Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: Precautionary Science and Conflicts of Interests

Risk governance of GM plants and GMfood products is presently subject to heatedscientific and public controversies. Scientistsand representatives of the biotechnologyindustry have dominated debates concerningsafety issues. The public is suspicious withregard to the motives of scientists, companies,and political institutions involved. Thedilemmas posed are nested, embracing valuequestions, scientific uncertainty, andcontextual issues. The obvious lack of data andinsufficient information concerning ecologicaleffects call for application of thePrecautionary Principle (PP). There are,however, divergent opinions among scientistsabout the relevance of putative hazards,definition of potential ``adverse effects,' andwhether actions should be taken to preventharm. The reliance on the concept ofsubstantial equivalence in safety evaluation ofGM food is equally controversial. Consequently,value assumptions embedded in a scientificframework may be a barrier for employment ofthe PP. One of our major conclusions is thatprecautionary GMP usage requires riskassessment criteria yet undeveloped, as well asbroader and more long-term conceptions of risk,uncertainty, and ignorance. Conflicts ofinterest and public participation are otherissues that need to be taken intoconsideration. GMP governance regimes that arejustifiable from a precautionary and ethicalpoint of view must transcend traditionalscientific boundaries to include alternativescientific perspectives as well as publicinvolvement.     

UNCERTAINTY IN ESTIMATING BANKFULL CONDITIONS1

ABSTRACT: Bankfull depth and discharge are basic input parameters to stream planform, stream restoration, and highway crossing designs, as well as to the development of hydraulic geometry relationships and the classification of streams. Unfortunately, there are a wide variety of definitions for bankfull that provide a range of values, and the actual selection of bankfull is subjective. In this paper, the relative uncertainty in determining the bankfull depth and discharge is quantified, first by examining the variability in the estimates of bankfull and second by using fuzzy numbers to describe bankfull depth. Fuzzy numbers are used to incorporate uncertainty due to vagueness in the definition of bankfull and subjectivity in the selection of bankfull. Examples are provided that demonstrate the use of a fuzzy bankfull depth in sediment trans. port and in stream classification. Using fuzzy numbers to describe bankfull depth rather than a deterministic value allows the engineer to base designs and decisions on a range of possible values and associated degrees of belief that the bankfull depths take on each value in that range.     

METHODOLOGIES FOR CALIBRATION AND PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS OF A WATERSHED MODEL1

ABSTRACT: The use of a fitted parameter watershed model to address water quantity and quality management issues requires that it be calibrated under a wide range of hydrologic conditions. However, rarely does model calibration result in a unique parameter set. Parameter nonuniqueness can lead to predictive nonuniqueness. The extent of model predictive uncertainty should be investigated if management decisions are to be based on model projections. Using models built for four neighboring watersheds in the Neuse River Basin of North Carolina, the application of the automated parameter optimization software PEST in conjunction with the Hydrologic Simulation Program Fortran (HSPF) is demonstrated. Parameter nonuniqueness is illustrated, and a method is presented for calculating many different sets of parameters, all of which acceptably calibrate a watershed model. A regularization methodology is discussed in which models for similar watersheds can be calibrated simultaneously. Using this method, parameter differences between watershed models can be minimized while maintaining fit between model outputs and field observations. In recognition of the fact that parameter nonuniqueness and predictive uncertainty are inherent to the modeling process, PEST's nonlinear predictive analysis functionality is then used to explore the extent of model predictive uncertainty.     

基于不确定性分析的健康环境风险评价

基于对水源地石油污染等现场调查数据为基础,选取典型污染物苯,利用可传递参数差异的蒙特卡罗技术方法,分析了乙烯厂不同分区苯污染经过呼吸和饮水暴露途径造成人体健康风险的不确定性,量化不确定性因素影响的A地区人体健康风险水平.结果表明,裂解装置区是苯污染影响人体健康风险水平的主要来源,产生的健康风险水平均值为1.17×10^-4,而其他3个分区的影响较小;所有分区苯污染对A地区产生的人体健康总风险均值为1.18×10^-4,大于美国环保局人体健康风险建议值10^-6,对人体健康已产生影响;受不确定性因素影响,根据不同的人体健康可以承受的风险水平限值,污染对人体健康产生影响的概率存在差异.因此量化不确定性对风险水平的影响,可为污染场地的风险管理和修复行动提供科学依据.     

