Environmentally benign manufacturing: Observations from Japan,Europe and the United States

A recent international panel study (Gutowski T, Murphy C, Allen D, Bauer D, Bras B, Piwonka T, Sheng P, Sutherland J, Thurston D, Wolff E. WTEC Panel Report on: Environmentally Benign Manufacturing (EBM), 2000 on the web at; http://itri.loyola.edu/ebm/ and http://www.wtec.org/ebm/) finds Environmentally Benign Manufacturing (EBM) emerging as a significant competitive dimension between companies. With differing views on future developments, companies, especially large international companies, are positioning themselves to take advantage of emerging environmental trends. Among Japanese companies visited, the panel observed an acute interest in using the environmental advantages of their products and processes to enhance their competitive position in the market. In the northern European countries visited, the panel saw what could be interpreted as primarily a protectionist posture; that is, the development of practices and policies to enhance the well-being of EU countries, that could act as barriers to outsiders. In the U.S., the panel found a high degree of environmental awareness among the large international companies, most recently in response to offshore initiatives, mixed with skepticism. In this article, we survey EBM practices at leading firms, rate the competitiveness of the three regions visited, and close with observations of change since the study. Based upon these results, major research questions are then posed. In sum, the study found evidence that U.S. firms may be at a disadvantage due in part to a lack of coherent national goals in such areas as waste management, global warming, energy efficiency and product take back.     

Lessons from cleaner production experiences in Indian hosiery clusters

This paper focuses on lessons learnt from Cleaner Production (CP) experiences in textile bleaching and dyeing (hosiery) clusters in India. The regional and industry contexts for CP are demonstrated by outlining the interaction and interdependency between the urban and rural environment, and an industry cluster centered on Tirupur City. A policy for fostering water use productivity in the industry cluster is discussed, which shows how that in order for resource productivity to be maintained, regional and industry CP strategies should be aligned. This is illustrated by a discussion on CP lessons in water and chemicals conservation. The paper also recommends future areas of CP investigations required in the industry to make it ecologically sustainable in the long-term.     

Pesticide usage in California and the United States

In recent years, pesticide usage in the United States has increased markedly. As measured in 1980 for the U.S.A., there were: (1) more than 45 000 individually products registered; (2) more than 1500 active ingredients involved; and (3) about 2.5 billion pounds of active ingredients used annually. Pesticide usage in agriculture has probably peaked and will probably level off and may even decrease in the 1980's because of public health concerns, environmental concerns, lower dose levels of newer pesticides, and the introduction and use of integrated pest management programs and bio-control programs.     

Envisioning the future and learning from the past: Adapting to a changing environment in northern Mali

In West Africa, rural livelihoods depending on natural resources develop coping and adapting strategies to face climate variability or change and economic or political changes. The former Lake Faguibine in northern Mali has experienced drastic ecological, social, and economic changes. Forests have emerged on the former lake and have become important for local livelihoods. This paper analyses the coping and adapting strategies of forest- and livestock-based livelihoods facing ecological changes. Results from field research at different levels indicate that most local strategies are based on diversification including migration within the livestock production system or in complement to it, with differences according to gender, age, and ethnicity. Political discourses, cultural identities, and past experiences influence and shape adaptation strategies at the local level. The sustainability of the observed strategies depends on the access to natural resources and the sustainable management of these resources, which in turn depends on institutions at local and national levels. Many local strategies are reactive to external events but would need strategic support from higher levels to move from coping to adapting. Examples are the development of institutions and technical actions for natural resource management, as well as development actions supporting local strategies and sustainable investments. Researchers, practitioners and development planners will need simple methods and tools for understanding and analysing local adaptation perceptions and actions to achieve an effective support of sustainable and gender-equitable local adaptation and to avoid mismatches between strategies proposed by local and by sub national and national actors.     

美国的野生动物保护

本文主要介绍了美国的野生动物法及其法律构架，美国濒危物种法是顶法律典范，它不仅能保护栖息地，还能保护列入濒危物种清单上的具体动物。     

美国1961～2000年氮使用量的变化及未来趋势预测

从1961～1997年,因人类活动而输入到美国的氮翻了一番,特别是在上个世纪60年代和70年代,其增长量最大.尽管无机氮肥的使用量增长最大,但矿物燃料燃烧所造成的NOx排放,也有明显的增加.1961年,美国农业生产系统中的生物固氮量是活性氮的最大来源;到了1997年,尽管生物固氮量也有增加,但相比而言,无机氮肥的使用和NOx的排放增加得更快,成为两个最大的氮源.1961～1997年,在输入到美国的活性氯中,有2/3发生了脱氮反应或者是被贮存在土壤与生物群落之中,有1/3输出到境外.在输出到境外的这部分氮中,通过河流流到海洋中的分量最大,其次是通过粮食和饲料出口而到其它国家以及通过大气平流传输到了海洋中.动物性蛋白的消费是美国农业系统中氮使用的主要驱动因子,如果饮食方式或农业生产方式不发生改变,在未来30年的时间里,美国肥料的使用量将继续增长,流向海洋中的氮通量将可能再增长30%,但也有可能出现下降.     

