Book Review: Environmental sociology: the ecology of late modernity

Burns and Caniglia’s book is an excellent new addition to the growing catalog of resources for teaching environmental sociology and related disciplines to both undergraduate and graduate students. Developing from the authors’ own experience teaching such classes, this book highlights how environmental sociology is uniquely positioned to improve our ability to understand and address our “wicked” (p. 15) environmental problems. By providing an accessible introduction to the origins of sociology and the sociological perspective, this book will be useful for students familiar with sociology and especially useful for those coming to the class with an interest in the environment but less familiarity with the sociological approach

COVID-19, Politics, and Science in Utah: Executive Summary of Research Findings

Daily life in the United States and Utah has changed considerably since the global outbreak of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. On March 6th, 2020, Gary R. Herbert, Governor of the State of Utah, declared a “State of Emergency” in response to pandemic. On March 27th the Governor then issued the “Stay Safe, Stay Home” Directive, which was much less strict than the shelter in place orders seen in other states as it simply urged residents to leave home infrequently, stay 6 feet away from others outside the home, and banned private gatherings larger than 20. At the end of April, the Utah COVID-19 Public Health Risk Status was moved from Red (High Risk) to Orange (Moderate Risk), meaning the Governor’s recent directive was no longer in place as of May 1st

Environmental Conditions and the Fertility Intentions of Utahns

One of the most important decisions a person may make in their lifetime is whether to have children. Many factors shape fertility intentions and outcomes. A better understanding of individual reproductive intentions can shed light on current fertility patterns, enable more accurate population projections1-2 and planning efforts, and improve our ability to address environmental drivers and implications

Utahns are Becoming More Likely to Say Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening

Scientists who study the earth’s climate overwhelmingly agree that human activities are causing rapid change1 . Most Americans also agree that global warming is happening (74%) and caused by humans (61%)2 . However, the same research finds that about one in eight (12%) of Americans do not think global warming is happening. This indicates that despite scientific consensus, some Americans remain skeptical about whether climate change is real and if humans are the cause

Utahns\u27 Perceptions of Climate Change and Disaster Vulnerabilities

Climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, making people more vulnerable in a variety of ways1-2. It is essential to determine if individuals believe they are susceptible to the effects of climate change in order to develop effective adaptation strategies. Climate change has contributed to extreme weather occurrences in Utah in recent years. For instance, in the summer of 2022, there was a severe or extreme drought in all of Utah\u27s counties3. Health effects of drought vary with intensity4 and can cause climate related deaths directly and indirectly, such as by worsening air quality which can increase cardiovascular and pulmonary disease5-8. According to most climate models, such events are likely to continue as temperature is expected to increase and snowpack to decrease in the western U.S. and Utah9. A recent statewide survey found that Utahns are concerned about various environmental and climatic issues including increased temperature, poor air quality, drought/lack of water etc10. Moreover, since 2020, more Utahns agree with the scientific consensus that human activities are causing climate change11. This research brief uses representative statewide survey data from the 2023 Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP) to understand how Utah residents consider themselves vulnerable to climate change, how prepared they think they are for climate change, and if they believe they need to plan or prepare for climate change

Allocation of U.S. Biomass Production to Food, Feed, Fiber, Fuel and Exports

This paper analyzes the end uses—food, feed, fiber, fuel, and exports—of biomass production in the U.S. in 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012. They are also analyzed at the state level in 2012. Biomass production is measured as human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP), an ecological footprint measured as carbon fixed through photosynthesis, derived from data on crop, timber and grazing yields. HANPP was allocated to end uses using publicly available sources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and internet-based sources publishing data on agricultural trade. HANPP was 717–834 megatons (MT) of carbon per year, which comprised 515–615 MT of crop-based, 105–149 MT timber-based, and 64–76 MT of grazed HANPP. Livestock feed commanded the largest proportion, but decreased from 395 (50%) to 305 MT (42%) of all HANPP and 320 to 240 MT (58–44%) of crop-based HANPP. The proportion allocated to exports was stable at 118–141 MT (17–18%) of total HANPP and 112–133 MT (21–23%) of crop-based HANPP. Biofiber decreased from 141 MT (18%) to 97 MT (13%) of all HANPP. Biofuel increased strongly from 11 MT to 98 MT, from 1% to 14% of all HANPP and 2% to 18% of crop-based HANPP, surpassing food and biofiber by 2012. Direct food commanded 89–105 MT, the lowest proportion at 12–13% of all HANPP, and 17–18% of crop-based HANPP. The highly fertile Midwest and the drought-prone Intermountain West stand out as regions where a very small percentage of biomass is allocated to direct human food. The high proportions of biomass production allocated to nonfood uses is consistent with the tragedy of ecosystem services and commodification of nature frameworks. Reducing these proportions presents opportunities for improving ecosystem services, food security, and human well-being

Power, Proximity, and Physiology: Does Income Inequality and Racial Composition Amplify the Impacts of Air Pollution on Life Expectancy in the United States?

