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1.
Air protection agencies in the United States increasingly confront non-attainment of air quality standards for multiple pollutants
sharing interrelated emission origins. Traditional approaches to attainment planning face important limitations that are magnified
in the multipollutant context. Recognizing those limitations, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has adopted an
integrated framework to address ozone, fine particulate matter, and regional haze in the state. Rather than applying atmospheric
modeling merely as a final check of an overall strategy, photochemical sensitivity analysis is conducted upfront to compare
the effectiveness of controlling various precursor emission species and source regions. Emerging software enables the modeling
of health benefits and associated economic valuations resulting from air pollution control. Photochemical sensitivity and
health benefits analyses, applied together with traditional cost and feasibility assessments, provide a more comprehensive
characterization of the implications of various control options. The fuller characterization both informs the selection of
control options and facilitates the communication of impacts to affected stakeholders and the public. Although the integrated
framework represents a clear improvement over previous attainment-planning efforts, key remaining shortcomings are also discussed. 相似文献
2.
We demonstrate an approach for evaluating the level of protection attained using a variety of forms and levels of past, current,
and proposed Air Quality Standards (AQSs). The U.S. Clean Air Act requires the establishment of ambient air quality standards
to protect health and public welfare. However, determination of attainment of these standards is based on ambient pollutant
concentrations rather than prevention of adverse effects. To determine if a given AQS protected against adverse effects on
vegetation, hourly ozone concentrations were adjusted to create exposure levels that “just attain” a given standard. These
exposures were used in combination with a physiologically-based tree growth model to account for the interactions of climate
and ozone. In the evaluation, we used ozone concentrations from two 6-year time periods from the San Bernardino Mountains
in California. There were clear differences in the level of vegetation protection achieved with the various AQSs. Based on
modeled plant growth, the most effective standards were the California 8-hr average maximum of 70 ppb and a seasonal, cumulative,
concentration-weighted index (SUM06), which if attained, resulted in annual growth reductions of 1% or less. Least effective
was the 1-hr maximum of 120 ppb which resulted in a 7% annual reduction. We conclude that combining climate, exposure scenarios,
and a process-based plant growth simulator was a useful approach for evaluating effectiveness of current or proposed air quality
standards, or evaluating the form and/or level of a standard based on preventing adverse growth effects. 相似文献
3.
Anita T. Morzillo Angela G. Mertig Jeffrey W. Hollister Nathan Garner Jianguo Liu 《Environmental management》2010,45(6):1299-1311
There is global interest in recovering locally extirpated carnivore species. Successful efforts to recover Louisiana black
bear in Louisiana have prompted interest in recovery throughout the species’ historical range. We evaluated support for three
potential black bear recovery strategies prior to public release of a black bear conservation and management plan for eastern
Texas, United States. Data were collected from 1,006 residents living in proximity to potential recovery locations, particularly
Big Thicket National Preserve. In addition to traditional logistic regression analysis, we used conditional probability analysis
to statistically and visually evaluate probabilities of public support for potential black bear recovery strategies based
on socioeconomic characteristics. Allowing black bears to repopulate the region on their own (i.e., without active reintroduction)
was the recovery strategy with the greatest probability of acceptance. Recovery strategy acceptance was influenced by many
socioeconomic factors. Older and long-time local residents were most likely to want to exclude black bears from the area.
Concern about the problems that black bears may cause was the only variable significantly related to support or non-support
across all strategies. Lack of personal knowledge about black bears was the most frequent reason for uncertainty about preferred
strategy. In order to reduce local uncertainty about possible recovery strategies, we suggest that wildlife managers focus
outreach efforts on providing local residents with general information about black bears, as well as information pertinent
to minimizing the potential for human–black bear conflict. 相似文献
4.
