In situ remediation of arsenic in contaminated soils

In situ chemical fixation represents a promising and potentially cost‐effective treatment alternative for metal‐contaminated soils. This article presents the findings of the use of iron‐bearing soil amendments to reduce the leachability and bioaccessibility of arsenic in soils impacted by stack fallout from a zinc smelter. The focus of this investigation was to reduce the lead bioaccessibility of the soils through addition with phosphorus‐bearing amendments. However, as phosphorus addition was expected to increase arsenic mobility, the fixation strategy also incorporated use of iron‐bearing amendments to offset or reverse these effects. The findings of this investigation demonstrated that inclusion of iron‐bearing chemicals in the amendment formulation reduced arsenic leachability and bioaccessibility without compromising amendment effectiveness for reducing lead bioaccessibility. These results suggest that in situ chemical fixation has the potential to be an effective strategy for treatment of the impacted soils. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Engaging Economic Development Agencies in Environmental Protection: the case for embedded autonomy

This article examines the role of economic development agencies in strengthening the environmental performance of industry within rapidly industrialising East Asian economies. Three case-study examples are considered, namely, the role of the Industrial Development Board in reducing industrial pollution in Taiwan, pollution control in the palm oil industry in Malaysia, and the role of the Economic Development Board in influencing environmental performance of industry in Singapore. The concept of embedded autonomy is developed to consider the ways in which agencies of economic development can work with firms and industries while simultaneously remaining autonomous from these firms with respect to setting and enforcing performance standards. The three cases suggest that a form of policy integration that more directly integrates economic and environmental goals within agencies of economic development may be feasible, but only where there exists a strong autonomous government bureaucracy and where there is strong societal commitment to improving the environmental performance of industry.     

From Here to Utopia: running a human-scale development workshop on the Gold Coast, Australia

Max-Neef's theory of human-scale development (HSD) directs attention to an issues-based, locality specific agenda through self-identification of community issues by local people. This paper reports on a two-day HSD workshop run on the Gold Coast where an eclectic group of 20 participants worked through Max-Neef's framework to diagnose their communities' current reality, visualise what their community could be and discuss how to 'build bridges' between the current reality and their Utopian community. This work is part of a broader research programme looking at participatory community development.     

2002年我国事故与灾害状况综述

本对我国2002年的安全生产事故及自然灾害情况进行了总结和评述。包括火灾(城乡火灾、森林火灾、草原火灾)、天气气候特征、农业自然灾害(干旱、洪涝、风雹、低温冻害)、海洋灾害(风暴潮、赤潮、海浪)、地质灾害(地震、泥石流、水土流失)等。     

自然灾害变动的集成预测模型及其应用

本文提出了以非线性回归拟合发展趋势、正弦函数逼近周期变动和马尔可夫链刻划随机扰动的集成预测模型，并应用于山东省农业自然灾害成灾面积的变动规律模拟，得到了较好的预测效果。理论和实践表明，集成预测模型优于传统的单模型预测，为预测具有复杂机制的自然灾害演变提供了一种新方法。     

物元分析法在大气环境质量评价中的应用

应用物元分析方法构建大气环境质量的综合评价模型，并将该方法用于唐山市大气环境质量评价中，获得了与实际情况基本符合的评价结果。     

Concepts for sediment restoration on the palos verdes shelf,California

This article summarizes a study conducted by the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station to develop technical information and to evaluate the engineering feasibility of restoration alternatives for DDT-and PCB-contaminated sediments on the Palos Verdes shelf and slope near Los Angeles, California. The study evaluated the nonremoval alternative of in-place capping of contaminated sediments on the shelf and slope; removal of contaminated sediments using conventional and specialized dredging equipment and deep ocean mining equipment; treatment of contaminated sediments; and disposal of contaminated sediments in confined (diked) disposal facilities (CDFs), contained aquatic disposal (CAD) sites, upland landfills, and deep ocean basin sites. Cost estimates of the various alternatives were also prepared. This article concludes that restoration of the contaminated sediments is technically feasible. Sediments on the shelf and slope can be removed using available dredging technologies for deep water environments. In-place capping, CAD, and CDF alternatives are technically feasible. The deep ocean basin disposal alternative is not feasible from the technical or regulatory standpoint. The treatment alternative is not feasible from the implementability and economic standpoint.     

Book reviews

Earth Politics. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsacker, 1994, London, Zed Books, 234 pp. ISBN 1 85649 174 9, pb £14.95; hb £36.95

Greening Your Local Authority. Janice Morphet (Ed.), 1994, London, Pitman Publishing (originally Harlow, Longman), 144 pp. ISBN 0582 229 065, pb £32.50

Ecology and Society: an introduction. Luke Martell, 1994 London, Polity Press, 250 pp. ISBN 0 7456 1022 6, hb £39.50, ISBN 0 7456 1023 4, pb £11.95

The Politics of the Environment. Robert E. Goodin, 1994. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 599 pp. ISBN 1 85278 872 0, hb £115.00

Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment John Glasson, Riki Therivel & Andrew Chadwick, 1994, London, UCL Press, 352 pp. ISBN 1 85728 117 9, hb £45.00, ISBN 1 85728 118 7, pb £14.95

Planning for the Planet: sustainable development strategies for local and strategic plans. Friends of the Earth, 1994, London, FoE, 104 pp. ISBN 1 85750 224 8, £12.00

Environmental Strategy and Sustainable Development: the corporate challenge for the 21st century. Richard Welford, 1995, London, Routledge, 240 pp. ISBN 0 415 10551 X, hb £40.00, ISBN 0 415 10552 8, pb £12.99

Housing and the Environment: a new agenda. Mark Bhatti, Jane Brooke & Mike Gibson (Eds), 1994, Foreword by Jonathon Porritt, Coventry, Chartered Institute of Housing, 210 pp. ISBN 0 901 607 738, £14.95