Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 308-326). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Waikato, 2009. / Title from PDF cover (viewed July 10, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 316-340)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2008. / A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Education, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2000. / Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that affect the dissolution of a suite of trace metals from aerosols into seawater from wet and dry deposition, with a focus on important trace metals: manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and lead (Pb). To this end, aerosol and rainwater samples were collected from Tudor Hill (Bermuda) and Penlee Point (Cornwall) atmospheric observatories and surface seawater samples were collected from the Sargasso Sea and the Celtic Sea. These representative aerosol, rainwater and seawater samples were used in aerosol leaching and rainwater mixing experiments, which simulated the processes of mixing and trace metal dissolution following wet and dry deposition as closely as possible within the laboratory. Key variables were changed to investigate the effect of aerosol source/composition, seawater temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration and organic ligand amendments on aerosol and rainwater trace metal dissolution. Results for aerosol leaching experiments revealed that changes to key physico-chemical conditions had little effect on the amount of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Pb leached from aerosols and therefore plausible future changes in ocean surface temperature, pH and oxygenation are unlikely to affect the flux of these important trace metals to surface waters. Conversely, aerosol source and composition had a significant effect on the dissolution of aerosol Fe, Co and Pb, with the most anthropogenically influenced aerosol samples displaying the highest solubilities. Therefore, future changes in land use and fossil fuel combustion are likely to affect the flux of these metals to the surface ocean. Fractional solubilities were in the range of 50 – 104% for Mn, 0.3 – 3.2% for Fe, 29 – 58% for Co, 40 – 85% for Ni and 67 – 112% for Pb. In addition, novel empirical relationships were found between the fractional solubilities of Fe, Co and Pb and enrichment factors for antimony, vanadium, Ni and Cu. This suggests that these fractional solubilities in seawater could be predicted using only total aerosol trace metal concentrations. The use of ultrafiltration provided unique insight into the size fractionation (colloidal 0.02 – 0.4 μm; soluble < 0.02 μm) of dissolved aerosol trace metals and showed Fe and Pb were mostly colloidal (77 – 98% colloidal), Mn and Co were mostly soluble (0 – 48% colloidal) and Ni showed a mixed profile (6 – 58% colloidal) when released from aerosols into ambient seawater. However, in the presence of a sufficient concentration of strong organic ligands the majority colloidal Fe was converted to soluble Fe (up to 100% soluble). Some of these organic ligands were also able to increase the soluble fraction of dissolved aerosol Mn. Similarly, the presence of organic ligands in rainwater maintained Mn, Fe, Co, Cu and Pb in the dissolved phase following delivery by rain into seawater. Rainwater ligands had no effect on the typically varied size fractionation profile of Mn, Fe, Co and Cu in rainwater mixed with seawater, UV-irradiation of rainwater, however, shifted the size fractionation of Pb in rainwater/seawater mixtures from 80 – 100% colloidal to 13 – 63% soluble, indicating that Pb-binding rainwater ligands are either colloidal or attached to colloidal matter. These findings highlight the importance of organic ligands in rainwater and seawater for retaining trace metal micronutrients and toxicants in the surface ocean, with implications for primary production.

Water-associated diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and are a barrier to sustainable development in many regions. Human pressures on the environment resulting in large-scale changes to land and water resources have been implicated in these health challenges. In this context, developing sustainable interventions requires a more integrative understanding of the complexity and relationships between these processes, as well as policy-relevant research that supports decision-makers. By applying a vulnerability framework to water-associated disease, this dissertation explored social and ecological determinants that mediate transmission at different scales. Vulnerability was conceptualized as the propensity of a system to be adversely impacted by a water-associated disease, described by dimensions of exposure, susceptibility and resilience. Based on this framework, a water-associated disease index (WADI) and mapping approach was developed, and applied to the case of dengue at a national level in Malaysia. The findings identified heterogeneous patterns of vulnerability, including regions experiencing consistently low and high vulnerability, as well as areas with changing conditions due to strong seasonal exposure. The WADI was further applied to assess the dynamic nature of vulnerability to water-associated disease in northeastern Brazil. Changes across the region due to short-term seasonal trends as well as long-term trends between time periods 2000 and 2010 were identified. These findings illustrated the importance of long-term global environmental changes such as land use intensification and growing urban population density, as well as short-term seasonal changes. In addition to the WADI analysis, qualitative research at a local level was conducted to investigate spatial perceptions of vulnerable places within a community. Findings illustrated different understanding of mosquito breeding sites among residents in the study areas, suggesting potential differences in susceptibility to dengue despite similar levels of exposure on a large scale. Overall, this dissertation highlights the need for a comprehensive understanding of vulnerability to water-associated disease, achieved by considering complex spatiotemporal relationships as well as local perspectives. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>Environmental sustainability is increasingly threatened by large-scale changes to the natural environment that could significantly affect human and ecosystem health. In addition, changes to the social, political, economic and physical environment will impact populations globally.