Climate change,Atlantic storm activity and the regional socio-economic impacts on the Caribbean

Forecasting the likely economic losses arising from North Atlantic hurricanes is high on the agenda of both Caribbean and North American stakeholders. This paper develops a general equilibrium framework to conduct an impact assessment of climate change and hurricane formation. General equilibrium analysis accounts for not only primary effects but also feedback effects. The model simulations suggest that output losses occurring due to hurricanes are likely to have economy-wide effects. However, the rural economies of the region are likely to suffer the greatest (relative) effects. The findings of this study suggest that rural livelihoods should be mainstreamed in any adaptation initiatives adopted by the region. Ignoring these neighbourhood features in adaptation plans could negatively impact on poverty and unemployment in rural areas.     

Resident Involvement in Natural Resource Management: open space conservation design in practice

The open space conservation sub-division offers an alternative to large-lot residential sub-divisions often seen as the culprit when urban sprawl transforms rural landscapes. Homes are sited on somewhat smaller lots, preserving natural areas for the local residents who share ownership of these communal areas and assume responsibility for their management. The article focuses on the experiences of residents of 13 relatively new open space communities. The interviews revealed that most of the communities have already confronted conflicting values with respect to natural areas, low resident participation and challenges in accessing appropriate information. While the open space conservation design holds great promise as a tool for innovative approaches to managing residential growth, it also calls for ways to anticipate and assist communities in caring for their local environment. Recommendations are offered for planning professionals based upon the experience of these open space community residents.     

Effects of 10% biofuel substitution on ground level ozone formation in Bangkok,Thailand

The Thai Government's search for alternatives to imported petroleum led to the consideration of mandating 10% biofuel blends (biodiesel and gasohol) by 2012. Concerns over the effects of biofuel combustion on ground level ozone formation in relation to their conventional counterparts need addressing. Ozone formation in Bangkok is explored using a trajectory box model. The model is compared against O₃, NO, and NO₂ time concentration data from air monitoring stations operated by the Thai Pollution Control Department. Four high ozone days in 2006 were selected for modeling. Both the traditional trajectory approach and a citywide average approach were used. The model performs well with both approaches but slightly better with the citywide average. Highly uncertain and missing data are derived within realistic bounds using a genetic algorithm optimization. It was found that 10% biofuel substitution will lead to as much as a 16 ppb peak O₃ increase on these four days compared to a 48 ppb increase due to the predicted vehicle fleet size increase between 2006 and 2012. The approach also suggests that when detailed meteorological data is not available to run three dimensional airshed models, and if the air is stagnant or predominately remains over an urban area during the day, that a simple low cost trajectory analysis of O₃ formation may be applicable.     

Evaluation of human urine as a source of nutrients for selected vegetables and maize under tunnel house conditions in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

The introduction of ecological sanitation (ECOSAN) toilets in South Africa has created opportunities for safer sanitation and recycling of human excreta, as fertilizers, in rural and peri-urban areas. A study was carried out to evaluate the fertilizer value of human urine (0 to 400 kg N ha(-1)) for maize and tomato, compared to urea, in a tunnel house. Dry matter yield of both maize and tomato, harvested at 9 and 10 weeks after planting, respectively, increased with increasing N rate (both as urine or urea) up to 200 kg N ha(-1). Urea reduced soil electrical conductivity (EC) whereas urine increased it. Leaf tissue Na, in both crops, also increased with urine application. A follow-up study was carried out with two crops with contrasting sensitivity to salinity and using a wider range of N application (0 to 800 kg N ha(-1)). The results indicated increased root and leaf dry-matter yield of beetroot (tolerant to salinity) with increased urine rates up to the highest rate of 800 kg N ha(-1), whereas the leaf and root dry-matter yield of carrot, which is sensitive to salinity, peaked at the low urine application rate of 50 kg N ha(-1). Soil EC increased with urine application up to 4.64 and 13.35 mS cm(-1), under beetroot and carrot, respectively. Generally the results showed that human urine compared well with urea as a source of N for crops but optimum rates depend on the sensitivity of the crops to soil salinity, which should be monitored where human urine is regularly used for fertilizing crops.     

