Suchergebnisse

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies. ; Noise is a type of pollution often overlooked in conversations about pollution, which usually center on air, water and waste management. However, it has not been missed by decision makers in the European Union (EU). There are laws to keep noise levels down, and schools are a target specifically mentioned in the European Environmental Noise Directive (END). Strategic noise mapping can identify problem areas and help evaluate situations. This thesis project explores and compares various approaches in an attempt to offer useful information to the noise mapping field based on the results of the analysis. The measurements used commonly in studies are taken by professionals using professional equipment. Either teams physically enter the environment to manually take measurements or they collect data wirelessly from fixed sensors. Both of these methods are expensive due to the manpower or equipment. In addition, these methods are limited in the number of measurements in space and time that they can represent. One option is to use citizens with smart phones to record noise measurements. Involving the public to gather information is commonly called crowdsourcing, Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) or Public Participatory GIS (PPGIS). Three applications for Android smart phones were tested and compared to a certified, calibrated professional sound level meter. Also, mapping noise by taking sample noise measurements without also mapping noise sources may not provide the full picture. The second objective of this thesis was to apply sound attenuation and combination rules in ArcGIS to create a noise source map and compare the results to the common spatial interpolation methods. The comparisons of smart phone measurements with the professional sound level measurements revealed that they are not comparable quality. Each ANOVA and t-Test revealed statistically significant differences. This is mostly attributed to the phone's hardware, which varies between mobile device models and versions. The geostatistical interpolation tools delivered noise maps which had similar accuracy rates for predicting measurement points according to the cross validation methods used. The best (most accurate) prediction model was indeed the kriging method. The author successfully applied sound attenuation equations to create a multiple noise source propagation and combination interpolation toolset in ArcGIS. This can be used for an infinite number of noise sources. The fit of the actual measurement points in the noise source attenuation noise map was very similar although slightly higher than that of to the geostatistical methods.

A city is the most significant factor that affects environmental changes. They are directly caused by demographic, industrial, traffic, agricultural, tourist, and other various anthropogenic processes. Moreover, cities are the major consumer of natural resources. By occupying and exploiting vast areas of land, they destroy soil resources, influence the quality of water and air, influence flora and fauna, change climate not only on their territories, but in their closer and more remote neighborhood, too. A city as a whole, cannot be observed independently from its nearby surroundings because their interdependence influences the quality of life of the population and has manifold effects on the sustainable urban growth. Today, many cities are faced, on one hand, with issues such as satisfaction of the population needs, and, on the other, with challenges of sustainability. The principles of sustainable development, integrity and public participation are the most fundamental in urban growth. Appropriate approach to planning sustainable urban development of cities should be implemented through adequate spatial and urban planning, with precisely defined growth policies, programs and plans for protection and improvement of the environment. Taking into account the fact that effective city management comes upon numerous obstacles, this paper will consider strategic and institutional issues, problems and possible solutions for the environment protection. ; Grad je najznačajniji faktor koji dovodi do izmene stanja životne sredine. Ono je direktno uzrokavano demografskim, industrijskim, saobraćajnim, poljoprivrednim, turističkim i nizom drugih antropogenih procesa. Takođe, gradovi su najveći potrošači prirodnih resursa. Zauzimanjem i eksploatacijom velikih prostora uništavaju zemljišne resurse, utiču na kvalitet vode i vazduha, utiču na živi svet, menjaju klimu ne samo na području grada nego i u bližoj i daljoj okolini. Grad, kao celina, ne može se posmatrati nezavisno od svoje najbliže okoline, te njihov odnos utiče i na kvalitet života stanovništva i ima višestruki uticaj na održivi urbani razvoj. Brojni gradovi danas su suočeni sa problemima zadovoljavanja potreba stanovništva, s jedne strane, i izazovima održivosti gradova s druge. Kao osnovni pravci urbanog razvoja izdvajaju se načela održivog razvoja, integralnosti i učešća javnosti. Odgovarajući pristup u planiranju urbanog i održivog razvoja gradova treba da bude sproveden kroz adekvatno prostorno i urbanističko planiranje, sa jasno definisanim razvojnim politikama, programima i planovima zaštite i unapređenja životne sredine. Polazeći od činjenice da racionalno upravljanje gradovima nailazi na brojna ograničenja, u radu će biti razmatrana strateška i institucionalna pitanja, problemi i moguća rešenja zaštite životne sredine.

