Low Environmental Concern Research Articles

Dryland changes under different levels of global warming

Drylands are vital ecosystems which cover almost 47% of the Earth's surface, hosting 39% of the global population. Dryland areas are highly sensitive to climatic changes and substantial impacts are foreseen under a warming climate. Many studies have examined the evolution of drylands in the future highlighting the need for improved capability of climate models to simulate aridity. The present study takes advantage of new higher resolution climate projections by the HadGEM3A Atmosphere Global Climate Model using prescribed time varying SSTs and sea ice, provided by a range of CMIP5 climate models under RCP8.5. The aim of the higher resolution models is to examine the benefit of the improved representation of atmospheric processes in the dryland research and to see where these results lie in the range of results from previous studies using the original CMIP5 ensemble. The transient response of aridity from the recent past until the end of the 21st century was examined as well as the expansion of global drylands under specific levels of global warming (1.5 °C, 2 °C and 4 °C). Dryland changes were further assessed at the watershed level for a number of major global river basins to discuss implications on hydrological changes and land degradation. The areal coverage of drylands could increase by an additional 7% of the global land surface by 2100 under high end climate change. At a 4 °C warmer world above pre-industrial, 11.2% of global land area is projected to shift towards drier types and 4.24% to wetter. At the same level of warming the number of humans projected to live in drylands varies between 3.3 and 5.2 billion, depending on the socioeconomic developments. By keeping global warming levels to 1.5 °C, up to 1.9 billion people could avoid living in drylands compared to a 4 °C warmer world of low environmental concern.

Searching for Acidity or the Case of the Missing Chlorine: An Option for a Global Closed Loop Alkalinity–Acidity Cycle for Bauxite Residue Neutralization Based on HCl from PVC Recycling

The Bayer process depends on the large-scale use of caustic soda (NaOH)—produced at > 60 million tons/year from NaCl by the chlor-alkali process—and is thus one of the major consumers of the alkalinity generated by the latter. A part of this alkalinity then ultimately ends up in the bauxite residue from the Bayer process, arguably constituting one of the main chemical, technical, and environmental challenges for a valorization or long-term safe disposal and remediation of this material. By stoichiometric and chemical necessity, the complementary acidity resides in the Cl2 gas is also produced in the chlor-alkali process and is thus latent in the chlorinated compounds—notably polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated solvents, such as dichloromethane or 1,1,1,-trichloroethane. Recapturing and recycling Cl2 from these uses in the form of hydrochloric acid (HCl) by means of a controlled thermal decomposition of the chlorinated hydrocarbons could—in principle—serve as a source of Bronsted acidity for the neutralization of bauxite residue (Red Mud) thereby transforming it into a nonhazardous material of much lower environmental concern limited to its NaCl content. This could establish a closed alkalinity–acidity cycle on a global scale while simultaneously addressing the end-of-life fate of environmentally persistent PVC that otherwise either is deposited in landfills or can end up in the oceans in form of dispersed microplastics.

Capacitance characteristics of carbon-based electrochemical capacitors exposed to heteropolytungstic acid electrolyte

A Keggin-type heteropolytungstic acid, H3PW12O40, is evaluated as new high ionic conductivity aqueous electrolyte of potential interest for electrochemical capacitors, with enhanced safety and low environmental concern. For the performance evaluation, two types of electrode materials have been selected, i.e. mesoporous multi-walled carbon nanotubes and microporous activated carbons. To address the influence of changes in the porous structure and surface properties on capacitors performance, the materials have been subjected to additional oxidation treatment under liquid or gas phase conditions. The electrochemical parameters of two-electrode cells were evaluated from a series of voltammetric, galvanostatic, constant power, and AC impedance measurements and compared with those obtained for conventional H2SO4 electrolyte. It has been shown that due to the size of the heteropolytungstate anion (exceeding 1 nm), the selection of carbon electrode materials in terms of appropriate porous structure and wettability is a key factor in avoiding capacitance limitations. As a result, the specific capacitance, energy density as well as the rate capability of H3PW12O40 supported capacitors may approach the performance of conventional H2SO4-based systems. Furthermore, the potentiodynamic anodic polarization tests and post-mortem scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed a higher corrosion resistance of 316 L type steel in the presence of H3PW12O40 solution, in comparison to the conventional H2SO4 electrolyte. It enables stable capacitor performance upon utilization of low cost non-noble current collectors which was evaluated during galvanostatic cycling (13 000 cycles) and accelerated ageing by potentiostatic floating during 120 h.

