Travelling Distances,Modal Split and Transportation Energy in Thirty Residential Areas in Oslo

A study of the use of car and public transport among residents in 30 residential areas in Greater Oslo indicates that urban planning variables have a significant influence on the energy use per capita for local transport. Residents in local communities with a high density and a short distance to downtown Oslo travel considerably shorter distances and use considerably less energy per capita than those who live in low-density, outer areas. This is true also when the effects of other variables are neutralized. The influence of urban planning variables on the modal split is lower than on energy use. The distribution between public and private transport is influenced most of all by car ownership.     

瑞典四大湖中人类活动对鱼类多样性的影响

瑞典四大湖(维纳恩、韦特恩、梅拉伦和哈马伦湖)的鱼类资源极其丰富,分布有红点鲑、鲑、鳟、白鲑、河鲈、梭鲈,、白斑狗鱼和鳗鲡等经济物种.研究表明,筑坝、航运、富营养化和过度开发等所产生的物理、化学和生物因素会对湖中的经济物种产生影响,导致湖中原有物种资源的种类组成发生变化.由于近年来的人类活动的影响,上述湖泊中原有鱼类组成中的优势种群发生了变化,一些物种消失了,一些新的物种在湖中出现,其原因主要是富营养化、鳗鲡和龙虾丰度的改变以及过度捕捞.过度捕捞在某种情况下是大湖的渔业生产引起的--在一个捕食者和竞食者同时存在的环境中,如果食物资源非常充足,鲑科鱼类以及梭鲈等鱼类在生活史上会倾向于在性成熟状态下生长,但在常规可捕规格的选择性调控下,这些物种会因产卵群体太小而导致资源量急刷下降.     

Renal lesions in Greenland sledge dogs ( Canis familiaris ) exposed to a natural dietary cocktail of persistent organic pollutants

Persistent organic pollutants such as Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) are known to exert various adverse health effects in wildlife mammals. The impact from dietary intake of minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) blubber high in organohalogen and other chemical contaminants on renal morphology and function was investigated via a controlled study on West Greenland sledge dogs (Canis familiaris). Our results showed significantly higher frequencies of glomerular, tubular, and interstitial lesions in the exposed group. Furthermore, higher urine protein?:?creatinine ratio and plasma urea levels were found in the exposed group, which indicated a negative impact on kidney function via tubular and glomerular dysfunctions. The lesions were similar to those observed in top predator marine species–such as seals and polar bears–and humans exposed via diet to persistent environmental pollutants. The lesions may have impacts on the overall health of these animals. It is reasonable to suggest that chronic exposure to organic pollutants via a country diet of high trophic level marine organisms may have an impact on renal morphology and function in Arctic apex predators in general as well as Inuit people.     

Central and individual air-conditioning systems — A comparison of environmental impacts and resource consumption in a life cycle perspective

This paper compares individual (split) and central systems of air-conditioning in a life cycle perspective, taking into account the environmental impacts and resource consumption during resource extraction, material production, production of the air-conditioning units, their use, disposal and recycling. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used in conducting this comparison.

Central systems have a longer lifetime than individual systems, lower electricity consumption and maintenance requirements during the use phase, and a higher recycling potential during the disposal phase. However, to transfer cool air, central systems use a large quantity of water pipes or air ducts, the production of which contributes significantly to resource use. The LCA study reveals that, on the whole, the central systems generally use less resources than split systems and result in lower environmental impacts.

The paper suggests a need for producers of air-conditioners to consider a change from being suppliers of air-conditioning hardware to being suppliers of cool air in order to overcome the initial cost constraints of central systems and realize their environmental and economic improvement potential to the benefit of the environment, and the industry as well as customers.     

Use of recycling stations in Borlänge, Sweden--volume weights and attitudes

This paper presents a study of recycling stations in the municipality of Borl?nge, Sweden. The main objectives were to measure volume weights of recyclables, to facilitate future planning of collection intervals and bin/container volume, and to investigate the general attitudes among the public towards waste management in general and recycling stations in particular. Volume weights measured in bins/containers were: paper/newsprint: 297 kg/m3, glass packaging: 297 kg/m3, metal packaging: 81.7 kg/m3, paper packaging: 27.8 kg/m3, plastic packaging: 28.1 kg/m3. The recycling stations have been in use since 1994. Most visitors (90%) arrived by car but said the visit to the recycling station was not the main purpose of the trip. The results from the interviews indicated that the people who use the recycling stations have found ways to incorporate waste sorting into their everyday lives, with the help of information, design of the collection system and environmental concerns.     