A city is the most significant factor that affects environmental changes. They are directly caused by demographic, industrial, traffic, agricultural, tourist, and other various anthropogenic processes. Moreover, cities are the major consumer of natural resources. By occupying and exploiting vast areas of land, they destroy soil resources, influence the quality of water and air, influence flora and fauna, change climate not only on their territories, but in their closer and more remote neighborhood, too. A city as a whole, cannot be observed independently from its nearby surroundings because their interdependence influences the quality of life of the population and has manifold effects on the sustainable urban growth. Today, many cities are faced, on one hand, with issues such as satisfaction of the population needs, and, on the other, with challenges of sustainability. The principles of sustainable development, integrity and public participation are the most fundamental in urban growth. Appropriate approach to planning sustainable urban development of cities should be implemented through adequate spatial and urban planning, with precisely defined growth policies, programs and plans for protection and improvement of the environment. Taking into account the fact that effective city management comes upon numerous obstacles, this paper will consider strategic and institutional issues, problems and possible solutions for the environment protection. ; Grad je najznačajniji faktor koji dovodi do izmene stanja životne sredine. Ono je direktno uzrokavano demografskim, industrijskim, saobraćajnim, poljoprivrednim, turističkim i nizom drugih antropogenih procesa. Takođe, gradovi su najveći potrošači prirodnih resursa. Zauzimanjem i eksploatacijom velikih prostora uništavaju zemljišne resurse, utiču na kvalitet vode i vazduha, utiču na živi svet, menjaju klimu ne samo na području grada nego i u bližoj i daljoj okolini. Grad, kao celina, ne može se posmatrati nezavisno od svoje najbliže okoline, te njihov odnos utiče i na kvalitet života stanovništva i ima višestruki uticaj na održivi urbani razvoj. Brojni gradovi danas su suočeni sa problemima zadovoljavanja potreba stanovništva, s jedne strane, i izazovima održivosti gradova s druge. Kao osnovni pravci urbanog razvoja izdvajaju se načela održivog razvoja, integralnosti i učešća javnosti. Odgovarajući pristup u planiranju urbanog i održivog razvoja gradova treba da bude sproveden kroz adekvatno prostorno i urbanističko planiranje, sa jasno definisanim razvojnim politikama, programima i planovima zaštite i unapređenja životne sredine. Polazeći od činjenice da racionalno upravljanje gradovima nailazi na brojna ograničenja, u radu će biti razmatrana strateška i institucionalna pitanja, problemi i moguća rešenja zaštite životne sredine.

Increasing awareness of the finite resources of the planet, including its environmental quality, constitutes a powerful driver for industries and governments not only to fight the effects of pollution but to avoid it at the source. Demands are mounting to replace conventional industrial processes by less- or non-polluting ones. During this gradual shift the treatment of wastes from current human activities and as a legacy of our industrial history remains a challenge. As these treatments merge with environmentally benign industrial processes a truly sustainable economy will become a reality. Enzymes or whole-cell biocatalysts in industrial processes are linked to lower consumption of energy and chemicals and are thus "green" agents. Enzymes catalyze specific reactions under moderate conditions hence they are instrumental for the selective removal of pollutants from waste streams. Enzyme specificity also precludes undesired side-reactions, while in some cases the pollutants treated could be transformed into added-value products, as illustrated in the waste biorefinery concept. The power of such biocatalysts is demonstrated in the case of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), which affect treated and untreated water and associated matrices like sludges and sediments at very low but environmentally relevant concentrations ("micropollutants") through unwanted biological effects like endocrine disruption. Oxidative enzymes like fungal laccases and peroxidases are promising biocatalysts for the transformation and removal of the biological effects of EOCs. The re-usability of such enzymes and their separability from reactants and products can be ensured by carrier-based immobilization or by formation of cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) which are applied for the treatment of EOCs in adapted reactor systems. We have identified key factors for the production of CLEAs of laccases alone or of combined oxidoreductases (e.g. versatile peroxidase coupled to glucose oxidase), and we have improved these novel biocatalysts by applying rational experimental design and optimization methodologies, as shown in the degradation and detoxification of bisphenol A, a ubiquitous endocrine disruptor. Multi-enzyme biocatalysts co-aggegated in combi-CLEAs showed activity over a broad pH range implying their suitability for the treatment of micropollutant-contaminated real wastewaters of varying pHs. Finally we have prepared novel robust biocatalysts for EOC removal based on laccase encapsulated by biomimetic methodologies. The creative fusion of biocatalysis,chemical engineering fundamentals and nanotechnology opens up attractive horizons towards both sustainable treatment of micropollutant-contaminated matrices and, more generally, multiplies ouroptions for environmentally relevant industrial p rocesses. keywords : enzyme; oxidoreductase; laccase; micropollutant; nanoparticles

