UK electricity requirements and the environmental and economic aspects of the development of the combined cycle power station

In the space of three to four years, gas has changed from being a premium fuel, not to be utilized in power stations, to virtually the only fuel being considered for future electricity generation in the UK. This paper reviews the growth in the use of gas for electricity generation within the UK, with particular regard to the adoption of the gas-fired combined cycle power station. The environmental, economic and strategic issues associated with the proposed development of approximately 27 GW of new gas-fired plant are analysed and the resulting effects on existing base load power plant within the UK are considered.Dr James W.S. Longhurst is Director of the Atmospheric Research and Information Centre, ARIC, at Manchester Metropolitan University He is an environmental scientist who has specialized in the air quality impacts of transport and energy. He holds a BSc, MSc and PhD in Environmental Science from, Plymouth Polytechnic, Aston University and Birmingham University, respectively. He has written numerous papers, consultancy reports, books and technical reports since 1986.Jane Bantock joined ARIC in 1992 with a degree in Environmental Studies from Manchester Polytechnic. She jointly manages ARIC's information and education programmes. Her research interests include the inter-relationship of UK energy policy and emission control in the electricity generating sector, the subject of her part time PhD, and urban air quality issues.     

Regional development benefits of mineral projects

This paper discusses the development impact of mining and mineral processing on the regions in which they are located. The discussion is organized so as to be of relevance for policy formulation in resource-rich developing countries which consider the exploitation of their mineral wealth. The hypothesis is that mining technology, interpreted in a broad sense, has undergone a profound change since 1900. In consequence, experiences of mineralbased regional development in the industrialized countries around the turn of the century are of little relevance to the Third World in the 1980s. Contemporary mineral ventures have very weak regional development repercussions in the absence of forceful policies specifically directed towards the regional development goal.     

Designing of an environmental assessment algorithm for surface mining projects

This paper depicts the method used to quantify the environmental impact of mining activities in surface mine projects. The affected environment was broken down into thirteen components, such as Human health and immunity, Surface water, Air quality, etc. The effect of twenty impacting factors from the mining and milling activities was then calculated for each Environmental Component. Environmental assessments are often performed by using matrix methods in which one dimension of the matrix is the “Impacting Factor” and the other one is the “Environmental Components”. For the presented matrix method, each Impacting Factor was first given a magnitude between −10 and 10. These factors are used to set up a matrix named Impacting Factor Matrix, whose elements represent the Impacting Factor values. The effects of each Impacting Factor on each Environmental Component were then quantified by multiplying the Impacting Factor Matrix by Weighting Factor Matrix. The elements of the weighting factors matrix reflect the effects of each Impacting Factor on each Environmental Component. The outlined method was originally developed for a mining and milling operation in Iran, but it can successfully be used for mining ventures and more general industrial activities in other countries in accordance to their environmental regulations and laws.     

An objective and practical model for economic evaluation of environmental investment projects

Summary The problems faced by business as a result of the growth of the environmental agenda are described. The consequence this has on investment decisions is outlined and the trend, largely induced by present day investment appraisal techniques, for adopting end-of-pipe rather than Clean technology solutions is explained. A solution to this reactive investment approach is described by way of the Paras model. This adopts a holistic and practical approach and considers the special nature of environmental investments throughout all stages of the analysis. By objectively incorporating a measure for uncertainty within the analysis it adds considerable value and rationality to the decision-making process. The collaborative research project between the University of Surrey and Paras Ltd is described. This is run under the Engineering Doctorate programme and aims to develop a multicriteria decision tool to support the parallel quantification of the environmental and financial performance of investment projects.Graham Earl is a research engineer with the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) programme and is sponsored by the University of Surrey and Paras Ltd. Tuula Moilanen is a senior consultant with Paras Ltd at 120A, High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, P030 ITP, UK. Paras are a technology and engineering consultancy and the developers of the Paras financial model for the evaluation of environmental investments. The authors are currently actively seeking companies who would be interested in contributing to further research through a test case, be it in the form of past or planned environmental investment decision.     

