Biosecurity Commons^™

Performance Of A Fertilizer Sludge Contaminated With Heavy Metals Collected From Two Wastewater Treatment Plants On (Lactuca Sativa), Leila Lila Belkhedim, Yamina Tahri

Makara Journal of Science

The improper management of sewage sludge poses a significant global risk to environmental and public health. In this study, the valorization of sludge as an organic fertilizer for lettuce cultivation was evaluated, offering a sustainable waste-to-resource solution. Sludge from two wastewater treatment plants (Mazouna and El Kerma) were collected between 2019 and 2021. Comprehensive physicochemical analysis was conducted to determine its nutrient value and contaminant levels. In addition, the efficacy and safety of the fertilizer were assessed by measuring lettuce growth and the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in plant tissues. The analyzed sludge, with an organic matter content of 9.91%–83% …

Modeling Wild Rice Bed Health: A Dual Metric Approach For Bed Strength And Invasive Impact, Seth Sisneros-Martinez

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Wild rice (mannoomin; Zizania palustris) is an aquatic grain that grows in slow-moving rivers and shallow bays throughout northern Minnesota. In Headquarters Bay on Leech Lake, wild rice has served as a cultural staple for Indigenous communities for centuries. However, its population has declined in recent years due to multiple environmental issues. One potential contributor is Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum; EWM), an invasive species that forms dense mats capable of outcompeting native aquatic vegetation, including wild rice. EWM was first recorded on the southern shoreline of Leech Lake in 2005 and has since become widespread. This study …

Rabbit Control In Urban And Semi-Urban Areas, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

This factsheet provides information on control options for rabbits in urban and semi-urban areas in Western Australia (WA).

Rabbits cause considerable losses to agricultural and horticultural industries. They can cause serious environmental problems, such as soil erosion and degradation of native vegetation. Rabbits also compete with native fauna for food and habitat.

Rabbits may be a problem or a nuisance in urban environments where they can damage lawns and gardens, buildings, garages, and sheds. Rabbits can also damage golf courses, sports grounds, and parkland reserves.

The options for control of rabbits in urban areas are more limited than in rural …

Exploring The Intersection Between West Virginia Farmland Protection Boards, Landowners, And The West Virginia Agrarian Commons, Samuel W. Bayne, Joshua Lohnes

Undergraduate Scholarship

New Roots Community Farm (NRCF) came to life through the purchase of a piece of land by the Fayette County Farmland Protection Board in a buy-protect-sell model. NRCF then partnered with The Agrarian Land Trust, a New England based organization experimenting with land commons models across the United States, to purchase the property and create the West Virginia Agrarian Commons (WVAC), an entity that could advance land access for the next generation farmers in WV. The experience of NRCF and the WVAC and the vision for its operation and extension of the buy-protect-sell model in partnership with county farmland protection …

Globalization, Climate Variability And Food Security In Pakistan: The Moderating Role Of Population Density, Shazia Kousar, Muhammad Afzal, Adeel Nasir

CBER Conference

The aim of this study is twofold; first, this study examined the impact of globalization and climate variability on food security. Second, this study examined the moderating role of population density on the relationship between globalization, climate variability and food security. This study utilized the data for food security from FAO, while the data for globalization related to the KOF globalization index.

Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia Annual Report 2022/2023, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

During 2022/23, the Council continued to monitor biosecurity related developments at national and state levels and proactively engaged with industry, community, and government on biosecurity matters.

The statutory review of the BAM Act also provided opportunities for Council’s previous reports and recommendations to be used as a solid information source for the responsible reviewing agency and its consultants.

Improving The Land Trust Model’S Impact On Environmental Conservation In Northern California, Peter Talbot

Master's Projects and Capstones

For years, the land trust sector of California and much of the United States has operated with a dollars and acres mentality that has prioritized fundraising as a result of acreage protected. Within California, nearly 5.8 million acres of land have been protected by 132 land trusts throughout the state. To accommodate for the diverse cross-section of land and the many needs of the population, land trusts take on numerous shapes and sizes. A unique aspect of this diversity is the rich agricultural and natural spaces found throughout the state. This mix of land and variety of land uses has …

Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia Annual Report 2021/2022, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Understanding the needs and challenges of industry, community and government is key to providing relevant and constructive advice to government. During 2021/22, the Council continued to monitor biosecurity-related developments at national and State levels and proactively engaged with industry, community and government on biosecurity matters.

The key areas of advice that were progressed during the year were:

• The use of biological control agents to manage pests;
• Mechanisms for funding biosecurity and pest management; and
• Other matters as requested by the Minister.

