The use of waste in the construction of Portuguese public works is feasible if there are no risks for the environment. The materials that meet these requirements in Portugal are those admissible for landfills of inert waste, their classification being done on the basis of the comparison of the leaching values obtained in standard laboratory leach tests with the leaching limit values established in the Portuguese legislation. This paper addresses the results of the leaching tests performed in laboratory and in the field with materials coming from electrical arc furnace steel slag produced in the Portuguese Iron and Steel Company. ; 4 ; 3 ; 6 ; DG/NGEA ; 2010 ; 8 a 12 de Novembro
The recreational use of natural resources requires the implementation of sustainable management systems. However, the existence of socioeconomic interests and the difficulty involved in applying evidence-based criteria often hinder this implementation. The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is an appropriate case with which to study the recreational hunting governance systems. This species has, in recent decades, undergone important population changes in its native area, the Iberian Peninsula, where it plays a triple role as a game, pest and key ecological species. The rabbit is consequently intensively managed for hunting purposes, for the conservation of rabbit-dependent predators and in order to mitigate damage to crops. In this paper, we study the governance system of rabbit hunting through the use of questionnaire surveys distributed to managers working for Spanish regional governments. We repeated the survey in 2001 and 2016 in order to evaluate how the system had evolved over a 15-year period of important changes in rabbit population abundance. We found two different responses to these changes. The growth of rabbit populations in provinces in which rabbits cause crop damage in farmland areas has been dealt with an increase in hunting pressure, derived from both administrative decisions and hunters' management. However, in provinces where rabbit populations have sharply declined in natural vegetation (non-farmland) areas, the management seems to be driven mostly by inertia, with a high influence of tradition and little use of evidence on administrative decisions. Hunters in these provinces have changed their management practices to little or no extent, where even the high importance of rabbit hunting and its (moderate) economic importance do not appear to provide an incentive for the change required.
The use of waste in the construction of Portuguese public works is feasible if there are no risks for the environment. The materials that meet these requirements in Portugal are those admissible for landfills of inert waste, their classification being done on the basis of the comparison of the leaching values obtained in standard laboratory leach tests with the leaching limit values established in the Portuguese legislation. This paper addresses the results of the leaching tests performed in laboratory and in the field with materials coming from electrical arc furnace steel slag produced in the Portuguese Iron and Steel ...
Biodiesel, as an alternative fuel, has many benefits. It is biodegradable, non-toxic and compared to petroleum-based diesel, has a more favorable combustion emission profile, such as low emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter and unburned hydrocarbons. In brief, these merits make biodiesel a good alternative to petroleum based fuel. Biodiesel feedstocks derived from microalgae and macroalgae have emerged as one of the most promising alternative sources of lipid for use in biodiesel production because of their high photosynthetic efficiency to produce biomass and their higher growth rates and productivity compared to conventional crops. In addition to their fast reproduction, they are easier to cultivate than many other types of plants and can produce a higher yield of oil for biodiesel production. In this work biodiesel was produced using the species of microalgae Chlorella emersonii and Botrycoccus braunii due to its high oil content. Biodiesel productions through macroalgae oil are in preliminary phase. Therefore, results and methodology will not be presented in this work. Technological assessment of process was carried out to evaluate their technical benefits, limitations and quality of final product. In this work biodiesel from microalgae oil was produced by an alkali-catalyzed transesterification and it was achieved 93% of mass conversion. The evaluation of quality from raw materials and final biodiesel was performed according to standard EN 14214. Results show that all parameters analyzed meet the standard and legislation requirements. This evidence proves that in those operational conditions the biodiesel produced from microalgae can substitute petroleum-based ...