GONTRAN F. BAGE RÉJEAN SAMSON BERNARD SINCLAIR-DESGAGNÉ 《Environmental management》2002,30(6):0807-0815
A technicoeconomic model is developed to select an optimal strategy for the remediation of a contaminated site and to determine
the value of this remediation strategy. The model is an extension of actual cost–benefit analysis, with consideration of “irreversible”
remediation technology choices, technology effectiveness, and uncertainty on the site's level of contamination. The model
considers the possibility of reducing uncertainty by both acquiring more and better information on the level of contamination
and by offering the decision-maker the opportunity to reevaluate his decision and switch to a more appropriate technology.
It is believed that this model will help decision-makers in the selection of a remediation strategy by presenting all potentially
feasible strategies, and how uncertainty on the site's level of contamination affects these strategies. 相似文献
5.
WILLIAM E. HOGSETT JAMES E. WEBER DAVID TINGEY ANDREW HERSTROM E. HENRY LEE JOHN A. LAURENCE 《Environmental management》1997,21(1):105-120
/ The risk tropospheric ozone poses to forests in the United States is dependent on the variation in ozone exposure across the distribution of the forests in question and the various environmental and climate factors predominant in the region. All these factors have a spatial nature, and consequently an approach to characterization of ozone risk is presented that places ozone exposure-response functions for species as seedlings and model-simulated tree and stand responses in a spatial context using a geographical information systems (GIS). The GIS is used to aggregate factors considered important in a risk characterization, including: (1) estimated ozone exposures over forested regions, (2) measures of ozone effects on species' and stand growth, and (3) spatially distributed environmental, genetic, and exposure influences on species' response to ozone. The GIS-based risk characterization provides an estimation of the extent and magnitude of the potential ozone impact on forests. A preliminary risk characterization demonstrating this approach considered only the eastern United States and only the limited empirical data quantifying the effect of ozone exposures on forest tree species as seedlings. The area-weighted response of the annual seedling biomass loss formed the basis for a sensitivity ranking: sensitive-aspen and black cherry (14%-33% biomass loss over 50% of their distribution); moderately sensitive-tulip popular, loblolly pine, eastern white pine, and sugar maple (5%-13% biomass loss); insensitive-Virginia pine and red maple (0%-1% loss). In the future, the GIS-based risk characterization will include process-based model simulations of the three- to 5-year growth response of individual species as large trees with relevant environmental interactions and model simulated response of mixed stands. The interactive nature of GIS provides a tool to explore consequences of the range of climate conditions across a species' distribution, forest management practices, changing ozone precursors, regulatory control strategies, and other factors influencing the spatial distribution of ozone over time as more information becomes available.KEY WORDS: Ecological risk assessment; GIS; Ozone; Risk characterization; Forests; Trees 相似文献
6.
The adverse effects of stratospheric ozone depletion on human health and welfare is a major environmental concern. One potential welfare effect is reduction in plant productivity, including agricultural crops, due to increased UV-B radiation and tropospheric ozone formation. This paper evaluates the economic effects of potential changes in crop yields due to hypothetical depletions in stratospheric ozone over regions of the U.S.A. Results suggest that increases in tropospheric ozone due to a 15 per cent stratospheric ozone depletion may cause economic losses of around 0·9 billion dollars. Combined effects of both tropospheric ozone and UV-B radiation range from 1·3 to 2·5 billion dollars. These estimates are preliminary, given the high degree of uncertainty in key plant science and aerometric data. 相似文献
7.
