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.     

Decommissioning of offshore oil and gas facilities: a comparative assessment of different scenarios

A material and energy flow analysis, with corresponding financial flows, was carried out for different decommissioning scenarios for the different elements of an offshore oil and gas structure. A comparative assessment was made of the non-financial (especially environmental) outcomes of the different scenarios, with the reference scenario being to leave all structures in situ, while other scenarios envisaged leaving them on the seabed or removing them to shore for recycling and disposal. The costs of each scenario, when compared with the reference scenario, give an implicit valuation of the non-financial outcomes (e.g. environmental improvements), should that scenario be adopted by society. The paper concludes that it is not clear that the removal of the topsides and jackets of large steel structures to shore, as currently required by regulations, is environmentally justified; that concrete structures should certainly be left in place; and that leaving footings, cuttings and pipelines in place, with subsequent monitoring, would also be justified unless very large values were placed by society on a clear seabed and trawling access.     

Consequences of Pollution and Degradation of Nigerian Aquatic Environment on Fisheries Resources

Throughout the world, human use of water, and bad planning have led to drier and polluted rivers, lakes, and groundwater resources with dramatic effects on the natural ecosystems. Nigeria's vast freshwater resources are among those most affected by environmental stress imposed by human population growth, urbanization, and industrialization. Disposal and management of wastes in Nigeria present serious environmental problems. The usual methods of waste disposal in the country are: land filling, dumpsites, land spreads, water disposal, and incineration. Each of these methods has serious environmental implications because of their potential to pollute and contaminate underground and surface water bodies in the country. Major cities in Nigeria face serious water pollution crises, in which lack of environmental control of water-dependent activities (including domestic, agricultural, and industrial) play an important part. Fish and marine resources in the country face total collapse or extinction, due to over-fishing and destruction of marine life and natural habitats by pollution of water bodies. Unregulated and excessive use of pesticides for fishing and the deliberate disposal and dumping of toxic and hazardous wastes into water bodies are significant causes of massive fish kills and loss of aquatic life and habitats in the country. The protection of water quality and aquatic ecosystem as a vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, development and environment is of utmost importance to prevent further pollution and degradation of Nigeria's freshwater resources. Integrating operational measures for safeguarding adequate levels of protection of endemic habitats remains a major challenge. There is therefore a need to examine in tandem the entire range of uses to which freshwater is put, and to design services which neither squander precious resources nor fail to respect other, competing and complementary water needs.This paper attempts to provide an overview of the Nigerian freshwater resources, to assess the pollution status of inland waters, identify the sources of pollution, and infer the consequent effect on fisheries resource. Recommendations were proffered on the strategies to employ to ensure that Nigerian fishery resources are adequately managed in order to address the issue of food security.     

Marine mineral resources: Effect of the low of the sea convention

The degree of security of investment afforded by the applicable legal regime is one of the most important factors affecting minerals projects. This article outlines the deep-sea mining regime contained in the recently adopted Law of the Sea Convention. A history of subsea mining, including petroleum mining, is presented and the events leading to adoption of the Convention are described. Those parts of the Convention relating to deep-sea mining are analysed, and the International Sea-Bed Authority is examined. It is concluded that deep-sea mining on a commercial scale is unlikely before the end of the decade.     

旅游客源分析兼论宜州市旅游客源条件

本文分析了影响旅游资源的开发因素之一──客源的形成条件，在此基础上对广西宜州市旅游资源的客源条件进行了分析．     

The rise and fall of the nature conservation movement in Japan in relation to some cultural values

The Japanese are traditionally regarded as nature-loving people, living in “harmony” with nature. However, this assumption is difficult to accept when observing the environmental problems in Japan. How can one explain the incongruities? Has the Japanese people's attitude toward nature changed as Japan has modernized? Is the concept of the nature-loving Japanese merely a myth? Is there another reason to explain this contradiction? This study shows political and economic origins of the paradox. The origin of the Japanese traditional idea of nature is fear and reverence of nature based on a primitive religion that developed in a rural subsistence living situation. Aesthetic and spiritual values of nature for cultural, educational, and intellectual entertainment were developed by the ruling class in the seventh century. Japan's first nature conservation movement, imported from the West, developed among the intellectual community and was advocated and promoted by the elite in the Meiji period (1868–1911). However, because deep commitment was lacking, the movement was abused by the military government before World War II. In the early 1970s the nature conservation movement seemed to be on the ascendancy, mainly because it was combined with the antipollution movement claiming the basic rights of survival. The Japanese nature conservation movement is still in the embryonic stage; in the future, the blending of some traditional resource management with the scientific philosophy of nature conservation may help promote the new wave of nature conservation in Japan.     