Comment on "Risk Assessments Show Engineered Nanomaterials To Be of Low Environmental Concern".

Comment on "Risk Assessments Show Engineered Nanomaterials To Be of Low Environmental Concern".

Response to Comment on "Risk Assessments Show Engineered Nanomaterials To Be of Low Environmental Concern".

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVLetter to the EditorNEXTResponse to Comment on “Risk Assessments Show Engineered Nanomaterials To Be of Low Environmental Concern”Rickard Arvidsson*Rickard ArvidssonEnvironmental Systems Analysis, Chalmers University of Technology, Vera Sandbergs Allé 8, SE 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden*Phone: +46 (0) 31 772 2161. E-mail: [email protected]More by Rickard Arvidssonhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-9258-0641Cite this: Environ. Sci. Technol. 2018, 52, 12, 6725–6726Publication Date (Web):May 31, 2018Publication History Published online31 May 2018Published inissue 19 June 2018https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b02738Copyright © 2018 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views690Altmetric-Citations1LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (237 KB) Get e-AlertsSUBJECTS:Nanospheres,Oxides,Risk assessment,Silver,Testing and assessment Get e-Alerts

Looking for a White Male Effect in Generation Z: Race, Gender, and Political Effects on Environmental Concern and Ambivalence

ABSTRACTThe “White male effect” has been presented in past literature as a way to explain the tendency for White males to have lower environmental concern and risk perceptions than female and non-White individuals. Recently, research has proposed the “White male effect” may be a “conservative White male effect,” due to findings that political ideology impacts environmental concern. This study used a sample of young college-educated adults from Generation Z to test whether the conservative White male effect is present for environmental concern and ambivalence toward a proenvironmental worldview in this younger generation. Online surveys were distributed to undergraduate students at a large northeastern university in spring of 2016. A total of 1,940 surveys were returned. Results showed a lack of a unique White male, or conservative White male, effect above and beyond differences explained by gender, Whiteness, and political affiliation. The implications of this effect’s absence are discussed.

Risk Assessments Show Engineered Nanomaterials To Be of Low Environmental Concern.

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVViewpointNEXTRisk Assessments Show Engineered Nanomaterials To Be of Low Environmental ConcernRickard Arvidsson*Rickard ArvidssonEnvironmental Systems Analysis, Chalmers University of Technology, Vera Sandbergs Allé 8, SE 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden*Phone: +46 (0) 31 772 2161; e-mail: [email protected]More by Rickard Arvidssonhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-9258-0641Cite this: Environ. Sci. Technol. 2018, 52, 5, 2436–2437Publication Date (Web):February 22, 2018Publication History Received7 February 2018Published online22 February 2018Published inissue 6 March 2018https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b00754Copyright © 2018 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views2253Altmetric-Citations19LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (817 KB) Get e-AlertsSUBJECTS:Carbon nanotubes,Nanomaterials,Natural resources,Risk assessment,Two dimensional materials Get e-Alerts

How does environmental concern influence mode choice habits? A mediation analysis

Starting from the intuition that people with high environmental concern have a better perception of public transport and therefore a better perception of the utility of public transport, we construct a theoretical model in which the effect of environmental concern on mode choice habits is mediated by the indirect utility of travel. Travel procures the direct utility of providing access to activities, but it also offers an indirect utility that is inherently personal and perceptual. We approach the indirect utility of public transport by measuring perceptions of time and feelings. The indirect utility of the car is approached by measuring affective and symbolic motives. Taking into account car use habits and habits of public transport use, the results show that people who have a high environmental concern perceive public transport use as easier, more useful and more pleasurable than people who do not have that environmental motivation. Such positive attitudes foster public transport use. Conversely, low environmental concern generates non-instrumental motives for car use, such as affective and symbolic motives. However, the relationship between affective and symbolic motives and car use habits is not robust. We can conclude that environmental concern influences mode choice habits and that the effect is partially mediated by perceptions and feelings towards public transport but not significantly by affective and symbolic motives for car use.

