Dynamics and Causation of Environmental Equity, Locally Unwanted Land Uses, and Neighborhood Changes

/ Why are some environmental risks distributed disproportionately in the neighborhoods of the minorities and the poor? A hypothesis was proposed in a recent study that market dynamics contributed to the current environmental inequity. That is, locally unwanted land uses (LULUs) make the host communities home to more poor people and people of color. This hypothesis was allegedly supported by a Houston case study, whereby its author analyzed the postsiting changes of the socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhoods surrounding solid waste facilities. I argue that such an analysis of postsiting changes alone is insufficient to test the causation hypothesis. Instead, I propose a conceptual framework for analysis of environmental equity dynamics and causation. I suggest that the presiting neighborhood dynamics and the characteristics of control neighborhoods be analyzed as the first test for the causation hypothesis. Furthermore, I present theories of neighborhood change and then examine alternative hypotheses that these theories offer for explaining neighborhood changes and for the roles of LULUs in neighborhood changes. These alternative hypotheses should be examined when analyzing the relationship between LULUs and neighborhood changes in a metropolitan area. Using this framework of analysis, I revisited the Houston case. First, I found no evidence that provided support for the hypothesis that the presence of LULUs made the neighborhoods home to more blacks and poor people, contrary to the conclusion made by the previous study. Second, I examined alternative hypotheses for explaining neighborhood changes-invasion-succession, other push forces, and neighborhood life-cycle; the former two might offer better explanation.KEY WORDS: Environmental equity and justice; Locally unwanted lane uses; Siting; Market dynamics; Invasion-succession; Neighborhood changes     

Sustainability: a Dissent

Abstract:  Broadly conceived and considered in its many usages, sustainability has grave defects as a planning goal, particularly when used by conservationists: it confuses means and ends; it is vague about what is being sustained and who or what is doing the sustaining; it is uninspiring; it is little more than Pinchot-era conservation (and thus ignores the many lessons learned since then); it need not be linked to land, to the land's functioning, or to any ecological science; it need not include a moral component; it is consistent with the view of humans as all-powerful manipulators of the planet; and, in general, it is such a malleable term that its popularity provides only a facade of consensus. When sustainability is defined broadly to include the full range of economic and social aspirations, it poses the particular risk that ecological and biodiversity concerns will be cast aside in favor of more pressing human wants. Given these many defects, the conservation movement should discard the term in favor of a more alluring goal, attentive to nature and its ecological functioning. A sound goal would incorporate and distill the considerable ecological and moral wisdom accumulated since Pinchot's day while giving conservationists the rhetorical tools needed to defend the land against competing pressures. In our view, conservation would be well served by an updated variant of "land health," Aldo Leopold's ecologically grounded goal from the 1940s. Land health as an independent understanding should set the essential terms of how we live and enjoy the earth, providing the framework within which we pursue our many social and economic aims.     

Ozone pollution characteristics and sensitivity analysis using an observation-based model in Nanjing, Yangtze River Delta Region of China

Ground-level ozone (O₃) has become a critical pollutant impeding air quality improvement in Yangtze River Delta region of China. In this study, we present O₃ pollution characteristics based on one-year online measurements during 2016 at an urban site in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Then, the sensitivity of O₃ to its precursors during 2 O₃ pollution episodes in August was analyzed using a box model based on observation (OBM). The relative incremental reactivity (RIR) of hydrocarbons was larger than other precursors, suggesting that hydrocarbons played the dominant role in O₃ formation. The RIR values for NO_X ranged from –0.41%/% to 0.19%/%. The O₃ sensitivity was also analyzed based on relationship of simulated O₃ production rates with reductions of VOC and NO_X derived from scenario analyses. Simulation results illustrate that O₃ formation was between VOCs-limited and transition regime. Xylenes and light alkenes were found to be key species in O₃ formation according to RIR values, and their sources were determined using the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model. Paints and solvent use was the largest contributor to xylenes (54%), while petrochemical industry was the most important source to propene (82%). Discussions on VOCs and NO_X reduction schemes suggest that the 5% O₃ control goal can be achieved by reducing VOCs by 20%. To obtain 10% O₃ control goal, VOCs need to be reduced by 30% with VOCs/NO_X larger than 3:1.     