Economic development and environmental protection

Experience over recent years indicates that environmental problems are increasingly threatening sustained economic growth in developing countries. They are also caused by pervasive activities, and not solely due to individual, identifiable, large-scale development projects. Although concern with individual projects remains critically important, it is therefore necessary to complement this concern with the integration of environmental management into economic planning at all levels.     

New view of environmental health: Toward an environmental research policy for international strategies

We are witnessing a growing concern with the global dimension of many environmental issues, reflected in the increase in the number and significance of international environmental organizations. Yet there is no internationally applicable strategy for environmental research which is management oriented. A new type of research policy, which integrates ideas derived from environmental and human ecology, is required in order to deal with cultural and ecological diversity and their interactions as reflected in the ecology of landscapes. The newly defined concept of environmental health is proposed to fill this gap. This concept integrates the latest developments in landscape evolutionary ecology and environmental health, bringing out a conflict between making the environment conducive to human health and increasing the available options for supporting the essential biological and ecological processes of the environment. Lessons derived from the evolution of human environments are used in order to illustrate how health may become un umbrella for developing an environmental research policy, which could also serve as a catalyst for international environmental projects.     

Emerging international principles of environmental protection and their impact on Britain

Summary The paper reviews emerging international principles of environmental protection, as well as their refinement, during the last two decades of implementation. It is argued that international efforts were primarily directed towards the prevention of transfrontier pollution and could only succeed if there was agreement on the meaning of the term pollution. The concept of pollution is therefore explored in some detail. Confusion about the meaning of pollution, combined with the impact of international regulation (both global and European) on British practice, help to explain some of the fundamental problems now facing the traditional British pollution control regime, especially its legal and philosophical basis. It is argued that recent and proposed administrative changes will be insufficient to comply with European expectations. Political changes and a more active involvement by the judiciary and the public may be required.Dr Sonja Boehmer-Christiansen is a Research Fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit of the University of Sussex. She obtained her first degree in Geography from the University of Adelaide and her D Phil in International Relations from the University of Sussex.     

The environmental regulator and industrial development

Environmental regulatory agencies' administrative procedures have a significant impact on plant location. The authors review the basic reasons why companies build new plants and the constraints they operate under during site searches. The relationship between these issues and the regulatory agencies' administrative procedures is then shown, as well as the manner in which these procedures influence the site search. On the basis of this discussion, recommendations are made about how state environmental protection agencies can assist site seekers in a manner consistent with their regulatory responsibilities.     

NIEO revisited: A new international environmental order in the making

In the past, most of the attempts to improve the situation of the developing countries have focused on economic policy, on the conditions of international trade, on aid and direct investment. A debate on a New International Economic Order (NIEO) was launched in the 1970s (c.f. Tinbergen, 1976)—and largely failed (c.f. Simonis, 1989). This paper shows that environmental policy could be a more effective lever for improving the lot of the developing countries; the near future may see the evolution of a new international environmental order which is likely to better link environmental protection and economic development.     

Managing Asia's environmental crisis: EQM opportunities for remediation and technology transfer

Conditions of environmental pollution and degradation in Asia are among the worst in the world. Rapid economic growth and industrialization over the past half century have accelerated the pollution of air, water, and land resources in a region with the world's largest concentration of population. As the economics of Asia recover from financial crisis in the late 1990s, they will face a more serious environmental crisis in the early years of the 21st century. Remediation of soil and water contamination will become a stronger concern in the region, as the human health impacts become more visible and widespread. Although environmental remediation is only beginning to emerge in Asia as a solution to problems of natural resource degradation, the authors show how U.S. firms with experience in quality environmental management and biological remediation technologies will find new opportunities for exports and technology transfer. Environmental technology and services firms interested in Asia must understand both the opportunities for and barriers to operating in Asia.     