Promoting active learning in sustainable development: experiences from a 4th year chemical engineering course

Engineering educators in South Africa have to introduce students to a particularly complex set of issues in sustainable development, which can only be achieved through engaged, active learning. In 2003 the Chemical Engineering Programme at the University of Cape Town introduced a mandatory 4th year course on Business, Society and Environment. The course bears a credit rating equivalent to 200 learning hours. The coverage of topics and the set of intended learning outcomes is ambitious, spanning concepts of societal and financial benefits, engineering economic analysis, entrepreneurship, physical risk in terms of health, safety and environment, stakeholder involvement, clean production and clean technology, and engineering ethics. Student success rates have been high in the first two years (100 and 93%), but some concern remains as to the actual learning outcomes, particularly in relation to the depth of learning, and the ability of non-first language speakers of English to fully engage with the course material.     

美国环保产业政策分析及经验借鉴

美国在全球环保产业中占据着十分重要的位置。美国环保产业的蓬勃发展,得益于其行之有效的产业政策与激励措施,其环保产业政策的发展对很多国家都产生了重要影响。介绍了美国环保产业的范围和发展现状,从环境管控、环保技术、产业化、财税支持和环保贸易等方面分析了美国环保产业政策框架。最后,结合美国环保产业发展的经验与教训对我国未来环保产业的发展提出了政策建议。     

Biogas production from maize and dairy cattle manure—Influence of biomass composition on the methane yield

There is an increasing world wide demand for energy crops and animal manures for biogas production. To meet these demands, this research project aimed at optimising anaerobic digestion of maize and dairy cattle manures. Methane production was measured for 60 days in 1 l eudiometer batch digesters at 38 °C. Manure received from dairy cows with medium milk yield that were fed a well balanced diet produced the highest specific methane yield of 166.3 Nl CH₄ kg VS⁻¹. Thirteen early to late ripening maize varieties were grown on several locations in Austria. Late ripening varieties produced more biomass than medium or early ripening varieties. On fertile locations in Austria more than 30 Mg VS ha⁻¹ can be produced. The methane yield declined as the crop approaches full ripeness. With late ripening maize varieties, yields ranged between 312 and 365 Nl CH₄ kg VS⁻¹ (milk ripeness) and 268–286 Nl CH₄ kg VS⁻¹ (full ripeness). Silaging increased the methane yield by about 25% compared to green, non-conserved maize. Maize (Zea mays L.) is optimally harvested, when the product from specific methane yield and VS yield per hectare reaches a maximum. With early to medium ripening varieties (FAO 240–390), the optimum harvesting time is at the “end of wax ripeness”. Late ripening varieties (FAO ca. 600) may be harvested later, towards “full ripeness”. Maximum methane yield per hectare from late ripening maize varieties ranged between 7100 and 9000 Nm³ CH₄ ha⁻¹. Early and medium ripening varieties yielded 5300–8500 Nm³ CH₄ ha⁻¹ when grown in favourable regions. The highest methane yield per hectare was achieved from digestion of whole maize crops. Digestion of corns only or of corn cob mix resulted in a reduction in methane yield per hectare of 70 and 43%, respectively. From the digestion experiments a multiple linear regression equation, the Methane Energy Value Model, was derived that estimates methane production from the composition of maize. It is a helpful tool to optimise biogas production from energy crops. The Methane Energy Value Model requires further validation and refinement.     

参加交通部溢油应急技术代表团赴美培训的启示和思考

交通部于2002年5月31日—6月20日组织各直属海事局从事船舶防污染管理的17名专业人员赴美国考察、培训海上溢油应急技术。代表团参观了美国海岸警卫队、环保局、溢油应急办公室和防污基金等单位。文中总结了美国现行的海上溢油应急反应体系和防污基金的建立和管理，提出了建立中国在防治海上溢油和防污基金的设想。     

美国GOES系列卫星的发展

首先介绍了美国GOES系列静止轨道气象卫星的基本情况、职能和使命任务,然后分别对第一代、第二代/改进型第二代以及第三代GOES系列卫星的发展历程、载荷情况和卫星产品进行了概述,并对目前在轨运行第三代GOES系列卫星先进基线成像仪、同步闪电测绘仪、远紫外与X射线辐照度探测器等载荷参数和主要用途进行了详细介绍.最后总结了G...     