Changes in Use of Three Oregon, USA, Wildernesses

/ Several studies have suggested that use of wildernesses within national forests is declining. Data from three wildernesses in Oregon (based on mandatory permits and voluntary registration) indicate that between 1976 and 1991 in two areas and between 1980 and 1993 in another area the number of recreational visitor days (RVDs) has declined between 23% and 63%. However, the number of visits has remained roughly stable in one area and more than doubled in the other two. The disparity between the two measures of use may be the result of shifts from mainly overnight to mainly day use in these wildernesses. Day use has increased from about 30% to over 60% of all visits. Trends are different enough in each wilderness to warrant independent analyses over time. Management implications of using different measures of use as well as observed trends are discussed.KEY WORDS: Wilderness management; Wilderness use; Trends     

Quantitative Pollution Spill Risk Assessment: Using A Gis-Based System

Federal and State agencies have recently advocated risk-based analysis as a mechanism for advancing regulatory reform and safety determination in marine systems. the present investigation promotes this objective through the development of risk-based environmental planning strategies for oil spill contingency plans. This alternative approach to contingency planning departs from conventional methodology by employing quantitative risk assessment methods to identify hazardous oil spill zones and sensitive environmental areas, R_o and R_e respectively. the product of this conversion is referenced on a single “Risk” layer within a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework allowing coastal managers to evaluate natural resource data with associated elements of oil spill risk. As a new tool for coastal pollution management, risk-based environmental planning strategies have shown potential for evolving more efficient oil spill contingency plans.     

Ring testing of the AnBUSDiC test; a new screening method for the anaerobic degradability of surfactants

The project focuses on the efficiency of combined technologies to reduce the release of micropollutants and bacteria into surface waters via sewage treatment plants of different size and via stormwater overflow basins of different types. As a model river in a highly populated catchment area, the river Schussen and, as a control, the river Argen, two tributaries of Lake Constance, Southern Germany, are under investigation in this project. The efficiency of the different cleaning technologies is monitored by a wide range of exposure and effect analyses including chemical and microbiological techniques as well as effect studies ranging from molecules to communities.     

When does quality of relationships with coworkers predict burnout over time? The moderating role of work motivation

The present prospective study examines the interplay between the quality of relationships with coworkers and work motivation in predicting burnout. Considering self-determined motivation at work as a potential moderator, we investigated whether relationships with coworkers are equally important to all employees in preventing burnout. A total of 533 college employees participated in this study. Data were collected at two time points, two years apart. Results from structural equation modeling indicated negative main effects for high-quality relationships and self-determined motivation on burnout. A significant interaction effect between these two factors on burnout was also revealed, suggesting that high-quality relationships with coworkers is crucial for those employees who exhibit less self-determined work motivation. Implications for burnout research and management practices are discussed (Deci & Ryan, 1985 ). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sociodemographic effects on place bonding

Patterns of amenity migration and recreational home development in much of the USA since the 1990s are changing the local sociodemographic make-up and the relationships formed among people and place. We use the psychological constructs of place attachment, place identity, and place dependence to assess differences in these relationships among new and long-time residents and absentee and local residents in three rural counties in the Inland Northwest. We measured place bonding using data from a mail survey of local (n = 531) and absentee (n = 239) property owners. We compared structural models suggested in the literature on the psychology of place, and found that a two-dimensional model representing place attachment and place identity was appropriate for both local and absentee property owners. Local owners exhibited stronger place attachment and place identity than absentee owners. Place bonding constructs were also substantially less impacted by the total number of years a property owner had resided on his or her property than by the number of months per year they lived on the property. The findings indicate that sociodemographic changes such as those manifested in second-home development may lead to a population that is less emotionally, behaviorally, and cognitively connected to the places in question, while sociodemographic changes from permanent in-migration may have a substantially smaller effect on place bonding.     

A Simplified Aerosol Coagulation Model

A simplified aerosol coagulation model has been developed, to determine the mutual coagulation of many discrete size classes. The model has been applied to computation of the growth of light scattering particles from a small monodisperse aerosol, and prediction of aerosol size and concentration downwind of sources. These computations are in good agreement with field observations. This model is sufficiently simplified to allow programming In contemporary desk calculators and is an extremely practical tool for application of aerosol technology to air pollution problems.