On Precaution, Clean Production & Paradigm Shifts

Present environmental policy in the countries around the North East Atlantic is in a state of transition; in part made up of old attitudes that assumed the environment to be largely capable of absorbing contamination, in part a new precaution that recognises that we cannot fully predict the result of such actions. Precaution will prevail, and be implemented by a form of pollution prevention, known as clean production, that emphasises the need to reduce and eliminate pollution at all stages of the manufacturing cycle. There are three reasons why change is inevitable. First, toxicological problems, along with serious ecological uncertainties, mean that we will be unable to predict ‘safe' levels of marine contamination for the foreseeable future. Second, demonstration projects make it clear that clean production is now feasible and economically attractive, even in ‘problem' industries. Third, the targets now being set for the reduction and elimination of potentially problematic substances – for instance by the 1990 North Sea Conference and the 1992 Paris Convention Ministerial meeting – have developed to the point where clean production provides the only feasible means of implementation. This change has significant implications for the water treatment industry.</jats:p

Interaction between bracken and its insect herbivores

SynopsisBracken in Britain is a host for 27 species of insect herbivores, with a further 11 species that either feed below ground (and are poorly studied), or appear to be only rarely associated with the plant. A typical site in northern England has an average of 15–16 of these species in any one year. Compared with perennial herbaceous angiosperms with similar wide distributions, bracken is not noticeably depauperate in the number of insect species that feed upon it. Bracken in others parts of the world is attacked by a wide variety of insects, with more species present in the geographical areas where bracken is most common.The ‘feeding niches’ of some of these insects are reviewed. Most are very rare relative to the biomass of their host plants, probably because of the impact of natural enemies; the effect of most of the insects upon their host-plant is consequently negligible.Reverse effects, of host-plant upon the insects, are subtle but poorly understood. Experiments to elucidate these effects are briefly outlined.</jats:p

Regulation of Effluents and Implications for Environmental Policy

Adequate regulation of industrial effluent is integral to any strategy to reduce contaminants entering the North Sea. The present approach involves a list of identified priority pollutants. Current regulatory frameworks are based upon environmental quality objectives or fixed emission limits, underpinned by the concept of assimilative capacity. These are examined and illustrated using examples from the UK River Tees and Antwerp Harbour in Belgium. Neither system is able to address the problem of complex effluents, and therefore cannot provide comprehensive environmental protection. These failings are discussed in relation to the role of clean production techniques and it is concluded that zero discharge must be recognised as the ultimate goal of North Sea environmental protection strategy.</jats:p

Now or never The cost of Canada's cod collapse and disturbing parallels with the UK

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:m02/17665 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Sewage: Towards Realistic Environmental Protection

The disposal of sewage into aquatic systems is attracting increasing regulation at the European Community level. Initially, pollution control strategies focussed on the protection of rivers and inland waters from excessive oxygen demand loading. This has led to an increasing use of marine waters for the disposal of sewage effluents and sludges. The bacteriological hazards associated with these practices are now well understood and have led in turn to restrictions on such disposal activities. This problem is illustrated with data from Venice Lagoon showing extreme bacterial contamination. A less commonly appreciated problem relates to the chemical contamination of sewage from both household and industrial chemicals. Results from analyses of a variety of sewage effluents are presented in this paper and the implications of the inventory of chemicals found are discussed.</jats:p

Introduction

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