The role of NIMBY in opposing the siting of wind farms: evidence from Greece

This paper aims to assess the relative importance of a NIMBY (‘Not-In-My-Back-Yard’) stance on an individual's opposition to the siting of a wind farm vis-à-vis other predictors, such as perceived effects (costs, risks and benefits associated with the project), perceived fairness of the siting decision and societal trust. Data originate from two case studies, a small wind farm of just two wind turbines in southern Greece and a mega-project of 153 turbines on the Greek island of Lesvos (aggregate N = 334). We use structural equation modelling (SEM) for testing the theoretically-suggested relations between the various constructs. We find that NIMBY is not the most important predictor of opposition while it is strongly correlated with other predictors, such as the perceived unfairness of the siting decision as well as the risks and costs associated with the wind farm. These latter findings undermine the common-sense idea that wishing a wind farm out of one's vicinity (‘Not-In-My-Back-Yard’) is an example of mere ‘free-riding’. Since the fit of the SEM models was found to be moderate, we discuss the limitations of our study and the implications of our findings as well as suggesting pathways for future research.     

Vegetative buffers for fan emissions from poultry farms: 1. temperature and foliar nitrogen

This study sought to evaluate the potential of trees planted around commercial poultry farms to trap ammonia (NH₃), the gas of greatest environmental concern to the poultry industry. Four plant species (Norway spruce, Spike hybrid poplar, Streamco willow, and hybrid willow) were planted on eight commercial farms from 2003 to 2004. Because temperature (T) can be a stressor for trees, T was monitored in 2005 with data loggers among the trees in front of the exhaust fans (11.4 to 17.7 m) and at a control distance away from the fans (48 m) during all four seasons in Pennsylvania. Norway spruce (Picea abies) foliage samples were taken in August 2005 from one turkey and two layer farms for dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) analysis. The two layer farms had both Norway spruce and Spike hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides × Populus nigra) plantings sampled as well allowing comparisons of species and the effect of plant location near the fans versus a control distance away. Proximity to the fans had a clear effect on spruce foliar N with greater concentrations downwind of the fans than at control distances (3.03 vs. 1.88%; P ≤ 0.0005). Plant location was again a significant factor for foliar N of both poplar and spruce on the two farms with both species showing greater N adjacent to the fans compared to the controls (3.75 vs. 2.32%; P ≤ 0.0001). Pooled foliar DM of both plants was also greater among those near the fans (56.17, fan vs. 44.67%, control; P ≤ 0.005). Species differences were also significant showing the potential of poplar to retain greater foliar N than spruce (3.52 vs. 2.55%; P ≤ 0.001) with less DM (46.00 vs. 54.83%; P ≤ 0.05) in a vegetative buffer setting. The results indicated plants were not stressed by the T near exhaust fans with mean seasonal T (13.04 vs. 13.03°C, respectively) not significantly different from controls. This suggested poultry house exhaust air among the trees near the fans would not result in dormancy stressors on the plants compared to controls away from the fans.     

盐度、C：N对SBR工艺处理海水产品养殖场废水的影响

海水产品养殖场废水中碳、氮的浓度很高，通过序批式反应器（SBR）处理，能有效的降低碳、氮的浓度。在常温（20℃-25℃）条件下，我们检测了不同盐度、C：N下的处理效果，以期实现SBR工艺运行参数的最优化。实验结果表明：盐度为2．5％～3．5％，C：N为10：1的条件下，除碳和生物脱氮的效果最佳。实验验证了SBR工艺在海水产品养殖场废水处理中可以作为一个非常有效的处理手段而应用。     

Vegetative buffers for fan emissions from poultry farms: 2. ammonia,dust and foliar nitrogen