Parameterization and evaluation of sulfate adsorption in a dynamic soil chemistry model

Sulfate adsorption was implemented in the dynamic, multi-layer soil chemistry model SAFE. The process is modeled by an isotherm in which sulfate adsorption is considered to be fully reversible and dependent on sulfate concentration as well as pH in soil solution. The isotherm was parameterized by a site-specific series of simple batch experiments at different pH (3.8-5.0) and sulfate concentration (10-260 micromol 1(-1)) levels. Application of the model to the Lake Gardsj6n roof covered site shows that including sulfate adsorption improves the dynamic behavior of the model and sulfate adsorption and desorption delay acidification and recovery of the soil. The modeled adsorbed pool of sulfate at the site reached a maximum level of 700 mmol/m(2) in the late 1980s, well in line with experimental data.     

Organizations in context: proposal for a new theoretical approach in prescriptive accident research

Lately, requests have been made to include the contexts of enterprises in models to prevent accidents at work. This paper presents different contextual theories in order to analyze whether this type of theory could be a way to elaborate our understanding of context. A differentiation is made between (a) theories of understanding relations between enterprises and regulatory agencies and (b) theories to perceive the relation between enterprise and the broader context. The last group of theories has its point of departure in an organizational understanding diverging from the classical, rational understanding of organizations and organizational processes. The conclusion is that contextual theories open for an elaborated understanding of the role of contextual relations in accident prevention, but also that an investigation of the potentials for making the theories action-orientated is needed.     

Environmental regulation of trades by fixed standards: The Danish experience

Summary In 1986, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency established a new regulatory system aimed at small-scale polluting activities. Contrary to the dominant regulatory system based on individual standards for each polluting activity, the new regulatory system established uniform and fixed environmental standards for all activities within a trade. The fixed standards concern location, design and daily operation. Thus far, the new regulatory system has been implemented in the trades of fur farms and auto-repair shops.This study shows that fixed environmental standards reduce the total administrative costs, intensify local monitoring and enforcement of the standards, and improve the environmental state. It is proposed that the following criteria should be considered if the regulatory system is to be implemented in other trades. The trade should consist of many units and be characterised by a moderate pace of technological development, it should posses well-defined and well-known environmental problems, and have a cooperative trade association. In Denmark several trades have been identified as obvious objects for future regulation by fixed environmental standards.Bente Kjærgård is a Research Associate in the Department of Environment, Technology and Social Studies at Roskilde University. Correspondence should be addressed to this author. The other authors are Associate Professors in the same Department. Each author possesses a research degree as follows: Per Homann Jespersen in Chemical Engineering, Henning Schroll in Biology, Jesper Holm in Technological Planning, and Bente Kjærgård in Environmental Planning.     

Modelling of long-term behaviour of caesium and strontium radionuclides in the Arctic environment and human exposure

In this paper a compartment model of the highly vulnerable Arctic terrestrial food chain "lichen-reindeer-man" is outlined. Based upon an analysis of measured (137)Cs and (90)Sr contents in lichen and reindeer meat from 1961 up to 2001, site specific model parameters for two regions in north-western Arctic Russia and for Kautokeino municipality in Arctic Norway have been determined. The dynamics of radionuclide activity concentrations in the "lichen-reindeer-man" food chain for all areas was satisfactorily described by a double exponential function with short-term and long-term effective ecological half-lives between 1-2 and 10-12 years, respectively, for both (137)Cs and (90)Sr. Using parameter values derived from the model, life-time internal effective doses due to consumption of reindeer meat by reindeer-breeders after an assumed single pulse deposit of 1 kBq m(-2) of (137)Cs were estimated to be 11.4 mSv (Kola Peninsula), 5 mSv (Nenets Autonomous Area), and 2 mSv (Kautokeino, Norway). Differences in vulnerability to radiocaesium deposition were due to differences in transfer between lichen and reindeer and in diet between the three regions.