Monthly Archive for August, 2011

New Approach to Sustain ‘Forage’ Fishing

Photo By Graham Blight

From ScienceDaily

Reduced catches of small oceanic ‘forage’ fish like sardines and anchovies may be required in some ocean areas in order to protect the larger predators that rely on these species for food.

This is a finding of the first major study of the ecosystem effects of fishing forage species: ‘Impacts of fishing low trophic level species on marine ecosystems’, recently reported in the journal Science.

Dr Tony Smith of CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans Flagship led the international team of 12 authors from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, France and Peru.

“Forage species such as anchovy, sardine, herring, mackerel and krill often are the main food source for larger predatory fish, marine mammals and seabirds,” Dr Smith said.

To Read More…

Call for Journal Editor

The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability seeks an editor, or team of editors, for a one-year term. This is an opportunity to make a significant contribution to what we believe is one of the leading journals in its field, the journal’s associated conference and, more broadly, the knowledge-community which the journal and conference seek to serve.

The roles of the editor are to:

  • write an introduction for the Journal volume which would be included in the first issue for the year, and possibly on the website, the newsletter and other appropriate places or for the purposes of marketing and promotion.
  • collate papers addressing a theme of the editor’s choosing into a book, to be launched at the conference at the completion of the editor’s term. The chapters may be drawn from submissions to the journal during this or recent years, and other material as considered appropriate.
  • actively solicit manuscripts for the Journal from well-known and notable members of the community—these would could be refereed if the author wished, or regarded as ‘invited papers’.
  • assist the Commissioning Editor with suggestions of supplementary peer reviewers for specific papers (and this will never be burdensome – note that the Commissioning Editor of the Journal finalizes a majority of the peer reviewer requirements based on thematic matching and ‘mutual obligation’ principles in which all author requested to review up to three other papers).
  • promote the journal throughout their network and other associated networks.
  • maintain regular communications with the community via periodical blog posts to the community website (which feeds automatically to our email newsletter, Facebook and Twitter).

The editor will be offered a complimentary electronic subscription to the Journal, free copies of the book which they edit, an electronic subscription to the book series as well as complimentary registrations to attend the conferences at the beginning and end of their term.

Qualifications

The Editor of the Journal must possess the following attributes:

  • They will have successfully obtained higher degree, and have academic teaching and scholarly research experience in an area related to the subject matter of the Journal.
  • They will have published in this or other comparable scholarly journals.

Applicants are asked to send:

  1. a cover letter outlining their interest and relevant experience, and the ways in which you would propose to enhance the profile of the journal
  2. a curriculum vitae
  3. a special theme outline: a title with paragraph explanation.

Please send applications and supporting documentation to journals@onsustainability.com.

The deadline for applications is 26 September 2011.

Vancouver Aquarium Tour for the 2012 Sustainabbility Conference: Connecting with Conservation

Join other delegates at the Vancouver Aquarium for an exclusive behind the scenes tour: Connecting with Conservation. There is so much more to the Vancouver Aquarium than what you see in the galleries. Gain a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes workings of the Aquarium and see what it takes to care for 70,000 amazing animals. Learn about the Aquarium’s research and conservation efforts. Some other highlights include walking through Tropical Hallway, BC Treasures Hallway and Jelly Hallway. Delegates will go on a private one hour behind the scenes tour that spotlights conservation and than have as much time as they would like to explore the aquarium.

The tour is $65.00 USD. Reserve your spot now as space is limited!

Is Craig Venter Going to Save the Planet? Or is This More Hype from One of America’s Most Controversial Scientists?

Photo of Molecular biologist J. Craig Venter

By Susan Okie from The Washington Post

In a pristine white greenhouse in La Jolla, Calif., maverick molecular biologist Craig Venter is showing off tubs of dark green goop that might help rescue the planet.

Winter sunlight streams through the glass roof onto rows of long, white troughs filled with algae and seawater. A little water wheel in each trough turns to keep the liquid circulating and the growing cells evenly exposed to light and to carbon dioxide-enriched air. Computers maintain a constant temperature. Giant transparent bags of algae varieties waiting to be tested hang from metal beams.

This goop, Venter hopes, will someday replace oil wells, free the planet from its dependency on fossil fuels and create a near-endless supply of energy.

To Read More…

A Better Lithium Battery? M.I.T. Researchers Design a More Energy-dense Lithium-based Battery

Photo by J. Ash Bowie/Wikimedia Commons

By Umair Irfan and ClimateWire  from Scientific America

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have come one step closer to replacing the lithium-ion batteries that power phones, laptops and electric cars with a device that stores far more energy for the same weight.

The device is known as a lithium-air or lithium-oxygen battery. Charged lithium atoms react with the oxygen from air flowing through the apparatus, forming lithium peroxide, and deposit on the structure. The peroxide can then be broken down to release electricity.

In a paper published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, a team of materials scientists and mechanical engineers refined this design and made it hold almost four times the electricity of a lithium-ion battery by weight.

To Read More…

The First True View of Global Erosion

Photo by Eric Portenga

From ScienceDaily

Every mountain and hill shall be made low, declared the ancient prophet Isaiah. In other words: erosion happens. But for the modern geologist a vexing question remains: how fast does this erosion happen?

For more than a century, scientists have looked for ways to measure and compare erosion rates across differing landscapes around the globe — but with limited success.

“Knowing the background rate of erosion for a place is extremely important,” says University of Vermont geologist Paul Bierman, “if you want to compare it to what’s coming off the landscape today because of human impacts like agriculture, development, and forestry.”

To Read More…