A simple empirical model to predict forest insecticide ground-level deposition from a compendium of field data

Deposit data from 205 aerial forest insecticide applications conducted in field trials by the Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre over a 15-year period are summarized. Deposit measurements were taken under “worst case” scenarios in the sense that direct applications were made over water bodies, and ground samplers were intentionally placed in open or cleared areas of forest. The median % deposit on shoreline collectors (32 separate applications) was 5.7%, on mid-stream collectors (44 separate applications) was 6.2%, and on forest floor collectors (129 separate applications) was 4.9%. Forest floor deposit was most closely associated with application rate and droplet size (r = 0.624, p < 0.001 and r = 0.662, p = 0.011, respectively) but these variables combined only explained 44% of the variation in deposit. Data from all three collector types were grouped by 10% deposit increments and combined to provide a data set from all deposition scenarios. A negative exponential model was fitted to the proportion of these combined sites regressed on % deposit in 10% increments and plotted as a deposit probability distribution curve (p < 0.001, r² = 0.992). The probability distribution curve indicated that 5–10% deposit would be expected about 57–91% of the time, whereas 50% deposit or greater would be expected about 2% of the time or less. In a probabilistic risk assessment for aerially applied insecticides in a conifer-dominated forest environment, the probability distribution curve based on empirical data presented here can be used to refine the characterization of exposure scenarios from which effects estimates can be derived.     

The first world conservation lecture

Summary This, The First World Conservation Lecture, was presented at the Royal Institution, London, UK, on 12 March 1981. The Lecture celebrated the 20th anniversary of the World Wildlife Fund, and the first anniversary of the World Conservation Strategy. The Lecture was organized by the World Wildlife Fund, UK.Published with the kind permission of the World Wildlife Fund, UK.Edward Max Nicholson, CB, CVO, Commandeur (Netherlands), Order of the Golden Ark, holds honorary doctorates from the University of Aberdeen, and The Royal College of Art London. He was educated at the University of Oxford, and was a member of the University's expeditions to Greenland (1928) and to British Guiana (1929). He was General Secretary (until 1940), later Chairman of PEP (Political and Economic Planning): now Vice-President of its successor body, the Policy Studies Institute. From 1945 to 1952 he was Secretary of the Office of the Lord President of the Council, then Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He was member of the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy from 1948–1964. In 1952 he was leader of the joint UN/FAO Development Team in Baluchistan. Charter Member from 1949, and Director-General (1952–1966) of the Nature Conservancy, London, UK. From 1963 to 1974 he was Convenor of the Conservation Section of the International Council of Scientific Unions' International Biological Programme. President of the IUCN Technical Meeting in Edinburgh in 1956, concerned with rehabilitation of areas biologically devastated by human disturbance, and relation of ecology to landscape planning. Member, Panel on Landscape Action Program, The White House Conference (USA) on Natural Beauty (1965). Secretary, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh's Study Conference on The Countryside in 1970 (1963 and 1965). Council and Board Member of IIED. Godman-Salvin Medallist British Ornithologist Unions. Phillips Medallist and Member of Honour IUCN, Geoffroy St. Hilaire Gold Medal, Société Nationale de Protection de Nature de France, Premio Europeo Cortina-Ulisse (1971), Europa Preis für Landespflege (1972), Hon Member of World Wildlife Fund, Chairman Ecological Parks Trust, President RSPB, 1980. Principal Consultant and Chairman of Land Use Consultants Ltd (London) since 1966. Author of many books,Birds and Men (1951);Britain's Nature Reserves (1958),The System (1967);The Environmental Revolution (1970).     

Converging worlds

Summary Converging Worlds delineates how environmental events in the developing world can lead to economic and political instability—two major liabilities for US national security and economic interests abroad. Increasingly, US foreign policy analysis will have to include a close scrutiny of environmental events and a country’s natural resource profile to adequately anticipate global hot spots. A closer look at environmental events in the global context may also provide a sense of new options for foreign policy and private sector initiatives. Senior Liaison Officer United Nations Environment Programme Washington Representative and Senior Liaison Officer for the United Nations Environment Programme. Formerly National Director for Public Affairs of the US Environmental Protection Agency; Senior Coordinator for the American Petroleum Institute; and founder and President of the Bolton Institute. Major initiattives include Global Connections/Environment Conference (1980); City Care Conference (1979); and UN Habitat community assemblies (1975).     