Public acceptance of household energy-saving measures in Beijing: Heterogeneous preferences and policy implications

Residents have different acceptance levels of household energy-saving measures and heterogeneous preferences for energy-saving attributes. Using questionnaire method, this paper studies the residents' acceptance of and preferences for 24 energy-saving measures in Beijing, China. Conjoint and variance analysis are used to examine preferences for attribute levels of energy-saving measures and the heterogeneity in preferences, respectively. The results show that energy-saving measures are relatively highly acceptable overall, while technical energy-saving measures are almost the least acceptable. The energy-saving domain (home versus transport) is the most important attribute that determines the acceptance level. Home and behavioral energy-saving measures are preferred to transport and technical energy-saving measures, respectively. For households living within the fourth Ring Road in Beijing and for people with high environmental concern, their average acceptance levels of energy-saving measures are 65% and 80% higher than those of their counterparts, respectively. Home energy-saving measures are more favored by households without elders over 60 years old, individuals with low educational level, and residents with low environmental concern, compared with their counterparts. Currently, effective policy tools targeting at behavioral energy conservation are scarce. Publicity about energy-saving measures contributes to improving residents' familiarity with these measures and environmental concern. Customized incentive policies are needed.

PERBEDAAN PENGETAHUAN IBU-IBU TENTANG ISU-ISU LINGKUNGAN ANTARA STRATEGI PENYULUHAN OUT GROUP VERSUS IN GROUP BERDASARKAN KEPEDULIAN LINGKUNGAN

The objective of this research is to analyze the effect of extension strategy and the environmental concern on knowledge about environmental issues of house wives on the slums in West Jakarta. The sample of the research were 40 housewives which selected randomly. The data were analyzed by using ANOVA with 2 x 2 factorial design. The result of the research reveals that: 1) the knowledge about environmental issues of housewives who received extension strategy by out group extension agents have not more highly than when they received extension by in group extension agents; 2) The housewives who have high environmental concern and receive extension by out group extension agents have more highly knowledge about environmental issues than when they received extension by in group exten-sion agents; 3)The housewives who have low environmental concern and received extension by out group extension agents have lower knowledge about environmen-tal issues than when they received extension by ingroup extension agents; 4) There are interaction effects between extension strategy and the environmental concern towards the housewives knowledge about environmental issues.

Spatial distribution of organic pollutants (PAHs and polar pesticides) in the floodplain of the Ohře (Eger) River, Czech Republic

The spatial distributions of organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polar pesticides were studied in the floodplain of a Middle European lowland river (the Ohře River, Czech Republic) to evaluate their possible use for pollution chemostratigraphy. The floodplain evolution and internal structure were evaluated from historical maps, a digital terrain model, and electric resistivity tomography (ERT) at sampling sites. The approximate age of the sediments was inferred from pollution by Cu, Pb, and Sn (sixteenth century and younger), as well as Hg and U (nineteenth to twentieth centuries), based on the known history of metal mining in the Ohře catchment. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as non-polar persistent pollutants, have a stable stratigraphic distribution, with peak concentrations attributed to the local peak in the use of coal under low environmental concern from the middle nineteenth century to the late twentieth century as well as a minor peak due to more ancient charcoal production. Polar pesticides range from partially migrating (e.g. atrazine, simazine, and chloridazon) to very mobile ones with depth profiles that are not related to the sediment stratigraphy (e.g., chloroxuron and acetochlor). The post-depositional pollution maxima of the latter are near the contacts of more permeable channel sands and overlay finer, less permeable deposits near the accumulation of mobile elements (Ca, Mn) and minor secondary maxima for Hg and U pollutants. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can be used for pollution chemostratigraphy; the use of more mobile polar pesticides is limited. The occurrence of pesticides in the forested channel belt (not used for agriculture) and their seasonal variation document considerable dynamics of polar pollutants in fluvial systems.

