Re‐Imagining Sustainability in International Education: A New Narrative

Aquatic herbicides are commonly used to control a wide variety of algae and plants, but they also have the potential to contaminate and affect nontarget organisms. However, the impacts of low-level 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicide exposure on larval fish are not well understood. We conducted a series of experiments to determine the effects of low concentrations (0.05, 0.50, and 2.00 ppm) of 2 commercial 2,4-D amine salt herbicide formulations (Weedestroy® AM40 [WAM40] and DMA® 4 IVM [DMA4]) and pure 2,4-D on the development and survival of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) at various life cycle stages. Larval survival (30 d post hatch [dph]) was decreased following exposure of eggs and larvae to pure 2,4-D (0.50 ppm; p ≤ 0.001), as well as to WAM40 (0.50 and 2.00 ppm; p ≤ 0.001, p ≤ 0.001) and DMA4 (0.50 and 2.00 ppm; p ≤ 0.001, p ≤ 0.001). The results also narrowed the critical window of exposure for effects on survival to the period between fertilization and 14 dph. Development was not negatively altered by any of the compounds tested, although the commercial formulations increased larval total length and mass at 2.00 ppm. Altogether, the results indicate that the use of 2,4-D herbicides for weed control in aquatic ecosystems at current recommended concentrations (<2 ppm whole lake; <4 ppm spot treatment) could present risks to fathead minnow larval survival. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2550–2559. © 2018 SETAC

L'objectif des auteurs de cet article est double. Il s'agit d'une part de presenter une etude exploratoire sur les tendances actuelles temoignant de l'emergence d'un nouvel activisme non gouvernemental dans le champ de l'education et d'autre part de dresser un cadre analytique afin d'evaluer l'importance de cet activisme, en elaborant des concepts bases sur les recherches ayant porte sur les nouveaux mouvements sociaux et les debats theoriques actuels a propos de la societe civile mondiale.

Transnational Advocacy, Global Civil Society? Emerging Evidence from the Field of Education

This research work conducted a study that sought to prove the connection between the implementation of social and environmental sustainability with the profitability of enterprises and the creation of economic added value. Expressing social and environmental sustainability as numerical indicators is quite undefined, because companies in Croatia do not have a legal obligation to state them in their business reports and notes. It is just a measure to improve and raise business and market ratings. Therefore, for this research, data on social and environmental sustainability as measurable variables were obtained after a survey conducted among employees and company management on a sample of 126 Croatian companies. The obtained measurable variables for environmental and social sustainability were ultimately put into comparative analysis with the company’s profitability indicators and the created economic added value. This research obtained data that there is a connection between environmental and social sustainability with the profitability of the company and the creation of economic added value, but it is extremely small, social sustainability 0.212 and environmental sustainability 0.243.

Hydraulic and water quality models have become widely used to understand both the hydraulic behaviour, and the fate and transport of contaminants in drinking water distribution systems. Research conducted by the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) played a major role in the development and application of hydraulic/water quality modelling in the United States and throughout the world. Eventually this research led to the development of EPANET, an integrated hydraulic/water quality model, and had a major influence on the implementation of the United States Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The modelling research conducted by the US EPA has helped many drinking water utilities throughout the world alleviate public health threats due to the deterioration of water quality in drinking water networks. The US EPA has provided over 100 000 downloads of the EPANET software over the last 2 years.

What Are the Current Findings Concerning Arsenic in Foods?