South and Southeast Asian regions are home to more than 30 per cent of the world's population; half the world's poor and malnourished. Agriculture plays a critical role in terms of employment and livelihood security for a large majority of people in most countries of the region. The region is prone to climatic extremes, which regularly impact agricultural production and farmers' livelihood. In the last decade, these regions have witnessed considerable increase in the number of floods, droughts, some of the most devastating cyclones in recorded history; and water, soil and land resources continue to decline. Climate change is further projected to cause 10-40 per cent loss in crop production in the region by the end of the century. The increased climatic variability in future would further increase production variability. Agriculture, forestry and land use change account for 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Producing enough food for the increasing population in a background of reducing resources in a changing climate scenario, while minimizing environmental degradation, is a challenging task. A few regional conferences were held during the last few years to identify the priorities for adaptation and mitigation to climate change. Several options were identified and are being implemented to build climate-smart agriculture but there are still considerable technology and knowledge gaps and much more scope for partnering and policy reform. APAARI, CCAFS, WMO and UNDP jointly organized a meeting in Bangkok on 11-12 April, 2012 to review best practices and technologies being used to make agriculture climate smart, to identify gaps in solutions available and prioritize research and development needed to fill the gaps, and to agree on a plan to address gaps and link knowledge with policy actions at the local/ national/regional level to make agriculture climate smart. The workshop was attended by Asia's leading climate specialists, agricultural scientists, government representatives and development organizations, and several global experts. This publication contains the proceedings and key recommendations of the workshop. It is our expectation that climate-smart agriculture will receive high priority in future research and development agenda. We are, therefore, sure that the stakeholders of agriculture including National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems in South and Southeast Asia will take full advantage of these recommendations. It is also expected that this publication will be of immense use to the planners, administrators, scientists, farmers, and other stakeholders for ensuring climate-smart agriculture in Asia.

This thesis explores the causes of poverty and its manifestation in coastal small-scale fisheries in Bangladesh, the ways in which fishers cope with or overcome poverty, and possible measures supporting poor fishers to escape poverty. In a first approach towards exploring the poverty context, Paper I situates poverty in small-scale fisheries within a wider vulnerability analysis. The paper portrays the livelihoods of small-scale fishers in Bangladesh as being threatened by different factors, such as a rapidly changing and fragile resources base, lack of physical and subjective safety and security, exploitative labour and financial relationships, and social and political exclusion. Consequently, the majority of small-scale fishers in Bangladesh live on the margin of existence, where they are extremely vulnerable to shocks such as environmental disasters. Without any effective buffer against crises, as Paper II identifies, recurring shocks and ongoing risk exposure are major factors pushing fishers into poverty. As an example, Paper III analyzes the situation of nomad fishers who have been moved from their land and who lead a vulnerable mobile life in search of livelihoods on water. Nonetheless, the fishers constantly attempt to get out of their disadvantaged situation, and in this process they employ a combination of different livelihood strategies, such as income diversification and patron-client relationships. Of the different livelihood strategies, migration is of particular importance: Paper IV shows that migration contributes to the emergence of translocal livelihoods, in which mobility serves not only as a way to escape poverty and vulnerability but also to enhance their capacities and / or to explore new opportunities. Finally, this thesis offers a number of suggestions including both protection and promotion components. To prevent a downward spiral into poverty, several buffers need to be created, for example reducing dependency on fisheries by creating job opportunities in non-fishing occupations. Intervention from the state is also required to minimize risks and free individuals from their lack of freedom, which is rooted in both natural and anthropogenic causes (Paper V). To make their agency effective and to increase the overall capacity and well-being of the communities, an enhanced access to land and education facilities and other socio-economic capitals could lead to an empowerment of poor fishing households and facilitate the participation in the local economic and political process. The study particularly highlights that the contribution of women in income generation and family decision making plays a positive role in accumulation of assets - a way out of poverty for small-scale fishers in Bangladesh.

