Electricity supply industry in North America

This paper describes the electricity supply system in the USA and Canada based on an analysis of the performance characteristics of the North America Electric Reliability Councils which regulate the interlinked generation capabilities of the two countries. It is shown that whereas the national average efficiency of production and delivery of electricity in the USA is 32%, the actual value varies between 22% and 47% depending on geographical location. For Canada, the range is 32% to 68% with a national average of 43%. A detailed analysis of the dependence of each area on the different primary fuels is also given.     

ANALYSIS OF WIND- AND SHIP-INDUCED SEDIMENT RESUSPENSION IN DULUTH-SUPERIOR HARBOR1

ABSTRACT: Suspended solids and ammonium concentration profiles measured at five locations in Duluth-Superior Harbor during July-October 1985 were analyzed to quantify wind and ship effects on sediment resuspension and resulting harbor water quality. Wind components from the SE quadrant correlated strongly with depth-averaged suspended solids concentrations that were unaffected by ship passage or thermal stratification. Winds from that quadrant have the largest fetch in the harbor. The highest correlation (r²= 0.93) was with the 6-hour average of the ESE wind velocity component. Multiple linear regression analysis of data from post-ship passage concentration profiles yielded numerical estimates of settling velocities of 0.08 to 0.25 cm s^?1, typical of ship-resuspended sediments, and vertical eddy diffusivities of 4 to 13 cm² s¹. The results suggest that ambient vertical eddy diffusivities in the harbor are less than 4 cm² s^?1 in the absence of ship passages and with winds less than 5 m s^?1 (10 knots).     

Environmental legislation, economic growth and risk in minerals development The Bolivian case

This paper examines the General Environmental Law of Bolivia which was recently passed by its Congress. It is a multi-purpose law with two primary objectives: (i) the protection and conservation of the environment; and (ii) the promotion of sustainable development. In this law, environmental benefits are emphasized by stating general principles, not by attempting to define the means. Regulations setting forth the means are left to the writing of subsequent complementary codes. This paper shows that much of the controversy surrounding the legislation disappears when it is seen as a guideline rather than an operational part of Bolivia's industrial policy. In essence, the law addresses environmental awareness in a region that is more anxious than ever to speed economic growth.     

Focusing biodiversity research on the needs of decision makers

The project on Biodiversity Uncertainties and Research Needs (BURN) ensures the advancement of usable knowledge on biodiversity by obtaining input from decision makers on their priority information needs about biodiversity and then using this input to engage leading scientists in designing policy-relevant research. Decision makers articulated concerns related to four issues: significance of biodiversity; status and trends of biodiversity; management for biodiversity; and the linkage of social, cultural, economic, legal, and biological objectives. Leading natural and social scientists then identified the research required to address the decision makers' needs and determined the probability of success. The diverse group of experts reached consensus on several fundamental issues, helping to clarify the role of biodiversity in land and resource management. The BURN participants identified several features that should be incorporated into policy-relevant research plans and management strategies for biodiversity. Research and assessment efforts should be: multidisciplinary and integrative, participatory with stakeholder involvement, hierarchical (multiple scales), and problem- and region-specific. The activities should be focused regionally within a global perspective. Meta-analysis of existing data is needed on all fronts to assess the state of the science. More specifically, the scientists recommended six priority research areas that should be pursued to address the information needs articulated by decision makers: (1) characterization of biodiversity, (2) environmental valuation, (3) management for sustainability—for humans and the environment (adaptive management), (4) information management strategies, (5) governance and stewardship issues, and (6) communication and outreach. Broad recommendations were developed for each research area to provide direction for research planning and resource management strategies. The results will directly benefit those groups that require biodiversity research to address their needs—whether to develop policy, manage natural resources, or make other decisions affecting biodiversity.     

Achieving quality environmental audits: Twenty tips for success

In 1995 the authors spent a considerable amount of time conducting audits and audit training classes all over the world. In rolling out Colgate-Palmolive's reengineered environmental audit program, they coupled a two-day training program with a three-day audit. Whether in Asia-Pacific, South America, Europe, or the United States, auditors, especially those newly trained, always seemed to fall into the same traps time and again. In order to facilitate the learning process, the authors prepared a list of 20 tips to use at the beginning and end of all training programs and audits. In this article, the authors share the 20 “golden rules” to help all auditors improve the quality of their audits.     

VALUE OF WOODY RWER CORRIDORS IN LEVEE PROTECTION ALONG THE MISSOURI RWER IN 19931

ABSTRACT: Following the Midwest flood of 1993, a study was initiated along a 39-mile segment of the Missouri River to determine if there was an association between woody corridors and levee stability. A systematic sample of levee failures revealed that primary levees which did not fail had a significantly wider woody corridor than failed levees. Analysis of the total inventory of failed levees revealed that as the width of the woody corridor decreased, the length of the levee failure increased. Number of levee failures and their severity of damage could be reduced if woody corridors were at least 300 feet wide.     

VEGETATION INFLUENCE ON SMALL STREAM SILTATION1

ABSTRACT: A meandering stream channel was simulated in the Hydraulics Laboratory at Colorado State University and a series of tests was conducted using four types of vegetation to evaluate the potential effects of vegetation on sediment deposition and retention in a stream channel. The data collected included average flow velocity, flow depth, length of vegetation, density of vegetation, cross-sectional area of the vegetative stem, wetted perimeter of the vegetative stem, and injection and flushing time. The findings indicated that the vegetation could retain from 30 to 70 percent of the deposited sediments. The ability of vegetation to entrap and retain sediment is related to the length and cross-sectional area of the vegetation. The variables describing the flow and the vegetative properties were combined to form a predictive parameter, the sedimentation factor (S_d) that can be compared with the amount of sediment entrapped by vegetation in a stream system. A relation was developed correlating vegetation length to sediment retention after flushing for flexibility and rigid vegetation.     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANNUAL RUNOFF AND WATERSHED AREA FOR THE EASTERN UNITED STATES1

ABSTRACT: As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's effort to determine the long-term effects of acidic deposition on surface water chemistry, annual runoff was estimated for about 1000 ungaged sites in the eastern U.S. using runoff contour maps. One concern in using contour maps was that a bias may be introduced in the runoff estimates due to the size of the 1000 ungaged sites relative to the size of the watersheds used in developing the maps. To determine if a bias was present the relationship between the annual runoff (expressed as depth) and the watershed area for the Northeast (NE) and Southern Blue Ridge Province (SBRP) was tested using five regional data bases. One short-term data base (1984 Water Year, n = 531) and two long-term data bases (1940–57, n = 134 and 1951–80, n = 342) were used in the NE. In the SBRP one short-term database (1984 Water Year, n = 531) and one long-term data base (1951–80, n = 60) were used. For the NE and the SBRP, runoff was not directly correlated with watershed area using the five regional databases. Also, runoff normalized by precipitation was not related to watershed area.     

A TAU-LIKE TEST FOR TREND IN THE PRESENCE OF MULTIPLE CENSORING POINTS1

ABSTRACT: A common problem arises in testing for trends in water quality when observations are reported as “less than detection limit.” If a single detection limit is used for the entire study, existing non-parametric statistical methods, modified for ties, are applicable. If, however, the detection limit varies during the course of the study, resulting in multiple detection limits, then the commonly used trend detection methods are not appropriate. A statistic similar to Kendall's tau, but based on expected ranks, is proposed. Monte Carlo simulations show that the normal approximation to the distribution of this statistic is quite good, even for small samples and a large proportion of censored observations. The statistic is also shown to have greater power than the ad-hoc method of treating all observations less than the target censored observation as tied.