<strong> </strong>Sustainable behaviour change is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate related impacts, and develop the capacity to adapt to future climate and environmental changes. Towards these ends, it is necessary to understand how members of the public perceive and behave in relation to global environmental change. This research begins to explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Canadians related to global environmental change and health. In particular, this thesis focuses on results from qualitative, semi-structured in-depth interviews (n=22) with adults (18+) in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. Participants were asked about individual and community health, knowledge and attitudes of global environmental change, actions taken to mitigate environmental change, and potential behaviour change mechanisms. Results indicate that although participants are environmentally aware and concerned about local environmental issues (eg. air pollution), detailed knowledge of specific causes, impacts and risks of climate change and global warming is limited. While the majority of respondents expressed concern about global environmental change, there was also skepticism around the causes and impacts in the Golden Horseshoe Region. Participants demonstrated a willingness to act in environmentally friendly ways, and respondents described possible environmentally-friendly activities such as recycling and reducing energy consumption. Decreasing cost, and increasing time, convenience, and enjoyment were described as incentives to undertake behaviour change. The main contribution of this thesis is the advancement of knowledge related to the public perception of climate change, global warming, and global environmental change as important emerging environmental health risks. Results are discussed relative to policy implications and directions for future research.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

Global civilisation, and therefore population health, is threatened by excessive inequality, weapons of mass destruction, inadequate economic and political theory and adverse global environmental change. The unequal distribution of global foreign exchange adjusted income is both a cause and a reflection of global social characteristics responsible for many aspects of these inter-related crises. ¶ The global distribution of foreign exchange adjusted income for the period 1964-1999 is examined. Using data for more than 99% of the global population, a substantial divergence in its distribution is found. The global Gini co-efficient, adjusted for national income inequality, increased from an already high value of 71% in 1964 to peak at more than 80% in 1995, before falling, very slightly, to 79% in 1999. The global distribution of purchasing parity power income is also examined, for a similar period. Though also found to be extremely unequal, its trend has not been to increased inequality. Implications of the differences between these two trends are discussed. ¶ A weighted time series index of global environmental change (IGEC) for the period 1960-1997 was also calculated. This uses nine categories of global time series environmental data, each scaled so that 100% represents the level of each category in nature prior to anthropogenic change; zero represents decline to a critical point. This index fell from 82% in 1960 to 55% in 1997, and will further decline during this century. ¶ Using evidence from several disciplines, it is argued that the decline in the IGEC correlates with major macro-environmental changes, which, combined with flawed social responses to scarcity and its perception, place at risk the ability of civilisation to function. This could occur because of the interaction of conflict, economically disastrous extreme climatic events, deterioration of other ecosystem services, regional food and water insecurity, and currently unforeseen events. Uncertainty regarding both a safe rate of decline and the tolerable nadir of the IGEC is substantial. ¶ Substantial reduction in the inequality of foreign exchange adjusted income is vital to enhance the development of policies able to reverse the decline in the environmental goods which underpin civilisation, and to promote the co-operation needed to maximise the chance that civilisation will survive.

dissertation submitted to the faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 2015. / Global environmental change due to anthropogenic activity results in alterations to the Earth’s biogeochemical cycles. This study focused on nitrogen and sulphur deposition, which results in the acidification of ecosystems. Alterations to these processes will have an effect on the diversity and ecophysiology of the vegetation; moreover, little is known about the long-term impacts on the vegetation structure and composition. Increased development, mining and industrialization, within the Waterberg area, particularly with the construction of the Medupi power station, have resulted in this area coming under study. The impacts of additional air pollution to the vegetation in this area are currently unknown. The aim of this research was to determine whether increased ambient levels of atmospheric nitrogen and sulphur, resulting from the power stations, will impact the structure, functional type and the composition of the vegetation, and the resultant impacts on vegetation structure and growth as a result of the added nitrogen and sulphur to the system and increased acidity. A baseline of quantitative data was needed in order for future comparisons to be made to assess whether biodiversity is changing and at what rate. One part of the study involved the collection of baseline vegetation data along a pre-determined transect in the Waterberg area. A transect was identified which could serve as a vehicle for monitoring changes over time, with areas downwind of the Matimba and Medupi power stations assumed to be more impacted than areas upwind. The two downwind sites and the two sites closest to the power stations were found to have the highest beta diversities, with the two downwind sites having a value of 0.60 and the downwind Landelani site and upwind Withoutpan site having a value of 0.53. The high species variation between these sites may already be an indication of pollution impacts within the area. The downwind site closest to the power stations, Landelani, is particularly vulnerable as it has a high Shannon diversity index, with a value