Increasing awareness of the finite resources of the planet, including its environmental quality, constitutes a powerful driver for industries and governments not only to fight the effects of pollution but to avoid it at the source. Demands are mounting to replace conventional industrial processes by less- or non-polluting ones. During this gradual shift the treatment of wastes from current human activities and as a legacy of our industrial history remains a challenge. As these treatments merge with environmentally benign industrial processes a truly sustainable economy will become a reality. Enzymes or whole-cell biocatalysts in industrial processes are linked to lower consumption of energy and chemicals and are thus "green" agents. Enzymes catalyze specific reactions under moderate conditions hence they are instrumental for the selective removal of pollutants from waste streams. Enzyme specificity also precludes undesired side-reactions, while in some cases the pollutants treated could be transformed into added-value products, as illustrated in the waste biorefinery concept. The power of such biocatalysts is demonstrated in the case of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), which affect treated and untreated water and associated matrices like sludges and sediments at very low but environmentally relevant concentrations ("micropollutants") through unwanted biological effects like endocrine disruption. Oxidative enzymes like fungal laccases and peroxidases are promising biocatalysts for the transformation and removal of the biological effects of EOCs. The re-usability of such enzymes and their separability from reactants and products can be ensured by carrier-based immobilization or by formation of cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) which are applied for the treatment of EOCs in adapted reactor systems. We have identified key factors for the production of CLEAs of laccases alone or of combined oxidoreductases (e.g. versatile peroxidase coupled to glucose oxidase), and we have improved these novel biocatalysts by applying rational experimental design and optimization methodologies, as shown in the degradation and detoxification of bisphenol A, a ubiquitous endocrine disruptor. Multi-enzyme biocatalysts co-aggegated in combi-CLEAs showed activity over a broad pH range implying their suitability for the treatment of micropollutant-contaminated real wastewaters of varying pHs. Finally we have prepared novel robust biocatalysts for EOC removal based on laccase encapsulated by biomimetic methodologies. The creative fusion of biocatalysis,chemical engineering fundamentals and nanotechnology opens up attractive horizons towards both sustainable treatment of micropollutant-contaminated matrices and, more generally, multiplies ouroptions for environmentally relevant industrial p rocesses. keywords : enzyme; oxidoreductase; laccase; micropollutant; nanoparticles

This study compiled a wide range of modern and historic geospatial datasets to examine ecological and geomorphic change at Diego Garcia Atoll across a 38-year period (1967–2005). This remarkable collection of spatially referenced information offered an opportunity to advance our understanding of the nature and extent of environmental change that has taken place with the construction of the military airbase at Diego Garcia. Changes assessed included movements of the lagoon rim shorelines, changes in the terrestrial vegetation on the lagoon rim and amendments to the bathymetry of the lagoon basin through dredging activities. Data compiled included detailed shoreline and vegetation maps produced as part of the H.M.S. Vidal Indian Ocean Expedition (1967), three Ikonos satellite images acquired in 2005 that collectively covered the complete Atoll area, a ground truthing field dataset collected in the northern section of the lagoon for the purpose of seafloor mapping (2005), observational evidence of shoreline erosion including photographs and descriptions of seawater inundations and bathymetric soundings from five independent surveys of the lagoon floor (1967, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1997). Results indicated that much of the change along the lagoon rim is associated with the expansion of the inner lagoon shoreline as a result of the construction of the military airbase, with an estimated increase in land area of 3.01 km2 in this portion of the atoll rim. Comparisons of 69 rim width transects measured from 1967 and 2005 indicated that shorelines are both eroding (26 transects) and accreting (43 transects). Within a total vegetated area of 24 km2, there was a notable transition from Cocos Woodland to Broadleaf Woodland for a land area of 5.6 km2. From the hydrographic surveys, it was estimated that approximately 0.55 km3 of carbonate sediment material has been removed from the northwest quadrant of the lagoon, particularly in the vicinity of the Main Passage. As no previous record of benthic character exists, a complete benthic habitat map of the atoll was derived through classification of the three IKONOS satellite images. Management implications arising from this overall appraisal of geomorphic and ecological change at Diego Garcia included the need for ongoing monitoring of shoreline change at a representative set of sites around the atoll rim, monitoring of the water flow regime through the northern channels between the open ocean and the lagoon basin and an ongoing mapping campaign to record periodic changes in the character of the benthic surface ecology.

