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Oskarshamn is one of the municipalities being discussed as a possible site for disposal of nuclear waste from the Swedish nuclear power plants, and there has been inquiries made for a pilot study in the area. In view of this the local council of Oskarshamn appointed a ´Youth team´, consisting of ten young politicians from all political parties represented in the local council. The aim of the team was to inform and create debate among adolescents about how to store the radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. The purpose of this survey, addressed to young people in Oskarshamn, was to shed light on their opinion towards a pilot study and possible disposal of nuclear waste in Oskarshamn. The respondents had to answer questions about their opinion on the use of nuclear power in Sweden, if they believed nuclear power to be abolished by year 2010, and about their general interest in issues concerning energy and nuclear power. Other questions concerned risks associated with nuclear power, the influence different groups have/ought to have when it comes to disposal of nuclear waste, and if the respondent would accept a decision to dispose nuclear waste in Oskarshamn. A number of questions dealt with the suggested pilot study; if the respondent was for or against a pilot study; who should decide about the pilot study; if there had been enough information about the study; and if the respondent had attended any meeting, signed any petition, contacted any politician, contacted or participated in mass media, or tried to influence anyone´s opinion on any issue concerning the pilot study. The respondents also had to state the issues they considered to be important to study in a pilot study. Furthermore the respondents had to give their opinion about a number of risks discussed in connection with disposal of nuclear waste in Oskarshamn. Other questions concerned the influence on job opportunities and tourism. Demographic items include age, gender, marital status, children, education, occupation, and trade union membership. Oskarshamn is one of the municipalities being discussed as a possible site for disposal of nuclear waste from the Swedish nuclear power plants, and there has been inquiries made for a pilot study in the area. In view of this the local council of Oskarshamn appointed a 'Youth team', consisting of ten young politicians from all political parties represented in the local council. The aim of the team was to inform and create debate among adolescents about how to store the radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. The purpose of this survey, addressed to young people in Oskarshamn, was to shed light on their opinion towards a pilot study and possible disposal of nuclear waste in Oskarshamn. The respondents had to answer questions about their opinion on the use of nuclear power in Sweden, if they believed nuclear power to be abolished by year 2010, and about their general interest in issues concerning energy and nuclear power. Other questions concerned risks associated with nuclear power, the influence different groups have/ought to have when it comes to disposal of nuclear waste, and if the respondent would accept a decision to dispose nuclear waste in Oskarshamn. A number of questions dealt with the suggested pilot study; if the respondent was for or against a pilot study; who should decide about the pilot study; if there had been enough information about the study; and if the respondent had attended any meeting, signed any petition, contacted any politician, contacted or participated in mass media, or tried to influence anyone's opinion on any issue concerning the pilot study. The respondents also had to state the issues they considered to be important to study in a pilot study. Furthermore the respondents had to give their opinion about a number of risks discussed in connection with disposal of nuclear waste in Oskarshamn. Other questions concerned the influence on job opportunities and tourism. Demographic items include age, gender, marital status, children, education, occupation, and trade union membership.

AbstractEarthworms may promote the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil, but the mechanism through which they exert such influence is still unknown. To determine if the stimulation of PAH degradation by earthworms is related to changes in microbial communities, a microcosm experiment was conducted consisting of columns with natural uncontaminated soil covered with PAH‐contaminated dredge sediment. Columns without and with low and high Eisenia andrei densities were prepared. Organic matter and PAH content, microbial biomass, and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) were measured in soil and sediment over time. Biolog Ecoplate™ and polymerase chain reaction using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were used to evaluate changes in metabolic and structural diversity of the microbial community, respectively. Earthworm activity promoted PAH degradation in soil, which was significant for biphenyl, benzo[a]pyrene, and benzo[e]pyrene. Microbial biomass and DHA activity generally did not change over the experiment. Earthworm activity did change microbial community structure, but this did not affect its functioning in terms of carbon substrate consumption. Results suggest no relationship between changes in the microbial community by earthworm activity and increased PAH disappearance. The role of shifts in soil microbial community structure induced by earthworms in PAH removal needs further investigation. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:794–803. © 2011 SETAC

The Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) was an international, multiplatform field campaign to measure long-range transport of air pollution from South and Southeast Asia toward the Indian Ocean during the dry monsoon season in January to March 1999. Surprisingly high pollution levels were observed over the entire northern Indian Ocean toward the Intertropical Convergence Zone at about 6°S. We show that agricultural burning and especially biofuel use enhance carbon monoxide concentrations. Fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning cause a high aerosol loading. The growing pollution in this region gives rise to extensive air quality degradation with local, regional, and global implications, including a reduction of the oxidizing power of the atmosphere.

