Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Fishery, A Sanctuary, A Sink, And A Disaster: The Often Hapless Management Of California's Salton Sea, William M. Mclaren

Will McLaren

Over a century ago, a series of questionable management decisions and water-diversion engineering mistakes in Southern California produced an “unnatural” waterbody called the Salton Sea. Since then, the Sea has served as a recreational destination with fluctuating popularity, a sanctuary for migratory birds, a sink for agricultural runoff and urban wastewater, and one of the most productive tilapia and corvina fisheries in the United States. However, the Sea’s resources and associated uses have steadily deteriorated since its formation.

The contrast between the ethics that drove resource management decisions at the time of the Salton Sea’s formation to those employed in …

The Effect Of Consumerism And Regulation On Household Solid Waste Management In The United States And Germany: A Comparative Study, Amir Vafa

Amir Vafa

Private household recycling is a significant aspect of consumerism in economically developed countries and the inevitable question of household waste management has gained more importance among municipalities in recent years. The present study examined the effect of regulation on household solid waste management. Within a comparative, qualitative framework, the study explored and evaluated the pro-regulatory effects in Germany and the anti-regulatory policies in the United States by means of comparing two similar communities, Lincoln, Nebraska and Augsburg, Germany. By examining the present legislations, official documents, legal and operational procedures, and other relevant artifacts, laws, regulations and the degree of their …

The Planet Of The Thinking Animal: Surviving The 21st Century, Tor Hundloe

Tor Hundloe

"Tor Hundloe presents us with two options: change the way we live, or find two more planets to support the world's burgeoning population. With the powerful energy of clever optimism he points the way for this Earth-only option to succeed" (Senator Bob Brown). "We humans are capable of brilliant ideas and inventions, but we have yet to learn the lessons that will prove that we deserve our place on the planet as the thinking animal." (Backcover). The Planet of the Thinking Animal looks to particular countries and groups of countries and examines their economic and environmental policies and activities. It …

Palaeoecology: A Tool To Improve The Management Of Australian Estuaries, Krystyna M. Saunders, Kathryn H. Taffs

Dr Kathryn H Taffs

Addressing environmental problems in estuaries is a worldwide problem. Establishing benchmarks and targets for management is critical, whether the aim is conservation, restoration or ‘sustainable wise use’. Palaeoecological techniques have rapidly improved during the past decade, particularly with advances in methods that allow high resolution quantitative assessments of environmental change, allowing pre-impact conditions, the rate, extent and direction of change, and range of natural variability to be determined. Australian estuarine ecosystems are qualitatively different to the often more well-studied estuaries in North America and Europe, which means site-specific studies of Australian estuaries are needed to inform management. While a potentially …