德州市夏季臭氧敏感性特征及减排方案

近年来德州市臭氧污染频发,2018年夏季（6~8月）,德州市发生了严重臭氧污染事件,臭氧日最大8 h浓度值超标天数达60 d,超标率65%,3个月平均值为176 μg ·m^-3,最高达262 μg ·m^-3.本研究利用WRF-CAMx耦合的HDDM模块,分析期间德州臭氧敏感性特征及减排方案.结果表明,在空间上,德州市中心城区为VOCs控制区,而郊区为NO_x与VOCs协同控制区.在时间上,VOCs敏感值每日为正值,但dO₃_V₅₀在6月（城区18.7 μg ·m^-3,郊区19.7 μg ·m^-3）和8月（城区15.3 μg ·m^-3,郊区16.4 μg ·m^-3）高于7月（城区13.0 μg ·m^-3,郊区11.8 μg ·m^-3）,NO_x敏感值城区呈正负交错,郊区大部分为正值,并与VOCs敏感值接近.对于城区减排方案应考虑以仅VOCs削减为优先,而郊区由于NO_x和VOCs对臭氧减排效果相当,建议以NO_x：VOCs=1：1为优.     

祁连山七一冰川物质平衡的时空变化特征

基于2011-2016年七一冰川的野外观测资料,结合气象站数据及1975-2015年的遥感影像,分析了冰川末端变化、物质平衡时空变化特征及其对气候变化的敏感性,结果表明：1975年以来,七一冰川末端持续退缩235 m,平均退缩速率为5.9 m/a,冰川面积减少0.13 km²（4.5%）。2011-2016年,七一冰川的平均物质平衡为-476 mm w.e.,平均ELA为4941 m a.s.l.,物质平衡梯度为2.9 mm/m。从季节变化看,受风吹雪和冰面升华影响,11月至次年3月冰川呈负平衡;4月和9月物质平衡受降水控制,随海拔变化呈现降水效应;强消融期（6-8月）物质平衡随海拔升高线性增加;消融期末由9月初延后至9月底。敏感性分析结果表明,物质平衡对气温变化的敏感性为-178.7 mm w.e. °C^-1 a^-1,对降水变化的敏感性为+2.93 mm w.e. mm^-1 a^-1。即61 mm的降水增加才能弥补暖季气温升高1 °C引起的冰川净物质损失。     

杭州湾北岸上海段石化集中区臭氧重污染过程研究

为研究杭州湾O₃污染的形成机制,采用在线监测系统对杭州湾北岸上海段石化集中区O₃及其前体物开展了为期1个月(2019年5月)的同步连续观测.采用OZIPR(臭氧等值线研究)模型分析O₃生成的敏感性.在O₃重度污染期间,利用PMF(正定矩阵因子分解)模型对O₃前体物——VOCs进行源解析,采用臭氧生成潜势及气团老化分别估算了VOCs的反应活性和化学消耗.结果表明:①2019年5月杭州湾北岸上海段石化集中区O₃的IAQI(空气质量分指数)优良率仅为61.3%,ρ(O₃)第90%分位值为173.0 μg/m3.5月22日、23日发生重度O₃污染,O₃日最大8 h滑动平均值分别为(284.4±19.2)(282.0±14.2)μg/m3,分别超过GB 3095—2012《环境空气质量标准》二级标准限值(160 μg/m3)的77.75%和76.25%.②O₃的生成受VOCs控制,降低VOCs的排放可在一定程度上降低O₃的生成,降低NO_x的排放反而会促进O₃的生成.③O₃重度污染期间,VOCs主要来自化工区排放(72.35%)和机动车尾气排放(27.65%).④O₃重度污染期间,烯烃、炔烃及芳香烃对O₃生成的贡献率之和在80.00%以上,其中丙烯、乙烯和甲苯的贡献率分别为29.97%、15.60%和14.16%;芳香烃及烯烃和炔烃是最主要的VOCs化学消耗物种,其中φ(丙烯)、φ(乙烯)和φ(1,2,4-三甲苯)的消耗量分别为13.57×10-9、4.93×10-9和3.55×10-9.研究显示,杭州湾北岸上海段5月O₃的生成受化工区影响显著,丙烯与乙烯是O₃重污染期间关键的O₃前体物.      