Degradation of warmwater streams in agricultural landscapes is a pervasive problem, and reports of restoration effectiveness
based on monitoring data are rare. Described is the outcome of rehabilitation of two deeply incised, unstable sand-and-gravel-bed
streams. Channel networks of both watersheds were treated using standard erosion control measures, and aquatic habitats within
1-km-long reaches of each stream were further treated by addition of instream structures and planting woody vegetation on
banks (“habitat rehabilitation”). Fish and their habitats were sampled semiannually during 1–2 years before rehabilitation,
3–4 years after rehabilitation, and 10–11 years after rehabilitation. Reaches with only erosion control measures located upstream
from the habitat measure reaches and in similar streams in adjacent watersheds were sampled concurrently. Sediment concentrations
declined steeply throughout both watersheds, with means ≥40% lower during the post-rehabilitation period than before. Physical
effects of habitat rehabilitation were persistent through time, with pool habitat availability much higher in rehabilitated
reaches than elsewhere. Fish community structure responded with major shifts in relative species abundance: as pool habitats
increased after rehabilitation, small-bodied generalists and opportunists declined as certain piscivores and larger-bodied
species such as centrarchids and catostomids increased. Reaches without habitat rehabilitation were significantly shallower,
and fish populations there were similar to the rehabilitated reaches prior to treatment. These findings are applicable to
incised, warmwater streams draining agricultural watersheds similar to those we studied. Rehabilitation of warmwater stream
ecosystems is possible with current knowledge, but a major shift in stream corridor management strategies will be needed to
reverse ongoing degradation trends. Apparently, conventional channel erosion controls without instream habitat measures are
ineffective tools for ecosystem restoration in incised, warmwater streams of the Southeastern U.S., even if applied at the
watershed scale and accompanied by significant reductions in suspended sediment concentration. 相似文献
8.
Watercraft collisions account for 25–30% of manatee deaths annually in Florida. Education and outreach interventions for boaters
are strategies for reducing manatee mortality. We evaluated the effectiveness of the Manatee Watch program by surveying primary
boat users whose boats were approached by Manatee Watch. We compared the attitudes, knowledge, and behavioral intentions of
boaters who received Manatee Watch materials with a control group of boaters observed by the Florida Marine Research Institute
in Tampa Bay during 1999–2001. Results of the 51-item telephone survey with 499 boaters indicated that the Manatee Watch intervention
had little effect on boater’s attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors regarding manatees. However, individual attitude scores
were positively correlated with safe boating behaviors in shallow waters including maintaining a slower speed and watching
out for manatees. Overall knowledge about manatees was correlated with one manatee-safe boating behavior. To improve efficacy,
educators should (a) incorporate evaluation into the planning stages of program development; (b) target messages to influence
boaters’ attitudes toward manatees and ecosystem health, and their feelings of ownership and empowerment; (c) facilitate active
participation of the boaters; and (d) increase the duration and variety of intervention. 相似文献
9.
A multivariate statistical method for analyzing spatial patterns of water quality in Georgia and Kansas was tested using data in the US Environmental Protection Agency's STORET data system. Water quality data for Georgia and Kansas were organized by watersheds. We evaluated three questions: (a) can distinctive regional water quality patterns be detected and predicted using only a few water quality variables, (b) are regional water quality patterns correlated with terrestrial biotic regions, and (c) are regional water quality patterns correlated with fish distributions? Using existing data, this method can distinguish regions with water quality very different from the average conditions (as in Georgia), but it does not discriminate well between regions that do not have diverse water quality conditions (as in Kansas). Data that are spatially and temporally adequate for representing large regions and for multivariate statistical analysis are available for only a few common water quality parameters. Regional climate, lithology, and biotic regimes all have the potential to affect water quality, and terrestrial biotic regions and fish distributions do compare with regional water quality patterns, especially in a state like Georgia, where watershed characteristics are diverse. Thus, identifiable relationships between watershed characteristics and water quality should allow the development of an integrated landaquatic classification system that would be a valuable tool for resource management. Because geographical distributions of species may be limited by Zoogeographic and environmental factors, the recognition of patterns in fish distributions that correlate with regional water quality patterns could influence management strategies and aid regional assessments. 相似文献
10.
The performance of different policy design strategies is a key issue in evaluating programmes for water quality improvement
under the Water Framework Directive (60/2000). This issue is emphasised by information asymmetries between regulator and agents.
Using an economic model under asymmetric information, the aim of this paper is to compare the cost-effectiveness of selected
methods of designing payments to farmers in order to reduce nitrogen pollution in agriculture. A principal-agent model is
used, based on profit functions generated through farm-level linear programming. This allows a comparison of flat rate payments
and a menu of contracts developed through mechanism design. The model is tested in an area of Emilia Romagna (Italy) in two
policy contexts: Agenda 2000 and the 2003 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform. The results show that different policy
design options lead to differences in policy costs as great as 200–400%, with clear advantages for the menu of contracts.
