This article presents the results of a two year pilot case study of alternative weed control in a northern Canadian community. Investigators tested the efficacy of acetic acid (vinegar) and a domestic herbivore (goats) as invasive weed control alternatives to the use of commercial herbicides in a north central British Columbian municipal setting. Results were positive for using an 8% concentration of vinegar as a control for Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) scop.), although these results were significant only in the second year of applications. Domestic goats demonstrated significant interest in thistle, as well as hawkweed, (Hieracium spp.), two species of horsetail (Equisetum arvense and Equisetum pratense), oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare), and the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Cost estimates suggest that over a five year period, both methods are as cost effective as single application herbicides, while posing fewer concerns over impacts on human and ecosystem health. Both are simple solutions easily implemented, with some planning, even by small municipalities and communities.

Environmental Practice 11:3–16 (2009)

This article reviews scientific, peer-reviewed literature on the costs and benefits of biofuels. Four peer-reviewed journals—Science, Natural Resources Research, Renewable Energy, and Journal of Cleaner Production—were searched for articles from the years 2006 through 2008 that evaluated some aspect of this fuel. The articles identified through this search were then assessed collectively. Non-foodstock biofuels were reported as having the fewest costs associated with their production and use. The article concludes on a sociological note, with a speculative look ahead. Drawing upon the concept of path dependency, the discussion turns briefly to society's ability (or perhaps lack thereof) to switch over to these so-called second-generation biofuels.

Environmental Practice 11:17–24 (2009)

Through source separation of biodegradable material, the Divided Waste Processing model, developed by the authors in Brazil, has the potential of diverting up to 85% of domestic waste away from landfills. Because a maximum diversion using traditional models of selective collection stands at 15%, the value put forward here introduces a new paradigm for consideration by municipal administrations. The success of divided processing of biodegradable and inert material depends on satisfactory source separation, which was demonstrated in residential sectors, condominium buildings, and grade schools. The destinations of biodegradable material were animal feed and compost; the composting operation was carried out in the neighborhoods of the test communities and can be accompanied by the residents. The inert material was disposed of by professional waste retailers. The long-term success of the source-separation procedure depends upon constant monitoring. In one of the test communities, the procedure continues to be operational after six years and diverts 67% of the community's waste from the landfill. The model is available for imitation in other test communities around the same city, until the extrapolation to larger sectors—through the application of appropriate managerial strategies—can be accomplished. Several possible strategies are discussed. Outside Brazil, the application will depend on local situations.

Environmental Practice 11:25–31 (2009)

This study analyzes local institutions plus the practice of participatory decision making for promoting community development in fishing communities in Mozambique. This study covers the evolution of institutions and its impact at the household and community level particularly after the structural adjustments of 1987, which promoted new institutions at central and local levels, as well as the practice of participatory decision making. We combined participatory appraisals, focus-group discussions, and participant observation methods with quantitative data from structured surveys of representative samples for data gathered. Assisted by mode-of-regulation model and community power theory, our results demonstrated that since the policy shift in 1990, and particularly after 1994 (when public participation and decision making were introduced), central and local institutions were created, with some communities showing better results than others. By working together and depending on each other as social support networks, as well as by working with the government, people within fishing communities are generating secondary benefits by jointly building social infrastructure and community consensus to better cope with the impacts of adverse social and economic stresses that often occur in coastal regions of Mozambique. Specific stakeholder perspectives are accessed and analyzed for four time periods from 1987 to 2006.

Environmental Practice 11:32–51 (2009)

Environmental professional certification programs evolved from earlier forms of validation, including apprenticeships, training programs, education programs, and licensing. During the Industrial Revolution, would-be professional artists and artisans apprenticed themselves to practitioners who had earned a favorable reputation. Generations of mentors and students proved themselves by practicing their trades, and, if they did what they did well, they did well. Our Information Age, however, has imposed new requirements on many practitioners. Beyond training, they might need certificates attesting to training, degrees attesting to learning, and licenses allowing them to practice. The Information Age, ironically, was compensating for information inadequacy, as the number of practitioners and specialties grew and as the distances over which practitioners were recruited expanded more rapidly than word of mouth and thus more rapidly than reputation.