Die steigende Nachfrage nach Brenn- und Bauholz hat in Äthiopien zu einer Ausweitung von Eucalyptus-Plantagen geführt, die raschwüchsig sind und daher im Kurzumtrieb bewirtschaftet werden. Eucalyptus wird als Ursache für Bodenversauerung, Nährstoffverarmung bei gleichzeitig hohem Wasserverbrauch gesehen, wobei die Biomassen-Produktion, Trockentoleranz und Verbissresistenz hoch ist. Diese Studie versucht die Auswirkungen einer Eucalyptus-Plantage innerhalb von 3 Teilflächen im Nordwesten Äthiopiens auf Kohlenstoffgehalt, Bodennährstoffe und -pH-Werte zu untersuchen und diese Ergebnisse mit Daten von vor 10 Jahren zu vergleichen. 10 Jahre nach der ersten Beprobung wiesen die Böden des Ausschlagwaldes einen niedrigeren Gehalt an organischem Kohlenstoff, zunehmende Versauerung, geringere Gehalte an austauschbar gebundenen Kationen und eine niedrigere KAK auf; der N-Gehalt stieg an. Die mittlere Kreisfläche lag bei 13,11 m2.ha-1, das Holzvolumen bei durchschnittlich 68,71 m3.ha-1. Außer für K, nahmen die Nährstoffgehalte der Blätter der Teilflächen 1 und 2 nach 10 Jahren deutliche zu, dagegen ist mit Ausnahme von Ca auf der Teilfläche 3 eine Abnahme der Blatt-Nährstoffgehalte zu beobachten. E. camaldulensis kann, ähnlich wie andere raschwüchsige Baumarten, den Boden-Nährstoffgehalt verringern und die Bodenversauerung verstärken. Aufgrund des raschen Wachstums, der hohen Biomasseproduktion, der vielfältigen Verwendbarkeit des Holzes, sowie der Trocken- und Verbissresistenz werden Eucalyptus-Plantagen in lokale Dorfgemeinschaften vermehrt angelegt. Es werden Vorschläge für nachhaltige Bewirtschaftung bei gleichzeitiger Minimierung der ökologisch negativen Auswirkungen gemacht. ; In Ethiopia, the growing demand for fuel wood, construction wood, and other forest product, led to intensively expansion of fast growing and short rotation E. camaldulensis plantations. Besides high biomass production Eucalypts have a high drought and browsing resistance, but they cause dpletion of soil nutrients, soil acidification and high water consumption. This study tries to investigate the impact of a E. camaldulensis plantation 10 years after the first respective data collection on soil nutrients and soil acidity at a plantation sites in the north western part of Ethiopia. After 10 years, soils under E. camaldulensis plantation showed low level SOC, increasing acidification, decreasing exchangeable cation-cotents and CEC. The average above ground wood stem of basal area (BA) and volume per hectare were estimated to be 13.11 m2.ha-1 and 68.71 m3.ha-1 respectively. Except for K, all nutrients in E. camaldulensis leaves indicated significant increases especially in blocks 1 and 2 after 8 years. But on the contrary except Ca, all leaf nutrient contents decreased in block 3. Therefore, E. camaldulensis, like other fast growing trees, can reduce soil nutrients contents and increase soil acidity. On the other hand, due to its fast growing, high biomass production, multipurpose uses, drought and browsing resistance, E. camaldulensis has been expanded by local communities on differently used land and has been promoted by government. To maintain sustainable productivity of sites under E. camaldulensis forest and to reduce the environmental impacts of the species management techniques are proposed. ; by [Kassa] Muluneh Mengist ; Wien, Univ. für Bodenkultur, Masterarb., 2011 ; (VLID)1083357

11 páginas, 5 figuras, 1 tabla. ; Although it is well established that butterfly richness is affected by climate and human factors (e.g. habitat disturbance and degradation) at different spatial scales, the drivers behind these changes vary greatly according to the geographical region and the ecology of the species concerned. It is essential that this variation be understood if trends in diversity are to be predicted with any degree of confidence under a scenario of global change. Here we examine patterns of butterfly species richness among groups differing in degree of habitat specialization, diet breadth and mobility in the north-west Mediterranean Basin, a European hotspot for this taxon. We analyze a large number of butterfly communities and take into consideration the main potential drivers, that include climatic, geographic and resource variables, landscape structure and human environmental impact at different spatial scales. Our study shows that both climatic and anthropogenic factors play an important role in determining butterfly species richness in the north-west Mediterranean Basin, but that their relative impact differs between specialist and generalist groups. At lower altitudes, water availability, a product of the interplay between temperature and rainfall, and negative effects of temperature appear as the most determinant factors. Maximum diversity was observed at mid-altitudes, which reveals the importance from a conservation point of view of Mediterranean mountain ranges. The results suggest serious population declines in specialist species restricted to mountain areas as a result of climate warming in combination with habitat loss caused by the abandonment of grazing and mowing. They also suggest negative trends for generalist species due to an increase in aridity in combination with an increase in intensification of human land use in lowland areas. Such synergies are expected to lead to rapid declines in Mediterranean butterfly populations in the coming years, thereby posing a severe threat for the conservation of European biodiversity. ; This research was supported by grants from the Spanish Government (CGL2006-04025/ BOS, CGL2009-08798/BOS and Consolider-Ingenio Montes CSD2008-00040) and the Catalan Government (SGR 2009- 458). J. Carnicer was funded by 2008-0200 MEC/Fulbright Postdoctoral research grant. The Butterfly Monitoring Scheme in Catalonia is funded by the Dept de Medi Ambient i Habitatge de la Generalitat de Catalunya. The Diputacio´ de Barcelona, Patronat Metropolita` Parc de Collserola and Fundacio´ Caixa de Catalunya have also given financial support to this project. The BMSAnd project is supported by the Centre d'Estudis de la Neu i la Muntanya d'Andorra (CENMA), from the Inst. d'Estudis Andorrans (IEA). ; Peer reviewed

