Current practice and shortcomings of EIA in Lithuania

The paper provides an overview of EIA system applications and assesses its effectiveness in Lithuania. A combination of archival research and quantitative/qualitative analysis was used to identify the main shortcomings of the EIA process in Lithuania: subjectivity in forecasting environmental effects, insufficient consideration of alternatives, politicisation of the process and incompetence of authorities involved. The research revealed that a thorough knowledge of EIA procedures and legal requirements may be a solution to these problems, especially when the stages related to forecasting the effects and evaluating the results are strictly reserved for recognized experts. The work concludes on the suggestions to involve in EIA process relevant authorities and to increase the competence of EIA practitioners.     

企业参与对CDM环境效力影响研究

扩大企业对CDM的参与是提高清洁发展机制减排效果的关键因素，但是随着参与的不断扩大，可能产生价格因素、小项目开发障碍、“普遍性”等阻碍因素，将影响企业对CDM参与性的继续扩大，对减排效果的提高造成负面影响。在对企业参与和CDM环境效力相互关系探讨的基础上，本文对如何继续扩大参与、加大减排提出了发展建议。     

Solution-oriented global environmental assessments: Opportunities and challenges

This article provides an introduction to the Special Issue dedicated to “Solution-oriented Global Environmental Assessments: Opportunities and Challenges”. In the follow-up to the Paris climate agreement and the adoption and early implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals involving many synergies and trade-offs, the need to shift the focus from environmental problem analysis towards the exploration of specific solution options can be observed in international environmental governance debates. To remain policy-relevant, credible and legitimate, global environmental assessments (GEAs) must carefully adapt to a rapidly evolving governance landscape. This Special Issue sheds light on the potential utility and implications of increased solution-orientation of GEAs. It builds on the research project “The Future of Global Environmental Assessment Making” that was jointly initiated in 2013 by UN Environment and the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change. The article collection includes research on the coevolution of GEAs and the increasingly solution-oriented governance context; conditions of success for contemporary GEAs; the treatment of divergent viewpoints, stakes and stakeholders in solution-oriented GEAs; knowledge aggregation; and the enhanced measurement of GEA effectiveness in the emerging governance landscape.     

Knowledge governance for ecosystem-based management: Understanding its context-dependency

The governance of knowledge is a crucial element of ecosystem-based management (EBM) and is deemed important for its effectiveness. In this paper we analyze from an empirical perspective how the governance of knowledge in different EBM practices is organized and with what consequences. Based upon four different case studies – all derived from the Wadden Sea – which resemble different contexts (in terms of available knowledge and level of conflict) we reconstruct four different ways of knowledge governance. These four approaches are labeled the database, the alignment, the assessment and the holistic approach. These approaches differ in how the interaction between knowledge production and decision-making is organized. They show different degrees of success, partly related to the extent to which they fit in the context in which they are applied. Understanding the differences in contexts in which knowledge for EBM has to be organized, can help decision-makers to apply the most suitable way of knowledge governance in their specific case. In cases of low conflict and high knowledge capacity a more static, one-directional way of knowledge governance can suffice, while in more complex contexts a holistic approach seems to be necessary.     

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Environmental Dredging in South Lake,China

Environmental dredging is a primary remedial option for removal of the contaminated material from aquatic environment. Of primary concern in environmental dredging is the effectiveness of the intended sediment removal. A 5-year field monitoring study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the environmental dredging in South Lake, China. The concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphors, and heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Hg, and As) before and after dredging in sediment were determined and compared. Multiple ecological risk indices were employed to assess the contamination of heavy metals before and after dredging. Our results showed that the total phosphorus levels reduced 42% after dredging. Similar changes for Hg, Zn, As Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, and Ni were observed, with reduction percentages of 97.0, 93.1, 82.6, 63.9, 52.7, 50.1, 32.0, and 23.6, respectively, and the quality of sediment improved based on the criterion of Sediment Quality Guidelines by USEPA and contamination degree values (C_d) decreased significantly (paired t-test, p < 0.05). Unexpectedly, the TN increased 49% after dredging compared to before dredging. Findings from the study demonstrated that the environmental dredging was an effective mechanism for removal of total phosphorus and heavy metals from South Lake. Nevertheless, the dredging was ineffective to remove total nitrogen from sediment. We conclude that the reason for the observed increase in TN after dredging was likely ammonia release from the sediment impairing the dredging effectiveness.     