The public health benefits of air pollution control

Purpose This study aims to examine the adoption of Metaverse technology in the manufacturing industry and its potential impact on firms’ social and environmental sustainability performance. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 157 technology-based firms in the Malaysian high-tech manufacturing industry and analyzed using PLS-SEM to investigate the influence of social (i.e. social capital, open/innovative culture and empowerment) and technological factors (i.e. digitalization preparedness, integrability and strategic value) on Metaverse adoption and the moderating roles of digital trust and absorptive capacity. Findings Social and technological factors were found to significantly impact Metaverse adoption, with digital trust enhancing the influence of social factors. Absorptive capacity strengthens firms’ abilities to use social factors for adoption. However, digital trust does not significantly moderate the relationship between technological factors and adoption, nor does absorptive capacity impact this relationship. Finally, Metaverse adoption is shown to positively contribute to firms’ social sustainability, improving social well-being and equity, but it does not significantly impact environmental sustainability. Practical implications For practitioners, the study highlights the importance of fostering an organizational culture that supports digital trust and developing absorptive capacity as critical enablers of successful Metaverse adoption. Policy implications include the need for creating supportive policies that encourage digital transformation efforts aligned with sustainability goals. Originality/value Theoretically, this study integrates the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, Human-Organization-Technology fit (HOT-fit) framework and Resource-Based View (RBV) to improve understanding of technology adoption and sustainability performance. From a managerial perspective, it highlights the importance of fostering digital trust and developing absorptive capacity as critical enablers of successful Metaverse adoption. Policy implications include the need for policies supporting digital transformation efforts aligned with sustainability goals.

Available data, including results from six invivo studies conducted by the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were reviewed to assess the potential of 2-ethylhexyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (2-EHHB) to affect endocrine pathways. 2-EHHB is a paraben, and parabens are used in the cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical industries. It was selected for testing based on invitro bioactivity scores from androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor (ER) pathway models provided in the US EPA Computational Toxicology Chemicals Dashboard. The following assays were performed using US EPA Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) Tier 1 and Tier 2 test guidelines: Hershberger, male pubertal, amphibian metamorphosis assay (AMA), fish short-term reproduction assay (FSTRA; medaka, fathead minnow, and zebrafish), larval amphibian growth and development assay (LAGDA), and medaka extended one-generation reproduction test (MEOGRT). Published data from uterotrophic assays performed in Japan were also reviewed. Based on this evaluation, estrogen agonism was the best supported mechanism of action and there was no clear support for thyroid hormone perturbation. Among the invivo assays reviewed, the Japanese medaka and African clawed frog were the most sensitive test species. Results from the MEOGRT indicated decreased fecundity (all generations) at concentrations ≥ 5.32 μg/L. Decreased fecundity and fertilization at ≥ 10.6 μg/L in the medaka FSTRA support those results. LAGDA results indicated delayed development at ≥ 5.33 μg/L, but the mechanism was unclear based on the available data.