Integrating long-term stewardship goals into the remediation process: natural resource damages and the Department of Energy

The United States and other developed countries are faced with restoring and managing degraded ecosystems. Evaluations of the degradation of ecological resources can be used for determining ecological risk, making remediation or restoration decisions, aiding stakeholders with future land use decisions, and assessing natural resource damages. Department of Energy (DOE) lands provide a useful case study for examining degradation of ecological resources in light of past or present land uses and natural resource damage assessment (NRDA). We suggest that past site history should be incorporated into the cleanup and restoration phase to reduce the ultimate NRDA costs, and hasten resource recovery. The lands that DOE purchased over 50 years ago ranged from relatively undisturbed to heavily impacted farmland, and the impact that occurred from DOE occupation varies from regeneration of natural ecosystems (benefits) to increased exposure to several stressors (negative effects). During the time of the DOE releases, other changes occurred on the lands, including recovery from the disturbance effects of farming, grazing, and residential occupation, and the cessation of human disturbance. Thus, the injury to natural resources that occurred as a result of chemical and radiological releases occurred on top of recovery of already degraded systems. Both spatial (size and dispersion of patch types) and temporal (past/present/future land use and ecological condition) components are critical aspects of resource evaluation, restoration, and NRDA. For many DOE sites, integrating natural resource restoration with remediation to reduce or eliminate the need for NRDA could be a win-win situation for both responsible parties and natural resource trustees by eliminating costly NRDAs by both sides, and by restoring natural resources to a level that satisfies the trustees, while being cost-effective for the responsible parties. It requires integration of remediation, restoration, and end-state planning to a greater degree than is currently done at most DOE sites.     

山东半岛城市群相对资源承载力与竞争力研究

以山东半岛城市群为例，采用相对资源承载力的研究思路和计算方法，计算分析了其2000-2004年相对土地资源承载力、相对经济资源承载力和综合承载力及其演化过程。研究表明：①山东半岛城市群的土地资源对综合承载力的贡献大于经济资源，是山东半岛城市群人口的主要承载资源；②山东半岛城市群的综合承载力超过实际人口数量，处于相对富余状态；③相对资源承载力的地区差异较明湿，淄博、日照处于超载状态，其它处于富余状态；④相对土地资源承载力与相对经济资源承载力的小协调发展是提升山东半岛城市群竞争力需要重点解决的问题。     

海南西部资源环境一体化研究

传统发展模式引发的资源环境问题迫使人类思考去寻求新的可持续的发展模式,资源环境一体化就是适应此背景的新兴发展理念。以海南西部沙地环境资源化与山区资源环境化的发展实践,实证分析了资源环境一体化的发展模式与发展机制。按资源与环境是可相互转化的这一资源环境一体化理论基础,海南西部干旱与多沙的环境可将其作为旅游资源进行开发,而针对山区资源过度利用的现状,则通过实施设立自然保护区、退耕还林、封山育林等措施实行保护性开发,实现山区资源环境化。重视环境与可持续发展思想、资源与环境的同源性与资源时效性、科学发展与技术进步、环境政策的完善与严格、政府与企业推进是促进资源环境一体化的主要推动机制。     

湖南省西线旅游资源及其开发方向

西线是湖南省旅游资源的富矿区，品位高，特色明显。文章客观分析了西线旅游资源的基本态势，提出了该地区旅游开发的基本方向。     

高职院校实验室资源优化配置与科学管理简

实验室资源优化配置和科学管理是高职院校提高教学、科研水平和人才培养质量的重要途径。当前高职院校实验室资源配置与管理中普遍存在实验室分散封闭管理、资源配置缺乏计划、实验室没有充分利用以及设备缺乏维护保养四个方面问题,针对这些问题应从管理体制改革、设备申报采购制度、实验室潜力开发以及开展培训、提高管理人员水平四个方面来实现实验室合理配置资源、科学规范管理。     

四川旅游名城资源的保护成绩与基本策略

客观地总结了四川省在保护旅游名城（镇）资源方面取得的显著成绩：大批重点文物保护有序；扩建和新建各类博物馆、纪念馆、陈列馆；对成都市三大片区进行了保护性维修与改造；对市内古镇进行了调研与规划。提出了四川省在保护旅游名城（镇）资源方面的3个重点层次，以及切实加强旅游名城（镇）资源的保护要做到政府重视、规划管理、完善法制、资金投入与全民意识等基本策略与具体措施。     

涂装循环水、机加工乳化液处理站的运行技术

五羊－本田摩托（广州）有限公司生产基地有年产40万台发动机和摩托车外观件的生产车间,其中,机加工乳化液和涂装循环水是由污水处理站处理的,通过工艺流程的改造利用及加强制度管理,使处理站平衡高效运行,出水达到了广州市一级排放标准。     

自然资源特许经营权流转的法理基础与制度构建

自然资源特许经营权的流转有助于发挥市场在资源配置中的基础作用,通过价格杠杆和竞争引导自然资源的开发利用.基于自然资源特许经营权的用益物权属性,特许经营者享有流转决定自由、选择流转相对人自由及定价自由,国家可基于自然资源所有者和社会管理者的双重身份对特许经营权流转予以限制.我国矿业权、海域使用权、取水权、渔业权等自然资源特许经营权流转立法还存在较多法律障碍.直接转让、作价出资、证券化、出租、抵押等是特许经营权流转的基本形式,并且受到流转主体的资质、流转客体的适格和流转形式的要式等限制.