The effects of mobile speed camera introduction on road traffic crashes and casualties in a rural county of England

PROBLEM: This study assesses the impact of crash and casualty numbers in correspondence to the introduction of mobile speed cameras in the rural county of Norfolk, England. METHOD: Road traffic accident casualty and crash data were collected for two years before the introduction of cameras and two years subsequently. The casualties and crashes occurring at 29 camera sites were identified and separated from those occurring in the rest of the county. Trends in crashes and casualties, and their severity, were examined graphically and comparisons were made between before and after periods. The regression to the mean effect at individual sites was estimated. RESULTS: After the introduction of cameras, overall crashes declined by 1% and crashes involving fatalities or serious injuries declined by 9% on the roads without cameras. At the camera sites, crashes decreased by 19% and fatal and serious crashes by 44%. The reduction in total crashes was significantly greater than that expected from the effect of regression to the mean in 12 out of 20 sites tested. SUMMARY: The introduction of cameras appears to have resulted in real and measurable reductions in crash risk in this rural county. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Our results suggest the deployment of mobile speed cameras is an effective tool for organizations wishing to reduce road traffic casualties in areas where high crash rates have been associated with excessive vehicle speeds.     

SBR系统在张家港港的应用及养护

结合张家港港的实际情况，阐述了ＳＢＲ污水处理系统在张家港港应用的可行性、有效性及使用中ＳＢＲ 系统的养护方法     

Effectiveness evaluation of water-sprinkling in controlling urban fugitive road dust based on TRAKER method: A case study in Baoding, China

Fugitive road dust (FRD) contributes a great deal to urban rainwater and air pollution and is commonly controlled by water-sprinkling in most Chinese cities. However, there is a lack of information on its effectiveness. We used the Testing Re-entrained Aerosol Kinetic Emissions from Roads (TRAKER) method to monitor different types of roads in Baoding city before and within 1 hr after water-sprinkling and obtained the road dirtiness index (a) and PM concentration in the road environment ($T_{\mathrm{T}}^{*}$), to evaluate the removal efficiency for PM deposited on the road surface (${\eta }_a$) and the reduction efficiency for the PM concentration in the road environment (${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$). The results give that the ${\eta }_a$ for three types of roads is ranked: branch road (87%-–100%) > major arterial road (80%-83%) > minor arterial road (68%-77%), and the ${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$ ranked: minor arterial road (70%) > branch road (46%-58%) > major arterial road (37%-53%). The ${\eta }_a$ and ${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$ varied non-linearly with time and presented a quadratic curve. The average effective control time (${\eta }_{\mathit{a}}$> 0) was 62 min on the major and minor arterial roads, and much longer than 1 hr on branch roads. The ${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$ values diminished completely by 72 min on average from the end of sprinkling for the three types of roads. Water-sprinkling can remove PM₁₀ particles from the road surface and reduce their concentration in the road environment more thoroughly than PM_2.5. Our findings could be helpful for controlling urban FRD emissions more efficiently and precisely.     

跨界原生质体融合工程菌株改进合成制药废水生物处理的有效性研究

用常规生物法处理合成制药废水难以去除持久性有机污染物POPs，且存在不能稳定达标的问题，应通过用跨界原生质体融合技术，构建出具有高降解性、高絮凝性、高适应性的基因工程菌株来解决上述问题。为检验基因工程茵的有效性，对基因工程茵进行了抗生素遗传性能鉴定和电子显微镜(SEM)的形态鉴定，并在制药废水的污水处理厂进行了基因工程茵的培养和接种。结果表明：基因工程菌株能成功取代原有土著茵并具有显著的优点。