中国没有“先污染后治理”的“资本”

在我国,党和政府多次强调中国绝不能走“先污染后治理”的道路,但是在一些地方和企业,置国家环境政策、法规于不顾,大肆破坏、污染环境的现象并未得到彻底遏制“,先污染后治理”之风依然存在。在理论界,甚至有学者以发达国家曾经历“先污染后治理”才解决环境问题为由,欲将“先     

污染减排是环境友好的支点

又到一年一度的“世界环境日”。联合国环境规划署发布的2007年“世界环境日”主题是“冰川消融,后果堪忧”;与全球气候变暖、以致冰川消融所带来的危机相比,当今中国的“污染减排”问题,似乎更为迫切,迫切得如同火烧眉毛,所以今年“世界环境日”中国区的主题确定为“污染减排与环境友好型社会”。     

简论学校环境教育的原则

环境教育的原则是实施环境教育的基本要求和准则，它对确定环境教育的目标、环境教育的内容，选择、使用环境教育方法等有着重要指导意义。笔者针对学校环境教育实际，并结合环境教育的相关理论提出如下原则，以求教于广大同仁。道德性原则环境道德观教育是环境教育的一个重要目标，有人甚至认为：“环境教育从本质上说是一种公德教育”。前苏联院士伊·比德诺夫·索科洛夫指出，大自然的污染，首先是“人类意识的污染”，因此解决环境问题的根本途径是建立新的生态文化，从观念意识上扭转对自然的认识。当前，我国在实施环境道德教育方面，…     

污染环境造成他人损害的赔偿责任

我国法律对污染环境造成他人损害的 ,实行的是无过错责任原则。这就是说 ,无论侵害人———污染环境者主观上有无过错 ,也无论国家对此是否已经收费或处罚 ,只要污染环境造成他人损害的 ,受害人就可以请求获得赔偿。《民法通则》第 12 4条规定 :“违反国家保护环境防止污染的规定 ,污染环境造成他人损害的 ,应当依法承担民事责任。”这条规定所说的“依法” ,就是国家颁布的有关环境保护的法律、法规等。如《海洋环境保护法》第4 2条规定 :“因海洋环境污染受到损害的单位和个人 ,有权要求造成污染损害的一方赔偿损失。”《水污染防治法》第…     

我国的主要环境问题和对策

一、主要环境问题及其实质据各部门多年环境监测资料的综合分析,我国的环境问题既有自然生态破坏引起的自然环境问题,又有工业“三废”造成的人为环境污染问题。归纳起来,主要是: (一)城市环境污染比较严重,工业“三废”依然是城市人民面临的实际问题,并且开始向农村蔓延,这是我国环境矛盾的主要方面。 (二)农村能源紧张,消耗大量生物能源,是土质下降,农业生态破坏的重要原因,这是我国农业环境中需要认真解决的长远问题。 (三)氟污染、汞污染、“酸雨”污染和苯并芘的污染是当前亟待解决的地区性尖     

中国环保新闻网上线

近日,由中国环境新闻工作者协会主办的“向污染宣战”——全国环境新闻工作者总动员授旗仪式暨中国环保新闻网上线仪式在环保举行。在中国环保新闻网上线仪式上,中国环境新闻工作者协会推出“向污染宣战”活动的官方新闻网站——中国环保新闻网。     

太湖流域环境监测的网络化管理

近年来，太湖流域水环境受到严重污染，湖体富营养化严重．已影响到该地区工农业生产的发展和人民生活质量的提高，解决太湖污染问题迫在眉睫。太湖流域污染治理已列入国家环保局“九五”期间的主要工作。为加强整个大潮流域内环境监测，为控制污染、根治太湖提供可靠的科学依据，国家环保局于1995年11月正式成立“太湖流域环境监因网”（以下简称“太湖网”），成员由江苏省、浙江省、上海市所属的23个市县环境监测站组成。“建立太湖环境监出网具有重要意义。首先，太湖网的成立是实现“九五”目标的需要，为国务院和各级政府实现对流域进…     

环境问题与环境保护 第一讲:我国最严重的环境问题是什么?