Analysing the sensitivity behaviour of two hydrology models

Recently, the New Morris Method has been presented as an effective sensitivity analysis tool for mathematical models. The New Morris Method estimates the sensitivity of an output parameter to a given set of input parameters (first-order effects) and the extent these parameters interact with each other (second-order effects). This method requires the specification of two parameters (runs and resolution) that control the sampling of the output parameter to determine its sensitivity to various inputs. The criteria for these parameters have been set on the analysis of a well-behaved analytical function (see Cropp and Braddock, Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf. 78:77–83, 2002), which may not be applicable to other physical models that describe complex processes. This paper will investigate the appropriateness of the criteria from (Cropp and Braddock, 2002) and hence the effectiveness of the New Morris Method to determine the sensitivity behaviour of two hydrologic models: the Soil Erosion and Deposition System and Griffith University Representation of Urban Hydrology. In the first case, this paper will separately analyse the sensitivity of an output parameter on a set of input parameters (first- and second-order effects) for each model and discuss the physical meaning of these sensitivities. This will be followed by an investigation into the sampling criteria by exploring the convergence of the sensitivity behaviour for each model as the sampling of the parameter space is increased. By comparing these trends to the convergence behaviour from Cropp and Braddock (2002), we will determine how well the New Morris Method estimates the sensitivity for each model and whether the sampling criteria are appropriate for these models. It will be shown that the New Morris Method can provide additional insight into the functioning of these models, and that, under a different metric, the sensitivity behaviour of these models does converge confirming the sampling criteria set by Cropp and Braddock.     

锑的淡水水质基准及其对我国水质标准的启示

针对我国锑水生生物水质基准缺乏的问题，收集筛选了锑对淡水水生生物的急性和慢性毒性数据，使用评价因子法、毒性百分数排序法和物种敏感度分布法分别推导我国锑的淡水水质基准，通过综合分析和比较，选择物种敏感度分布法推导的急性和慢性的水质基准值（466.62μg/L和88.71μg/L）作为最终的基准推荐值.通过与国内外现有锑相关水质标准进行比较，提出在我国相关水质标准修订中分别制定保护水生生物和人体健康水质标准的建议，避免水质标准对水生生物的"过保护"问题.     

管式反应器石灰雾液脱硫的数学模拟

建立的一维管式反应器雾液脱硫模型是对蒸发和吸收过程的耦合，以膜理论为基础的吸收机理同时考虑了含硫组分的离解、扩散、反应和固体颗粒的溶解。参数敏感性分析表明，对系统脱硫率影响最显的是出口干湿球温差，石灰颗粒粒度和入口ＳＯ２浓度、传质过程的分析表明，反应开始阶段液膜扩散和固体溶解阻力均存在，而气膜扩散在整个反应过程中都起着重要作用。     

基于3S的玉溪市土壤侵蚀敏感性评价研究

以玉溪市为研究区域，运用GIS软件对影响土壤侵蚀的因子进行叠加分析，获取玉溪市土壤侵蚀敏感性等级分布图，并与土壤侵蚀现状图加以对比，结果显示：发生土壤侵蚀的地区一定是土壤侵蚀的敏感地区，但土壤侵蚀的敏感地区不一定发生土壤侵蚀：森林覆盖量、质量和人为活动是影响土壤侵蚀的主要原因。