This study advances research at the intersection of environmental degradation, social stratification, and population health in the United States. Expanding the theoretical principles of power, proximity, and physiology, we hypothesize that the harmful effect of fine particulate matter on life expectancy is greater in states with higher levels of income inequality and larger black populations. To test our hypothesis, we use two-way fixed effects regression analysis to estimate the effect of a three-way interaction between fine particulate matter, income share of the top ten percent, and the percent of the population that is black on state-level average life expectancy for all US states and the District of Columbia (2000–2014). The findings support our hypothesis: the estimated effect of the three-way interaction on average life expectancy is negative and statistically significant, net of various socioeconomic and demographic controls. Using post-estimation techniques, we visually illustrate that the harmful effect of fine particulate matter on life expectancy is especially pronounced in states with both very high levels of income inequality and very large black populations. We conclude by summarizing the theoretical and substantive implications of our findings, the limitations of the study, and potential next steps in this evolving area of interdisciplinary research

Adsorption of bovine serum albumin on silicon dioxide nanoparticles: Impact of p

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorbed on amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles was studied as a function of pH across the range of 2 to 8. Aggregation, surface charge, surface coverage, and protein structure were investigated over this entire pH range. SiO2 nanoparticle aggregation is found to depend upon pH and differs in the presence of adsorbed BSA. For SiO2 nanoparticles truncated with hydroxyl groups, the largest aggregates were observed at pH 3, close to the isoelectric point of SiO2 nanoparticles, whereas for SiO2 nanoparticles with adsorbed BSA, the aggregate size was the greatest at pH 3.7, close to the isoelectric point of the BSA-SiO2 complex. Surface coverage of BSA was also the greatest at the isoelectric point of the BSA-SiO2 complex with a value of ca. 3 ± 1 × 1011 molecules cm-2. Furthermore, the secondary protein structure was modified when compared to the solution phase at all pH values, but the most significant differences were seen at pH 7.4 and below. It is concluded that protein-nanoparticle interactions vary with solution pH, which may have implications for nanoparticles in different biological fluids (e.g., blood, stomach, and lungs)

Impacts of Climate Change on Multiple Use Management of Bureau of Land Management Land in the Intermountain West, USA

Although natural resource managers are concerned about climate change, many are unable to adequately incorporate climate change science into their adaptation strategies or management plans, and are not always aware of or do not employ the most current scientific knowledge. One of the most prominent natural resource management agencies in the United States is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is tasked with managing over 248 million acres (\u3e1 million km2) of public lands for multiple, often conflicting, uses. Climate change will affect the sustainability of many of these land uses and could further increase conflicts between them. As such, the purpose of our study was to determine the extent to which climate change will affect public land uses, and whether the BLM is managing for such predicted effects. To do so, we first conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature that discussed potential impacts of climate change on the multiple land uses the BLM manages in the Intermountain West, USA, and then expanded these results with a synthesis of projected vegetation changes. Finally, we conducted a content analysis of BLM Resource Management Plans in order to determine how climate change is explicitly addressed by BLM managers, and whether such plans reflect changes predicted by the scientific literature. We found that active resource use generally threatens intrinsic values such as conservation and ecosystem services on BLM land, and climate change is expected to exacerbate these threats in numerous ways. Additionally, our synthesis of vegetation modeling suggests substantial changes in vegetation due to climate change. However, BLM plans rarely referred to climate change explicitly and did not reflect the results of the literature review or vegetation model synthesis. Our results suggest there is a disconnect between management of BLM lands and the best available science on climate change. We recommend that the BLM actively integrates such research into on-the-ground management plans and activities, and that researchers studying the effects of climate change make a more robust effort to understand the practices and policies of public land management in order to effectively communicate the management significance of their findings

The role of healthcare professionals in encouraging parents to see and hold their stillborn baby: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

Background: Globally, during 2013 there were three million recorded stillbirths. Where clinical guidelines exist some recommend that professionals do not encourage parental contact. The guidance is based on quantitative evidence that seeing and holding the baby is not beneficial for everyone, but has been challenged by bereaved parents' organisations. We aim to inform future guideline development through a synthesis of qualitative studies reporting data relevant to the research question; how does the approach of healthcare professionals to seeing and holding the baby following stillbirth impact parents views and experiences? Methods/Findings: Using a predetermined search strategy of PubMed and PsychINFO we identified robust qualitative studies reporting bereaved parental views and/or experiences relating to seeing and holding their stillborn baby (final search 24 February, 2014). Eligible studies were English language, reporting parental views, with gestational loss >20weeks. Quality was independently assessed by three authors using a validated tool. We used meta-ethnographic techniques to identify key themes and a line of argument synthesis. We included 12 papers, representing the views of 333 parents (156 mothers, 150 fathers, and 27 couples) from six countries. The final themes were: "[Still]birth: Nature of care is paramount", "Real babies: Perfect beauties, monsters and spectres", and "Opportunity of a lifetime lost." Our line-of-argument synthesis highlights the contrast between all parents need to know their baby, with the time around birth being the only time memories can be made, and the variable ability that parents have to articulate their preferences at that time. Thus, we hypothesised that how health professionals approach contact between parents and their stillborn baby demands a degree of active management. An important limitation of this paper is all included studies originated from high income, westernised countries raising questions about the findings transferability to other cultural contexts. We do not offer new evidence to answer the question "Should parents see and hold their stillborn baby?", instead our findings advance understanding of how professionals can support parents to make appropriate decisions in a novel, highly charged and dynamic situation. Conclusions: Guidelines could be more specific in their recommendations regarding parental contact. The role of healthcare professionals in encouraging parents to see and hold their stillborn baby is paramount. Parental choice not to see their baby, apprehension, or uncertainty should be continuously revisited in the hours after birth as the opportunity for contact is fleeting and final