我国在一个相当长的时间里,把环境问题主要看作是工业“三废”造成的污染。相应的,全国各地的环境研究机构,重点在抓“三废”处理的研究,各地的环境监测机构主要在抓“三废”污染的监测工作。这些工作是必要的,也取得了一定的成绩。     

一条“牛奶河”的心酸眼泪

今年“6·5”世界环境日,中国的主题为“向污染宣战”,环保部新闻发言人指出：向污染宣战的主攻方向,是深化大气污染防治,强化水污染防治,抓好土壤污染治理,加大重金属、化学品和危险废物污染防治力度,深化工业污染防治。通过采取稳、准、狠的举措,逐步改善环境质量,让人民群众看到政府的决心,看到解决环境问题的希望。     

先进文化与环境文化

“三个代表”是实现新世纪环保工作的行动纲领,也是实现人类文明进步的新世纪文化宣言。从“三个代表”思想的“先进文化”角度探讨环境的先进文化,进而从环境先进文化的角度推动环境保护事业的发展。提高全社会的环境文明水平,促进社会生产力的健康发展。结合时局,在学习“三个代表”的重要思想基础上探讨先进文化与环境文化的意义也就在于此。     

Conversion of temperate forests into heaths: Role of ecosystem disturbance and ericaceous plants

Fire and logging in nutrient-poor temperate forests with certain ericaceous understory plants may convert the forests into heaths. The process of disturbance-induced heath formation is documented by using examples ofCalluna in western Europe,Kalmia in Newfoundland, andGaultheria (salal) in coastal British Columbia. In a cool, temperate climate, rapid vegetative growth ofCalluna, Kalmia, and salal following disturbance results in increasing organic accumulation (paludification), nutrient sequestration, soil acidification, and allelochemicals. These are thought to be the main reasons to conifer regeneration failure in disturbed habitats. If continuation in forest is a land-use objective, then temperate forests with an ericaceous understory should not be logged unless effective silvicultural methods are devised to control the ericaceous plants and restore forest regeneration. Preharvest vegetation control may be considered as an option. Failure to control the understory plants may lead to a long-term vegetation shift, from forest to heathland, particularly in nutrient-poor sites. Successful methods of controllingKalmia andGaultheria, however, have yet to be developed. While theKalmia- andGaultheria- dominated heathlands are undesirable in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, a wide range ofCalluna heathlands of western Europe are being conserved as natural and seminatural vegetation.     

AN APPLICATION RUNOFF MODEL STRATEGY FOR UNGAGED WATERSHEDS1

ABSTRACT: Mathematical models for predicting watershed surface flow responses are available, most of which are elaborate nonlinear numerical surface and channel flow models linked with infiltration models. Such models may be used to make predictions for ungaged areas, assuming an acceptable fitting of the model to the topography and roughness of the real system. For some application purposes, these models are impractical because of their complexity and expensive computer solutions. A procedure is developed that uses a complex model of an ungaged area to derive a simpler parametric nonlinear system model for repetitious simulation with input sequences. The predicted flow outputs are obtained with the simpler model at significant savings of money and time. The procedures for constructing a complex kinematic model of a 40 acre (161,880 m²) reference watershed and deriving the simpler system model are outlined. The results of predictions from both models are compared with a selected set of measured events, all having essentially the same initial conditions. Peak discharges ranged from 3 to 118 ft³/sec (0.085 to 3.34 m³/sec), which includes the largest event of record. The inherent limitations of lumped systems models are demonstrated, including the bias caused by their inability to model infiltration losses after rainfall ceases. Computer costs and times for the models were compared. The derived simple model has a cost advantage when repeated use of a model is required. Such an applications hydrologic model has an engineering tradeoff of reduced accuracy, and lumping bias, but is more economical for certain design purposes.     

Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress

Urban ecological studies, including focus on cities, suburbs, and exurbs, while having deep roots in the early to mid 20th century, have burgeoned in the last several decades. We use the state factor approach to highlight the role of important aspects of climate, substrate, organisms, relief, and time in differentiating urban from non-urban areas, and for determining heterogeneity within spatially extensive metropolitan areas. In addition to reviewing key findings relevant to each state factor, we note the emergence of tentative "urban syndromes" concerning soils, streams, wildlife and plants, and homogenization of certain ecosystem functions, such as soil organic carbon dynamics. We note the utility of the ecosystem approach, the human ecosystem framework, and watersheds as integrative tools to tie information about multiple state factors together. The organismal component of urban complexes includes the social organization of the human population, and we review key modes by which human populations within urban areas are differentiated, and how such differentiation affects environmentally relevant actions. Emerging syntheses in land change science and ecological urban design are also summarized. The multifaceted frameworks and the growing urban knowledge base do however identify some pressing research needs.     

Using Paleo Reconstructions to Improve Streamflow Forecast Lead Time in the Western United States

In water stressed regions, water managers are exploring new horizons that would help in long‐range streamflow forecasts. Oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations have been shown to influence streamflow variability. In this study, long‐lead time streamflow forecasts are made using a multiclass kernel‐based data‐driven support vector machine (SVM) model. The extended streamflow records based on tree ring reconstructions were used to provide a longer time series data. Reconstructed data were used from 1658 to 1952 and the instrumental record was used from 1953 to 2007. Reconstructions for oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations included the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and North Atlantic Oscillation. Streamflow forecasts using all four oscillations were made with one‐year to five‐year lead times for 21 gages in the western United States. This is the first study that uses both instrumental and reconstructed data of oscillations in SVM model to improve streamflow forecast lead time. SVM model was able to provide “satisfactory” to “very good” forecasts with one‐ to five‐year lead time for the selected gages. The use of all the oscillation indices helped in achieving better predictability compared to using individual oscillations. The SVM modeling results are better when compared with multiple linear regression model forecasts. The findings are statistical in nature and are expected to be useful for long‐term water resources planning and management.     

Neighbourhood characteristics and urban gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area: staffing and voluntarism,food production,infrastructure, and sustainability practices

Urban gardens are important sources of sustenance for communities with limited access to food. Hence, this study focuses on food production in gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area in Northwest Ohio. We administered surveys to 150 garden managers from November 2014 to February 2015 in our attempt to better understand how neighbourhood racial composition and poverty levels are related to staffing and voluntarism, food production and distribution, the development of infrastructure, and the adoption of sustainability practices in urban gardens. The results from 30 gardens are presented in this paper. We used Geographic Information Systems to map the gardens and overlay the map with 2010 census data so that we could conduct demographic analyses of the neighbourhoods in which the gardens were located. Though the gardens were small – two acres or less – up to 46 varieties of food were grown in a single garden. Gardens also operated on small budgets. Food from the gardens was gifted or shared with friends, family, and neighbourhood residents. Gardens in predominantly minority neighbourhoods tended to have fewer institutional partners, less garden infrastructure, and had adopted fewer sustainable practices than gardens in predominantly White neighbourhoods. Nonetheless, residents of predominantly minority and high-poverty neighbourhoods participated in garden activities and influenced garden operations. Volunteering and staffing were racialised and gendered.     

Predicting deer-vehicle collisions in an urban area

Collisions with deer and other large animals are increasing, and the resulting economic costs and risks to public safety have made mitigation measures a priority for both city and wildlife managers. We created landscape models to describe and predict deer-vehicle collision (DVCs) within the City of Edmonton, Alberta. Models based on roadside characteristics revealed that DVCs occurred frequently where roadside vegetation was both denser and more diverse, and that DVCs were more likely to occur when the groomed width of roadside right-of-ways was smaller. No DVCs occurred where the width of the vegetation-free or manicured roadside buffer was greater than 40 m. Landscape-based models showed that DVCs were more likely in more heterogeneous landscapes where road densities were lower and speed limits were higher, and where non-forested vegetation such as farmland was in closer proximity to larger tracts of forest. These models can help wildlife and transportation managers to identify locations of high collision frequency for mitigation. Modifying certain landscape and roadside habitats can be an effective way to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.     

