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Human–environment interactions at a short-lived Arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation
- Frigga Kruse, Gary R. Nobles, Martha de Jong, Rosanne M. K. van Bodegom, G. J. M. (Gert) van Oortmerssen, Jildou Kooistra, Mathilde van den Berg, Hans Christian Küchelmann, Mans Schepers, Elisabeth H. P. Leusink, Bardo A. Cornelder, J. D. (Hans) Kruijer, Michael W. Dee
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- Journal:
- Polar Record / Volume 57 / 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 11 January 2021, e3
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- Article
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- Open access
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Arctic mining has a bad reputation because the extractive industry is often responsible for a suite of environmental problems. Yet, few studies explore the gap between untouched tundra and messy megaproject from a historical perspective. Our paper focuses on Advent City as a case study of the emergence of coal mining in Svalbard (Norway) coupled with the onset of mining-related environmental change. After short but intensive human activity (1904–1908), the ecosystem had a century to respond, and we observe a lasting impact on the flora in particular. With interdisciplinary contributions from historical archaeology, archaeozoology, archaeobotany and botany, supplemented by stable isotope analysis, we examine 1) which human activities initially asserted pressure on the Arctic environment, 2) whether the miners at Advent City were “eco-conscious,” for example whether they showed concern for the environment and 3) how the local ecosystem reacted after mine closure and site abandonment. Among the remains of typical mining infrastructure, we prioritised localities that revealed the subtleties of long-term anthropogenic impact. Significant pressure resulted from landscape modifications, the import of non-native animals and plants, hunting and fowling, and the indiscriminate disposal of waste material. Where it was possible to identify individual inhabitants, these shared an economic attitude of waste not, want not, but they did not hold the environment in high regard. Ground clearances, animal dung and waste dumps continue to have an effect after a hundred years. The anthropogenic interference with the fell field led to habitat creation, especially for vascular plants. The vegetation cover and biodiversity were high, but we recorded no exotic or threatened plant species. Impacted localities generally showed a reduction of the natural patchiness of plant communities, and highly eutrophic conditions were unsuitable for liverworts and lichens. Supplementary isotopic analysis of animal bones added data to the marine reservoir offset in Svalbard underlining the far-reaching potential of our multi-proxy approach. We conclude that although damaging human–environment interactions formerly took place at Advent City, these were limited and primarily left the visual impact of the ruins. The fell field is such a dynamic area that the subtle anthropogenic effects on the local tundra may soon be lost. The fauna and flora may not recover to what they were before the miners arrived, but they will continue to respond to new post-industrial circumstances.
Contributors
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- By Chittima Aryuthaka, William J. Baker, Chris Banks, David R. Bellwood, David Bickford, Rafe M. Brown, Mark de Bruyn, Patrick Campbell, Charles H. Cannon, Gary R. Carvalho, Craig M. Costion, Thomas L. P. Couvreur, Ben J. Evans, Nicholas J. Evans, Matthias Glaubrecht, David J. Gower, Robert Hall, Fabian Herder, Aljosja Hooijer, Agata Hoscilo, Chawaporn Jittanoon, Kenneth G. Johnson, Michael A. Kendall, Peter B. Mather, Yaowaluk Monthum, Robert J. Morley, Alexandra N. Muellner, Vincent Nijman, Les R. Noble, Kevin M. O’Neill, Susan Page, Gordon L. J. Paterson, Sinlan Poo, Mary Rose C. Posa, Richard Ree, Willem Renema, James E. Richardson, Jack Rieley, Kristina von Rintelen, Thomas von Rintelen, Brian R. Rosen, Lukas Rüber, Christoph D. Schubart, Chris R. Shepherd, Bryan L. Stuart, Matthew Todd, Campbell O. Webb, Suzanne T. Williams, John van Wyhe
- Edited by David Gower, Natural History Museum, London, Kenneth Johnson, Natural History Museum, London, James Richardson, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Brian Rosen, Natural History Museum, London, Lukas Rüber, Suzanne Williams, Natural History Museum, London
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- Book:
- Biotic Evolution and Environmental Change in Southeast Asia
- Published online:
- 05 August 2012
- Print publication:
- 19 July 2012, pp vii-x
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20 - The Promise of Vaccines and the Influenza Vaccine Shortage of 2004: Public and Private Partnerships
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- By Gary R. Noble, Public health physician, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Johnson & Johnson
- Michael A. Santoro, Rutgers University, New Jersey, Thomas M. Gorrie
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- Book:
- Ethics and the Pharmaceutical Industry
- Published online:
- 04 December 2009
- Print publication:
- 31 October 2005, pp 352-360
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Summary
INFLUENZA VACCINES
The shortage of influenza virus vaccine in the United States in late 2004 illustrates the major challenges that the United States faces in consistently providing reliable supplies of vaccines. The lack of a reliable market and a return on investment left only two manufacturers of inactivated influenza vaccine in the United States. The loss of vaccine supply from one of these manufacturers created a severe shortage of vaccine, with the result that many individuals considered to be at increased risk of complications from influenza infection could not obtain vaccination. (Although the recent introduction of an attenuated live influenza virus vaccine administered intranasally has added a third supplier in the United States, this vaccine has been approved for use only in otherwise healthy individuals between the ages of five and fifty years. However, these age groups are not those at highest risk of complications from influenza virus infections.)
Millions of unused influenza vaccine doses are discarded over the years due to the vagaries of influenza epidemic severity and vaccine usage, as well as the complexities of vaccine production and the fact that the new vaccines produced each year must contain the most contemporary variants of the three strains of influenza expected to cause illness in the next influenza season. Although vaccine liability concerns add additional uncertainty for manufacturers of vaccines, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) has greatly reduced the liability risks for these manufacturers.