This study evaluated the potential of trees planted around commercial poultry farms to trap ammonia (NH₃) and dust or particulate matter (PM). Norway spruce, Spike hybrid poplar, hybrid willow, and Streamco purpleosier willow were planted on five commercial farms from 2003 to 2004. Plant foliage was sampled in front of the exhaust fans and at a control distance away from the fans on one turkey, two laying hen, and two broiler chicken farms between June and July 2006. Samples were analyzed for dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), and PM content. In addition, NH₃ concentrations were measured downwind of the exhaust fans among the trees and at a control distance using NH₃ passive dosi–tubes. Foliage samples were taken and analyzed separately based on plant species. The two layer farms had both spruce and poplar plantings whereas the two broiler farms had hybrid willow and Streamco willow plantings which allowed sampling and species comparisons with the effect of plant location (control vs. fan). The results showed that NH₃ concentration h^{? 1} was reduced by distance from housing fans (P ≤ 0.0001), especially between 0 m (12.01 ppm), 11.4 m (2.59 ppm), 15 m (2.03 ppm), and 30 m (0.31 ppm). Foliar N of plants near the fans was greater than those sampled away from the fans for poplar (3.87 vs. 2.56%; P ≤ 0.0005) and hybrid willow (3.41 vs. 3.02%; P ≤ 0.05). The trends for foliar N in spruce (1.91 vs. 1.77%; P = 0.26) and Streamco willow (3.85 vs. 3.33; P = 0.07) were not significant. Pooling results of the four plant species indicated greater N concentration from foliage sampled near the fans than of that away from the fans (3.27 vs. 2.67%; P ≤ 0.0001). Foliar DM concentration was not affected by plant location, and when pooled the foliar DM of the four plant species near the fans was 51.3% in comparison with 48.5% at a control distance. There was a significant effect of plant location on foliar N and DM on the two layer farms with greater N and DM adjacent to fans than at a control distance (2.95 vs. 2.15% N and 45.4 vs. 38.2% DM, respectively). There were also significant plant species effects on foliar N and DM with poplar retaining greater N (3.22 vs. 1.88%) and DM (43.7 vs. 39.9%) than spruce. The interaction of location by species (P ≤ 0.005) indicated that poplar was more responsive in terms of foliar N, but less responsive for DM than spruce. The effect of location and species on foliar N and DM were not clear among the two willow species on the broiler farms. Plant location had no effect on plant foliar PM weight, but plant species significantly influenced the ability of the plant foliage to trap PM with spruce and hybrid willow showing greater potential than poplar and Streamco willow for PM_2.5(0.0054, 0.0054, 0.0005, and 0.0016 mg cm^{? 2}; P ≤ 0.05) and total PM (0.0309, 0.0102, 0.0038, and 0.0046 mg cm^{? 2}, respectively; P ≤ 0.001). Spruce trapped more dust compared to the other three species (hybrid willow, poplar, and Streamco willow) for PM₁₀ (0.0248 vs. 0.0036 mg cm^{? 2}; P ≤ 0.0001) and PM_{> 10} (0.0033 vs. 0.0003 mg cm^{? 2}; P = 0.052). This study indicates that poplar, hybrid willow, and Streamco willow are appropriate species to absorb poultry house aerial NH₃–N, whereas spruce and hybrid willow are effective traps for dust and its associated odors.     

Structural trends in agriculture and preservation of family farms

The characteristics and role of the family farm have profoundly influenced the quality of human ecology. Considerable debate exists about the role of the family farm in the United States. This article attempts to clarify aspects of this debate by: (a) examining various definitions of the family farm and the conclusions that flow from these definitions, (b) presenting results of a structural analysis of American agriculture to better understand the origins of the debate and the relationship between people and agriculture, and (c) discussing the relevancy of some data and concepts used in evaluating the consequences of the structure of the agricultural sector.     

Impact evaluation of agrotechnologies in watersheds

The special project RAISA (Advanced Researches for Innovation in Agricultural Systems) of the National Research Council of Italy concerns the development of new methodologies for the study and evaluation of the impact of agrotechnologies on the environment. In the project, several trans-disciplinary Units have worked together since 1990. The aim of the project is to define systems, using tools such as remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems, for decision making support in land planning and land use management, with particular attention to groudwater table pollution. The fundamental steps for evaluation of the impact of agrotechnologies on the Po river watershed, 75,000 km² in northern Italy, and Tevere (Tiber) river watershed, 17.169 km² in Central Italy are described here. The study concerns particular areas located in the western part of the Po River plain, where flooded rice is the main crop, and in the central plain of the Tevere basin where the risk of water pollution is considerable, due to small and medium sized swine breeding farms. The aspects considered were water pollution due to mineral nitrogen used to fertilize the rice crop and the nitrogen contained in the waste water from pig farms. For the Po river basin the methodology developed was based on the integration of satellite remote sensing images, and the available cartography, such as topographic and thematic maps, together with the hydrological and the toxicological data of the chemical fertilizers employed, summarized in maps of the groundwater table pollution hazard. A simpler evaluation was obtained in the Tevere river basin: the thematic layers were crossed in bi-directional matrices and the result merged with the map of the territorial distributionof the swine. In both cases the selected information was integrated and processed in Integrated sub-basin scale. The GISs led to the development of a user-friendly system for formalizing our knowledge of the degree of pollution hazard in simple and readable maps.Research supported by National Research Council of Italy, Special Project RAISA, sub-project N. 1 Paper N.     

