Estimation and testing for covariance-spectral spatial-temporal models

Environmental and Ecological Statistics - In this paper we explore a covariance-spectral modelling strategy for spatial-temporal processes which involves a spectral approach for time but a...     

Enduring decisions: Evaluating environmental impacts for sustainability planning

This paper aims to establish a framework in which potential methods for evaluating environmental impacts can be considered, with particular reference to the UK planning system. To do this a number of complementary ways of conceptualising sustainable development and making it more practical are outlined. Some basic arguments about the meaning of sustainability are reviewed; and some common misconceptions about the concept exposed. The concept of sustainability constraints is outlined and a functional distinction between quantitative and qualitative constraints is proposed. The adoption of sustainability constraints based on measures of environmental capacity is proposed. These suggest significant reductions in consumption of most environmental resources. The efficiency and sufficiency strategies that would be needed to meet the proposed quantified constraints are outlined. In conclusion, evaluation processes and indicators of sustainability, including environmental foot-printing and environmental impact assessment, are discussed, offering some pointers towards the type of measures that will be needed to help implement sustainability strategies.     

LANGUAGE CONSTRAINTS TO WATER RESOURCE UTILIZATION1

ABSTRACT: Worldwide development of water resources and control of pollution would be improved by the ability for direct, multilateral communication between workers in the dozens of different language communities involved. Current language-based problems which should be eliminated include (1) incomplete diffusion of scientific knowledge, (2) technical inbreeding, (3) unsatisfactory international conferences, (4) money wasted on translation, and (5) unstandardized technical terminology. General education in a common second language for international use can eliminate these conditions. Ethnic languages are not qualified for this purpose, because of their national biases and extreme learning difficulties. The Esperanto language is free of these limitations, and its application is recommended as a means for improving the overall performance of the industry.     

What Is Source Reduction? A Critique and Comparative Analysis of Polish and American Students

/ Source reduction is recognized as the preferred form of waste management, but its definition is ambiguous. This study proposes four underlying dimensions of the source reduction concept. Source reduction is foremost a preventive activity that reduces the number or extent of environmental impacts. Second, source reduction can prevent both resource consumption and pollution generation impacts. Third, source reduction may be viewed as both a producer and consumer activity. Lastly, it may include frugal and more efficient activities. In surveys exploring these fourdimensions, Polish and American university students evaluated whether 20 activities were examples of source reduction. The American students gave higher ratings to preventive activities over adaptive activities. The Polish students most prominently rated efficient over frugal activities. Factor analysis indicated that both samples identified a group of consumer-based resource conservation activities, with the American students recognizing a cluster of recycling activities. In a separate ranking of environmental protection priorities, the Polish students endorsed pollution prevention, whereas the American students favored both efficient and frugal resource conservation. These findings suggest that the conceptualization of source reduction varies according to contextual factors and that prevention is still an obscure environmental management theme. KEY WORDS: Source reduction; Pollution prevention; Resource conservation; Frugality; Poland     

Preparative and analytical extraction of pigments from brown algae with dimethyl sulfoxide

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) rapidly extracts much of the chlorophyll c and fucoxanthin from the intact thalli of brown algae. Subsequent extraction by acetone rapidly removes most of the chlorophyll a and -carotene. An analytical procedure for these pigments has been developed, based upon this extraction sequence, followed by partition of the acetone extract between hexane and aqueous acetone. Fucoxanthin and chlorophyll c can be recovered from the DMSO extract and the aqueous acetone phase by extraction into ethyl acetate and subsequent evaporation. The DMSO-acetone extraction sequence is also effective with green algae and a few red algae, although the full scope of the method has not been investigated.     

Do the designated drivers of college students stay sober?

PROBLEM: By numerous accounts, alcohol abuse is considered the number one drug problem facing young people today. Alcohol consumption and its negative consequences, especially those due to drinking and driving, continue to have devastating effects on the college student population. METHOD: This field study examined the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of male and female designated drivers (DD), non-DD, and their respective passengers as they were leaving drinking establishments in a university town. Also investigated were the effects of group size and gender on DD use. RESULTS: A 2 Gender x 2 Driver type (DD vs. non-DD) analysis of variance (ANOVA) for BAC indicated significant main effects for Gender and Driver type, with higher BAC for men and non-DD (p's<.001). A significant Gender x Driver type interaction (p<.05) was primarily due to female DD having lower BAC than male DD. In addition, larger groups were more likely to have a DD. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Results indicate that the success of DD programs may be influenced by group size and a DD's gender. While larger groups are more likely to have a DD, students riding home with a male DD may still be at risk for the negative consequences of drunk driving.     