of 2.84, and high tree biomass, 46.64 tonnes/ha, with low tree density, 625 trees per hectare. iii Functional groups are assumed to react similarly under changing environmental conditions. The second part of this research focussed on photosynthetic pathways, by using two C3 woody species and two C4 grasses. The experiment was conducted in the greenhouse at the University of the Witwatersrand and showed that both tree and both grass species selected were sensitive to sulphur additions to varying degrees. Additionally Acacia sieberiana was found to be sensitive to nitrogen addition, however Combretum erythrophyllum responded to nitrogen when it was added alone. A positive response to nitrogen was seen in both grass species; however the positive response was negated by the addition of any sulphur in Eragrostis curvula. In Panicum maximum the positive response in growth to nitrogen addition exceeded any negative effects from the sulphur addition. The results of plant growth to increasing soil acidity were different between functional groups and within functional groups. A relationship between the increase in the average above and below ground mass was found to exist with a decrease in soil acidity in Acacia sieberiana (R2 = 0.45). A relationship between an increase in the average above and below ground mass with a decrease in soil acidity in Eragrostis curvula was also seen (R2 = 0.31). Changes to the structure and composition of vegetation in this area will impact land use and the management thereof, impacting land users and owners ability to generate an income and therefore their livelihoods. Changes to vegetation structure and composition will also have a greater overall effect by impacting ecosystem functioning and resilience to future disturbances.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 5 June 2017. / Environmental reporting is largely voluntary for companies, unlike financial reporting which has well set standards for measurement, reporting, auditing and governing laws based on IFRS and GAAP. A driver such as a stock exchange is able to act as a “regulating body” that requires a minimum reporting standard for companies listed on the stock exchange. Stock exchanges have an ethical responsibility to encourage companies listed with them to be environmental stewards to provide investors with responsible investment opportunities. This study provides an understanding of the quality of environmental guidelines presented by international stock exchanges compared to key global environmental concerns. The aim of this dissertation was to assess and compare sustainability guidelines provided by selected stock exchanges, with specific focus on key global environmental concerns. The objectives were (1) to assess the existing environmental reporting requirements of 19 stock exchanges across all continents, (2) to determine how the JSE environmental reporting guidelines compared to those of other stock exchanges, (3) to compare 20 JSE listed companies’ environmental reports based on the presence and quality of data, (4) to compare what companies reported to what the JSE required and (5) to identify possible differences in reporting between the impact levels and industries of companies. A Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) was developed by identifying seven key global environmental concerns (resources; biodiversity; water; energy; emissions, pollution and waste; products and services; and supply chain management) that were common themes from the MEA (2005) and UNEP Ecosystem Management policy (2010). A five tier scoring system specific to assessing reporting guidelines and another five tier scoring system specific to assessing company environmental reports were used. Nineteen stock exchange guidelines were assessed to represent both developing and developed countries and all regions (Africa, America, Australasia and Europe). Overall, the stock exchange guidelines addressed the key global environmental concerns rather poorly. There were no differences in the quality of guidelines for stock exchanges that recommended guidelines in developing or developed countries. There were no differences found in the guidelines of stock exchanges operating in different regions. There were differences in the focus on key global environmental concerns by the guidelines. The environmental information reported by twenty companies spanning three impact levels and seven industries was also assessed. The companies in the high and medium impact levels iv reported similarly and better than the companies in the low impact levels. There were differences found in the way companies reported according to the different industries as well as differences in the way companies addressed the key global environmental concerns. Even though the JSE’s developed guidelines did not account for resources and biodiversity, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting guidelines that the JSE recommended to their listed companies covered these categories. Companies reported voluntarily on the categories because they may understand the importance of managing resources and biodiversity for the sustainability of their business. Stock exchanges are faced with a variety of companies at different impact levels representing different industries, making it difficult to provide a minimum set of environmental reporting guidelines. Stock exchanges should require companies to report on all key global environmental concerns identified in this study, but should not dictate how the companies report on them. Global environmental reporting standards may be better suited with a global sustainability body like the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB) that is able to provide global standards for all companies. Companies need to change the way that they do business, the benefits of reporting on environmental performance outweigh the risks of not reporting and managing these impacts. Sustainability reporting and best practise today may be the compliance of the future. Stakeholders are increasingly expecting companies to contribute more to environmental sustainability. Companies are essential in building a resilient planet that will be able to feed a growing population that will increase from seven to nine billion people by 2050. Key words: Environmental Sustainability; Johannesburg Stock Exchange; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment; Sustainability Balanced Score Card Approach; United Nations Environment Programme Ecosystem Management Policy / GR2018