Trees, corals, ice cores and documentary evidence provide high-resolution proxies that allow past climate to be reconstructed (Jones et al., 2009). Documentary evidence includes all forms of written historical information about past climate or weather, but its use for climate reconstruction is restricted to locations for which there is a rich documentary legacy. Several climate analyses and reconstructions have been undertaken using documentary evidence from Europe (Brázdil et al., 2005; 2010), North and South America (Dupigny-Giroux and Mock, 2009; Prieto and García-Herrera, 2009; Neukom et al., 2010), Asia (Ge et al., 2005; 2010; Aono and Kazui, 2008; Hirano and Mikami, 2008) and oceanic areas (García-Herrera et al., 2005). The Islamic World is a region for which such sources could also be used to reconstruct past climate, as indeed they have been widely used for astronomy and geophysics. Astronomers have used the observations made by Arab astronomers for centuries, with some remarkable examples. Historical eclipse observations, recorded by various ancient and mediaeval cultures including Arabs, have enabled changes in the Earth's rate of rotation to be monitored with fair precision as far back as around 700 AD (Stephenson, 2003). Rada and Stephenson (1992) catalogued meteor showers using mediaeval Arab chronicles and Ahn (2003) investigated the spatial distribution of meteor streams crossing the orbit of the Earth from the tenth to the fourteenth centuries using chronicles from Korea, Japan, China, Arabia and Europe. Documentary sources from Iberia have been used to identify and date such astronomical phenomena as eclipses and comets (Vernet, 1982), naked-eye sunspots (Vaquero and Gallego, 2002) and aurora sightings (Vaquero and Gallego, 2001). The work of Basurah (2006) provides descriptions for 18 aurora displays on various dates at low latitudes in the Mediterranean area taken from Islamic chronicles (ninth to sixteenth centuries). In seismology, Arabic chronicles were extensively used to prepare the Seismic Catalogue of the Iberian Peninsula (Martínez and Mezcua, 2002) and to study seismic activity in Syria and Palestine (Ambraseseys, 2005). However, the use of these sources to recover climate information is, to the best of our knowledge, still very limited (Bulliet, 2009; Jones et al., 2009). Here we describe a preliminary inquiry based on Arabic documentary sources from Iraq. We would stress the antiquity of the documents used, with dates in the period 816–1009 AD. The sources consulted are Arabic chronicles that narrate the social, political and religious history of different regions in a form very characteristic of Arab culture. ; Peer reviewed
14 Pags.- 5 Figs. Under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND ; The standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) is one of the well‐established drought metrics worldwide. It is simply computed using precipitation and atmospheric evaporative demand (AED) data. Although AED is considered a key driver of drought variability worldwide, it could have less impact on drought in specific regions and for particular times as a function of the magnitude of precipitation. Specifically, the influence of the AED might overestimate drought severity during both normal and humid periods, resulting in "false alarms" about drought impacts on physical and human environments. Here, we provided a global characterization of the sensitivity of the SPEI to changes of the AED. Results demonstrate that the contribution of AED to drought severity is largely impacted by the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation. Specifically, the impact of AED on drought severity was more pronounced during periods of low precipitation, compared to wet periods. Interestingly, drought severity in humid regions (as revealed by SPEI) also showed low sensitivity to AED under drier conditions. These results highlight the skill of SPEI in identifying the role of AED in drought evolution, especially in arid and semiarid regions whose climate is characterized typically by low precipitation. This advantage was also evident for humid environments, where SPEI did not overestimate drought severity due to the increased AED. These findings highlight the broader applicability of SPEI to accurately characterize drought severity worldwide. ; This work was supported by the research projects CGL2017‐82216‐R and PCI2019‐103631, financed by the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER); CROSSDRO project financed by the AXIS (Assessment of Cross(X)—sectoral climate Impacts and pathways for Sustainable transformation), JPI‐Climate cofunded call of the European Commission and INDECIS which is part of ERA4CS, an ERA‐NET initiated by JPI Climate, and funded by FORMAS (SE), DLR (DE), BMWFW (AT), IFD (DK), MINECO (ES), and ANR (FR) with cofunding by the European Union (Grant 690462). Dhais Peña‐Angulo received a "Juan de la Cierva" postdoctoral contract (FJCI‐2017‐33652 from Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MEC). ; Peer reviewed
PIBIC (Programa de Iniciacao Cientifica da UNESP) ; PIBIC (Programa de Iniciacao Cientifica da UNESP): 39788/2016 ; Restaurants produce large-scale meals, generating large amounts of solid waste, which if not properly managed cause environmental and sanitary problems. Composting is one of the most recommended methods for the treatment of organic solid waste, since the wastes that would be disposed off in the environment, causing environmental and public health problems, are transformed into organic fertilizers. Thus, the present study had the objective of monitoring some physical-chemical parameters of the composting process of food waste from a university restaurant mixed to the sugarcane bagasse. The final values indicated that the moisture content is above that determined in the legislation, while the pH and the C/N ratio presented values very close to the reference values. In this way, it's concluded that it is necessary more time of composting to adjust some parameters, so it will be possible to obtain an organic compost suitable for use in soil.