Written by six young people from Liverpool, a 1912 account of backpacking in France was the introduction of this study to Arthur Leonard and his political approach to leisure. Celebrating peace, a year after the Morocco crisis brought Europe to the brink of war, the backpackers end their adventures with a toast to friendship, long life and happy days. Determined to speak and understand French, their friendships are already international. They had learned how to explore a new country as guests rather than tourists through the Co-operative Holidays Association, founded in 1894 by Arthur Leonard with its first head office in Rhu, on the Clyde, in 1897. From the international household of his Hackney childhood, Leonard progressed to secondary school in Heidelberg. After preparing for the Congregational ministry with Dr. John Paton of Nottingham, he arrived in Barrow in 1887. Recession had forced many out of work. Barrow celebrated Victoria's Jubilee with soup kitchens. Industrialists and wealthy landowners had made little provision for the well being of workers. Hostility between migrant communities was rife. Contemporary reports describe a wilderness of unfinished streets, unlicensed alcohol and obscene graffiti. Drainage and water supplies were poor. The Registrar General identified "a startling level of zygotic disease." Leonard's unorthodox approach to ministry included rambles on the Furness fells for young people, and one of the first academics whose support he enlisted was Dr Alex Hill, Master of Downing and a pioneer of environmental medicine. Leonard's political and religious difficulties in Barrow prompted a move to the notoriously radical town of Colne. Accusations of Socialism continued. Linking the hill walking, music and ventures such as open-air services for cyclists to the National Home Reading Union, it was Leonard's mentor, Dr Paton who recognised the national and indeed international potential of Leonard's initiative. Challenging barriers of class, gender, faith and nationality, the Co-operative Holidays Association was intensely and deliberately educational, recruiting leading academics and other key professionals as lecturers and field guides. In 1906, centres opened in Germany and France. School exchange pupils in Britain and Germany stayed with host families and at outdoor centres. As international tension mounted, reciprocal visits developed into a formal peace movement. Studying photos in the 1912 account, it was reasonable to see that the young man whose walking clothes and footwear had been identified as German could be a friend met through these links with Germany. A mistake, but it led to the efforts of Arthur Leonard and countless others to prevent the 'Great War' by bringing young people together.