Genetically engineered herbicide resistance,part two

Should we continue to support publicly funded research on genetically engineered herbicide resistant crops? In Part One, I discussed the difference between science and ethics, presented a brief history of weed control, and explained three moral principles undergirding my environmentalist perspective. I then argued that unqualified endorsement (E) of the research is unjustified, as is unqualified opposition (O). In Part Two, I argue against qualified endorsement (QE), and for qualified opposition (QO).     

吉林省畜禽养殖污染现状及防治对策

畜禽养殖污染问题已经越来越引起社会的关注。畜禽粪污处理不当会污染地表水及地下水,也会对土壤造成污染,养殖场恶臭对空气环境造成污染,使得畜禽传染病及寄生虫病等不断蔓延。通过详细调查分析吉林省畜禽养殖情况、畜禽粪污产生量和处理情况以及环境污染现状,提出吉林省畜禽养殖污染的防治对策,既需要加强畜禽养殖污染防治技术的研究,也需要研究必要的政策和加强管理,更需要开展必要的国际合作。以实现资源循环利用,促进吉林省畜禽养殖业健康发展。     

海上深水区风电场并网的空间布局优化——以粤东地区为例

海上深水区风电场具有水深深、离岸远、规模大的特点,其并网空间布局的合理规划直接关系到投资成本和用海效率,而现有研究多停留于二维平面,精度有待提高。从风电汇集至岛屿再送出的设想出发,建立深水区风电场并网的三维空间布局优化设计模型,以粤东深水区风电场为例进行分析。研究表明：（1）深水区风电场并网需要考虑海底地形因素,尽管研究范围坡度很小,优化方案的电缆总长度还比二维平面计算结果长约5%;（2）汇集输电的方式能有效减少用海面积、降低总投资成本,其中征海面积、总投资成本减幅最大均可达65%;（3）不同输电方式的电缆成本越低,空间布局越接近以岛屿为中心的辐射状,随岛屿数量增加区别逐渐减小,220 kV交流、500 kV交流、±320 kV直流电缆成本依次减小,1个岛屿时对应方案的岛屿与汇集中心距离分别为38 km、27 km、9 km,4个岛屿时分别降至19 km、19 km、5 km。     

养殖场废水中磺胺类和四环素抗生素及其抗性基因的定量检测

抗生素滥用及其诱导产生的抗生素抗性基因（antibiotic resistance genes,ARGs）污染已经引起人们的广泛关注。选取上海市某地养殖场作为研究对象,采用高效液相色谱-质谱法和实时荧光定量PCR法,对养殖场污水及附近农田灌溉渠河水中5种四环素及磺胺类抗生素,8种对应的ARGs的含量、特征及相关性进行了研究。研究结果显示,在采集的水样中均含有待检测的5种抗生素,养殖污水中抗生素含量高于农田灌溉河水,各样本中四环素类抗生素含量均略高于磺胺类抗生素,2种四环素抗生素总量为294.0~376.1μg﹒L-1,3种磺胺类抗生素总量为197.7~323.0μg﹒L-1。养殖场污水样本中8种ARGs均有检出,磺胺类抗性基因中sul（A）含量最高,绝对拷贝数为108.4108~1010.3728;四环素类抗性基因中tet（W）含量最高,绝对拷贝数为106.18805~107.8874。农田灌溉渠河水中除tet B（P）外,其它7种ARGs均有检出。样本中ARGs相对表达量总体呈现磺胺类ARGs高于四环素类ARGs的特点。抗生素浓度与ARGs相对表达量的Pearson相关性分析显示,样本中sul（Ⅲ）与磺胺类抗生素浓度存在较明显的正相关性,但其它几种ARGs与抗生素则未见或存在一定负相关性。表明除抗生素外,ARGs在水环境中的丰度可能与ARGs种类及其它环境因子有关。该研究将有助于认识上海地区养殖场废水中抗生素和ARGs污染状况,为进一步开展黄浦江水域抗生素尤其是ARGs的污染研究提供数据基础。