Besprechungen

The Science of Nature -     

The uses of satellite technology in disaster management

Various kinds of Satellites, including communications, meteorology, remote sensing and geophysics satellites, are, or may become, useful tools in disaster prevention, preparedness and relief. They already provide operational capability for storm warnings and search-and-rescue efforts. Other capabilities, such as improved flood prediction and global mobile communications during relief, are close within reach. Still others, such as earthquake prediction, require considerable research. Close cooperation and communication between space technologists and disaster-management specialists will be needed in guiding research and designing and testing satellite systems. It is hoped that the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction can provide a framework for such activities.     

Environmental management within an institutionalized planning process—Avoiding a paradox in the belgian environmental movement

Summary The position and weaknesses of the Belgian environmental movement are assessed within their historical context. Recent intentions pronounced by prominent members of the movement are put into the context of the on-going constitutional and administrative reformation in Belgium. An analysis is made of the organizational and operational problems that exist within any planning process, including environmental planning processes. The problems in the latter type of process are severe due to the derived or indirect nature of the subject matter of environmental management and planning. It is argued that an appropriate response to the unique opportunities furnished by the administrative reorganization consists of demanding the establishment of a central planning and strategic control authority. This authority would be the initiator of the general planning processes within the Flemish Community. It would act on the indication of the Executive Cabinet and it would be charged with planning, programming, budgeting, and strategic control of goals and policy guidelines adopted by the Flemish Community Council. The role of environmental managers and planners will be twofold. They would be members of the planning teams within the central planning and strategic control authority, thus they would ensure the environmental soundness of planning. Secondly, they will be the implementators of specific planning actions, undertaken solely to enhance the quality of Flanders' battered environment. To execute the latter function, they will constitute the personnel of peripheral, implementation-geared, environmental agencies. Walter E. J. Tips holds degrees in general biology, ecology and town and regional planning from the State University of Ghent (Belgium). He has published in fields as varied as conservation, animal ecology, environmental planning and environmental impact assessment, and rural development planning. He has been a lecturer in planning in Malaysia and an advisor to Belgian landscape planning authorities. At present his main interest is in research on the possibilities of organizational reform of government administration to include environmental planning procedures in decision making and planning.     

Air Quality Management: Participatory Ranking of Control Measures and Conflict Analysis

The ranking of air quality control measures according to a number of evaluation criteria and with the participation of a large number of interested publics is demonstrated. A pilot study for the South Coast Air Quality Management District of California serves as the reference point. Several methodological considerations are addressed, such as: (a) the enhancement of criterion priorities to account for the variability among the performance of the control measures when incommensurable impact levels are applied: (b) the derivation of alternative rankings according to the priorities of potential coalitions; (c) the assessment of the potential acceptability of a collective ranking given the degree of solidarity among participants with similar interest affiliations; and (b) the assessment of the extent to which the performance of specific control measures may override priority differences and lead to insignificant ranking differences.     

Photometrische Bestimmung der Zytotoxizität von Chemikalien

Two test methods are presented to assess the cytotoxicity of chemicals. On one hand the protozoonTetrahymena pyriformis and on the other the bacteriumPseudomonas aeruginosa is cultured in defined media containing the test chemicals. Test parameter is the quantity of living cells surviving exposure. The conversion of the tetrazolium salt MTT into formazan is equivalent to cell viability. A mixture of detergent and isopropanol is used to dissolve the blue formazan which is not soluble in water, prior to photometric measurement. For cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium salt, potassium dichromate, 4-toluenesulfonic acid sodium salt, and 4-nitrophenol the EC50-values (mol/l) in theTetrahymena pyriformis- (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) test system were: 10^?5,81 (10^?5,08); 10^?4,68) (10^?3,80; 10^?4,50 (10^?4,14); 10^?3,97 (10^?5,11); 10^?2,71 (10^?2,50) and 10^?4,00 (10^?3,64). — With the assays described here it is possible to measure a large number of samples by quick and simple means.