International audience ; Drought monitoring is essential to determine, at short time intervals, the main characteristics of drought events, such as their duration, severity, and spatial distribution. To ensure that drought monitoring represents a useful tool for governmental plans aimed at preventing or minimizing drought impacts, up-to-date information must be instantaneously accessible and it must provide high spatial and temporal resolution. This study presents a system that allows the automatic tracking of meteorological droughts in the Spanish territory, based on an open and easy-to-use online platform (https://monitordesequia.csic.es/monitor). This drought monitoring system provides two drought synthetic indices: the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). Information is provided on a quasi-weekly basis, in a grid format, with a spatial resolution of 1.1*1.1 km, and with data from 1961 to the present time. This drought monitor is updated based on the real-time information gathered from automatic stations, which in turn requires historic information to identify and track drought events. The drought indices are obtained from data processing (quality control, temporal series reconstruction, homogenisation, interpolation, and validation) using climatic variables (maximum and minimum temperatures, solar radiation, rainfall, dew point, and wind speed) which are provided by the Spanish Meteorology Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Spanish Government. We performed a validation of the drought indices for the whole historical period (1961-2020). This allowed us to observe a strong spatial agreement between the indices obtained with the historical dataset and the indices from the monitoring dataset, especially for mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands (Pearson's r, SPI and SPEI >0.99). The presented real-time drought monitoring system represents a relevant and useful tool that allows for quick and effective actions to prevent and ...
Context Humans have introduced lagomorph species in areas outside their native ranges for their meat, fur or value as game species. Assessing the rate of success of lagomorph introductions is vital to address the ecological damage they may cause. Cases of failed lagomorph introductions in apparently suitable areas may also shed light on mechanisms that may deter invasion, which are useful in developing strategies for population control. In Spain, it has been suggested that hunters introduced the non-native eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) to compensate for the recent drastic declines of the native European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
Aims Our main goals were to investigate (1) whether Sylvilagus rabbits have indeed been introduced by hunters across Spain, and (2) whether the species has become established in Spanish ecosystems.
Methods We interviewed 311 hunters or naturalists across Spain. The questionnaires inquired about the characteristics of game management in each locality, including the frequency of rabbit restocking, and particularly whether Sylvilagus rabbits had been released in the surveyed localities. In addition, we sampled 192 rabbit populations (n=3974 individuals) across Spain by using molecular analysis to determine whether Sylvilagus rabbits were present in these areas.
Key results Our interview results suggest that Sylvilagus rabbits may have been released in 6% of the 311 localities surveyed. However, molecular analyses failed to confirm their persistence, because all samples belonged to O. cuniculus.
Conclusions We infer that Sylvilagus rabbits failed to establish themselves in Spain, although interviewees reported their introduction. Several reasons may explain the unsuccessful establishment of this species, such as a low propagule pressure, competition with native species, predation, inability to cope with local pathogens and unsuitable climatic conditions.
Implications The risk of future introductions of non-native game species can be reduced through the implementation of stricter regulations of animal releases into the wild. Long-term monitoring networks should be developed to help identify non-native game species before they become established and spread to neighbouring areas, thereby preventing any ecological or economic impacts these species may cause.
This Report aligns the 2017 UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (RSSR) with the 17 United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Science and technology-based strategies are central to the realization of the SDGs and many of the 169 SDG targets. However, as history shows, the use of science and new technologies for development and social change is rarely without problems. Challenges can include unintended societal implications, possible adverse effects on the environment and ecosystems, as well as new risks for human health and well-being. Moreover, scientific research and development take place in a context of global inequalities, different political and regulatory systems, cultural values, and often precarious employment. These factors can lead to labour exploitation, disregard of the needs of local communities, including indigenous groups, unequal forms of benefit sharing, ethics dumping, and other problems. The RSSR has a crucial role to play in addressing and preventing these challenges, including in the context of the SDGs. As we will show in this Deliverable, the integration of the RSSR into science- based efforts to achieve the SDGs offers new ways and perspectives that can help to improve the implementation of the SDGs, and to make the realisation of the SDGs more responsible, ethically robust, and aligned with the needs of communities and the environment. The aims of this Deliverable are as follows: To provide new perspectives, ideas and approaches that can help to improve the implementation of the SDGs by integrating the RSSR into science-based strategies to the SDGs, to make these more achievable, socially focused, environmentally conscious and ethically robust. Develop a set of recommendations, that provide ideas on how aspects of the RSSR can be integrated at the level of (i) national and international policy (making), (ii) future research and innovation projects (in industry and academia), as well as (iii) education and training of researchers, policy makers and ...