Mechanisms For Funding Biosecurity And Declared Pest Management In Western Australia - Report By The Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

There are five legislated funding mechanisms used for biosecurity-related purposes in wa declared pest rates, Industry Funding Schemes (IFSs), fees for service through the Agricultural Produce Commission (APC), specified area rates and the Modified Penalties Revenue Account. Of these, three were assessed as sustainable sources of biosecurity funding:

• Declared pest rates (DPRs) - rates chargeable on land in a prescribed area. The funds collected via this mechanism are matched dollar-for-dollar from the State's Consolidated Account and used for activities to control declared pests, including biosecurity threats.
• IFSs - schemes that enable agricultural industries to collect funds from producers. The funds …

Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia Annual Report 2020/2021, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Understanding the needs and challenges of industry, community and government is key to ensuring relevant and constructive advice to government. During 2020/21, the Council continued to monitor biosecurity-related developments at national and State levels and proactively engaged with industry, community and government on biosecurity matters. The key areas of advice that were progressed during the year were:

• mechanisms for funding biosecurity in WA
• the effectiveness of WA’s border biosecurity system
• how Western Australians perceive ‘biosecurity’ and their role in pest, weed and disease prevention, surveillance and response; and
• the quadruple bottom line of biosecurity.

Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia Annual Report 2019/2020, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

In order to develop constructive advice, it is important for the Biosecurity Council to understand the needs and challenges of industry, government and the community, and how changes to the biosecurity system might impact these groups. During 2019/20 the Council continued to monitor biosecurity-related developments at national and State levels and proactively engaged with industry, community and government on biosecurity matters.

The key areas of advice that were progressed during the year were:

• biosecurity research and development
• border biosecurity
• the declaration of non-agricultural pests under the BAM Act; and
• recognised biosecurity groups and declared pest rates

Biosecurity Council Visit To Augusta - August 2020, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

The Biosecurity Council of Western Australia has committed to holding annual regional meetings. The intent of the regional meetings is to:

• Engage with local/regional stakeholders on biosecurity matters
• Build networks/relationships with key biosecurity stakeholders
• Provide a conduit to government/DPIRD for local/regional biosecurity stakeholders.

For its second regional meeting Council agreed to visit Augusta, located in the South West Region of Western Australia. The region is home to a large and diverse horticultural sector, aquaculture enterprises as well as livestock, for which biosecurity is important. In addition, it is a biodiversity hotspot with large tracts of natural bushland and aquatic environments …

Biosecurity Research And Development In Western Australia - Report By The Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Research and development (R&D) is crucial to managing Western Australia’s biosecurity risks and threats. There is a perception, however, that these risks and threats could be better recognised nationally, which may result in greater levels of funding for biosecurity R&D activities relevant to Western Australia (WA).

The purpose of this work was to provide advice to the Minister for Agriculture and Food on the status of biosecurity R&D in WA and opportunities to enhance biosecurity R&D funding in the State.

Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia Annual Report 2018/2019, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

There were four key areas in which the Council focused during the year:

• the attributes required by a biosecurity 'combat' agency to effectively sustain a biosecurity response
• funding for biosecurity research and development in WA
• border biosecurity; and
• WA's preparedness for myrtle rust

Developing constructive advice to Government requires a comprehensive understanding of the needs and challenges of industry, Government and the community. It also requires an understanding of how changes to the biosecurity system might impact these groups and affect WA's biosecurity status. During 2018/19 the Council continued to monitor biosecurity-related developments at national and State levels; provided feedback …

Biosecurity Council Visit To Kununurra August 2019, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

In late 2018, the Biosecurity Council committed to holding regional meetings, possibly annually. The intent of regional meetings are to:

• Engage with local/regional stakeholders on biosecurity matters
• Build networks/relationships with key biosecurity stakeholders
• Provide a conduit to government/agencies for local/regional biosecurity stakeholders.

Council agreed to hold its first regional visit in Kununurra, located in the East Kimberley. The East Kimberley, has a unique set of biosecurity challenges — Kununurra is an important horticulture growing region, there is a large pastoral presence, it adjoins the Northern Territory (NT) border and is in close proximity to Indonesia, it is a hub for …

Sustaining A Biosecurity Response: What Makes An Effective And Contemporary Biosecurity ‘Combat’ Agency? Summary Report By The Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

The overall purpose of this work was to provide advice and guidance to the Minister for Agriculture and Food and Director General of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) on how the combined skills and resources of DPIRD can better sustain a high-level biosecurity response whilst retaining the integrity of its other functions.

To develop this advice, two key activities were undertaken:

1. Information gathering and review (via literature review and key informant interviews) to identify the essential characteristics of a biosecurity combat agency; the skillsets required to respond to high-level biosecurity incidents; and ways biosecurity combat agencies …

Just Preservation, Adrian Treves, Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila, William S. Lynn

Animal Sentience

We are failing to protect the biosphere. Novel views of conservation, preservation, and sustainability are surfacing in the wake of consensus about our failures to prevent extinction or slow climate change. We argue that the interests and well-being of non-humans, youth, and future generations of both human and non-human beings (futurity) have too long been ignored in consensus-based, anthropocentric conservation. Consensus-based stakeholder-driven processes disadvantage those absent or without a voice and allow current adult humans and narrow, exploitative interests to dominate decisions about the use of nature over its preservation for futurity of all life. We propose that authentically non-anthropocentric …

Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia Annual Report 2017/2018, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

There were two key areas in which the Council focused during the year:

• environmental biosecurity; and
• the attributes required by a biosecurity ‘combat’ agency to effectively sustain a biosecurity response.