Environmental cost of using poor decision metrics to prioritize environmental projects

Conservation decision makers commonly use project‐scoring metrics that are inconsistent with theory on optimal ranking of projects. As a result, there may often be a loss of environmental benefits. We estimated the magnitudes of these losses for various metrics that deviate from theory in ways that are common in practice. These metrics included cases where relevant variables were omitted from the benefits metric, project costs were omitted, and benefits were calculated using a faulty functional form. We estimated distributions of parameters from 129 environmental projects from Australia, New Zealand, and Italy for which detailed analyses had been completed previously. The cost of using poor prioritization metrics (in terms of lost environmental values) was often high—up to 80% in the scenarios we examined. The cost in percentage terms was greater when the budget was smaller. The most costly errors were omitting information about environmental values (up to 31% loss of environmental values), omitting project costs (up to 35% loss), omitting the effectiveness of management actions (up to 9% loss), and using a weighted‐additive decision metric for variables that should be multiplied (up to 23% loss). The latter 3 are errors that occur commonly in real‐world decision metrics, in combination often reducing potential benefits from conservation investments by 30–50%. Uncertainty about parameter values also reduced the benefits from investments in conservation projects but often not by as much as faulty prioritization metrics.     

How certain are we about the certainty-equivalent long term social discount rate?

Theoretical arguments for using a term structure of social discount rates (SDR) that declines with the time horizon have influenced government guidelines in the US and Europe. The certainty equivalent discount rate that often underpins this guidance embodies uncertainty in the primitives of the SDR, such as growth. For distant time horizons the probability distributions of these primitives are ambiguous and the certainty equivalent itself is uncertain. Yet, if a limited set of characteristics of the unknown probability distributions can be agreed upon, ‘sharp’ upper and lower bounds can be defined for the certainty-equivalent SDR. Unfortunately, even with considerable agreement on these features, these bounds are widely spread for horizons beyond 75 years. So while estimates of the present value of intergenerational impacts, including the social cost of carbon, can be bounded in the presence of this ambiguity, they typically remain so imprecise as to provide little practical guidance.     

Factors affecting the quantitative uncertainty of the estimated short-term intake. Part I—Calculation methods

ABSTRACT

The calculation of the combined uncertainty of the international estimated short-term intake (IESTI) of ethephon residues in apples is shown as an example. The ethephon residues in apples were reported by the Joint FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)/WHO (World Health Organization) Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). The apple consumption data were taken from the IESTI (international short-term intake) calculation template used by the JMPR. The IESTI was calculated with the currently used method (case 2a) and a proposed one recommended by the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)/RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health) Scientific Workshop co-sponsored by FAO and WHO. In this example, the ratio of IESTI_proposed/IESTI_current and their combined relative uncertainty are about 2.8, and 1.7, respectively. The larger IESTI and uncertainty obtained with the proposed equation are the consequence of calculation only with the large portion (LP) instead of its combination with unit mass, and the MRL instead of the highest residue (HR). The LP is the major contributor to the combined uncertainty. Both the calculated IESTI and its combined uncertainty depend on the actual food – pesticide residue combination, and should be calculated for each case.     

湿地甲烷排放估算模型的研究进展

湿地是大气甲烷（CH₄）的主要排放源,大气甲烷排放量的日益增加,给全球气候变化带来很大影响,准确估算湿地甲烷的排放量意义重大。目前湿地甲烷排放量估算模型主要有经验模型、机理过程模型和遥感参数模型,通过对三种模型的发展过程、应用状况及优缺点的对比分析和总结,分析了湿地甲烷排放、监测过程及模型估算方面的不确定性,指出了湿地甲烷排放估算的发展趋势,提出遥感参数模型将是湿地甲烷排放估算模型今后的发展方向。     

VOCs源强不确定性对臭氧生成及污染防治影响的模拟分析

本文基于三维区域空气质量模式WRF-Chem,通过修改模式化学模块,量化输出过程量和诊断量,提供了一种定量分析挥发性有机化合物(VOCs)源强不确定性对O3生成影响的方法.为无法定量计算VOCs源强导致的臭氧生成率[P(O3)]偏差,以及由此对O3体积分数分布和污染控制相关联的VOCs敏感区和NOx 敏感区分布的误判提...     

广东货船水运的温室气体排放和低碳发展对策

作为我国港口大省和低碳试点省,广东需先行测算船舶水运的GHG(温室气体)排放量基线,以探究低碳水运对策. 通过文献调研收集适用数据和资料,基于引擎功率法,测算了广东抵港货船在2010年的GHG排放量. 结果表明:广东专属经济区海域内货船水运的GHG总排放量为2887×104t,不确定性在-36%~45%之间,其中在领海区域内的排放量为730×104t;远洋集装箱船是GHG最大排放源,占总排放量的43%;集装箱船、干散货船、油轮和其他货船的GHG排放量不确定性均介于-30%~50%之间,远洋货船的主引擎在正常航行模式下输出功率是最主要的不确定性源. 基于分析船舶水运的GHG排放特征,提出船舶减速、向远洋货船供应岸电和内河货船主引擎转用天然气共3项低碳节能措施,共可减排40%的GHG排放量.该研究结果不仅为广东低碳水运发展提供基础性的GHG排放数据,也可为其他港口地区提供估算水运业GHG排放量的技术方法参考和实践经验.