ALBERT

Description:    Outotec open cycle (OOC) is a new low-energy process linking together production of hydrogen and sulfuric acid. While sulfuric acid is the world’s most widely produced chemical by mass at approximately 200 Mt/a, the OOC gives the potential for making 4 Mt/a of hydrogen gas as a by-product. H 2 SO 4 manufacture requires a source of sulfur dioxide. 30% of world production of H 2 SO 4 is from the SO 2 by-product of pyrometallurgical processing of sulfur containing concentrates of metals such as copper, nickel and zinc. SO 2 can also be made by direct combustion of sulfur. In OOC, a divided electrochemical cell is used for SO 2 -depolarized electrolysis of water. SO 2 is fed to the anolyte and converted to H 2 SO 4 , while hydrogen gas is produced at the cathode. On the industrial scale, the equipment will be in the form of a membrane electrolyzer assembly or stack. A case is described where the OOC would be connected to a pyrometallurgical plant smelting 1 Mt/a of nickel and copper concentrate, producing 1 Mt/a of H 2 SO 4 and 20 kt/a of hydrogen. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s10668-012-9342-z Authors Anu Lokkiluoto, Aalto University School of Chemical Technology, Vuorimiehentie 2, Espoo, PO Box 16200, 00076 Aalto, Finland Pekka A. Taskinen, Aalto University School of Chemical Technology, Vuorimiehentie 2, Espoo, PO Box 16200, 00076 Aalto, Finland Michael Gasik, Aalto University School of Chemical Technology, Vuorimiehentie 2, Espoo, PO Box 16200, 00076 Aalto, Finland Ilkka V. Kojo, Outotec Oyj, Riihitontuntie 7 D, PO Box 86, 02200 Espoo, Finland Heljä Peltola, Outotec (Finland Oy) Research Center, Kuparitie 10, PO Box 69, 28101 Pori, Finland Michael H. Barker, Outotec (Finland Oy) Research Center, Kuparitie 10, PO Box 69, 28101 Pori, Finland Karl-Heinz Kleifges, Outotec (Oberursel), Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse 21, 61440 Oberursel, Germany Journal Environment, Development and Sustainability Online ISSN 1573-2975 Print ISSN 1387-585X

Description:    We observed skewed distribution across household of benefits of pesticide use in vegetable farming in Nepal. However, economic burden or harm of pesticide use and exposure by household economy is poorly studied. It is hypothesized that exaggerated and incompetent pesticide use is likely to affect human health that may lead to decline in human productivity, and economic loss––that may further marginalize farmers. Thus, a study was conducted in the Ansi khola watershed of Kavrepalanchowk District of central Nepal. The primary aim of the study was to value risks of pesticide use and to estimate health costs of exposure by household category. We grouped household into “large-scale” who owns more than 1 ha of agricultural land, “small-scale” having 〈0.5 ha and “medium-scale” in between 〉0.5 and 〈1 ha. Data were collected through (1) an initial household survey conducted from May to June 2008, (2) monthly visit surveys accomplished from June to November 2008 and (3) a final household survey conducted during November to December 2009. The cost of pesticide use and exposure was highest for medium-scale household; however, the economic burden in relation to incomes was the highest for small-scale household. On the basis of area under vegetables, small-scale household incurred 23 % higher economic burdens compared to the large-scale household. Overall, the cost of pesticide use and exposure amounted 15 % of agricultural income and/or 5 % of gross household income. For small-scale households, the cost was equivalent to 18 % of agricultural income and 6 % of gross income. Small-scale households are not only deprived from benefits of agriculture intensification, but also incurred highest burden of pesticide use. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s10668-012-9414-0 Authors Kishor Atreya, Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), Post Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Bishal Kumar Sitaula, Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), Post Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Roshan Man Bajracharya, Aquatic Ecology Centre, Kathmandu University, Post Box 6250, Dhulikhel, Nepal Journal Environment, Development and Sustainability Online ISSN 1573-2975 Print ISSN 1387-585X

Description:    The emergence of China as a global player challenges the pre-existing dominance of the OECD countries and will continue to be a crucial force for global change in coming decades. The implications of China’s rise will be most significant for low- and middle-income countries, but the outcomes will also affect China’s relations with traditional donors and the understanding of the process of development. While these issues are increasingly explored at the political and economic level, very little analysis is available for the environmental impacts that China has on low- and middle-income countries. It is well understood that China plays a major role in relation to climate change, energy use and natural resource use at the global level; however, the perspective of China’s environmental impacts on low- and middle-income countries is underexplored. This Special Issue, therefore, elaborates the rise of China from the environmental perspective and assesses the impacts of China’s rise on low- and middle-income countries for international research, policy and practice in the field of environment and development. The findings draw on insights relevant for energy, water, forestry and land issues in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-7 DOI 10.1007/s10668-012-9411-3 Authors Frauke Urban, Centre for Development, Environment and Policy (CeDEP), School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, London, UK Giles Mohan, Development Policy and Practice Group, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK Sarah Cook, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Geneva, Switzerland Journal Environment, Development and Sustainability Online ISSN 1573-2975 Print ISSN 1387-585X