Understanding pro-environmental intentions through growth, competitiveness, and concern

The effects of market liberalization and the social institutions contained within are increasingly necessary to understand. The purpose of this paper is to expand this understanding by examining neoliberal institutional variables (i.e., belief in economic growth and individual competitiveness) on pro-environmental behavior. To study this, we use two countries: one that has recently experienced high economic growth (China) and one that has recently experienced low economic growth (Japan), as a moderator variable. Further, environmental concern is proposed to mediate the moderation. The proposed conditional mediation is supported. Findings suggest that citizens with a desire for additional economic growth, in countries with large historical growth, have high environmental concern. Further, citizens with high individual competitiveness, in low historical growth countries, have low environmental concern. However, citizens with high environmental concern have high environmental intentions, regardless of current country growth. Implications for management and sustainability are then given.

Organic food purchasing behavior of young consumers: the role of enviromental concern

<em>This research study focuses on factors which can affect purchasing behaviour of young customers with regard to organic food. Results from this study show that attitudes, perceived behavioral control, perceived consumer effectiveness and c</em><em>oncern for self-image positively impact purchasing behaviour of highly environmental concern consumers. With respect to slightly environmental concern consumers their puchasing behaviour is not exposed to attitudes, perceived behavioral control, perceived consumer effectiveness and concern for self-image. Subjective norms positively affect consumer behaviour, regardless of whether the consumer is highly environmental concern or not. However, the effect of subjective norms on purchasing behaviour of low environmental concern consumers is greater than that of consumers with high environmental concern.</em>

Investigating natural attenuation of pharmaceuticals through unsaturated column tests

The growing consumption of pharmaceuticals together with their incomplete removal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) implies the occurrence of these compounds in natural water resources. To investigate the natural attenuation of selected pharmaceuticals (caffeine, acetaminophen, sulfamethoxazole, naproxen and carbamazepine) during vadose zone infiltration, unsaturated column (L 26.67 cm, Ø 7.62 cm) experiments, filled with a sandy-loamy soil, were performed using two input concentrations (100 and 1000 μg L−1). The software Hydrus 1D was used to simulate experimental data. Caffeine and acetaminophen were never detected at the column outlet indicating a low environmental concern. On the other hand, attenuation of the detected pharmaceuticals could be reproduced by a combination of retardation and removal approaches. Carbamazepine is among the selected contaminants the most persistent. A dependence of removal rates on input concentrations was detected for sulfamethoxazole (μw from 2.78 d−1 to 1.16 d−1) and naproxen (μw from 1.16 d−1 to 0.63 d−1) attributed mainly to decreased metabolism of microorganisms when a higher input concentration is applied. Two transformation products (TPs) (N4-Acetylsulfamethoxazole and epoxycarbamazepine) derived from sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine transformation, respectively, were detected during the experiment with the highest input concentration.

Should environmentalists be concerned about materialism? An analysis of attitudes, behaviours and greenhouse gas emissions

This study analyses the relationships between materialistic values, environmental concerns, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a sample of 1004 Swedish residents. The previously established material values scale (MVS) is employed along with detailed measurements of the respondents' GHG emissions from travel behaviour, residential energy use, diet, and other consumption. The developed structural model reveals a weak but significant association between high MVS scores on the one hand and low environmental concern and high GHG emissions on the other hand. In further analysis, however, the correlation between high MVS scores and high GHG emissions is shown to be traceable to the domain of air travel in the first place, with no correlation found, for example, between MVS scores and size of accommodation and spending on cars, both traditional status commodities. Instead of possessions, the status-oriented materialists in the sample thus appeared to focus more on other aspects of their lifestyle.