Low temperature sensitive products transport and storage is an issue worldwide due to changes of the lifestyle population increase. Thermal energy storage (TES) is nowadays one of the most feasible solutions in facing the challenge of achieving energy savings. Many researchers have investigated energy efficiency of different cold units by applying TES systems using phase change materials (PCM). This paper provides an overview of the existing Spanish and European potential energy savings and CO2 mitigation by incorporating TES systems to cold storage and transportation systems. Data on energy savings were compiled from different case studies. Results depend on the scenarios studied and the extent of TES systems implementation; in the case of Europe for instance, yearly CO2 emissions may be cut down between 5% and 22% in reference to 2008 CO2 emissions from cold production considering that the proposed implementation of PCM TES in the case studies found in the literature is done.

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that transform chemical energy into electricity. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are particularly interesting because they can handle the reforming of hydrocarbon fuels directly within the cell. This is possible due to their high operating temperature. The purpose of this study is to develop an anode-supported SOFC model, to enhance the understanding of the internal reforming and effects on the transport processes. In this study, a CFD approach, based on the finite element method, was implemented for the analysis to unravel the interaction between internal reforming, momentum, heat and mass transport. COMSOL Multiphysics is used to analyze the effects of different global kinetic models available for the steam reforming reaction. The three different reaction rates applied in this study were developed and correlated through experimental studies found in the literature. An equilibrium equation is implemented for the reaction rate for the water-gas shift reaction. The partial pressures and the related reaction order of the pressure are found to affect the reaction rate.

This paper studies the initiation of a partnership between a corporation and a nongovernmental organization (NGO) for environmentally sustainable innovation, as well as its development over time. Proceeding from a dynamic capabilities approach, it provides a retrospective, longitudinal examination of a 10-year partnership between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature Netherlands (WNF), which promoted a market for aviation biofuels. The case study suggests that the progress of the partnership is determined by three specific dynamic capabilities of KLM and WNF: learning, coordination, and reconfiguration. The results reveal two microfoundations for each of these dynamic capabilities. For learning, these microfoundations are the sensing of strategic partners and the co-specialization of resources. For coordination, these consist of finding a fit between partners and having an integrated mission. Finally, the microfoundations of reconfiguration are the fostering of an institutional dialogue and the setting of new industry standards. This study is beneficial to scholars as it opens a research avenue concerning the dynamic capabilities and microfoundations that support corporate-NGO partnering for environmentally sustainable innovation. Practitioners can use these dynamic capabilities and microfoundations as guidelines for developing their own specific corporate-NGO partnerships.

The use of waste wood as an energy carrier has increased during the last decade. However, elevated levels of alkali metals and chlorine in waste wood compared to virgin biomass can cause increased deposit formation and higher concentrations of organic pollutants. In this study, we investigated the effect of the ChlorOut technique on concentrations of organic pollutants. Ammonium sulfate was injected into the combustion system to inhibit formation of KCl (which causes deposits) and persistent organic pollutants, namely polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and biphenyls (PCBs). The results showed that concentrations of the toxic congeners of PCDD, PCDF and PCB decreased in the presence of ammonium sulfate.

A variety of palaeoclimatic records show a shift towards cooler, wetter and windier conditions in Europe around 2800 cal a BP. The shift broadly coincides with an increase of the atmospheric C-14 concentration, suggesting a connection between solar activity variations and climate change. Here we investigate a peat record from Undarsmosse in southern Sweden. In a previous study, based on a low-resolution chronology, this record showed increased aeolian sand influx and Sphagnum spore content around 2800 cal a BP, indicating high storm activity and wetter conditions. We applied the C-14 wiggle-match dating technique on the same record to construct a robust chronology to evaluate the temporal relationship to solar forcing. In addition, we performed plant macrofossil analysis to determine local vegetation changes. Based on the new chronology, a shift to a Sphagnum-dominated bog, representing wetter conditions, and the onset of a period with increased storminess occurred around 2700 cal a BP. These changes are, within age model uncertainties, synchronous with climatic changes inferred from other sites in Europe, suggesting a shift in the larger scale atmospheric circulation, possibly triggered by decreased solar activity. (Less)