Description:    Oil palm industries produce an enormous quantity of lignocellulosic biomass; in the form of large leaves of palm tree, pruned fronds (OPF) and oil palm trunks (OPT) at the plantations site. Besides this, the processing of fresh fruit bunches in the oil mills generates empty fruit bunches (EFB), shells, kernel cake and mesocarp fibers. The proper management of this burgeoning waste and its disposal is an ardent task and creates environmental hazards. In order to deal with the biomass residues, the urgent need is that it should be transformed into resources with industrial utility. As the economic development has resulted in the significant increased demand for paper, the industry is looking for eccentric sources to fulfill the requirement. The pulp and paper industry preferred use of coniferous and deciduous trees for papermaking because their cellulose fibers in the pulp make durable paper. With improvements in pulp processing technology, fibers of almost any non-wood of plants species like bamboo, cereal straw, sugarcane, flax, hemp and jute can be used for paper pulp. Substituting this lignocellulosic material can reduce the burden on forest while supporting the natural biodiversity. The present review deals with the possibilities of using oil palm biomass as a raw material for pulp and papermaking, as this would ameliorate its waste management problem. The potential of oil palm biomass and the challenges regarding its use in papermaking are discussed. The use of oil palm biomass will apparently prove that the oil palm industry is ecofriendly in every aspect of its activities and aid in sustainability of forest ecosystem. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Pages 1-17 DOI 10.1007/s10668-012-9390-4 Authors Pooja Singh, Division of Bio-resource, Paper and Coatings Technology, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia Othman Sulaiman, Division of Bio-resource, Paper and Coatings Technology, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia Rokiah Hashim, Division of Bio-resource, Paper and Coatings Technology, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia Leh Cheu Peng, Division of Bio-resource, Paper and Coatings Technology, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia Rajeev Pratap Singh, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 220005 India Journal Environment, Development and Sustainability Online ISSN 1573-2975 Print ISSN 1387-585X

Description:    Human–elephant conflict is an issue of great concern regarding the growing competition between people and wildlife for food and shelter throughout Asia and Africa. The situation the Asian elephant faces is much critical. According to IUCN (Big hopes for endangered Asian Elephants, News Release, Gland, 2006 ), one of the prime factors to the decline of elephant population in India is the increasing trend in human–elephant conflict. Barjora block of Bankura district in West Bengal is one of the severe conflict prone zones in West Bengal, where elephant raid in every year has now become an inevitable phenomenon. As a result, crop damage, infrastructural damages, disturbances of daily activities, occurrence of human death and injuries have no doubt annihilated and frustrated the social fabric of life. This paper is an empirical attempt to address various consequences of human–elephant encounters which have an adverse impact on social, economic as well as the cultural life of the people. Instead of pursuing some traditional mitigation techniques, we argued much on understanding peoples’ perception to explore some sustainable mitigation measures to ensure the interest of both human and elephant and also to safeguard ecological integrity. Content Type Journal Article Category Case Study Pages 1-19 DOI 10.1007/s10668-012-9392-2 Authors Kunal Chakraborty, S.N. College, Labpur, Birbhum, West Bengal, India Jhantu Mondal, Dr. B.N.D.S Mahavidyalaya, Hatgobindapur, Burdwan, West Bengal, India Journal Environment, Development and Sustainability Online ISSN 1573-2975 Print ISSN 1387-585X

Description:    Human decisions shape patterns of seafood resource use. Consequently, it is also these decisions made by actors within seafood industries which ultimately determine the environmental impact of fisheries resource extraction from marine environments. In this study, we investigated the roles and influences of various actors within the Irish seafood industry. Our objectives were to learn more about the working dynamics of the industry and identify possibilities for improvements towards industry sustainability. We employed qualitative research methods including semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participant observation to access information from Irish consumers, retailers, wholesalers, scientists and key industry informants. The diversity of seafood products available within the Irish market is generally low. However, consumers who experiment with trying new varieties of seafood are influenced by dining experiences at restaurants or while travelling abroad as well as through cooking shows or cookbooks. Potential for influence on factors including consumer choice, stocking and sourcing decisions, business management and fisheries policy was found within all levels of the seafood industry, though a sense of responsibility in the context of seafood sustainability was less common. In addition, the absence of shortages within the Irish market due to imports, aquaculture and mislabelling appears to be preventing widespread acceptance about claims of overfishing. It is clear that ultimately, responsible policy decisions and effective enforcement will be needed to improve the overall sustainability of the industry. However, pressure for positive change can come from all actors that prioritise sustainability as the most important objective for future industry operation. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-18 DOI 10.1007/s10668-012-9396-y Authors Dana D. Miller, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland Stefano Mariani, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland Journal Environment, Development and Sustainability Online ISSN 1573-2975 Print ISSN 1387-585X

