JAMAICA - A CASE STUDY OF ENERGY PLANNING

The analysis shows the impact of the 'New International Energy Order' on Jamaica, a developing country almost totally dependent on imported oil for satisfying national energy demand. The energy supply/demand situation between 1961 and 1976 and the structure of energy consumption by major sectors of the economy are discussed. The high income elasticity of commercial energy demand and the increase in the energy intensity of the economy is directly related to expansion of the alumina industry. The structural problems of decoupling GDP and energy growth are indicated. In particular, the impact of the 'New Energy Order' on the development prospects of major bauxite/alumina producing countries which are deficient in indigenous primary energy resources is assessed. Finally, the indigenous resource base is outlined and the major elements of the five-year (1978–1982) national energy plan summarized.     

Chemically mediated burrow recognition in the Mexican tarantula <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachypelma vagans</Emphasis> female

Chemically mediated communication is common in spiders but has been poorly studied in burrowing tarantulas. This study aimed to determine whether chemical cues influence the behaviour of females of Brachypelma vagans, a Mexican species of tarantula, during encounters with previously inhabited burrows or with extracts from the silk of conspecific females. In laboratory choice tests, female tarantulas entered a burrow that had previously been inhabited by a conspecific female significantly more frequently than a burrow that had never been inhabited. The identity of the previous inhabitant also affected the number of spiders that chose to enter a burrow. Spiders were quicker to choose and enter a burrow previously inhabited by themselves than a burrow previously inhabited by a conspecific or a burrow that had not been previously inhabited. Hexane, methanol and dichloromethane extracts of conspecific silk elicited different responses from female tarantulas when extracts were placed on filter paper disks at one end of an experimental arena with a control filter paper disk, on to which the corresponding solvent alone had been pipetted, placed on the other end of the arena. Spiders showed the strongest responses to hexane extracts of silk, with a significant preference to move towards the hexane extract and a significantly greater period of time spent in proximity to the hexane extract compared to the control disk. Overall and in contrast to expectations, tarantulas were most strongly attracted to the cues left by other conspecific females. As encounters between B. vagans females usually lead to aggression and mortality of one of the participants, we conclude that chemical cues are not signals that are deliberately released by burrow-inhabiting females but may inadvertently escape and cannot be easily suppressed.     

Don't just pass the parcel: Accidents that would not have occurred if those involved had talked together

In many design organisations responsibility for a project is passed on from one group of people to another. The research chemists develop a process and then pass it on to the process design group who blame the chemists for their ignorance of what is practicable. The project is then passed to the mechanical engineering group who develop the detailed design while the electrical, instrument and other specialized groups add their contributions. The project then passes to the construction team and finally to the team who will start up and operate the plant. These different groups may be in different buildings or places and may rarely or never speak to each other.Many accidents and operating problems have arisen as a result of such “pass the parcel” organisation. Some are described. To avoid these problems representatives of all the various groups should meet regularly as the project progresses. Each group is then able to suggest changes that will make the design easier for them and can comment on features which will increase their costs. Everyone will gain some knowledge of other groups' problems.     

PCDD/F and "Dioxin-like" PCB emissions from iron ore sintering plants in the UK

Investigations have been carried out at the three Corus UK sinter plants over the period 2002-2004 to characterise the emissions of both 2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs and WHO-12 PCBs, to estimate annual mass releases of these organic micro-pollutants using the I-TEF and WHO-TEF schemes, and to investigate the formation of PCBs in the iron ore sintering process. Results showed that the sintering of iron ore produces a characteristic WHO-12 PCB and PCDD/F congener pattern that is substantially the same for all UK sinter plants. With regard to WHO-12 PCBs, the most abundant congeners were typically PCBs 118 (6-9 ngNm(-3)), 105 (2-4 ngNm(-3)) and 77 (2-3 ngNm(-3)). All other WHO-12 PCBs were also detected at concentrations around 1 ngNm(-3). All sinter plants investigated exhibited very similar TEQ concentrations. WHO-12 PCB emissions were in the range 0.042-0.111 ngWHO-TEQNm(-3), whereas PCDD/F emissions ranged from 0.39 to 1.62 ngWHO-TEQNm(-3). PCDF congeners were the main contributors to the overall TEQ in sintering emissions (ca. 85%). Amongst WHO-12 PCBs, PCB 126 was the only noteworthy contributor to total TEQ (ca. 5-7%), a similar contribution to that from PCDDs. Based on the measurements that Corus UK has undertaken at these three sinter plants, annual mass releases of WHO-12 PCBs and PCDD/Fs have been calculated. For UK sinter plants, a total mass release of 29.5 g WHO-TEQ per annum [WHO-12 PCBs+PCDD/Fs] has been estimated, representing 9% of the total PCDD/F emissions to the UK atmosphere. Measurements were also carried out at a UK sinter plant to determine the windleg emission profile of WHO-12 PCBs. Results showed that WHO-12 PCBs were formed in the same regions of the sinter strand as 2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs, indicating that there was a strong correlation between the formation of WHO-12 PCBs and PCDD/Fs in the iron ore sintering process.     