In addition, planning began for two new areas of advice to Government – biosecurity research and development; and border biosecurity.

Developing constructive advice to Government requires a comprehensive understanding of the needs and challenges of industry, Government and the community. It also requires an understanding of how changes to the biosecurity system might impact these groups and affect the State’s biosecurity status. During 2017/18 the Council continued to monitor biosecurity …

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Environmental Biosecurity In Western Australia - Report By The Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

In 2013, during investigations of cross-agency collaboration, the Biosecurity Council of Western Australia (the Council) identified a fundamental breakdown in situations where biosecurity actions span multiple State Government agencies — such as for environmental biosecurity. The reasons for this breakdown are complex, and have been highlighted in further work undertaken by the Council since that time. In broad terms, the issues can be categorised into:

i) definitions;
ii) roles and responsibilities; and
iii) resourcing;

with unclear government policy an important contributing factor.

In late 2016, the Council resolved to further this work, with a focus on how environmental biosecurity is …

Sustainability At Sit: A Look At The Past, A Plan For The Future, Taliesin Haugh

Capstone Collection

Climate change threatens our world and way of life. Intelligent development and investment could mitigate the worst threats of climate change, while simultaneously providing continuous growth for the global economy. The New Climate Economy proposes efforts to combat this ecological collapse that would result in $30 trillion in new annual economic growth by 2030. Stockholm Resilience Center agrees, giving a framework based on global ecological systems that calls for five critical tasks that can bring growth and stability: Renewable energy

Sustainable local food production

New development models, based on what has worked globally

Reduction of wealth inequity

Education, health, and …

Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia Annual Report 2016/2017, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Developing constructive biosecurity advice to government requires a comprehensive understanding of the needs and challenges of industry, government and community. It also requires an understanding of the potential impacts of changes to the Western Australian biosecurity system on these groups as well as on the biosecurity of the State.

During 2016/17, the Council continued its commitment to engaging with key stakeholders. The strong consultative processes used by the Council enabled robust advice to be developed for government. The main area of focus during the year was government’s investment in Western Australia’s biosecurity. The key areas of advice that were progressed …

Biosecurity Council Stakeholder Workshop - Report By The Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

The Biosecurity Council of Western Australia (the Council) held a stakeholder workshop to explore perspectives on risk-based decision making and biosecurity investment across industry, government and community. This report presents a summary and interpretation of the workshop discussion to enable a statement on ‘where we are at’ in terms of biosecurity decision-making and joint effort.

The workshop process identified clear differences in the current biosecurity priorities of industry, government and community:

• Industry priorities were focused on biosecurity activities that would preserve a profitable/sustainable industry.
• Government priorities were targeted toward prevention and early eradication, but also included ongoing actions for biodiversity …

Agriculture And Food In Crisis: Conflict, Resistance, And Renewal [Book Review], Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Edited by Fred Magdoff and Brian Tokar. 2010. Monthly Review Press, New York, New York, United States. 348 p. Paperback, cloth US$ 75.00, paper US$ 18.95, ISBN-13 978-1-58367-226-6.

That doubling of food production over the next four decades will be needed to adequately nourish our human population is not news, but the incredible steps essential to achieve that goal and their political and social implications are less well reported. In this series of 16 essays edited by Fred Magdoff and Brian Tokar, several thoughtful specialists in global food issues explore the historical, biological, economic, energy, political and social dimensions of …

Review Of Harvest For Hope: A Guide To Mindful Eating By Jane Goodall With Gary Mcavoy And Gail Hudson, Charles A. Francis

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

One of the world's preeminent experts on primate behavior, author Jane Goodall now invests her boundless energy traveling and speaking about conservation. After years of studying chimpanzees in the Gombe National Park in Tanzania, Goodall found their very existence threatened by poachers, by encroachment of farming into their habitat, and by global forces far from their wild environment. She is now on a mission to inform the public about what is wrong with our society and its impact on the planet. Harvest for Hope catalogs the problems and provides practical solutions.

Cattle Industry Biosecurity Plan, Department Of Agriculture Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

StockGuard has been initiated to develop a series of biosecurity plans for the animal industries in Western Australia. Through StockGuard, representatives from the animal industries have been working with the Department of Agriculture Western Australian to identify potential threats to each of the animal industries and to develop action plans detailing how these threats can be managed. The overall purpose of StockGuard is to highlight threats to the animal industries before they occur and to develop effective ways to minimise the potential impact of these threats.

The recommendations of the working group are based on detailed strategic assessments of the …

The Import Of Importing And Unnatural Acts: The Political Psychology Of Bioengineered Plants, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes political psychological aspects of opposition to the importing of bioengineered plants.