Diversity in sub-national EU implementation: the application of the EU Ambient Air Quality directive in 13 municipalities in the Netherlands

This paper offers an analysis of the implementation performance of the EU Ambient Air Quality directive in the Netherlands. It provides a systematic evaluation of the implementation of a procedural provision – the obligation to design air quality policy. It draws on original data on air quality policy measures that have been collected in 13 medium-sized Dutch municipalities. The analysis of differences in the implementation performance was performed using a novel three-dimensional conceptual framework. The findings illustrate great differences in the implementation performance between the municipalities. The focused comparison allowed establishing very precisely where the implementation performance is poor or even lacking, and which municipalities take their EU implementation task more seriously than others. Most puzzling, environmental problem pressure turned out not to act as a sufficient trigger for municipalities to take far-reaching air quality measures. In contrast to previous research, a more nuanced picture is painted when it comes to the concepts of ‘compliance’, ‘non-compliance’ and ‘over-compliance’. A careful dissection of the implementation performance based on the aspects of the conceptual framework produces hands-on recommendations to municipalities seeking to improve their air quality policy.     

Selenium speciation in wheat grain varies in the presence of nitrogen and sulphur fertilisers

This study investigated whether selenium species in wheat grains could be altered by exposure to different combinations of nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) fertilisers in an agronomic biofortification experiment. Four Australian wheat cultivars (Mace, Janz, Emu Rock and Magenta) were grown in a glasshouse experiment and exposed to 3 mg Se kg^?1 soil as selenate (Se^VI). Plants were also exposed to 60 mg N kg^?1 soil as urea and 20 mg S kg^?1 soil as gypsum in a factorial design (N + S + Se; N + Se; S + Se; Se only). Plants were grown to maturity with grain analysed for total Se concentrations via ICP-MS and Se species determined via HPLC-ICP-MS. Grain Se concentrations ranged from 22 to 70 µg Se g^?1 grain (dry mass). Selenomethionine (SeMet), Se-methylselenocystine (MeSeCys), selenohomolanthionine (SeHLan), plus a large concentration of uncharacterised Se species were found in the extracts from grains. SeMet was the major Se species identified accounting for between 9 and 24 µg Se g^?1 grain. Exposure to different N and S fertiliser combinations altered the SeMet content of Mace, Janz and Emu Rock grain, but not that of Magenta. MeSeCys and SeHLan were found in far lower concentrations (<4 µg Se g^?1 grain). A large component of the total grain Se was uncharacterisable (>30 % of total grain Se) in all samples. When N fertiliser was applied (with or without S), the proportion of uncharacterisable Se increased between 60 and 70 % of the total grain Se. The data presented here indicate that it is possible to alter the content of individual Se species in wheat grains via biofortification combined with manipulation of N and S fertiliser regimes. This has potential significance in alleviating or combating both Se deficiency and Se toxicity effects in humans.     

Effects of Forest Management Practices on Mid-Atlantic Streams

Agricultural and urban land use activities have affected stream ecosystems throughout the mid-Atlantic region. However, over 60% of the mid-Atlantic region is forested. A study was conducted to investigate the effects of management practices on forested stream ecosystems throughout the mid-Atlantic region. The study consisted of two phases: Phase 1 was a literature synthesis of information available on the effects of forest management practices on stream hydrology, erosion and sedimentation, riparian habitat alteration, chemical addition, and change in biotic diversity in the mid-Atlantic region. In Phase 2, data from mid-Atlantic streams were analyzed to assess the effects of forest land use on stream quality at the regional scale. Typically, it is the larger order streams in which monitoring and assessment occurs—3^rd order or higher streams. The impacts of forest management practices, particularly hydrologic modifications and riparian buffer zone alteration, occur predominantly in first and second order streams with cumulative impacts translating to higher order streams. Based on the literature review and mid-Atlantic Highland streams analysis, there are short-term (e.g., 2 to 5 years) effects of forest management practices on stream quality at local scales. However, signatures of cumulative effects from forest management practices are not apparent at regional scales in the Highlands. In general, forested land use is associated with good stream quality in the region compared with other land use practices.