MANGANESE CYCLE IN IMPOUNDMENT WATER

Manganese entering impounded water will undergo a cyclic transformation. Oxidation precipitates manganese from top waters. At the bottom of the lake, biological activity will render manganese soluble by both intracellular as well as extracellular activity. The study was made to demonstrate that biological reduction and transformation, organometallic complexation, together with the presence of carbon dioxide and the lowering of pH all have some effect on the solubility of manganese. Dissolved manganese may be brought back to top waters during the lake overturn and therefore deteriorates the water quality.     

Biodiversity and biotechnology

The maintenance of biodiversity is urged from many quarters and on grounds ranging from aesthetic considerations to its usefulness, particularly for biotechnology. But regardless of the grounds for preserving biodiversity, writers are generally in agreement that it should be preserved. But, in examining the various references biodiversity, such as species diversity, genetic diversity, and habitat diversity, it is apparent that we cannot aim to preserve biodiversityas such, since there are a number of conflicts in any such undertaking. In preserving one aspect of biodiversity, we damage another aspect. Five arguments which attempt to ground our moral concern for biodiversity are reviewed and critiqued, not only for their consistency but also for their power to move us to action. The final section of the paper shows how conflicts in the values of personal and environmental health can impair ethical action and especially policy formation.An earlier version of this paper was read at the conference on Agriculture, Food, and Human Values: Tradition and Change, Orlando, Florida, October 7–9, 1987.     

Sources and Transport of Phosphorus to Rivers in California and Adjacent States,U.S., as Determined by SPARROW Modeling

The SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes) model was used to simulate annual phosphorus loads and concentrations in unmonitored stream reaches in California, U.S., and portions of Nevada and Oregon. The model was calibrated using de‐trended streamflow and phosphorus concentration data at 80 locations. The model explained 91% of the variability in loads and 51% of the variability in yields for a base year of 2002. Point sources, geological background, and cultivated land were significant sources. Variables used to explain delivery of phosphorus from land to water were precipitation and soil clay content. Aquatic loss of phosphorus was significant in streams of all sizes, with the greatest decay predicted in small‐ and intermediate‐sized streams. Geological sources, including volcanic rocks and shales, were the principal control on concentrations and loads in many regions. Some localized formations such as the Monterey shale of southern California are important sources of phosphorus and may contribute to elevated stream concentrations. Many of the larger point source facilities were located in downstream areas, near the ocean, and do not affect inland streams except for a few locations. Large areas of cultivated land result in phosphorus load increases, but do not necessarily increase the loads above those of geological background in some cases because of local hydrology, which limits the potential of phosphorus transport from land to streams.     

Surface applied water treatment residuals affect bioavailable phosphorus losses in Florida sands

Water treatment residuals (WTR) can reduce runoff P loss and surface co-application of P-sources and WTR is a practical way of land applying the residuals. In a rainfall simulation study, we evaluated the effects of surface co-applied P-sources and an Al-WTR on runoff and leacheate bioavailable P (BAP) losses from a Florida sand. Four P-sources, namely poultry manure, Boca Raton biosolids (high water-soluble P), Pompano biosolids (moderate water-soluble P), and triple super phosphate (TSP) were surface applied at 56 and 224kgPha(-1) (by weight) to represent low and high soil P loads typical of P- and N-based amendments rates. The treatments further received surface applied WTR at 0 or 10gWTRkg(-1) soil. BAP loss masses were greater in leachate (16.4-536mg) than in runoff (0.91-46mg), but were reduced in runoff and leachate by surface applied WTR. Masses of total BAP lost in the presence of surface applied WTR were less than approximately 75% of BAP losses in the absence of WTR. Total BAP losses from each of the organic sources applied at N-based rates were not greater than P loss from TSP applied at a P-based rate. The BAP loss at the N-based rate of moderate water-soluble P-source (Pompano biosolids) was not greater than BAP losses at the P-based rates of other organic sources tested. The hazards of excess P from applying organic P-sources at N-based rates are not greater than observed at P-based rates of mineral fertilizer. Results suggest that management of the environmental P hazards associated with N-based rates of organic materials in Florida sands is possible by either applying P-sources with WTR or using a moderate water-soluble P-source.