Spatial assessment of the economic feasibility of short rotation coppice on radioactively contaminated land in Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. I. Model description and scenario analysis

The economic feasibility of short rotation coppice (SRC) production and energy conversion in areas contaminated by Chernobyl-derived (137)Cs was evaluated taking the spatial variability of environmental conditions into account. Two sequential GIS-embedded submodels were developed for a spatial assessment, which allow for spatial variation in soil contamination, soil type, and land use. These models were applied for four SRC production and four energy conversion scenarios for the entire contaminated area of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia and for a part of the Bragin district, Belarus. It was concluded that in general medium-scale SRC production using local machines is most profitable. The areas near Chernobyl are not suitable for SRC production since the contamination levels in SRC wood exceed the intervention limit. Large scale SRC production is not profitable in areas where dry and sandy soils predominate. If the soil contamination does not exceed the intervention limit and sufficient SRC wood is available, all energy conversion scenarios are profitable.     

Perception of drinking water in the Quebec City region (Canada): the influence of water quality and consumer location in the distribution system

The purpose of every water utility is to provide consumers with drinking water that is aesthetically acceptable and presents no risk to public health. Several studies have been carried out to analyze people's perception and attitude about the drinking water coming from their water distribution systems. The goal of the present study is to investigate the influence of water quality and the geographic location of consumers within a distribution system on consumer perception of tap water. The study is based on the data obtained from two surveys carried out in municipalities of the Quebec City area (Canada). Three perception variables were used to study consumer perception: general satisfaction, taste satisfaction and risk perception. Data analysis based on logistic regression indicates that water quality variations and geographic location in the distribution system have a significant impact on the consumer perception. This impact appears to be strongly associated with residual chlorine levels. The study also confirms the importance of socio-economic characteristics of consumers on their perception of drinking water quality.     

Modeling Energy Savings from Urban Shade Trees: An Assessment of the CITYgreen® Energy Conservation Module

CITYgreen® software has become a commonly used tool to quantify the benefits of urban shade trees. Despite its frequent use, little research has been conducted to validate results of the CITYgreen energy conservation module. The first objective of this study is to perform a familiar application of CITYgreen software to predict the potential energy savings contribution of existing tree canopies in residential neighborhoods during peak cooling summer months. Unlike previous studies utilizing CITYgreen, this study also seeks to assess the software’s performance by comparing model results (i.e., predicted energy savings) with actual savings (i.e., savings derived directly from energy consumption data provided by the electric utility provider). Homeowners in an older neighborhood with established trees were found to use less energy for air-conditioning than homeowners in a recently developed site. Results from the assessment of model performance indicated that CITYgreen more accurately estimated the energy savings in the highly vegetated, older neighborhood.     

人居环境与生态理念

绿化建设是利用生态的想法(Ecological thinking)来创造人们的生活及工作空间。这样创造出来的健康而舒适的空间,不但不增加投资,实际上更能节能及减少运行费用,并改善空间用户的生产效率。所以在人居环境中引入"生态理念"是势在必行的。生态住宅生态设计是人居环境建设的关键。生态设计意识与住宅生态学已成为各国房产业、建筑业广泛关注的重点。     

Developing indicators of ecosystem condition using geographic information systems and remote sensing

Improvements in remote sensing technologies and the use of geographic information system (GIS), are increasingly allowing us to develop indicators that can be used to monitor and assess ecosystem condition and change at multiple scales. This paper presents global- and regional-level indicators developed by the World Resources Institute and collaborating partners using remote sensing and GIS. Presented as regional and global maps, these spatial indicators are ideal communication tools to raise awareness of the condition of the Earths ecosystems among different audiences. Global and regional spatial indicators not only inform us about the current condition of, and pressures on, ecosystems, but also about the likely capacity of the ecosystem to continue to provide goods and services to future generations. The increasing focus on integrating socio-economic and biological information with remote sensing and GIS technology can only help to further our understanding and capacity to manage ecosystems in a more sustainable manner.The author researched and wrote this paper while working for the World Resources Institute (WRI).     

Lessons learned from recent incidents: Facility siting, atmospheric venting, and operator information systems

Recent incidents have focused attention on a number of technical and management systems that need to be addressed by industry. A multiple layer of protection approach is essential for the prevention of incidents and/or reduction of consequences. Safety culture and operational discipline are the overall embracing factors that influence the safety performance of a facility. However, as recent events have indicated, there are a number of technical and engineering issues that must also be developed and implemented appropriately. Some of these issues that could lead to incidents with catastrophic consequences include facility siting and atmospheric relief venting. Impact of operator information systems on the prevention of releases of hazardous materials from their containment is also another significant factor that should be given appropriate attention.