However, different policy scenarios may strongly affect such differences. Hence, the paper calls for greater attention to
the interplay between CAP scenarios and water quality measures. 相似文献
11.
The Spatio-Temporal Dynamic Pattern of Rural Residential Land in China in the 1990s Using Landsat TM Images and GIS 总被引:2,自引:0,他引:2
Through interpreting Landsat TM images, this study analyzes the spatial distribution of rural settlements in China in 2000.
It calculates rural residential land percentage for every 1-km2 cell. The entire country is divided into 33 regions to investigate the spatio-temporal dynamic patterns of rural residential
land during the 1990s. According to the remote sensing survey, the rural residential land increased by 7.88 × 105 ha in the 1990s. The increment of rural residential land was 0.55 million ha in 1990–1995 and 0.23 million ha in 1995–2000.
In 1990–1995, rural residential land increased dramatically in the eastern regions such as the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl
River Delta, and North China Plain, accounting for 80.80% of the national growth; the expansion in the western regions was
much more moderate. In 1995–2000, the expansion of rural residential land in eastern regions slowed, accounting for only 58.54%
of the increase at the national level, whereas the expansion in the western regions accelerated. Rapid rural residential development
resulted from increasing home construction and the limited control on rural land. The great regional disparity reflected the
regional economic development and land-use policy change. Our finding shows that nearly 60% of the rural residential area
came from cropland. 相似文献
12.
M. Talat Odman Yongtao Hu Armistead G. Russell Asude Hanedar James W. Boylan Patricia F. Brewer 《Journal of environmental management》2009,90(10):3155-3168
A detailed sensitivity analysis was conducted to quantify the contributions of various emission sources to ozone (O3), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and regional haze in the Southeastern United States. O3 and particulate matter (PM) levels were estimated using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system and light extinction values were calculated from modeled PM concentrations. First, the base case was established using the emission projections for the year 2009. Then, in each model run, SO2, primary carbon (PC), NH3, NOx or VOC emissions from a particular source category in a certain geographic area were reduced by 30% and the responses were determined by calculating the difference between the results of the reduced emission case and the base case.The sensitivity of summertime O3 to VOC emissions is small in the Southeast and ground-level NOx controls are generally more beneficial than elevated NOx controls (per unit mass of emissions reduced). SO2 emission reduction is the most beneficial control strategy in reducing summertime PM2.5 levels and improving visibility in the Southeast and electric generating utilities are the single largest source of SO2. Controlling PC emissions can be very effective locally, especially in winter. Reducing NH3 emissions is an effective strategy to reduce wintertime ammonium nitrate (NO3NH4) levels and improve visibility; NOx emissions reductions are not as effective. The results presented here will help the development of specific emission control strategies for future attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards in the region. 相似文献
13.
This article presents a methodological approach for the formulation of control strategies capable of reducing atmospheric
pollution at the standards set by European legislation. The approach was implemented in the greater area of Thessaloniki and
was part of a project aiming at the compliance with air quality standards in five major cities in Greece. The methodological
approach comprises two stages: in the first stage, the availability of several measures contributing to a certain extent to
reducing atmospheric pollution indicates a combinatorial problem and favors the use of Integer Programming. More specifically,
Multiple Objective Integer Programming is used in order to generate alternative efficient combinations of the available policy
measures on the basis of two conflicting objectives: public expenditure minimization and social acceptance maximization. In
the second stage, these combinations of control measures (i.e., the control strategies) are then comparatively evaluated with
respect to a wider set of criteria, using tools from Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis, namely, the well-known PROMETHEE
method. The whole procedure is based on the active involvement of local and central authorities in order to incorporate their
concerns and preferences, as well as to secure the adoption and implementation of the resulting solution. 相似文献
14.