PERBEDAAN PENGETAHUAN IBU-IBU TENTANG ISU-ISU LINGKUNGAN ANTARA STRATEGI PENYULUHAN OUT GROUP VERSUS IN GROUP BERDASARKAN KEPEDULIAN LINGKUNGAN

The objective of this research is to analyze the effect of extension strategy and the environmental concern on knowledge about environmental issues of house wives on the slums in West Jakarta. The sample of the research was 40 housewives, which selected randomly. The data were analyzed by using ANOVA with 2 x 2 factorial design. The result of the research reveals that: 1) the knowledge about environmental issues of housewiveswho received extension strategy by out group extension agents have not more highly than when they received extension by in group extension agents; 2) The housewives who have high environmental concern and receive extension by out group extension agents have more highly knowledge about environmental issues than when they received extension by in group extension agents; 3)The housewives who have low environmental concern and received extension by out group extension agents have lower knowledge about environmental issues than when they received extension by ingroup extension agents; 4) There are interaction effects between extension strategy and the environmental concern towards the housewives knowledge about environmental issues.

Consumer reactions to sustainable packaging: The interplay of visual appearance, verbal claim and environmental concern

More and more companies are developing sustainable packaging. In two studies on detergent and mixed nuts packages, we manipulated their visual appearance and verbal sustainability claims that communicate eco-friendliness, and tested the influence of these elements on consumers' affective attitudes and purchase intention. Drawing on two non-student samples, the results show that consumers’ level of environmental concern influenced their responses to the visual appearance and verbal sustainability claims of packages. Low (high) environmental concern consumers were (not) sensitive to incongruence in visual appearance and verbal sustainability claim and showed negative (positive) responses. Next, we demonstrate that brand ethicality mediated the relationship between the interaction of the visual appearance, the verbal sustainability claim and environmental concern and purchase intention.

Are third-party green–brown ratings believed?: The role of prior brand loyalty and environmental concern

This study shows the role of consumers' prior brand loyalty and environmental concern in their responses to third-party green–brown ratings of a brand. The online quasi-experiment with a national sample of U.S. consumers revealed that the validity of third-party green–brown ratings is believed equally between consumers with high and low environmental concern, but the impact of the ratings on brand greenness perception was greater among consumers with high (vs. low) environmental concern. This study also shows that consumers who are loyal to a brand are more likely to accept the validity of the brand's green rating than that of its brown rating. Further, loyal consumers deny the relevance of the brown rating to the brand's greenness. These findings suggest biased assimilation of third-party green–brown rating information as a function of the consumer's prior brand loyalty and environmental concern. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of the findings.

Green Eco-Seals and Advertising Persuasion

Although advertisers present assurance or certification cues to burnish their “green” credentials, the impact of such “eco-seals” on persuasion is not well understood. We examine consumer characteristics (environmental concern and brand familiarity) and advertiser-controlled characteristics (the seal and advertising appeal) to understand conditions under which eco-seals are more or less persuasive, including effects on attitudes and intentions. Based on the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM), we hypothesize and present experimental results showing that consumers with high versus low environmental concern perceive eco-seals differently, depending on brand familiarity, eco-seal source, and ad appeal. Our findings have theoretical and practical implications for green marketing strategy and messaging.

Green Eco-Seals and Advertising Persuasion

Although advertisers present assurance or certification cues to burnish their “green” credentials, the impact of such “eco-seals” on persuasion is not well understood. We examine consumer characteristics (environmental concern and brand familiarity) and advertiser-controlled characteristics (the seal and advertising appeal) to understand conditions under which eco-seals are more or less persuasive including effects on attitudes and intentions. Based on the Persuasion Knowledge Model, we hypothesize and present experimental results showing that consumers with high versus low environmental concern perceive eco-seals differently, depending on brand familiarity, eco-seal source, and ad appeal. Our findings have theoretical and practical implications for green marketing strategy and messaging.