Seaborne petrochemical spill analysis within the United States, 1992-1999

Through discussion of causative factors and examination of historical data, petrochemical spill prevention in US waters is reviewed. Unintentional petrochemical outflow is analyzed in a comprehensive manner and presented as a hierarchical sequence of antecedent events to reveal the trends of causative factors leading to release. Specifically, a seaborne petrochemical spill is examined in terms of four basic, antecedent events: (1) an underway source, (2) a failure incident, (3) a marine accident capable of breaching the hull and cargo block, and (4) the onset of outflow. These events are further subdivided into underlying, contributing events to form a causative framework for spill prevention. While a hierarchical review is not necessary to uncover the elements of causation, it does provide a comprehensive and logical structure that clearly defines these elements in terms of occurrence frequency and contribution to resulting outflow. It is found that relatively small, frequent spills less than 40,000 liters (10,567 gallons), attributable to human operator failures, leading to grounding, and cargo transfer system failure accidents, dominate US seaborne petrochemical outflow from 1992 to 1999. Given the frequency of groundings, structural reinforcement regulations such as those contained in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (requiring double hulls) appear well justified. However, passive restraint systems are secondary to the need for vigilant training and licensing of tank vessel operators.     

Field Study of Wind and Traffic to Test a Street Canyon Pollution Model

In the U.K., local authorities have new duties to review and assess air quality. Dispersion models are important tools in this process. The performance of a street canyon model, AEOLIUS, in calculating carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations in urban areas is discussed. A field experiment was conducted in a busy street canyon in Leek, Staffordshire. Wind speed and direction were measured at three heights adjacent to the street. The canyon's CO concentrations and traffic counts were recorded. Predicted concentrations of CO, calculated using AEOLIUS, were compared with the observed values. The concept of a roof-top wind is discussed, as are the consequences of using wind measurements from outside the town. Choice of wind measurement location and height of the anemometer above the canyon had a pronounced effect on calculating the roof-top wind. Two methods of deriving a street level wind speed from a roof-top wind speed gave results that differ by up to a factor of two. AEOLIUS had variable skill at predicting CO concentrations depending on the roof-top wind direction: possible reasons for this variability are explored. A sensitivity study of the model showed that vehicle emissions have the greatest impact on predicted concentrations. Implications for local air quality management are discussed.     

Local plans and planning in England

Whilst the process of local plan preparation and adoption in England is far from complete, the commitment to the statutory planning process has not precluded the use of informal or non‐statutory material either in addition to or instead of statutory plans. This paper attempts to quantify the extent of non‐statutory local planning activity in England, and explores some of the advantages and disadvantages which an informal approach involves.     

Construing of self and others at work in the early years of corporate careers

Research has examined personal change and stability in early adulthood but generally with standardized scales and without inviting explicit comparison of self with other people. The present work uses the repertory grid method to examine how graduates construe themselves and others during early career. Ninety-four graduate entrants to a multinational corporation with zero to four years' tenure completed repertory grids on two occasions one year apart. Results shed much light on the graduates' concepts of self relative to others in their work setting, and how these change over time. The graduates generally had fairly positive self concepts, though these did not become more positive with tenure. Most saw themselves much as they thought others saw them. Change in concepts of self varied greatly between graduates, as did the constructs on which those concepts were described. The results cast further doubt on whether organizational socialization affects people in uniform ways.     

The QUASIMEME laboratory performance study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): assessment for the period 1996-1999. Quality Assurance of Information in Marine Environmental Monitoring in Europe

The results of the laboratory performance studies held during the period 1996-99 and involving the determination of PAHs in sediments and biota have been assessed. Overall 67% of the data submitted met the QUASIMEME criterion for satisfactory performance, although differences in performance were apparent between the two main analytical techniques employed: gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. Further development of PAH methodology utilising coupled gas chromatography mass spectrometry is encouraged as the most appropriate means of meeting the future requirements for the determination of a wider range of PAH analytes. More reference materials are also urgently required for use in marine monitoring programmes, and they need to be certified for a wider range of PAHs than hitherto, including both parent PAHs and their alkylated derivatives.