Understanding local community attitudes toward industrial development in the Great Barrier Reef region World Heritage Area: are environmental impacts perceived to overshadow economic benefits?

Conflicts between industrial development and environmental conservation can be particularly acute when such development occurs in the vicinity of World Heritage sites. A key example is the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) in northeastern Australia, where a 2012 review by the World Heritage Council found that rapid port development inshore of the coral reef posed significant risks to local marine ecosystems. Such instances pose pressing challenges for decision‐makers seeking to manage World Heritage sites for multiple values and needs, including those of key stakeholder groups, such as local communities. There is increasingly a societal expectation that public decision‐making takes into account local views and priorities, and that companies seek a ‘social license to operate’. This research explored local community attitudes toward port development associated with the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal through the GBRWHA. Using data drawn from a survey and interviews, the research examined how a range of geographical factors, including proximity to gas infrastructure and the perceived impacts and risks of development to the local community, economy and environment shape community perceptions of the industry. Findings suggest that local attitudes toward gas and coal terminal development inshore of the GBRWHA are shaped predominantly by community perceptions of environmental impacts and risks associated with such infrastructure, in contrast to a broader public narrative that focuses largely on economic benefits. A complex combination of other factors, including social impacts, personal environmental values, community trust in industry, and equity in decision‐making and distribution of the risks and benefits of industrial development also contribute. Placed in a broader, global context, the findings have important implications for public decision‐making processes in Australia and elsewhere as they suggest that, for local communities, the perceived impacts of gas development on the environment may overshadow the benefits of industry.     

Swine wastewater treatment in a two stage sequencing batch reactor using real‐time control

Abstract

A laboratory scale two‐stage sequencing batch reactor (TSSBR) was used to study the effectiveness of pH as a real‐time control parameter in swine wastewater treatment. A Ringlace media was inserted into the A/O (Anoxic/Oxic) reactor for bacteria immobilization. The TSSBR was subjected to three levels of organic loading. The pH and ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) patterns obtained were consistent with distinct features, enabling the real‐time control strategy to effectively set a flexible aeration time pending on influent concentration, hence resulting in flexible cycle time and HRT (Hydraulic Retention Time) for the system. The real‐time process ensured a removal efficiency of over 99% and 95%, respectively, for ammonia and TOC (Total Organic Carbon). For NO₃ ^‐‐N and PO₄ ^‐3, the run with influent TOC = 4,000 mg/L yielded the most efficient removal of 61% and 95%, respectively. Test results suggest that pH can be a viable tool for on‐line real‐time control of a biological treatment process.     

A novel use of anaerobically digested liquid swine manure to potentially control soybean cyst nematode

Experiments were carried out in two steps to determine the effect of anaerobically digested swine manure on soybean cyst nematode (SCN) egg control. In the first step, liquid swine manure underwent anaerobic digestion to search for the best digestion time for both volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄ ⁺) enrichment. The results showed that about 17 and 28 days of incubation were needed, respectively, to reach the maximal levels of VFA and NH₄ ⁺ in the manure. In the second step, raw, VFA-enriched, and NH₄ ⁺-enriched manure were applied separately, at four different rates (25, 50, 100, and 200 mL/pot), to soil pots inoculated with nematode eggs in a greenhouse environment. Soil samples were collected 35 and 61 days after inoculation to determine the effect of such treated manure on SCN egg productivity. The data indicated that the SCN egg counts were inversely related to the manure application rates in a linear manner with correlation coefficients of 0.998, 0.967, and 0.900 for raw, NH₄ ⁺-enriched, and VFA-enriched manure for the 35-day samples. While no such relationships were found for the 61-day samples, implying that none of the treatments were still effective 61 days after application. At the four application rates, the VFA-enriched manure performed best in reducing SCN egg counts (by 18.1, 19.5, 34.3, and 18.6%) as compared to the raw manure treatment. In contrast, the NH₄ ⁺-enriched manure achieved mostly negative reductions. To achieve the best control of SCN egg growth, the VFA-enriched manure should be used and applied to soybean fields every 35 days.     

动态污水处理过程的多模型动态矩阵控制

针对活性污泥法污水处理系统的强耦合和动态变化特性,提出一种用于前置反硝化脱氮工艺的多模型动态矩阵(DMC)解耦控制方法;通过K-均值聚类分析法对外界入水中氨氮浓度进行聚类,获得以聚类中心为入水氨氮浓度的静态模型集合,分别设计线性DMC解耦控制器;再以当前时刻外界进水氨氮浓度和聚类中心为基本元素,构造切换函数,实现多模型切换。将该方法应用于活性污泥1号模型(ASM1)中,获得了较好的动态仿真效果。     

壳牌公司的环境评价技术方法和应用研究

文章从信息收集、环境危害评价、环境影响控制、应急恢复、HSE例卷管理等方面,分析了壳牌公司环境评价的概念和应用领域,总结了壳牌公司环境管理的经验,并据此提出了改进我国石油石化企业环境管理的若干建议。     

新疆油田抽汲排液污染控制研究

抽汲排液存在抽汲设备和工具密封性差,对井场环境污染比较严重的问题,为解决抽汲排液对井场造成的污染,分别对抽汲钢丝绳的选择、试油井口防喷盒的密封以及试油抽汲作业规程及其它方面作了研究和应用,使抽汲排液对井场造成的污染得到了较好控制,符合新疆油田创建"绿色油气田"的要求。     

我国城镇居民环保事务参与的性别差异分析

从行为参与、管理参与和环境意识三个方面阐述了当前环保事务参与中存在的性别差异问题;从社会结构的视角分析了性别化对环保参与现状的影响。针对存在的问题和制约因素,从社会系统、社会资源和环境意识三个方面提出发展建议。     

建立以人群健康为核心的国家污染防控体系——以“血铅事件”为例

环境健康事件的频发反映了我国污染防控体系的不足。以"血铅事件"为例,综述了我国铅污染管理状况,分析了我国铅环境健康防治现状,并提出了由生产排放达标为核心的国家污染防控体系向以人群健康为核心的国家污染防控体系转变的环境战略与政策管理措施。     

城市社会体育志愿者组织建设的实践性研究——以秦皇岛市社会体育志愿者组织为例

应用文献资料法、问卷调查法、实证研究法,探讨了城市社会体育志愿者组织建设的方法策略,即以高校社会体育专业成立志愿者分队为基点,依托当地已有的志愿者组织平台,融合吸纳更多的社会体育志愿者加入社会体育志愿者大队。通过社会体育志愿者分队的组建及服务项目的实施,为政府落实《建立全民健身志愿服务长效化机制工作方案》提供参考意见,同时也为提高社会体育专业学生的专业能力和人文素养搭建平台。     

沸石渗滤床在城市初期雨水径流污染控制的应用研究

根据城市初期雨水径流的污染负荷初始冲刷效应以及主要污染物COD和N/P与SS成线性相关性的污染特点,对初期雨水的主要污染物COD和N/P开展了控制技术研究。以示范工程为基础,研究城市初期雨水径流污染控制的强化处理技术即沸石渗滤床技术,运行结果表明,对NH3-N、TP、COD都有较好的去除效果,其中对NH3-N的去除效果较为明显,进水氨氮浓度在2～5 mg/L,出水都能达到地表IV类水标准(NH3-N≤0.5 mg/L)。