Environmentally responsible practices must adhere to local

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr once stated that, “The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving”. And Holmes may prove to be prophetic in this context; we may have a long way to go, but we may at least be moving toward resolving at least one air pollution issue. In the category of “good news that we all badly need”, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that, between 1990 and 2009, coal-fired power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) fell from 15.7 million tons to 5.7 million tons and emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) fell from 6.7 million tons to 2 million tons. In 2005, the EPA issued the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) under the Clean Air Act, which covered 28 eastern states and the District of Columbia. The goal of CAIR was to decrease the level of air pollution that drifts from state to state, causing illnesses and thousands of premature deaths while reducing visibility and damaging ecosystems. CAIR also included a cap-and-trade system aimed at reducing the target pollutants – SO2 and NOx – by 70%. The program was rejected in July 2008, however, when a Federal Appeals Court for the DC Circuit ruled, in State of New York et al. vs EPA, that the EPA exceeded its authority to oversee interstate emissions trading programs. CAIR was allowed to continue, with EPA's promise to revise the regulations. Revisions were introduced in July of 2010, thereby retightening the regulatory “noose”, as the EPA sought to replace CAIR with the Clean Air Transport Rule. This “good neighbor regulation”, which covers 31 states and the District of Columbia, further reduces drifting interstate emissions in the form of ozone and secondary pollutants from SO2 and NOx. The proposed Transport Rule would benefit most of those states that have tried to meet national ambient air quality standards but are plagued by pollutants that drift across their borders. By 2014, the Transport Rule and other state and EPA actions would reduce power plant SO2 emissions by 71% over 2005 levels, while power plant NOx emissions would drop by 52%. The new proposal comes on the heels of preliminary emissions data from the EPA for the first two quarters of 2010 that show declines in total emissions, as well as emissions intensity (the amount of pollutants produced per electrical unit). While some of the overall reductions reflect a 3% decrease in the amount of coal being burned at power plants – perhaps driven by the economic recession – the intensity figures, according to a New York Times analysis, “demonstrate that some of the dirtiest plants are still being retired and that the other plants continue to add emissions controls”; in other words, although there has been only a modest decrease in the amount of coal being burned, emissions intensity has decreased substantially. EPA data showed that these plants emitted 2.5 million tons of SO2 during the first half of 2010, a 36% decrease from the 3.9 million tons released during the first two quarters of 2008, while NOx emissions fell from 1.5 million tons to 930 000 tons, a 37% decrease. In redesigning the Transport Rule, the EPA agreed with the Federal Appeals Court and decided it lacked the authority to carry over SO2 allowances from the Acid Rain Program. As a result, SO2 prices have continued to fall, leading traders and some utilities to ask Congress to intervene. Without an incentive to hold on to banked allowances resulting from pollution decreases from rebuilding, increased efficiency, and retrofits, power plants would be unlikely to install new controls and might even choose to release pollutants rather than turn on existing scrubbers. The Transport Rule seeks to remedy that market imbalance. At least part of the power industry believes it can meet the Transport Rule's standards. A recent report by the industry consultant MJ Bradley & Associates stated that, “Without threatening electric reliability, the industry is well-positioned to respond to EPA's proposed road map…”. Because eastern utilities have been forced to use cleaner pollution-control technologies and fuels, some commentators are concerned that the power plants have little to lose from implementation of the Transport Rule. Indeed, some plants may actually be able to gain, having already banked more emissions allowances than they require. On the other side of the coin, the EPA predicts that the Transport Rule could reduce health costs by $120 billion in 2014, as utilities retire coal-fired facilities or add costly scrubber systems, and it seems clear that the Rule would encourage the conversion from coal to alternative energy sources. Hopefully, then, with SO2 and NOx no longer creating a particulate-laden atmosphere, never again will be heard the words of Dan Quayle: “It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.”

Current explanations of the business consequences of achieving sustainability goals are incomplete. This paper provides empirical evidence of the effect of environmental and social sustainability on organizational legitimacy. Using structural equation modelling, in a sample of 77 Spanish state and private universities, the results show that achieving environmental and social sustainability goals positively influences organizational legitimacy. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between environmental sustainability and social sustainability. In the field of legitimacy, this research expands our knowledge on the antecedents of organizational legitimacy. In the field of sustainability, it sheds light on the effects of environmental and social sustainability on organizations. At the same time, we provide empirical support to the link between environmental and social sustainability. For practising professionals, the results justify the relevance of actions supporting environmental and social sustainability.