Der Beitrag thematisiert den rechtlichen Umgang mit der knapper werdenden, aber lebenswichtigen (nicht-erneuerbaren) Ressource Phosphor. Dabei geht es nicht nur um den Fall eines extrem bedeutsamen – im Recht aber bisher kaum beachteten – Ressourcenproblems. Vielmehr hat der übermäßige Eintrag in Natur, Böden und Gewässer auch in hohem Maße schädliche ökologische Auswirkungen, die gerade auch in der langfristigen und schleichenden Akkumulation von Gewässer- und Bodenbelastungen liegen. Der Beitrag zeigt diese Problematik auf und dokumentiert, dass das europäische und nationale Düngemittelrecht und Bodenschutzrecht dem bisher kaum etwas entgegensetzen. Ein diesbezügliches ressourcen- und umweltschutzbezogenes EU-Vorsorgekonzept erweist sich dabei als im Wesentlichen inexistent. Den in den vorgenannten Rechtsbereichen angesiedelten unzureichenden ordnungsrechtlichen Regelungen mangelt es an Konkretheit, realem Vollzug, einer Vermeidung von Verlagerungsproblemen sowie an einer Sicherstellung absoluter Reduktionen in der Phosphornutzung. Ohne all dies kann das ökologische und das Ressourcenproblem nicht effektiv angegangen werden, denn sonst droht die Phosphorpolitik stets von Einzelfällen her betrachtet zu werden, in denen je für sich genommen "keine schlimmen Folgen drohen". Für all dies – so soll zentral gezeigt werden – genügt es auch nicht, Phosphor "pro Pflanze" effizienter einzusetzen; denn wenn gleichzeitig immer mehr bisher ungenutzte Flächen z.B. für den Futtermittelanbau (angesichts eines global wachsenden Fleischkonsums) oder für Bioenergiepflanzen künftig genutzt werden, wird die nötige absolute Verringerung des Phosphoreinsatzes gerade nicht erreicht. All dies wird zu einer Grunderkenntnis für die Umweltpolitik insgesamt führen: Ordnungsrecht und Effizienz allein lösen tendenziell kein Ressourcen- und Mengenproblem, wenn gleichzeitig die Produktion (weltweit) steigt oder auf hohem Niveau konstant bleibt. ; This article addresses the legal treatment of the limited and non-renewable resource phosphorous (P), which is essential for all forms of life. We raise a highly important resource problem that has hitherto received little attention in the legal discourse. Furthermore, excessive and dissipative P discharge into soils and water bodies has significant negative effects on ecosystems. Currently neither European nor German fertilizer legislation and soil conservation legislation provide adequate regulatory approaches for a sustainable use of P in agriculture. A precautionary concept on the European level is basically non-existent. Existing regulations lack specificity, real enforcement, precautious measures against a relocation of problems, and protective measures for limiting P usage. If these factors are not taken into account, it will remain impossible to address ecological and resource problems effectively because P politics will otherwise be constrained to constant consideration on an individual basis, where every individual case might be deemed to entail "few negative consequences". It is not sufficient to increase efficiency in P uptake per individual plant, because if crop cultivation is expanded to previously unused areas at the same time, for instance via higher animal feed crop production (due to globally rising meat consumption) or via bioenergy plant production, it will be impossible to achieve the necessary absolute reductions of P input by higher efficiency per plant. We conclude that this will eventually lead to an important new strategy in environmental policy: "Technical solutions", "efficiency", and "command and control" alone will not solve resource problems or quantity problems if at the same time (global) production increases or remains at a constant high level.

Climate is an inordinate challenge but also an inordinate opportunity to transform economies onto a low-carbon, resourcee !cient Green Economy path. Catalyzing clean energy will not only cut greenhouse-gas emissions as part of e"orts to limit a global temperature rise to under 2 degrees C or more, it also represents a way of curbing healthhazardous air pollution while o"ering a rapid path to address energy poverty, especially in rural areas of developing economies. Meanwhile enhancing ecosystems such as forests, mangroves and seagrasses in order to conserve their carbon stocks can also trigger multiple benefits from boosting water supplies and improving agriculture to maintaining natural sea defences and nurseries for fish. The 17th Conference of the Parties meeting in Durban, South Africa, later this year presents the world with another opportunity to advance the climate agenda and co-operative action under the UN Climate Convention. It is crucial that those actions are designed within a coherent and robust policy-planning framework to ensure that they are both cost-e"ective and compatible with broader social, economic and environmental goals. For developing countries, sound climatepolicy planning will also enhance access to climate finance from the developed ones. Climate-policy planning is a complex undertaking. Many developing countries are only just starting to consider how to go about it and some require improved access to the requisite knowledge, expertise and technical skills. Drawing upon best practices, tried and tested in other parts of the world, is clearly an advantage. The MCA4climate, a new UNEP initiative, is designed to assist policymakers, particularly in the developing world, in that endeavour. It o"ers concrete guidance and recommendations on a number of critical issues and proposes a formal framework for evaluating climate mitigation and adaptation policies, paving a practical way forward so that countries evolve sustainably and grow their economies in a way that keeps humanity's footprint within planetary boundaries. It draws on the work of leading experts on climate policymaking from around the world and uses an innovative approach to assessing policies that ensures that climate policies and strategies take full account of developmental concerns and objectives. The MCA4climate initiative reflects UNEP's mission to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations—issues at the centre of Rio+20 next year in Brazil as governments look to scale-up and accelerate the implementation of the agreements, including those relating to climate change, established in Rio in 1992.