Byun DW Kim S Czader B Nowak D Stetson S Estes M 《Journal of environmental management》2005,75(4):285-301
The Houston-Galveston Area (HGA) is one of the most severe ozone non-attainment regions in the US. To study the effectiveness of controlling anthropogenic emissions to mitigate regional ozone nonattainment problems, it is necessary to utilize adequate datasets describing the environmental conditions that influence the photochemical reactivity of the ambient atmosphere. Compared to the anthropogenic emissions from point and mobile sources, there are large uncertainties in the locations and amounts of biogenic emissions. For regional air quality modeling applications, biogenic emissions are not directly measured but are usually estimated with meteorological data such as photo-synthetically active solar radiation, surface temperature, land type, and vegetation database. In this paper, we characterize these meteorological input parameters and two different land use land cover datasets available for HGA: the conventional biogenic vegetation/land use data and satellite-derived high-resolution land cover data. We describe the procedures used for the estimation of biogenic emissions with the satellite derived land cover data and leaf mass density information. Air quality model simulations were performed using both the original and the new biogenic emissions estimates. The results showed that there were considerable uncertainties in biogenic emissions inputs. Subsequently, ozone predictions were affected up to 10 ppb, but the magnitudes and locations of peak ozone varied each day depending on the upwind or downwind positions of the biogenic emission sources relative to the anthropogenic NOx and VOC sources. Although the assessment had limitations such as heterogeneity in the spatial resolutions, the study highlighted the significance of biogenic emissions uncertainty on air quality predictions. However, the study did not allow extrapolation of the directional changes in air quality corresponding to the changes in LULC because the two datasets were based on vastly different LULC category definitions and uncertainties in the vegetation distributions. 相似文献
15.
Despite an array of policies at the federal and state level aimed at regulating stormwater discharges, engineered solutions
enforced by local governments often fall short of meeting water quality standards. Although the implications of land use planning
and development regulations are important for stormwater management, they are often overlooked as critical initial steps to
improving water quality. This study explores the role of ‘form-based’ regulations as tools for achieving urban planning and
water quality objectives. Form-based codes are a new generation of development codes aimed at regulating urban development
based on urban form and density, rather than land use. We present an exploratory case study of the feasibility of form-based
codes in the Jordan Lake Watershed in North Carolina, a rapidly growing region where fragmented local governments face stringent
nutrient reduction standards under new state regulations. Through program analysis and interviews, we explore the viability
of form-based codes for reducing development impacts on Jordan Lake’s water quality. We consider the legal feasibility of
code enforcement, regional and local barriers and opportunities, and implementation given existing regulatory frameworks.
Our findings suggest that high quality information and data modeling are foundational to gaining support for a consensus agreement
on the sources and degree of water quality impairment. Furthermore, implementing form-based solutions for water quality is
greatly aided by (1) experienced regional planning bodies that have regulatory authority, and (2) local governments whose
staff are experienced in implementing complex development ordinances, reviewing architectural renderings, and communicating
development requirements with the public and developers. 相似文献
16.
Defining acceptable conditions in wilderness 总被引:5,自引:0,他引:5
The limits of acceptable change (LAC) planning framework recognizes that forest managers must decide what indicators of wilderness
conditions best represent resource naturalness and high-quality visitor experiences and how much change from the pristine
is acceptable for each indicator. Visitor opinions on the aspects of the wilderness that have great impact on their experience
can provide valuable input to selection of indicators. Cohutta, Georgia; Caney Creek, Arkansas; Upland Island, Texas; and
Rattlesnake, Montana, wilderness visitors have high shared agreement that littering and damage to trees in campsites, noise,
and seeing wildlife are very important influences on wilderness experiences. Camping within sight or sound of other people
influences experience quality more than do encounters on the trails. Visitors’ standards of acceptable conditions within wilderness
vary considerably, suggesting a potential need to manage different zones within wilderness for different clientele groups
and experiences. Standards across wildernesses, however, are remarkably similar. 相似文献
17.