Description:    We attempt to understand, scientifically, how different members of the mining concession, impacted communities, and government authorities behave when a conflicting situation arises. The main purpose of our effort is to start developing a framework for the scientific modeling of stakeholders’ behavior, and we create a reality-driven generic scenario of conflict. We assume that the managers and superintendants of a mining operation currently envision a problem; one that tests the limits of the commitment of the company’s mission statement, and of the spectrum of actions taken which are embedded in the “culture” of the company’s corporate social responsibility. It is an “event” that highlights the nature of an overall problem that the company would like to predict and act proactively: the integration of scientific tools, sustainability, and cultural realities within a mining framework. We adapt an agent-based modeling approach and start with a theoretical understanding of certain social behavior, build a model, and simulate “what if” scenarios to understand its dynamics to gain a better insight of the complexity of a seemingly simple social system of interest. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-14 DOI 10.1007/s10668-012-9389-x Authors Masami Nakagawa, Department of Mining Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA Kyle Bahr, Department of Mining Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA Derek Levy, Mountain Culture Consulting, P.O. Box 115, Rico, CO 81332, USA Journal Environment, Development and Sustainability Online ISSN 1573-2975 Print ISSN 1387-585X

Description:    The study aimed at determining the socio-economic issues due to municipal solid waste dumping, the extent of groundwater contamination and the groundwater dependency around Perungudi dumpsite in Tamil Nadu, India. Sampling and analysis of groundwater and leachate show the contamination migration is due to dumpsite leachate. The concentrations of contaminants were more severe within 1.5 km along groundwater flow direction mainly due to the geological profile. The Piper diagram also shows that the groundwater sampled within 3 km in the flow direction was classified as Na–Cl type. Studies conducted within contaminated areas to determine the groundwater usage showed that higher percentage of lower and middle socio-economic status categories was using the groundwater for domestic purposes, which may lead to health issues. The present study suggests that proper solid waste management and groundwater remediation techniques along with the people’s involvement are necessary to reduce the consequences of groundwater contamination on the people residing around the dumpsite. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-20 DOI 10.1007/s10668-012-9349-5 Authors K. Parameswari, Centre for Water Resources, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Chennai, 600 025 India B. V. Mudgal, Centre for Water Resources, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Chennai, 600 025 India Prakash Nelliyat, Centre for Water Resources, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Chennai, 600 025 India Journal Environment, Development and Sustainability Online ISSN 1573-2975 Print ISSN 1387-585X

Description:    Forests contribute to livelihoods of rural people throughout the tropics. This paper adds to the emerging body of quantitative knowledge on absolute and relative economic importance, through both cash and subsistence income, of moist forests to households. Qualitative contextual information was collected in six villages in lowland Bolivia, followed by a structured survey of randomly selected households ( n  = 118) that included four quarterly income surveys. We employed a novel data collection approach that allows detailed estimation of total household accounts, including sources of forest income. We estimated the average forest income share of total annual household income (forest dependency) at 20%, ranging from 18 to 24%. Adding environmental income increased the average to 26%, being fairly constant across income quartiles at 24–28%. Absolute levels of forest income increased with total household income, while forest dependency was the highest in the best-off income quartile—the primary harvesters of forest products are better-off households. The pattern of high forest dependency among better-off households has also been reported from other countries, indicating that this pattern may be more common than advocated by conventional wisdom. Using ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions, we found significant determinants of absolute forest income to be household size, sex of household head and area of cultivated land; the significant determinants for forest dependency were level of education, whether household head was born in village and whether household was food self-sufficient. Better-off households were able to realise cash income from forests, while poorer households—in particular if headed by women—were more reliant on subsistence forest income. We argue that the differential patterns of forest income across income quartiles should be considered in future development interventions and that findings indicate a potential for forests to contribute to moving households out of poverty. Content Type Journal Article Pages 3-23 DOI 10.1007/s10668-011-9306-8 Authors Patricia Uberhuaga, Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark Carsten Smith-Hall, Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark Finn Helles, Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark Journal Environment, Development and Sustainability Online ISSN 1573-2975 Print ISSN 1387-585X Journal Volume Volume 14 Journal Issue Volume 14, Number 1

Description:    Macro- and microeconomic evidence suggests a positive role of remittances in preparing households against natural disasters and in coping with the loss afterward. Analysis of cross-country macroeconomic data shows that remittances increase in the aftermath of natural disasters in countries that have a larger number of migrants abroad. Analysis of household survey data in Bangladesh shows that per capita consumption was higher in remittance-receiving households than in others after the 1998 flood. Ethiopian households that receive international remittances seem to rely more on cash reserves and less on selling household assets or livestock to cope with drought. In Burkina Faso and Ghana, international remittance-receiving households, especially those receiving remittances from high-income developed countries, tend to have housing built of concrete rather than mud and greater access to communication equipment, suggesting that they are better prepared against natural disasters. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-23 DOI 10.1007/s10668-011-9330-8 Authors Sanket Mohapatra, World Bank, 1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA George Joseph, World Bank, 1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA Dilip Ratha, World Bank, 1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA Journal Environment, Development and Sustainability Online ISSN 1573-2975 Print ISSN 1387-585X