This Report aligns the 2017 UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (RSSR) with the 17 United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Science and technology-based strategies are central to the realization of the SDGs and many of the 169 SDG targets. However, as history shows, the use of science and new technologies for development and social change is rarely without problems. Challenges can include unintended societal implications, possible adverse effects on the environment and ecosystems, as well as new risks for human health and well-being. Moreover, scientific research and development take place in a context of global inequalities, different political and regulatory systems, cultural values, and often precarious employment. These factors can lead to labour exploitation, disregard of the needs of local communities, including indigenous groups, unequal forms of benefit sharing, ethics dumping, and other problems. The RSSR has a crucial role to play in addressing and preventing these challenges, including in the context of the SDGs. As we will show in this Deliverable, the integration of the RSSR into science- based efforts to achieve the SDGs offers new ways and perspectives that can help to improve the implementation of the SDGs, and to make the realisation of the SDGs more responsible, ethically robust, and aligned with the needs of communities and the environment. The aims of this Deliverable are as follows: To provide new perspectives, ideas and approaches that can help to improve the implementation of the SDGs by integrating the RSSR into science-based strategies to the SDGs, to make these more achievable, socially focused, environmentally conscious and ethically robust. Develop a set of recommendations, that provide ideas on how aspects of the RSSR can be integrated at the level of (i) national and international policy (making), (ii) future research and innovation projects (in industry and academia), as well as (iii) education and training of researchers, policy makers and ...
This Report aligns the 2017 UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (RSSR) with the 17 United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Science and technology-based strategies are central to the realization of the SDGs and many of the 169 SDG targets. However, as history shows, the use of science and new technologies for development and social change is rarely without problems. Challenges can include unintended societal implications, possible adverse effects on the environment and ecosystems, as well as new risks for human health and well-being. Moreover, scientific research and development take place in a context of global inequalities, different political and regulatory systems, cultural values, and often precarious employment. These factors can lead to labour exploitation, disregard of the needs of local communities, including indigenous groups, unequal forms of benefit sharing, ethics dumping, and other problems. The RSSR has a crucial role to play in addressing and preventing these challenges, including in the context of the SDGs. As we will show in this Deliverable, the integration of the RSSR into science- based efforts to achieve the SDGs offers new ways and perspectives that can help to improve the implementation of the SDGs, and to make the realisation of the SDGs more responsible, ethically robust, and aligned with the needs of communities and the environment. The aims of this Deliverable are as follows: To provide new perspectives, ideas and approaches that can help to improve the implementation of the SDGs by integrating the RSSR into science-based strategies to the SDGs, to make these more achievable, socially focused, environmentally conscious and ethically robust. Develop a set of recommendations, that provide ideas on how aspects of the RSSR can be integrated at the level of (i) national and international policy (making), (ii) future research and innovation projects (in industry and academia), as well as (iii) education and training of researchers, policy makers and ...
11 Pags.- 1 Tabl.- 4 Figs. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. ; We present a long-term assessment of precipitation trends in Southwestern Europe (1850–2018) using data from multiple sources, including observations, gridded datasets and global climate model experiments. Contrary to previous investigations based on shorter records, we demonstrate, using new long-term, quality controlled precipitation series, the lack of statistically significant long-term decreasing trends in precipitation for the region. Rather, significant trends were mostly found for shorter periods, highlighting the prevalence of interdecadal and interannual variability at these time-scales. Global climate model outputs from three CMIP experiments are evaluated for periods concurrent with observations. Both the CMIP3 and CMIP5 ensembles show precipitation decline, with only CMIP6 showing agreement with long term trends in observations. However, for both CMIP3 and CMIP5 large interannual and internal variability among ensemble members makes it difficult to identify a trend that is statistically different from observations. Across both observations and models, our results make it difficult to associate any declining trends in precipitation in Southwestern Europe to anthropogenic forcing at this stage. ; This work was supported by the research projects CGL2017-82216-R, CGL2017-83866-C3-3-R and PCI2019-103631, financed by the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology and FEDER; CROSSDRO project financed by the AXIS (Assessment of Cross(X)—sectoral climate Impacts and pathways for Sustainable transformation), JPI-Climate co-funded call of the European Commission and INDECIS which is part of ERA4CS, an ERA-NET initiated by JPI Climate, and funded by FORMAS (SE), DLR (DE), BMWFW (AT), IFD (DK), MINECO (ES), ANR (FR) with co-funding by the European Union (Grant 690462). Dhais Peña-Angulo received a 'Juan de la Cierva' postdoctoral contract (FJCI-2017-33652 Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MEC). Conor Murphy was supported by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (Grant Nos. 2019-CCRP-MS.60). Marco Turco has received funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the project PREDFIRE (RTI2018-099711-J-I00), which is co-financed with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF/FEDER). ; Peer reviewed