This paper describes these three topics based on the findings from recent incidents and historical data. Engineering standards, regulatory requirements, and industry practices are discussed for facility siting, atmospheric relief venting, and operator information systems. Finally, a summary of gaps and needs in technology, standards, and practices is presented.     

Multi‐Criteria Decision Support Systems for Flood Hazard Mitigation and Emergency Response in Urban Watersheds1

Abstract: Flood management problems are inherently complex, time‐bound and multi‐faceted, involving many decision makers (with conflicting priorities and dynamic preferences), high decision stakes, limited technical information (both in terms of quality and quantity), and difficult tradeoffs. Multi‐Criteria Decision Support Systems (MCDSS) can help to manage this complexity and decision load by combining value judgments and technical information in a structured decision framework. A brief overview of MCDSS is presented, an original MCDSS architecture is put forth, and future research directions are discussed, including extensions to Multi‐Criteria Spatial Decision Support Systems and group MCDSS (as flood management involves shared resources and broad constituencies). With application to the September 11‐12, 2000 Tokai floods in Japan, the proposed multi‐criteria decision support instruments enhance communication among stakeholders and improve emergency management resource allocation. In summary, by making the links among flood knowledge, assumptions and choices more explicit, MCDSS increases stakeholder satisfaction, saves lives, and reduces flood management costs, thereby increasing decision‐making effectiveness, efficiency and transparency.     

Dynamic Modeling of Ground‐Water Quality Using Bayesian Techniques1

Abstract: Water industry experts have been arguing that the traditional techniques are not an accurate means of measuring water contamination. This is mainly because these techniques emphasize neither the stochastic nature of the water contamination process nor the precision and the accuracy of the tested methods used by environmental laboratories. In this work, we describe the development and application of prototype Dynamic Bayesian Networks (DBNs) that model ground‐water quality to determine the impact of chemical contaminants on ground‐water quality in the Salalah area, which is allocated to the south of Oman. We also present a new technique for data pre‐processing because it is needed for the treatment of ground‐water datasets that are used as the data source to learn the probabilities for dynamic decision models. Among more than 20 wells in area, only four wells were selected to be analyzed and the results show that we achieved an acceptable level of efficiency.     

Applicability of a Septic Tank/Engineered Wetland Coupled System in the Treatment and Recycling of Wastewater from a Small Community

A septic tank (ST)/engineered wetland coupled system used to treat and recycle wastewater from a small community in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was monitored to assess its performance. The engineered wetland system (EWS) had two parallel units each with two serial beds packed with different sizes of media and vegetated differently. The larger-sized medium bed was upstream and was planted with Phragmites (reeds) and the smaller-sized medium bed was downstream and was planted with Typha (cattails). The ST/EWS coupled system was able to remove ammonia by an average of 60%, nitrate by 71%, sulfate by 55%, chemical oxygen demand by 91%, and fecal coliform as well as total coliform by almost 100%. The effluent from the ST/EWS coupled system is used for irrigation. Notably, users of the recycled irrigation water do not harbor any negative feelings about it. This study demonstrates that it is possible to treat and recycle domestic wastewater using ST/EWS coupled systems. The study also brings attention to the fact that an ST/EWS coupled system has operation and maintenance (O&M) needs that must be fulfilled for its effectiveness and acceptability. These include removal of unwanted weeds, harvesting of wetland plants when the EWS becomes unappealingly bushy, and routine repair.     

智能交通与中国的交通安全

在交通运输中 ,安全是最重要的因素。近年来 ,中国交通运输事业的快速发展 ,给人民的生活带来诸多便利 ,但当前的交通安全状况却不容乐观 ,交通事故频繁发生 ,事故死亡人数逐年上升。智能交通系统是一个高科技集成系统 ,它综合运用各种高新技术于整个交通管理系统之中 ,可以系统、全面、高效地提高交通运输的安全性。笔者研究了我国的交通安全问题 ,尤其是公路交通安全问题 ,阐明了如何应用智能交通系统 ,有效地减少交通事故 ,改善交通安全状况 ;指出了我国发展智能交通对于改善交通安全 ,解决交通安全问题的重要意义并展望了我国发展智能交通的前景