ObjectiveExamine healthcare seeking behavior in a population exposed to low levels of cyanotoxins in the public drinking water supplyand quantify how publicity of the event may have affected perceptions of risk in the affected population.IntroductionCyanotoxins are unregulated, emerging contaminants that have been associated with adverse health effects, including gastroenteritis, when consumed at high levels1,2. In May and June of 2018 cyanotoxins were detected in the public drinking water system for Salem, OR at levels above Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) health advisory levels for sensitive groups3. Sensitive groups were defined as children under 6, elderly adults, pregnant women, nursing mothers, people with compromised immune systems, people receiving dialysis, people with pre-existing liver conditions, and pets. Several health advisories were issued, and there was substantial media coverage of the event. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) organized an Incident Management Team (IMT), which coordinated activities with other state and local agencies. Oregon ESSENCE staff used syndromic surveillance to monitor the population for health effects and healthcare seeking behavior.MethodsOregon ESSENCE staff developed syndromic surveillance queries to monitor visits made to local emergency departments (i.e., visits by hospital location), as well as visits made by residents of the affected area (i.e., visits by patient location). Specifically, Oregon ESSENCE staff monitored total visits, gastroenteritis syndrome, visits by age group, and mentions of the word ‘water’ daily during the relevant time period. OHA communications staff tracked media coverage of the event. After the event, Oregon ESSENCE staff reconciled syndromic surveillance visit data with water test data, health advisory status, and media coverage to characterize how messaging may have affected healthcare seeking behavior.ResultsCyanotoxins were detected at levels above EPA guidelines for sensitive groups on 9 days between May 23, 2018 and June 19, 2019. OHA identified 67 news articles related to the event published in May and 179 published in June. Additionally, there was an unquantified amount of activity on social media, and a mass text alert that was sent out by the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. Visits for gastroenteritis were highest on the days immediately following the issuance of the first drinking water advisory. The first drinking water advisory was issued three days after the first results that contained cyanotoxins at levels exceeding the EPA guidelines for sensitive groups were received. Visits where the word ‘water’ was mentioned were similarly elevated immediately after the first drinking water advisory was issued. However, visits for gastroenteritis were also above expected levels on one day that had a water sample above EPA guidelines for sensitive groups, but before the first drinking water advisory was issued.ConclusionsBecause cyanotoxins are unregulated, limited federal guidance was available and it took several days for the Oregon Health Authority to develop state guidance and educational materials. This delay contributed to public confusion about the level of risk associated with drinking the water, as well as confusion about which groups of people should avoid drinking the water. Our data suggest that emergency department visit behavior was largely driven by publicity of the event. Visits to the emergency department for gastroenteritis and mentions of the word ‘water’ decreased as more public information and guidance became available. However, we cannot rule out a real health effect related to cyanotoxins in the drinking water for area residents. One lesson learned from this type of high profile event relates to tracking of media coverage; it is difficult to measure how many people media coverage actually reaches, and attempting to characterize media coverage becomes more difficult after the event.ReferencesU.S. EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency). 2015. Drinking Water Health Advisory for the Cyanobacterial Toxin Cylindrospermopsin. EPA 820R15101, Washington, DC; June, 2015. Available from: http://water.epa.gov/drink/standards/hascience.cfmU.S. EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency). 2015. Drinking Water Health Advisory for the Cyanobacterial Toxin Microcystin. EPA 820R15100, Washington, DC; June, 2015. Available from: http://water.epa.gov/drink/standards/hascience.cfmU.S. EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency). 2015. 2015 Drinking Water Health Advisories for Two Cyanobacterial Toxins. EPA 820F15003, Washington, DC; June, 2015. Available from: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-06/documents/cyanotoxins-fact_sheet-2015.pdf

A public–private partnership (PPP) upgrades airport services, infrastructures, space, and ground handling systems. The participation of private entities could provide significant sustainability‐related issues since they typically have a profit‐making mindset. Private entities mainly focus on maximising their profits, but public entities are more concerned about attaining social objectives. The differences in their approaches lead to sustainability issues in a PPP airport project. However, studies on the impact of PPP on sustainability are very scarce and limited to other infrastructure sectors like health, education, and so forth. To examine the impact of PPP on Mumbai and Delhi International Airport's sustainability, this study used partial least squares structural equation modelling. The direct impact of private ownership, investment distribution, risk sharing, regulatory intervention, stakeholder engagement, and reputation and credibility on environmental, economic, and social sustainability was examined. The study revealed that PPP improved Mumbai and Delhi's airports' economic sustainability but have a smaller impact on social and environmental sustainability. Existing airports lag in social and environmental sustainability. To achieve social, environmental, and economic sustainability, the government must directly formulate and implement programmes. Regulators regulate JV activities and encourage social and environmental sustainability. Policymakers are likely to benefit most from building a favourable legal framework, commercial viability, and solid economic policies for effective private participation in PPP airports. The study focuses on institutional aspects. It will also help understand the mechanism's impact and how constructions and indicators are managed in PPP airport development.

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