国内外造纸行业水污染排放标准比较研究

中国是造纸大国,制浆造纸在中国属于重污染行业。2008年国家发布的《制浆造纸工业水污染物排放标准》对整个行业可能排放的污染物提出了要求。本文通过将该标准与国外造纸行业相关的水污染物排放标准进行比较研究,找出我国标准与国外的差别,并为完善我国造纸行业水污染物排放标准提出建议。     

A review of the Nigerian petroleum industry and the associated environmental problems

Nigeria has abundant deposits of oil and natural gas and their exploitation has improved the economy substantially, but with serious environmental costs. Severe ecological damage has occurred in the Niger Delta area where most of the oil industries are based. Statutory rules and regulations for environmental protection applicable to the oil industry in Nigeria appear to be generally inadequate and ineffective. So far, air pollution has not been properly addressed. Natural gas is still being flared from many oil wells, with serious air pollution problems and a waste of this resource. The legal control of air pollution in the light of the ongoing operations of liquified natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) projects is advised along with other measures for environmental quality, control and the conservation of resources.     

An international environmental study programme: the International Baccalaureate Environmental Systems course

This paper describes the relatively new, university entry level examination offered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation in the subject of Environmental Systems. The programme has an integrated, holistic approach, and a strong international focus. The authors are Chief Examiner and Deputy Chief Examiner for this examination.     

Evolution of environmental impact assessment as applied to watershed modification projects in Canada

This article reviews the application of environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures and practices to three watershed modification projects situaled in western Canada. These ventures were justified for accelerating regional economic development, and cover the period during which public concerns for protecting the environment rapidly made their way into the national political agenda. An historical account and analysis of the situation, therefore, seems desirable in order to understand the development of EIA processes, practices, and methodologies since the start of construction of the first project in 1961. This study concludes that there has been good progress in predicting and evaluating environmental and related social impacts of watershed modification proposals. However, a number of obstacles need to be overcome before EIA can firmly establish itself as an effective planning tool. These difficulties include jurisdictional confusions and conflicts, division of authority and responsibility in designing and implementing appropriate mitigative and monitoring measures, lack of tested EIA methodologies, and limited availability of qualified human resources. A number of conclusions and suggestions are offered so that future watershed modification proposals may be planned and implemented in a more environmentally sustainable fashion. These include: (1) EIA processes must be completed before irrevocable decisions are made. (2) Any major intrusion into a watershed is likely to impact on some major components of the ecosystem(s). (3) Mitigation costs must form part of the benefit-cost analysis of any project proposal. (4) Interjurisdictional cooperation is imperative where watersheds cross political boundaries. (5) The EIA process is a public process, hence public concerns must be dealt with fairly. (6) The role of science in the EIA process must be at arms length from project proponents and regulators, and allowed to function in the interest of the protection of the environment and public health and safety. The views expressed here are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect those of FEARO and/or other government agencies and officials involved in the review of these projects.     

Exploring discourses on international environmental regime effectiveness with Q methodology: a case study of the Mediterranean Action Plan

Extensive research has been done on the 'high politics' of negotiations of international environmental agreements. However, little attention has been paid to the effectiveness of their implementation after coming into force. Effectiveness cannot be easily measured, since different stakeholders use different criteria as the basis of their opinion. The purpose of this study is to investigate discourses on the effectiveness of an international environmental regime. The regime chosen is the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) - and its legal framework, the Barcelona Convention - which was established in 1975 under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Q methodology was used to reveal discourses on the effectiveness of UNEP/MAP. After collecting relevant literature and identifying the stakeholders, 25 in-depth interviews were conducted. The stakeholders were from the Secretariat of the Convention, academia, NGO workers, and others that studied or knew the subject well. From these interviews 294 statements were extracted, from which 44 were finally selected to be used in the Q study. The interviewees were approached for the second time to complete the Q sorts. This study revealed four distinct discourses concerning the effectiveness of international environmental regimes. It concludes that there is no one 'right' way of defining effectiveness and that no approach can provide more than a partial evaluation of the overall effectiveness of a regime.