Support area as an indicator of environmental load: Comparison between Embodied Energy, Ecological Footprint, and Emergy Accounting methods

Environmental aspects have been acknowledged as an important issue in decision making at any field during the last two decades. There are several available methodologies able to assess the environmental burden, among which the Ecological Footprint has been widely used due to its easy-to-understand final indicator. However, its theoretical base has been target of some criticisms about the inadequate representation of the sustainability concept by its final indicator. In a parallel way, efforts have been made to use the theoretical strength of the Emergy Accounting to obtain an index similar to that supplied by the Ecological Footprint. Focusing on these aspects, this work assesses the support area (SA) index for Brazilian sugarcane and American corn crop through four different approaches: Embodied Energy Analysis (SA(EE)), Ecological Footprint (SA(EF)), Renewable Empower Density (SA(R)), and Emergy Net Primary Productivity (SA(NPP)). Results indicate that the load on environment varies accordingly to the methodology considered for its calculation, in which emergy approach showed the higher values. Focusing on crops comparison, the load by producing both crops are similar with an average of 0.04 ha obtained by SA(EE), 1.86 ha by SA(EF), 4.24 ha by SA(R), and 4.32 ha by SA(NPP). Discussion indicates that support area calculated using Emergy Accounting is more eligible to represent the load on the environment due to its global scale view. Nevertheless, each methodology has its contribution depending of the study objectives, but it is important to consider the real meaning and the scope of each one. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bedouin in the Negev and Environmental Studies: Current and Future Research Prospects

Environmental aspects are increasingly being integrated in Negev Bedouin studies by both, NGO activists and scholars. We will present these recent works and discuss new concepts and methodologies of environmental studies with potential relevance in the field of Negev Bedouin studies. We will then identify research areas where environmental and development approaches converge or diverge with mainstream social sciences on this specific field of research. While most of the Bedouin population in southern Israel lives in urban centers in the Northern Negev, a large part of Bedouin people live in unrecognized clusters of houses in remote areas. Extensive livestock rearing is an important source of livelihood at least for non-urbanized Bedouin, the latter forming the lowest economic strata of the Israeli spectrum of incomes. Numerous stressors affect this Bedouin community enduring uncertain livelihood and access to land. The erratic precipitations from year to year and long-term changes in precipitation trends are a source of great uncertainty. With a significant price increase for feeding supplements to compensate for dry years, livestock rearing has become a harsher source of livelihood. Land scarcity for grazing adds to the difficulty in ensuring enough income for living. Studies in the last 15 years have described several livelihood strategies based on a livestock rearing semi-nomadic economy in the Negev. A number of other analyses have shown how Bedouin herders and governmental agencies have found agreements at the advantage of both, the agencies and the herders. New concepts such as transformability, resilience and adaptation strategies are important tools to analyze the capacity of vulnerable communities to cope with an ever increasing livelihood uncertainty. Such research concepts can assist in better understanding how Bedouin herders in the Negev may adapt to climate and political risks.

Coastal Erosion--Causes, Erosion Control Methods, Economic and Environmental Impacts, and Best Management Practices

Coastal erosion is an important and constant issue facing coastal areas all over the world today. The rate of coastal development over the years has increased, in turn requiring that action be taken to protect structures from the threat of erosion. A review of the causes of coastal erosion and the methods implemented to control it was conducted in order to determine the best course of action in response to coastal erosion issues. The potential positive and negative economic and environmental impacts are key concerns in determining whether or not to restore an eroding beach and which erosion control method(s) to implement. Results focus on providing a comparison of these concerns as well as recommendations for addressing coastal erosion issues.

Response of Catch-Per-Unit-Effort to Spatial and Environmental Factors: an Exploratory Data Analysis Using Generalized Additive Models

Understanding spatial distributions and how environmental conditions influence catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) is important for increased fishing efficiency and sustainable fisheries management. This study investigated the relationship between CPUE, spatial factors, temperature, and depth using generalized additive models. Combinations of factors, and not one single factor, were frequently included in the best model. Parameters which best described CPUE varied by geographic region. The amount of variance, or deviance, explained by the best models ranged from a low of 29% (halibut, Charlotte region) to a high of 94% (sablefish, Charlotte region). Depth, latitude, and longitude influenced most species in several regions. On the broad geographic scale, depth was associated with CPUE for every species, except dogfish. Latitude and longitude influenced most species, except halibut (Areas 4 A/D), sablefish, and cod. Temperature was important for describing distributions of halibut in Alaska, arrowtooth flounder in British Columbia, dogfish, Alaska skate, and Aleutian skate. The species-habitat relationships revealed in this study can be used to create improved fishing and management strategies.

Environmental factors in coal liquefaction plant design /

Presented at EPA Symposium on Environmental Aspects of Fuel Conversion Technology, May 14, 1974.

Mobilizing capacity of environmental information: the importance of quality journalism to achieve proenvironmental attitudes

Citizens say they are very concerned about the environment, and they know the role they play in their deterioration; but there is a gap between this proclaimed interest and the mobilization against environmental problems. Several news published between 2010 and 2011 about the Spanish energy policy and Doñana have economic and social aspects, that sometimes are confused with environmental aspects. It is worthy of study, therefore, to analyze how the press reflects that citizen interest; and how a critical issue as the quality of the information can influence the attitude of citizens in issues related to the environment. If the journalistic practice does not meet quality its function, it will condition the social participation.

The importance of environmental sustainability in public procurement of medical devices in health care sector

The aim of this thesis was to examine the role of environmental sustainability in the procurement of medical devices in health care sector. Current literature is mainly focused on other product groups and medical devices have been left without sufficient attention. Nevertheless, EU has recently developed green public procurement criteria for medical devices (EU GPP criteria for health care EEE) in order to support and offer guidelines for purchasers in hospitals. In this study, the criteria were used as a framework in order to examine the most significant environmental aspects for medical devices. The empirical research was executed in Finnish public hospitals with mixed method approach; quantitative data was collected by a survey and qualitative data was collected by interviews held for procurement specialists. The focus was on understanding the importance of environmental sustainability in the procurement of medical devices and which environmentally sustainable features would be the most significant. Of interest was also the medical device supplier view and how they could take environmental sustainability into consideration.