美国水环境质量基准体系

美国依据《清洁水法》建立了一套较完善的水环境质量基准体系,并开展了水生生物基准、人体健康基准、营养物基准、沉积物质量基准、细菌基准、生物学基准、野生生物基准和物理基准等方面的研究. 在重点分析美国水环境质量基准体系、基准制定方法和研究进展的基础上,提出了我国开展水环境质量基准研究的建议,即提高对我国开展水环境质量基准研究的迫切性和重要性的认识,并根据我国的实际情况,建立一套适合我国国情的水环境基准体系和基准制订工作指南,同时做好国外水环境质量基准的采用与验证工作.      

Seven suppositions about energy security in the United States

Changing the patterns of energy use requires investigating how energy consumers - not experts - conceive of energy challenges. This article explores the varying beliefs, attitudes, and views on energy security in the United States among experts and residents. Based primarily on an academic literature review to distill expert views, and a survey distributed to hundreds of residents in the U.S. to capture consumer views, the study begins by explaining its methodology before identifying seven suppositions related to energy security. These suppositions involve security of fuel supply, energy democracy, energy research and development, affordability of energy services, environmental pollution, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. The second section of the study tests these suppositions with a survey distributed to 427 respondents in the United States. Three suppositions are supported, two are unsupported, and two are neither supported nor unsupported. The final section of the study offers implications for U.S. energy policy and scholarship.     

Analysis of wet deposition in the eastern United States

Acid deposition in the eastern U.S. during a spring frontal storm from 1 to 5 May 1985 is analysed using the STEM-II acid deposition model. Nitrate formation is dominated by gas-phase production processes, with wet and dry deposition contributing equally to the total domain nitrate deposition. In-cloud sulfate production accounts for 60% of the total sulfate production, while wet deposition dominates the total sulfate deposition. Oxidation of S(IV) by hydrogen peroxide is the most important sulfate formation pathway. Hydrogen peroxide is found to exist in excess of S(IV) in cloud and rainwater in the storm front and at altitudes above 2 km. Production rates of sulfate in the high sulfur source regions are significantly lower (up to an order of magnitude) than in the moderate or low source regions. Model predictions are shown to capture the major features of the observed deposition.     

Pollution prevention through performance-based initiatives and regulation in the United States

This paper documents over 20 years of progress in the United States to advance environmental protection through pollution prevention and other performance-based initiatives and regulations. This paper highlights a number of different approaches and strategies used at the state and federal government levels while outlining emerging barriers to the overall effectiveness of the existing US environmental protection system. As a result, the authors provide specific recommendations to accelerate the use and evolution of performance-based initiatives and regulations to achieve the goal of sustainable consumption and production systems.     

State-By-State Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Fossil Fuel Use in the United States 1960–2000

Time series of fossil fuel carbon emissions from 1960–2000 for each of the U.S. states and the District of Columbia are presented and discussed. Comparison of the nationally summarized results with other national datasets shows generally good agreement, usually within 2%, and gives insight into the quality of all the data series. Our extension of the state-by-state emissions estimates back to 1960 reveals patterns of change that are coherent across states and can be related to historic events such as energy crises and federal legislation. Most notable is the changing pattern of coal usage, as coal-producing states produce increasingly more energy (mostly for electricity) for other states so that per capita CO₂ emissions diverge for states that import as opposed to those that export electricity. The decline in carbon emissions from petroleum products following the 1970s is also evident. Per capita emissions range over an order of magnitude for the different states. The data suggest that differences in per capita emissions arise from differences in many technological, physical, resource, social, and economic factors. The data presented here and the few correlations briefly noted pose a challenge for trying to use per capita emissions as a measure of equity or to provide mitigation targets.     

Emissions mitigation opportunities and practice in Northeastern United States

Climate change is creating substantial and growing impacts on the Northeastern United States. As the world’s seventh largest contributor of heat trapping carbon dioxide, the region will play a critical role in moving towards stabilizing global concentrations at a level that avoids serious adverse consequences. The Northeast region is well positioned to be a leader in technology and policy innovation for reducing emissions, and can drive national and international programs that are essential to providing a safer future climate. This paper summarizes technological mitigation options and measures as well as opportunities for public and private actions to reduce emissions. The authors propose a ‘3% solution’ of annual emission reductions to put the Northeastern United States on an emissions reductions path that is consistent with the level of reductions necessary to avoid dangerous climate change. The 3% solution requires a combination of policies that will reduce the energy imbedded in the region’s infrastructure and technologies, and individual action to choose the lowest emitting of available technologies and practices.