were determined in fruit and vegetable produce (~1300 samples) collected from a field and market basket study of locally grown produce from the South-West of Britain (Devon and Cornwall). These were compared with similarly locally grown produce from the North-East of Britain (Aberdeenshire). The concentrations of cadmium and lead in the market basket produce were compared to the maximum levels (ML) set by the European Union (EU). For cadmium 0.2% of the samples exceeded the ML, and 0.6% of the samples exceeded the ML for lead. The location of cadmium and lead in potatoes was performed using laser ablation ICP-MS. All tested samples exhibited higher lead concentrations, and most exhibited increased concentrations of cadmium in the potato skin compared to the flesh. The concentrations of cadmium and lead found in fruits and vegetables sampled during this study do not increase concern about risk to human health.

Optimisation of singlet oxygen production from photosensitiser-incorporated, medically-relevant hydrogels

Photodynamic therapy and photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy are widely used, but despite this, the relationships between fluence, wavelength of irradiation and singlet oxygen (1O2) production are poorly understood. To establish the relationships between these factors in medically-relevant materials, the effect of fluence on 1O2 production from a tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP)-incorporated 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate: methyl methacrylate: methacrylic acid (HEMA:MMA:MAA) copolymer, a total energy of 50.48 J/cm², was applied at varying illumination power, and times. 1O2 production was characterised using anthracene-9,10-dipropionic acid, disodium salt (ADPA) using a recently described method. Using two light sources, a white LED array and a white halogen source, the LED array was found to produce less 1O2 than the halogen source when the same power (over 500-600 nm) and time conditions were applied. Importantly, it showed that the longest wavelength Q band (590 nm) is primarily responsible for 1O2 generation, and that a linear relationship exists between increasing power and time and the production of singlet oxygen.

Optimization of singlet oxygen production from photosensitizer-incorporated, medically relevant hydrogels

Photodynamic therapy and photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy are widely used, but despite this, the relationships between fluence, wavelength of irradiation and singlet oxygen ((1) O2 ) production are poorly understood. To establish the relationships between these factors in medically relevant materials, the effect of fluence on (1) O2 production from a tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP)-incorporated 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate: methyl methacrylate: methacrylic acid (HEMA: MMA:MAA) copolymer, a total energy of 50.48 J/cm(2) , was applied at varying illumination power, and times. (1) O2 production was characterized using anthracene-9,10-dipropionic acid, disodium salt (ADPA) using a recently described method. Using two light sources, a white LED array and a white halogen source, the LED array was found to produce less (1) O2 than the halogen source when the same power (over 500 - 600 nm) and time conditions were applied. Importantly, it showed that the longest wavelength Q band (590 nm) is primarily responsible for (1) O2 generation, and that a linear relationship exists between increasing power and time and the production of singlet oxygen.