Selective Patronage and Social Justice: Local Food Consumer Campaigns in Historical Context 总被引:1,自引:1,他引:0
C. Clare Hinrichs Patricia Allen 《Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics》2008,21(4):329-352
In the early 2000s, the development of local food systems in advanced industrial countries has expanded beyond creation and
support of farmers’ markets and community supported agriculture farms and projects to include targeted Buy Local Food campaigns.
Non-governmental groups in many U.S. places and regions have launched such campaigns with the intent of motivating and directing
consumers toward more local food purchasing in general. This article examines the current manifestations and possibilities
for social justice concerns in Buy Local Food campaigns, by considering them within the more general category of “selective
patronage“ campaigns. Historical campaign examples, such as Buy Union, Buy American, and Buy Black campaigns, offer instructive
comparisons to contemporary consumer campaigns promoting local food. Through examining the construction of threats, intended
beneficiaries, products to be avoided, and those to be preferentially selected, the paper demonstrates how selective patronage
campaigns have emphasized social justice needs and concerns for designated groups in ways that have been potentially exclusionary
of other disadvantaged groups and thus undermining of social justice more broadly. As a contemporary instance of “selective
patronage,“ Buy Local Food campaigns exhibit similar contradictory impulses, which are intensified by the conceptual and practical
pitfalls in designating “local.“ The article concludes by considering how the challenges and prospects for commitments to
social justice in local food consumer campaigns reinforce the importance of emerging initiatives centered on domestic fair
trade. 相似文献
18.
The major purpose of this paper is to explore the potential value of benefit–cost evaluation for stormwater quality management
decisions at a local level. A preliminary benefit–cost analysis (BCA) screening method is used for maximum extent practicable
(MEP) analysis, identifying promising management practices, and identifying societal and economic tradeoffs for local stormwater
problems. Ballona Creek, a major urban storm drain in Los Angeles, California, USA, is used to illustrate the practicality
of the benefit–cost evaluation. The Ballona Creek example demonstrates the economic limits of stormwater management in an
urban region and attests to the value of coordinated basinwide management compared to uncoordinated management by individual
landowners. Evaluation results suggest that in urban areas, the benefit of stormwater quality improvements might be far greater
if accompanied by comprehensive redesign of drainage networks and neighboring land uses. In this case, benefit–cost analysis
is found to be useful for evaluating and understanding stormwater management alternatives despite the uncertainties in characterizing
stormwater quality and the effects of stormwater management on improving receiving water quality. 相似文献
19.
We assessed current water consumption during liquid fuel production, evaluating major steps of fuel lifecycle for five fuel
pathways: bioethanol from corn, bioethanol from cellulosic feedstocks, gasoline from U.S. conventional crude obtained from
onshore wells, gasoline from Saudi Arabian crude, and gasoline from Canadian oil sands. Our analysis revealed that the amount
of irrigation water used to grow biofuel feedstocks varies significantly from one region to another and that water consumption
for biofuel production varies with processing technology. In oil exploration and production, water consumption depends on
the source and location of crude, the recovery technology, and the amount of produced water re-injected for oil recovery.
Our results also indicate that crop irrigation is the most important factor determining water consumption in the production
of corn ethanol. Nearly 70% of U.S. corn used for ethanol is produced in regions where 10–17 liters of water are consumed
to produce one liter of ethanol. Ethanol production plants are less water intensive and there is a downward trend in water
consumption. Water requirements for switchgrass ethanol production vary from 1.9 to 9.8 liters for each liter of ethanol produced.
We found that water is consumed at a rate of 2.8–6.6 liters for each liter of gasoline produced for more than 90% of crude
oil obtained from conventional onshore sources in the U.S. and more than half of crude oil imported from Saudi Arabia. For
more than 55% of crude oil from Canadian oil sands, about 5.2 liters of water are consumed for each liter of gasoline produced.
Our analysis highlighted the vital importance of water management during the feedstock production and conversion stage of
the fuel lifecycle. 相似文献
20.