Comparative analysis of air pollution emissions by electric utilities: Public policy implications

One of the objectives of US environmental regulations was to reduce industrial air pollution emissions, especially from the electric utility industry, the major industrial air polluter. In this study, a comparative analysis of air pollution emissions from fossil-fuel-burning electric utility plants is conducted. The analysis focuses on a 12-yr period from 1975 to 1987 for three air pollutants: particulates, surfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. The results indicate that particulate emissions have been significantly reduced but that sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are still major problems for a number of plants. Furthermore, the disparity in the performance by plants indicates that by using current technology, the industry as a whole could greatly reduce these emissions. These results have policy implication for future environmental legislation.     

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LAND USES AND RAINWATER QUALITY IN A SOUTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WATERSHED1

ABSTRACT: Spatial and temporal variability in rainfall concentrations of nutrients, major ions, and herbicides was monitored at 7 locations in or near the Conodoguinet Creek watershed in south-central Pennsylvania from 1991.1993. Results were used to (1) compare precipitation quality in forested, agricultural and urban areas, and (2) assess the practicality of using volunteer citizen monitoring in such a study. As indicated in previous studies, sulfate and nitrogen concentrations in precipitation were linked to sample pH. Concentrations of major ions in precipitation appeared to relate more to regional influences rather than local influences. However, concentrations of herbicides in precipitation may have been influenced by both regional and local use which caused compounds like atrazine, deethylatrazine, propazine, simazine, metolachior, alachlor, ametryn, and prometon to be present in detectable concentrations in rainfall. Seasonality was evident in nitrogen, sulfate, pH, and herbicide data and was suggested in calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, orthophosphate, and chloride data. Agricultural weed control activities were probably responsible for the seasonal pattern in pesticide data which peaked in May and June. Tropical storm Danielle may have caused the apparent seasonal patterns for the other nine parameters. This storm did not follow the typical west to east movement pattern and consequently produced rainfall of relative high quality. A variety of quality assurance checks indicated that trained volunteer citizen monitors were successful participants in this intensive and extensive scientific study, collecting good quality samples in a timely manner. Without this kind of volunteer help, it is extremely difficult to complete studies that require sampling in response to natural events such as rainfall.     

Visual Aesthetic Quality of Northern Ontario's Forested Shorelines

Only a few empirical studies on forest aesthetics have adopted a water-based perspective for observers and have investigated the perceived visual quality of forested shorelines. In forested environments with many lakes, such as the boreal forest in the Canadian Shield, individuals have greater exposure to forests from water-based rather than in-stand vantage points. This study employed the psychophysical research direction to explore the relationships between scenic beauty and biophysical characteristics of the forested shorelines in the boreal forests. Two model forms were tested. One model related the variation of shoreline forest aesthetic evaluations of near-vista views (140 m offshore) to a set of forest mensuration data. Tree size, tree mortality, conifer shrubs, tree density, amount of hardwood, and slope explained 60.2% of the variance in scenic beauty between the study sites. A second model was calibrated to test the relationship between an already existing ecosystem vegetation classification system and the aesthetic evaluations of the same forested shorelines. When the ecosystem classification was simplified to eight groups, the model explained 48.5% of variance. These models suggest that the psychophysical approach to studying aesthetics can be applied successfully to near-vista evaluations of scenic beauty. The finding that a forest ecosystem classification system is highly related to scenic beauty suggests that, at least in the boreal forest, managers can reasonably estimate the scenic beauty of forested shoreline environments from an ecosystem classification, with little need for intensive data on these sites.     

2000年安徽省土地利用结构优化研究

本文分析了安徽省土地利用的现状与问题，揭示了各业用地之间的内在关联；并采用定性与定量相结合的方法，提出了2000年该省土地利用结构优化调整的方案和合理利用土地资源的对策。     

Towards democratic and effective forest governance? The discursive legitimation of forest certification in northern Sweden

Forest certification, particularly that of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), is frequently claimed to constitute an effective and democratic private governance arrangement for responsible forestry. It has, however, recently been questioned whether this view holds true for the northernmost countries, which have traditionally been presented as successful examples of forest certification. Yet there is little research on the perceived legitimacy of forest certification at the local level, which is where the standard implementation takes place. This paper examines how the perceived legitimacy of forest certification is created as well as challenged at the local level in Sweden, drawing on Steffek's [2009. Discursive legitimation in environmental governance. Forest Policy and Economics, 11, 313–318] conceptualisation of discursive legitimation and Bernstein's [2011. Legitimacy in intergovernmental and non-state global governance. Review of International Political Economy, 18 (1), 17–51] definition of legitimacy as well as semi-structured interviews with forest companies, reindeer husbandry (indigenous Sámi) and environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs). The results reveal that local ENGOs question the FSC's decision-making process and results, while both the ENGOs and reindeer husbandry see few opportunities to influence long-term forest management. These findings highlight the difficulties of managing power asymmetries in certification and the challenges involved when certification standards are translated from policy to practice.     

Greenhouse impacts of anthropogenic CH4 and N2O emissions in Finland

The Finnish anthropogenic CH₄ emissions in 1990 are estimated to be about 250 Gg, with an uncertainty range extending from 160 to 440 Gg. The most important sources are landfills and animal husbandry. The N₂O emissions, which come mainly from agriculture and the nitric acid industry are about 20 Gg in 1990 (uncertainty range 10–30 Gg). The development of the emissions to the year 2010 is reviewed in two scenarios: the base and the reduction scenarios.According to the base scenario, the Finnish CH₄ emissions will decrease in the near future. Emissions from landfills, energy production, and transportation will decrease because of already decided and partly realized volume and technical changes in these sectors. The average reduction potential of 50%, as assumed in the reduction scenario, is considered achievable.N₂O emissions, on the other hand, are expected to increase as emissions from energy production and transportation will grow due to an increasing use of fluidized bed boilers and catalytic converters in cars. The average reduction potential of 50%, as assumed in the reduction scenario, is optimistic.Anthropogenic CH₄ and N₂O emissions presently cause about 30% of the direct radiative forcing due to Finnish anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This share would be even larger if the indirect impacts of CH₄ were included. The contribution of CH₄ can be controlled due to its relatively short atmospheric lifetime and due to the existing emission reduction potential. Nitrous oxide has a long atmospheric lifetime and its emission control possiblities are limited consequently, the greenhouse impact of N₂O seems to be increasing even if the emissions were limited somehow.     

淮河下游地区森林资源及其经营管理对策

本文论述了淮河下游地区常绿针叶林、落叶阔叶林,落叶常绿阔叶混交林,竹林等森林资源类型的特征,分析了该地区森林资源在经营管理中存在的问题,提出了应采取的森林资源经营管理对策。