Toward a sustainable Iceland scallop fishery in Gilbert Bay,a marine protected area in the eastern Canada coastal zone

Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica) stocks in the North Atlantic are usually pulse harvested, resulting in boom and bust local landings. We describe an adaptive management strategy for a sustainable harvest of Iceland scallops in Gilbert Bay, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) of coastal Labrador. The current management plan for the MPA closes pristine scallop habitat, a practice that under favourable ocean conditions may lead to local reseeding. The community-based co-management structure for the MPA utilizes the local ecological knowledge of fishermen. Scallop harvesters are participating in research on the present state of the resource. Currently scallops are smaller near the mouth of the bay where fishing effort has been concentrated historically. The cooperation of fishers in enforcing area closures and in monitoring the scallop harvest may lead to a sustainable scallop fishery.     

Spatial relationships between lead sources and children’s blood lead levels in the urban center of Indianapolis (USA)

Urban children remain disproportionately at risk of having higher blood lead levels than their suburban counterparts. The Westside Cooperative Organization (WESCO), located in Marion County, Indianapolis, Indiana, has a history of children with high blood lead levels as well as high soil lead (Pb) values. This study aims at determining the spatial relationship between soil Pb sources and children’s blood lead levels. Soils have been identified as a source of chronic Pb exposure to children, but the spatial scale of the source–recipient relationship is not well characterized. Neighborhood-wide analysis of soil Pb distribution along with a furnace filter technique for sampling interior Pb accumulation for selected homes (n = 7) in the WESCO community was performed. Blood lead levels for children aged 0–5 years during the period 1999–2008 were collected. The study population’s mean blood lead levels were higher than national averages across all ages, race, and gender. Non-Hispanic blacks and those individuals in the Wishard advantage program had the highest proportion of elevated blood lead levels. The results show that while there is not a direct relationship between soil Pb and children’s blood lead levels at a spatial scale of ~100 m, resuspension of locally sourced soil is occurring based on the interior Pb accumulation. County-wide, the largest predictor of elevated blood lead levels is the location within the urban core. Variation in soil Pb and blood lead levels on the community level is high and not predicted by housing stock age or income. Race is a strong predictor for blood lead levels in the WESCO community.     

Urbanized landscapes favored by fig-eating birds increase invasive but not native juvenile strangler fig abundance

Propagule pressure can determine the success or failure of invasive plant range expansion. Range expansion takes place at large spatial scales, often encompassing many types of land cover, yet the effect of landscape context on propagule pressure remains largely unknown. Many studies have reported a positive correlation between invasive plant abundance and human land use; increased propagule pressure in these landscapes may be responsible for this correlation. We tested the hypothesis that increased rates of seed dispersal by fig-eating birds, which are more common in urban habitats, result in an increase in invasive strangler fig abundance in landscapes dominated by human land use. We quantified abundance of an invasive species (Ficus microcarpa) and a native species (F. aurea) of strangler fig in plots spanning the entire range of human land use in South Florida, USA, from urban parking lots to native forest. We then compared models that predicted juvenile fig abundance based on distance to adult fig seed sources and fig-eating bird habitat quality with models that lacked one or both of these terms. The best model for juvenile invasive fig abundance included both distance to adult and fig-eating bird habitat terms, suggesting that landscape effects on invasive fig abundance are mediated by seed-dispersing birds. In contrast, the best model for juvenile native fig abundance included only presence/absence of adults, suggesting that distance from individual adult trees may have less effect on seed limitation for a native species compared to an invasive species undergoing range expansion. However, models for both species included significant effects of adult seed sources, implying that juvenile abundance is limited by seed arrival. This result was corroborated by a seed addition experiment that indicated that both native and invasive strangler figs were strongly seed limited. Understanding how landscape context affects the mechanisms of plant invasion may lead to better management techniques. Our results suggest that prioritizing removal of adult trees in sites with high fig-eating bird habitat may be the most effective method to control F. microcarpa abundance.     

The history of process safety

It is my pleasure to present these thoughts on the history of process safety and my involvement in the development of that history.