The intensification of industrial activity during the last few years has greatly contributed to the increase of heavy metals in the environment, mainly in the aquatic systems [1]. Conventional technologies traditionally used for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions are expensive and inefficient at low metal concentrations [2]. Biosorption, which is a property of different types of biomass (biosorbents) to bind and concentrate heavy metals from even very dilute aqueous solutions, is one of the most promising technologies that can be used for this purpose [3]. The goal of this work was to study the bioremoval process of Pb(II) ions from aqueous dilute solutions by cork granulates (1-2 mm) from a Portuguese cork processing company. The effect of physico-chemical parameters such as initial metal solution, pH, biomass cork pre-treatments and initial metal and biosorbent concentrations on the metal removal efficiency were investigated. The maximum Pb(II) uptake capacity (Qmax) of cork biomass was also determined from the Langmuir isotherm. The results obtained showed that the optimum initial pH for Pb(II) removal was in the range 3-4, leading to removal yields of about 90-100% for initial metal concentrations of 10-100 mg/L. Cork biomass without treatment provided a higher removal yield (93%) than the biomass submitted to previous extraction with deionised water (80%), ethyl acetate (83%) and ethanol (88 %). The Langmuir model showed a very good correlation with experimental results (r2=0.995) and the Qmax was determined as being 5.3 mg Pb(II)/g cork. The optimisation of continuous bioremoval of Pb(II) (10 mg/L) from 25 L of influent, regarding metal uptake yield and volume of effluent containing a Pb(II) concentration 1 mg/L (MAV), was carried out by the factorial design methodology, leading to the establishment of the best operating conditions. In these conditions, two fixed bed-reactors (operational liquid volume of each reactor containing 20g of biosorbent=138 mL) running in sequential mode (feed flow rate - 590 mL/h) were more efficient (effluent volume with [Pb(II)] 1 mg/L=10 L) than one reactor alone (effluent volume with [Pb(II)] 1 mg/L=5 L). Finally, the chemical characterization in terms of CQO, TOC and phenolic compounds of the effluent before discharge showed that all values were lower than the ones allowed by environmental legislation.

Este artículo muestra los efectos que los distintos intereses tienen sobre el desempeño del instrumento económico (tasa retributiva) usado en Colombia para el control de la contaminación en los cuerpos de agua. Para ello se recurre al modelo de subasta de menú desarrollado por Gene Grossman y Elhanan Helpman (1994) y a una combinación de los modelos de grupos de interés de Toke-Skovsgaard-Aidt (1997 y 1998), Per G. Fredrikkson y Noel Gaston (2000) y Gary Becker (1983 y 1985). De la investigación se concluye que siempre que existan diferencias entre las influencias de los diversos intereses se van a obtener niveles de contaminación, que serán los mejores para los grupos más influyentes. Solamente cuando las influencias estén balanceadas los resultados se acercarán a los niveles de contaminación hídrica socialmente eficientes. Palabras clave: regulación ambiental, grupos de interés, subastas de menú, agencia común, impuesto pigouviano. Clasificación JEL: D78, D86, Q53. Abstract: Resorting to the menu auctions model developed by Grossman–Helpman (1994) and combining the interest groups models of Aidt (1997 and 1998), Fredriksson–Gaston (2000) and Becker (1983 and 1985) this article shows the effects that different interests have over the performance of the economic instrument (pollution tax) used in Colombia for the control of pollution in water bodies. Whenever differences exist among the influences of various interests different pollution levels will be obtained; which will be the best for the most influential groups but not so for society as a whole. Only when influences are balanced the resulting pollution levels will approach those socially efficient. Keywords: environmental regulation, interest groups, menu auctions, common agency, pigouvian tax. JEL classification: D78, D86, Q53. Résumé : Cet article montre les effets produits par les différents groups d'intérêts sur la performance du taux de rémunération utilisé en Colombie pour mesurer le contrôle sur la pollution de l'eau. Pour ce faire, nous utilisons, d'une part, le modèle des mécanismes d'enchères développé par Gene Grossman - Elhanan Helpman (1994) et, d'autre part, une combinaison des modèles de groupes d'intérêts de Toke Skovsgaard Aidt (1997, 1998), Per G. Fredrikkson - Noel Gaston (2000) et Gary Becker (1983, 1985). Nous concluons que tant qu'il y a des différences entre les influences des groups d'intérêts, les niveaux de pollution seront les plus élevés pour les groups d'intérêts les plus influents. Ce n'est que lorsque les influences seront balancées que les résultats se rapprochent des niveaux de pollution hydrique socialement efficaces. Mots clés: régulation environnementale, groups d'intérêts, mécanismes d'enchères, taux pigouvien. Classification JEL: D78, D86, Q53.